New cardiovascular biomarkers in patients with advanced cancer - A prospective study comparing MR-proADM, MR-proANP, copeptin, high-sensitivity troponin T and NT-proBNP.

Aims: Traditional cardiovascular (CV) biomarkers (high-sensitivity troponinT [hsTnT] and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide [NT-proBNP]) are important to monitor cancer patients' cardiac function and to assess prognosis. Newer CV biomarkers (mid-regional pro-adrenomedullin [MR-proADM], C-terminal pro-arginine vasopressin [copeptin], and mid-regional pro-atrial natriuretic peptide [MR-proANP]) might outperform traditional biomarkers.

Methods And Results: Overall, 442 hospitalized cancer patients without significant CV disease or current infection were enrolled (61 ± 15 years, 52% male, advanced cancer stage: 85%) and concentrations of CV biomarkers were analysed.

Association of an impaired GH-IGF-I axis with cardiac wasting in patients with advanced cancer.

Background: Growth hormone (GH) resistance is characterized by high GH levels but low levels of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and growth hormone binding protein (GHBP) and, for patients with chronic disease, is associated with the development of cachexia.

Objectives: We investigated whether GH resistance is associated with changes in left ventricular (LV) mass (cardiac wasting) in patients with cancer.

Methods: We measured plasma IGF-I, GH, and GHBP in 159 women and 148 men with cancer (83% stage III/IV).

Predictors of lower exercise capacity in patients with cancer.

Maintaining cancer patients' exercise capacity and therefore patients' ability to live a self-determined life is of huge importance, but little is known about major determinants. We sought to identify determinants of exercise capacity in patients with a broad spectrum of cancer types, who were already receiving cancer treatment or about to commence such therapy. Exercise capacity was assessed in 253 consecutive patients mostly suffering from advanced cancer using the 6-min walk test (6-MWT).

Cardiovascular health-related quality of life in cancer: a prospective study comparing the ESC HeartQoL and EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire.

Aims: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is highly relevant in cancer and often assessed with the EORTC QLQ-C30. Cardiovascular HRQoL in cancer can be measured with the ESC HeartQoL questionnaire. We compared these instruments and examined their prognostic value.

Hand grip strength in patients with advanced cancer: A prospective study.

Background: Hand grip strength (HGS) is a widely used functional test for the assessment of strength and functional status in patients with cancer, in particular with cancer cachexia. The aim was to prospectively evaluate the prognostic value of HGS in patients with mostly advanced cancer with and without cachexia and to establish reference values for a European-based population.

Methods: In this prospective study, 333 patients with cancer (85% stage III/IV) and 65 healthy controls of similar age and sex were enrolled.

Patient-reported ability to walk 4 m and to wash: New clinical endpoints and predictors of survival in patients with pre-terminal cancer.

Background: Maintaining the ability to perform self-care is a critical goal in patients with cancer. We assessed whether the patient-reported ability to walk 4 m and wash oneself predict survival in patients with pre-terminal cancer.

Methods: We performed a prospective observational study on 169 consecutive hospitalized patients with cancer (52% female, 64 ± 12 years) and an estimated 1-12 months prognosis at an academic, inpatient palliative care unit.

Clinical and Prognostic Relevance of Cardiac Wasting in Patients With Advanced Cancer.

Background: Body wasting in patients with cancer can affect the heart.

Objectives: The frequency, extent, and clinical and prognostic importance of cardiac wasting in cancer patients is unknown.

Methods: This study prospectively enrolled 300 patients with mostly advanced, active cancer but without significant cardiovascular disease or infection.

Cardiovascular and metabolic determinants of quality of life in patients with cancer.

Aims: Maintaining quality of life (QoL) in patients with cancer has gathered significant interest, but little is known about its major determinants. We sought to identify determinants of QoL in patients undergoing cancer treatment as well as in treatment-naïve patients about to commence such therapy.

Methods And Results: QoL was assessed in 283 patients with cancer using the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 questionnaire.

Sarcopenia and cachexia in chronic diseases: from mechanisms to treatment.

Two main manifestations of wasting disorders in chronic disease are cachexia and sarcopenia. Due to shared pathological features, including impairments in systemic inflammatory responses, neurohormonal activity, and metabolic systems, the 2 disorders can present with similar symptoms (tissue depletion, dyspnea, anorexia, asthenia, fatigue, and impaired physical performance). Wasting disorders are associated with reduced quality of life and increased mortality.

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction according to the HFA-PEFF score in COVID-19 patients: clinical correlates and echocardiographic findings.

Aims: Viral-induced cardiac inflammation can induce heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF)-like syndromes. COVID-19 can lead to myocardial damage and vascular injury. We hypothesised that COVID-19 patients frequently develop a HFpEF-like syndrome, and designed this study to explore this.

Hypertension delays viral clearance and exacerbates airway hyperinflammation in patients with COVID-19.

In coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), hypertension and cardiovascular diseases are major risk factors for critical disease progression. However, the underlying causes and the effects of the main anti-hypertensive therapies-angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs)-remain unclear. Combining clinical data (n = 144) and single-cell sequencing data of airway samples (n = 48) with in vitro experiments, we observed a distinct inflammatory predisposition of immune cells in patients with hypertension that correlated with critical COVID-19 progression.

Classification of Intracranial Stenoses: Discrepancies between Transcranial Duplex Sonography and Computed Tomography Angiography.

Transcranial color-coded duplex sonography (TCCS) and computed tomography angiography (CTA) are widely used to identify intracranial stenoses (ISs). We assessed concordance of IS grading between TCCS and CTA and proposed new TCCS criteria for severe IS ≥70%. One hundred two stroke patients (70 ± 13 y) with TCCS-identified IS were included.

The heart failure specialists of tomorrow: a network for young cardiovascular scientists and clinicians.

The "Heart failure specialists of Tomorrow" (HoT) group gathers young researchers, physicians, basic scientists, nurses and many other professions under the auspices of the Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology. After its foundation in 2014, it has quickly grown to a large group of currently 925 members. Membership in this growing community offers many advantages during, before, and after the 'Heart Failure and World Congress on Acute Heart Failure'.

The difference in referencing in Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar.

Aims: How often a medical article is cited is important for many people because it is used to calculate different variables such as the h-index and the journal impact factor. The aim of this analysis was to assess how the citation count varies between Web of Science (WoS), Scopus, and Google Scholar in the current literature.

Methods: We included the top 50 cited articles of four journals ESC Heart Failure; Journal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscle; European Journal of Preventive Cardiology; and European Journal of Heart Failure in our analysis that were published between 1 January 2016 and 10 October 2019.

Recent advances in cardio-oncology: a report from the 'Heart Failure Association 2019 and World Congress on Acute Heart Failure 2019'.

While anti-cancer therapies, including chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiotherapy, and targeted therapy, are constantly advancing, cardiovascular toxicity has become a major challenge for cardiologists and oncologists. This has led to an increasing demand of cardio-oncology units in Europe and a growing interest of clinicians and researchers. The Heart Failure 2019 meeting of the Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology in Athens has therefore created a scientific programme that included four dedicated sessions on the topic along with several additional lectures.

Modern-day cardio-oncology: a report from the 'Heart Failure and World Congress on Acute Heart Failure 2018'.

During the 'Heart Failure and World Congress on Acute Heart Failure 2018', many sessions and lectures focused on cardio-oncology. This important field of research is constantly growing, and therefore, a great amount of time during the congress focused on it. Prevention and early recognition of side effects is very important in cancer patients.