Role of aspirin in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease in patients with hyperlipoproteinaemia(a).

Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] is a well-established cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor with elevated Lp(a) levels contributing to a higher incidence of atherosclerotic CVD (ASCVD). However, no Lp(a)-specific interventions are currently available in the primary CVD prevention in individuals with elevated Lp(a) levels. RNA-based therapies targeting Lp(a) are under investigation in phase III clinical trials.

Molecular Alterations in Paired Epithelial Ovarian Tumors in Patients Treated with Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy.

Background: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) followed by interval debulking surgery (IDS) and adjuvant chemotherapy is a therapeutic choice for women with advanced ovarian cancer. Whether NACT affects the tumor's molecular profile has not been determined.

Methods: This was a retrospective study of patients with advanced-stage epithelial ovarian cancer treated with NACT at oncology departments affiliated with the Hellenic Cooperative Oncology Group (HeCOG).

Dyspnea After Spinal Surgery and a Troubling X-Ray: A Case of Cement Embolism.

An older woman developed dyspnea after instrumented lumbar spinal fusion surgery. During clinical work-up, a chest radiography revealed a U-shaped object within the cardiac silhouette. Further imaging confirmed that the object was entrapped in the tricuspid subvalvular apparatus.

Viral Infections and Schizophrenia: A Comprehensive Review.

Schizophrenia is a complex mental disorder with multiple genetic and environmental factors contributing to its pathogenesis. Viral infections have been suggested to be one of the environmental factors associated with the development of this disorder. We comprehensively review all relevant published literature focusing on the relationship between schizophrenia and various viral infections, such as influenza virus, herpes virus 1 and 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2), cytomegalovirus (CMV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), retrovirus, coronavirus, and Borna virus.

Catquest-9SF questionnaire: Validation in a Greek-speaking population using Rasch analysis.

Purpose: The Catquest-9SF questionnaire is a tool measuring visual disability and vision-related limitation in patients' daily activities. The primary objective of this study was the validation of Catquest-9SF in a Greek-speaking cataract population.

Methods: The questionnaire was translated into Greek and translated back into English.

A rare combination of tibial artery aneurysm and traumatic arteriovenous fistula: a case report.

Aneurysms of the tibial arteries are rare, and they most commonly occur due to trauma of the lower extremities. Acquired arteriovenous fistulas of the tibial arteries are a recognized complication of trauma of the lower extremity and they are related to the mechanism of the injury. Although the natural history of stable arteriovenous fistula is relatively benign, the aneurysms of the tibial arteries should be repaired with autologous vein bypass grafts, if there is distal ischemia.

Emotional intelligence scores in children and adolescents with subclinical hypothyroidism-correlation with serum serotonin and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) concentrations.

Introduction: Thyroxine is essential for nervous system development. Subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH), also known as mild thyroid failure, is associated with impaired cognitive function in children and mood disorders in adults. Serotonin is also involved in brain development as well as in mood and behavior modulation.

Repeated Leftover Serosurvey of SARS-CoV-2 IgG Antibodies in Greece, May to August 2020.

A serosurvey of IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 was conducted in Greece between May and August 2020. It was designed as a cross-sectional survey and was repeated at monthly intervals. The leftover sampling methodology was used and a geographically stratified sampling plan was applied.

Gambling in adolescents during the financial crisis in Greece.

Problem gambling emerges as a serious and ever growing problem of modern societies, largely affecting adolescents as well. The etiology of gambling disorder is complex and multifaceted as it is governed by multiple and interrelated factors. In this context and in light of the pervasive financial crisis in Greece, we conducted a study in order to explore adolescents' gambling involvement in Athens region and also to identify the socio-economic characteristics of adolescents who have engaged into gambling activities.

Real-life experience with the combination of polatuzumab vedotin, rituximab, and bendamustine in aggressive B-cell lymphomas.

Transplant-ineligible relapsed/refractory (rr) diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) patients represent an unmet medical need. Polatuzumab vedotin (Pola), an anti-CD79b antibody-drug-conjugate (ADG), with bendamustine- rituximab(BR) has recently gained approval for these patients, both in the USA and Europe, based on the GO29365 phase IIb trial. Real-life data with Pola are extremely limited.

Hospital attendance and admission trends for cardiac diseases during the COVID-19 outbreak and lockdown in Greece.

Objectives: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, along with implementation of lockdown and strict public movement restrictions, in Greece has affected hospital visits and admissions. We aimed to investigate trends of cardiac disease admissions during the outbreak of the pandemic and possible associations with the applied restrictive measures.

Study Design: This is a retrospective observational study.

Urological Services in the Era of COVID-19.

Introduction: On 11 March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a pandemic. Since then hospitals have reduced inpatient and outpatient workflow and cancelled or suspended all non-emergent and routine surgical procedures. Our objective is to determine whether, during the COVID-19 period, there has been any modification in urological services.

Health-related quality of life of prisoners with diabetes mellitus.

The study explored health related quality of life of prisoners with diabetes mellitus (DM).48 male inmates incarcerated in a Greek prison, completed a demographic and clinical traits questionnaire. Prisoners with DM and those with additional health problems had worse physical, mental health and psychological well-being outcomes (p = 0.

Unexpected combination: DiGeorge syndrome and myeloperoxidase deficiency.

We report a case of a 3-year-old boy who presented with recurrent bacterial and fungal infections and a known diagnosis of partial DiGeorge (22q11.2 deletion) syndrome. The nature and severity of his infections were more than normally expected in partial DiGeorge syndrome with normal T-cell counts and T-cell proliferative response to phytohaemagglutinin.

Acute Acalculous Cholecystitis Associated with Epstein-Barr Infection: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

The most common cause of acute cholecystitis (ACC) is cholelithiasis. Acute acalculous cholecystitis (AAC) is well documented in the literature related with critical illness, but viral causes such as cytomegalovirus (CMV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) have also been reported. We present a rare manifestation of EBV infection, reporting a case of a 15-year-old female suffering from acute acalulous cholecystitis, and we review the relevant literature.

Correlation of Dietary Advanced Glycation End Products with the Hematological and Biochemical Markers of Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease Undergoing Hemodialysis.

Aim The advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are among the mechanisms responsible for the pathogenesis and development of chronic kidney disease. The aim of this study was to estimate the dietary AGE intake and to assess its correlation with hematological and biochemical markers of patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) undergoing hemodialysis. Materials and methods For this study, a structured questionnaire of the exogenous AGEs was developed, whose reliability and validity were evaluated in the pilot phase of the study including 50 participants.

The prognostic significance of chromosome 17 abnormalities in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome treated with 5-azacytidine: Results from the Hellenic 5-azacytidine registry.

In patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), the prognostic significance of chromosome 17 abnormalities has not yet been fully elucidated, except for isochromosome 17q that has been characterized as an intermediate risk abnormality in the Revised International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS-R). To further characterize the prognostic significance of chromosome 17 abnormalities we analyzed the hematologic and prognostic characteristics of 548 adult patients with MDS treated with 5-azacytidine through the Hellenic 5-azacytidine registry and found 32 patients with a chromosome 17 abnormality (6 with i[17q], 15 with -17, 3 with add[17p] and the rest with other rarer abnormalities, mostly translocations). The presence of a chromosome 17 abnormality was correlated with poor prognostic features (high IPSS, IPSS-R, and WPSS scores) and a low overall survival rate (15.

The evolution and impact of the "damage control orthopedics" paradigm in combat surgery: a review.

The idea of damage control (DC) is grounded on a sequential therapeutic strategy that supports physiological restoration over anatomic repair in critically injured patients. This concept is firstly described as damage control surgery (DCS) for war-wounded patients with abdominal exsanguinating trauma. The goal was to avoid prolonged operative times and prevent the outset of the lethal cycle of hypothermia, acidosis and coagulopathy.

National registry of hemoglobinopathies in Greece: updated demographics, current trends in affected births, and causes of mortality.

National registries constitute an invaluable source of information and contribute to the improvement of hemoglobinopathy management. Herein, we present the second updated report of the National Registry for Haemoglobinopathies in Greece (NRHG) and critically discuss the time trends in demographics, affected births, and causes of mortality. Thirty-eight Greek hemoglobinopathy units reported data from diagnosis to the last follow-up or death by retrospectively completing an electronic form.

Caring for an intimate stranger: parenting a child with psychosis.

What Is Known On The Subject: The care of an adult son or daughter with psychosis is filled with overwhelming demands caused by the symptomatology and illness exacerbations. Parents display disenfranchised grief over multiple losses and report increased levels of emotional burden. Most studies use quantitative methods and rely on pre-existing theoretical frameworks to investigate, through psychometric measures, the effects of being a carer.

THE TRANSLATION, VALIDATION AND CULTURAL ADAPTATION OF FUNCTIONAL ASSESSMENT OF CHRONIC ILLNESS THERAPY - SPIRITUAL WELL-BEING 12 (FACIT-SP12) SCALE IN GREEK LANGUAGE.

Background: According to World Health Organization (WHO), spirituality is an important domain of quality of life especially in terminal, life threatens chronic diseases. For many people spirituality and religion are not just very important dimensions of their existence, but also a source of support that contributes to wellbeing and coping with everyday difficulties of life.

Aim: Aim of the study was the translation of the Facit Spiritual Well Being Scale (Facit-Sp12) in Greek language and the validation of the scale for the Greek population.

Depressive symptomatology in relation to 10-year (2004-2014) acute coronary syndrome incidence; the moderating role of diet and financial status.

Background: The association between depression status and 10-year cardiovascular disease (CVD) incidence among acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients, in relation to nutritional and financial status, was evaluated.

Methods: From October 2003 to September 2004, a sample of 2172 consecutive ACS patients from 6 Greek hospitals was enrolled. In 2013-14, the 10-year follow-up was performed.

Smoking determines the 10-year (2004-2014) prognosis in patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome: the GREECS observational study.

Background: Smoking has long been positively associated with the development and progression of coronary heart disease. However, longitudinal cohort studies evaluating smoking habits among cardiac patients as well as the role of socio-demographic factors determining such behaviours are scarce and have been focused on primary care practice. Thus the aim of the present work was to examine the association of active smoking and behaviours and exposure to second-hand smoke, with the 10-year Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) prognosis, among cardiovascular patients.

The role of coffee consumption on the 10-year (2004-2014) Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) incidence among cardiac patients: the GREECS observational study.

The association between long-term coffee consumption and 10-year cardiovascular disease incidence among Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) patients was evaluated. From 2003 to 2004, 2172 ACS consecutive patients from six major Greek hospitals were enrolled. During 2013-2014, the 10-year follow-up was performed (88% participation rate) and recurrent fatal or non-fatal ACS was recorded.