Calcific aortic valve stenosis is the most common valvular disease in developed countries, and the major reason for operative valve replacement. In the US, the current annual cost of this surgery is approximately 1 billion dollars. Despite increasing morbidity and mortality, little is known of the cellular basis of the calcifications, which occur in high-perfusion zones of the heart. The case is presented of a patient with calcific aortic valve stenosis and colonies of progressively mineralized nanobacteria in the fibrocalcific nodules of the aortic cusps, as revealed by transmission electron microscopy. Consistent with their outstanding bioadhesivity, nanobacteria might serve as causative agents in the development of calcific aortic valve stenosis.
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Neurooncol Adv
November 2024
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA.
Background: Alterations in cellular metabolism affect cancer survival and can manifest in metrics of body composition. We investigated the effects of various body composition metrics on survival in patients with glioblastoma (GBM).
Methods: We retrospectively analyzed patients who had an abdominal and pelvic computed tomography (CT) scan performed within 1 month of diagnosis of GBM (178 participants, 102 males, 76 females, median age: 62.
Cardiovasc Diagn Ther
December 2024
East Slovak Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases and School of Medicine, Pavol Jozef Safarik University, Kosice, Slovakia.
Background: Echocardiography is widely used to assess aortic stenosis (AS) but can yield inconsistent results, leading to uncertainty about AS severity and the need for further diagnostics. This retrospective study aimed to evaluate a novel echocardiography-based marker, the signal intensity coefficient (SIC), for its potential in accurately identifying and quantifying calcium in AS, enhancing noninvasive diagnostic methods.
Methods: Between May 2022 and October 2023, 112 cases of AS that were previously considered severe by echocardiography were retrospectively evaluated, as well as a group of 50 cases of mild or moderate AS, both at the Eastern Slovak Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases in Kosice, Slovakia.
PLoS One
January 2025
Department of Vascular Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
Background: The impact of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) on all-cause mortality in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients with severe abdominal aortic calcification (SAAC) remains unclear.
Methods: We analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2013-2014, including T2D patients aged 40 years and older. AAC was assessed using the Kauppila scoring system, with SAAC defined as a score >6.
PLoS One
January 2025
Department of Cardiology, University & Hospital Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland.
Background: Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) procedures are rapidly expanding, necessitating a more extensive stratification of patients with aortic stenosis. Especially in the high-risk group, some patients fail to derive optimal or any benefits from TAVI, leading to the risk of futile interventions. Despite consensus among several experts regarding the importance of recognizing and anticipating such interventions, the definition, and predictive criteria for futility in TAVI remain ambiguous.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAlzheimers Dement
December 2024
Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
Background: Increasing evidence shows a link between arterial calcification in the heart‐brain axis and cognitive performance. However, how calcification relates to acceleration of cognitive changes, and which specific cognitive domains are mostly affected, remains unclear. We assessed the impact of calcification in major arteries between the heart and brain on cognitive decline and focused on different cognitive domains.
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