Oral Anticoagulation in Patients With Atrial High-Rate Episodes: Focus on Clinical Implications.

Background Although previous studies showed that atrial high-rate episodes (AHREs) are associated with a higher risk of developing incident atrial fibrillation (AF) and thromboembolic events, their clinical significance is still unclear. The purpose of this study was to define whether there is any clinical impact on the occurrence of ischemic and hemorrhagic events in patients with AHREs and initiation of oral anticoagulation (OAC). Methodology Patients with AHREs who had received cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs, i.

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.

The Association of Physical Activity with Arterial Stiffness and Inflammation: Insight from the "Corinthia" Study.

Diminished physical activity is a frequent phenomenon leading to a higher incidence of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Our study aimed to assess the impact of physical activity on arterial stiffness and inflammation. Classification of physical activity was performed in 1945 individuals of the cross-sectional "Corinthia" study using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire.

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 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.

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.