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Topic Review
RhoA Signaling in Immune Cell/Cardiac
One of the key proteins involved in stress-mediated cardiomyocyte signal transduction is a small GTPase RhoA. Importantly, the regulation of RhoA activation is critical for effective immune cell response and is being considered as one of the potential therapeutic targets in many immune-cell-mediated inflammatory diseases.
  • 889
  • 27 Jul 2021
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.
  • 889
  • 02 Sep 2021
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.
  • 889
  • 11 Jan 2024
Topic Review
The Implication of Gut Microbiome in Heart Failure
Heart failure (HF) is a worldwide health problem with important consequences for the overall wellbeing of affected individuals as well as for the healthcare system. Numerous pieces of evidence have demonstrated that the associated gut microbiota represent an important component of human physiology and metabolic homeostasis, and can affect one’s state of health or disease directly, or through their derived metabolites. The advances in human microbiome studies shed light on the relationship between the gut microbiota and the cardiovascular system, revealing its contribution to the development of heart failure-associated dysbiosis. HF has been linked to gut dysbiosis, low bacterial diversity, intestinal overgrowth of potentially pathogenic bacteria and a decrease in short chain fatty acids-producing bacteria. An increased intestinal permeability allowing microbial translocation and the passage of bacterial-derived metabolites into the bloodstream is associated with HF progression. A more insightful understanding of the interactions between the human gut microbiome, HF and the associated risk factors is mandatory for optimizing therapeutic strategies based on microbiota modulation and offering individualized treatment. 
  • 889
  • 24 May 2023
Topic Review
Cost-Effectiveness of Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging
The utilization of cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) in cardiac imaging became possible with fast acquisition techniques and improved imaging quality, allowing adequate assessment of cardiac function and morphology with a high degree of accuracy and precision. CMR is hailed as the single most important procedure that could revolutionize the standard of care. However, given the relatively long duration of CMR examination, its costs, and multiple limiting patient factors including patient comfort and safety, other diagnostic alternatives with lower cost and shorter turn-around times are typically preferred to attain preliminary information. The cost of CMR is an essential factor for its appropriate utilization and the just allocation of healthcare resources due to cost being a barrier to entry in community settings. In this regard, a cost-effectiveness analysis of CMR can shed light on its diagnostic and prognostic utility.
  • 888
  • 03 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Echocardiographic Markers for Arrhythmias and Cardiac Magnetic Resonance
Cardiovascular diseases remain among the leading causes of death worldwide and sudden cardiac death (SCD) accounts for ~25% of these deaths. Despite its epidemiologic relevance, there are very few diagnostic strategies available useful to prevent SCD mainly focused on patients already affected by specific cardiovascular diseases. Unfortunately, most of these parameters exhibit poor positive predictive accuracy. Moreover, there is also a need to identify parameters to stratify the risk of SCD among otherwise healthy subjects. 
  • 887
  • 09 May 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.
  • 887
  • 28 Apr 2023
Topic Review
Biomarkers of Diagnosis of Acute Cardiorenal Syndrome
An increasing number of patients have suffered from combined heart and kidney dysfunction largely known as cardiorenal syndrome (CRS). A panel of new biomarkers (in plasma and/or urine) and artificial intelligence support systems could aid in the early identification of CRS patients at risk of developing adverse outcomes.
  • 887
  • 03 Jul 2023
Topic Review
Echocardiography of Infective Endocarditis
Infective endocarditis (IE) refers to an infection of the endocardial surface structures of the heart. It is a complex heterogeneous condition often with systemic complications and carries a high rate of mortality and morbidities.
  • 886
  • 03 Mar 2023
Topic Review
Constraints in Clinical Cardiology
The integration of genetic and molecular components of a disease produces interacting networks, modules and phenotypes with clinical applications in complex cardiovascular entities. With the holistic principle of systems biology, some of the features of complexity and natural progression of cardiac diseases are approached and explained. Two important interrelated holistic concepts of systems biology are described; the emerging field of personalized medicine and the constraint-based thinking with downward causation. Constraints in cardiovascular diseases embrace three scientific fields related to clinical cardiology: biological and medical constraints; constraints due to limitations of current technology; and constraints of general resources for better medical coverage. Systems healthcare and personalized medicine are connected to the related scientific fields of: ethics and legal status; data integration; taxonomic revisions; policy decisions; and organization of human genomic data. 
  • 883
  • 27 May 2021
Topic Review
Multimodality Imaging
Multimodality imaging is the basis of the diagnosis, follow-up, and surgical management of bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) patients.
  • 883
  • 09 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Endothelial Ion Channel Therapy-Targets for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
Endothelial cells (ECs) form a multifunctional signal-transducing surface that performs diverse tasks depending on its localization in the vessel tree. A diverse variety of ion channels is expressed in the plasma and organelle membranes that control the function of these cells. Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a severe disease characterized by vascular remodeling in pulmonary arteries attributable to persistent vasoconstriction, proliferation, inflammation, and in situ thrombosis.  Ion channels play a crucial role in the pathophysiology of the disease and can be carefully considered as new therapeutic targets relevant for PAH.
  • 883
  • 08 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Induced Cardiomyocyte Proliferation
Spontaneous cardiomyocyte regeneration has been demonstrated in embryonic and neonatal mammals after genetic ablation, apical resection, or myocardial infarction. Adult cardiomyocyte proliferation and turnover have been reported to be minimal in human heartsand rodents. Cardiomyocyte division was also demonstrated to occur at a very low rate after acute and chronic infarction in humans.
  • 882
  • 13 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Role of Smoking in the Pathogenesis of COPD
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has a high prevalence and is an important cause of hospitalization, disability, and mortality worldwide. The development and progression of COPD are characterized by airway inflammation and subsequent damage to the lung parenchyma. Prolonged exposure to particles and gases in cigarette smoke is a major risk factor for COPD development.
  • 882
  • 18 May 2023
Topic Review
Transcatheter Tricuspid Valve Interventions
Tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is a common valvular pathology, estimated to affect 1.6 million people in the United States alone. Even though guidelines recommend either medical therapy or surgical treatment for TR, the misconception of TR as a benign disease along with the high mortality rates of surgical intervention led to undertreating this disease and commonly describing it as a “forgotten” valve.
  • 882
  • 07 Jul 2023
Topic Review
Oral and Parenteral P2Y12 Inhibitor Antiplatelet Agents
Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT), consisting of the combination of aspirin and an inhibitor of the platelet P2Y12 receptor for ADP, remains among the most investigated treatments in cardiovascular medicine. While a substantial amount of research initially stemmed from the observations of late and very late stent thrombosis events in the first-generation drug-eluting stent (DES) era, DAPT has been recently transitioning from a purely stent-related to a more systemic secondary prevention strategy. Oral and parenteral platelet P2Y12 inhibitors are currently available for clinical use. The latter have been shown to be extremely suitable in drug-naïve patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), mainly because oral P2Y12 inhibitors are associated with delayed efficacy in patients with STEMI and because pre-treatment with P2Y12 inhibitors is discouraged in NSTE-ACS, and in patients with recent DES implantation and in need of urgent cardiac and non-cardiac surgery. More definitive evidence is needed, however, about optimal switching strategies between parenteral and oral P2Y12 inhibitors and about newer potent subcutaneous agents that are being developed for the pre-hospital setting.
  • 880
  • 12 Apr 2023
Topic Review
Sympathetic–Vascular Interactions
Sympathetic–vascular interactions means that the sympathetic nervous system plays a pivotal role in the short- and long-term regulation of different cardiovascular functions. In recent decades, increasing evidence has demonstrated that sympathetic neural influences are involved not only in the vasomotor modulation of small resistance arteries but also in the control of large arteries. Sympathetic activity and vascular function, which are key factors in the pathophysiology and prognosis of cardiovascular disease, are linked by a close relationship. Evidence from experimental studies indicates that the sympathetic nervous system is critically influenced, at the central and also at the peripheral level, by the most relevant factors regulating vascular function, namely nitric oxide, reactive oxygen species and endothelin. Additionally, there is evidence of a reciprocal influence between endothelial function and sympathetic mechanisms. 
  • 878
  • 03 Sep 2021
Topic Review
The Long-Term Cardiovascular Effects of COVID-19
COVID-19 had stormed through the world in early March of 2019, and on 5 May 2023, SARS-CoV-2 was officially declared to no longer be a global health emergency. The rise of new COVID-19 variants XBB.1.5 and XBB.1.16, a product of recombinant variants and sub-strains, has fueled a need for continued surveillance of the pandemic as they have been deemed increasingly infectious. This has caused an increase in hospitalizations, a strain in resources, and a rise of concern for public health. In addition, there is a growing population of patients experiencing cardiovascular complications as a result of post-acute sequelae of COVID-19.
  • 877
  • 30 Aug 2023
Topic Review
Diet Influence on Cardiovascular System in Health
Cardiovascular diseases are the most common causes of hospitalization, death and disability in Europe. Despite our knowledge of nonmodifiable and modifiable cardiovascular classical risk factors, the morbidity and mortality in this group of diseases remains high, leading to high social and economic costs. Therefore, it is necessary to explore new factors, such as the gut microbiome, that may play a role in many crucial pathological processes related to cardiovascular diseases. Diet is a potentially modifiable cardiovascular risk factor. Fats, proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals are nutrients that are essential to the proper function of the human body. 
  • 875
  • 08 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Biomarkers in Peripartum Cardiomyopathy
Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a form of heart failure, often severe, that occurs in previously healthy women at the end of their pregnancy or in the first few months after delivery. In PPCM, the recovery of heart muscle function reaches 45–50%.
  • 875
  • 16 Jan 2024
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