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Topic Review
Obesity-Related Atrial Fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia worldwide and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. The mechanisms underlying AF are complex and multifactorial. In addition to overall hemodynamic changes due to increased body weight, excess adiposity raises systemic inflammation and oxidative stress, which lead to adverse atrial remodeling. This remodeling includes atrial fibrosis, atrial dilation, decreased electrical conduction between atrial myocytes, and altered ionic currents, making atrial tissue more vulnerable to both the initiation and maintenance of AF. However, much remains to be learned about the mechanistic links between obesity and AF. 
  • 640
  • 06 Oct 2023
Topic Review
Facilitation of hERG Activation by Its Blocker
Modulation of the human Ether-à-go-go-Related Gene (hERG) channel, a crucial voltage-gated potassium channel in the repolarization of action potentials in ventricular myocytes of the heart, has significant implications on cardiac electrophysiology and can be either antiarrhythmic or proarrhythmic. For example, hERG channel blockade is a leading cause of long QT syndrome and potentially life-threatening arrhythmias, such as torsades de pointes. Conversely, hERG channel blockade is the mechanism of action of Class III antiarrhythmic agents in terminating ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation. In recent years, it has been recognized that less proarrhythmic hERG blockers with clinical potential or Class III antiarrhythmic agents exhibit, in addition to their hERG-blocking activity, a second action that facilitates the voltage-dependent activation of the hERG channel. This facilitation is believed to reduce the proarrhythmic potential by supporting the final repolarizing of action potentials.
  • 640
  • 27 Nov 2023
Topic Review
Epidemiology and Pathophysiology of Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection
Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection (SCAD) refers to the spontaneous separation of the layers of the vessel wall caused by intramural hemorrhage, with or without an intimal tear. This condition is not associated with trauma, atherosclerosis or iatrogenic causes and may be an expression of an underlying systemic arterial disease, namely, fibromuscular dysplasia. 
  • 639
  • 30 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Radiotherapy in Breast Cancer-Induced Cardiovascular Toxicity
The number of patients diagnosed with breast cancer and cardiovascular disease is continuously rising. Treatment options for breast cancer have greatly evolved, but radiotherapy (RT) still has a key role in it. Despite many advances in RT techniques, cardiotoxicity is one of the most important side effects. 
  • 639
  • 09 Aug 2023
Topic Review
Paraoxonase 1 and Its Implications in Various Diseases
Paraoxonase enzymes have a protective role due to their ability to contribute to antioxidant and anti-inflammatory pathways, especially paraoxonase 1 (PON1). PON1 is diminished in infectious diseases, it can be used as a marker, and it can lead to lower protection against the microorganism; therefore, it can play a part in the development of antibiotic resistance.
  • 639
  • 21 Mar 2024
Topic Review
Relationship between Inflammation and Vasospastic Angina
Coronary artery spasm (CAS) is a dynamic coronary stenosis causing vasospastic angina (VSA). However, VSA is a potentially lethal medical condition with multiple presentations, including sudden cardiac death. Mounting evidence supports the relation of local or systemic inflammation to VSA.
  • 638
  • 20 Mar 2023
Topic Review
Cardiovascular Health of People with Severe Mental Illness
In Australia and internationally, adults with SMI such as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar disorder are at increased risk of early death due to physical health problems. Cardiovascular diseases (CVD), type 2 diabetes, nutritional and metabolic diseases, and obesity and smoking-related cancers are some of these potentially preventable chronic conditions that are frequently observed and disproportionately found among people with SMI compared with non-SMI populations. This mental–physical health interface has multiple adverse impacts for the person in their daily life, and also appears to generate greater difficulty in the person’s healthcare management.
  • 637
  • 11 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Human Hematopoietic Stem/Progenitor Cells in T1DM Treatment
Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is a highly prevalent autoimmune disease causing the destruction of pancreatic islet β-cells. The resulting insulin production deficiency leads to a lifelong need for insulin re-placement therapy, systemic complications, and reduced life quality and expectancy. Cell therapy has been extensively attempted to restore insulin independence (IID), and autologous nonmyeloablative hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHST) has appeared to give the most promising results.
  • 637
  • 19 Apr 2023
Topic Review
Non-Steroidal Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonists in Cardiovascular Disease
Inappropriate mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) activation in different cardiovascular cell types has deleterious effects on cardiac remodeling and function. Therefore, MR inhibition is a crucial pharmacological strategy to overcome cardiovascular dysfunction. Despite efficient blockade of MR with steroidal MR antagonists (MRAs), their clinical application is unsatisfactory due to the adverse effects. Novel non-steroidal MRAs with greater potency could be suitable for clinical application, especially in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease. Although clinical evidence has shown the beneficial effects of non-steroidal MRAs on cardiovascular outcomes in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, clinical trials are ongoing to evaluate the efficacy of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. Therefore, comparative pharmacological characterization of non-steroidal MRAs over classical steroidal MRAs is crucial.
  • 636
  • 17 Apr 2023
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.
  • 636
  • 18 Apr 2023
Topic Review
Invasive Techniques for Intermediate Coronary Lesions Assessment
Intravascular ultrasound has been used for many years in the assessment of intermediate coronary lesions. This technique uses a piezoelectric transducer that produces ultrasound signals allowing the assessment of the vessel wall and characterizing the atherosclerotic lesions, eliminating the disadvantages of angiography and FFR/iFR. Its main indications in the American College of Cardiology guideline as class IIa recommendation are the assessment of angiographically intermediate stenosis of the LMCA or the mechanisms of stent failure (thrombosis or restenosis) as well as guidance of coronary stent implantation, especially in LMCA or complex coronary artery disease.
  • 634
  • 30 Jun 2022
Topic Review
Pharmacometabolomics of Lipid-Lowering Therapies
Lipid-lowering therapies are widely used to prevent the development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and related mortality worldwide. “Omics” technologies have been successfully applied to investigate the mechanisms of action of these drugs, their pleiotropic effects, and their side effects, aiming to identify novel targets for future personalized medicine with an improvement of the efficacy and safety associated with the treatment. Pharmacometabolomics is a branch of metabolomics that is focused on the study of drug effects on metabolic pathways that are implicated in the variation of response to the treatment considering also the influences from a specific disease, environment, and concomitant pharmacological therapies. The integration of pharmacometabolomics data with the information obtained from the other “omics” approaches could help in the comprehension of the biological mechanisms underlying the use of lipid-lowering drugs in view of defining a precision medicine to improve the efficacy and reduce the side effects associated with the treatment.
  • 634
  • 22 Feb 2023
Topic Review
Diagnostic Performances of Nuclear Imaging in Infective Endocarditis
Infective endocarditis (IE) is a life-threatening disease with stable prevalence despite prophylactic, diagnostic, and therapeutic advances. While echocardiography remains the first line imaging technique, especially in native valve endocarditis, the incremental value of two nuclear imaging techniques, 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography with computed tomography (18F-FDG-PET/CT) and white blood cells single photon emission tomography with computed tomography (WBC-SPECT), has emerged for the management of prosthetic valve and CIED IE.
  • 633
  • 05 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Radiation-Induced Heart Disease
Cancer incidence and survivorship have had a rising tendency over the last two decades due to better treatment modalities. One of these is radiation therapy (RT). Radiation to the heart is a common complication of RT, especially in patients with lymphoma, breast, lung, and esophageal cancer. 
  • 633
  • 10 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Link of Endothelin System and Ischemia-Induced Ventricular Tachyarrhythmias
Sympathetic activation has long been known to play a key role in the pathophysiology of ischemia-induced arrhythmias, but the regulating factors remain under investigation. The endothelin system is implicated as an important modulator of sympathetic activation in the setting of acute coronary syndromes. This system consists of a family of three endothelin isopeptides (ET-1, ET-2, and ET-3), produced by numerous cell types, and two specific receptors (ETA and ETB) that are widely expressed throughout the body. Endothelin is synthesized and released continuously, but it is also stored in intracellular endothelial storage pools and secreted by exocytosis. The main source of circulating endothelin in the setting of acute coronary syndromes appears to be the ischemic myocardium, with plasma levels correlating with the incidence of VTs. In addition to its vasoconstrictive effects in the coronary circulation, endothelin is implicated in ischemia-induced arrhythmogenesis, both directly and indirectly, the latter mode exerted by modulating sympathetic responses.
  • 633
  • 20 Jan 2023
Topic Review
Soluble Suppression of Tumorigenicity-2 in Heart Failure
There has been growing interest in the risk stratification for heart failure, and the use of multiple biomarkers to identify different pathophysiological processes associated with this condition. One such biomarker is soluble suppression of tumorigenicity-2 (sST2), which has shown some potential for integration into clinical practice. sST2 is produced by both cardiac fibroblasts and cardiomyocytes in response to myocardial stress. Other sources of sST2 are endothelial cells of the aorta and coronary arteries and immune cells such as T cells.
  • 633
  • 14 Jun 2023
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.
  • 632
  • 08 Dec 2021
Topic Review
miRNAs in Uremic Cardiomyopathy
Uremic Cardiomyopathy (UCM) is an irreversible cardiovascular complication that is highly pervasive among chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients, particularly in End-Stage Kidney Disease (ESKD) individuals undergoing chronic dialysis. Features of UCM are an abnormal myocardial fibrosis, an asymmetric ventricular hypertrophy with subsequent diastolic dysfunction and a complex and multifactorial pathogenesis where underlying biological mechanisms remain partly undefined.
  • 632
  • 24 Mar 2023
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.
  • 631
  • 12 Oct 2023
Topic Review
Non-Invasive Diagnosis of Chronic Coronary Syndrome
Coronary artery disease is still a major cause of death and morbidity worldwide. In the setting of chronic coronary disease, demonstration of inducible ischemia is mandatory to address treatment. Consequently, scientific and technological efforts were made in response to the request for non-invasive diagnostic tools with better sensitivity and specificity. Clinicians have at their disposal a wide range of stress-imaging techniques. Among others, stress cardiac magnetic resonance (S-CMR) and computed tomography perfusion (CTP) techniques both demonstrated their diagnostic efficacy and prognostic value in clinical trials when compared to other non-invasive ischemia-assessing techniques and invasive fractional flow reserve measurement techniques. 
  • 630
  • 12 Jun 2023
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