24 results match your criteria: "Heraklion University General Hospital[Affiliation]"

Article Synopsis
  • Hypovitaminosis D is linked to the development of atherosclerosis and is more common in women, but its specific effects on coronary artery disease (CAD) severity between genders are not well understood.
  • A study involving 1,484 patients with acute myocardial infarction found that women had significantly lower vitamin D levels and a higher prevalence of severe CAD when experiencing hypovitaminosis D compared to those without it.
  • Furthermore, women with both hypovitaminosis D and diabetes mellitus faced over three times the risk of severe CAD compared to those without either condition.
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Awareness and early identification of hypertension is crucial in reducing the burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Artificial intelligence-based analysis of 12-lead electrocardiograms (ECGs) can already detect arrhythmias and hypertension. We performed an observational two-center study in order to develop a machine learning algorithm to proactively detect arterial hypertension from single-lead ECGs.

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Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a heart muscle disease associated with an increased risk for sudden cardiac death (SCD). Cytokeratin 18-based proteins, such as M30 and M65 antigens, are known cell-death biomarkers. M30 antigen is released from cells during apoptosis, and M65 antigen is released during cell death from any cause, such as apoptosis or necrosis.

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Unraveling the relationship among insulin resistance, IGF-1, and amyloid-beta 1-40: Is the definition of type 3 diabetes applicable in the cardiovascular field?

Life Sci

September 2024

Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Giuliano Isontina, Cardiothoracovascular Department, Trieste, Italy; Department of Medical Surgical and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy. Electronic address:

The concept of "type 3 diabetes" has emerged to define alterations in glucose metabolism that predispose individuals to the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Novel evidence suggests that changes in the insulin/insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1)/growth hormone (GH) axis, which are characteristic of Diabetes Mellitus, are one of the major factors contributing to excessive amyloid-beta (Aβ) production and neurodegenerative processes in AD. Moreover, molecular findings suggest that insulin resistance and dysregulated IGF-1 signaling promote atherosclerosis via endothelial dysfunction and a pro-inflammatory state.

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Objective Real-life management of patients with hypertension and chronic kidney disease (CKD) among European Society of Hypertension Excellence Centres (ESH-ECs) is unclear : we aimed to investigate it. Methods A survey was conducted in 2023. The questionnaire contained 64 questions asking ESH-ECs representatives to estimate how patients with CKD are managed.

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Prevalence, awareness, and control of hypertension in Greece before and after the COVID-19 pandemic: May Measurement Month survey 2019-2022.

Hellenic J Cardiol

May 2024

Hypertension Center STRIDE-7, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Third Department of Medicine, Sotiria Hospital, 152 Mesogion Avenue, Athens 11527, Greece. Electronic address:

Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on hypertension awareness and treatment in Greece, analyzing data collected in 2019 and 2022 during the May Measurement Month (MMM) initiative.
  • Data from over 12,000 adults revealed consistent hypertension prevalence rates (around 41-43%) before and after the pandemic, but an increase in undiagnosed cases was observed, rising from 21.3% to 27.5%.
  • The findings suggest that while the overall prevalence of hypertension remained stable, there is a pressing need for improved national strategies to detect and manage hypertension effectively in Greece, especially post-pandemic.
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Screening and management of hypertensive patients with chronic kidney disease referred to Hypertension Excellence Centres among 27 countries. A pilot survey based on questionnaire.

J Hypertens

September 2024

Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Nephrology, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Article Synopsis
  • - A 2023 survey by the European Society of Hypertension assessed the management of chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients with hypertension across 88 centers in 27 countries, finding that only 28% had preexisting CKD, and 30% exhibited resistant hypertension.
  • - The survey indicated inconsistent rates of recent kidney function tests and varying usage of important medications, showing higher rates of certain drugs when nephrologists were involved in the care team.
  • - Overall, the study highlighted significant gaps in CKD screening and treatment prior to referral for specialized care, suggesting that tailored initiatives could enhance management for patients with hypertension and CKD.
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Intra-hospital variation of gut microbiota product, trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), predicts future major adverse cardiovascular events after myocardial infarction.

Hellenic J Cardiol

May 2024

Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Giuliano Isontina, Cardiothoracovascular Department, Trieste, Italy; Department of Medical Surgical and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy.

Objective: Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) has been associated with atherosclerosis and poor outcome. We evaluated the prognostic impact of intra-hospital TMAO variation on patient outcome.

Methods And Results: Blood samples from 149 patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) were taken on admission and discharge.

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Background And Aims: Vitamin D deficiency is a common cardiovascular risk factor associated with the development of atherosclerosis. We evaluated changes in 25(OH)D concentrations in 1510 patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) over a long observation period, including the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods And Results: Patients were separated into four groups according to the year of enrolment, group 1 (2009-2010), group 2 (2014-2016), group 3 (2017-2019), and group 4 (2020-2022).

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Background: Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a major health issue with high morbidity and mortality. The epidemiology and the factors that cause HFpEF have not been fully clarified, while accurate predictive biomarkers are lacking. Our aim was to determine whether levels of microRNA-21 (miR-21) in peripheral blood monocytes, which play a critical role in many pathophysiological pathways of hypertensive heart disease, can predict the occurrence of HFpEF in older hypertensives, as well as the associated mortality and morbidity.

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Arterial hypertension is a major cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality and the most common cause of comorbidity in heart failure (HF) with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). As an adjunct to medication, healthy lifestyle modifications with emphasis on regular exercise are strongly recommended by both the hypertension and the HF guidelines of the European Society of Cardiology. Several long-term studies have shown that exercise is associated with a reduction in all-cause mortality, a favorable cardiac and metabolic risk profile, mental health, and other non-cardiovascular benefits, as well as an improvement in overall quality of life.

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Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a process whose pathogenetic mechanisms start very early in life. Recently, the importance of visceral adipose tissue (VAT) has been highlighted in the development of CVD. VAT does not always depend on body mass index (BMI) and has been implicated in unfavorable metabolic activity and cardiovascular adverse events.

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Pericoronary adipose tissue (PCAT) is a source of microRNAs (miRs) that act as messengers for intercellular communication. We investigated whether the PCAT surrounding significant coronary atherosclerotic lesions shows specific miR expression patterns compared with PCAT surrounding plaque-free segments. We included 49 patients with 3-vessel coronary artery disease (CAD) and 19 patients with severe valvular disease but no CAD, who underwent elective cardiac surgery.

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We report a case of cutaneous alternariosis in a 69-year-old male patient. During hospitalization for treatment of the skin disorder, acute myeloid leukaemia was diagnosed. He received multiple chemotherapeutic agents but the leukaemia remained refractory to therapy and the patient died.

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We present a case of a 78-year-old man suffering from a chronic psoriasiform eruption, with rapid deterioration over the previous 8 weeks. Langerhans' cell histiocytosis with skin and bone involvement was diagnosed, and there was evidence of liver and lung dysfunction. The patient was treated with prednisolone and etoposide, and initially experienced a partial improvement.

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Background: Topical application of 5-aminolaevulinic acid (ALA) to condylomata acuminata leads to accumulation of protoporphyrin IX (PpIX); therefore ALA-induced photodynamic therapy (ALA-PDT) appears to be a potential treatment.

Objectives: To investigate in vivo the PpIX fluorescence time course after topical application of ALA in order to determine the optimal time for irradiation, and to assess the efficacy of subsequently performed ALA-PDT.

Methods: Fluorescence kinetics was studied in 12 male patients with condylomata acuminata.

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Background: Milia en plaque (MEP) is an unusual entity with a distinctive clinicohistologic appearance. Optimal treatment is unestablished, particularly for MEP located on difficult anatomic areas.

Objective: To illustrate by a case report the clinical presentation and management of MEP.

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Human papilloma virus infection is increasing at an alarming rate. The ability of the virus to establish a subclinical infection and its association with malignancy of the lower genital tract make the statistics even more worrisome. Topical application of acetic acid solution provokes temporal alterations of the light-scattering properties of human papilloma virus-induced lesions of anogenital area.

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Photodynamic therapy (PDT) with topical d-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) has become a therapeutic option of growing interest for superficial non-melanoma precancerous and malignant lesions. After application of ALA, in situ conversion to endogenous porphyrins is accomplished in a gradual manner. Therefore, the determination of fluorescence kinetics and spatial distribution in vivo versus time is a crucial point for the success of ALA-PDT.

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Heparin analogues in low doses have antiproliferative and immunomodulatory properties. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of low-dose enoxaparin administered subcutaneously in lichen planus (LP). Eighteen patients with various types of LP were treated in an open study for 6-13 weeks.

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Background: Photodynamic therapy with delta-aminolevulinic acid is a promising alternative treatment for superficial skin malignancies.

Objective: Further clinical experience, study of tissue alterations leading to recovery, and correlation/prediction of the therapeutic response through in vivo skin color changes as represented by erythema development.

Methods: The therapeutic procedure, sequential histology and histochemistry, and the development of a remote machine vision system to measure, map, and monitor the erythema development.

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