A case report of left ventricular thrombus formation following aggressive decongestion treatment.

Background: Intracardiac thrombi are a complication associated with cardiomyopathies. In heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, there is a hypercoagulable state that can increase the incidence of left ventricular thrombus and result in higher risk of thromboembolism, either manifested as stroke or as peripheral thromboembolic event. Haemoconcentration following decongestion treatment may enhance blood viscosity.

Expression of Tissue microRNAs in Ascending Aortic Aneurysms and Dissections.

Little is known about the role of serum and tissue mediators in the progression of ascending aortic aneurysms and dissections. We examined how the tissue expression of microRNAs and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), as well as the serum levels of osteoprotegerin, adiponectin, and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) are associated with these entities. We enrolled 21 patients with ascending aortic aneurysm, 11 with acute Stanford type A aortic dissection and 18 controls.

The association of diabetes mellitus with carotid atherosclerosis and arterial stiffness in the Corinthia study.

Background And Aims: Evaluation of arterial stiffness and carotid atherosclerotic burden can provide important prognostic information regarding the risk of future cardiovascular events. The aim of this study was to assess these vascular properties in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM).

Methods And Results: In the context of the observational "Corinthia" study, we analyzed 1757 participants with determined DM status.

The Role of Endothelial Related Circulating Biomarkers in COVID-19. A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Background: Several studies have revealed the link between Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and endothelial dysfunction. To better understand the global pattern of this relationship, we conducted a meta-analysis on endothelial biomarkers related to COVID-19 severity.

Methods: We systematically searched the literature up to March 10, 2021, for studies investigating the association between COVID-19 severity and the following endothelial biomarkers: Intercellular Adhesion Molecule 1 (ICAM-1), Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule 1 (VCAM-1), E-selectin, P-selectin, Von Willebrand Factor Antigen (VWFAg), soluble Thrombomodulin (sTM), Mid-regional pro-adrenomedullin (MR-proADM), and Angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2).

The association of air pollutants exposure with subclinical inflammation and carotid atherosclerosis.

Background: Air pollution is a well-described environmental factor with evidence suggesting a firm association with cardiovascular diseases. The purpose of this study was to determine the association of exposure to gaseous air pollutants on atherosclerosis burden.

Methods: 1955 inhabitants of the Corinthia region, aged 40 years or older, underwent clinical and biochemical assessment as well as carotid ultrasonography to evaluate carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) and plaque burden.

The impact of sleeping duration on atherosclerosis in the community: insights from the Corinthia study.

Purpose: Sleep is an essential physiologic process whose disturbances have been regarded as a risk factor in various pathophysiologic processes, including atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. Although the negative influence of short sleep duration has been well-established, recent data suggest a possible harmful effect of prolonged sleeping pattern.

Methods: In the setting of the Corinthia cross-sectional study, self-reported night sleep duration was recorded in 1752 apparently healthy individuals and was classified as normal sleep duration (NSD, 7-8 h), short sleep duration (SSD, 6-7 h), very short sleep duration (VSSD, < 6 h), and long sleep duration (LSD, > 8 h).

Association of Soluble Suppression of Tumorigenesis-2 (ST2) with Endothelial Function in Patients with Ischemic Heart Failure.

Soluble suppression of tumorigenesis-2 (sST2) has been introduced as a marker associated with heart failure (HF) pathophysiology and status. Endothelial dysfunction is a component underlying HF pathophysiology. Therefore, we examined the association of arterial wall properties with sST2 levels in patients with HF of ischemic etiology.

A link between inflammation and thrombosis in atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases: Clinical and therapeutic implications.

The association between thrombosis and acute coronary syndromes is well established. Inflammation and activation of innate and adaptive immunity are another important factor implicated in atherosclerosis. However, the exact interactions between thrombosis and inflammation in atherosclerosis are less well understood.

Antithrombotic Treatment in Diabetes Mellitus: A Review of the Literature about Antiplatelet and Anticoagulation Strategies Used for Diabetic Patients in Primary and Secondary Prevention.

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is on the rise globally. Its prevalence has nearly doubled during the last two decades and it is estimated to affect 8.8% of the global population.

Plasma signature of apoptotic microvesicles is associated with endothelial dysfunction and plaque rupture in acute coronary syndromes.

Objective: Circulating microvesicles (MV) are surrogate biomarkers of atherosclerosis. However, their role in acute coronary syndromes (ACS) has not been fully elucidated yet. We sought to examine the association of circulating apoptotic MVs with ACS pathophysiology.

Arterial stiffness and subclinical aortic damage of reclassified subjects as stage 1 hypertension according to the new 2017 ACC/AHA blood pressure guidelines.

The 2017 ACC/AHA blood pressure (BP) guidelines generated controversies due to the new proposed BP cut-off values defining hypertension. We aimed to assess aortic stiffness of subjects who are reclassified as stage 1 hypertensive according to the new guidelines and compare them with the subjects of "elevated BP" category. Data from the "Corinthia" study, an observational, cross-sectional survey of 2,043 participants were analyzed.