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Topic Review
Cardiac Magnetic Resonance (CMR) Mapping
Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging has witnessed substantial progress with the advent of parametric mapping techniques, most notably T1 and T2 mapping. These advanced techniques provide valuable insights into a wide range of cardiac conditions, including ischemic heart disease, cardiomyopathies, inflammatory cardiomyopathies, heart valve disease, and athlete’s heart. Mapping could be the first sign of myocardial injury and oftentimes precedes symptoms, changes in ejection fraction, and irreversible myocardial remodeling. The ability of parametric mapping to offer a quantitative assessment of myocardial tissue properties addresses the limitations of conventional CMR methods, which often rely on qualitative or semiquantitative data. However, challenges persist, especially in terms of standardization and reference value establishment, hindering the wider clinical adoption of parametric mapping. Future developments should prioritize the standardization of techniques to enhance their clinical applicability, ultimately optimizing patient care pathways and outcomes.
  • 356
  • 19 Jan 2024
Topic Review
POPDC Proteins in Cardiac Pacemaking and Conduction
The Popeye domain-containing (POPDC) gene family, consisting of Popdc1 (also known as Bves), Popdc2, and Popdc3, encodes transmembrane proteins abundantly expressed in striated muscle. POPDC proteins have recently been identified as cAMP effector proteins and have been proposed to be part of the protein network involved in cAMP signaling. However, their exact biochemical activity is presently poorly understood.
  • 355
  • 08 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Current Management for PAH-CHD
Current management of patients with congenital heart disease has increased their survival into adulthood. This is accompanied by potential cardiac complications, including pulmonary hypertension associated with congenital heart disease (PAH-CHD). PAH-CHD constitutes a challenging subgroup of pulmonary hypertension and requires expert management to improve quality of life and prognosis. Novel agents have shown a significant improvement in morbidity and mortality in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension.
  • 355
  • 03 Jan 2024
Topic Review
Hypoxia in Cardiovascular Diseases
Heart valve diseases are a major contributor to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality worldwide. They affect more than 13% of the population aged over 75 years old and occur when any type of the four heart valves (tricuspid, pulmonic, mitral, and aortic valves) is damaged. Calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD) is defined as a slowly progressing condition that ranges from mild valve aortic sclerosis to severe calcifying aortic valve stenosis. This progression manifests in approximately 2% of individuals over 65 years old annually.
  • 352
  • 20 Jul 2023
Topic Review
Physiopathology of Post-Cardiac Arrest
Cardiac arrest is an important public health issue, with a survival rate of approximately 15 to 22%. A great proportion of these deaths occur after resuscitation due to post-cardiac arrest syndrome, which is characterized by the ischemia-reperfusion injury that affects the role body. post-cardiac arrest syndrome (PCAS) is a complex and critical issue that was first described in the 1950s. Understanding the pathophysiology of the ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury that occurs in PCAS may elucidate therapeutic targets.
  • 349
  • 11 Jan 2023
Topic Review
Meta-Inflammation, Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) represents, with its macro and microvascular complications, one of the most critical healthcare issues. The pathogenesis of DM shares with cardiovascular diseases (CAD) a complex landscape of risk factors, including genetic predisposition and various environmental factors like a high-fat diet, sedentary lifestyle, and chronic stress. In particular, CAD is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in diabetic patients, determining a significant impact on life expectancy. Notably, DM is equivalent to established ischemic CAD risk, and patients with diabetes have a two- to four-fold greater risk of developing CAD than non-diabetic patients. Myocardial infarction, ischemic ictus, and peripheral arterial disease are the main expression of DM progression and, often, the first event in diabetic patients. CAD and DM strictly depend on various inflammatory pathways that are able to promote the onset and development of insulin resistance, atherosclerotic plaque, and heart failure (HF).
  • 348
  • 25 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. 
  • 348
  • 04 Mar 2024
Topic Review
Transcatheter Aortic Valve Intervention Complications and Challenges
Since the first in man transcatheter aortic valve intervention (TAVI) performed by Dr. Alain Cribier in 2002 in a non-operable aortic stenosis (AS) patient, TAVI has changed the lives of so many patients for whom medical treatment was, up to then, the only option.
  • 347
  • 12 Oct 2023
Topic Review
Measurement Tools in Peripheral Arterial Disease Patients
 Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is the third leading cause of atherosclerotic cardiovascular morbidity worldwide, with high prevalence and associated complications, and is often overlooked and undertreated. Research has shown that there is a profound lack of PAD-related knowledge and awareness; additionally, information sources are not often reliable and accessible.
  • 347
  • 09 Jan 2024
Topic Review
Extracellular Vesicles in Atrial Fibrillation
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are defined as a heterogenic group of lipid bilayer vesicular structures with a size in the range of 30–4000 nm that are released by all types of cultured cells. EVs derived from platelets, mononuclears, endothelial cells, and adipose tissue cells significantly increase in several cardiovascular diseases, including in atrial fibrillation (AF). EVs are engaged in cell-to-cell cooperation, endothelium integrity, inflammation, and immune response and are a cargo for several active molecules, such as regulatory peptides, receptors, growth factors, hormones, and lipids. Being transductors of the intercellular communication, EVs regulate angiogenesis, neovascularization, coagulation, and maintain tissue reparation. 
  • 346
  • 17 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Direct Oral Anticoagulants in Special Populations
Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are the first-line anticoagulant strategy in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). For special populations, such as elderly and frail patients, subjects with extreme body weight, cancer, and bioprosthetic heart valves (BHV), the indications and the choice of the optimal OAC therapy are a challenge because of the poor representation of these populations in major randomized clinical trials (RCTs).
  • 346
  • 17 Jan 2023
Topic Review
The Effect of Oleanolic Acid
The natural product oleanolic acid (OA: 3b-hydroxyolean-12-en-28-oic acid) is a pentacyclic triterpenoid compound. It has been extracted from many species, including Olea europaea. Studies on biological activity have shown that OA has a liver-protective effect, and has been listed as a liver-protective drug in China. OA also has anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-hyperglycemia, anti-hyperlipidemia, cardioprotective, anti-atherosclerotic, and some other pharmacological effects.
  • 346
  • 23 Feb 2024
Topic Review
Calcium Handling in Inherited Cardiac Diseases
Calcium (Ca2+) is the major mediator of cardiac contractile function. It plays a key role in regulating excitation–contraction coupling and modulating the systolic and diastolic phases. Defective handling of intracellular Ca2+ can cause different types of cardiac dysfunction. Thus, the remodeling of Ca2+ handling has been proposed to be a part of the pathological mechanism leading to electrical and structural heart diseases. Indeed, to ensure appropriate electrical cardiac conduction and contraction, Ca2+ levels are regulated by several Ca2+-related proteins.
  • 345
  • 16 Feb 2023
Topic Review
Inflammation in Heart Failure
Chronic heart failure is a terminal point of a vast majority of cardiac or extracardiac causes affecting around 1–2% of the global population and more than 10% of the people above the age of 65. Inflammation is persistently associated with chronic diseases, contributing in many cases to the progression of disease. Even in a low inflammatory state, past studies raised the question of whether inflammation is a constant condition, or if it is, rather, triggered in different amounts, according to the phenotype of heart failure. 
  • 344
  • 20 Dec 2023
Topic Review
Cardiovascular System during SARS-CoV-2 Infection
SARS-CoV-2 virus can not only damage the respiratory system but may also pose a threat to other organs, such as the heart or vessels. It was focused on cardiovascular complications of COVID-19, including acute cardiac injury, arrhythmias, biomarkers, accompanying comorbidities and outcomes in patients diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection. The results show that cardiac injury is present in about 1 in 4 patients with COVID-19 disease, and it is an independent risk factor, which multiplies the death rate several times in comparison to infected patients without myocardial injury.
  • 342
  • 18 May 2022
Topic Review
Arterial Stiffness among Overweight and Obese Subjects
It is known that arterial stiffness increases among obese and overweight individuals, especially with excess abdominal fat. Increased arterial stiffness contributes to the development of hypertension, due to structural modifications in the vessels and changes in their elasticity, capacity, and resistance, with a consequent loss of vascular compliance.
  • 342
  • 18 Apr 2023
Topic Review
Resveratrol in Relation to Cardiometabolic Risk and Disease
Resveratrol (RSV) is a phenolic compound with strong antioxidant activity, which is generally associated with the beneficial effects of wine on human health. All resveratrol-mediated benefits exerted on different systems and pathophysiological conditions are possible through resveratrol’s interactions with different biological targets, along with its involvement in several key cellular pathways affecting cardiometabolic (CM) health. With regard to its role in oxidative stress, RSV exerts its antioxidant activity not only as a free radical scavenger but also by increasing the activity of antioxidant enzymes and regulating redox genes, nitric oxide bioavailability and mitochondrial function. RSV effects are mediated by changes in sphingolipids, a class of biolipids emerging as critical determinants of CM risk and disease. 
  • 341
  • 26 May 2023
Topic Review
Effects of Major Hypolipidemic Drugs on Platelet Function
Growing evidence supports the view that statins, ezetimibe, PCSK9 inhibitors, inclisiran, and icosapent ethyl also act as antithrombotics. The main effect of antidyslipidemic agents is mainly related to the reduction in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels (which are causally related to atherosclerosis) and triglycerides. Some studies suggested a potential role of these drugs also on platelet function. In particular, by interacting with specific platelet receptors, they reduce adhesion, aggregation, degranulation, in-flammation, vasoconstriction, and oxidative stress.
  • 341
  • 30 Aug 2023
Topic Review
Biomechanics of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implant
Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has grown exponentially within the cardiology and cardiac surgical spheres. It has now become a routine approach for treating aortic stenosis. Several concerns have been raised about TAVI in comparison to conventional surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR). The primary concerns regard the longevity of the valves. Several factors have been identified which may predict poor outcomes following TAVI. To this end, the lesser-used finite element analysis (FEA) was used to quantify the properties of calcifications which affect TAVI valves. This method can also be used in conjunction with other integrated software to ascertain the functionality of these valves. Other imaging modalities such as multi-detector row computed tomography (MDCT) are now widely available, which can accurately size aortic valve annuli. This may help reduce the incidence of paravalvular leaks and regurgitation which may necessitate further intervention.
  • 340
  • 26 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Mechanisms of Relationship between NAFLD and Arterial Hypertension
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and arterial hypertension (AH) are widespread noncommunicable diseases in the global population. Since hypertension and NAFLD are diseases associated with metabolic syndrome, they are often comorbid. In fact, many contemporary published studies confirm the association of these diseases with each other, regardless of whether other metabolic factors, such as obesity, dyslipidemia, and type 2 diabetes mellites, are present.
  • 339
  • 13 Sep 2023
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