Perceptions of Romanian Physicians on Lockdowns for COVID-19 Prevention.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) disease (COVID-19) was declared a pandemic in March 2020, triggering important changes for the entire society and healthcare systems, as well as significant lockdown measures aimed to limit the disease spread. We herein intended to catch the dynamic of Romanian physicians' perceptions of COVID-19 impact. For this purpose, after a literature review, a 30-item questionnaire was designed.

Physicians' Perspectives on COVID-19: An International Survey.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has put a tremendous pressure over health care systems worldwide. Physicians were faced to fight this novel, emerging disease, without evidence-based recommendations. Our aim was to investigate physicians' point of view regarding the new coronavirus disease.

Correlation between Osteoprotegerin Levels and Antiphospholipid Syndrome Parameters.

Objective: To identify the osteoprotegerin (OPG) correlates with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) parameters.

Methods: Our cohort included 40 patients with primary APS disease associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) (mean age, 43.7 years; 87% female).

Impaired ankle-brachial index in antiphospholipid syndrome: Beyond the traditional risk factors.

Introduction: The patients with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) associate an increased risk of atherosclerosis.

Objective: To determine the predictors of an abnormal ankle-brachial index (ABI), surrogate measure of atherosclerosis, in patients with APS.

Methods: The ABI was measured according to standard recommendations in 106 patients.

New perspective in heart failure management: could myosin activators be the answer?

Heart failure is a worldwide leading cause of hospital admissions. There is a critical need for new methods of management in acute heart failure. The current drug panel available in the treatment of hemodinamically unstable patients is not only limited, but it is also associated with deleterious side effects.

Successful mitral valve repair in infective endocarditis. Case report and review of the data in the literature.

We report a case of mitral valve prolapse associated with infective endocarditis and heart failure, which required surgical intervention. Mitral valve repair was successfully performed and resulted in complete recovery of the patient.

Fibromuscular dysplasia--a rare cause of renovascular hypertension. Case study and overview of the literature data.

Renal artery stenosis (RAS) is associated with increased cardiovascular mortality and morbidity and may constitute a treatable cause of secondary hypertension. Fibromuscular dysplasia is frequently affecting children as the main cause of RAS, but is very rare in adults. We present the case of a 19-year-old overweight patient, with no known pathological conditions in her medical history or family background, admitted for severe, pulsing headaches during the past 3 months and increased blood pressure (BP) values for about a month (maximum BP 220/140 mmHg).

Subclinical atherosclerosis, carotid intima-media thickness and the cardiovascular risk.

The refinement and the improvement of the cardiovascular risk factors assessment became one of the high priorities in the global approach of cardiovascular diseases. Recent studies showed that increased carotid intima media thickness (IMT) is a relatively simple noninvasive marker of the global atherosclerotic disease, even in the asymptomatic stage. There is a strong link between IMT and both traditional and emerging cardiovascular risk factors, and IMT also predicts the occurrence of major cardiovascular events.