Statins Effects on Blood Clotting: A Review.

Statins are powerful lipid-lowering drugs that inhibit cholesterol biosynthesis via downregulation of hydroxymethylglutaryl coenzyme-A reductase, which are largely used in patients with or at risk of cardiovascular disease. Available data on thromboembolic disease include primary and secondary prevention as well as bleeding and mortality rates in statin users during anticoagulation for VTE. Experimental studies indicate that statins alter blood clotting at various levels. Statins produce anticoagulant effects via downregulation of tissue factor expression and enhanced endothelial thrombomodulin expression resulting in reduced thrombin generation. Statins impair fibrinogen cleavage and reduce thrombin generation. A reduction of factor V and factor XIII activation has been observed in patients treated with statins. It is postulated that the mechanisms involved are downregulation of factor V and activated factor V, modulation of the protein C pathway and alteration of the tissue factor pathway inhibitor. Clinical and experimental studies have shown that statins exert antiplatelet effects through early and delayed inhibition of platelet activation, adhesion and aggregation. It has been postulated that statin-induced anticoagulant effects can explain, at least partially, a reduction in primary and secondary VTE and death. Evidence supporting the use of statins for prevention of arterial thrombosis-related cardiovascular events is robust, but their role in VTE remains to be further elucidated. In this review, we present biological evidence and experimental data supporting the ability of statins to directly interfere with the clotting system.

Cement Embolism following Vertebroplasty: a case report.

Vertebroplasty consists of injection under image guidance of a cement polymer, commonly polymethylmethacrylate, into the vertebral body to improved stability. Vertebroplasty is essentially safety. However whether vertebral compression or (micro)fractures occur during the procedure, the high vascularization and the anatomic network of the paravertebral and extradural venous plexuses, can facilitate migration of cement fragments into the systemic venous circulation. We described the case of cement pulmonary embolism in a 75-year-old-female after vertebloplasty. A chest CT scan showed a multiple and spontaneus hyperdensities suggesting cement pulmonary-emboli. There are different therapeutic approach depending of the clinical severity. For asymptomatic patients clinical surveillance or prophylactic LMWH. Active treatment has been suggested only for symptomatic cases.

Vasodilator Stress Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography or Contrast Stress Echocardiography Association with Hard Cardiac Events in Suspected Coronary Artery Disease.

BACKGROUND: We compared the long-term outcome of subjects without prior cardiac disease who underwent either vasodilator single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) or contrast stress-echocardiography (cSE) for suspected coronary artery disease (CAD). METHODS: Subjects who underwent vasodilator SPECT or cSE between 2008 and 2012 for suspected CAD but no history of cardiac disease were included. We retrospectively compared the association of each method with combined all-cause death and nonfatal myocardial infarction and their positive predictive value (PPV) for angiographically obstructive CAD. RESULTS: A total of 1,387 subjects were selected: 497 who underwent SPECT and 890 who underwent cSE. During 4 years of mean follow-up there were 78 hard events in the cSE group and 51 in the SPECT group. Event-free survival in subjects testing positive for ischemia, either with SPECT or cSE, was significantly worse both in the overall population and after propensity matching patients. In multivariable analyses, vasodilator SPECT or cSE demonstrated significant stratification capability with an ischemic test doubling (SPECT) or more than doubling (cSE) the risk of future hard events independently from other variables. PPV of vasodilator SPECT for the diagnosis of obstructive CAD was inferior to vasodilator cSE (PPV = 63% vs 89%, respectively; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that the associations of vasodilator SPECT or cSE with outcome are comparable, with cSE demonstrating better diagnostic PPV for CAD. The absence of ionizing radiation and anticipated lower costs from higher PPV suggest that vasodilator cSE is a valid alternative to vasodilator SPECT as a gatekeeper in subjects without a prior history of CAD.

The Schmidt Syndrome.

Addison's disease (AD) is a rare endocrine condition related to adrenal insufficiency. Autoimmune adrenalitis is commonly associated with autoimmune diseases. Autoimmune Addison's Disease (AAD) describes Autoimmune Polyendocrine Syndrome (APS) in 60% of patients with an important immunitary pathogenesis imprinting. We describes a case of Autoimmune Polyendocrine Syndrome charachterize by adrenal insufficiency and thyroid disease (Schmidt Syndrome). In this case report, Addison's disease had a slow onset in absence of the typical weight loss. In our considerations this is due to the concomitant hypothyroidism that masked some typical signs and also limited acute presentation.

Atypical And Severe Enlargement Of Right Atrium.

A 76 year-old woman was admitted to the Emergency Department for recent-onset dyspnea and cough. The electrocardiogram was considered inconclusive. A thoracic X-ray showed global cardiac profile enlargement. Computed tomography, acutely performed in the clinical suspicion of atypical pneumonia/myocarditis or pericardial effusion, showed cardiac enlargement especially of the right chambers. In order to investigate Ebstein's anomaly, pericardial cysts, tumors or other conditions of the right heart a simple trans-thoracic echocardiogram was performed. Four chambers view showed a giant right atrium aneurysm with moderate tricuspid regurgitation without stenosis or typical Ebstein's echocardiographic pattern.

Break into left anterior descending coronary artery suggest myocardial bridging.

A 67 year-old woman presented with stable effort angina. A resting electrocardiogram was inconclusive. High-dose dipyridamole contrast-echocardiography shows normal left ventricular wall motion after 0.84mg/kg/6min dipyridamole. At rest a turbolent flow demonstrable by color aliasing, appeared in the territory of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) during the diastolic phase.

Heart failure and acute pulmonary edema linked to sepsis: a case report and a short review of literature.

Heart failure is a most dangerous and insidious complication of the septic state. We describe the case of a patient admitted to our department for weakness of all four limbs and fever. During hospitalization the patient developed a septic state that has manifested itself through the development of heart failure with acute pulmonary edema.

Hypoglicemia related to big Haemangiopericitoma: a difficult diagnostic definition.

We describe the case of a 91 years old woman admitted to our department for dyspnea associated with drowsiness. At the admission to the Emergency Room the patient stay in a comatose state and blood tests performed showing severe hypoglycemia (38 mg/dl at admission in non diabetic patient). Anamnestic history: multifactorial anemia; frequent hospitalizations for heart failure; AMI treated with stenting; in 1986 Haemangiopericytoma resection in the right iliac region; in 2006 palliative surgery for recurrence with residual mass. Blood tests showed lower levels of insulin and normal C- peptide serum concentration in correspondence of low glucose concentration (in relation to continuous and adequate parenteral nutrition), IGF 1 and GH level was respectively suppressed (IGF1=47 ng/ml whit normal range 97-331 ng/ml) and normal/low (GH 0.43 uUI/mL whit normal range 0.06-14.00 uUI/mL).Therefore hypoglycemia appeared related to paraneoplastic production of IGF -2.

Intense antiextracellular adaptive immune response to human cytomegalovirus in very old subjects with impaired health and cognitive and functional status.

Human aging is characterized by expanded and altered adaptive immune responses to human CMV (HCMV). It is unclear whether this expansion has its origins in age-related homeostatic disturbances or viral reactivation, whether anti-CMV immune surveillance may still be effective, and what are the consequences of this expanded immune response for health and longevity. We conducted an observational cross-sectional study in groups of HCMV-seropositive subjects aged >or=65 y of variable health status to compare the intensity of Ab responses against HCMV with those against EBV and with CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cell proinflammatory effector responses directed to HCMV-derived pp65 and immediate-early protein 1 synthetic peptides. Ab responses to HCMV, but not to EBV, and anti-HCMV CD4(+), but not CD8(+), T cell responses were more intense in elderly subjects aged >or=85 y in poor health and were inversely correlated with markers of functional activity and cognitive function. Therefore, humoral and CD4(+) T cell anti-HCMV responses were specifically intensified in advanced aging associated with comorbidity and cognitive and functional impairments. Such a distinctive pattern of adaptive immunity indicates that immune responses targeting the extracellular phase of HCMV are increased in these elderly subjects and could represent an indirect effect of localized and undetectable HCMV reactivation. This study demonstrates that the oldest subjects in poor health with physical and mental impairment express intense functional immune responses to extracellular HCMV and suggests that they may be at risk for direct pathogenic effects by HCMV reactivation as well as indirect pathogenic effects linked to proinflammatory anti-HCMV effector responses.