Publications by authors named "Maryam Aghakouchakzadeh"

Article Synopsis
  • Postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) is a common complication affecting one-third of cardiac surgery patients, and SGLT2 inhibitors like empagliflozin may help prevent it through various mechanisms.
  • The EMPOAF study is a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving 492 adults scheduled for elective coronary artery bypass graft surgery, where participants will receive either empagliflozin or a placebo starting three days before surgery.
  • The trial aims to assess the effectiveness of empagliflozin in reducing POAF incidence, with additional focuses on serious arrhythmias, acute kidney injury, and safety-related outcomes, and is set to conclude by the end of 2025.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Balancing the safety and effectiveness of antithrombotic drugs in patients with gastrointestinal disorders is complex due to issues with drug absorption and increased bleeding risks.
  • The review focuses on enteral antithrombotic therapy for patients with cardiovascular conditions and gastrointestinal issues, outlining risk assessment and methods to reduce gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB).
  • It emphasizes the importance of teamwork in customizing antithrombotic therapy, based on medical society guidelines and the unique needs of patients with both cardiovascular and gastrointestinal conditions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Long contact of UV causes skin damage. Glycolic acid (GA) as an alpha hydroxy acid is used to treat photodamaged skin. However, GA leads to side effects including; burning, erythema and peeling.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The INSPIRATION-S trial investigated the effects of atorvastatin versus placebo on 90-day outcomes in ICU patients with COVID-19, focusing on complications like thrombosis and mortality.
  • Results showed that atorvastatin users had a slightly lower incidence of severe outcomes compared to placebo (33.1% vs 38.0%), but the difference was not statistically significant.
  • The study indicated a potential benefit of atorvastatin, particularly for patients who began treatment within the first week of symptom onset, with improved functional status noted, although definitive conclusions couldn't be made.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Ischemia reperfusion injury can lead to further myocardiocyte damage in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Pentoxifylline is a methylxanthine derivative with known anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, vasodilator, and rheological properties which can be a promising agent in preventing reperfusion injury. PENTOS-PCI is a single-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial which evaluated the efficacy and safety of preprocedural administration of intravenous pentoxifylline in patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Dyslipidemia is a major modifiable risk factor for developing atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Despite increasing high intensity statin prescription and adherence to statin therapy, a considerable number of patients will not reach the guideline directed goals due to statin intolerance, lack of adherence or treatment efficacy. Several new lipid lowering medications have received approval by regulatory agencies in the past decade including proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 modulators, ATP-citrate lyase inhibitors, angiopoietin-like 3 inhibitors, lomitapide, and icosapent ethyl.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) is the gold standard of treatment in patients with acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). The no-reflow phenomenon (NRP) is a detrimental consequence of STEMI. Colchicine is an anti-inflammatory drug that may help prevent the NRP and improve patient outcomes.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) is associated with systemic inflammation, endothelial activation, and multiorgan manifestations. Lipid-modulating agents may be useful in treating patients with COVID-19. These agents may inhibit viral entry by lipid raft disruption or ameliorate the inflammatory response and endothelial activation.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with macro- and micro-thromboses, which are triggered by endothelial cell activation, coagulopathy, and uncontrolled inflammatory response. Conventional antithrombotic agents are under assessment in dozens of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in patients with COVID-19, with preliminary results not demonstrating benefit in several studies.

Objectives: Given the possibility that more novel agents with antithrombotic effects may have a potential utility for management of patients with COVID-19, we assessed ongoing RCTs including these agents with their potential mechanism of action in this population.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with systemic inflammation, endothelial activation, and multi-organ manifestations. Lipid modulating agents may be useful in treating patients with COVID-19. They may inhibit viral entry by lipid raft disruption or ameliorate the inflammatory response and endothelial activation.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Endothelial injury and microvascular/macrovascular thrombosis are common pathophysiological features of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). However, the optimal thromboprophylactic regimens remain unknown across the spectrum of illness severity of COVID-19. A variety of antithrombotic agents, doses, and durations of therapy are being assessed in ongoing randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that focus on outpatients, hospitalized patients in medical wards, and patients critically ill with COVID-19.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Establishing efficient perfusion into the myocardium is the main purpose in patients with acute coronary syndrome, but the process of reperfusion is not without risk and can damage the myocardium paradoxically. Unfortunately, there is no effective treatment for reperfusion injury, and efforts to find an efficient preventive approach are still ongoing. In the past 3 decades, there have been many successful animal studies on how to prevent reperfusion injury; nonetheless, translation to the clinical setting has almost always proven disappointing.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • - COVID-19, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization and has no approved therapy yet, though some medications are being used for treatment globally.
  • - Patients with pre-existing cardiovascular conditions are at higher risk for serious outcomes from COVID-19, and even healthy individuals may experience acute heart issues due to the virus.
  • - The article reviews recent evidence on pharmacotherapies for COVID-19-related cardiovascular complications and looks at potential interactions with treatments currently being evaluated for the disease.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF