24-hour isolated aortic systolic hypertension phenotype and its association with carotid and cardiac damage: the SAFAR study.

The prevalence of systolic hypertension phenotypes based on simultaneous 24-h brachial (br) and aortic (ao) ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) remains unknown. We sought to describe their prevalence and associations with hypertension mediated organ damage (HMOD). Participants with 24-h br and ao ABPM, carotid ultrasound and echocardiography data were categorized into 4 systolic hypertension phenotypes: sustained systolic br and ao normotension (SSN), isolated br systolic hypertension (IbrSH), isolated ao systolic hypertension (IaoSH) and sustained br and ao systolic hypertension (SSH).

Inpatient Cost of Stroke Care in Greece: Preliminary Results of the Web-Based "SUN4P" Registry.

Unlabelled: The aim of this study was to calculate the average operational cost per sub-type of stroke patient and to investigate cost drivers (e.g. ALoS, NIHSS score, age) correlated to cost.

Assessing Staff's and Stroke Patients' Experiences in 8 Hospitals in Greece: Results from a Prospective Multi-Center Study ("SUN4Patients").

Unlabelled: To assess stroke patient-reported experiences and hospital staff experiences, during hospital stay.

Methods: Stroke patient-reported experiences (n=387) were recorded using the translated and culturally adapted NHS-Stroke Questionnaire into Greek and staff experiences (n=236) were investigated using the Compassion Satisfaction and Burnout subscales of the ProQOL questionnaire.

Results: Staff's mean compassion satisfaction score was 39.

Stroke Units Necessity for Patients, Web-Based "SUN4P" Registry: Descriptive Characteristics of the Population.

Unlabelled: The aim of this study was to present the descriptive characteristics of the Stroke Units Necessity for Patients (SUN4P) registry.

Methods: The study population derived from the web-based SUN4P registry included 823 patients with first-ever acute stroke. Descriptive statistics were used to present patients' characteristics.

Machine-Learning-Derived Model for the Stratification of Cardiovascular risk in Patients with Ischemic Stroke.

Unlabelled: Background Stratification of cardiovascular risk in patients with ischemic stroke is important as it may inform management strategies. We aimed to develop a machine-learning-derived prognostic model for the prediction of cardiovascular risk in ischemic stroke patients.

Materials And Methods: Two prospective stroke registries with consecutive acute ischemic stroke patients were used as training/validation and test datasets.

Home blood pressure monitoring: methodology, clinical relevance and practical application: a 2021 position paper by the Working Group on Blood Pressure Monitoring and Cardiovascular Variability of the European Society of Hypertension.

The present paper provides an update of previous recommendations on Home Blood Pressure Monitoring from the European Society of Hypertension (ESH) Working Group on Blood Pressure Monitoring and Cardiovascular Variability sequentially published in years 2000, 2008 and 2010. This update has taken into account new evidence in this field, including a recent statement by the American Heart association, as well as technological developments, which have occurred over the past 20 years. The present document has been developed by the same ESH Working Group with inputs from an international team of experts, and has been endorsed by the ESH.

Vascular Inflammation and Cardiovascular Burden in Metastatic Breast Cancer Female Patients Receiving Hormonal Treatment and CDK 4/6 Inhibitors or Everolimus.

Chemotherapy regimens for breast cancer treatment can promote vascular dysfunction and lead to high cardiovascular risk. To investigate the cardiovascular burden and vascular inflammation in metastatic breast cancer patients receiving CDK 4/6 inhibitors or everolimus in addition to standard hormonal treatment. 22 consecutive female patients with metastatic breast cancer were enrolled.

Myocardial fibrosis after COVID-19 infection and severe sinus arrest episodes in an asymptomatic patient with mild sleep apnea syndrome: A case report and review of the literature.

COVID-19 infection is a new disease mainly affecting the respiratory system but is also accompanied by many extra-pulmonary manifestations. A case of a 47-year old male with unique myocardial fibrosis after COVID-19 infection involving the left ventricular wall, intraventricular septum and almost complete damage of interatrial septum, in combination with asymptomatic severe sinus arrest episodes related to mild obstructive sleep apnea syndrome is described here.

Carfilzomib-induced endothelial dysfunction, recovery of proteasome activity, and prediction of cardiovascular complications: a prospective study.

Carfilzomib (CFZ) improves survival in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma but is associated with cardiovascular adverse events (CVAEs). We prospectively investigated the effect of CFZ on endothelial function and associations with CVAEs. Forty-eight patients treated with Kd (CFZ 20/56 mg/m and dexamethasone) underwent serial endothelial function evaluation, using brachial artery flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) and 26S proteasome activity (PrA) measurement in PBMCs; patients were followed until disease progression or cycle 6 for a median of 10 months.

Significant reduction in the visits to the emergency room department during the COVID-19 pandemic in a tertiary hospital in Greece: Indirect victims of the pandemic?

COVID-19 pandemic caused a major crisis, affecting and straining health care systems, including some very advanced ones. The pandemic may have also indirectly affected access to health care for patients with other conditions, not related to COVID-19, even in countries not overwhelmed by an outbreak.We analyzed and compared visits to the emergency room (ER) department during the same calendar period of 2019 and 2020 (from March 1 to March 31 of each year) in our hospital, a medium size, tertiary center, located in the center of Athens, which is not a referral center for COVID-19.

Routine assessment of cognitive function in older patients with hypertension seen by primary care physicians: why and how-a decision-making support from the working group on 'hypertension and the brain' of the European Society of Hypertension and from the European Geriatric Medicine Society.

: The guidelines on hypertension recently published by the European Societies of Hypertension and Cardiology, have acknowledged cognitive function (and its decline) as a hypertension-mediated organ damage. In fact, brain damage can be the only hypertension-mediated organ damage in more than 30% of hypertensive patients, evolving undetected for several years if not appropriately screened; as long as undetected it cannot provide either corrective measures, nor adequate risk stratification of the hypertensive patient.The medical community dealing with older hypertensive patients should have a simple and pragmatic approach to early identify and precisely treat these patients.

Carotid Atherosclerosis and Patent Foramen Ovale in Embolic Stroke of Undetermined Source.

Background: Carotid atherosclerosis and likely pathogenic patent foramen ovale (PFO) are two potential embolic sources in patients with embolic stroke of undetermined source (ESUS). The relationship between these two mechanisms among ESUS patients remains unclear.

Aim: To investigate the relation between carotid atherosclerosis and likely pathogenic PFO in patients with ESUS.

Association of home and ambulatory blood pressure variability with left ventricular mass index in chronic kidney disease patients.

Increased blood pressure (BP) variability is associated with the development of target organ damage. However, the optimal type and index of BP variability (BPV) regarding their prognostic significance is unclear. The aim of our study was to compare the association of ambulatory and home BPV with the left ventricular mass index (LVMI) in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD).