Sex difference in pulmonary hypertension in the evaluation by exercise echocardiography.

Male patients with pulmonary hypertension have poor survival than their female counterparts. Poor right ventricular function in men may be one of the major determinants of poor prognosis. This study aimed to investigate the difference in hemodynamics during exercise between men and women by exercise echocardiography.

Diagnostic utility of fusion F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in cardiac sarcoidosis.

Background: Although each F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging with late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) has been used to diagnose cardiac sarcoidosis (CS), active CS is still misdiagnosed.

Methods: Active CS, diagnosed by PET alone, was defined as focal or focal on diffuse FDG uptake pattern. In fusion PET/CMR imaging, using a regional analysis with AHA 17-segment model, the patients were categorized into four groups: (1) PET-/LGE-, (2) PET+/LGE-, (3) PET+/LGE+, and (4) PET-/LGE+.

Long-term effects of non-retrieved inferior vena cava filters on recurrences of venous thromboembolism in cancer and non-cancer patients: From the COMMAND VTE registry.

Background: There is a paucity of data comparing the long-term outcomes after inferior vena cava (IVC) filters placement for patients with acute venous thromboembolism (VTE) between those with and without active cancer.

Methods: In the COMMAND VTE Registry, we evaluated the effects of IVC filter use on the long-term clinical outcomes stratified by the presence and absence of active cancer.

Results: Among 2,626 patients with acute symptomatic VTE, there were 604 patients with active cancer, and 2022 patients without active cancer.

Notch Signaling Enhances Stemness by Regulating Metabolic Pathways Through Modifying p53, NF-κB, and HIF-1α.

Human adipose-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (hASCs) are attractive for regenerative medicine, but their limited in vitro life span limits their therapeutic applicability. Recent data demonstrate that hypoxia may benefit the ex vivo culture of stem cells. Such cells exhibit a high level of glycolytic metabolism under hypoxic conditions.

Efficacy and Safety of an Orally Administered Selective Prostacyclin Receptor Agonist, Selexipag, in Japanese Patients With Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.

Background: Selexipag is an orally available prostacyclin receptor (IP receptor) agonist with a non-prostanoid structure. In this open-label Phase II trial, the efficacy and safety of selexipag in Japanese patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is examined.

Methods and results: Selexipag was administered at 200 μg twice daily and titrated up to 1,600 μg by increments of 200 μg in 37 subjects to reach the individual maximum tolerated dose.