Examining the Impact of Ertugliflozin on Cardiovascular Outcomes in Patients with Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome: A Systematic Review of Clinical Trials.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) constitute a significant cause of morbidity and mortality globally, particularly among individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Ertugliflozin, a Sodium-Glucose Co-transporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitor, is hypothesized to confer cardiovascular protection; however, long-term follow-up studies are necessary to support the hypothesis. This systematic review was conducted to evaluate the cardiovascular effects of ertugliflozin in diabetic versus non-diabetic cohorts, focusing on major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs), hospitalizations for heart failure, and cardiovascular mortality.

Importance of Multimodality Cardiac Imaging in the Diagnosis of Lipomatous Hypertrophy of the Interatrial Septum-A View beyond Standard Situations.

Lipomatous hypertrophy of the interatrial septum (LHIAS) represents a benign proliferation of lipoid cells at the level of the interatrial septum (IAS) inducing an important thickening of this structure. It respects the fossa ovalis (FO) region, having a typical "hourglass" echocardiographic appearance. There are certain cases though, with unusual appearances and/or with associated pathologies that may induce similar lesions in the heart, in which the differential diagnosis cannot be guaranteed using only the standard methods.

Utility of Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ) in Assessing Quality of Life among Patients with Heart Failure Undergoing Exercise Training Rehabilitation: A Systematic Review.

This systematic review evaluates the effectiveness of the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ) in assessing quality of life improvements among patients with heart failure (HF) undergoing various forms of exercise training rehabilitation, including telemedicine and in-person modalities, across all stages of HF, irrespective of ejection fraction (EF) and clinical status. The aim was to collate evidence from studies employing the KCCQ as a measure of quality of life (QoL). A comprehensive search strategy was implemented across PubMed, Scopus, and Embase databases, adhering to the PRISMA guidelines, including literature up until October 2023.

Impact of Short-Term Exposure to Nitrogen Dioxide (NO) and Ozone (O) on Hospital Admissions for Non-ST-Segment Elevation Acute Coronary Syndrome.

In the context of recent climate change, global warming, industrial growth, and population expansion, air pollution has emerged as a significant environmental and human health risk. This study employed a multivariable Poisson regression analysis to examine the association between short-term exposure to atmospheric pollutants (nitrogen dioxide-NO, sulfur dioxide -SO, ozone-O, and particulate matter with a diameter less than 10 μm-PM) and hospital admissions for non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS). Daily data on NSTE-ACS admissions, air pollutants, and meteorological variables were collected from January 2019 to December 2021.

The Challenges of Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy in Patients with Dilated Cardiomyopathy and Persistent Left Superior Vena Cava: A Case Report and Concise Literature Review.

Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) is a chronic and debilitating disease, which requires extensive diagnostic and treatment resources in order to achieve an acceptable quality of life for the patient. While optimal medical treatment remains at the core of the disease's management, interventional cardiology also plays a very important role. However, in very rare situations, interventionists might find cases especially challenging due to the presence of venous anomalies, such as persistent left superior vena cava (PLSVC), anomalies that may go undiscovered during the patient's lifetime until venous cannulation is necessary.

Clinical Presentation and Risk Factors of Infective Endocarditis in the Elderly: A Systematic Review.

Infective endocarditis (IE) is a bacterial infection with high morbidity and mortality rates, particularly among the elderly. This systematic review was conducted to determine the clinical characteristics of IE in older adults and the risk factors that could lead to adverse outcomes. The research employed three databases (PubMed, Wiley, and Web of Science), with a primary search for studies that have described cases of IE in patients older than 65 years.

The Impact of Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity on the Evolution of Diastolic Dysfunction in Apparently Healthy Patients Suffering from Post-COVID-19 Syndrome.

(1) Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has a worse prognosis in individuals with obesity and metabolic syndrome (MS), who often develop cardiovascular complications that last throughout recovery. (2) Methods: This study aimed to analyze the evolution of diastolic dysfunction (DD), assessed by transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), in 203 individuals with and without obesity and/or MS diagnosed with post-COVID-19 syndrome. (3) Results: DD was frequently diagnosed in patients with MS and obesity, but also in those without obesity (62.

The Impact of SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic on Patients Undergoing Radiation Therapy for Advanced Cervical Cancer at a Romanian Academic Center: A Four-Year Retrospective Analysis.

Background and Objectives: Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, health systems worldwide adapted to support COVID-19 patients while continuing to provide assistance to patients with other potentially fatal illnesses. While patients with cancer may be at an elevated risk of severe COVID-19-related complications, their oncologic therapies generally cannot be postponed indefinitely without a negative effect on outcomes. Taking this into account, a thorough examination of the therapy management of various cancers is necessary, such as cervical cancer.

Evolution of Echocardiographic Abnormalities Identified in Previously Healthy Individuals Recovering from COVID-19.

(1) Background: Although the infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus affects primarily the lungs, it is well known that associated cardiovascular (CV) complications are important contributors to the increased morbidity and mortality of COVID-19. Thus, in some situations, their diagnosis is overlooked, and during recovery, some patients continue to have symptoms enclosed now in the post-acute COVID-19 syndrome. (2) Methods: In 102 patients, under 55 years old, and without a history of CV diseases, all diagnosed with post-acute COVID-19 syndrome, we assessed by transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) four patterns of abnormalities frequently overlapping each other.

Echocardiographic Parameters as Predictors for the Efficiency of Resynchronization Therapy in Patients with Dilated Cardiomyopathy and HFrEF.

Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) represents an increasingly recommended solution to alleviate symptomatology and improve the quality of life in individuals with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) who remain symptomatic despite optimal medical therapy (OMT). However, this therapy does have the desired results all cases, in that sometimes low sensing and high voltage stimulation are needed to obtain some degree of resynchronization, even in the case of perfectly placed cardiac pacing leads. Our study aims to identify whether there is a relationship between several transthoracic echocardiographic (TTE) parameters characterizing left ventricular (LV) performance, especially strain results, and sensing and pacing parameters.

Factors Influencing the Evolution of Pulmonary Hypertension in Previously Healthy Subjects Recovering from a SARS-CoV-2 Infection.

(1) Background: While the COVID-19 pandemic has been persisting for almost 2 years, more and more people are diagnosed with residual complications such as pulmonary hypertension (PH) and right ventricular dysfunction (RVD). This study aims to evaluate the course of PH and borderline PH (BPH) at 3 and 6 months after the acute COVID-19 infection and investigate if there are differences regarding its evolution between the patients from the first three waves of this disease. (2) Methods: We analyzed, by transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), the 3 and 6 months' evolution of the echocardiographically estimated systolic pulmonary artery pressures (esPAP) in 116 patients already diagnosed with PH or BPH due to COVID-19 during the first three subsequent waves of COVID-19.

Cardiovascular Abnormalities and Mental Health Difficulties Result in a Reduced Quality of Life in the Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome.

(1) Background: Post-acute COVID-19 syndrome, characterized by persisting symptoms up to 12 weeks after the acute illness, impairs numerous people's physical and mental health. (2) Methods: 64 inpatients and 79 outpatients, aged under 55 years, with post-acute COVID-19, were evaluated by a transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), mental health examination, Quality of Life (QoL) questionnaire, post-COVID-19 functional status scale (PCFS) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). (3) Results: all inpatients had mild/moderate pulmonary injury during acute COVID-19, in contrast to 37.

Coping Strategies and Stress Related Disorders in Patients with COVID-19.

Patients with severe COVID-19 experience high-stress levels and thus are at risk for developing acute stress disorder (ASD) and/or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The present study aims to search for correlations between psychiatric response to stress and coping strategies among individuals with acute vs. remitted COVID-19.

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on the Implantation of Intra-Cardiac Devices in Diabetic and Non-Diabetic Patients in the Western of Romania.

: COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted public health services worldwide, determining a significant decrease of elective cardiovascular (CV) procedures, especially in patients with associated chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus (DM). : This study was first started in 2019 in the western of Romania, to analyze the differences regarding the implantations of intra-cardiac devices such as permanent pacemakers (PPM), cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), or implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICD) in 351 patients with and without DM and the situation was reanalyzed at the end of 2020. : of the first 351 patients with and without DM.