Search results for "Dysfunction"

Therapeutical approach to plasma homocysteine and cardiovascular risk reduction

2008

Marcello Ciaccio, Giulia Bivona, Chiara BelliaDepartment of Medical Biotechnologies and Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Palermo, ItalyAbstract: Homocysteine is a sulfur-containing aminoacid produced during metabolism of methionine. Since 1969 the relationship between altered homocysteine metabolism and both coronary and peripheral atherotrombosis is known; in recent years experimental evidences have shown that elevated plasma levels of homocysteine are associated with an increased risk of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular ischemic events. Several mechanisms by which elevated homocysteine impairs vascular function have been proposed, including impairment of endothelial…

An update on the role of markers of inflammation in atherosclerosis

2009

In recent years, several studies have used the measurement of carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) as a marker of early atherosclerosis: IMT has been shown to correlate significantly with the presence of coronary artery disease (CAD) and to predict fatal and not fatal cerebro- and cardio-vascular events. These findings highlight the importance of recognizing and managing early stages of atherosclerosis for effective cardiovascular prevention. Beyond traditional established cardiovascular risk factors, inflammation has been shown to be crucial throughout atherosclerosis from endothelial dysfunction to plaque rupture and thrombosis. Several studies have shown the existence of a strong relatio…

Pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular dysfunction in heart failure: prognosis and 15‐year prospective longitudinal trajectories in survivors

2020

Aims Systolic pulmonary artery pressure (SPAP), tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE), and TAPSE/SPAP ratio trajectories are not fully characterized in chronic heart failure (HF). We assessed very long-term longitudinal SPAP, TAPSE and TAPSE/SPAP trajectories in HF patients, and their dynamic changes in outcomes. Methods and results Prospective, consecutive, observational registry of real-life HF patients, performing echocardiography studies at baseline and according to a prospectively structured schedule after 1 year, and then every 2 years, up to 15 years. Pulmonary hypertension (PH) was defined as SPAP ≥40 mmHg; right ventricular dysfunction (RVD) was defined at TAPSE ≤16 mm…

Subclinical Cardiotoxicity: The Emerging Role of Myocardial Work and Other Imaging Techniques.

2021

In recent years, the cancer survival of patients has improved thanks to advances in the pharmacological field. In many guidelines, cardiotoxicity induced by anticancer drugs was defined as a reduction from baseline in the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) assessed by echocardiography. It is known that LVEF is not a sensible parameter in the detection of cardiotoxicity. Therefore, a decrease from baseline in the global longitudinal strain (GLS) or troponins elevation is used to detect subclinical cardiotoxicity. LVEF and GLS as well as the increase in some biomarkers are influenced by loading conditions that are frequent during chemotherapy. Other parameters not influenced by loading…

The nephroprotective effect of sacubitril/valsartan in heart failure: insights from the real-life clinical setting

2019

Real-life data confirming the favourable renal outcome in patients with heart failure (HF) treated with Sacubitril/Valsartan, previously found in several trials (RCTs), are still scant. We evaluated the renal effects of Sacubitril/Valsartan in a real-life sample of HF patients. Observational analysis of 54 consecutive outpatients affected by HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and clinical indication for Sacubitril/Valsartan. Patients were evaluated at baseline (T0) and after six (T6) and twelve (T12) months after initiating Sacubitril/Valsartan and compared with a group of 30 historical controls. Mean age: 65.5 ± 11.7 years. Older patients: 29 (53.7%). Mean baseline estimated glomeru…

Plasma derived protein C in severe sepsis: report of two cases

2008

Severe sepsis is defined as sepsis-associated organ dysfunction, (arterial hypoxemia, acute oliguria, coagulation abnormalities, thrombocytopenia, hyperbilirubinemia), hypoperfusion (hyperlactatemia) and arterial hypotension (mean arterial pressure \70 mmHg, or a systolic blood pressure decrease[40 mmHg) [3, 4]. Septic shock [3, 4] is defined as acute circulatory failure induced by sepsis with hypotension despite adequate fluid resuscitation. A dysfunction of the protein C (PC) pathway is always present in severe sepsis and contributes to the development of coagulopathy and necrosis [12, 13]. This decrease is caused by consumption of protein C during systemic activation of blood coagulation…

Pelvic floor and abdominal muscle cocontraction in women with and without pelvic floor dysfunction: a systematic review and meta-analysis

2019

There is an ongoing discussion regarding abdominal muscle (AbM) and pelvic floor muscle (PFM) synergism. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the cocontraction between AbMs and PFMs in women with or without pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD). The following databases were searched up to December 21, 2018: MEDLINE, EMBASE, LILACS, PEDro and CENTRAL. We included any study that assessed the cocontraction between PFMs and AbMs in women with and without PFD. Two reviewers independently screened eligible articles and extracted data. The outcomes were extracted and analyzed as continuous variables with random effect models. Twenty studies were included. A meta-analysis did not show differences in…

Chronic consumption of an inositol-enriched beverage ameliorates endothelial dysfunction and oxidative stress in type 2 diabetes

2015

The anti-diabetic properties of an inositol-enriched beverage (IEB) on the endothelial function and redox status in diabetic subjects were assessed. This was a 12-week, double-blind randomized controlled trial employing thirty-eight diabetic subjects that were divided into two intervention groups: one receiving an IEB and the other a sucrose-enriched beverage. Subjects consuming IEB exhibited a significant decrease in triacylglycerol (8.82%) and HbA1c (4.53%) levels. Continuous glucose monitoring revealed a significant net reduction of 2.51 and 7.11% during postprandial and overnight fasting periods after consumption of IEB, respectively. Moreover, IEB improved endothelial function by reduc…

P13. Compensation processes for central vestibular dysfunction in patients with acute medullary infarctions (FDG-PET study)

2007

Birth-weight differences at term are explained by placental dysfunction and not by maternal ethnicity. Study in newborns of first generation immigran…

2020

The aim of the study was to investigate the influence of ethnicity and cerebroplacental ratio (CPR) on the birth weight (BW) of first generation Indo-Pakistan immigrants' newborns.This was a retrospective study in a mixed population of 620 term Caucasian and Indo-Pakistan pregnancies, evaluated in two reference hospitals of Spain and Italy. All fetuses underwent a scan and Doppler examination within two weeks of delivery. The influence of fetal gender, ethnicity, GA at delivery, CPR, maternal age, height, weight and parity on BW was evaluated by multivariable regression analysis.Newborns of first generation Indo-Pakistan immigrants were smaller than local Caucasian newborns (mean BW mean= 3…