Carotid Plaque-RADS: A Novel Stroke Risk Classification System.

Background: Carotid artery atherosclerosis is highly prevalent in the general population and is a well-established risk factor for acute ischemic stroke. Although the morphological characteristics of vulnerable plaques are well recognized, there is a lack of consensus in reporting and interpreting carotid plaque features.

Objectives: The aim of this paper is to establish a consistent and comprehensive approach for imaging and reporting carotid plaque by introducing the Plaque-RADS (Reporting and Data System) score.

MDS-Related Anemia Is Associated with Impaired Quality of Life but Improvement Is Not Always Achieved by Increased Hemoglobin Level.

Quality of life is impaired in MDS, but the role of hemoglobin level is unclear. To study the Hb-QoL correlation at diagnosis and 1 year later, patients filled out the EQ-5D questionnaire, assessing their mobility, self care, daily activities, pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression, using scores of 0 (normal), 1 (mild/moderate), or 2 (poor). They also evaluated their health using a visual analogue scale, scoring from 0 (poor) to 100 (excellent).

The necessity of proactive measures from healthcare providers highlighted by delayed breast cancer diagnosis due to COVID-19: A case report.

Key Clinical Message: During disasters, multiple factors can cause significant delays in medical visits. Regular patient monitoring, high-risk individual alerts, and telemedicine enhancements can potentially alleviate these issues and ensure timely interventions.

Abstract: During the COVID-19 pandemic, a Japanese woman in her 70s delayed her regular breast cancer checkup for over 2 years.

Real-World Safety and Efficacy of Biosimilar CT-P13 in Patients with Immune-Mediated Inflammatory Diseases: Integrated Analysis of Three Japanese Prospective Observational Studies.

Introduction: Biosimilar CT-P13 was approved with limited data from clinical trials compared to the originator infliximab in biologic-naïve patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Three prospective post-marketing surveillance studies have been conducted in Japanese biologic-naïve patients and switched patients from biologics including the originator infliximab.

Objective: We performed an integrated analysis of final data from three post-marketing studies to provide long-term safety and efficacy data of CT-P13 in a real-world clinical setting.

Diagnosing post-capillary hypertension in patients with left heart disease: impact of new guidelines.

Background: In 2022, the definition of pulmonary hypertension (PH) in the presence of left heart disease was updated according to the new joint guidelines of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and the European Respiratory Society (ERS). The impact of the new ESC/ERS definition on the prevalence of post-capillary PH (pc-PH) and its subgroups of isolated post-capillary (Ipc-PH) and combined pre- and post-capillary PH (Cpc-PH) in patients with left heart disease is unclear.

Methods: We retrospectively identified N = 242 patients with left heart disease with available data on right heart catheterisation (RHC) and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR).

Stroke risk management in carotid atherosclerotic disease: A Clinical Consensus Statement of the ESC Council on Stroke and the ESC Working Group on Aorta and Peripheral Vascular Diseases.

Carotid atherosclerotic disease continues to be an important cause of stroke, often disabling or fatal. Such strokes could be largely prevented through optimal medical therapy and carotid revascularization. Advancements in discovery research and imaging along with evidence from recent pharmacology and interventional clinical trials and registries and the progress in acute stroke management have markedly expanded knowledge base for clinical decisions in carotid stenosis.

Iatrogenic Esophageal Perforation in Premature Infants: A Multicenter Retrospective Study from Poland.

Greater awareness of possible iatrogenic esophageal perforation (EP) is needed. Though rare, EP is a legitimate health risk as it may lead to long-term morbidities. This study presents and discusses iatrogenic EP in a subset of preterm infants.

Serum CXCL8 Concentration Can Be Used as a Noninvasive Marker of Subclinical Rejection After Pediatric Liver Transplantation.

Background: This study aimed to explore whether serum CXCL8 concentration can be used as a noninvasive marker of subclinical rejection (SCR) after pediatric liver transplantation (pLT).

Methods: Firstly, RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was performed on 22 protocol liver biopsy samples. Secondly, several experimental methods were used to verify the RNA-seq results.

Transcatheter Mitral Valve Repair via MitraClip in Patients Aged <65 Years: Multicentre 2-year Outcomes.

Background: Transcatheter mitral valve repair (TMVR) using the MitraClip has become a well-established interventional therapy and is usually performed in elderly patients. The objective of this study was to assess 2-year clinical outcomes of TMVR in patients aged <65 years at three heart centres with severe mitral regurgitation (MR) and no surgical options.

Methods: A retrospective study analysed data of 36 patients aged <65 years treated with TMVR .

Risk factors in cardiovascular patients: Challenges and opportunities to improve secondary prevention.

Background: Effective management of major cardiovascular risk factors is of great importance to reduce mortality from cardiovascular disease (CVD). The Survey of Risk Factors in Coronary Heart Disease (SURF CHD) II study is a clinical audit of the recording and management of CHD risk factors. It was developed in collaboration with the European Association of Preventive Cardiology and the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).

Sex-specific inequalities in the use of drug-coated balloons for small coronary artery disease: a report from the BASKET-SMALL 2 trial.

Background And Objectives: Recent data have established non-inferiority of drug-coated balloons (DCB) compared to drug-eluting stents (DES) for treatment of small-vessel coronary artery disease. Since coronary vessels in women might have anatomical and pathophysiological particularities, the safety of the DCB strategy among women compared to men needs to be assessed in more detail.

Methods: In BASKET-SMALL 2, patients with de novo lesions in coronary vessels < 3 mm and an indication for percutaneous coronary intervention were randomly allocated (1:1) to DCB vs.

Treatment strategies and survival of patients with connective tissue disease and pulmonary arterial hypertension: a COMPERA analysis.

Objectives: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) occurs in various connective tissue diseases (CTDs). We sought to assess contemporary treatment patterns and survival of patients with various forms of CTD-PAH.

Methods: We analysed data from COMPERA, a European pulmonary hypertension registry, to describe treatment strategies and survival in patients with newly diagnosed PAH associated with SSc, SLE, MCTD, UCTD and other types of CTD.

Cardiovascular disease/stroke risk stratification in deep learning framework: a review.

The global mortality rate is known to be the highest due to cardiovascular disease (CVD). Thus, preventive, and early CVD risk identification in a non-invasive manner is vital as healthcare cost is increasing day by day. Conventional methods for risk prediction of CVD lack robustness due to the non-linear relationship between risk factors and cardiovascular events in multi-ethnic cohorts.

Neutrophil Gelatinase-Associated Lipocalin Cutoff Value Selection and Acute Kidney Injury Classification System Determine Phenotype Allocation and Associated Outcomes.

Background: We explored the extent to which neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) cutoff value selection and the acute kidney injury (AKI) classification system determine clinical AKI-phenotype allocation and associated outcomes.

Methods: Cutoff values from ROC curves of data from two independent prospective cardiac surgery study cohorts (Magdeburg and Berlin, Germany) were used to predict Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcome (KDIGO)- or Risk, Injury, Failure, Loss of kidney function, End-stage (RIFLE)-defined AKI. Statistical methodologies (maximum Youden index, lowest distance to [0, 1] in ROC space, sensitivity≍specificity) and cutoff values from two NGAL meta-analyses were evaluated.

A randomized controlled trial evaluating the short-term efficacy of a single-administration intramuscular injection with the fixed combination of thiocolchicoside-diclofenac versus diclofenac monotherapy in patients with acute moderate-to-severe low back pain.

Background: Non-specific acute low back pain (LBP) is a common health problem that may be accompanied by muscle spasm and decreased mobility. The combination of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and muscle relaxants represents an advantageous therapeutic option, however, available data on their combined use are conflicting. This prospective, randomized, single-blind, two-parallel-group trial assessed the efficacy of a single intramuscular (IM) injection of the fixed-dose combination (FDC) diclofenac (75 mg)-thiocolchicoside (4 mg/4 ml) product (test treatment) compared to diclofenac (75 mg/3 ml) alone (reference treatment) for the symptomatic relief of acute LBP.