0000000000652501
AUTHOR
C. Zito
Rare cardiomyopathies: Diagnostic features
Cardiomyopathies (CM) are an important and heterogeneous group of diseases affecting the myocardium. They can induce mechanical and/or electrical disorders and are due to a variety of causes, they frequently are genetic. However, since their high number and their clinical complexity, the identification is still a challenge. Echocardiography is a very useful tool in the assessment of CM. In this review we aim to define the typical clinical features and to discuss the main diagnostic tool, above all echocardiography that can help physicians in the correct assessment of CM.
Cardioprotection by gene therapy: A review paper on behalf of the Working Group on Drug Cardiotoxicity and Cardioprotection of the Italian Society of Cardiology
Ischemic heart disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide. Ischemic pre-, post-, and remote conditionings trigger endogenous cardioprotection that renders the heart resistant to ischemic-reperfusion injury (IRI). Mimicking endogenous cardioprotection by modulating genes involved in cardioprotective signal transduction provides an opportunity to reproduce endogenous cardioprotection with better possibilities of translation into the clinical setting. Genes and signaling pathways by which conditioning maneuvers exert their effects on the heart are partially understood. This is due to the targeted approach that allowed identifying one or a few genes associated with IRI and cardioprote…