Parkinson's Disease: What Can Retinal Imaging Tell Us?

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by motor symptoms such as tremors, rigidity, and bradykinesia. While the diagnosis of PD primarily relies on clinical assessments and neurological examination, there has been growing interest in exploring non-invasive imaging techniques to aid in early detection and monitoring of the disease. In recent years, retinal imaging has emerged as a promising tool for studying PD due to the close anatomical and functional similarities between the retina and the brain. Retinal imaging methods, such as spectral domain optical coherence tomography and optical coherence tomography angiography, enable non-intrusive visualization and measurement of retinal structures and blood vessels. These techniques hold the promise of capturing alterations in retinal structure and function that could potentially mirror the underlying pathological mechanisms in PD. This review article aims to provide an overview of the current understanding of retinal changes in PD and the potential utility of retinal imaging as a diagnostic and monitoring tool.

Prognostic value of deep echocardiographic phenotyping in pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Background: A novel approach to derive prognostic information from echocardiography in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is to define a phenotype of right heart function combining standard echocardiographic parameters which describe right ventricular pump function and systemic venous congestion. We tested the hypothesis that the combination of advanced strain imaging parameters could yield high prognostic accuracy. Methods: This was a prospective observational study with a single centre derivation cohort and a second centre validation cohort. The derivation cohort included 49 naive PAH patients who underwent right heart catheterisation and echocardiographic evaluation at baseline and 4-12 months after diagnosis. The validation cohort included 83 prevalent PAH patients who underwent the same examinations at 12 months after diagnosis. We stratified the risk of the derivation cohort according to three models: Model 1, based on haemodynamic parameters; Model 2, based on standard echocardiographic parameters; and Model 3, based on advanced echocardiographic parameters. The median follow-up period was 21 months; the end point of the analysis was clinical worsening. Results: In the derivation cohort, haemodynamic and echocardiographic parameters obtained at diagnosis were not associated with outcome, whereas a significant association was observed at first reassessment. Model 3 yielded a better predictive accuracy (Harrell's C index 0.832) as compared to Model 2 (Harrell's C index 0.667), and to Model 1 (Harrell's C index 0.713). The validation cohort confirmed the accuracy of Model 3. Conclusions: A comprehensive assessment of right heart function using right ventricular strain, right atrial reservoir strain and degree of tricuspid regurgitation provides accurate prognostic information in prevalent PAH patients.

[Short dual antiplatelet therapy: how, when and why]. / Duplice terapia antiaggregante di breve durata: come, quando e perché.

Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) is a cornerstone of antithrombotic treatment in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. The optimal duration of DAPT, i.e. the minimal period needed to ensure the best safety and efficacy, to prevent ischemic complications, including stent thrombosis, has been extensively explored in multiple randomized controlled trials over the last years. Accumulating evidence is supporting a clinical approach where there is a prevailing role of the risk of bleeding: in patients at high bleeding risk (HBR) it is generally advisable to reduce the duration of DAPT irrespective of their risk of thrombosis. In addition, among HBR patients, (i) new recommendations prefer direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) over vitamin K antagonists in DOAC-eligible patients with atrial fibrillation and coronary artery disease; (ii) measures to minimize bleedings while on DAPT should be pursued, including de-escalation of P2Y12 receptor inhibitor therapy; and (iii) new studies are testing reversal strategies for short DAPT regimens, with early discontinuation of aspirin. In the present review, we discuss the rationale and decision-making considerations to reduce safely DAPT duration in HBR patients.