Nutraceuticals and Supplements in Management of Prediabetes and Diabetes.

Dysglycemia is a condition preceding diabetes mellitus. The two situations inherent in this condition are called impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). If one of these situations is found in the patient, after the advice of an appropriate diet and physical activity, the addition of nutraceuticals or supplements can be considered, which can stop or delay the progression to diabetes mellitus over time.

Biatrial and Biventricular Reference Ranges Based on Cardiac Magnetic Resonance in Sickle Cell Disease Patients Without Heart Damage.

Background/objectives: We aimed to establish biatrial and biventricular reference ranges using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) parameters in SCD patients without heart damage.

Methods: This study compared CMR parameters, quantified by cine SSFP sequences, in 48 adult SCD patients without apparent cardiac involvement (defined by the absence of known risk factors, normal electrocardiogram, and no macroscopic myocardial fibrosis or significant cardiac iron on T2* CMR) to matched cohorts of 96 healthy controls and 96 thalassemia major (TM) patients without cardiac damage. Nine paediatric SCD patients were also analysed and compared to age- and gender-matched groups of nine TM patients and nine healthy subjects.

Mapping the relative accuracy of cross-ancestry prediction.

The overwhelming majority of participants in genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have European (EUR) ancestry, and polygenic scores (PGS) derived from EURs often perform poorly in non-EURs. Previous studies suggest that between-ancestry differences in allele frequencies and linkage disequilibrium are significant contributors to the poor portability of PGS in cross-ancestry prediction. We hypothesize that the portability of (local) PGS varies significantly over the genome.

Could CT Radiomic Analysis of Benign Adrenal Incidentalomas Suggest the Need for Further Endocrinological Evaluation?

We studied the application of CT texture analysis in adrenal incidentalomas with baseline characteristics of benignity that are highly suggestive of adenoma to find whether there is a correlation between the extracted features and clinical data. Patients with hormonal hypersecretion may require medical attention, even if it does not cause any symptoms. A total of 206 patients affected by adrenal incidentaloma were retrospectively enrolled and divided into non-functioning adrenal adenomas (NFAIs, n = 115) and mild autonomous cortisol secretion (MACS, n = 91).

Clinical and Humanistic Burden of Non-inhibitor Haemophilia A in Five European Countries: Insights from the CHESS II Study.

Introduction: Haemophilia A (HA) is a congenital bleeding disorder caused by a deficiency/absence of factor VIII (FVIII) and characterised by frequent, acute and prolonged spontaneous or traumatic bleeding events, often leading to haemophilic arthropathy and progressive joint deterioration. HA severity is characterized by endogenous FVIII activity: mild (> 5-40%), moderate (1-5%), or severe (< 1%). HA poses a substantial clinical and socioeconomic burden on people with HA (PWHA), their caregivers, and society.

Take a look at the heart: Incidental detection of a right atrial thrombus during abdominal MR.

Cardiac masses include a wide range of lesions whose nature could be both neoplastic (primary and secondary) or not. Here we report the case of a 53-year-old woman referred to our center for pancreatic lesion follow up by magnetic resonance. The collateral finding of a rounded-shaped lesion in the right heart atrium, during the abdomen examination, led to further diagnostic investigation.

Patient Perspective on Disease Burden and Gene Therapy for Hemophilia A and B: The "Haemvolution for Patients" Italian Survey.

Hemophilia is a rare X-linked congenital bleeding disorder due to a deficiency of factor VIII (hemophilia A [HA]) or factor IX (hemophilia B [HB]). Replacement and nonreplacement treatments are available but have limitations. Gene therapy (GT) provides an effective, long-term, single-dose treatment option, now approaching clinical practice.

Combined Brain-Heart Imaging in Takotsubo Syndrome: Towards a Holistic Patient Assessment.

Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) is a type of cardiomyopathy usually precipitated by either emotional or physical stress and potentially leading to reversible heart failure. There is emerging evidence indicating an interaction between the brain and the heart in patients with TTS. Nevertheless, these new insights are not reflected in the current clinical approach to TTS.

Atrial dimension reference values in healthy participants using the biplane/monoplane method for clinical and research use.

Aim: To provide reference values of the dimensions of the left and right atrium (RA) obtained using the biplane and monoplane methods, respectively, on two- and four-chamber views, which represent the standard projections acquired in clinical practice, and correlation with body surface area (BSA), age, and gender.

Materials And Methods: Healthy volunteers, M:F = 1:1, including five participants per gender and age decile from 20 to 70 years, who underwent cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) were enrolled prospectively. Normal atrial reference values were calculated for male and female subpopulations and stratified by age.

The value-based healthcare approach to haemophilia: Development of outcome measures for the evaluation of care of people with haemophilia.

Introduction: Considering the advances in haemophilia management and treatment observed in the last decades, a new set of value-based outcome indicators is needed to assess the quality of care and the impact of these medical innovations.

Aim: The Value-Based Healthcare in Haemophilia project aimed to define a set of clinical outcome indicators (COIs) and patient-reported outcome indicators (PROIs) to assess quality of care in haemophilia in high-income countries with a value-based approach to inform and guide the decision-making process.

Methods: A Value-based healthcare approach based on the available literature, current guidelines and the involvement of a multidisciplinary group of experts was applied to generate a set of indicators to assess the quality of care of haemophilia.

Camposampiero tubeless percutaneous nephrolithotomy (tPCNL): Easy, quick, effective, safe.

Objectives: To describe our technique to perform tubeless percutaneous nephrolithotomy (tPCNL) using hemostatic matrix (i.e. Floseal) for the closure of the percutaneous tract, developed through the experience gained in our endourology specialized center.

Venous Thromboembolism Risk Assessment in Hospitalized Cancer Patients: A Single Center Study.

This study aimed to identify predictors of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in hospitalized cancer patients and develop a predictive model using demographic, clinical, and laboratory data. Our analysis showed that patient groups categorized under a very high risk, and high risk, patients with low hemoglobin levels and renal disease were at a significantly increased risk of developing VTE. We developed a VTE risk-assessment model (RAM) with moderate discriminatory performance, high specificity, and negative predictive value, indicating its potential utility in identifying patients without VTE risk.

Coronary calcification in patients presenting with acute coronary syndromes: insights from the MATRIX trial.

Aims: The role of coronary calcification on clinical outcomes among different revascularization strategies in patients presenting with acute coronary syndromes (ACSs) has been rarely investigated. The aim of this investigation is to evaluate the role of coronary calcification, detected by coronary angiography, in the whole spectrum of patients presenting with acute ACS.

Methods And Results: The present study was a post hoc analysis of the MATRIX programme.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Iron Overload Assessment by MRI in Patients with Hemoglobinopathies: The E-MIOT Network Experience.

Background: The E-MIOT (Extension-Myocardial Iron Overload in Thalassemia) project is an Italian Network assuring high-quality quantification of tissue iron overload by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We evaluated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on E-MIOT services.

Methods: The activity of the E-MIOT Network MRI centers in the year 2020 was compared with that of 2019.

Awareness of individual goals, preferences, and priorities of persons with severe congenital haemophilia A for a tailored shared decision-making approach to liver-directed gene therapy. A practical guideline.

In clinical medicine, shared decision making (SDM) is a well-recognized strategy to enhance engagement of both patients and clinicians in medical decisions. The success of liver-directed gene therapy (GT) to transform severe congenital haemophilia A (HA) from an incurable to a curable disease has launched a shift beyond current standards of treatment. However, GT acceptance remains low in the community of HA persons.

Medical Radiology: Current Progress.

Recently, medical radiology has undergone significant improvements in patient management due to advancements in image acquisition by the last generation of machines, data processing, and the integration of artificial intelligence. In this way, cardiovascular imaging is one of the fastest-growing radiological subspecialties. In this study, a compressive review was focused on addressing how and why CT and MR have gained a I class indication in most cardiovascular diseases, and the potential impact of tissue and functional characterization by CT photon counting, quantitative MR mapping, and 4-D flow.

Current Evidence and Future Perspectives about the Role of PARP Inhibitors in the Treatment of Thoracic Cancers.

In recent years, poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibition has become a promising therapeutic option for several tumors, especially for those harboring a BRCA 1-2 mutation or a deficit in the homologous recombination repair (HRR) pathway. Nevertheless, to date, PARP inhibitors are still not largely used for thoracic malignancies neither as a single agent nor in combination with other treatments. Recently, a deeper understanding of HRR mechanisms, alongside the development of new targeted and immunotherapy agents, particularly against HRR-deficient tumors, traced the path to new treatment strategies for many tumor types including lung cancer and malignant pleural mesothelioma.

Chest pain in cardiac amyloidosis: occurrence, causes and prognostic significance.

Background: Chest pain is experienced by patients with cardiac amyloidosis (CA), but a systematic investigation of its frequency, underlying etiologies and clinical significance is lacking.

Methods: Clinical, echocardiographic, laboratory characteristics, available coronary arteries imaging and endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) findings of 174 patients with CA (n = 104 with transthyretin, ATTR; n = 70 with light chains, AL) were analyzed.

Results: Chest pain was reported in 66 (38%) CA patients.

Detection of stellar light from quasar host galaxies at redshifts above 6.

The detection of starlight from the host galaxies of quasars during the reionization epoch (z > 6) has been elusive, even with deep Hubble Space Telescope observations. The current highest redshift quasar host detected, at z = 4.5, required the magnifying effect of a foreground lensing galaxy.