Myocardial fibrosis as a key determinant of left ventricular remodeling in idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy: a contrast-enhanced cardiovascular magnetic study.

Background: In idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy, there are scarce data on the influence of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) assessed by cardiovascular magnetic resonance on left ventricular (LV) remodeling.

Methods And Results: Fifty-eight consecutive patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy underwent baseline clinical, biohumoral, and instrumental workup. Medical therapy was optimized after study enrollment.

Persistence of mortality risk in patients with acute cardiac diseases and mild thyroid dysfunction.

Introduction: There are no studies on the long-term prognostic role of abnormal thyrotropin value in patients with acute cardiac diseases. Aim of the study was to assess the incidence and persistence of risk of cardiac and overall deaths in patients with acute cardiac diseases.

Methods: A total of 1026 patients (mean age: 67.

[Asymptomatic Takayasu's arteritis: an incidental diagnosis].

We present the case of a 56 years-old female patient that was admitted to our Unit after an incidental observation of bilateral absence of the radial pulses, with impossibility of brachial arterial pressure measurement. The patient reported being completely asymptomatic in occasion of the episode, thus like previously and later on to it. We diagnosed the patient being affected of Takayasu arteritis and adeguate therapy had been undertaken.

[Cardiotoxicity induced by chemo- and radiotherapy].

The authors describe the case of a 55-year old patient, with dyslipidemia as single cardiovascular risk factor, who previously underwent chemo and radiotherapy for Hodgkin lymphoma (stage 2b). The patient developed early coronary atherosclerosis followed by aortic and mitral valve disease and initial constrictive pericarditis. The role of chemo and radiotherapy in the development of cardiovascular disease, in particular valvular and pericardial disease, is discussed.

[Radiotherapy and cardiovascular toxicity].

The authors describe the case of a 41-year old patient, with multiple cardiovascular risk factors and past radiotherapic treatment at the chest and cervical region which developed a waste coronary and carotid atherosclerosis associated with aortic and mitralic valvular disease. The role of radiotherapy in developing cardiovascular diseases, in particular about valvular disease is discussed.

Ozone and cardiovascular injury.

Air pollution is increasingly recognized as an important and modifiable determinant of cardiovascular diseases in urban communities. The potential detrimental effects are both acute and chronic having a strong impact on morbidity and mortality. The acute exposure to pollutants has been linked to adverse cardiovascular events such as myocardial infarction, heart failure and life-threatening arrhythmias.