Early diagnosis of subclinical left ventricular dysfunction in postmenopausal women with rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: Heart failure is the most frequent cause of death among patients affected by rheumatoid arthritis(RA), in which high prevalence is independent of traditional risk factors. An early diagnosis of subclinical heart failure may be made by assessing left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) by Doppler Echocardiography. Our study aims to early identify LVDD in RA patients. METHODS: We enrolled 207 consecutive postmenopausal women (PMW) with normal electrocardiography and physical examination with a confirmed diagnosis of RA, for over one year, 200 PMW free from RA served as the control group (CG). All women underwent M-mode and two-dimensional Doppler echocardiography. RESULTS: A total of 72 women were affected by LVDD among 207 women with RA (34.8%), 46 among 200 women in the CG (23%), chi-squared 6.8, OR 1.8, confidence interval (CI) 95%, p < 0.009. For our RA women, the chance of being affected by LVDD has almost doubled. There were 70 women affected by LVDD among 72 hypertensive women with RA (97.2%). A total of 32 women were affected by LVDD among 98 hypertensive women in the CG (32.7%), chi-squared 72.1, OR 7.2, CI 95%, p < 0.009. Among hypertensive PMW in our population, the chance of being affected by LVDD has more than tripled. All LVDD subjects had abnormal diastolic function for all different degrees. CONCLUSION: We propose that PMW, affected by RA, have a significantly higher prevalence than CG of LVDD without clinical evidence of heart disease. Since the prevalence is even higher if they are hypertensive, we suggest a Doppler echocardiography examination for all women with a diagnosis of RA.

Reverse cardiac remodeling after fluid balance optimization in patients with end-stage renal disease.

BACKGROUND: In patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) undergoing hemodialysis, cardiovascular diseases, and in particular chronic heart failure are the leading causes of morbidity and mortality. Nevertheless, few data are available about the impact of fluid optimization on echocardiographic parameters of cardiac function in patients with ESRD. METHODS AND RESULTS: In five patients with ESRD undergoing hemodialysis who had developed nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy, an optimal fluid volume management based on a strict bioelectrical impedance analysis-assisted dry weight target and dietary sodium and water restriction led to left ventricular reverse remodeling and improvement in hemodynamic parameters. The reverse remodeling further improved after kidney transplantation. CONCLUSIONS: This case series supports the possible beneficial effect of volume status optimization on cardiac function and the potential reversibility of cardiac dysfunction after kidney transplantation.

Influence of systemic manifestations of inflammatory bowel diseases on endothelial function and cardiovascular risk.

BACKGROUND: Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) may be complicated by extraintestinal manifestations (EIM). Both conditions may be implicated in the overall increase of cardiovascular (CV) risk profile of the patients. The study aimed to assess CV risk in IBD patients with EIMs in relation to the stages of both diseases. METHODS: A total of 70 (38 men, mean age 51.7±12.4 years) patients with IBD and 22 controls (12 men, mean age 49.2±13.6 years) were enrolled. All patients and controls were screened for extraintestinal manifestations and underwent physical and anthropometric examinations, standard laboratory investigations, ultrasound evaluation of carotid arteries and flow-mediated vasodilatation (FMD). Patients were divided into four groups in relation to their active or remission stage of disease: 1) IBD+ EIM+; 2) IBD+ EIM-; 3) IBD- EIM+; and 4) IBD- EIM-. RESULTS: The groups were homogenous according to their clinical characteristics. Patients with both IBD and EIM in active phase showed significantly lower values in FMD than controls (P=0.024). Carotid intima-media thickness values (cIMT) were similar among groups. Patients with active phases of IBD and/or EIM showed statistically significant lower values in FMD measurements (P=0.0008 and P=0.0011, respectively). Multivariate regression did not reveal any independent predictors for FMD values. CONCLUSIONS: The active phase of IBD or EIM or both may promote endothelial dysfunction in patients, thus increasing their CV risk profile. Patients in remission phase showed endothelial function similar at controls.

When should cardiovascular prevention begin? The importance of antenatal, perinatal and primordial prevention.

Cardiovascular diseases represent a major health problem, being one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Therefore, in this scenario, cardiovascular prevention plays an essential role although it is difficult to establish when promoting and implementing preventive strategies. However, there is growing evidence that prevention should start even before birth, during pregnancy, aiming to avoid the onset of cardiovascular risk factors, since events that occur early in life have a great impact on the cardiovascular risk profile of an adult. The two pillars of this early preventive strategy are nutrition and physical exercise, together with prevention of cardio-metabolic diseases during pregnancy. This review attempts to gather the growing evidence of the benefits of antenatal, perinatal and primordial prevention, discussing also the possibility to reverse or to mitigate the cardiovascular profile developed in the initial stages of life. This could pave the way for future research, investigating the optimal time and duration of these preventing measures, their duration and maintenance in adulthood, and the most effective interventions according to the different age and guiding in the next years, the best clinical practice and the political strategies to cope with cardiovascular disease.

Effects of a Low Carb Diet and Whey Proteins on Anthropometric, Hematochemical, and Cardiovascular Parameters in Subjects with Obesity.

BACKGROUND: The best way to lose body weight, without using drugs and/or suffering hunger and stress, has not yet been defined. The present study tested a low carbohydrate diet, enriched with proteins, in subjects with overweight and obesity. METHODS: The study enrolled 22 uncomplicated overweight and obese subjects. Several parameters were examined before and after 6 weeks of a low-carbohydrate diet, enriched with 18 g of whey proteins. Anthropometric (body mass index, waist circumference) variables, fasting hormones (insulin, TSH, FT3, FT4), and metabolic (glucose, prealbumin, and lipid levels) parameters were measured. 25- OH-vitamin D (25 (OH) D), parathyroid hormone (PTH) and osteocalcin, were also quantified. Body composition parameters (fat mass, fat-free mass, body cell mass, total body water) were measured by electrical bioimpedance analysis. As cardiovascular parameters, blood pressure, endothelium flowmediated dilation (FMD), and common carotid artery intima-media thickness were also measured. RESULTS: The low-carbohydrate diet integrated with proteins induced a significant decrease in body weight (P < 0.001), waist circumference (P < 0.001), fat mass (P < 0.001), diastolic blood pressure (P < 0.01), triglycerides (P < 0.001), total cholesterol (P < 0.001), pre-albumin (P < 0.001), insulin (P < 0.001), HOMAIR (P < 0.001), FT3 (P < 0.05), and c-IMT (P < 0.001), and a significant increase in FMD (P < 0.001) and 25 (OH) D (P < 0.001) was also observed. CONCLUSION: All these results suggest that a short-term non-prescriptive low carbohydrate diet, enriched with whey proteins, may be a good way to start losing fat mass and increase health.

The role of very low birth weight and prematurity on cardiovascular disease risk and on kidney development in children: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular and renal disease are nowadays among the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Western Countries. Low birth weight has been recently considered a key factor in determining cardiovascular disease and long-term renal disease in adulthood. METHODS: In our study we analyzed, through echocardiography, eco color Doppler of carotid arteries, ultrasound of abdominal aorta and kidneys, morphological characteristics of cardiovascular and renal system, in a group of children born preterm with very low birth weight, (birth weight<1500 grams) and in a group of children, age and sex matched, born at term with weight appropriate for gestational age. Fifteen children born very low birth weight preterm (cases), aged from 3 to 5 years, and 15, age and sex matched children, born appropriate for gestational age at term (controls) were enrolled in the study. RESULTS: The two groups were homogeneous for interventricular septum diameter, left ventricular end-systolic diameter, left atrial diameter, and ejection fraction. Left ventricular end diastolic diameter was higher in case compared to controls (P=0.04), while aortic diameter root smaller (P=0.005). E and A waves peak velocities and E/A ratio resulted lower in cases compared to controls (P=0.02, P<0.001and P<0.001, respectively). Tei index, S, e' and a' waves velocities were similar in the two groups, while E/e' ratio was higher in cases (P=0.046). Intima-media thickness and antero-posterior diameter of abdominal aorta values did not differ in cases versus controls. Longitudinal diameters of both kidneys were reduced in cases compared to controls (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Although limited by the small sample size, our study highlighted an increased size of the left ventricle and altered left ventricular diastolic function in children born very low birth weight preterm, but no long-term consequences on systolic performance and vascular structure have been found. The finding of smaller kidneys in ex-preterm very low birth weight children could explain their higher susceptibility to develop renal disease in adulthood.

Identification of cardiac organ damage in arterial hypertension: insights by echocardiography for a comprehensive assessment.

: Arterial hypertension, a widespread disease, whose prevalence increases with age, represents a major risk factor for cardiovascular events, causing damage in several organs, including the heart. In this context, echocardiography has a clear and pivotal role, being able to assess cardiac morphology and detect haemodynamic changes induced by this disease. 2018 European Society of Cardiology/European Society of Hypertension guidelines on AH identified main echo parameters such as left ventricular mass, relative wall thickness and left atrial volume, for detecting cardiac organ damage. The present review highlights the advantage of additional echocardiographic parameters such as diastolic measurement and both thoracic and abdominal aortic dimensions. An overlook on aortic valve should also be suggested to detect aortic regurgitation and stenosis, both frequent complications in hypertensive patients. In this kind of comprehensive assessment, the combination of standard and advanced echocardiography (speckle tracking echocardiography and, with a lesser extent, three-dimensional echocardiography) could be considered to improve the diagnostic accuracy, stratify prognosis and address management in arterial hypertension.

Uric Acid in Metabolic and Cerebrovascular Disorders: A Review.

BACKGROUND: Several studies showed a close link between metabolic syndrome (MetS), type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and cerebrovascular diseases. There is considerable debate regarding the role of uric acid (UA) as a risk factor in these conditions. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this narrative review is to discuss the links between UA, MetS, T2DM and cerebrovascular disease. METHODS: An extensive review has been conducted based on the scientific literature published in English, and indexed in MEDLINE (through PubMed), EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and Google Scholar from January to May 2019. Additional relevant studies published after the initial review were also considered during the period of June 2019-October 2019, during which, this manuscript was written. The Mesh Terms considered were: uric acid, antioxidant, oxidant, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, cerebrovascular diseases, stroke, haemorrhagic stroke, neurocognitive disorders, and their combinations. RESULTS: The literature review shows a dose-dependent inflammatory action of UA, which occurs with serum concentrations >4 mg/dl (>0.24 mmol/l), representing one of the contributors to the chronic inflammatory process that underlies metabolic and cerebrovascular diseases. CONCLUSION: UA, which is associated with arterial hypertension and cardiovascular diseases, represents one of the indicators of oxidative homeostasis. Increasing concentrations represent a status of active inflammation which is observed with metabolic and cerebrovascular diseases.

The analysis of left atrial function predicts the severity of functional impairment in chronic heart failure: The FLASH multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: Heart failure (HF) patients present with a variety of symptoms at different stages of the disease, but the underlying pathophysiology still is unclear. Left atrial (LA) function might be tightly related to changes in patients' symptoms, more than morphological and anatomic heart features, measurable by ultrasound imaging technique. This study sought to investigate the correlation between LA function, assessed by Speckle Tracking Echocardiography (STE) and Quality of Life (QoL), assessed by the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ), in patients with chronic HF. METHODS: Clinically stable HF outpatients (n = 369) were enrolled from 7 different international centres and underwent echocardiographic studies. Patients >75 years old and with atrial fibrillation were excluded. LA strain during reservoir phase (LASr) by STE was measured in all subjects by averaging the 6 atrial segments. LA size was assessed using biplane volume and 4-chamber area acquisition. RESULTS: LASr strongly correlated with both MLHFQ total score (r = -0.87; p < 0.0001). Less significant correlations between MLHFQ and either LA volume or left ventricular global longitudinal strain (LV-GLS) were found (r = 0.28; p = 0.05 and r = 0.30; p = 0.01, respectively). No significant correlation was found between MLHFQ score, LVEF (r = -0.15; p = ns), E/E' ratio (r = 0.19; p = ns), and E/A ratio (r = 0.20; p = ns). Among all echocardiographic parameters analyzed, LASr presented the highest diagnostic accuracy (AUC = 0.74) in predicting a poor QoL (>45), when compared with LV-GLS (AUC = 0.61), LA volume (AUC = 0.54) and E/e' ratio (AUC = 0.51). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with HF, irrespective of etiology, LA function strongly correlates with patients' QoL.

Neonatal bacterial meningitis: a systematic review of European available data.

INTRODUCTION: Despite advances in neonatal intensive care and the improvements in surveillance, prevention and vaccination programs, neonatal meningitis still represents an important cause of morbidity and mortality in infants, with the highest mortality in the newborn population. The aim of this article was to summarize current knowledge about this topic with particular attention to management of neonatal meningitis in order to provide a useful tool for clinicians. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: We reviewed the existent literature from five European Countries (France, German, Italy, Spain and UK) on the effectiveness of treatments for bacterial meningitis in newborns taking into consideration the antibiotic resistance phenomenon. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: There are few data available on this topic; bacterial neonatal meningitis treatment and management is currently based more on experience than on high quality evidences. CONCLUSIONS: Identification of the knowledge gaps may stimulate researchers to design new studies aiming to better define management strategies of bacterial meningitis in newborns.

Mediterranean diet impact on cardiovascular diseases: a narrative review.

: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) accounts for more than 17 million deaths per year worldwide. It has been estimated that the influence of lifestyle on CVD mortality amounts to 13.7% for smoking, 13.2% for poor diet, and 12% for inactive lifestyle. These results deeply impact both the healthy status of individuals and their skills in working. The impact of CVD on productivity loss accounts for the 24% in total costs for CVD management.Mediterranean diet (MedD) can positively impact on natural history of CVD. It is characterized by a relatively high consumption of inexpensive and genuine food such as cereals, vegetables, legumes, nuts, fish, fresh fruits, and olive oil as the principal source of fat, low meat consumption and low-to-moderate consumption of milk, dairy products, and wine.Its effects on cardiovascular health are related to the significant improvements in arterial stiffness. Peripheral artery disease, coronary artery disease, and chronic heart failure are all positively influenced by the MedD. Furthermore, MedD lowers the risk of sudden cardiac death due to arrhythmias.The present narrative review aims to analyze the effects of MedD on CVD.

Surgical and pharmacological reassignment: influence on transsexual cardiovascular risk profile.

BACKGROUND/AIM: To evaluate and stratify early cardiovascular risk of transsexuals who underwent pharmacological and/or surgical gender reassignment. METHODS: Fifty-six transsexuals were divided into two groups: group 1 - underwent gonadectomy (orchiectomy for transwomen and hystero-annessiectomy for transmen); group 2 - hormone replacement therapy alone. All participants underwent carotid artery intima-media thickness (C-IMT) and flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) of brachial artery evaluations. RESULTS: FMD was lower in patients who had undergone gonadectomy compared with non-surgically treated patients (Group 1: 5.711 vs Group 2: 7.339, P < 0.0001). Mean C-IMT was higher in group 1 than group 2 (group 1: 0.733 vs group 2: 0.582). The duration of hormone therapy correlates positively with mean C-IMT (B = 0.001) and negatively with FMD (%) (B = - 0.007). CONCLUSIONS: Cardiovascular risk, which is expressed in terms of endothelial (FMD) and morphological (C-IMT) dysfunction, increases in subjects undergoing gonadectomy compared with those receiving cross-sex reassignment therapy alone.

Survival Benefits of Invasive Versus Conservative Strategies in Heart Failure in Patients With Reduced Ejection Fraction and Coronary Artery Disease: A Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction caused by ischemic heart disease is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. It remains unclear whether revascularization by either coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) carries benefits or risks in this group of stable patients compared with medical treatment. METHODS AND RESULTS: We performed a meta-analysis of available studies comparing different methods of revascularization (PCI or CABG) against each other or medical treatment in patients with coronary artery disease and left ventricular ejection fraction ≤40%. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality; myocardial infarction, revascularization, and stroke were also analyzed. Twenty-one studies involving a total of 16 191 patients were included. Compared with medical treatment, there was a significant mortality reduction with CABG (hazard ratio, 0.66; 95% confidence interval, 0.61-0.72; P<0.001) and PCI (hazard ratio, 0.73; 95% confidence interval, 0.62-0.85; P<0.001). When compared with PCI, CABG still showed a survival benefit (hazard ratio, 0.82; 95% confidence interval, 0.75-0.90; P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The present meta-analysis indicates that revascularization strategies are superior to medical treatment in improving survival in patients with ischemic heart disease and reduced ejection fraction. Between the 2 revascularization strategies, CABG seems more favorable compared with PCI in this particular clinical setting.

Carotid stenting versus endarterectomy in the same patient: A "direct" comparison.

The aim of this study was to evaluate outcomes and feasibility of carotid artery stenting versus carotid endarterectomy, both procedures performed in the same patient. Forty-five subjects (33 males, 70 ± 7 years) underwent carotid endarterectomy or carotid artery stenting, the counter procedure on the contralateral carotid performed after a variable period. We evaluated the post-procedural percentage of carotid stenosis at 30, 180 days and one-year follow-up, and the occurrence of acute myocardial infarction, New York Heart Association class progression, stroke, death, cardiovascular death, angina, transient ischemic attack and renal failure. Carotid artery stenting treatment reduced the degree of re-stenosis after 180 days equally to carotid endarterectomy procedure (difference: 0.033%, P = 0.285). No statistically significant differences were observed according to the occurrence of acute myocardial infarction and New York Heart Association class progression, revealing odds ratio (OR) equal to 0.182 ( P = 0.361) for acute myocardial infarction and 0.303 ( P = 0.434) for New York Heart Association class progression. Carotid endarterectomy confirms its efficacy in carotid revascularization, but carotid artery stenting constitutes a good alternative when the procedures are selected based on patient-specific risk factors.

Bioresorbable vascular scaffolds: design, clinical trials, and current applications.

In recent years, bioresorbable vascular scaffolds (BVS) have been introduced into clinical practice. The main advantage of BVS is that they overcome the problem of the foreign body in the treated artery. BVS, once placed into narrowed coronary vessels, behave like a conventional drug-eluting stent, but a device that disappears over time can preserve the anatomy and physiology of the treated vessel. The progression of stenosis after stenting has been attributed, at least in part, to inflammation around metallic struts, that, however, disappears gradually when using BVS. BVS have proven to be effective and safe as drug-eluting stents; in fact, the rate of adverse cardiovascular events and scaffold thrombosis in patients is low. The aim of this review article is to provide a comprehensive and updated description of the status of the art on BVS, highlighting the current evidence and future perspectives of this technology.

The association between cardiac and gastrointestinal disorders: causal or casual link?

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide: among them, coronary artery disease and arrhythmias represent the most frequent pathological conditions. Similarly, the gastrointestinal disorders, that is, gastroesophageal reflux and inflammatory bowel diseases, have a high incidence in the general population. Several pieces of evidence have documented a link between cardiac and gastrointestinal disorders as they often share similar risk factors and symptoms. Furthermore, both can simultaneously occur in the same patient, thus creating problems in the correct clinical diagnosis. It is well known that gastrointestinal disorders may present with chest pain and mimic angina pectoris. In contrast, they can also unmask heart disease, such as in the case of the angina-linked ischemia. The aim of this review was to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the relationship between cardiac and gastrointestinal diseases to better understand the causal or casual character of such a linkage.

Speckle tracking analysis: a new tool for left atrial function analysis in systemic hypertension: an overview.

Speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) is an imaging technique applied to the analysis of left atrial function. STE provides a non-Doppler, angle-independent and objective quantification of left atrial myocardial deformation. Data regarding feasibility, accuracy and clinical applications of left atrial strain are rapidly gathering. This review describes the fundamental concepts of left atrial STE, illustrates its pathophysiological background and discusses its emerging role in systemic arterial hypertension.

The controversial relationship between exercise and atrial fibrillation: clinical studies and pathophysiological mechanisms.

Atrial fibrillation is the most common clinically significant arrhythmia observed both in the general population and in competitive athletes. The most important risk factors are all preventable by regular physical activity. However, although the benefits of moderate physical activity in controlling cardiovascular risk factors and decreasing the risk of atrial fibrillation have been extensively proved, concerns have arisen about the potential negative effects of vigorous exercise, particularly in endurance athletes. Furthermore, in a subset of patients with atrial fibrillation younger than 60 years, routine evaluation does not reveal any cardiovascular disease or any other known causal factor. This condition is called 'lone atrial fibrillation', and the potential mechanisms underlying this condition are speculative and remain to be clarified. Atrial ectopy, increased vagal tone, changes in electrolytes, left atrial dilatation, and fibrosis have been proposed among others as potential mechanisms. However, no convincing data still exist. Particularly, the increase in left atrial size represents in athletes a physiological adaptation to exercise conditioning and the presence of biatrial fibrosis has not been demonstrated in humans. Thus, contrary to patients with cardiovascular disorders, the atrial substrate seems to play a secondary role in healthy athletes. This review article analyzes the controversial relationship between atrial fibrillation and physical activity, with a particular attention on the pathophysiological mechanisms that could be responsible for atrial fibrillation in the athletic population.

Ventricular-vascular coupling in hypertension: methodological considerations and clinical implications.

The present review is addressed to analyse the complex interplay between left ventricle and arterial tree in hypertension. The different methodological approaches to the analysis of ventricular vascular coupling in the time and frequency domain are discussed. Moreover, the role of hypertension-related changes of arterial structure and function (stiffness and wave reflection) on arterial load and how ventricular-vascular coupling modulates the process of left ventricular adaptation to hypertension are analysed.The different interplay between vascular bed and left ventricle emerges as the pathophysiological basis for the development of the multiple patterns of ventricular structural adaptation in hypertension and provides a pathway for the interpretation of systolic and diastolic functional abnormalities observed in hypertensive patients. Targeting the therapeutic approach to improve ventricular-vascular coupling may have relevant impact on reversing left ventricular hypertrophy and improving systolic and diastolic dysfunction.