Stem cells for treatment of cardiovascular diseases: An umbrella review of randomized controlled trials.

Aims: Stem cells are a promising therapy for various medical conditions. The literature regarding their adoption for the clinical care of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) is still conflicting. Therefore, our aim is to assess the strength and credibility of the evidence on clinical outcomes and application of stem cells derived from systematic reviews and meta-analyses of intervention studies in CVD.

Transvenous lead extraction procedures in women based on ESC-EHRA EORP European Lead Extraction ConTRolled ELECTRa registry: is female sex a predictor of complications?

Aims: Female sex is considered an independent risk factor of transvenous leads extraction (TLE) procedure. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of TLE in women compared with men.

Methods And Results: A post hoc analysis of risk factors and effectiveness of TLE in women and men included in the ESC-EHRA EORP ELECTRa registry was conducted.

A Low Rivaroxaban Plasma Level May Indicate Anticoagulation Undertreatment.

Unlabelled: Few reports have been published on the correlation between plasma concentrations of rivaroxaban and clinical outcome in patients who have experienced venous thromboembolism. This article describes the case of a 44-year-old woman who experienced deep vein thrombosis during anticoagulation therapy with rivaroxaban, with evidence of repeated low plasma levels of the drug. We postulate that the determination of plasma rivaroxaban anti-Xa activity can be useful in the evaluation of anticoagulation therapy in selected cases.

The European Lead Extraction ConTRolled (ELECTRa) study: a European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) Registry of Transvenous Lead Extraction Outcomes.

Aims: The European Lead Extraction ConTRolled Registry (ELECTRa), is a prospective registry of consecutive transvenous lead extraction (TLE) procedures conducted by the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) in order to identify the safety and efficacy of the current practice of TLE.

Methods And Results: European centres performing TLE, invited by the organizing committee on behalf of EHRA, prospectively recruited all consecutive patients undergoing TLE at their institution. The primary endpoint was TLE safety defined by pre-discharge major procedure-related complications including death.

Impact of acute changes of left ventricular contractility on the transvalvular impedance: validation study by pressure-volume loop analysis in healthy pigs.

Background: The real-time and continuous assessment of left ventricular (LV) myocardial contractility through an implanted device is a clinically relevant goal. Transvalvular impedance (TVI) is an impedentiometric signal detected in the right cardiac chambers that changes during stroke volume fluctuations in patients. However, the relationship between TVI signals and LV contractility has not been proven.

ELECTRa (European Lead Extraction ConTRolled) Registry--shedding light on transvenous lead extraction real-world practice in Europe.

With the growing recognition of the clinical need and wider indications for cardiovascular implantable electronic devices (CIED), the number of implant procedures has increased considerably. Consequently, the rate of complications related to these devices has also increased. Transvenous lead extraction (TLE) is the gold standard in the treatment of CIED-related infective complications and is often required in the management of lead malfunction.

From cell phenotype to epigenetic mechanisms: new insights into regenerating myocardium.

The self-regenerating property of the adult myocardium is not a new discovery. Even though we could not confirm that the adult myocardium is a post-mitotic tissue, we should consider that its plasticity is extremely low. Studies are still in progress to decipher the mechanisms underlying the abovementioned potential fetal features of the adult heart.

Mechanical properties and biological interaction of aortic clamps: are these all minimally invasive?

Objective: Although specifically designed aortic clamps are mainstay of minimally invasive cardiac surgery, so far, no comparative reports about their mechanical properties and interaction with the aortic wall have been reported. In this study, the generated force in the clamps' jaws and the biological response of the aorta after clamping are evaluated.

Methods: The jaw force of five commercially available clamps [Geister, Cygnet, Cardiovision (CV) 195.