Publications by authors named "Nicola Virtuoso"

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) are highly prevalent conditions, each significantly contributing to the global burden of morbidity and mortality. CVD and CKD share a great number of common risk factors, such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and smoking, among others. Their relationship extends beyond these factors, encompassing intricate interplay between the two systems.

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Article Synopsis
  • A study evaluated the effectiveness of the CardioMEMS device for remote monitoring in heart failure patients, focusing on its impact on healthcare outcomes, costs, and patient quality of life.
  • The results showed a significant reduction in hospitalizations (50%) and days spent in the hospital (68.7%), along with improved quality of life and better echocardiographic measures after one year of monitoring.
  • Economically, the CardioMEMS system resulted in average savings of €1580 per patient, with a notable reduction in healthcare costs due to decreased hospital visits and interventions.
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Background: Hypertension and chronic kidney disease (CKD) pose significant public health challenges, sharing intertwined pathophysiological mechanisms. Prediabetes is recognized as a precursor to diabetes and is often accompanied by cardiovascular comorbidities such as hypertension, elevating the risk of pre-frailty and frailty. Albuminuria is a hallmark of organ damage in hypertension amplifying the risk of pre-frailty, frailty, and cognitive decline in older adults.

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Article Synopsis
  • * A significant complication of CKD is CKD-mineral and bone disorder (MBD), which disrupts bone health and mineral metabolism, causing issues like vascular calcification that are linked to increased cardiovascular risks.
  • * Effective diagnosis and treatment require understanding the connections between mineral metabolism, bone disorders, and vascular calcification, as these factors heavily impact CKD-related morbidity and mortality.
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Obesity is a growing public health epidemic worldwide and is implicated in slowing improved life expectancy and increasing cardiovascular (CV) risk; indeed, several obesity-related mechanisms drive structural, functional, humoral, and hemodynamic heart alterations. On the other hand, obesity may indirectly cause CV disease, mediated through different obesity-associated comorbidities. Diet and physical activity are key points in preventing CV disease and reducing CV risk; however, these strategies alone are not always sufficient, so other approaches, such as pharmacological treatments and bariatric surgery, must support them.

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Sacubitril/valsartan (Sac/Val) reduces mortality in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) compared to enalapril. However, its effects on functional capacity remain uncertain; consequently, we sought to compare Sac/Val vs. standard medical therapy, in terms of effects on prognostically significant CPET parameters, in HFrEF patients during a long follow-up period.

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Arterial hypertension (AH) is a progressive issue that grows in importance with the increased average age of the world population. The potential role of artificial intelligence (AI) in its prevention and treatment is firmly recognized. Indeed, AI application allows personalized medicine and tailored treatment for each patient.

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The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic continues to be a global challenge due to resulting morbidity and mortality. Cardiovascular (CV) involvement is a crucial complication in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and no strategies are available to prevent or specifically address CV events in COVID-19 patients. The identification of molecular partners contributing to CV manifestations in COVID-19 patients is crucial for providing early biomarkers, prognostic predictors, and new therapeutic targets.

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Though the acute effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection have been extensively reported, the long-term effects are less well described. Specifically, while clinicians endure to battle COVID-19, we also need to develop broad strategies to manage post-COVID-19 symptoms and encourage those affected to seek suitable care. This review addresses the possible involvement of the lung, heart and brain in post-viral syndromes and describes suggested management of post-COVID-19 syndrome.

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Sortilin has been positively correlated with vascular disorders in humans. No study has yet evaluated the possible direct effect of sortilin on vascular function. We used pharmacological and genetic approaches coupled with study of murine and human samples to unravel the mechanisms recruited by sortilin in the vascular system.

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Recent scientific literature has investigated the cardiovascular implications of COVID-19. The mechanisms of cardiovascular damage seem to involve the protein angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), to which severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus-2 (CoV-2) binds to penetrate cells and other mechanisms, most of which are still under study. Cardiovascular sequelae of COVID-19 include heart failure, cardiomyopathy, acute coronary syndrome, arrhythmias, and venous thromboembolism.

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Aging can be seen as process characterized by accumulation of oxidative stress induced damage. Oxidative stress derives from different endogenous and exogenous processes, all of which ultimately lead to progressive loss in tissue and organ structure and functions. The oxidative stress theory of aging expresses itself in age-related diseases.

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Background: In the real world, medical practice is changing hand in hand with the development of new Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems and problems from different areas have been successfully solved using AI algorithms. Specifically, the use of AI techniques in setting up or building precision medicine is significant in terms of the accuracy of disease discovery and tailored treatment. Moreover, with the use of technology, clinical personnel can deliver a very much efficient healthcare service.

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Serum uric acid (sUA) has been associated with cardiovascular risk. Although the recent mechanistic hypothesis poses the basis for the association between sUA and left ventricular mass index (LVMi), the issue remains poorly investigated in a clinical setup. Through a retrospective analysis of the database of the departmental Hypertension Clinic of University Hospital of Salerno Medical School, we identified 177 essential hypertensives (age 60.

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Background High blood pressure (BP) has long been recognized as a major health threat and, particularly, a major risk factor for stroke, cardiovascular disease, and end-organ damage. However, the identification of a novel, alternative, integrative approach for the control of BP and cardiovascular protection is still needed. Methods and Results Sixty-nine uncontrolled hypertension patients, aged 40 to 68 years, on antihypertensive medication were enrolled in 2 double-blind studies.

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Diabetes mellitus is a common disease that affects 3⁻5% of the general population in Italy. In some countries of northern Europe or in North America, it can even affect 6⁻8% of the population. Of great concern is that the number of cases of diabetes is constantly increasing, probably due to the increase in obesity and the sedentary nature of the population.

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A growing number of evidences report that aging represents the major risk factor for the development of cardio and cerebrovascular diseases. Understanding Aging from a genetic, biochemical and physiological point of view could be helpful to design a better medical approach and to elaborate the best therapeutic strategy to adopt, without neglecting all the risk factors associated with advanced age. Of course, the better way should always be understanding risk-to-benefit ratio, maintenance of independence and reduction of symptoms.

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