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Background: Cardiovascular diseases, particularly myocardial infarction (MI), are a major global health concern, with a rising incidence among younger populations. MI is a result of inadequate oxygen supply to the heart, often exacerbated by thrombus formation in coronary arteries due to atherosclerotic plaque deposition. Risk factors include obesity, hypertension, dyslipidaemia, diabetes mellitus, smoking, sedentary lifestyle, and familial predisposition. Early detection and intervention are crucial for improving prognosis and reducing mortality rates. Treatment strategies include pharmacotherapy and lifestyle modifications, with lifestyle interventions promoting physical activity and dietary changes. Aim: To determine the incidence and risk factors of Myocardial infarction among young adults. Methodology: This study investigated the prevalence and causes of myocardial infarction (MI) among patients admitted to the Department of Medicine at Adesh Hospital, Bathinda, Punjab. The sample size was 130, with participants being patients aged 18 and above, exhibiting cardiac manifestations, and providing consent for study participation. Data collection involved interactions with MI patients and their relatives, recording demographic information, smoking, and presenting symptoms. Data were analyzed using Microsoft Excel and SPSS version 28, with Chi square used for statistical significance. All data were collected after approval from the Institutional Ethics Committee. Result: The study involved 131 patients diagnosed with Myocardial Infarction (MI) at AIMSR, with 78.6% being males and a mean age of 56 ± 10.8 years. 15.2% of patients were young adults (<45 years). Risk factors included smoking, a positive family history of cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, and diabetes. Symptoms included chest pain, shortness of breath, and palpitations. Conclusion- study emphasizes the rising incidence of myocardial infarction (MI) among young adults, attributing it to factors such as smoking, socioeconomic status, rural residency, and comorbid conditions. It advocates for lifestyle changes, smoking cessation initiatives, and better healthcare access to mitigate this burden. Additionally, it calls for larger-scale studies to confirm these findings and develop tailored interventions for preventing and managing MI in young individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Sudden and unexpected deaths are increasing drastically. The main cause of sudden death is cardiovascular disease, out of which coronary artery disease predominates forming 80% of the cases. Most of the time, detecting early changes in myocardial infarction during the autopsy is challenging since gross infarct changes do not appear until after 24 to 48 hours of myocardial ischemia injury. So, the aim of this study was to compare two test to detect early changes of Myocardial Infarction one by using Triphenyl Tetrazolium Chloride (TTC) staining of the myocardial tissue, during autopsy and other by histopathological examination. Methods The sample size of 60 hearts taken from all the sudden deaths cases brought to Mortuary with suspected cause of death due to cardiac origin. The heart was obtained from the deceased by standard post-mortem technique. Serial full-thickness transverse sections of the heart were taken at 2 cm intervals from the apex to the atrioventricular groove. All the serial slices of heart are taken for histochemical staining and TTC staining. Results In histopathological examination 34 hearts were diagnosed with myocardial infarction and 26 hearts reported non myocardial infarction. With TTC 40 hearts remained unstained suggestive of myocardial infarction and 20 hearts were stained suggestive of non-infarcted hearts. TTC staining in our study shows an accuracy of 88.33%. Conclusion The result of this study shows that the Triphenyl Tetrazolium Chloride test, a histochemical staining technique of heart, is reliable approach for forensic pathologists to diagnose early myocardial infarction during the post-mortem examination.

Background: Assisted reproductive technology (ART) has revolutionised fertility treatments since 1978 and, while its immediate perinatal outcomes have been extensively studied, its long-term health effects require exploration. Method: PubMed database was searched for studies spanning 2016 to 2023 to conduct this literature review of the long-term neurodevelopmental, mental, and cardiometabolic health of ART-conceived individuals. Results: A total of 49 studies were included in this review. ART-conceived individuals revealed mostly positive neurodevelopmental and mental health impacts. However, children conceived via intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) demonstrated an increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, and psychological and neurological development delays, while frozen embryo transfer was linked to an increased risk of language delay. Additionally, children born via ART as multiples or prematurely showed an elevated risk of cerebral palsy. While ART generally demonstrated a favourable impact on cardiometabolic health, there were concerns about increased risk of high blood pressure, altered lipid profiles, obesity, insulin resistance, premature vascular aging, and adverse metabolic changes. Specifically, ICSI-conceived individuals were more prone to adiposity and insulin resistance, while frozen embryo transfer was associated with type 1 diabetes. Conclusion: While ART-conceived individuals generally exhibit favourable health, specific subgroups may face elevated risks for certain neurodevelopmental disorders and long-term cardiometabolic issues, warranting further research. ART may be associated with metabolic alterations at a young age, potentially increasing the risk of chronic diseases such as metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease later in life. Continued long-term monitoring and targeted interventions are recommended to mitigate these risks.

Background Sudden and unexpected deaths are increasing drastically. The main cause of sudden death is cardiovascular disease, out of which coronary artery disease predominates forming 80% of the cases. Most of the time, detecting early changes in myocardial infarction during the autopsy is challenging since gross infarct changes do not appear until after 24 to 48 hours of myocardial ischemia injury. So, the aim of this study was to compare two test to detect early changes of Myocardial Infarction one by using Triphenyl Tetrazolium Chloride (TTC) staining of the myocardial tissue, during autopsy and other by histopathological examination. Methods The sample size of 60 hearts taken from all the sudden deaths cases brought to Mortuary with suspected cause of death due to cardiac origin. The heart was obtained from the deceased by standard post-mortem technique. Serial full-thickness transverse sections of the heart were taken at 2 cm intervals from the apex to the atrioventricular groove. All the serial slices of heart are taken for histochemical staining and TTC staining. Results In histopathological examination 34 hearts were diagnosed with myocardial infarction and 26 hearts reported non myocardial infarction. With TTC 40 hearts remained unstained suggestive of myocardial infarction and 20 hearts were stained suggestive of non-infarcted hearts. TTC staining in our study shows an accuracy of 88.33%. Conclusion The result of this study shows that the Triphenyl Tetrazolium Chloride test, a histochemical staining technique of heart, is reliable approach for forensic pathologists to diagnose early myocardial infarction during the post-mortem examination.

Abstract Background To investigate whether baseline serum cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP), patient characteristics, traditional cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and disease activity over time predict CVD, in early rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods This study included patients with early RA ( 5.1) at two years was associated with increased risk of subsequent CVD [adjusted HR 2.58; 95% CI 1.10–6.04] and CAD. ESR and CRP at two years as well as cumulative disease activity over 2 years independently predicted CVD and CAD. Conclusion COMP may be a novel predictor of CVD and CAD in RA. Active disease two years after RA diagnosis, as well as cumulative disease activity, was associated with increased risk of CVD and CAD, independent of traditional CVD risk factors. Awareness of the particularly increased CVD risk among difficult to treat patients is important in order to further reduce CVD in RA.

Huda Al-Noumani,1 Omar Al Omari,2 Zakariya Al-Naamani3 1Adult Health and Critical Care Department, College of Nursing, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman; 2Fundamental and Administration Department, College of Nursing, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman; 3Armed Forces Medical Services, Ministry of Defense, Muscat, OmanCorrespondence: Huda Al-Noumani, Adult Health and Critical Care Department, College of Nursing, Sultan Qaboos University, P.O.Box 66, P.C. 123, Alkhoud, Muscat, Oman, Tel +968 2414 5400, Fax +968 2441 3536, Email hudasn@squ.edu.omPurpose: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain a global health threat, and medication adherence remains low. Medication adherence is a complex phenomenon and is affected by many factors that require investigation. Oman has limited literature examining medication adherence and influencing factors among patients with CVDs. This study examined the influence of health literacy, social support, the patient-physician relationship, and health-related quality of life on medication adherence among patients with cardiovascular diseases.Patients and Methods: This cross-sectional study used a correlation design. The study included 360 participants with CVDs. Descriptive statistics, independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, and multiple regression analysis were utilized for data analyses.Results: Findings revealed that higher social support (B=0.117; p=0.033), good patient-physician relationship (B=0.124; p < 0.01), better mental health (B=0.045; p < 0.01), more bodily pain (B=0.030; p < 0.01), and unemployment (B=1.297; p < 0.01) were predictors of higher adherence. High school education and above predicted lower medication adherence (B= − 1.255; p= 0.019), while health literacy was not a significant predictor of medication adherence (B= 0.061; p= 0.289).Conclusion: To improve medication adherence, healthcare providers and researchers should consider improving patients’ social support, mental health, and the patient-physician relationship. In addition, patients’ socioeconomic status should always be considered and examined as an influencing factor of medication adherence.Keywords: social support, health literacy, adherence, physician-patient relations, cardiovascular diseases

ABSTRACT Introduction: Participants in cardiac rehabilitation programs have low adherence to their sessions, which makes extremely important to recognize the barriers that cause non-adherence, identifying whether the type of service and level of adherence influence these barriers. Methods: This is a cross-sectional observational study, in which 220 individuals (66.80±11.59 years) of both genders who are members of public and private exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation programs participated. The volunteers were divided according to the level of adherence, considering patients with low adherence (PLA) those with < 70% of attendance and high adherence (PHA) those with > 70%. Then, initial evaluation, Cardiac Rehabilitation Barriers Scale, analysis of socioeconomic level, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and Mini-Mental State Examination were applied. Results: Higher total barriers were found in PLA in the public service compared to PHA in the private service (P=0.023). In the subscale “perceived need”, PHA in the public service showed higher values than PLA and PHA in the private service (P≤0.001). The “access” barrier was higher for PHA in the public service when compared to PHA in the private service (P=0.024). PHA in the public service exhibited a higher barrier regarding questions about distance, transportation problems, cost, and time constraints. Conclusion: The public program presents higher barriers in the questions and categories compared to the private program, mainly the PHA. Furthermore, there are differences in the profile of the participants regarding socioeconomic and anxiety levels, treatment time, ethnicity, and city where they live.

Background: Sudden and unexpected deaths are increasing drastically. The main cause of sudden death is cardiovascular disease, out of which coronary artery disease predominates forming 80% of the cases. Most of the time, detecting early changes in myocardial infarction during the autopsy is challenging since gross infarct changes do not appear until after 24 to 48 hours of myocardial ischemia injury. So, the aim of this study was to compare two test to detect early changes of Myocardial Infarction one by using Triphenyl Tetrazolium Chloride (TTC) staining of the myocardial tissue, during autopsy and other by histopathological examination., Methods: The sample size of 60 hearts taken from all the sudden deaths cases brought to Mortuary with suspected cause of death due to cardiac origin. The heart was obtained from the deceased by standard post-mortem technique. Serial full-thickness transverse sections of the heart were taken at 2 cm intervals from the apex to the atrioventricular groove. All the serial slices of heart are taken for histochemical staining and TTC staining., Results: In histopathological examination 34 hearts were diagnosed with myocardial infarction and 26 hearts reported non myocardial infarction. With TTC 40 hearts remained unstained suggestive of myocardial infarction and 20 hearts were stained suggestive of non-infarcted hearts. TTC staining in our study shows an accuracy of 88.33%., Conclusion: The result of this study shows that the Triphenyl Tetrazolium Chloride test, a histochemical staining technique of heart, is reliable approach for forensic pathologists to diagnose early myocardial infarction during the post-mortem examination., Competing Interests: No competing interests were disclosed., (Copyright: © 2024 Krishna B V et al.)

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Risk assessment is one of the most important strategies in estimating the risk of cardiovascular disease and controlling the risk factors. In Iran, half of all deaths and 79% of deaths due to non-communicable diseases are attributed to cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this study was to analyze the results of cardiovascular disease risk assessment program in Mazandaran province. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was performed in 2019 on 600 patients referred to comprehensive health centers of Noor and Mahmoudabad cities in Mazandaran province. The data collection tool was a checklist containing the risk factors studied in the SIB system. Descriptive statistics such as mean, standard deviation, frequency and percentage as well as analytical statistical tests such as chi-square, regression and analysis of variance were used using SPSS software version 19. FINDINGS: The prevalence of risk factors for cardiovascular disease including history of diabetes, history of hypertension, obesity, high cholesterol, family history of diabetes and heart disease were 36.5%, 45.5%, 42.3%, 34.8%, 23.5% and 10%, respectively. The four variables of age, history of diabetes and hypertension, and blood cholesterol levels were significantly associated with the 10-year risk of cardiovascular disease. With increasing one year of age, the 10-year risk level increased by 15% (p

This review was aimed to briefly summarize current knowledge of the biological roles of gasomediator H2S in hemostasis and cardiovascular diseases. Since the discovery that mammalian cells are enzymatically producing H2S, this molecule underwent a dramatic metamorphosis from dangerous pollutant to a biologically relevant mediator. As a gasomediator, hydrogen sulfide plays a role of signaling molecule, which is involved in a number of processes in health and disease, including pathogenesis of cardiovascular abnormalities, mainly through modulating different patterns of vasculature functions and thrombotic events. Recently, several studies have provided unequivocal evidence that H2S reduces blood platelet reactivity by inhibiting different stages of platelet activation (platelet adhesion, secretion and aggregation) and thrombus formation. Moreover, H2S changes the structure and function of fibrinogen and proteins associated with fibrinolysis. Hydrogen sulfide regulates proliferation and apoptosis of vascular smooth muscle cells, thus modulating angiogenesis and vessel function. Undoubtedly, H2S is also involved in a multitude of other physiological functions. For example, it exhibits anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting ROS production and increasing expression of antioxidant enzymes. Some studies have demonstrated the role of hydrogen sulfide as a therapeutic agent in various diseases, including cardiovascular pathologies. Further studies are required to evaluate its importance as a regulator of cell physiology and associated cardiovascular pathological conditions such as myocardial infarction and stroke.

Andrea Pozza,1 Richard H Osborne,2,3 Gerald R Elsworth,2 Giacomo Gualtieri,4 Fabio Ferretti,1 Anna Coluccia1 1Department of Medical Sciences, Surgery and Neurosciences, University of Siena, Siena, Italy; 2Centre for Global Health and Equity, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia; 3Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; 4Legal Medicine Unit, Santa Maria alle Scotte University Hospital, Siena, Siena, ItalyCorrespondence: Fabio FerrettiDepartment of Medical Sciences, Surgery and Neurosciences, University of Siena, Viale Bracci 16, Siena 53100, ItalyTel +39 0577 586409Fax +39 0577 233222Email ferrefa@unisi.itBackground: The Health Education Impact Questionnaire (heiQ) aims to evaluate eight self-management skills in people with chronic conditions. Knowledge about the relations between these self-management skills and different quality of life (QoL) outcomes has received little attention. It is also important to provide further evidence on its properties in non-English healthcare contexts, as the questionnaire is being used in cross-cultural research. Furthermore, in the Italian healthcare context, the relationship between the medical staff and the patients remains asymmetrical, with the latter having the role of passive recipients of medical prescriptions and services. The current study provided further evidence about the psychometric properties of the heiQ among Italian people with chronic conditions, specifically by assessing the factor structure, reliability, convergent/divergent and criterion validity (ie, the specific contribution of each of the self-management skills to QoL outcomes).Methods: Two hundred ninety-nine individuals with a chronic condition (mean age = 61.4 years, 50% females) completed the heiQ and the Medical Outcomes Study-Short Form (MOS SF-36). Confirmatory factor analyses, Composite Reliability Indices (CRI), bivariate correlations and linear regression analyses were computed.Results: A model with 8 correlated factors showed good fit, in a similar way to previous studies. CRI values were acceptable to good for all the subscales. Associations between some of the heiQ subscales and some of the MOS SF-36 subscales supported criterion validity. In particular, it was confirmed by the moderate associations between the constructive attitudes and approaches subscale and the MOS SF-36 vitality and perceived mental health and by the moderate correlations between the health directed activities subscale and the MOS SF-36 Vitality. In linear regressions, higher emotional distress predicted higher physical and mental QoL, while higher mental QoL was also associated with stronger constructive attitudes and approaches.Conclusion: The heiQ has robust properties across translations and it can also be used routinely in Italian healthcare contexts. The evidence that all the other self-management skills did not predict either physical or mental QoL could suggest that the self-management model of chronic diseases is still not sufficiently developed in the Italian context, where patients are passive recipients of medical instructions.Keywords: chronic diseases, self-management, health education, psychometric properties, health status, quality of life, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases

Background: The associations between Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and cardiovascular diseases, drawn from epidemiological studies, have attracted much attention in recent years., Materials and Methods: The present study employed a monocentric, observational, retrospective cohort design. The primary objective of the study was to describe the Framingham Risk Score (FRS) rate in a cross-sectional analysis of our cohort of relapsing-remitting MS patients who are regularly followed up and, if applicable, to identify any association with the patient's Patient Determined Disease Steps (PDDS). Cardiovascular risk was classified as follows: low if the FRS is less than 10%, moderate if it is 10% to 19%, and high if it is 20% or higher., Results: A total cohort of 229 patients was enrolled. The sample consists of 163 women (71.2%). FRS categories were distributed as follows: 97 (42.3%) patients had low FRS, 84 (36.7%) patients had moderate FRS, and 48 (21%) patients had high FRS. In the univariable ordinal regression analysis, one one-point increase in the PDDS scale was associated with a 24% risk of high FRS (vs. low) (proportional odds ratio [OR] =2.426, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.660-3.545; p <.0001). The results were also confirmed by the EDSS score, with a point increase in the EDSS score associated with a 19% risk of high FRS (vs. low) (proportional OR =1.953, 95% CI 1.429-2.669-1.04; p <.0001)., Conclusion: The FRS demonstrated an association with the patient's "perception of the disease" as indicated by the PDDS. Further studies with larger cohorts are needed to adequately address cardiovascular risk in life-threatening conditions, such as MS., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH) is one of the best-characterized inborn errors of metabolism, with an estimated prevalence of 1:250 in the general population. Only approximately 10% of the affected subjects are diagnosed and, therefore, under medical care, including drug therapy or, in severe cases, apheresis. Screening at the age of 6-10 years would be useful and cost-effective. There is enough evidence that children and adolescents with FH should be treated in order to reduce elevated Total cholesterol and LDL-c levels and, therefore, avoid the risk of early cardiovascular diseases. As FH was described more than 130 years ago, it is surprising that the knowledge of that very important metabolic disorder is insufficient. The present report describes clinical and pathophysiological characteristics and nutritional and medical therapies in children with familial hypercholesterolemia., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Epicardial fat (EF) is considered an important risk factor and an active player in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. EF is an endocrine organ that releases hormones and mediators, including the circulating C-reactive protein (CRP), and plays a vital role in modifying the vascular endothelial function and promoting the growth of coronary atherosclerosis. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between CRP concentrations and EF in a cohort of patients with metabolic syndrome at risk for coronary artery disease. In our study, carried out in primary prevention, we enrolled 36 subjects (M/F: 21/15; age: 59.3±0.79 yrs) diagnosed with metabolic syndrome. We have classified the patients into two groups: Men and Women. Besides anthropometric characterization and screening laboratory tests, the subjects performed a multidetector computed tomography scan, which allowed the EF quantification. Mean EF was 115.1 cc in the study population. The average EF of women was 111 cc; the average EF of men was 118 cc (P=0.18). CRP levels were strongly positively correlated with EF area in women (P=0.01), while the correlation was not found in men (P=0.4). Our findings suggest that, in women, the EF produces a greater amount of acute-phase proteins and increases the pro-inflammatory state in the epicardial region. For this reason, we can hypothesize, in women, a different role in the development of atherosclerotic plaque of the epicardial fat compared to men.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and malignant neoplasms (MN) are the main reasons of 70 % of death because of diseases in the developed countries. Success in treating MN has led to increased life expectancy of patients and accordingly increased the number of comorbide patients. It also should be noted that a great number of patients with malignant neoplasms or oncopathology have cardiovascular disease in their anamnesis, and as it was discovered, this disease is the main reason of death in patients recovered from oncological disease. The rate of the risks for the patient according to characteristics of the diseases and treatment, and close connection with oncologists are vitally necessary to determine the optimal strategies of treatment in this population. According to the above mentioned, the actuality of treatment cardiovascular pathology and prevention cardiotoxicity connected to chemotherapy of MN have become obvious. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background and Objectives: Considering the increased rate of cardiovascular diseases as well as muscle weakness in disabled women, the present study was performed with the aim of investigating the effect of a period of resistance training on cardiovascular risk factors, agility, and speed in disabled female athletes. Methods: Eighteen disabled female athletes (age, 29.5±2.6 years; weight, 66.3±14.5kg) voluntarily participated in this quasi-experimental study. The subjects were randomly divided into two identical control groups (n=9) and experimental group (n=9). The control group performed regular training (3 sessions per week), but the experimental group, in addition to regular training, participated in resistance training (3 sessions per week) for 8 weeks. The serum levels of LDL, HDL, and functional tests (zig-zag agility and speed tests), were assessed before and after 8 weeks of training. Data were analyzed using independent t-, paired t-, and covariance tests. The significance level was considered to be p0.05). but after 8 weeks of resistance training, diameter speed function significantly improved in the experimental group (p

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate oral and systemic conditions in morbidly obese patients with and without metabolic syndrome (MS) prior to bariatric surgery. Methods: One hundred patients were included and equally divided into two groups: G1 - with MS (n = 50) and G2 - without MS (n = 50). MS was diagnosed in patients presenting at least three of five signs: abdominal obesity, high triglyceride level, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) level, hypertension, and altered fasting glycemia. Variables analyzed included the patients’ age, sex, body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and number of missing teeth. Both BMI and WHR were used to evaluate the risk of developing cardiovascular disease (RCVD). Mann-Whitney, Chi-squared, t test, hierarchical multiple linear regression and binary logistic regression models were used in statistical analyses (p

The distortion of the cellular membrane transport pathway has a profound impact on cell dynamics and can drive serious physiological consequences during the process of cell sorting. SNX17 is a member of the Sorting Nexin (SNX) family and plays a crucial role in protein sorting and transport in the endocytic pathway. SNX17, SNX27, and SNX31 belong to the SNX-FERM subfamily and possess the FERM domain, which can assist in endocytic transport and lysosomal degradation. The binding partners of SNX27 have been discovered to number over 100, and SNX27 has been linked to the development of Alzheimer's disease progression, tumorigenesis, cancer progression, and metastasis. However, the role and potential mechanisms of SNX17 in human health and disease remain poorly understood, and the function of SNX17 has not been fully elucidated. In this review, we summarize the structure and basic functions of SNX protein, focusing on providing current evidence of the role and possible mechanism of SNX17 in human neurodegenerative diseases and cardiovascular diseases., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

ARL15 is a member of the RAS superfamily of small GTPases and is associated with several metabolic traits, including increased risk of diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and lipid metabolism disorders. The ARL15 gene encodes for an uncharacterized small GTP binding protein. Its precise role in human physiology remains unknown, but several genetic association studies have recognized different variants in this gene to be statistically associated with numerous traits and complex diseases. Here, we provided the unique features of ARL15 small G protein, its association with varied metabolic and lifestyle diseases, its function in vesicular and lipid trafficking, and its binding partners. We outlined this protein as a promising and emerging therapeutic target to combat metabolic disorders like cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis. The review provides a comprehensive description of the current advancements in ARL15 research with a perspective that focused research will position this small GTPase as a viable target for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Background and Objectives: Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a group of metabolic disorders, which its prevalence is growing worldwide and increases the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. In the present study, the metabolic syndrome status was investigated based on the NCEP/ATP III criteria in individuals at risk for diabetes. Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 514 individuals at risk of diabetes (20 to 60 years old), who referred to Amir-Al-Momenin Hospital of Ahvaz, entered the study based on inclusion and exclusion and using convenience sampling method. Data collection tools were demographic characteristics questionnaire, and anthropometric data entry checklist, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and blood biomarkers (blood sugar, fasting blood sugar, triglyceride, etc.). In this study, MS was evaluated based on NCEP /ATP III criteria, which the presence of three or more than five criteria was indicative of the existence of this syndrome. Data analysis was performed using independent t-, Chi-square, and Pearson correlation tests at a significance level of 95%. Results: In this study, the most common ATP III criterion was abdominal obesity in patients at risk for diabetes. In general, 1.75% of statistical population had MS. Also, the prevalence of MS in women at risk for diabetes and non-employees was significantly higher. Also, there was a significant correlations between waist circumference and all the parameters, except FBS. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the prevalence of MS in people at risk for diabetes is very high in the city of Ahvaz. Therefore, the risk of type II diabetes and cardiovascular diseases is very high in these individuals and requires serious corrective measures and special attention of health policy makers to this group.

In recent years there is a growing interest regarding the relationship between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and cardiovascular diseases. Consequently, there is a large increase in medical literature of papers on the connections between OSA and hypertension, heart failure, arrhythmias and other cardiovascular diseases. In this work, authors review medical knowledge between OSA, arterial hypertension and cardiovascular diseases.

Cardiovascular abnormalities associated with morbid obesity include cardiac hypertrophy, cardiac dilatation, diastolic dysfunction. Also obesity predispose to numerous cardiac complications such as coronary heart disease, heart failure, and sudden death. The cardiovascular clinical evaluation of obese patients may be limited by morphological changes, which are specific for increased amount of body fat mass. The incidence of sudden and unexplained death in morbid obesity may be a manifestation of occult cardiovascular disease in this population.

Exertional dyspnea is a common complaint among patients which may be the final result of many diseases. Few researches have been conducted concerning the role of cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) in assessing unexplained dyspnea. Therefore, the aim of this study was a research on unexplained dyspnea using CPET among patients resorting to respiratory test unit of hospitals. This is a cross-sectional study that performed on 100 patients. With the direct supervision of experts, CPET was conducted using ergaspirometery device. The exercise data was interpreted by a pulmonologist and the results were classified into pulmonary diseases, cardiovascular diseases, obesity, deconditioning, and undetermined groups. 100 patients including 57 men and 43 women with an average age of 42 years and an average BMI of 28 and smoking frequency of 12% took part in this research. The following frequencies were reported for each complication: 24% for pulmonary diseases, 23% for cardiovascular diseases, 23% for deconditioning group, 15% for obesity, and 16% for the undetermined group. No significant difference was observed between these five groups in terms of gender distribution and smoking cigarette (P-value>0.05). In the age group older than 42 years, more patients were diagnosed with cardiac diseases and obesity. CPET may be really useful in determining the cause of unexplained dyspnea among most patients. Furthermore, the CPET can determine the presence or absence of disease, and if present, the nature of the limitation.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the primary cause of death and disability in de world, and the detection of populations at risk as well as localization of vulnerable areas is essential for adequate epidemiological management. Techniques developed for spatial analysis, among them geographical information systems and spatial statistics, such as cluster detection and spatial correlation, are useful for the study of the distribution of the CVDs. These techniques, enabling recognition of events at different geographical levels of study (e.g., rural, deprived neighbourhoods, etc.), make it possible to relate CVDs to factors present in the immediate environment. The systemic literature presented here shows that this group of diseases is clustered with regard to incidence, mortality and hospitalization as well as obesity, smoking, increased glycated haemoglobin levels, hypertension physical activity and age. In addition, acquired variables such as income, residency (rural or urban) and education, contribute to CVD clustering. Both local cluster detection and spatial regression techniques give statistical weight to the findings providing valuable information that can influence response mechanisms in the health services by indicating locations in need of intervention and assignment of available resources.

The positive correlation between metabolic disturbances and the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) is well known. Elevated sympathetic outflow was shown to be an underlying factor in the pathogenesis of CVD. The aim of our study was to examine the correlation between the sympathetic cardiovascular drive as measured by heart rate variability (HRV) and blood metabolic profile. These measurements were carried out on female individuals of two age groups. Ten female subjects were divided in 2 groups – young (average age 20 years) and adults (average age 60 years). Five minute long electrocardiogram was recorded using the analog-to-digital converter iCardio. The iCardio software provided the major HRV indices. The total power of HRV (TP) was significantly lower in the adult individuals as marker of the elevated cardiovascular sympathetic outflow. Blood tests (total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, triglycerides and glucose) were carried out in a licensed laboratory. All blood parameters were higher in the adult group as compared to the young. Negative correlation was evidenced between the TP and total cholesterol (r = -0.76), LDL cholesterol (r = -0.80), glucose level (r = -0.99), while the correlation between TP and HDL was positive (r = 0.76) in the adult group. The young individuals showed significantly less pronounced correlation between the laboratory parameters and HRV. Our data supported the hypothesis that elevated sympathetic drive typical for the postmenopausal women was positively correlated to their metabolic cardiovascular risk markers. The better clarification of these interactions might help in the understanding and prevention of the higher CVD incidence in this female age group. Acknowledgement: These studies were funded by Grant # Д-134/ 2017 of the Scientific Medical Board, MU-Sofia.

Emotional stress is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Decreased heart rate variability (HRV) is associated to increased mortality rates in certain heart diseases. Current study assessed the co-relation between perceived stress and HRV parameters. The correlation between psychological stress, measured by the perceived stress scale (PSS-14), and HRV parameters obtained during 5 min. at rest was evaluated. Data from 35 healthy young volunteers demonstrated a significant correlation between PSS-14 scores and Low Frequency-LF (ms2) by frequency domain HRV analysis. Other variables such as High Frequency and Standard Deviation of R-R intervals had also negative coefficients but did not have any significant correlation with PSS-14. No correlation between PSS-14 and sympathovagal balance parameters was found. Data interpretation demonstrated that increase in perceived stress was correlated to decrease in heart rate variability, which may point out an important mechanism in cardiovascular pathophysiology that should be further investigated.

Anthropometry represents an important tool for the implementation of primary health care practices, and although a lot of anthropometric indices have been used, the waist-height ratio (WHR) and the body adiposity index (BAI) have been little explored in this context, especially among the elderly. Therefore, this study analyzed different anthropometric indicators associated with the cardiometabolic risk of elderly women in Family Health Support Centers (FHSC) in Patos-PB. In a descriptive cross-sectional study, 53 elderly women [mean (SD); age: 72 (6) years, body mass: 66.3 (13.4) kg, height: 152.6 (5.1) cm] underwent anthropometric measures of body mass, height and waist (WC), abdomen and hip circumferences. Subsequently, body mass index (BMI), WHR, conicity index (CI) and BAI were calculated. The relationship among the anthropometric indexes was calculated using the Pearson correlation coefficient (r). Results showed the majority of the elderly presented a high risk for cardiometabolic diseases, regardless of the used index. With the exception of CI, the anthropometric indicators presented moderate to excellent relationships (P<0.05). Although BAI showed good relationships, the WHR was the indicator with stronger correlations with the others (0.606

With the advance of technological progress and the increase in life expectancy, it is nowadays mandatory to define what is the therapeutic limit. Every day each physician must take therapeutic decisions on the basis of his scientific knowledge, but also of his own conscience and sense of limits. They can not avoid to consider the global risk of death, disability and morbidity in more advanced age, especially in the field of cardiology and cardiac surgery. In these subjects, both fit that frail, is necessary not only an evaluation for adequate risk assessment, but also a multidimensional assessment performed with advanced tools. The resilience of the subject, ability for which some patients considered out of therapy demonstrate the ability to adapt and overcome critical phases, must also be weighed. Where and what is the therapeutic limit should be evaluated individually with humility, competence and capacity for dialogue with other disciplines in a work team that respects the individual professionalism. In recent years, much has changed in the cardiology/cardiac surgery approach in old people. With the development of less or minimal invasive new techniques, there are no more insurmountable limits that can be connected only to the chronological age of the patients.

Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of pre-hypertension and its association with some selected cardiovascular risk factors among the Omani adult population in the primary healthcare setting.Method: A cross-sectional study involving a sample taken from a National Screening Program of chronic non-communicable diseases in primary healthcare institutions, Sohar city, Sultanate of Oman (July 2006 - December 2007). Inclusion criteria included Omanis aged 40 years or above residents of Sohar city attending primary healthcare institutions not previously diagnosed with diabetes mellitus, hypertension, or chronic kidney diseases. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the demographic, physical and metabolic characteristics. Univariate analysis was used to identify the significant association between the characteristics and normal blood pressure, pre-hypertension and hypertension. Chi-squared test was used for categorical variables analysis and independent t-test was used for continuous variables analysis. In order to examine the strength of significant associations, the multinomial logistic regression analysis was used.Results: There were 1498 participants, 41% were males and 59% were females. Overall, pre-hypertension was observed in 45% of the total study population (95% CI: 0.422 - 0.473). There were more males affected than females (46% versus 44%). About 34% of the total study population was hypertensive. The multinomial logistic regression analysis revealed that an increase of one unit of age, body mass index, fasting blood glucose and total blood cholesterol, were significantly associated with higher risk in both pre-hypertension and hypertension. High odds ratio of pre-hypertension and hypertension was found with the total blood cholesterol.Conclusion: The prevalence of pre-hypertension was high among the Omani adult population. The determinants of pre-hypertension in this research age, body mass index, fasting blood glucose and total blood cholesterol. A cost-effectiveness study about the management of pre-hypertension within primary healthcare is significant in the future health system service strategies.

Objective: To analyze the impact of an exercise program and educational approach of cardiovascular risk factors among industrial workers, with emphasis on an analysis by gender. Methods: This was an interventional study. The sample consisted of employees of industries located in João Pessoa and Campina Grande, Paraíba, aged 18 and 60, totaling 334 employees, with 199 in the experimental group and 135 in control group. The intervention performed in six months, four days a week, lasting 15 minutes, consisted of exercises activation cardiopulmonary, neuromuscular activity and relaxation, associated with educational activities on major cardiovascular risks, developed once a week. We used the following methods of measurement: questionnaire, anthropometric measurements and blood pressure, and blood tests. Results: Significant repercussions were found in women from the experimental group: increased physical activity and consumption of fruits and vegetable; in control group: increased risk in total cholesterol (HDL and LDL). The men from the experimental group, despite the reduction of risk behaviors, showed no significant differences in HDL cholesterol only. In the control group, there was a reduction of physical activity and increased risk in total cholesterol (HDL and LDL). Conclusions: The intervention had positive results being more effective in women by increasing physical activity and adequate consumption of fruits and vegetable. It is believed this type of intervention as a viable strategy for reducing cardiovascular risks.

Introducción: La hipertensión arterial es un problema mundial, afecta a 1/3 de la población adulta cubana y constituye un factor de riesgo de otras enfermedades de elevada letalidad.Objetivos: Incrementar la detección, tratamiento y control del paciente hipertenso, reducir la mortalidad por enfermedades cardiovasculares en el área de estudio.Método: El estudio se llevó a cabo en las tres áreas de salud del municipio Jagüey Grande, durante los años 1997-2002. Se realizaron encuestas a muestras de la población adulta mayor de 15 años a principio y final del estudio para conocer prevalencia y control a pacientes hipertensos y evaluar cambios en la calidad de atención a estos pacientes. Se llevaron a cabo medidas de intervención que consistieron en: capacitación al personal médico y paramédico en el manejo del paciente hipertenso, consejo médico y educación para la salud a pacientes, familiares y población general, aumento en la oferta de frutas y vegetales a la población que condujo a un incremento del consumo de estos productos. Se estableció un registro de infarto cardíaco agudo en el municipio.Resultados: La cifra media de presión arterial disminuyó entre 3,2 y 5,0 mmHg entre 1997-2002. La prevalencia de hipertensos conocidos se incrementó de 11,7% en 1997 a 26,4% en 2002, en esta población, y se logró un aumento notable del número de pacientes controlados: 17% en 1997 y 62% en 2002. La tasa de mortalidad por enfermedades cardiovasculares disminuyó entre el inicio y el final del estudio en un 23 %, por infarto cardiaco agudo en un 53% y por accidente vascular encefálico en un 48 %. Esta disminución fue mayor en Jagüey Grande, que en otros municipios vecinos.Conclusión: La hipertensión arterial puede ser controlada a nivel comunitario y su control lleva a una disminución de la tasa de mortalidad por enfermedades cardiovasculares.Introduction: The high blood pressure is a world problem affecting to 1/3 of Cuban adult population and it is a risk factor of other high mortality diseases.Objectives: To increase the detection, treatment and control of hypertensive patient, to reduce the mortality due to cardiovascular diseases in study area.Method: Present study was conducted in three health area from the Jagüey Grande municipality during 1997-2002 years carrying out surveys in adult population samples aged over 15 at onset and at end of the study to know the prevalence and control of hypertensive patients and to assess the changes in care quality to these patients. Intervention measures were implemented which include: training to medical and paramedical staff in the management of hypertensive patient, medical advice and health education to patients, relatives and general population, increase in the fruit and vegetables offer to population giving rise to an increase in the consumption of these products. A registry of acute myocardial infarction was established in this municipality.Results: The mean values of blood pressure decreased between 3,2 and 5,0 mmHg from 1992 to 2002. The prevalence of known hypertensive patients was increased from 11,7% in 1997 to 26,4% in 2002 in this population, achieving a significant increase in the quantity of controlled patients: 17% in 1997 and 62% in 2002. Mortality rate due to cardiovascular diseases decreased between the onset and the end of the study in a 23%, from acute myocardial infarction in a 53% and due to encephalic vascular accident in a 48%. This decrease was greater in Jagüey Grande than other neighbouring municipalities.

Introduction: Participants in cardiac rehabilitation programs have low adherence to their sessions, which makes extremely important to recognize the barriers that cause non-adherence, identifying whether the type of service and level of adherence influence these barriers., Methods: This is a cross-sectional observational study, in which 220 individuals (66.80±11.59 years) of both genders who are members of public and private exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation programs participated. The volunteers were divided according to the level of adherence, considering patients with low adherence (PLA) those with < 70% of attendance and high adherence (PHA) those with > 70%. Then, initial evaluation, Cardiac Rehabilitation Barriers Scale, analysis of socioeconomic level, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and Mini-Mental State Examination were applied., Results: Higher total barriers were found in PLA in the public service compared to PHA in the private service (P=0.023). In the subscale "perceived need", PHA in the public service showed higher values than PLA and PHA in the private service (P≤0.001). The "access" barrier was higher for PHA in the public service when compared to PHA in the private service (P=0.024). PHA in the public service exhibited a higher barrier regarding questions about distance, transportation problems, cost, and time constraints., Conclusion: The public program presents higher barriers in the questions and categories compared to the private program, mainly the PHA. Furthermore, there are differences in the profile of the participants regarding socioeconomic and anxiety levels, treatment time, ethnicity, and city where they live.

Surowiec Agnieszka, Wołowiec Łukasz, Rogowicz Daniel, Kałużny Krystian, Surowiec Justyna, Tarczykowska Agata, Krakowska Alicja, Zukow Walery. RDW – nowy marker dla chorób sercowo-naczyniowych = RDW - a new marker for cardiovascular disease. Journal of Education, Health and Sport. 2015;5(7):453-460. ISSN 2391-8306. DOI 10.5281/zenodo.20975 http://ojs.ukw.edu.pl/index.php/johs/article/view/2015%3B5%287%29%3A453-460 https://pbn.nauka.gov.pl/works/590771 http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20975 Formerly Journal of Health Sciences. ISSN 1429-9623 / 2300-665X. Archives 2011–2014 http://journal.rsw.edu.pl/index.php/JHS/issue/archive Deklaracja. Specyfika i zawartość merytoryczna czasopisma nie ulega zmianie. Zgodnie z informacją MNiSW z dnia 2 czerwca 2014 r., że w roku 2014 nie będzie przeprowadzana ocena czasopism naukowych; czasopismo o zmienionym tytule otrzymuje tyle samo punktów co na wykazie czasopism naukowych z dnia 31 grudnia 2014 r. The journal has had 5 points in Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Poland parametric evaluation. Part B item 1089. (31.12.2014). © The Author (s) 2015; This article is published with open access at Licensee Open Journal Systems of Kazimierz Wielki University in Bydgoszcz, Poland and Radom University in Radom, Poland Open Access. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial License which permits any noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author(s) and source are credited. This is an open access article licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted, non commercial use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the work is properly cited. This is an open access article licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted, non commercial use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the work is properly cited. The authors declare that there is no conflict of interests regarding the publication of this paper. Received: 20.06.2015. Revised 15.07.2015. Accepted: 15.07.2015. RDW – nowy marker dla chorób sercowo-naczyniowych RDW - a new marker for cardiovascular disease Agnieszka Surowiec1, Łukasz Wołowiec1, Daniel Rogowicz1, Krystian Kałużny2, Justyna Surowiec3, Agata Tarczykowska4, Alicja Krakowska2, Walery Zukow5 1Studenckie Koło Naukowe Diagnostyki i Terapii Niewydolności Serca, II Katedra Kardiologii, Wydział Nauk o Zdrowiu, Uniwersytet Mikołaja Kopernika w Toruniu; 2Katedra i Klinika Rehabilitacji, Wydział Nauk o Zdrowiu, Uniwersytet Mikołaja Kopernika w Toruniu; 3Studenckie Koło Naukowe Anatomii Topograficznej Człowieka, Katedra Anatomii Człowieka, Międzynarodowy Uniwersytet Medyczny w Ivano- Frankivsku; 4Studenckie Koło Naukowe Biomed, Wydział Inżynierii Mechanicznej, Uniwersytet Technologiczno-Przyrodniczy, Bydgoszcz; 5Instytut Kultury Fizycznej, Wydział Kultury Fizycznej, Zdrowia i Turystyki, Uniwersytet Kazimierza Wielkiego w Bydgoszczy; Słowa kluczowe: RDW, marker, choroby sercowo-naczyniowe. Key words: RDW, marker, cardiovascular diseases. Streszczenie Rozpiętość rozkładu objętości erytrocytów (red cell distribution width - RDW) jest wskaźnikiem zmienności wielkości krwinek czerwonych (anizocytoza). Krwinki czerwone zazwyczaj mają standardową wielkość, ale zaburzenia prowadzące do nieskutecznego procesu erytropoezy lub sytuacje zwiększonego niszczenia krwinek czerwonych doprowadzają do większej różnorodności w wielkości krwinki czerwonej, co przekłada się na wzrost wskaźnika RDW. RDW jest parametrem rutynowo oznaczanym w praktyce klinicznej jako część morfologii krwi, jest obecnie stosowany jako pomoc w diagnostyce różnicowej anemii. W celu poprawy stratyfikacji ryzyka chorób sercowo-naczyniowych identyfikacja nowych markerów prognostycznych może zapewnić poznanie dokładnej patofizjologii tych chorób oraz dać nowe możliwości terapeutyczne. Aktualnie szereg różnych parametrów i markerów biologicznych jest wykorzystywana do tworzenia modeli w celu przewidywania przeżycia pacjenta z daną chorobą sercowo-naczyniową. Najnowsze dane sugerują również, że RDW może być istotnym prognostycznie markerem dla śmiertelności długoterminowej w szeregu chorób układu sercowo-naczyniowego, w tym choroby wieńcowej, zawału mięśnia sercowego, niewydolności serca, udaru mózgu, nadciśnienia płucnego i choroby tętnic obwodowych. Abstract Red cell distribution width (RDW) is an index of the variation in red cells size (anisocytosis). Usually, red blood cells have a standard size, but disorders leading to ineffective erythropoiesis or situations of increased red blood cell destruction cause greater heterogeneity in red blood cell size, with a higher RDW value. Red cell distribution width is routinely measured in clinical practice as part of the automated complete blood count. Red cell distribution width is currently used as a diagnostic aid in the differential diagnosis of anemia because it reflects variability in the size of circulating erythrocytes. Higher values reflect greater heterogeneity in erythrocyte cell sizes. To improving risk stratification, identification of new prognostic markers may provide insight into underlying pathophysiology or suggest avenues for therapeutic development. To date, a wide variety of clinical variables and biological markers have been used to create predictive models for survival in patients with cardiovascular disease. Recent data also suggest that red cell distribution width also may be a prognostic marker for long-term mortality. This has been particularly well studied in patients with cardiovascular disease, including coronary disease, myocardial infarction, heart failure, strokes, pulmonary hypertension and peripheral artery disease.

Janas Anna, Chiżyński Adam, Szczepkowska Aleksandra, Olborska Anna, Osica Piotr. Ogniska zakażenia pochodzenia zębowego u chorych kardiologicznych = Dental focal infections in patients with cardiac issues. Journal of Education, Health and Sport. 2015;5(1):75-87. ISSN 2391-8306. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.14049 http://ojs.ukw.edu.pl/index.php/johs/article/view/2015%3B5%281%29%3A75-87 https://pbn.nauka.gov.pl/works/528333 http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14049 Formerly Journal of Health Sciences. ISSN 1429-9623 / 2300-665X. Archives 2011 – 2014 http://journal.rsw.edu.pl/index.php/JHS/issue/archive Deklaracja. Specyfika i zawartość merytoryczna czasopisma nie ulega zmianie. Zgodnie z informacją MNiSW z dnia 2 czerwca 2014 r., że w roku 2014 nie będzie przeprowadzana ocena czasopism naukowych; czasopismo o zmienionym tytule otrzymuje tyle samo punktów co na wykazie czasopism naukowych z dnia 31 grudnia 2014 r. The journal has had 5 points in Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Poland parametric evaluation. Part B item 1089. (31.12.2014). © The Author (s) 2015; This article is published with open access at Licensee Open Journal Systems of Kazimierz Wielki University in Bydgoszcz, Poland and Radom University in Radom, Poland Open Access. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial License which permits any noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author(s) and source are credited. This is an open access article licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted, non commercial use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the work is properly cited. This is an open access article licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted, non commercial use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the work is properly cited. The authors declare that there is no conflict of interests regarding the publication of this paper. Received: 15.06.2014. Revised 05.10.2014. Accepted: 25.12.2014. Ogniska zakażenia pochodzenia zębowego u chorych kardiologicznych Dental focal infections in patients with cardiac issues Anna Janas1, Adam Chiżyński2, Aleksandra Szczepkowska2, Anna Olborska2, Piotr Osica2 1 Zakład Stomatologii Ogólnej UM w Łodzi 2 Zakład Chirurgii Stomatologicznej UM w Łodzi Adres do korespondencji: dr n. med. Piotr Osica Zakład Chirurgii Stomatologicznej UM w Łodzi 92-213 Łódź, ul. Pomorska 251 e-mail: pioosica@interia.pl Praca finansowana przez Uniwersytet Medyczny w Lodzi w ramach działalności statutowej nr 503/2-163-01/503/01. Streszczenie Spośród chorób układu krążenia, które mogą mieć związek z ogniskami zapalnymi w jamie ustnej na szczególną uwagę zasługuje infekcyjne zapalenie wsierdzia (IZW). Celem pracy było wykazanie ognisk zakażenia pochodzenia zębowego u chorych kardiologicznych, Materiał i metody. Badaniem retrospektywnym objęto 103 pacjentów (42 kobiety i 61 mężczyzn), leczonych w Zakładzie Chirurgii Stomatologicznej UM w Łodzi, z powodu ognisk zakażenia pochodzenia zębowego, w okresie od 1 października 2010 roku do 20 listopada 2014 roku. Wiek chorych wahał się od 32 do 68 lat. U wszystkich pacjentów w procedurach chirurgii 1- dnia usunięto ogniska zakażenia pochodzenia zębowego. Pacjenci stosowali doustne antykoagulanty. Wyniki. Oceniano ryzyko przedłużających się krwawień poekstrakcyjnych u leczonych osób. Wśród 55 chorych, którzy stosowali doustne antykoagulanty brak krwawienia wtórnego po wykonanym zabiegu stwierdzono u 45 chorych, u których wskaźnik INR wahał się od 0,9 do 2. Natomiast u 10 osób stwierdzono mały stopień krwawienia wtórnego w drugim dniu zabiegu u 6 chorych, a w 4 przypadkach w trzecim dniu po zabiegu. Na późniejsze wystąpienie krwawień wpłynęło przerwanie terapii przeciwzakrzepowej i obniżenie wskaźnika INR do 1,8. Wniosek. Konieczne jest zwrócenie szczególnej uwagi u osób kardiologicznych na profilaktykę stomatologiczną. Słowa kluczowe: zębopochodne ogniska zakażenia, choroby serca. Abstract Among cardiovascular diseases that may be linked to the dental focal inflammations, endocarditis deserves substantive attention. The aim of the article was to demonstrate dental focal inflammations in patients with cardiac issues. Material and methods. Retrospective study included 103 patients (42 women and 61 men), treated in Department of Oral Surgery of Medical University in Lodz, due to dental focal infections, between the 1st of October 2010 and 20th of November 2014. The age of the patients varied – from 32 to 68 years. The whole group was subjected to elimination of the dental infections in procedures of 1 day surgery. Patients received oral anticoagulants. Results. The risk of prolonged post-extraction bleeding has been assessed. Among 55 anti-coagulant treated patients, no post-operative bleeding has been ascertained in 45 cases, in which the preoperative INR ranged from 0,9 to 2. Whereas in 10 cases the bleeding was described as oozing and occurred in 6 patients in second day after the surgery and in 4 in the third day. Withdrawal of anticoagulant therapy caused the postoperative bleeding and reducing the INR to 1.8. Conclusion Special considerations regarding the patients who receive the anticoagulant therapy and undergo dental surgery are needed. Key words: dental focal infections, cardiovascular diseases.

The first human deaths due to air pollution were recorded in the mid-20th century. There were 6,000 cases of illness recorded in Donora, Pennsylvania, in 1948 and 20,000 in London in 1952; 15 and 4,000 cases of death, respectively, were allegedly ascribed to air pollution. Since then, many countries have adopted standards of air quality in order to protect environmental and human health, although the quality of the air in some industrialized countries remains worrying. Emerging countries in the Far East and South America are also cause for concern because of the growth in the population, industrialization and transport. The WHO World Health Report 2002 estimated that air pollutants, particularly PM10, are associated with a mortality rate of 5% for cancer of the respiratory system, 2% for cardiovascular diseases and about 1% for respiratory tract infections. These estimates consider the mortality but not the morbidity rate, which would increase proportionally the number of cases of these pathologies, despite the difficulty in evaluation.

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Cisplatin-based chemotherapy of malignant germ cell tumours (MGCT) has been reported to increase the risk of cardiovascular morbidity. A high incidence of second nongerm cell malignancies is well documented in MGCT survivors. The death risk due to these conditions is, however, more unknown in MGCT patients. Standard mortality rates (SMRs) were established in 3378 Norwegian MGCT patients treated from 1962 to 1997 aged ?55 years. The patients represented three principal treatment strategies: 1962/1969 (period 1): radiotherapy only; 1970/1979 (period 2): radiotherapy with or without noncisplatin-containing chemotherapy; 1980/1997 (period 3): surgery only or radiotherapy or cisplatin-based chemotherapy. Patients were censored when they reached the age of 60 years. Patients not dying from MGCT displayed significantly increased SMRs for respectively diseases of the circulatory system (SMR: 1.2, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.0-1.5), benign gastrointestinal disorders (SMR: 2.1, 95% CI: 1.1-3.5) and nongerm cell malignancies (SMR: 2.0, 95% CI: 1.7-2.4). The SMRs for diseases of the circulatory system were similar in the three observation periods, whereas the highest SMR for benign gastrointestinal disorders was observed in patients from period 2. The risk of dying from a nongerm cell malignancy was increased both in periods 2 and 3. In conclusion, although the overall SMR for diseases of the circulatory system is increased in MCGT survivors, the introduction of cisplatin-based chemotherapy into the treatment of MGCT has so far not resulted in increased death rates due to these conditions. Patients with MGCT have a significantly increased relative death risk due to a second nongerm cell cancer, even after the introduction of modern treatment principles with overall reduction of radiotherapy. The increased death risk due to benign gastrointestinal disorders, probably related to radiotherapy, requires future in-depth analysis.British Journal of Cancer (2004) 90, 607-612. doi:10.1038/sj.bjc.6601558 www.bjcancer.com [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spreading rapidly in recent years, cancer has become one of the causes of the highest mortality rates after cardiovascular diseases. The reason for cancer development is still not clearly understood despite enormous research activities in this area. Scientists are now working on the biology of cancer, especially on the root cause of cancer development. The aim is to treat the cancer disease and thus cure the patients. The continuing efforts for the development of novel molecules as potential anti-cancer agents are essential for this purpose. The main aim of this review was to present a survey on the medicinal chemistry of thioethers and provide practical data on their cytotoxicities against various cancer cell lines. The research articles published between 2001-2020 were consulted to prepare this review article; however, patent literature has not been included. The thioether-containing heterocyclic compounds may emerge as a new class of potent and effective anti-cancer agents in the future., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

The high risk of cardiovascular disease in patients with diabetes mellitus, particularly in those with nephropathy, is not completely explained by classical risk factors. A high plasma homocysteine concentration is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease but information on its association with diabetes is limited. Fasting homocysteine concentrations were measured in the plasma of 165 diabetic patients (75 with insulin-dependent [IDDM]; 90 with non-insulin-dependent diabetes [NIDDM]) and 56 non-diabetic control subjects. Other measurements included the prevalence of diabetic complications, glycaemic control, lipid and lipoprotein levels, vitamin status and renal function tests. Patients with NIDDM had higher homocysteine levels than control subjects, whereas IDDM patients did not (9.2 ± 4.5 vs 7.7 ± 2 μmol/l, p < 0.01; and 7.0 ± 3 vs 7.4 ± 2 μmol/l, NS). Univariate correlations and multiple regression analysis showed albumin excretion rate to be the parameter with the strongest independent association with homocysteine. Patients with both types of diabetes and nephropathy had higher plasma homocysteine concentrations than those without nephropathy. Increases of homocysteine in plasma were related to increases in the severity of the nephropathy. Fasting hyperhomocysteinaemia was considered as the mean of the plasma homocysteine for all control subjects (7.5 ± 2.1 μmol/l) + 2 SD (cut-off =11.7 μmol/l). Nephropathy was present in 80 % of diabetic patients with fasting hyperhomocysteinaemia. In conclusion, increases in fasting homocysteine in diabetic patients are associated with increased albumin excretion rate, especially in those with NIDDM, thus providing a potential new link between microalbuminuria, diabetic nephropathy and cardiovascular disease. [Diabetologia (1998) 41: 684–693] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Backgrounds: Severe microcytic anemia has been associated with BP changes., Aims and Objectives: Whether the erythrocyte indices are associated with long-term BPV is unknown. This study aimed to investigate the association of hemoglobin levels and erythrocyte size with long-term blood pressure variability (BPV) in young males., Methods: This study included 1,112 healthy military males, averaging 32 years of age, in Taiwan. All participants took a measurement of systolic and diastolic BP (SBP and DBP) every two-year from 2012 to 2018 (2012-14, 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-18). Levels of hemoglobin and mean corpuscular volume (MCV) of erythrocytes were obtained at the first visit. Long-term BPV was assessed by the standard deviation (SD) and average real variability (ARV). Multivariate linear regression analysis with adjustment for the baseline BP levels and other covariates was used to elucidate the association., Results: Hemoglobin levels were borderline positively correlated with SD DBP (β and standard errors = 0.016 (0.009), P =0.06). In those with hemoglobin levels of 10.0-13.9 g/dL, hemoglobin was negatively correlated with SDSBP (β= -0.039 (0.018), P =0.03). In contrast, MCV levels were borderline positively correlated with SDSBP (β =0.085 (0.052), P =0.09). In those with MCV levels <80 fL, MCV was positively correlated with SDSBP and ARVSBP (β= 0.445 (0.210) and 0.286 (0.149), p = 0.03 and 0.05, respectively)., Conclusion: There were inconsistent patterns for the associations of erythrocyte indices with longterm BPV. We found a U-shaped relationship of hemoglobin levels with systolic BPV, whereas there was a positive linear relationship of hemoglobin and MCV levels with diastolic BPV, respectively., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Cardiovascular Diseases (CVD) remain the leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. To date, significant progress has been made in developing stimuli-responsive nanosystems that can intrinsically interact with pathological microenvironment to achieve site-specific delivery along with on-demand drug release for precise CVD treatment. Herein, this review summarizes recent advances on smart nanosystems in response to a wide range of biological cues, including pH, enzymes, ROS, shear force, ATP, etc., which can boost drug delivery performance or monitor disease progression in a non-invasive manner. The designs, compositions and main outcomes of the single and multi-responsive nanosystems for drug delivery and/or detection purposes are provided and discussed., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Due to its poor regenerative capacity, the heart is specifically vulnerable to xenobiotic- induced cardiotoxicity, myocardial ischaemia/reperfusion injury and other pathologies. Nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is considered as an essential factor in protecting cardiomyocytes against oxidative stress resulting from free radicals and reactive oxygen species. It also serves as a key regulator of antioxidant enzyme expression via the antioxidant response element, a cis-regulatory element, which is found in the promoter region of several genes encoding detoxification enzymes and cytoprotective proteins. It has been reported that a variety of natural products are capable of activating Nrf2 expression, and in this way, increase the antioxidant potential of cardiomyocytes. In the present review, we consider the cardioprotective activities of natural products and their possible therapeutic potential., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Background: Autoimmune diseases are closely associated with cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Over the last decades, the comprehension of atherosclerosis, the principal initiator of CVD, evolved from a lipidcentered disease to a predominant inflammatory and immune response-driven disease displaying features of autoimmunity against a broad range of auto-antigens, including lipoproteins. Among them, high density lipoproteins (HDL) are important actors of cholesterol transport and bear several anti-atherogenic properties, raising a growing interest as therapeutic targets to decrease atherosclerosis and CVD burden, with nevertheless rather disappointing results so far. Reflecting HDL composition complexity, autoimmune responses and autoantibodies against various HDL components have been reported., Results: In this review, we addressed the important complexity of humoral autoimmunity towards HDL and particularly how this autoimmune response could help improving our understanding of HDL biological implication in atherosclerosis and CVD. We also discussed several issues related to specific HDL autoantibody subclasses characteristics, including etiology, prognosis and pathological mechanisms according to Rose criteria., Conclusion: Finally, we addressed the possible clinical value of using these antibodies not only as potential biomarkers of atherogenesis and CVD, but also as a factor potentially mitigating the benefit of HDL-raising therapies., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide. Despite preventive efforts, early detection of atherosclerosis, the common pathophysiological mechanism underlying cardiovascular diseases remains elusive, and overt coronary artery disease or myocardial infarction is often the first clinical manifestation. Nanoparticles represent a novel strategy for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of atherosclerosis, and new multifunctional nanoparticles with combined diagnostic and therapeutic capacities hold the promise for theranostic approaches to this disease. This review focuses on the development of nanosystems for therapy and diagnosis of subclinical atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease, and myocardial infarction and the evolution of nanosystems as theranostic tools. We also discuss the use of nanoparticles in noninvasive imaging, targeted drug delivery, photothermal therapies together with the challenges faced by nanosystems during clinical translation., Competing Interests: Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interest exists.

Objective: To determine the risk of high blood pressure in cardiovascular hyperreactive individuals identified by the isometric hand-held weight test., Materials and Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted for 5 years, including a total of 419 individuals. Of them, 215 were normoreactive and 204 hyperreactive. The relative risk of hypertension in the hyperreactive individuals and the contribution of cardiovascular hyperreactivity to the development of high blood pressure were determined. The significance level was 0.05., Results: The frequency of new hypertension cases after five years was twice as high in the cohort of hyperreactive subjects compared to the cohort of normoreactive subjects (RR 2.23, 95%CI 1.42, 3.51). The cardiovascular hyperreactivity was the most important variable for predicting of the high blood pressure (OR: 2.73; 95%CI 1.59, 4.54)., Conclusions: Conclusions. Cardiovascular hyperreactive individuals have a higher risk of high blood pressure than normorreactive individuals., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflict of interests. The authors declare that they have no conflict of interests.