Role of the Electrocardiogram for Identifying the Development of Atrial Fibrillation.

Atrial fibrillation (AF), a prevalent cardiac arrhythmia, is associated with increased morbidity and mortality worldwide. Stroke, the leading cause of serious disability in the United States, is among the important complications of this arrhythmia. Recent studies have demonstrated that certain clinical variables can be useful in the prediction of AF development in the future.

The genetics of spontaneous coronary artery dissection: a scoping review.

Background: Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is a multifactorial process that involves predisposing factors and precipitating stressors. Genetic abnormality has been implicated to play a mechanistic role in the development of SCAD. This systematic review aims to summarize the current evidence concerning the link between SCAD and genetic abnormalities.

Atrial Fibrillation and Cognitive Disorders.

The prevalence of atrial fibrillation among older adults is increasing. Research has indicated that atrial fibrillation is linked to cognitive impairment disorders such as Alzheimer and vascular dementia, as well as Parkinson disease. Various mechanisms are believed to be shared between atrial fibrillation and cognitive impairment disorders.

COVID-19 vaccines-associated Takotsubo cardiomyopathy: A narrative review.

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC) is a severe, acute, reversible, and self-limited cardiac dysfunction. It usually affects postmenopausal women and is mostly triggered by physical or emotional stressors. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of doses of different types of COVID-19 vaccines are being administered globally.

Factors associated with early, late, and very late stent thrombosis among patients with acute coronary syndrome undergoing coronary stent placement: analysis from the ATLAS ACS 2-TIMI 51 trial.

Background: Stent thrombosis (ST) is an uncommon but serious complication of stent implantation. This study aimed to explore factors associated with early, late, and very late ST to help guide risk assessment and clinical decision-making on ST.

Methods: The analysis included patients who received stent placement for the index acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

Cytomegalovirus Specific Cell-Mediated Immunity Status in Women with Preeclampsia: A Case-Control Study.

Background: Preeclampsia, a pregnancy-specific complication, has been associated with cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in observational studies. CMV-specific T cell response plays a major role in viremia clearance. We explored whether CMV-specific cell-mediated immunity (CMI) status is associated with preeclampsia in pregnant women.

Association of D-dimer with short-term risk of venous thromboembolism in acutely ill medical patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: D-dimer, a marker of ongoing procoagulant activity, has been widely used for the diagnosis of venous thromboembolism (VTE). The prognostic significance of D-dimer in stratifying VTE risk for acutely ill medical patients has not been well-established.

Methods: A literature search was performed to collect studies that compared the incidence of short-term VTE between acutely ill medical patients with elevated or nonelevated D-dimer levels.

Factors associated with recurrent spontaneous coronary artery dissection: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The risk of recurrent spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is a major concern to SCAD patients and clinicians. Identifying the high-risk subsets of recurrent SCAD remains an ongoing challenge. The meta-analysis aimed to assess the potential predictors for SCAD recurrence.

Early and late recurrent cardiovascular events among high-risk patients with an acute coronary syndrome: Meta-analysis of phase III studies and implications on trial design.

Background: Despite low-density lipoprotein cholesterol-lowering therapies and other standard-of-care therapy, there remains a substantial residual atherosclerotic risk among patients with an acute coronary syndrome (ACS). This study aims to estimate the risk of early and late recurrent major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and address its implications on trial design.

Methods: A literature search was performed to collect phase III interventional trials on high-risk ACS patients.

Clinical outcomes of pharmacological thromboprophylaxis among patients with intracerebral hemorrhage: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: Efficacy and safety of pharmacologic thromboprophylaxis after an episode of intracerebral hemorrhage remains unclear. This meta-analysis aimed at comparing the clinical outcomes of intracerebral hemorrhage patients with or without pharmacologic thromboprophylaxis.

Methods: We performed a comprehensive literature review of PubMed to identified relevant studies.

Evaluation of Cardiac Troponin and Adverse Outcomes After Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Several studies have demonstrated the usefulness of cardiac troponin I (cTn) levels in predicting adverse clinical outcomes of patients with anerusmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). However, it remains unclear whether cTn levels can be a useful factor in predicting adverse neurologic and cardiovascular outcomes regarding follow-up duration. The study aimed to evaluate the clinical value of cTn elevation among patients with aSAH.

Role of GATA3 in tumor diagnosis: A review.

GATA binding protein 3 (GATA3) belongs to a family of transcription factors comprising six members. These proteins identify G-A-T-A containing sequences in the target gene and bind to DNA target via two zinc-finger domains. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of GATA3 in the diagnosis of tumors and its value as a prognostic marker.

Effect of azithromycin and hydroxychloroquine in patients hospitalized with COVID-19: Network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Chloroquine or its derivative hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) combined with or without azithromycin (AZ) have been widely investigated in observational studies as a treatment option for coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) infection. The network meta-analysis aims to summarize evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to determine if AZ or HCQ is associated with improved clinical outcomes. PubMed and Embase were searched from inception to March 7, 2021.

Current Opinion on the use of Direct Oral Anticoagulants for the Prophylaxis of Venous Thromboembolism among Medical Inpatients.

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a known cause of morbidity and mortality, especially among acutely ill medical patients. Although VTE prophylaxis is part of post-discharge clinical care in surgical patients, there is controversy regarding its use in acutely ill medical patients and the current guideline statements suggest against its routine use. Recent clinical trials (APEX, MAGELLAN and MARINER) compared the safety and efficacy of direct oral anticoagulants (including betrixaban and rivaroxaban) with the standard of the care, enoxaparin, to identify the risk-benefit tradeoff.

COVID-19-associated coagulopathy: a concise review on pathogenesis and clinical implications.

In this review, we summarize the possible mechanisms of COVID-19-associated coagulopathy and compare its features to other similar conditions. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has caused enormous mortality and morbidity worldwide. It is important to note that COVID-19-associated thrombotic events play a huge role in the morbidity of this disease.

COVID-19: A double threat to takotsubo cardiomyopathy and spontaneous coronary artery dissection?

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an ongoing pandemic that has affected millions of individuals worldwide. Prior studies suggest that COVID-19 may be associated with an increased risk for various cardiovascular disorders, such as myocardial injury, arrhythmia, acute coronary syndrome, and venous thromboembolism. Early reports of non-COVID-19 patients have described the concurrence of takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC) and spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD).

Venous Thromboembolism among Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19 Undergoing Thromboprophylaxis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Preliminary evidence indicates that prophylactic-dose thromboprophylaxis may be inadequate to control the increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients hospitalized for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. Additionally, it remains unclear whether the D-dimer measurement is useful for VTE risk stratification among COVID-19 patients. This study aimed to offer benchmark data on the incidence of VTE and to examine the difference in D-dimer levels among anticoagulated COVID-19 patients with and without VTE incident.

Effect of Vitamins and Dietary Supplements on Cardiovascular Health.

Cardiovascular disease marks the leading cause of mortality and morbidity in the United States. Pharmacological therapies have been developed to reduce the burden of cardiovascular diseases in the setting of large-scale randomized controlled trials. In contrast, vitamins and minerals have not undergone an equal level of scrutiny, and the evidence of cardiovascular benefit remains elusive.

General and abdominal obesity in relation to the prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome.

Background: Earlier studies on the obesity-IBS association have mostly been reported from Western nations, and limited data are available in this regard from developing countries. This study was performed to examine the association of general and abdominal obesity with Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in a Middle Eastern population.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 4763 Iranian adults participated.