Endothelial progenitor cells are suppressed in anemic patients with acute coronary syndrome.

Objective: Anemia is an independent predictor of poor prognosis in acute coronary syndrome. Endothelial progenitor cells are bone marrow-derived cells that are mobilized into the circulation in response to ischemia. The number of circulating endothelial progenitor cells increases within days of acute coronary syndrome.

Coronary artery disease: Are men and women created equal?

Background: Ischemic heart disease in women is a difficult issue in cardiovascular medicine, mainly because of our lack of understanding of the early-stage mechanisms and symptoms. A better and earlier understanding of the pathophysiology of coronary artery disease (CAD) in women will enable us to detect ischemic heart disease earlier and prevent adverse clinical outcomes.

Objectives: The aims of this article were to describe the phenomenon of ischemic heart disease in women, increase awareness of the difference between men and women in relation to ischemic heart disease, improve our understanding of the mechanisms that cause this difference, and identify new approaches for better and earlier detection and treatment of CAD in women.

Immunological mediated therapies for heart failure.

Experimental and clinical data suggest a causal relationship between immunological and inflammatory processes and heart failure. Inflammatory processes may be involved in the pathogenesis of heart failure and may play a role in the progression of ventricular dysfunction. In the last decade several immunological methods were developed that tried to address these questions and overcome the inflammatory and immunological insults.

Treating heart failure with sildenafil.

Sildenafil is a selective inhibitor of type 5 phosphodiesterase, the main phosphodiesterase isoform responsible for hydrolysis of intracellular cyclic guanosine monophosphate in the pulmonary vasculature. It improves exercise capacity and quality of life in patients with systolic heart failure, especially in those who develop secondary pulmonary hypertension. It improves peak oxygen consumption, reduces minute ventilation/carbon dioxide output slope, and acts as a selective pulmonary vasodilator during rest and exercise in patients with heart failure and pulmonary hypertension.

Heart failure--new insights.

Ten years ago we published a review updating current knowledge on heart failure. We summarized that heart failure is a neuro-humoral and inflammatory syndrome, and that proinflammatory cytokines are involved in cardiac depression and in the complex syndrome of heart failure. We suggested that understanding the role of these cytokines may enable us to reverse cardiac depression and heart failure.

Osler-Weber-Rendu (OWR) Disease and Heart Failure.

OWR is a genetic disease, transmitted as an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by arteriovenous malformations predominantly involving the mucocutaneous epithelium. One of the significant complications is the development of arteriovenous fistulas in different organs like the liver and brain. One of the rarest complications of this arteriovenous conduit is a high-output heart failure.

The pleiotropic effects of statins on endothelial function, vascular inflammation, immunomodulation and thrombogenesis.

Statins have been demonstrated to significantly affect the prognosis and outcome of patients with risk factors to atherosclerosis (in primary and secondary prevention trials). Several clinical and recently basic studies have suggested an extra-beneficial effect of the statins in the prevention of atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease. These studies showed that statins may affect the cardiovascular system beyond their effect on the lipid profile, and it was suggested that they affect the immunological system and vascular inflammation.

The stroke trial - can we predict clinical outcome of patients with ischemic stroke by measuring soluble cell adhesion molecules (CAM)?

Background: Several studies have found that an increased concentration of haemostatic or inflammation markers was associated with worse prognosis in vascular disease. The inflammatory components in ischemic stroke are of current interest, and there is some experimental evidence that they may be linked.

Hypothesis: The study was performed to determine the association between the neurological clinical outcome and levels of cell adhesion molecules in the first four days of hospitalization in patients with acute ischemic event.