Epidemiology, Pathophysiology, and Clinical Perspectives of Intradialytic Hypertension.

Background: Individuals with end-stage renal disease on chronic hemodialysis (HD) may encounter numerous HD-associated complications, including intradialytic hypertension (IDHYPER). Although blood pressure (BP) follows a predictable course in the post-HD period, BP levels during the session may vary across the individuals. Typically, a decline in BP is noted during HD, but a significant proportion of patients exhibit a paradoxical elevation.

The Inflammatory Bowel Disease-Disk Tool for Assessing Disability in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients: Validation of the Greek Version.

Background: The Inflammatory Bowel Disease-Disk (IBD-Disk) is a physician-administered tool that evaluates the functional status of patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). The aim of our study was to validate the content of the IBD-Disk in a Greek cohort of IBD patients.

Methods: Two questionnaires [the IBD Disk and the IBD-Disability Index (IBD-DI)] were translated into Greek and administered to IBD patients at baseline visit, after 4 weeks and 6 months.

The impact of physical activity, quality of life and eating habits on cardiometabolic profile and adipokines in youth with T1D.

Purpose: Individuals with Type-1-Diabetes (T1D) are at higher risk of having premature cardiovascular-disease (CVD). Physical activity and healthy lifestyle are major components in the prevention of diabetes' related comorbidities and complications. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of physical activity, eating habits and quality of life in children and adolescents with T1D on diabetic control, cardiovascular and biochemical profile, infection indices, and adipokine levels.

Signaling pathways associated with bone loss in inflammatory bowel disease.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the gastrointestinal tract characterized in many patients by extraintestinal manifestations. One of the most common comorbidities seen in IBD patients is a significant reduction in their bone mass. The pathogenesis of IBD is mainly attributed to the disrupted immune responses in the gastrointestinal mucosa and putative disruptions in the gut microbiomes.

Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Fatty Liver Disease in Newly Diagnosed, Treatment-Naive Hypertensive Patients and Its Association with Cardiorenal Risk Markers.

Introduction: Patients with arterial hypertension frequently present with comorbidities that are associated with increased cardiorenal risk, such as metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD).

Aims: Our study aimed to assess the prevalence and the association of MAFLD with cardiorenal risk markers in newly diagnosed, treatment-naïve hypertensive patients.

Methods: We recruited 281 individuals with new-onset hypertension who were not prescribed any medication.

Assessment of Dietary Adequacy and Quality in a Sample of Patients with Crohn's Disease.

Both under-and over-nutrition are prevalent in patients with Crohn's Disease (CD). The aim of the present study was to evaluate dietary intake and compare it with relevant recommendations during active disease and remission, also taking into consideration the adequacy of energy reporting. Dietary quality was assessed through adherence to the Mediterranean diet and to the European dietary guidelines for cardiovascular disease prevention (CVD-score).

Trimethylamine N-Oxide Levels in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) represents an entity with an increasing prevalence which is characterized by significant hepatic and extrahepatic complications. Its pathophysiology is multifactorial, with gut dysbiosis being considered a major determinant. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we tried to evaluate the association between the major gut microbial metabolite trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) and NAFLD.

The Role of Exercise on Cardiometabolic Profile and Body Composition in Youth with Type 1 Diabetes.

Exercise has a direct positive effect on glycemic control by promoting insulin secretion from β-pancreatic islet-cells and by increasing skeletal muscle glucose uptake. The reduction in daily insulin needs and the optimization of glycemic control improves the patient's quality of life, self-esteem, mental wellness, as well as diabetes-related mobility and mortality. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of physical activity in children and adolescents with type-1 diabetes (T1D) on diabetic control, cardiovascular, and biochemical profiles; hs-CRP; IL6; leptin; and adiponectin levels of the population under study.

Investigating predictors of well-being in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients: the role of undiagnosed depression.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a common metabolic disorder with various medical and psychological adverse effects. Well-being in patients with T2DM is often compromised. The aim of the present study was to investigate clinicodemographic predictors of well-being in patients with T2DM with no known psychiatric history and explore the mediatory role of undiagnosed anxiety and depression.

Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Fatty Liver Disease in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2017-2020: Epidemiology, Clinical Correlates, and the Role of Diagnostic Scores.

The recent establishment of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) has led to a reevaluation of its epidemiology, diagnosis, and clinical implications. In this study, we aimed to evaluate MAFLD's epidemiology and its association with other pathologic states and biomarkers, as well as to assess the prevalence of the different fibrosis stages in the MAFLD population, together with the importance of diagnostic scores in the preliminary determination of significant fibrosis. After analyzing the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2017-2020, we found a high prevalence of MAFLD, at 58.

Interplay between metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease and chronic kidney disease: Epidemiology, pathophysiologic mechanisms, and treatment considerations.

The recently proposed nomenclature change from non-alcoholic fatty liver disease to metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) has resulted in the reappraisal of epidemiological trends and associations with other chronic diseases. In this context, MAFLD appears to be tightly linked to incident chronic kidney disease (CKD). This association may be attributed to multiple shared risk factors including type 2 diabetes mellitus, arterial hypertension, obesity, dyslipidemia, and insulin resistance.

Oxidative Stress Management in Cardiorenal Diseases: Focus on Novel Antidiabetic Agents, Finerenone, and Melatonin.

Oxidative stress is characterized by excessive production of reactive oxygen species together with exhausted antioxidant defenses. This constitutes a main pathophysiologic process that is implicated in cardiovascular and renal diseases. In particular, enhanced oxidative stress may lead to low-density lipoprotein accumulation and oxidation, endothelial cell activation, adhesion molecule overexpression, macrophage activation, and foam cell formation, promoting the development and progression of atherosclerosis.

The Role of Genetics in Risk Stratification Strategy of Dilated Cardiomyopathy.

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a heart disorder of diverse etiologies that affects millions of people worldwide, associated with increased mortality rate and high risk of sudden cardiac death. Patients with DCM are characterized by a wide range of clinical and pre-clinical phenotypes which are related with different outcomes. Dominant studies have failed to demonstrate the value of the left ventricular ejection fraction as the only indicator for patients' assessment and arrhythmic events prediction, thus making sudden cardiac death (SCD) risk stratification strategy improvement, more crucial than ever.

The Effect of Metabolic Profile on Leptin, Adiponectin, and hs-CRP in Children and Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes.

Adipokines are a superfamily of cell signaling proteins produced by the adipose tissue. This study’s purpose was to reveal the association of adipokines (leptin, adiponectin), hs-CRP, and IL-6 with well-known cardiovascular risk factors (lipid profile, diabetes control, obesity, physical activity) in children and adolescents with T1D. This cross-sectional study included 80 participants (36 boys) with T1D, aged (mean ± SD) 14.

Immune-checkpoint inhibitor-associated grade 3 hepatotoxicity managed with enteric-coated budesonide monotherapy: A case report.

Rationale: The introduction of immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICPI) in recent years has changed the natural course of many neoplasms. However, patients receiving these medications may present immune-mediated adverse events; management includes temporary or permanent cessation of treatment and corticosteroids, occasionally combined with other immunomodulators. Such immunosuppression, however, also has numerous adverse events and even if it is effective in controlling toxicity, it delays immunotherapy reinitiation, as current evidence requires dose tapering to ≤10 mg prednisolone equivalent before rechallenge.

The Role of Melatonin in Chronic Kidney Disease and Its Associated Risk Factors: A New Tool in Our Arsenal?

Background: The increasing incidence of chronic kidney disease (CKD), as a consequence of the high prevalence of arterial hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), warrants the need for developing effective treatment approaches. In this regard, the pineal gland-derived hormone melatonin may represent an appealing treatment approach of CKD and its associated risk factors.

Summary: Targeting the adverse pathophysiology surrounding CKD and its associated risk factors has been the concept of pharmacologic treatment developed for its management.

Prognostic Significance of Risk Factors and Biomarkers in Patients Hospitalized for Cardiorenal Syndromes: A Pilot Study.

Background: Cardiorenal syndromes (CRS), involving the heart-kidney cross-talk and the activation of neurohumoral and inflammatory pathways, are an entity characterized by high morbidity and mortality.

Objective: To evaluate the prognostic role of risk factors and biomarkers in patients hospitalized for CRS.

Methods: In this observational cohort study, 100 consecutive patients hospitalized for CRS were enrolled.

Endothelial Dysfunction in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Individuals with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are characterized by increased cardiovascular risk. Endothelial dysfunction, a mechanism implicated in those processes, may constitute the missing link in this interaction. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis aims to evaluate the association of endothelial dysfunction, assessed by flow-mediated dilation (FMD) of the brachial artery, with NAFLD.

ERS International Congress 2021: highlights from the Respiratory Intensive Care Assembly.

Early Career Members of Assembly 2 (Respiratory Intensive Care) attended the European Respiratory Society International Congress through a virtual platform in 2021. Sessions of interest to our assembly members included symposia on the implications of acute respiratory distress syndrome phenotyping on diagnosis and treatment, safe applications of noninvasive ventilation in hypoxaemic respiratory failure, and new developments in mechanical ventilation and weaning, and a guidelines session on applying high-flow therapy in acute respiratory failure. These sessions are summarised in this article.

COVID-19 and Kidney Disease: A Clinical Perspective.

Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus- 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has caused a global pandemic with high morbidity and mortality. The presence of several comorbidities has been associated with a worse prognosis, with chronic kidney disease being a critical risk factor. Regarding COVID-19 complications, other than classical pneumonia and thromboembolism, acute kidney injury (AKI) is highly prevalent and represents a poor prognostic indicator linked to increased disease severity and mortality.

A computed tomography study on the olfactory fossa in dried skulls.

Purpose: The computed tomography (CT) study investigates the olfactory fossa (OF) morphometry and morphology.

Methods: Fifty Greek adult dried skulls were macroscopically investigated for the detection of the OF morphological patterns and after a multiplanar CT reconstruction, the OF morphometry was accurately calculated using a digital ruler.

Results: Types I and II surface contour patterns were the most frequently identified (36 and 32%), followed by types III, IV, and V (16, 12, and 4%).

Serum Uric Acid Levels and Cardiometabolic Profile in Middle-Aged, Treatment-Naïve Hypertensive Patients.

Introduction: Uric acid (UA) is a risk factor associated with cardiometabolic diseases. However, the appropriate threshold of UA remains a matter of controversy.

Aim: To assess whether slightly increased UA levels have any significance in middle-aged, treatment-naïve persons with new-onset hypertension.

Primary malignant melanoma of the esophagus.

We report a case of primary malignant melanoma of the esophagus.