Echocardiographic phenotypes of diabetic myocardial disorder: evolution over 15 months follow-up in the ARISE-HF trial.

Background: Diabetic myocardial disorder (DbMD, evidenced by abnormal echocardiography or cardiac biomarkers) is a form of stage B heart failure (SBHF) at high risk for progression to overt HF. SBHF is defined by abnormal LV morphology and function and/or abnormal cardiac biomarker concentrations.

Objective: To compare the evolution of four DbMD groups based on biomarkers alone, systolic and diastolic dysfunction alone, or their combination.

Complex Hemodynamic Responses to Trans-Vascular Electrical Stimulation of the Renal Nerve in Anesthetized Pigs.

The objective of this study was to characterize hemodynamic changes during trans-vascular stimulation of the renal nerve and their dependence on stimulation parameters. We employed a stimulation catheter inserted in the right renal artery under fluoroscopic guidance, in pigs. Systolic, diastolic and pulse blood pressure and heart rate were recorded during stimulations delivered at different intravascular sites along the renal artery or while varying stimulation parameters (amplitude, frequency, and pulse width).

Viral Hepatitis in Western Patients with Advanced Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma: Retrospective Assessment of Prevalence, Prognostic and Predictive Significance.

Despite a biologically established causative role of viral hepatitis (VH), i.e. HBV and HCV infections, on intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC), only few large Western cohorts exploring the association between VH and ICC development are available.

Sense of Community in the context of disease prevention and health promotion: A scoping review of the literature.

Background: The centrality of community engagement in disease prevention and health promotion interventions highlights the need to understand the contextual factors that shape participation. Sense of Community (SoC), characterized by feelings of belonging, connection, and interdependence among members of a community, has emerged as a key component of community capacity and is therefore expected to influence engagement outcomes. However, empirical evidence is needed to assess its actual impact on community engagement.

Impact of baseline FIB-4 score on efpeglenatide benefits on cardiovascular outcomes in people with type 2 diabetes: a participant-level exploratory analysis of the AMPLITUDE-O trial.

Aims: To estimate the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), expanded MACE, and MACE or Death across Fibrosis- 4 score (FIB-4) categories in people with type 2 diabetes and to determine whether efpeglenatide's effect varies with increasing FIB-4 severity.

Materials And Methods: AMPLITUDE-O trial data were used to estimate the relationship of FIB-4 score categories to the hazard of MACE, expanded MACE, and MACE or death. Interactions on these outcomes between baseline FIB-4 score, and between FIB-4 score and efpeglenatide were also assessed.

Setting priorities in outpatient cardiovascular care to guarantee equitable access: the case of Tuscany region.

Universal healthcare systems orient their actions towards promoting, restoring, and improving public health with a particular focus on the need to guarantee equitable access to care. Unwarranted variation in healthcare delivery poses significant challenges to health systems globally, impacting quality of care, financial sustainability, and equity of access. It is therefore important to assist healthcare management in measuring unwarranted variation in order to prioritise intervention strategies to ensure continuity of care and equity.

Relationship between NT-proBNP, echocardiographic abnormalities and functional status in patients with subclinical siabetic cardiomyopathy.

Introduction: Persons with diabetes are at risk for developing a cardiomyopathy through several pathophysiological mechanisms independent of traditional risk factors for heart failure. Among those with diabetic cardiomyopathy (DbCM), the relationship between natriuretic peptides, cardiac structural abnormalities and functional capacity is largely unknown.

Methods: In this prespecified subgroup analysis of the Aldose Reductase Inhibition for Stabilization of Exercise Capacity in Heart Failure (ARISE-HF) trial, 685 participants with asymptomatic DbCM underwent baseline echocardiography data, laboratory investigations, and functional assessments.

The role of incretin receptor agonists in the treatment of obesity.

Introdroduction: Obesity and its associated metabolic conditions have become a significant global health problem in recent years, with many people living with obesity fulfilling criteria for pharmacological treatment. The development of the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists for chronic weight management has triggered new interest in the incretins and other hormones as targets for obesity, and investigations into dual and triple co-agonists.

Methods: The objective of this narrative review was to summarize the available data on approved and emerging incretin-based agents for the treatment of obesity.

Cost-utility analysis of a flash continuous glucose monitoring system in the management of people with type 2 diabetes mellitus on basal insulin therapy-An Italian healthcare system perspective.

Aims: To assess the cost-utility of the FreeStyle Libre flash continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) system from an Italian healthcare system perspective, when compared with self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) in people living with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) receiving basal insulin.

Materials And Methods: A patient-level microsimulation model was run using Microsoft Excel for 10 000 patients over a lifetime horizon, with 3.0% discounting for costs and utilities.

Organ Neuroprosthetics: Connecting Transplanted and Artificial Organs with the Nervous System.

Implantable neural interfaces with the central and peripheral nervous systems are currently used to restore sensory, motor, and cognitive functions in disabled people with very promising results. They have also been used to modulate autonomic activities to treat diseases such as diabetes or hypertension. Here, this study proposes to extend the use of these technologies to (re-)establish the connection between new (transplanted or artificial) organs and the nervous system in order to increase the long-term efficacy and the effective biointegration of these solutions.

Implementation of an epicardial implantable MEMS sensor for continuous and real-time postoperative assessment of left ventricular activity in adult minipigs over a short- and long-term period.

The sensing of left ventricular (LV) activity is fundamental in the diagnosis and monitoring of cardiovascular health in high-risk patients after cardiac surgery to achieve better short- and long-term outcome. Conventional approaches rely on noninvasive measurements even if, in the latest years, invasive microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) sensors have emerged as a valuable approach for precise and continuous monitoring of cardiac activity. The main challenges in designing cardiac MEMS sensors are represented by miniaturization, biocompatibility, and long-term stability.

Characterizing diabetic cardiomyopathy: baseline results from the ARISE-HF trial.

Background: Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DbCM) is a form of Stage B heart failure (HF) at high risk for progression to overt disease. Using baseline characteristics of study participants from the Aldose Reductase Inhibition for Stabilization of Exercise Capacity in Heart Failure (ARISE-HF) Trial we sought to characterize clinical characteristics of individuals with findings consistent with DbCM.

Methods: Among study participants meeting inclusion criteria, clinical characteristics, laboratory testing, imaging, Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ), Physical Activity Scale of the Elderly (PASE) and cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) results were tabulated.

Expanding the Frontiers of Guardian Antioxidant Selenoproteins in Cardiovascular Pathophysiology.

Physiological levels of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS/RNS) function as fundamental messengers for many cellular and developmental processes in the cardiovascular system. ROS/RNS involved in cardiac redox-signaling originate from diverse sources, and their levels are tightly controlled by key endogenous antioxidant systems that counteract their accumulation. However, dysregulated redox-stress resulting from inefficient removal of ROS/RNS leads to inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and cell death, contributing to the development and progression of cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Learning prevalent patterns of co-morbidities in multichronic patients using population-based healthcare data.

The prevalence of longstanding chronic diseases has increased worldwide, along with the average age of the population. As a result, an increasing number of people is affected by two or more chronic conditions simultaneously, and healthcare systems are facing the challenge of treating multimorbid patients effectively. Current therapeutic strategies are suited to manage each chronic condition separately, without considering the whole clinical condition of the patient.

Diabetes and vascular disease: New therapeutic avenues.

Vascular disease remains a major burden for people with type 2 diabetes due to the syndromic nature of the disease. Therefore, strategies that go beyond the mere glycemic control need to be enacted. Recent evidence has been gathered showing the cardiorenal potential of medications such as glucagon-like peptide1-receptor agonists (GLP1RA) and sodium-glucose transporter 2-inhibitors (SGLT2i).