Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): the portrait of a perfect storm.

The "novel" coronavirus disease 2019 (abbreviated "COVID-19") is the third coronavirus outbreak emerging during the past two decades. This infectious disease, sustained by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has been recently declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization. Despite the concerning epidemiological burden, many people, including some policymakers, are underestimating this pandemic and are remaining enigmatically inactive against a human pathology which, for a combination of reasons, can be reasonably defined as a perfect storm (i.

Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 and Antihypertensives (Angiotensin Receptor Blockers and Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors) in Coronavirus Disease 2019.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, is being defined as the worst pandemic disease of modern times. Several professional health organizations have published position papers stating that there is no evidence to change the use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) in the management of elevated blood pressure in the context of avoiding or treating COVID-19 infection. In this article, we review the evidence on the relationship between the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and COVID-19 infection.

Antisense lipoprotein[a] therapy: State-of-the-art and future perspectives.

Several lines of evidence now attest that lipoprotein[a] (Lp[a]) is a significant risk factor for many cardiovascular disorders. This enigmatic lipoprotein, composed of a single copy of apolipoprotein B (apoB) and apolipoprotein[a] (apo [a]), expresses peculiar metabolism, virtually independent from lifestyle interventions. Several therapeutic options have hence been proposed for lowering elevated Lp[a] values, with or without concomitant effect on low density lipoprotein (LDL) particles, mostly encompassing statins, ezetimibe, nicotinic acid, lipoprotein apheresis, and anti-PCSK9 monoclonal antibodies.

Large-scale epidemiological data on vascular disorders of the intestine.

This article aims to provide updates on the worldwide epidemiology of vascular disorders of the intestine. A comprehensive search for obtaining worldwide epidemiologic information on the burden of vascular disorders of the intestine was carried out in the Global Health Data Exchange (GHDx) repository. The condition 'vascular intestinal disorders' was associated with other epidemiologic variables such as year, sex, age, location and socioeconomic status.

Effects of endurance exercise on serum concentration of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP): a potential link between exercise intensity and headache.

Background Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) is a powerful neuropeptide that is strongly involved in headache pain pathogenesis by triggering vasodilation, mast cell degranulation and neurogenic inflammation. This evidence has prompted us to investigate the acute influence of endurance exercise on CGRP concentration in blood. Methods The study population consisted of 48 male amateur runners, who ran a half-marathon distance at 75%-85% of maximal oxygen uptake.

Non-coding RNAs and Coronary Artery Disease.

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading death cause worldwide. Non-coding RNA (ncRNA) are key regulators of genetic expression and thus can affect directly or indirectly the development and progression of different diseases. ncRNA can be classified in several types depending on the length or structure, as long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), microRNA (miRNA) and circularRNA (circRNA), among others.

Health risks and potential remedies during prolonged lockdowns for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

As coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues, an increasing number of countries and territories are adopting restrictive measures based on physical ("social") distancing, aimed at preventing human-to-human transmission and thereby limiting virus propagation. Nationwide lockdowns, encompassing mass quarantine under stay-at-home ordinances, have already been proven effective to contain the COVID-19 outbreak in some countries. Nevertheless, a prolonged homestay may also be associated with potential side effects, which may jeopardize people's health and thus must be recognized and mitigated in a way without violating local ordinances.

Special Article - Exercise-induced right ventricular injury or arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM): The bright side and the dark side of the moon.

There is still debate on the range of normal physiologic changes of the right ventricle or ventricular (RV) function in athletes. Genetic links to arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM) are well-established. There is no current consensus on the importance of extensive exercise and exercise-induced injury to the RV.

Concise update on colorectal cancer epidemiology.

Colorectal cancer is a type of gastrointestinal malignancy originating from either the colon or rectum. In this short report we provide a concise update on recent colorectal cancer statistics, especially concerning frequency, mortality, life expectancy and risk factors. Overall, colorectal cancer is the third more frequent malignant disease around the world (1.

Physical activity and laryngeal cancer.

Although an active lifestyle physical has been convincingly associated with a decreased risk of developing many forms of cancers, including neck and head malignancies, uncertainty surrounds the relationship between physical activity (PA) and laryngeal carcinogenesis. Epidemiologic evidence, garnered from some well-conducted cross-sectional, prospective and retrospective studies, seemingly attests that the impact of PA may be not so straightforward in lowering laryngeal cancer risk as for other malignancies. Reasonable consensus has been reached that moderate-intensity PA may generate the larger potential benefits, whilst the effect of high-intensity PA appears more controversial and even contradictory.

Updated overview on interplay between physical exercise, neurotrophins, and cognitive function in humans.

The many important benefits of physical exercise also encompass maintenance or improvement of cognitive functions. Among the various mechanisms underlying the association between physical exercise and brain health, recent evidence attests that neurotrophin receptor signaling may have an important role, because the activation of this pathway leads to growth and differentiation of new neurons and synapses, supports axonal and dendritic growth, fosters synaptic plasticity, and preserves survival of existing neurons. In this review of published evidence, we highlight that a positive relationship exists between physical exercise and circulating brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels and that the postexercise variation of this molecule is associated with improvement of neurocognitive functioning.

Red blood cell distribution width: A marker of anisocytosis potentially associated with atrial fibrillation.

The incorporation of biomarkers in the actually used risk scores seem to be helpful for early identifying atrial fibrillation (AF) patients at higher risk. The aim of this critical review of the scientific literature is to investigate the potential clinical significance of red blood cell distribution width (RDW) in AF. A systematic electronic search was carried out to identify all articles describing an epidemiological association between RDW and AF in adult human populations.

Noncoding RNAs in Critical Limb Ischemia.

Peripheral artery disease, caused by chronic arterial occlusion of the lower extremities, affects over 200 million people worldwide. Peripheral artery disease can progress into critical limb ischemia (CLI), its more severe manifestation, which is associated with higher risk of limb amputation and cardiovascular death. Aiming to improve tissue perfusion, therapeutic angiogenesis held promise to improve ischemic limbs using delivery of growth factors but has not successfully translated into benefits for patients.

Prognostic Value of Troponins in Patients With or Without Coronary Heart Disease: Is it Dependent on Structure and Biology?

Convincing evidence has emerged that cardiac troponins (cTns) T and I are the biochemical gold standard for diagnosing cardiac injury, and may also be used as efficient screening and risk stratification tools, especially when measured with the new high-sensitivity (hs-) immunoassays. In this narrative review, we aim to explore and critically discuss the results of recent epidemiological studies that have attempted to characterise the prognostic value of cTns in patients with or without cardiovascular disease, and then interpret this information according to cTn biology. Overall, all recent studies agree that higher blood levels of cTns reflect the larger risk of cardiovascular events and/or death, both in the general population and in patients with cardiovascular disease.

Worldwide burden of LDL cholesterol: Implications in cardiovascular disease.

Background And Aim: an increased value of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is now universally considered a major cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor. LDL-C is included in the vast majority of worldwide cardiovascular risk prediction algorithms, as well as in the guidelines for cardiovascular risk prevention. We aimed to provide an overview of the worldwide adverse healthcare impact of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C).

Predicting mortality with cardiac troponins: recent insights from meta-analyses.

The introduction of cardiac troponin (cTn) testing in clinical practice has been one of the most important breakthroughs that have occurred in the recent history of laboratory medicine. Although it is now uncontestable that cTn values are essential for diagnosing acute coronary syndrome (ACS), solid evidence is also emerging that assessment of either cardiac troponin I (cTnI) or T (cTnT) may provide valuable prognostic information in the general healthy population, as well as in patients with a vast array of cardiac and extra-cardiac diseases. We have hence performed a critical review of the scientific literature for identifying meta-analyses which have investigated the potential contribution of cTns in predicting the risk of death in health and disease.

Evaluation of Neutrophil-lymphocyte and Platelet-lymphocyte Ratios as Predictors of 30-day Mortality in Patients Hospitalized for an Episode of Acute Decompensated Heart Failure.

Background: To investigate the association between both neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and 30-day mortality in patients hospitalized for an episode of acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF).

Methods: 439 patients admitted to emergency department (ED) for an episode of ADHF. Clinical history, demographic, clinical and laboratory data recorded at ED admission and then correlated with 30-day mortality.