Pulmonary Embolism in the Elderly: From Symptoms to Speckle Tracking Echocardiography.

(1) Background: There are little data about the differences in clinical and echocardiographic characteristics between elderly (aged ≥ 65 years) and younger patients with acute pulmonary embolism (PE). (2) Methods: Consecutive patients diagnosed with PE in a tertiary hospital were identified. Clinical characteristics, biomarkers and transthoracic echocardiography indices including right ventricular free wall longitudinal strain (RV-FWLS) were recorded.

Mechanical Barrier for Prevention of Dislodged Stent Embolization in Saphenous Vein Graft.

Percutaneous coronary interventions in vein grafts can be quite challenging, and many complications can occur during the procedure. We present a case of stent dislodgment during percutaneous coronary intervention in a vein graft. It was migrating to the proximal part of the graft and a covered stent was placed in the native vessel in order to isolate the graft.

Right Ventricular Longitudinal Strain-Related Indices in Acute Pulmonary Embolism.

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is correlated with serious morbidity and mortality. Efforts have been made to establish and validate mortality predictive scores based mainly on clinical parameters. Patients with PE and traditional indices of echocardiographic right ventricular (RV) dysfunction or pressure overload have a higher probability of a worse outcome.

Identification of Novel Independent Correlations between Cellular Components of the Immune System and Strain-Related Indices of Myocardial Dysfunction in CKD Patients and Kidney Transplant Recipients without Established Cardiovascular Disease.

The role of immune system components in the development of myocardial remodeling in chronic kidney disease (CKD) and kidney transplantation remains an open question. Our aim was to investigate the associations between immune cell subpopulations in the circulation of CKD patients and kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) with subclinical indices of myocardial performance. We enrolled 44 CKD patients and 38 KTRs without established cardiovascular disease.

The Mitochondrial-Derived Peptide MOTS-c May Refine Mortality and Cardiovascular Risk Prediction in Chronic Hemodialysis Patients: A Multicenter Cohort Study.

Introduction: Uremic patients exhibit remarkably increased rates of mortality and cardiovascular (CV) events, but risk prediction in this setting remains difficult. Systemic mitochondrial dysfunction is pervasive in end-stage kidney disease and may contribute to CV complications. We tested the clinical significance of circulating MOTS-c, a small mitochondrial-derived peptide, as a biomarker for improving mortality and CV risk prediction in hemodialysis (HD) patients.

Unbalanced circulating Humanin levels and cardiovascular risk in chronic hemodialysis patients: a pilot, prospective study.

Background: Mortality and cardiovascular (CV) risk prediction in individuals with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) on chronic hemodialysis (HD) remains challenging due to the multitude of implicated factors. In a multicenter ESKD-HD cohort, we tested the prognostic yield of the assessment of circulating Humanin, a small mitochondrial-derived peptide involved in CV protection, on CV events and mortality.

Methods: We conducted a prospective, observational, pilot study on 94 prevalent HD patients.

The Role of Prognostic Scores in Assessing the Prognosis of Patients Admitted in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit: Emphasis on Heart Failure Patients.

: Patient care in Cardiac Intensive Care Units (CICU) has evolved but data on patient characteristics and outcomes are sparse. This retrospective observational study aimed to define clinical characteristics and risk factors of CICU patients, their in-hospital and 30-day mortality, and compare it with established risk scores. : Consecutive patients ( = 294, mean age 70 years, 74% males) hospitalized within 15 months were studied; APACHE II, EHMRG, GWTG-HF, and GRACE II were calculated on admission.

Impact of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth on systemic inflammation, circulatory and renal function, and liver fibrosis in patients with cirrhosis and ascites.

Background: Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) occurs frequently in patients with cirrhosis, particularly in those with ascites, and promotes the translocation of gut-derived bacterial products into the portal and systemic circulation. We investigated the effects of SIBO on systemic inflammatory activity, circulatory and renal function, and the degree of liver fibrosis in patients with cirrhosis and ascites.

Methods: Eighty patients with cirrhosis and ascites were prospectively enrolled.

In-Hospital versus Out-of-Hospital Pulmonary Embolism: Clinical Characteristics, Biochemical Markers and Echocardiographic Indices.

Background: A significant proportion of pulmonary embolisms (PEs) occurs in patients during hospitalisation for another reason. However, limited data regarding differences between out-of-hospital PE (OHPE) and in-hospital PE (IHPE) is available. We aimed to compare these groups regarding their clinical characteristics, biochemical markers, and echocardiographic indices.

Association of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction with inflammatory activity, renal dysfunction, and liver-related mortality in patients with cirrhosis and ascites.

Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) is the predominant cardiac abnormality in cirrhosis. We investigated the association of LVDD with systemic inflammation and its impact on renal function, occurrence of hepatorenal syndrome (HRS) and survival in patients with cirrhosis and ascites. We prospectively enrolled 215 patients with cirrhosis and ascites.

CARDIOCARE: An integrated platform for the management of elderly multimorbid patients with breast cancer therapy induced cardiac toxicity.

Breast cancer (BC) remains the most diagnosed cancer in women, accounting for 12% of new annual cancer cases in Europe and worldwide. Advances in surgery, radiotherapy and systemic treatment have resulted in improved clinical outcomes and increased survival rates in recent years. However, BC therapy-related cardiotoxicity, may severely impact short- and long-term quality of life and survival.

Risk Stratification for Cardiotoxicity in Breast Cancer Patients: Predicting Early Decline of LVEF After Treatment.

This study introduces AI-based models in prediction and risk assessment of early cardiac dysfunction in older breast cancer patients, as a side-effect of their cancer treatment. Using only features extracted during the baseline evaluation of each patient the proposed methodology could predict a decline in LVEF values in 4 different follow-up intervals during the first year after treatment initiation (i.e.

Circulating miRNA 122-5p Expression Predicts Mortality and Cardiovascular Events in Chronic Hemodialysis Patients: A Multicentric, Pilot, Prospective Study.

Background: Despite patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis (HD) being notoriously prone to adverse cardiovascular (CV) events, risk prediction in this population remains challenging. miRNA 122-5p, a short, non-coding RNA predominantly involved in lipid and carbohydrate metabolism, has recently been related to the onset and progression of CV disease.

Methods: We run a pilot, multicenter, longitudinal, observational study to evaluate the clinical significance and prognostic usefulness of circulating miRNA 122-5p in a multicentric cohort of 74 individuals on maintenance HD.

Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation with the Portico Valve: 2-Year Outcomes of a Multicenter, Real-World Registry.

Introduction: The self-expanding, resheathable, repositionable transcatheter aortic heart valve Portico is being used successfully for transcatheter aortic valve implantation procedures (TAVI) in patients with severe aortic stenosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate outcomes at 2 years after TAVI with the Portico valve.

Methods: Multicenter registry of clinical, echocardiographic and survival data from consecutive patients treated with the Portico TAVI system (Abbott, Chicago, IL, USA) in three cath labs in Northern Greece and Epirus during 2017-2020.

What is the real incidence of right ventricular affection in patients with acute pulmonary embolism?

Background: Echocardiographic markers of right ventricular dysfunction or pressure overload (RV) have been used in risk assessment of patients with acute pulmonary embolism (APE). Nevertheless, the role of echocardiography in these patients is incompletely determined. We evaluated the right ventricular function using 'non-conventional' markers of RV in patients with APE.

The Role of Myocardial Perfusion Imaging in the Prediction of Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events at 1 Year Follow-Up: A Single Center's Experience.

Background: Myocardial perfusion imaging via single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT MPI) is a well-established method of diagnosing coronary artery disease (CAD). The purpose of this study was to assess the role of SPECT MPI in predicting major cardiovascular events.

Methods: The study population was composed of 614 consecutive patients (mean age: 67 years, 55% male) referred for SPECT MPI due to symptoms of stable CAD.

Coronary microcirculation and left ventricular diastolic function but not myocardial deformation indices are impaired early in patients with chronic kidney disease.

Aim: To investigate abnormalities in myocardial strain and classic echocardiographic indices and coronary flow reserve (CFR), in younger versus older CKD patients.

Methods: Sixty consecutive CKD patients (<60 years old n = 30, ≥60 years old n = 30) and 30 healthy controls (age- and gender-matched with younger CKD patients) were recruited. An echocardiographic assessment including myocardial strain indices (i.

Differences in the Profile of Circulating Immune Cell Subsets in Males with Type 2 Cardiorenal Syndrome versus CKD Patients without Established Cardiovascular Disease.

Unlabelled: Maladaptive activation of the immune system plays a key role in the pathogenesis of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Our aim was to investigate differences in circulating immune cells between type 2 cardiorenal syndrome (CRS-2) patients and CKD patients without cardiovascular disease (CVD). CRS-2 patients were prospectively followed up, with the primary endpoint being all-cause and cardiovascular mortality.