Longer Hospitalizations and Higher In-Hospital Mortality for Acute Heart Failure during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Larger vs. Smaller Cardiology Departments: Subanalysis of the COV-HF-SIRIO 6 Multicenter Study.

Background: The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is surging across Poland, leading to many direct deaths and underestimated collateral damage. We aimed to compare the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on hospital admissions and in-hospital mortality in larger vs. smaller cardiology departments (i.e., with ≥ 2000 vs. < 2000 hospitalizations per year in 2019). Methods: We performed a subanalysis of the COV-HF-SIRIO 6 multicenter retrospective study including all patients hospitalized in 24 cardiology departments in Poland between January 1, 2019 and December 31, 2020, focusing on patients with acute heart failure (AHF) and COVID-19. Results: Total number of hospitalizations was reduced by 29.2% in larger cardiology departments and by 27.3% in smaller cardiology departments in 2020 vs. 2019. While hospitalizations for AHF were reduced by 21.8% and 25.1%, respectively. The length of hospital stay due to AHF in 2020 was 9.6 days in larger cardiology departments and 6.6 days in smaller departments (p < 0.001). In-hospital mortality for AHF during the COVID-19 pandemic was significantly higher in larger vs. smaller cardiology departments (10.7% vs. 3.2%; p < 0.001). In-hospital mortality for concomitant AHF and COVID-19 was extremely high in larger and smaller cardiology departments accounting for 31.3% vs. 31.6%, respectively. Conclusions: During the COVID-19 pandemic longer hospitalizations and higher in-hospital mortality for AHF were observed in larger vs. smaller cardiology departments. Reduced hospital admissions and extremely high in-hospital mortality for concomitant AHF and COVID-19 were noted regardless of department size.

Diurnal variations in tissue factor and tissue factor pathway inhibitor concentrations in relation to on-treatment platelet reactivity: an analysis of patients with acute myocardial infarction.

The aim of the study was to evaluate diurnal changes of tissue factor (TF) and tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) concentrations in relation to on-treatment platelet reactivity. The study group included 51 patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention and dual antiplatelet therapy. TF and TFPI concentrations were assessed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. We found a significant increase of TF concentration in clopidogrel-resistant, but not clopidogrel-sensitive, patients at 10.00 a.m. (410.66 pg/mL) in comparison with 6.00 a.m. (250.99 pg/mL), 14.00 p.m. (255.12 pg/mL) and 19.00 p.m. (267.58 pg/mL). Moreover, TF concentration at 10.00 a.m. was 30% higher in clopidogrel-resistant than clopidogrel-sensitive patients (p = .043). We failed to demonstrate diurnal variation in TFPI concentration in clopidogrel-resistant patients. However, TFPI concentration in clopidogrel-sensitive patients was significantly higher at 10.00 a.m. as compared with other sampling points (p < .05). We observed a marked elevation in TF concentration at 10.00 a.m. only in aspirin-resistant patients and a significant increase in TFPI concentration at 10 a.m. only in aspirin-sensitive patients. Our findings suggest the presence of diurnal variations in TF and TFPI concentrations in AMI patients, with the highest thrombotic risk in patients with high on-treatment platelet reactivity in the midmorning.

Safety and efficacy of self-apposing Stentys drug-eluting stent in left main coronary artery PCI: Multicentre LM-STENTYS registry.

BACKGROUND: There is a paucity of data on left main (LM) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) therapy with dedicated DES platforms. The LM-STENTYS is a multicenter registry aimed at evaluating clinical outcome after PCI of LM performed with a self-apposing Stentys DES implantation. METHODS: The registry consists of 175 consecutive patients treated with Stentys DES implanted to LM. The primary endpoint was the composite of major adverse cardiac and cerebral events (MACCE) defined as cardiac death, myocardial infarction (MI), target lesion revascularization (TLR), and stroke assessed after 1 year. The secondary endpoint was stent thrombosis (ST) at 1 year. RESULTS: The median age was 69 years (IQR, 62-78 years). Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) was the presenting diagnosis in 117 (66.9%) patients [74 (63.2%) unstable angina, 31 (26.5%) NSTEMI, 12 (10.3%) STEMI] and stable angina (SA) was present in 58 (33.1%) patients. The median SYNTAX score was 23.0 (IQR, 18.7-32.2) in the SA group and 25.0 (IQR, 20.0-30.7) in the ACS group. During 1-year follow-up in the SA group two (3.4%) MACCE occurred, both of them were cardiac deaths. In ACS patients there were 19 (16.2%) MACCE [9 (7.7%) cardiac deaths, 11 (9.4%) MIs, 11(9.4%) TLR, 1(0.9%) stroke]. Altogether, three (1.7%) cases of acute ST were noted, all of them in ACS subset. CONCLUSION: LM PCI using self-apposing Stentys DES showed favorable clinical outcomes at 1-year in patients with SA. Events of ST in the ACS group warrant further research.

The Trichoscopy Derived Sinclair Scale: Enhancing visual assessment through quantitative trichoscopy.

INTRODUCTION: The Sinclair Scale of hair midline density is commonly used in clinical dermatology practice as a tool to evaluate the severity of female pattern hair loss (synonym androgenetic alopecia, AGA) and to monitor patient response to treatment. The Sinclair Scale involves a visual evaluation of central hair parting line width, that is performed quickly and with no optical instrumentation. Another approach used to score severity of hair loss is quantitative trichoscopy. While quantitative trichoscopy is more accurate in terms of reproducibility and objectivity, it is more time-consuming. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with different stages of AGA were evaluated using both the Sinclair Scale and quantitative trichoscopy. A correlation analysis was performed between the Sinclair Scale and different parameters derived from statistical analysis of trichoscopy images. A novel parameter, cumulative hair thickness density was introduced. RESULTS: Very good correlation was observed between Sinclair Scale and the cumulative hair thickness density. The quality of correlation is sufficient to estimate Sinclair Scale from cumulative hair thickness density. A formula to calculate the 'Trichoscopy Derived Sinclair Scale' from trichoscopy statistics was derived. DISCUSSION: We propose the term 'Trichoscopy Derived Sinclair Scale' to describe the hair midline density as derived from trichoscopy and to differentiate this assessment of midline hair density from the traditional one based on visual inspection alone.

Discrepancies in assessment of adherence to antiplatelet treatment after myocardial infarction.

The poor response to clopidogrel is multifactorial and includes, amongst others, low patient adherence to medication. The aim of this study was to assess the reported patient adherence to treatment with clopidogrel and confront it with adherence assessed by drug availability. We evaluated determinants of adherence and its impact on platelet aggregation and clinical outcome. The study population comprised 184 patients treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention for acute myocardial infarction. Follow-up visits were scheduled at 3, 6 and 9 months after discharge. Patient adherence to clopidogrel was defined according to self-reported drug intake and verified based on data from the National Health Fund regarding the purchase of prescribed drugs. The patients were judged as adherent when the proportion of drug availability exceeded 80%. According to drug availability, 100 (54.3%) patients were adherent and 84 (45.7%) were nonadherent. The analysis identified the following factors as predictors of low adherence (<80%): adenosine diphosphate-induced platelet aggregation (ADP-PA) during hospitalization ≤45 U, male gender and occurrence of ST-elevation myocardial infarction [(STEMI) vs. non-STEMI (NSTEMI)], while three-vessel disease was predictive of high adherence to medication. Compared with drug availability-based assessment, self-reported drug intake was significantly different: 172 (94.5%) patients reported regular and 10 (5.5%) patients reported irregular intake of clopidogrel. Clinical follow-up suggested that the self-reported nonregular clopidogrel intake may discriminate patients with a high risk of cardiovascular events. We demonstrated a huge discrepancy between the two most widely used methods for the evaluation of adherence to clopidogrel in secondary prevention treatment in patients after STEMI and NSTEMI. ADP-PA during hospitalization ≤45 U, male gender and STEMI (vs. NSTEMI) were independent predictors of nonadherence while three-vessel disease was independently predictive of adherence to treatment with clopidogrel in the investigated population.

Oral Minoxidil vs Topical Minoxidil for Male Androgenetic Alopecia: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: There has been increased interest in low-dose oral minoxidil for androgenetic alopecia (AGA) treatment. However, the efficacy of oral minoxidil for male AGA is yet to be evaluated in comparative therapeutic trials. Objective: To compare the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of daily oral minoxidil, 5 mg, vs twice-daily topical minoxidil, 5%, for 24 weeks in the treatment of male AGA. Design, Setting, and Participants: This double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial was conducted at a single specialized clinic in Brazil. Eligible men with AGA aged 18 to 55 years classified using the Norwood-Hamilton scale as 3V, 4V, or 5V were included and randomized. Data were collected from January to December 2021, and data were analyzed from September 2022 to February 2023. Interventions: Participants were randomized 1:1 into 2 groups: oral minoxidil, 5 mg, daily and topical placebo solution; or 1 mL of topical minoxidil, 5%, twice daily and oral placebo for 24 weeks. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was change in terminal hair density on the frontal and vertex regions of the scalp. The secondary outcomes were change in total hair density and photographic evaluation. Results: Among 90 enrolled participants, 68 completed the study; of these, the mean (SD) age was 36.6 (7.8) years. A total of 33 participants were enrolled in the oral minoxidil group and 35 in the topical treatment group. Both groups were homogenous in terms of demographic data and AGA severity. For the frontal area, the mean change from baseline to week 24 between groups was 3.1 hairs per cm2 (95% CI, -18.2 to 21.5; P = .27) for terminal hair density and 2.6 hairs per cm2 (95% CI, -10.3 to 15.8; P = .32) for total hair density. For the vertex area, the mean change from baseline to week 24 was 23.4 hairs per cm2 (95% CI, -0.3 to 43.0; P = .09) for terminal density and 5.5 hairs per cm2 (95% CI, -12.5 to 23.5; P = .32) for total hair density. According to the photographic analysis, oral minoxidil was superior to topical minoxidil on the vertex (24%; 95% CI, 0 to 48; P = .04) but not on the frontal scalp (12%; 95% CI, -12 to 36; P = .24). The most common adverse effects in the oral minoxidil group were hypertrichosis (22 of 45 [49%]) and headache (6 of 45 [14%]). Conclusions and Relevance: In this study, oral minoxidil, 5 mg, once per day for 24 weeks did not demonstrate superiority over topical minoxidil, 5%, twice per day in men with AGA. Trial Registration: Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials Identifier: RBR-252w9r.

Achieving Cardiovascular Risk Management Goals and Patient Quality of Life.

(1) Background: Eliminating or reducing the severity of modifiable risk factors of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and undertaking health-promoting behaviors is the basis for prevention. (2) Methods: This study included 200 subjects without a history of CVD, aged 18 to 80 years, who had been diagnosed with hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, or diabetes 6 to 24 months before study enrolment. (3) Results: The median 10-year CV risk assessed by the SCORE2 and SCORE2-OP algorithms was 3.0 (IQR 1.5-7.0). An increase in mean cardiovascular risk in the range from low and moderate to very high was associated with a decrease in quality of life both in individual subscales and the overall score. The median number of controlled risk factors was 4.0 (IQR 3.0-5.0). As the mean number of controlled risk factors increased, the quality of life improved in both of HeartQoL questionnaire subscales (emotional p = 0.0018; physical p = 0.0004) and the overall score (global p = 0.0001). The median number of reported health-promoting behaviors undertaken within 3 years before study enrolment was 3.0 (IQR 2.0-4.0). The highest quality of life in each of the studied dimensions was found in people who reported undertaking three health-promoting behaviors. (4) Conclusions: Controlling CVD risk factors and undertaking health-promoting behaviors has a positive impact on the quality of life of patients without a history of atherosclerotic CVD.

The Impact of Anxiety and Depression Symptoms on Cardiovascular Risk Factor Control in Patients Without a History of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease.

Background: Anxiety and depression by affecting lifestyle interfere with preventive actions aimed at eliminating or reducing modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Purpose: The objective of the study was to assess the impact of anxiety and depression on the achievement of therapeutic goals regarding CVD risk factors in patients without a history of atherosclerotic CVD. Patients and Methods: The study included 200 patients (median age 52.0 [IQR 43.0-60.5] years). Control of the basic risk factors was assessed: blood pressure, BMI, waist circumference, physical activity, smoking status, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood glucose. The data analysis included a comparison of the number of controlled risk factors and the percentage of subjects who achieved the therapeutic goal for each of the cardiovascular risk factors. The risk of CVD was assessed with SCORE2 and SCORE2-OP. Anxiety and depression were assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). On both subscales (HADS Anxiety and HADS Depression), subjects could achieve normal, borderline, and abnormal scores. Results: The median number of controlled CVD risk factors was 4.0 (IQR 3.0-5.0), and the median CVD risk assessed with SCORE2 and SCORE2-OP was 3.0% (IQR 1.5-7.0%). Median scores for HADS Anxiety were 3.0 (IQR 2.0-6.0) and for HADS Depression 3.0 (1.0-5.0). Patients with symptoms of anxiety and depression had significantly fewer controlled risk factors (HADS Anxiety p=0.0014; HADS Depression p=0.0304). Among subjects with anxiety and depression, there was a significantly lower percentage of those with a normal waist circumference (HADS Anxiety p=0.0464; HADS Depression p=0.0200) and regular physical activity (HADS Anxiety p=0.0431; HADS Depression p=0.0055). Among subjects with anxiety, there was a significantly lower percentage of those with a normal BMI (p=0.0218) and normal triglyceride concentrations (p=0.0278). Conclusion: The presence of anxiety and depression may affect the control of CVD risk factors in individuals without a history of atherosclerotic CVD. Assessment of anxiety and depression symptoms should be part of a comprehensive examination of patients with high CVD risk.

Gender-Related Effectiveness of Personalized Post-COVID-19 Rehabilitation.

Background: Post-COVID-19 syndrome (PCS) may affect a substantial proportion of patients who have had COVID-19. The rehabilitation program might improve the physical capacity, functioning of the cardiopulmonary system, and mental conditions of these patients. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of personalized rehabilitation in patients with PCS according to gender. Methods: Adults who underwent a 6-week personalized PCS rehabilitation program were enrolled in a prospective post-COVID-19 Rehabilitation (PCR-SIRIO 8) study. The initial visit and the final visit included the hand-grip strength test, the bioimpedance analysis of body composition, and the following scales: modified Borg's scale, Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS), Functioning in Chronic Illness Scale (FCIS), modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) dyspnea scale, and tests: 30 s chair stand test (30 CST), Six-Minute Walk Test (6MWT), Short Physical Performance Battery test (SPPB)e. Results: A total of 90 patients (54% female) underwent the rehabilitation program. Rehabilitation was associated with an increase in skeletal muscle mass (24.11 kg vs. 24.37 kg, p = 0.001) and phase angle (4.89° vs. 5.01°, p = 0.001) and with a reduction in abdominal fat tissue volume (3.03 L vs. 2.85 L, p = 0.01), waist circumference (0.96 m vs. 0.95 m, p = 0.001), and hydration level (83.54% vs. 82.72%, p = 0.001). A decrease in fat tissue volume and an increase in skeletal muscle mass were observed only in females, while an increase in grip strength was noticed selectively in males. Patients' fatigue (modified Borg's scale, MFIS), physical capacity (30 CST, 6MWT), balance (SPPB), dyspnea (mMRC), and functioning (FICS) were significantly improved after the rehabilitation regardless of gender. Conclusions: Personalized rehabilitation improved the body composition, muscle strength, and functioning of patients diagnosed with PCS. The beneficial effect of rehabilitation on body composition, hydration, and phase angle was observed regardless of gender.

Drug-Eluting Balloons and Drug-Eluting Stents in Diabetic Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Due to Restenosis-DM-Dragon Registry.

Background: The rate of in-stent restenosis (ISR) is decreasing; however, it is still a challenge for contemporary invasive cardiologists. Therapeutic methods, including drug-eluting balloons (DEBs), intravascular lithotripsy, excimer laser coronary atherectomy, and imaging-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug-eluting stents (DES), have been implemented. Patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) are burdened with a higher risk of ISR than the general population. Aims: DM-Dragon is aimed at evaluating the clinical outcomes of ISR treatment with DEBs vs. DES, focusing on patients with co-existing diabetes mellitus. Methods: The DM-Dragon registry is a retrospective study comprising data from nine high-volume PCI centers in Poland. A total of 1117 patients, of whom 473 individuals had DM and were treated with PCI due to ISR, were included. After propensity-score matching (PSM), 198 pairs were created for further analysis. The primary outcome of the study was target lesion revascularization (TLR). Results: In DM patients after PSM, TLR occurred in 21 (10.61%) vs. 20 (10.1%) in non-diabetic patients, p = 0.8690. Rates of target vessel revascularization (TVR), target vessel myocardial infarction, device-oriented composite endpoint (DOCE), and cardiac death did not differ significantly. Among diabetic patients, the risk of all-cause mortality was significantly lower in the DEB group (2.78% vs. 11.11%, HR 3.67 (95% confidence interval, CI) [1.01-13.3), p = 0.0483). Conclusions: PCI with DEBs is almost as effective as DES implantation in DM patients treated for ISR. In DM-Dragon, the rate of all-cause death was significantly lower in patients treated with DEBs. Further large-scale, randomized clinical trials would be needed to support these findings.

Effects of Multidisciplinary Rehabilitation Program in Patients with Long COVID-19: Post-COVID-19 Rehabilitation (PCR SIRIO 8) Study.

Up to 80% of COVID-19 survivors experience prolonged symptoms known as long COVID-19. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a multidisciplinary rehabilitation program in patients with long COVID-19. The rehabilitation program was composed of physical training (aerobic, resistance, and breathing exercises), education, and group psychotherapy. After 6 weeks of rehabilitation in 97 patients with long COVID-19, body composition analysis revealed a significant decrease of abdominal fatty tissue (from 2.75 kg to 2.5 kg; p = 0.0086) with concomitant increase in skeletal muscle mass (from 23.2 kg to 24.2 kg; p = 0.0104). Almost 80% of participants reported dyspnea improvement assessed with the modified Medical Research Council scale. Patients' physical capacity assessed with the 6 Minute Walking Test increased from 320 to 382.5 m (p < 0.0001), the number of repetitions in the 30 s Chair Stand Test improved from 13 to 16 (p < 0.0001), as well as physical fitness in the Short Physical Performance Battery Test from 14 to 16 (p < 0.0001). The impact of fatigue on everyday functioning was reduced in the Modified Fatigue Impact Scale from 37 to 27 (p < 0.0001). Cardiopulmonary exercise test did not show any change. The multidisciplinary rehabilitation program has improved body composition, dyspnea, fatigue and physical capacity in long COVID-19 patients.

Elevated serum transaminases in patients with acute coronary syndromes: Do we need a revision of exclusion criteria for clinical trials?

BACKGROUND: Elevations of hepatic transaminase (serum alanine transaminase [ALT] and serum aspartate aminotransferase [AST]) levels in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), although transient, may result in exclusions from clinical efficacy trials due to suspected liver disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the concentrations of serum transaminases in ACS and relate these to currently accepted AST/ALT exclusion criteria from clinical trials. METHODS: One hundred consecutive patients with ACS were prospectively examined. Blood samples for AST, ALT, total bilirubin and troponin I concentration were obtained at the time of admission and after 6, 12 and 24 hours. RESULTS: Eighty percent of patients had elevated AST, and 47% ALT; 43% of patients characterized AST concentration > 3 × upper limit of normal (ULN) in at least one measurement, while 8% of patients presented ALT concentration > 3 × ULN. AST presented higher concentrations when compared to ALT, resulting in a high De-Ritis ratio at every time point. No significant or high correlations were found between the concentrations of serum transaminases, De-Ritis ratio and troponin I. Two different cut-off values of troponin I were adopted to define the amount of infarcted myocardium that distinguished 28-31% of individuals with "large infarction". Among these patients, approximately 93% presented AST concentrations > 3 × ULN. CONCLUSIONS: Hepatic transaminases are often elevated in ACS, with the majority of patients with more extensive myocardial injury presenting high concentrations of AST. In the setting of ACS, current transaminase thresholds for liver dysfunction used in clinical trials may lead to excessive and inadequate exclusions of patients with larger infarcts from such trials.

Long-term outcome of rotational atherectomy according to burr-to-artery ratio and changes in coronary artery blood flow: Observational analysis.

BACKGROUND: Rotational atherectomy (RA) has been proven to be efficient for the treatment of calcified and diffuse coronary artery lesions. However, the optimal burr-to-artery ratio (BtAR) remains unidentified as well as an influence of change in blood flow on long-term outcome. Aim of our study was to examine the association between long-term outcome, and both BtAR and change in coronary flow during RA. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study including patients who underwent RA. Two independent observers calculated BtAR, pre- and postprocedural corrected Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) frame count (cTFC) for artery treated with RA. The long-term outcome was defined as all-cause mortality. RESULTS: Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis of BtAR determined threshold of 0.6106 for all-cause mortality detection with sensitivity 50.0%, specificity 90.8%, and area under the curve 0.730 (p < 0.001). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that the all-cause mortality rate in the group with the BtAR > 0.6106 is significantly higher compared to the patients with lower BtAR (hazard ratio [HR] 3.76, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.51-9.32; p < 0.001). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed that the all-cause mortality rate in the group with impairment in coronary flow was significantly higher compared to group with cTFC difference ≤ 0 after RA (HR 3.28, 95% CI 1.56-9.31; p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Burr-to-artery ratio > 0.6106 is associated with worse prognosis of patients treated with RA. Patients showing post-RA impairment in blood flow in the target artery have worse prognosis.

Comparison of reorganized versus unaltered cardiology departments during the COVID-19 era: A subanalysis of the COV-HF-SIRIO 6 study.

BACKGROUND: Since the beginning of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, numerous cardiology departments were reorganized to provide care for COVID-19 patients. We aimed to compare the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on hospital admissions and in-hospital mortality in reorganized vs. unaltered cardiology departments. METHODS: The present research is a subanalysis of a multicenter retrospective COV-HF-SIRIO 6 study that includes all patients (n = 101,433) hospitalized in 24 cardiology departments in Poland between January 1, 2019 and December 31, 2020, with a focus on patients with acute heart failure (AHF). RESULTS: Reduction of all-cause hospitalizations was 50.6% vs. 21.3% for reorganized vs. unaltered cardiology departments in 2020 vs. 2019, respectively (p < 0.0001). Considering AHF alone respective reductions by 46.5% and 15.2% were registered (p < 0.0001). A higher percentage of patients was brought in by ambulance to reorganized vs. unaltered cardiology departments (51.7% vs. 34.6%; p < 0.0001) alongside with a lower rate of self-referrals (45.7% vs. 58.4%; p < 0.0001). The rate of all-cause in-hospital mortality in AHF patients was higher in reorganized than unaltered cardiology departments (10.9% vs. 6.4%; p < 0.0001). After the exclusion of patients with concomitant COVID-19, the mortality rates did not differ significantly (6.9% vs. 6.4%; p = 0.55). CONCLUSIONS: A greater reduction in hospital admissions in 2020 vs. 2019, higher rates of patients brought by ambulance together with lower rates of self-referrals and higher all-cause in-hospital mortality for AHF due to COVID-19 related deaths were observed in cardiology departments reorganized to provide care for COVID-19 patients vs. unaltered ones.

Trichoscopy-Derived Hairline Recession Equivalent in Monitoring Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia.

Introduction: Frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA) is a relatively recently described scarring hair loss condition. Frontal hair recession is observed in a vast majority of patients; other scalp areas may be included. Assessment of hair loss progression in FFA remains challenging mainly due to difficulties in unambiguous determination of the hairline. Various patterns of scarring and subtle progression rate are among factors which make naked-eye observations of limited use. Methods: Trichoscopy of the frontal hairline with hair-to-hair matching was conducted in patients with FFA patients with disease progression and clinically stable hairline. Hair loss was assessed based on analysis of trichoscopy-derived follicular maps. A relative hair density loss was calculated, and the hairline recession equivalent (HRE) was proposed as a novel hair loss progression measure. Results: Two patterns of hair loss were observed: one with significant decrease of hair density within a width of 1 mm and one with diffuse loss within a width of 10 mm. Conclusion: The hair density profile may be a useful tool to characterize different disease progression patterns. The HRE is potentially a very accurate and sensitive parameter to quantify local hair loss progression in FFA.

High on-treatment platelet reactivity to aspirin in patients after myocardial infarction.

Aspirin (ASA) is widely used as an antiplatelet therapeutic drug in secondary prevention. Last years brought many reports on ASA resistance or high on-treatment platelet reactivity (HTPR) to aspirin.This study is a post-hoc prospective analysis with 30 patients evaluated during follow up on average of 6.3 years after hospitalization from myocardial infarction. The examined population was divided into two subgroups according to the response to ASA. In order to estimate the function of blood platelets and their responsiveness to acetylsalicylic acid therapy, ASPI-test was used. The measurements were performed by the method of whole blood impedance aggregometry. During long-term follow up significantly higher percentage of high platelet reactivity was observed, compared with previous visits (p = 0.00001). Considering clinical endpoints of the research that were connected with coronary disease, no differences were obtained.The frequency of HTPR to aspirin in this study was higher than data reported in literature among subjects with CV diseases. In long-term observation the highest percentage of ASA non-responders was reported (58.6%). HTPR to aspirin did not affect the presence of the clinical endpoints for the study.

Effectiveness and Safety of Transcatheter Atrial Septal Defect Closure in Adults with Systemic Essential Hypertension.

Concomitant systemic essential hypertension (HTN) in adults with a secundum atrial septal defect (ASD) can unfavorably affect the hemodynamics and transcatheter ASD closure (ASDC) effects. This study aims to assess the effectiveness and safety of ASDC in adults with HTN in real-world clinical practice. Right ventricular (RV) reverse remodeling (RVR) and the lack of a left-to-right interatrial residual shunt (NoRS) in echocardiography 24 h and 6 months (6 M) post-ASDC, and ASDC-related complications within 6 M were evaluated in 184 adults: 79 with HTN (HTN+) and 105 without HTN (HTN-). Compared to HTN-, HTN+ patients were older and had a greater RV size and the prevalence of atrial arrhythmias, chronic heart failure, nonobstructive coronary artery disease, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and left ventricular diastolic dysfunction. ASDC was successful and resulted in RVR, NoRS, and a lack of ASDC-related complications in the majority of HTN+ patients both at 24 h and 6 M. HTN+ and HTN- did not differ in ASD size, a successful implantation rate (98.7% vs. 99%), RVR 24 h (46.8% vs. 46.7%) and 6 M (59.4% vs. 67.9%) post-ASDC, NoRS 24 h (79% vs. 81.5%) and 6 M (76.6% vs. 86.9%) post-ASDC, and the composite of RVR and NoRS at 6 M (43.8% vs. 57.1%). Most ASDC-related complications in HTN+ occurred within 24 h and were minor; however, major complications such as device embolization within 24 h and mitral regurgitation within 6 M were observed. No differences between HTN+ and HTN- were observed in the total (12.7% vs. 9.5%) and major (5.1% vs. 4.8%) complications. Transcatheter ASDC is effective and safe in adults with secundum ASD and concomitant HTN in real-world clinical practice; however, proper preprocedural management and regular long-term follow-up post-ASDC are required.

Efficiency of Hair Detection in Hair-to-Hair Matched Trichoscopy.

Introduction: Precise evaluation of changes in hair count is crucial for monitoring progression of hair loss and the effects of treatment. The focus of this study is the comparison of the various examination and assessment techniques in terms of the precision of hair count change observed in trichoscopy images. Methods: Controlled hair extraction of the same scalp spot was used to simulate hair loss, and the different examination techniques were performed to detect this change. The investigators who performed the counting were blinded. Results: For trichoscopy images, the average error in determining the terminal hair count change (relative to total hair count) was 9 ± 1% for automatic assessment with manual correction and 0.4 ± 0.2% for hair-to-hair matched images. For phototrichogram, the automatic measurement results were found to deviate from truth on average by 12 ± 2%. The manually corrected hair count results were much closer to the truth with average deviation at the level of 7 ± 1%. The hair-to-hair matched results corresponded to approximately 0.6 ± 0.3% average discrepancy. Conclusion: Combination of manually corrected image processing, follicular mapping, and hair-to-hair matching appears to be the most precise way of evaluating the change in hair count over time. These novel techniques should be considered valuable, especially in research and clinical trials.

Diurnal Oscillations of Fibrinolytic Parameters in Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction and Their Relation to Platelet Reactivity: Preliminary Insights.

There is limited information about diurnal changes in fibrinolysis parameters after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and their relationship with on-treatment platelet reactivity. The aim of this study was to assess tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA), plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1 (PAI-1), α2-antiplasmin (α2-AP) activity, and plasmin-antiplasmin (PAP) complexes in 30 AMI patients taking dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT), i.e., acetylsalicylic acid and clopidogrel. Fibrinolytic parameters were assessed at four time points (6 a.m., 10 a.m., 2 p.m., and 7 p.m.) on the third day after AMI using immunoenzymatic methods. Moreover, platelet reactivity was measured using multiple-electrode aggregometry, to assess potential differences in fibrinolytic parameters in low/high on-aspirin platelet reactivity and low/high on-clopidogrel platelet reactivity subgroups of patients. We detected significant diurnal oscillations in t-PA and PAI-1 levels in the whole study group. However, PAP complexes and α2-AP activity were similar at the analyzed time points. Our study reveals a potential impact of DAPT on the time course of fibrinolytic parameters, especially regarding clopidogrel. We suggest the presence of diurnal variations in t-PA and PAI-1 concentrations in AMI patients, with the highest levels midmorning, regardless of platelet reactivity. Significantly elevated levels of PAI-1 during the evening hours in clopidogrel-resistant patients may increase the risk of thrombosis.