Outbreak of carbapenem resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae in a neurorehabilitation unit: genomic epidemiology reveals complex transmission pattern in a tertiary care hospital.

Objectives: Infections by Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacterales in hospitals represent a severe threat but little is known on outbreaks in rehabilitation wards caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae producing Klebsiella pneumoniae Carbapenemase (KPC-Kp). We report an outbreak by KPC-Kp, in a Neurorehabilitation Unit in Italy, analysed through Whole-Genome Sequencing (WGS) for transmission routes reconstruction to improve management of KPC-Kp infections in rehabilitation units.

Methods: We investigated cases and KPC-Kp isolates collected from February to October 2022 from hospital surveillance.

Very low-calorie ketogenic diet reduces central blood pressure and cardiometabolic risk in post-menopausal women with essential hypertension and obesity: a single-center, prospective, open-label, clinical study.

Background And Aims: Obesity represents a crucial modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular complications. Two dietary approaches, Very Low-Calorie Ketogenic (VLCKD) and Intermittent Fasting (IFD) diets, have demonstrated to reduce blood pressure (BP) and produce cardiovascular and metabolic advantages. We aimed to evaluate the effects of VLCKD or IFD compared to Free Diet (FD) on office brachial and central systolic BP levels.

Gut Microbiome and Carotid Artery Intima-Media Thickness: A Narrative Review of the Current Scenario.

Up to the last update, the gut microbiome (GM) had been associated with a different physiologic host process, including those affecting cardiovascular health. The carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) is an indicator of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular risk. The GM influence on atherosclerosis progression has garnered growing attention in recent years but the consensus in subclinical atherosclerosis remains elusive.

Evaluation of a New Automated Mono-Test for the Detection of Galactomannan: Comparison of Galactomannan Ag VirCLIA Mono-Test with Platelia Ag ELISA Assay.

The analytical performance of the new Galactomannan Ag VirCLIA mono-test (Vircell S.L.) was compared to the Platelia™ Ag ELISA assay (Bio-Rad).

The role of the water contact layer on hydration and transport at solid/liquid interfaces.

Understanding the structure in the nanoscopic region of water that is in direct contact with solid surfaces, so-called contact layer, is key to quantifying macroscopic properties that are of interest to e.g. catalysis, ice nucleation, nanofluidics, gas adsorption, and sensing.

Slip Opacity and Fast Osmotic Transport of Hydrophobes at Aqueous Interfaces with Two-Dimensional Materials.

We investigate the interfacial transport of water and hydrophobic solutes on van der Waals bilayers and heterostructures formed by stacking graphene, hBN, and MoS using extensive molecular dynamics simulations. We compute water slippage and the diffusio-osmotic transport coefficient of hydrophobic particles at the interface by combining hydrodynamics and the theory of the hydrophobic effect. We find that slippage is dominated by the layer that is in direct contact with water and only marginally altered by the second layer, leading to a so-called "slip opacity".

Efficacy and Safety of Low-Dose Bisoprolol/Hydrochlorothiazide Combination for the Treatment of Hypertension: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the blood pressure (BP)-lowering effect and the safety profile of low-dose bisoprolol/hydrochlorothiazide combination treatment in patients with hypertension. Multiple electronic databases were systematically searched, and five clinical studies were included in the meta-analysis. Treatment with bisoprolol/hydrochlorothiazide significantly reduced systolic BP (SBP) [mean difference (MD): -8.

Cardiomyopathy and Sudden Cardiac Death: Bridging Clinical Practice with Cutting-Edge Research.

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) prevention in cardiomyopathies such as hypertrophic (HCM), dilated (DCM), non-dilated left ventricular (NDLCM), and arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) remains a crucial but complex clinical challenge, especially among younger populations. Accurate risk stratification is hampered by the variability in phenotypic expression and genetic heterogeneity inherent in these conditions. This article explores the multifaceted strategies for preventing SCD across a spectrum of cardiomyopathies and emphasizes the integration of clinical evaluations, genetic insights, and advanced imaging techniques such as cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) in assessing SCD risks.

Position Statement of the Italian Society of Cardiovascular Prevention (SIPREC) and Italian Heart Failure Association (ITAHFA) on Cardiac Rehabilitation and Protection Programs as a Cornerstone of Secondary Prevention after Myocardial Infarction or Revascularization.

Despite the remarkable and progressive advances made in the prevention and management of cardiovascular diseases, the recurrence of cardiovascular events remains unacceptably elevated with a notable size of the residual risk. Indeed, in patients who suffered from myocardial infarction or who underwent percutaneous or surgical myocardial revascularization, life-style changes and optimized pharmacological therapy with antiplatelet drugs, lipid lowering agents, beta-blockers, renin angiotensin system inhibitors and antidiabetic drugs, when appropriate, are systematically prescribed but they might be insufficient to protect from further events. In such a context, an increasing body of evidence supports the benefits of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) in the setting of secondary cardiovascular prevention, consisting in the reduction of myocardial oxygen demands, in the inhibition of atherosclerotic plaque progression and in an improvement of exercise performance, quality of life and survival.

Asymptomatic hyperuricemia: to treat or not a threat? A clinical and evidence-based approach to the management of hyperuricemia in the context of cardiovascular diseases.

Asymptomatic hyperuricemia is defined by serum uric acid levels above 6.2 mg/dl in women and 7 mg/dl in men. In the presence of monosodium urate crystal formation and articular inflammation, hyperuricemia may become symptomatic (namely nephrolithiasis and gout).

Effect of Coenzyme Q on Physical Performance in Older Adults with Statin-Associated Asthenia: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial.

Available evidence from randomized clinical trials is contrasting and definitely inconclusive in determining whether or not CoQ dietary supplementation is advisable in patients with statin intolerance or poor statin tolerability. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study aimed at investigating the effect of chronic dietary supplementation with coenzyme Q (CoQ) phytosome on physical performance in older adults with a ≥3-month history of statin-associated asthenia. The study's participants were randomized to either a placebo or 300 mg daily CoQ phytosome (equivalent to 60 mg CoQ; Ubiqsome, Indena SpA, Milan, Italy).

Serum Uric Acid, Hypertriglyceridemia, and Carotid Plaques: A Sub-Analysis of the URic Acid Right for Heart Health (URRAH) Study.

High levels of serum uric acid (SUA) and triglycerides (TG) might promote high-cardiovascular-risk phenotypes, including subclinical atherosclerosis. An interaction between plaques xanthine oxidase (XO) expression, SUA, and HDL-C has been recently postulated. Subjects from the URic acid Right for heArt Health (URRAH) study with carotid ultrasound and without previous cardiovascular diseases (CVD) (n = 6209), followed over 20 years, were included in the analysis.

Gut Microbiota Dysbiosis and Sleep Disorders: Culprit in Cardiovascular Diseases.

Over the past decade, the gut microbiome (GM) has progressively demonstrated to have a central role in human metabolism, immunity, and cardiometabolic risk. Likewise, sleep disorders showed an impact on individual health and cardiometabolic risk. Recent studies seem to suggest multi-directional relations among GM, diet, sleep, and cardiometabolic risk, though specific interactions are not fully elucidated.

May Measure Month 2022 in Italy: A Focus on Fixed-dose Combination, Therapeutic Adherence, and Medical Inertia in a Nationwide Survey.

Introduction: Hypertension is the main risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Notably, only about half of hypertensive patients manage to achieve the recommended blood pressure (BP) control. Main reasons for the persistence of uncontrolled BP during treatment are lack of compliance on the patients' side, and therapeutic inertia on physicians' side.

Serum Uric Acid/Serum Creatinine Ratio and Cardiovascular Mortality in Diabetic Individuals-The Uric Acid Right for Heart Health (URRAH) Project.

Several studies have detected a direct association between serum uric acid (SUA) and cardiovascular (CV) risk. In consideration that SUA largely depends on kidney function, some studies explored the role of the serum creatinine (sCr)-normalized SUA (SUA/sCr) ratio in different settings. Previously, the URRAH (URic acid Right for heArt Health) Study has identified a cut-off value of this index to predict CV mortality at 5.

Association between Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors and Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Risk: Another Brick in the Wall.

In recent years, immune checkpoint inhibitors have significantly changed the field of oncology, emerging as first-line treatment, either alone or in combination with other regimens, for numerous malignancies, improving overall survival and progression-free survival in these patients. However, immune checkpoint inhibitors might also cause severe or fatal immune-related adverse events, including adverse cardiovascular events. Initially, myocarditis was recognized as the main immune checkpoint inhibitor-related cardiac event, but our knowledge of other potential immune-related cardiovascular adverse events continues to broaden.

A Mobile App-based Approach in Cardiovascular Disease Prevention: A Prospective Randomized Study.

Cardiovascular risk factors are prevalent in the Italian population, and cardiovascular diseases remain a leading cause of mortality in the Western world. As the incidence of risk factors and cardiovascular diseases increases with age, effective and early prevention and management strategies are crucial. This study aims to evaluate the feasibility and potential benefits of using the Heartaway® mobile application as an additional intervention to standard clinical care for patients with hypertension.

Prognostic Value and Relative Cutoffs of Triglycerides Predicting Cardiovascular Outcome in a Large Regional-Based Italian Database.

Background: Despite longstanding epidemiologic data on the association between increased serum triglycerides and cardiovascular events, the exact level at which risk begins to rise is unclear. The Working Group on Uric Acid and Cardiovascular Risk of the Italian Society of Hypertension has conceived a protocol aimed at searching for the prognostic cutoff value of triglycerides in predicting cardiovascular events in a large regional-based Italian cohort.

Methods And Results: Among 14 189 subjects aged 18 to 95 years followed-up for 11.