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Sneddon’s syndrome is a rare but severe progressive chronic disease, characterized by multiple discoloration skin patches called Livedo racemosa and recurrent cerebrovascular events. It mainly affects women aged around 40. Considering the two main forms, antiphospholipid (APS) positive and negative, the available treatments are directed at either one of them. The idiopathic form (APS negative) is associated with a more severe prognosis as chronic oral anticoagulant therapy (COA) is more difficult to manage. One therapeutic perspective in controlling disease progression in these patients is by understanding the protein Z deficiency in these patients as a deciding factor in the success of the COA therapy.

The oncological patient presents many pathophysiological particularities, including a hypercoagulable state, which causes frequent thromboembolic complications. Furthermore, the side effects of chemotherapy, laborious surgical interventions and the poor performance status favor the occurrence of deep vein thrombosis (DVT). The aim of this retrospective study is to identify the prevalence of paraneoplastic DVT in patients admitted in the Cardiology Department of the “Sf. Spiridon” County Clinical Emergency Hospital from Iași and to establish the correlations between the DVT, type of neoplasia and certain particularities of the patients. Material and methods: The current retrospective study was conducted over a two-year period and enrolled 100 patients divided into two groups based on the presence or absence of a neoplasia (25 patients having a tumoral pathology and 75 patients without such a comorbidity). All study participants underwent a complete clinical examination and were assessed through biochemical and echocardiographic parameters. Results: Various tumor locations were identified in the 25 patients with a malignancy, the most prevalent being the colorectal cancer (6 cases, 24% of total), followed by the lung cancer (4 cases, 16%) and, with a similar occurrence, the brain, ovarian and breast cancer (2 cases each, 8%). Among the patients with neoplasia, 13 had a history of cancer (52% of cases from the neoplasia group), while for the remaining 12 patients it was a de novo diagnosis. Conclusions: Patients with DVT showed a significant cancer prevalence, either previously diagnosed or incidentally discovered. The increased risk of DVT in cancer patients is multifactorial and represents a diagnosis and therapeutic challenge. In our study, we recorded a slightly increased prevalence of cancer in women (56% vs. 44%), who had cervical cancer as the most common etiology (35.7%). On the other hand, male sex was associated with an increased frequency of colorectal cancer (36.4% of all cancers diagnosed in men), followed by lung cancer (27.3%).

The research of biomarkers continues to emerge as a developing academic field which is attracting substantial interest. The study of biomarkers proves to be useful in developing and implementing new screening methods for a wide variety of diseases including in the sports area, whether for leisure activities or professional sports. Novel research has brought into question the immune system and the limitations it may impose on sports practicing. As the well-being of athletes is a priority, the state of their immune function offers valuable information regarding their health status and their ability to continue training. The assessment of various biomarkers may contribute to a more accurate risk stratification and subsequent prevention of some invalidating or even fatal pathologies such as the sudden cardiac death. Therefore, we have reviewed several studies that included sports-related pathology or specific morphofunctional alterations for which some immune biomarkers may represent an expression of the underlying mechanism. These include the defensins, immunoglobulin A (IgA), interleukin-6 (IL-6), the tumoral necrosis factor α (TNF-α), and the white blood cells (WBC) count. Similarly, also of significant interest are various endocrine biomarkers, such as cortisol and testosterone, as well as anabolic or catabolic markers, respectively. Literature data highlight that these values are greatly influenced not only by the duration, but also by the intensity of the physical exercise; moderate training sessions actually enhance the immune function of the body, while a significant increase in both duration and intensity of sports activity acts as a deleterious factor. Therefore, in this paper we aim to highlight the importance of biomarkers’ evaluation in connection with sports activities and a subsequent more adequate approach towards personalized training regimens.

The close connection and interaction between the cardiac and the liver functions are well-known, as cirrhotic cardiomyopathy is an important clinical entity which best describes the mutual pathogenical influence between these two organs. Due to the fact that cardiac dysfunction in patients with chronic hepatic disorders is oligosymptomatic or even asymptomatic, an early diagnosis represents a challenge for every physician. Syndecan-1—a transmembrane proteoglycan that exerts its functions mainly via its heparane sulfate chains—is a very promising biomarker, correlated not only with the degree of cardiac fibrosis but also with the severity of liver fibrosis. Many studies highlighted its role in the development of cardiac fibrosis or atherogenesis, being significantly correlated with the activity of angiotensin II. Multiple evidence revealed that syndecan-1 is also associated with tissue injury and may regulate inflammatory and regenerative responses, being considered a protective molecule that limits the inflammation and reduces cardiac remodelling and dysfunction after a myocardial infarction. Syndecan-1 may also be used as a reliable biomarker for the noninvasive assessment of liver fibrosis. Under various fibrogenetic conditions, shedding of syndecan’s extracellular domain took place, becoming a soluble form that binds different growth factors and inhibits further fibrosis. This complex molecule is also involved in the lipid metabolism, by altering the clearance of cholesterol particles, and in chronic hepatitis, by enhancing the viral invasion of hepatocytes. Due to the growing interest in this biomarker, multiple studies aimed at revealing syndecan-1’s potential benefits in the diagnosis and prognosis assessment in patients with heart failure or chronic liver disorders. In this review, we review the mechanisms by which syndecan-1 exerts its effects and the possible perspectives opened by its use as a dual cardio-hepatic biomarker.

The growing use of plant products among patients with cardiovascular pharmacotherapy raises the concerns about their potential interactions with conventional cardiovascular medicines. Plant products can influence pharmacokinetics or/and pharmacological activity of coadministered drugs and some of these interactions may lead to unexpected clinical outcomes. Numerous studies and case reports showed various pharmacokinetic interactions that are characterized by a high degree of unpredictability. This review highlights the pharmacokinetic clinically relevant interactions between major conventional cardiovascular medicines and plant products with an emphasis on their putative mechanisms, drawbacks of herbal products use, and the perspectives for further well-designed studies.

Atrial cardiomyopathy (ACM) represents a constantly evolving concept, with increasing importance in contemporary research and clinical practice. A better understanding of the mechanisms involved in atrial remodeling and its clinical correlations especially with atrial fibrillation (AF) and other cardiometabolic comorbidities may induce a significant impact on the diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutic approach of ACM-related comorbidities. Although initially described several decades ago, investigators have only recently highlighted that several renal, metabolic, and cardiovascular diseases are determining factors for atrial remodeling and subsequent ACM. Based on data from multiple recent studies, our research emphasizes the correlations between ACM and other coexisting pathologies including cardiovascular, respiratory, or metabolic diseases, with fibrosis being the most incriminated pathophysiological mechanism. In addition to the usual tests, the paraclinical assessment of ACM is increasingly based on the use of various cardiac biomarkers, while the cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) has become an increasingly tempting diagnostic too for describing morphofunctional aspects of the heart chambers, with the gadolinium contrast enhanced CMR (LGE-CMR) emerging as a commonly used technique aiming to identify and quantify the precise extent of atrial fibrosis. Further research should be conducted in order to clarify our knowledge regarding atrial remodeling and, therefore, to develop new and improved therapeutic approaches in these patients.

Background: The current cardiovascular disease (CVD) primary prevention guidelines prioritize risk stratification by using clinical risk scores. However, subclinical atherosclerosis may rest long term undetected. This study aimed to evaluate multiple subclinical atherosclerosis parameters in relation to several CV risk scores in asymptomatic individuals. Methods: A cross-sectional, single-center study included 120 asymptomatic CVD subjects. Four CVD risk scores were computed: SCORE, Framingham, QRISK, and PROCAM. Subclinical atherosclerosis has been determined by carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT), pulse wave velocity (PWV), aortic and brachial augmentation indexes (AIXAo, respectively AIXbr), aortic systolic blood pressure (SBPao), and ankle-brachial index (ABI). Results: The mean age was 52.01 ± 10.73 years. For cIMT—SCORE was more sensitive, for PWV—Framingham score was more sensitive, for AIXbr—QRISK and PROCAM were more sensitive while for AIXao—QRISK presented better results. As for SBPao—SCORE presented more sensitive results. However, ABI did not correlate with any CVD risk score. Conclusions: All four CV risk scores are associated with markers of subclinical atherosclerosis in asymptomatic population, except for ABI, with specific particularities for each CVD risk score. Moreover, we propose specific cut-off values of CV risk scores that may indicate the need for subclinical atherosclerosis assessment.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is defined as the presence of hepatic fat accumulation after ruling out other causes of hepatic steatosis. The aim of the study is to identify the role of statin therapy in dyslipidemic patients with very high cardiovascular risk and NAFLD in achieving low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol targets while also evaluating the changes in liver enzymes levels. This prospective study included 140 patients with NAFLD, hyperlipidemia and elevated cardiovascular risk. Serum lipids were assessed and liver function tests were performed at baseline and at 6 months follow up in 10 mg/ 20 mg daily atorvastatin treatment schedule. The results showed that total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides were significantly reduced at 6 months follow-up, while high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol has not undergone important changes. Statin treatment significantly improved alanine aminotransferase serum levels, whereas aspartate aminotransferase levels were not significantly reduced between baseline and follow-up. Although statin therapy appears to be safe and effective for use in patients with NAFLD, an insufficient treatment is commonly observed in clinical practice, in order to avoid liver damage . NAFLD is not only a major cause of liver related morbidity and mortality, but also an independent cardiovascular risk factor, with cardiovascular mortality being the most important cause of death. Therefore, detecting and modifying risk factors without impairing liver function is desirable.

Biomarkers are important diagnostic and prognostic tools as they provide results in a short time while still being an inexpensive, reproducible and accessible method. Their well-known benefits have placed them at the forefront of research in recent years, with new and innovative discoveries being implemented. Cardiovascular and neurological diseases often share common risk factors and pathological pathways which may play an important role in the use and interpretation of biomarkers’ values. Among the biomarkers used extensively in clinical practice in cardiology, hs-TroponinT, CK-MB and NTproBNP have been shown to be strongly influenced by multiple neurological conditions. Newer ones such as galectin-3, lysophosphatidylcholine, copeptin, sST2, S100B, myeloperoxidase and GDF-15 have been extensively studied in recent years as alternatives with an increased sensitivity for cardiovascular diseases, but also with significant results in the field of neurology. Thus, given their low specificity, the values interpretation must be correlated with the clinical judgment and other available investigations.