CCN5 suppresses injury-induced vascular restenosis by inhibiting smooth muscle cell proliferation and facilitating endothelial repair via thymosin β4 and Cd9 pathway.

Background And Aims: Members of the CCN matricellular protein family are crucial in various biological processes. This study aimed to characterize vascular cell-specific effects of CCN5 on neointimal formation and its role in preventing in-stent restenosis (ISR) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods: Stent-implanted porcine coronary artery RNA-seq and mouse injury-induced femoral artery neointima single-cell RNA sequencing were performed.

Pathogenicity assessment of genetic variants identified in patients with severe hypertriglyceridemia: novel cases of Familial Chylomicronemia Syndrome from the Dyslipidemia Registry of the Spanish Atherosclerosis Society.

Purpose: Genetic testing is required to confirm a diagnosis of familial chylomicronemia syndrome (FCS). We assessed the pathogenicity of variants identified in the FCS canonical genes to diagnose FCS cases.

Methods: 245 patients with severe hypertriglyceridemia underwent next-generation sequencing.

Residual Mitral Regurgitation Interacts With Transmitral Mean Pressure Gradient to Modify the Association With Mortality Following Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Repair.

Background: The association, if any, between the transmitral mean pressure gradient (TMPG) after mitral transcatheter edge-to-edge repair and 1-year mortality is controversial in patients undergoing mitral transcatheter edge-to-edge repair with the MitraClip system. We sought to estimate the association between intraoperatively measured residual mitral regurgitation (rMR) and TMPG and 1-year mortality among patients undergoing mitral transcatheter edge-to-edge repair to facilitate decisions on additional devices.

Methods: In patients with severe secondary (functional) MR, we analyzed registry data using generalized estimating equations.

Model construction and clinical therapeutic potential of engineered cardiac organoids for cardiovascular diseases.

Cardiovascular diseases cause significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Engineered cardiac organoids are being developed and used to replicate cardiac tissues supporting cardiac morphogenesis and development. These organoids have applications in drug screening, cardiac disease models and regenerative medicine.

Prognostication in emergency room patients: comparing ultrasensitive and contemporary quantification of cardiac troponin levels below the 99th percentile.

Introduction: Cardiac troponin levels below the 99th percentile improve the predictive efficacy for cardiovascular events when associated with relevant clinical variables. However, whether ultra-sensitive analytical methods improve this predictive efficacy over less sensitive or contemporary analytical methods remains unknown.

Methods: This retrospective observational study involved consecutive patients who presented to the emergency department for suspected acute coronary syndrome and underwent measurement of ultra-sensitive cardiac troponin I (Singulex) and contemporary cardiac troponin I (Siemens) with levels below the 99th percentile.

New drugs for acute kidney injury.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) presents a significant challenge in the management of critically ill patients, as it is associated with increased mortality, prolonged hospital stays, and increased healthcare costs. In certain conditions, such as during sepsis or after cardiac surgery, AKI is one of the most frequent complications, affecting 30%-50% of patients. Over time, even after the resolution of AKI, it can evolve into chronic kidney disease, a leading global cause of mortality, and cardiovascular complications.

Management of Patients with Myocardial Injury After Noncardiac Surgery: A Retrospective Chart Review.

Background: Myocardial injury after noncardiac surgery (MINS) is associated with an increased incidence of cardiac morbidity and mortality. Little is known about how these patients are managed.

Methods: We performed a single-centre retrospective chart review of patients referred to a postoperative clinic with the diagnosis of MINS.

Natural Causes of Sports- and Recreation-Related Deaths in the General Population: A 14-Year Review in Québec, Canada.

Background: This study analyzed trends in the frequencies and rates of natural deaths associated with sport and recreation activities in Québec, Canada, from January 2006 to December 2019, and investigated their etiology and characteristics.

Methods: This descriptive retrospective study utilized data from coroner reports, as well as autopsy and police reports. Activity-specific incidence rates were calculated using participation data from the (ÉBARS) and Canadian census population data.

A Hybrid Rehabilitation Program for Adults with Peripheral Artery Disease (HY-PAD): A Pre-Post Intervention Study to Assess Its Feasibility.

Background: Supervised exercise programs improve walking impairment and quality of life (QoL) in patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD). However, such programs are underutilized, due to their limited accessibility. A feasible and effective exercise program is needed.

A Comprehensive Review of the Role of GLP-1 Agonists in Weight Management and Their Effect on Metabolic Parameters Such as Blood Glucose, Cholesterol, and Blood Pressure.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) have been developed to manage type 2 diabetes mellitus. Although, in the last 10 years, the use of GLP-1 RAs, especially semaglutide and liraglutide, has increased, its clinical implications and how it affects metabolic parameters have yet to be fully consolidated. This narrative review explores the metabolic effects of GLP-1 RAs in weight management, blood glucose, cardiovascular health, lipid profiles, and blood pressure.

Community-based model for management and follow-up by non-physician healthcare workers to improve awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension: The COTRACO study protocol.

Introduction: Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death and morbidity worldwide, with a significantly higher burden in low- and middle-income countries. Hypertension, a major risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, remains under-diagnosed and poorly controlled, especially in regions such as Latin America. The HOPE-4 study demonstrated that the involvement of non-physician health workers (NPHWs), the use of standardized treatment algorithms, the provision of free antihypertensive drugs and home follow-up can significantly improve hypertension control and reduce cardiovascular risk, as demonstrated in Colombia and Malaysia.

From Atrial Small-conductance Calcium-activated Potassium Channels to New Antiarrhythmics.

Despite significant advances in its management, AF remains a major healthcare burden affecting millions of individuals. Rhythm control with antiarrhythmic drugs or catheter ablation has been shown to improve symptoms and outcomes in AF patients, but current treatment options have limited efficacy and/or significant side-effects. Novel mechanism-based approaches could potentially be more effective, enabling improved therapeutic strategies for managing AF.

Resveratrol-driven macrophage polarization: unveiling mechanisms and therapeutic potential.

Resveratrol, a polyphenolic compound known for its diverse biological activities, has demonstrated multiple pharmacological effects, including anti-inflammatory, anti-aging, anti-diabetic, anti-cancer, and cardiovascular protective properties. Recent studies suggest that these effects are partly mediated through the regulation of macrophage polarization, wherein macrophages differentiate into pro-inflammatory M1 or anti-inflammatory M2 phenotypes. Our review highlights how resveratrol modulates macrophage polarization through various signaling pathways to achieve therapeutic effects.

Improving Spatial Transcriptomics with Membrane-Based Boundary Definition and Enhanced Single-Cell Resolution.

Accurately defining cell boundaries for spatial transcriptomics is technically challenging. The current major approaches are nuclear staining or mathematical inference, which either exclude the cytoplasm or determine a hypothetical boundary. Here, a new method is introduced for defining cell boundaries: labeling cell membranes using genetically coded fluorescent proteins, which allows precise indexing of sequencing spots and transcripts within cells on sections.

Endothelial Dysfunction in Acute Myocardial Infarction: A Complex Association With Sleep Health, Traditional Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Prognostic Markers.

Background: Endothelial function (EndFx) is a core component of cardiovascular (CV) health and cardioprotection following acute myocardial infarction (AMI) treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Hypothesis: AMI patients experience endothelial dysfunction (EndDys), associated with traditional CV risk factors and sleep patterns. EndFx may also predict short and mid-term outcomes.

Incidence and Predictors of Clinical Outcomes in Real-Life Patients With Atrial Fibrillation Treated With Oral Factor Xa Inhibitors: The Follow-Up Results of the ANATOLIA-AF Study.

Objective: The main objective of this study is to determine the incidence and predictors of clinical outcomes in patients with AF treated with factor Xa inhibitors in a real-world setting.

Methods: The present study was a multicentre and observational study that included patients with AF who were treated with factor Xa inhibitors. The primary outcome was the composite of ischemic stroke, TIA, systemic embolism, major bleeding, and all-cause mortality.

Unlocking the Potential of miRNAs in Sepsis Diagnosis and Prognosis: From Pathophysiology to Precision Medicine.

The clinical syndrome appears as a dysregulated host response to infection that results in life-threatening organ dysfunction known as Sepsis. Sepsis is a serious public health concern where for every five deaths in ICU there is one patient who dies with sepsis worldwide. Sepsis is featured as unbalanced inflammation and immunosuppression which is sustained and profound, increasing patient susceptibility to secondary infections and mortality.

Continuous risk monitoring and management of heart failure: Rationale and design of the ALLEVIATE-HF trial.

Aims: Early identification and management of worsening heart failure (HF) is necessary to prevent disease progression and hospitalizations. The ALLEVIATE-HF (Algorithm Using LINQ Sensors for Evaluation and Treatment of Heart Failure) trial is a prospective, randomized, controlled, double-blind, multicentre trial that aims to assess the safety and efficacy of using the Reveal LINQ™ insertable cardiac monitor (ICM) in patients with HF to continuously monitor and evaluate HF risk status and guide timely interventions.

Methods: The ICM algorithm uses parameters derived from electrocardiogram (atrial fibrillation [AF], ventricular rate during AF, heart rate variability, and night heart rate), three-axis accelerometer (patient activity duration), and subcutaneous bioimpedance (fluid volume, respiration rate).

Long-Lasting Auditory and Vestibular Recovery Following Gene Replacement Therapy in a Novel Usher Syndrome Type 1c Mouse Model.

Usher syndrome type 1C (USH1C) is a genetic disorder caused by mutations in the USH1C gene, which encodes harmonin, a key component of the mechanoelectrical transduction complex in auditory and vestibular hair cells. USH1C leads to deafness and vestibular dysfunction in humans. An Ush1c knockout (KO) mouse model displaying these characteristic deficits is generated in our laboratory.

CARDIAC-STAR: prevalence of cardiovascular comorbidities in patients with HR + /HER2 - metastatic breast cancer.

Background: Cardiovascular (CV) comorbidities and concurrent medications with risk of heart rate-corrected QT interval (QTc) prolongation can impact treatment decisions and safety discussions for patients with breast cancer. However, limited data are available regarding their prevalence in patients with HR + /HER2- metastatic breast cancer (mBC). We evaluated the prevalence of CV comorbidities, the use of concurrent medications with risk of QTc prolongation, and treatment patterns in patients with newly diagnosed HR + /HER2 - mBC.

Childhood body size, adulthood adiposity, underlying mechanisms, and risk of incident hypertension: a prospective cohort study of 180,527 participants.

Background: Mechanisms underlying the association of life-course adiposity with incident hypertension in adulthood have not been comprehensively investigated. In this study, we aimed to investigate the potential biochemical and metabolomic mechanisms underlying the association between adiposity and incident hypertension.

Methods: A total of 180,527 participants from the UK Biobank aged 37 to 73 years were included.