Your browser does not fully support modern features. Please upgrade for a smoother experience.
Subject:
All Disciplines Arts & Humanities Biology & Life Sciences Business & Economics Chemistry & Materials Science Computer Science & Mathematics Engineering Environmental & Earth Sciences Medicine & Pharmacology Physical Sciences Public Health & Healthcare Social Sciences
Sort by:
Most Viewed Latest Alphabetical (A-Z) Alphabetical (Z-A)
Filter:
All Topic Review Biography Peer Reviewed Entry Video Entry
Topic Review
Dopamine Levels and Metabolism in the Heart
Dopamine has effects on the mammalian heart. These effects can include an increase in the force of contraction, and an elevation of the beating rate and the constriction of coronary arteries. Depending on the species studied, positive inotropic effects were strong, very modest, or absent, or even negative inotropic effects occurred.
  • 912
  • 06 Sep 2023
Topic Review
Inherited Arrhythmogenic Syndromes
Inherited arrhythmogenic syndromes are the primary cause of unexpected lethal cardiac episodes in young people. It is possible that the first sign of the condition may be sudden death. Inherited arrhythmogenic syndromes are caused by genetic defects that may be analyzed using different technical approaches. A genetic alteration may be used as a marker of risk for families who carry the genetic alterations. Therefore, the early identification of the responsible genetic defect may help the adoption of preventive therapeutic measures focused on reducing the risk of lethal arrhythmias.
  • 911
  • 13 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Fibrinogen and Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Diseases
Atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (ASCVD), including coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular disease, and peripheral arterial disease, represent a significant cause of premature death worldwide. Biomarkers, the evaluation of which would allow the detection of ASCVD at the earliest stage of development, are intensively sought. Moreover, from a clinical point of view, a valuable biomarker should also enable the assessment of the patient’s prognosis. It has been known for many years that the concentration of fibrinogen in plasma increases, inter alia, in patients with ASCVD. On the one hand, an increased plasma fibrinogen concentration may be the cause of the development of atherosclerotic lesions (increased risk of atherothrombosis); on the other hand, it may be a biomarker of ASCVD, as it is an acute phase protein. In addition, a number of genetic polymorphisms and post-translational modifications of fibrinogen were demonstrated that may contribute to the risk of ASCVD.
  • 911
  • 14 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Antithrombotic Therapy with Acute Coronary Syndromes
Cardiovascular disease constitutes one of the leading causes of death worldwide. The incidence of acute coronary syndromes (ACS) is especially high in the elderly, who constitute up to one-third of patients. Age also associates with an increased risk of recurrent ischemic events and death. Antithrombotic therapy represents the main component of treatment in the setting of ACS. The focus is on antiplatelet therapy, but balancing the benefit in terms of reducing ischemic events with the bleeding risk is still complicated. In combination with aspirin, oral P2Y12 receptor inhibitors (clopidogrel, prasugrel, and ticagrelor) have been widely implemented as a first-line treatment strategy in patients with ACS and those undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). However, the management of ACS in the elderly has turned out to be challenging, since compared with clopidogrel, prasugrel and ticagrelor involve an increased risk of bleeding, potentially offsetting their ischemic clinical benefit among more vulnerable patients.
  • 911
  • 07 Jun 2022
Topic Review
Electrocardiogram-AI and Cardiovascular System
The electrocardiogram (ECG) is among the most commonly utilized clinical tests for patient monitoring and assessment because it is easy to acquire and provides extensive information about patients’ cardiac health. Instead, continuous, real-time, remote monitoring allows for a more rigorous oversight of patients’ conditions, even compared to in-hospital observation. Wearable devices to address monitoring are now a prominent focus of industry, which in turn provides strong motivation for applying artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms to ECG signals for automated disease detection and prediction.
  • 911
  • 29 May 2023
Topic Review
Traditional and Novel Biomarkers for Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction
Coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) is related to a broad variety of clinical scenarios in which cardiac microvasculature is morphologically and functionally affected, and it is associated with impaired responses to vasoactive stimuli. Although the prevalence of CMD involves about half of all patients with chronic coronary syndromes and more than 20% of those with acute coronary syndrome, the diagnosis of CMD is often missed, leading to the underestimation of its clinical importance. The established and validated techniques for the measurement of coronary microvascular function are invasive and expensive. An ideal method to assess endothelial dysfunction should be accurate, non-invasive, cost-effective and accessible. There are varieties of biomarkers available, potentially involved in microvascular disease, but none have been extensively validated in this heterogeneous clinical population. The investigation of potential biomarkers linked to microvascular dysfunction might improve the assessment of the diagnosis, risk stratification, disease progression and therapy response. 
  • 911
  • 26 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Theranostic Nanomedicines for Cardiovascular and Related Diseases
Cardiovascular and related diseases (CVRDs) are among the most prevalent chronic diseases in the 21st century, with a high mortality rate. Theranostic nanomedicines can prolong systemic circulation, escape from the host defense system, and deliver theranostic agents to the targeted site for imaging and therapy at a cellular and molecular level. The various nanomedicines for diagnostic and therapeutic applications in CVRDs, including nanomedicine for angina pectoris, myocarditis, myocardial infarction, pericardial disorder, thrombosis, atherosclerosis, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, pulmonary arterial hypertension and stroke are summarized. Presently, discrete non-invasive and non-surgical theranostic methodologies are such an advancement modality capable of targeted diagnosis and therapy and have better efficacy with fewer side effects than conventional medicine.
  • 908
  • 25 Apr 2022
Topic Review
MicroRNAs as Biomarkers for Exercise-Based Cancer Rehabilitation
Expression and functions of microRNAs (miRNAs) have been widely investigated in cancer treatment-induced complications and as a response to physical activity, respectively, but few studies focus on the application of miRNAs as biomarkers in exercise-based cancer rehabilitation. Research has shown that certain miRNA expression is altered substantially due to tissue damage caused by cancer treatment and chronic inflammation. MiRNAs are released from the damaged tissue and can be easily detected in blood plasma. Levels of the miRNA present in peripheral circulation can therefore be used to measure the extent of tissue damage. Moreover, damage to tissues such as cardiac and skeletal muscle significantly affects the individual’s health-related fitness, which can be determined using physiologic functional assessments. These physiologic parameters are a measure of tissue health and function and can therefore be correlated with the levels of circulating miRNAs.
  • 906
  • 29 Mar 2022
Topic Review
The Influence of Polyphenols on Atherosclerosis Development
Polyphenols have attracted tremendous attention due to their pro-health properties, including their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and neuroprotective activities. Atherosclerosis is a vascular disorder underlying several cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). One of the main risk factors causing atherosclerosis is the type and quality of food consumed. Therefore, polyphenols represent promising agents in the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis, as demonstrated by in vitro, animal, preclinical and clinical studies. However, most polyphenols cannot be absorbed directly by the small intestine. Gut microbiota play a crucial role in converting dietary polyphenols into absorbable bioactive substances. An increasing understanding of the field has confirmed that specific gut microbiota (GM) taxa strains mediate the gut microbiota–atherosclerosis axis.
  • 906
  • 28 Apr 2023
Topic Review
Novel Therapeutic Strategies in IHD with Reduced EF
Ischemic heart disease (IHD) continues to be the most common cause of heart failure (HF). Traditional HFrEF therapies, which include beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors (ACEI), angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARB), and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRA), have extensive data from clinical trials to support their beneficial effect in patients with IHD and HFrEF, translated into improvements in survival and ventricular remodeling and function. The treatment of HF with reduced EF (HFrEF) has been innovated by the introduction of novel pharmacological therapies and device strategies which have been demonstrated to ameliorate the prognosis of HFrEF patients
  • 904
  • 04 May 2023
Topic Review
Myocardial Metabolism in HFpEF
Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is increasingly prevalent and now accounts for half of all heart failure cases. This rise is largely attributed to growing rates of obesity, hypertension, and diabetes. The heart, being the most energy-demanding organ, appears to have a compromised bioenergetic capacity in heart failure, affecting all phenotypes and aetiologies. 
  • 904
  • 04 Mar 2024
Topic Review
Cardiac Sarcoidosis
Cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) is an unusual, but potentially harmful, manifestation of systemic sarcoidosis (SA), a chronic disease characterized by organ involvement from noncaseating and nonnecrotizing granulomas. Lungs and intrathoracic lymph nodes are usually the sites that are most frequently affected, but no organ is spared and CS can affect a variable portion of SA patients, up to 25% from post-mortem studies. The cardiovascular involvement is usually associated with a bad prognosis and is responsible for the major cause of death and complications, particularly in African American patients. Furthermore, the diagnosis is often complicated by the occurrence of non-specific clinical manifestations, which can mimic the effect of more common heart disorders, and imaging and biopsies are the most valid approach to avoid misdiagnosis.
  • 903
  • 31 May 2021
Topic Review
Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Familial Dilated Cardiomyopathy
Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a common cause of non-ischaemic heart failure, conferring high morbidity and mortality, including sudden cardiac death due to systolic dysfunction or arrhythmic sudden death. Within the DCM cohort exists a group of patients with familial disease.
  • 903
  • 07 Apr 2023
Topic Review
Strategies Targeting Mitochondrial Metabolism to Improve Cardiac Function
Heart failure (HF) is a condition in which heart function is insufficient to meet the body’s oxygen demand. It is not a specific cardiac disorder but rather a clinical syndrome characterized by increased intracardiac pressure and/ or reduced cardiac output resulting from diverse cardiac abnormalities. Therefore, HF may be the common end stage of numerous cardiovascular diseases, such as coronary artery disease, hypertension, cardiomyopathies, heart valve disease or a combination of these.
  • 903
  • 04 May 2023
Topic Review
Myocarditis
Myocarditis is an inflammatory disease of the myocardium caused by infectious or non-infectious agents. It can lead to serious short-term and long-term sequalae, such as sudden cardiac death or dilated cardiomyopathy. Due to its heterogenous clinical presentation and disease course, challenging diagnosis and limited evidence for prognostic stratification, myocarditis poses a great challenge to clinicians. As it stands, the pathogenesis and etiology of myocarditis is only partially understood.
  • 902
  • 25 Jun 2023
Topic Review
Secretoneurin as a Novel Biomarker of Cardiovascular Episodes
Secretoneurin (SN) is a 33 amino-acid evolutionary conserved neuropeptide from the chromogranin peptide family. SN’s main effects may be cardioprotective and are believed to be mediated through its inhibition of calmodulin-dependent kinase II (CaMKII), which influences intracellular calcium handling. SN inhibition of CaMKII suppresses calcium leakage from the sarcoplasmic reticulum through the ryanodine receptor. This action may reduce the risk of ventricular arrhythmias and calcium-dependent remodelling in heart failure. SN is also involved in reducing the intracellular reactive oxygen species concentration, modulating the immune response, and regulating the cell cycle, including apoptosis. SN can predict mortality in different disease states, beyond the classical risk factors and markers of myocardial injury. Plasma SN levels are elevated soon after an arrhythmogenic episode. In summary, SN is a novel biomarker with potential in cardiovascular medicine, and probably beyond.
  • 901
  • 20 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Treatment of Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction
Heart failure is a clinical syndrome associated with poor quality of life, substantial healthcare resource utilization, and premature mortality, in large part related to high rates of hospitalizations. The clinical manifestations of heart failure are similar regardless of the ejection fraction. Unlike heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, there are few therapeutic options for treating heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. Molecular therapies that have shown reduced mortality and morbidity in heart failure with reduced ejection have not been proven to be effective for patients with heart failure and preserved ejection fraction. The study of pathophysiological processes involved in the production of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction is the basis for identifying new therapeutic means.
  • 898
  • 11 Jan 2024
Topic Review
Impact of Dietary Fats on Cardiovascular Disease
Dietary habits have major implications as causes of death globally, particularly in terms of cardiovascular disease, but to precisely define the role of the single components of diet in terms of cardiovascular risk is not an easy task. As an example, complex and multifactorial are the possible nutritional or detrimental effects of dietary fats, due to the huge variety of lipid metabolites originating from either the enzymatic or non-enzymatic oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids, cholesterol and phospholipids. The area of research that has allowed the benefit/risk profile of a dietary supplement to be tested with controlled studies is that of omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids have showed a potential therapeutic role only in secondary cardiovascular prevention, while controlled studies in primary prevention have consistently produced neutral results.
  • 897
  • 28 Nov 2022
Topic Review
β-Blockers in Heart Failure
Cardiac β-receptor dysfunction in HFrEF is characterized by a reduced β1-receptor density and by the uncoupling of β1- and β2-receptors from the membrane G proteins, resulting in their functional desensitization. This mechanism is mediated by increased G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 activity, resulting in reduced cardiac β-receptor density and reactivity, with consequent reduced cardiac inotropic reserve. In addition, catecholamines themselves are cardiotoxic, contributing to myocardial damage.
  • 896
  • 02 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Cardiac Natriuretic Peptides, Their Receptors and Metabolism
Cardiac natriuretic peptides (NPs), atrial NP (ANP) and B-type NP (BNP) are true hormones produced and released by cardiomyocytes, exerting several systemic effects. Together with C-type NP (CNP), mainly expressed by endothelial cells, they also exert several paracrine and autocrine activities on the heart itself, contributing to cardiovascular (CV) health. NPs prevent cardiac hypertrophy, fibrosis, arrhythmias and cardiomyopathies, counteracting the development and progression of heart failure (HF). Moreover, some studies revealed that a protein structurally similar to NPs mainly produced by skeletal muscles and osteoblasts called musclin/osteocrin is able to interact with the NPs clearance receptor, attenuating cardiac dysfunction and myocardial fibrosis and promoting heart protection during pathological overload. 
  • 896
  • 07 Dec 2022
  • Page
  • of
  • 45
Featured Entry Collections
>>

Featured Books

>>
Encyclopedia of Digital Society, Industry 5.0 and Smart City
Encyclopedia of Engineering
Encyclopedia of Social Sciences
Encyclopedia of COVID-19
Academic Video Service
Feedback