[Sports activity and COVID-19: what's new?].

Growing evidence about COVID-19 and its possible cardiopulmonary complications have raised concerns about a potential subclinical heart damage even in asymptomatic patients. Many countries worldwide provided recommendations for a safe return to play and sports activity for athletes with previous COVID-19 disease. Italy was among the first nations to deal with the problem of protecting athletes' health.

Acute myocarditis as the main clinical manifestation of SARS-CoV 2 infection.

We describe a case of acute myocarditis, which was reported as the main COVID-19 clinical manifestation, with a favorabile outcome. In addition to symptoms, laboratory tests (BNP and troponin), echocardiogram and cardiac MRI contributed to diagnosis. Regardless heart biopsy was not obtained, it is likely an immunological pathogenesis of this condition which pave the way to further therapeutic implications, since there are currently no standardized treatments.

[COVID-19: a gendered disease? Possible interpretations and knowledge limitations].

Several important gender differences in susceptibility, clinical manifestation and response to treatments for a number of diseases are known since a long time, although they continue to be underestimated by a multiplicity of operators, especially men. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has provided a further evidence of the importance of gender medicine. The epidemiological analysis of COVID-19 data has highlighted the presence of multiple and important gender differences, with more unfavourable scenarios for the male gender.

[Return to sport after the COVID-19 pandemic. How to behave?].

Italy, and all the world, has recently faced the arduous battle against the spread of a new coronavirus: SARS-CoV-2. This unexpected pandemic dramatically upended all areas of life, leading to a profound change in priorities, both in the medical as well as the social-economic field; and sports is no exception. Not surprisingly, the COVID-19 pandemic also walloped the world of sports.

Prognostic implications of functional mitral regurgitation according to the severity of the underlying chronic heart failure: a long-term outcome study.

Aims: To examine the independent prognostic role of functional mitral regurgitation (FMR) and its impact across the severity of chronic heart failure (CHF) in a large population of outpatients with systolic CHF followed at two multidisciplinary clinics.

Methods And Results: Echocardiography was performed upon enrolment in 469 CHF patients. Follow-up for death and heart transplant was updated on January 2007.

Cardiac delayed enhancement distribution in extralysosomial glycogen storage disease.

We describe magnetic resonance (MR) aspect of cardiac glycogenesis in a 49-years old man, presented a progressively declining cardiac function and negative coronary angiography. Delayed enhancement MR confirmed non-ischemic pattern with unusual diffuse distribution of Gadolinium. Cardiac biopsy revealed a Glycogen Storage Disease, extralysosomial type.

Age and heart transplantation: results from a heart failure management unit.

Background: More evidence is needed to assess the pros and cons of maintaining age-limit policies in heart transplantation (HT).

Methods: We analyzed clinical data from a heart failure management unit to investigate the impact of age on prognosis of two distinct cohorts: (i) 309 patients (median age, 57 yr; 62% male) with severe chronic heart failure (CHF) consecutively screened for HT; (ii) 336 HT recipients (median age 56 yr, 82% male).

Results: In CHF patients (screened for HT), prognosis was conditioned by the underlying severity of cardiac disease (i.

Relevance of cardioverter defibrillators for the prevention of sudden cardiac death on the timing of heart transplantation.

Unlabelled: Information on the incidence of decompensation of chronic heart failure (CHF) in heart transplantation (HT) candidates eligible for prophylactic implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD) could provide insights into the influence of ICD on the timing for HT.

Methods: We investigated the prevalence of candidates satisfying SCD-HeFT and MADIT-II criteria for prophylactic ICD among patients (n = 317) with CHF referred to our tertiary center for HT. In addition to standard clinical and laboratory assessments, baseline evaluation included two-dimensional standard transthoracic echocardiogram and 12-lead electrocardiogram.

Role of severe functional mitral regurgitation in predicting electrical remodeling in idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy.

Objective: To investigate incidence and predictors of clinically relevant QRS widening (predefined as > or = 10% with respect to baseline) in idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDC) and particularly the prognostic role of functional mitral regurgitation (MR). Although QRS widening in left ventricular systolic dysfunction carries relevant prognostic and therapeutic implications, its incidence and predictors in patients with IDC remain unknown.

Methods: We analyzed 114 patients with IDC receiving optimized medical treatment (age 52 +/- 10 years; 44% males; 36% New York Heart Association class III-IV) who underwent clinical, echocardiographic, hemodynamic, and laboratory evaluations and at least two electrocardiograms > or = 6 months after the index evaluation.

Prognostic stratification of women with chronic heart failure referred for heart transplantation: relevance of gender as compared with gender-related characteristics.

Background: Few studies are available regarding prognostic stratification of women with severe chronic heart failure (CHF). Although women seem to have a better outcome than men, this may be due to favorable baseline characteristics.

Methods: We analyzed a cohort of CHF patients referred for heart transplantation (HT) who underwent clinical/laboratory/instrumental evaluation.

Evidence of reverse remodeling after long-term biventricular stimulation for resynchronization in patients with wide QRS selected on the basis of echocardiographic electromechanical delays.

Background: There is increasing evidence that cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) may trigger an inverse remodeling process leading to decreased left ventricular (LV) volumes in patients with heart failure and wide QRS. However, it is still important to simplify patient selection and achieve a widely applicable parameter to better stratify patients who are candidates for CRT.

Methods: Eighteen patients (13 males, 5 females, mean age 67.

[Diagnosis and assessment of thrombolytic efficacy in left atrial thrombosis using transesophageal echocardiography].

In order to evaluate the incidence of atrial thrombosis 17 patients underwent transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). They were referred to our department because of a recent systemic embolic event and we found thrombi located in the left atrial appendage in 14 patients, in 5 cases in the left atrium and in 4 cases in the right atrium. Transthoracic echocardiography showed left atrial masses in 5 patients.