Publications by authors named "Maria F Marchetti"

Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore microvascular function impairment using first-pass cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) in patients with Takotsubo syndrome (TS). Moreover, we explored myocardial microcirculation in patients with TS and related this to demographic data, cardiovascular risk factors, clinical parameters, cardiac biomarkers, and cardiac function.

Methods: This retrospective study performed CMR first-pass perfusion scans in 42 consecutive patients with TS (37 females, 70.

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Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and mental health disorders (MHD) are respectively the first and second most prevalent diseases in high-income countries and the two most relevant causes of disability worldwide. The close association between the two conditions has been known for a long time and research has been able to document how the co-morbidity between cardiovascular disorders and mental health disorders is a negative prognostic factor for both conditions. This strong connection and the relevance of the impact of the association have led to define a new branch of cardiology, known as behavioral cardiology.

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Background: Cannabis is the most consumed drug worldwide and number of users is increasing, particularly among youth. Moreover, cannabis potential therapeutic properties have renewed interest to make it available as a treatment for a variety of conditions. Albeit rarely, cannabis consumption has been associated with cardiovascular diseases such as arrhythmias, myocardial infarction (MI) and potentially sudden death.

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The study was designed to assess patient adherence to wearable cardioverter defibrillator as an indicator of device effectiveness. The patient training is not widely properly standardized. We enrolled 25 patients with a wearable cardioverter defibrillator to prevent sudden cardiac death between June 2020 and August 2022.

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Background: Catecholamine-induced Takotsubo Syndrome (cat-TS) is a type of secondary Takotsubo syndrome, characterized by rapid onset of symptoms, high rate of complications during the acute phase, good short-term prognosis, and frequent apical sparing at echocardiogram. We present two clinical cases of cat-TS treated in our department.

Case Summary: Case one: 78-year-old man, admitted to Ear Nose and Throat Unit for surgical removal of oral squamous cellular carcinoma.

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Background: Evaluation of coronary flow velocity reserve (CFVR) is the physiological approach to assess the severity of coronary stenosis and microvascular dysfunction. Impaired CFVR occurs frequently in women with suspected or known coronary artery disease. The aim of this study was to assess the role of CFVR to predict long-term cardiovascular event rate in women with unstable angina (UA) without obstructive coronary artery stenosis.

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Alexithymia literally meaning 'no words for emotions' is a term used in mental health settings to describe people who have difficulties in identifying and verbalizing their emotional states. There is evidence in the literature that this personality trait may influence negatively the illness behavior when an acute coronary event occurs. In fact, people with high alexithymia are more likely to experience wrong appraisal and interpretation of symptoms, and because of their difficulty in describing feelings to others, they can be poor in reporting symptoms at the first consultation with a physician.

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Unlabelled: Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) is usually caused by physical or emotional negative stressors. Sometimes positive emotions trigger a rare form of Takotsubo syndrome, called the "happy heart" syndrome. We discuss the management of a 52-year-old female with happy heart syndrome, the differences between these stress cardiomyopathies and the relationship with hyperthyroidism.

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Article Synopsis
  • Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) is a temporary heart failure condition with significant in-hospital complications, but there is a gap in risk assessment data during hospital stays.! -
  • A new clinical score was developed using data from over 1,000 patients across two registries to predict the risk of in-hospital complications, focusing on factors like male sex and neurologic history.! -
  • The score includes certain risk points associated with complications, achieving a score accuracy of 0.71, which can help in identifying patients at higher risk for serious outcomes during hospitalization.!
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Background: Few studies have examined the effect of transmurality of myocardial necrosis on coronary microcirculation. The aim of this study was to examine the influence of cardiac magnetic resonance-derived (GE-MRI) structural determinants of coronary flow reserve (CFR) after anterior myocardial infarction (STEMI), and their predictive value on regional functional recovery.

Methods: Noninvasive CFR and GE-MRI were studied in 37 anterior STEMI patients after primary coronary angioplasty.

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Background: Pathological Q waves (QWs) in the first ECG recorded at hospital admission has been found to correlate with myocardial damage and mortality in STEMI patients. We investigated the association between new QWs recorded in the pre-hospital setting and adverse outcome during the hospital stay.

Methods: A pre-hospital ECG was recorded in 248 patients with STEMI who underwent primary PCI.

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Background: The aim was to study the association between mood and anxiety disorders and the Tako-Tsubo Syndrome (TTS) and to determine the role of antidepressants and the impairment of quality of life due the comorbid psychiatric disorder.

Methods: Case-control study: 19 consecutive patients (17 female) with TTS compared to 76 controls without TTS, were randomly selected from the database of a nationwide epidemiological study after matching (gender, age and residence) by controls. Psychiatric diagnoses were carried out according to the ICD-10 using semi-structured interview tools (ANTAS-SCID) administered by clinical staff.

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Background: Left ventricular (LV) thrombi during Takotsubo syndrome represent a potential complication and can be associated with cerebrovascular embolic events. The aim of this study was to evaluate the exact incidence, predictors, and management strategies of LV thrombi in patients with Takotsubo syndrome.

Methods And Results: We enrolled 541 consecutive patients in a multicenter international registry.

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Background: Microvascular coronary impairment, defined as reduced coronary flow reserve, represents the predominant etiologic mechanism of ischemia in women with chest pain and no obstructive coronary artery disease. Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is a noninvasive method for assessing coronary flow velocity reserve (CFVR) in the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD). The purpose of this investigation was to define the safety profile, feasibility, adverse events, and rate of complications of the test in women with suspected CAD.

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