Clopidogrel versus aspirin for secondary prevention of coronary artery disease: a systematic review and individual patient data meta-analysis.

Background: Aspirin monotherapy is recommended indefinitely for patients with established coronary artery disease (CAD). The aim of this individual patient level meta-analysis was to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the comparative efficacy and safety of clopidogrel versus aspirin monotherapy in patients with established CAD, most of whom had undergone percutaneous coronary intervention or had acute coronary syndrome.

Methods: We conducted a systematic search in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase to identify randomised trials published from database inception to April 12, 2025, comparing clopidogrel monotherapy with aspirin monotherapy in patients with established CAD who had discontinued or never started dual antiplatelet therapy.

Personalized or Standard Duration of Dual Antiplatelet Therapy after Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: PARTHENOPE Randomized Trial.

Background: Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) is recommended for patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), although its optimal duration remains uncertain.

Objectives: We performed a randomized trial comparing a personalized duration of DAPT, based on a risk score, for 3-, 6-, or 24-months with a standard duration of DAPT for 12 months after PCI.

Methods: We randomly assigned 2,107 patients undergoing PCI to receive either a personalized or a standard DAPT.

Impact of Gliflozins on Right Heart Remodeling in Italian Patients with Type 2 Diabetes and Heart Failure: Results from the GLISCAR Real-World Study.

: The effect of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) in addition to optimal medical therapy (OMT) on right ventricular (RV) systolic function in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) is not well established. This study aimed to assess the impact of SGLT2is on RV function using advanced echocardiographic parameters in patients with HFrEF and type 2 diabetes (T2D). : The real-world prospective, observational GLISCAR study enrolled 31 consecutive patients with T2D and HFrEF.

Cangrelor in percutaneous coronary interventions: advances in evidence, clinical applications, and future directions.

Introduction: Cangrelor is the only parenteral P2Y receptor antagonist currently recommended for the prevention of periprocedural thrombotic complications in P2Y inhibitor-naïve patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Areas Covered: This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the pharmacological properties and administration strategies of cangrelor in PCI, summarizes the latest evidence from clinical trials and real-world studies, and discusses potential future directions for its application in clinical practice. Literature search was conducted using PubMed up to May 2025.

Artificial intelligence in cardiovascular pharmacotherapy: applications and perspectives.

Recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) have shown great potential in improving cardiovascular pharmacotherapy by optimizing drug selection, predicting therapeutic efficacy and adverse effects, ultimately improving patient outcomes. Leveraging techniques like machine learning and in silico modelling, AI can identify populations likely to benefit from specific treatments, expedite novel drug discovery and reduce costs. Computational methods can also facilitate the detection of drug interactions and tailor interventions based on real-world data, supporting personalized care.

Comprehensive insights into peripheral artery disease: an overview from the working groups of pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and thrombosis of the Italian Society of Cardiology.

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a global health burden due to its high prevalence, morbidity, and mortality. It affects more than 200 million people worldwide. PAD is a manifestation of systemic atherosclerosis that is often associated with coronary and cerebrovascular disease, underscoring its crucial role as an indicator of advanced vascular pathology.

Atrial Fibrillation, Heart Failure Phenotypes, and Mortality Risk in the Nationwide START Registry: A Propensity Score Matching Analysis.

Background: Data on atrial fibrillation (AF) and heart failure (HF) with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) are scarce. We investigated the association of HFpEF with all-cause mortality in AF.

Methods: We included 10 369 patients with AF on oral anticoagulants from the nationwide ongoing START (Survey on Anticoagulated Patients Register) registry.

Long-Term Antithrombotic Therapy in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation and Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

The optimal long-term antithrombotic treatment of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) remains controversial. Current guidelines recommend a short initial period of triple antithrombotic therapy (e.g.

Peri-Procedural Management of Oral Anticoagulant Therapy in Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: Insights from the PERSEO Multicenter Registry.

Background: The optimal management of patients on oral anticoagulant therapy (OAT) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) remains debated. There are three possible strategies: performing the procedure on OAT, bridging OAT with heparins or stopping OAT.

Methods: In this sub-analysis of the PERSEO multicenter registry, we selected a cohort of patients on OAT undergoing PCI and we appraised in-hospital outcomes according to three different peri-procedural strategies: uninterrupted OAT, interrupted OAT, and interrupted OAT with bridging therapy.

Transitioning from Cangrelor to Oral P2Y12 Inhibitors in Patients with ACS: Insights from the ARCANGELO Study.

Aims: The present analysis of the ARCANGELO study aims to investigate the effect of switching to different oral P2Y12 inhibitors when using cangrelor during PCIs in patients with ACS.

Methods: Out of the 995 patients meeting the criteria for this investigation, 138 transitioned to Clopidogrel (CLO), 127 to rasugrel (PRA), and 730 to Ticagrelor (TICA). Compared to the patients on PRA or TICA, users of CLO were older (median (Q1-Q3) 74(64-81) years CLO, 59(54-65) years PRA, 65(56-73) TICA; p<0.

Degradation dynamics of Mater-Bi and crystalline PLA during anaerobic co-digestion of household organic waste and wastewater sludge, and phytotoxicity assessment of digestate.

The increasing use of biodegradable bioplastics, such as Mater-Bi (MB) and Crystalline Polylactic Acid (CPLA), as alternatives to traditional polymers has raised concerns about their degradation and environmental impact. This study examines the biodegradability of MB and CPLA during the anaerobic co-digestion of organic municipal solid waste (OFMSW) and thickened sewage sludge in semi-continuous lab-scale reactors operated under mesophilic conditions. Bioplastics were tested at different concentrations (0-8 %) under two operating phases with varying organic loading rates (1 or 3 gVS/L·d for MB and 1 or 2 gVS/L·d for CPLA) and retention times (14 or 21 days).

Impact of SGLT2-inhibitors on acute kidney injury in diabetic patients with severe aortic stenosis undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI).

Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) following transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is associated with significantly worse outcomes, leading to increased short- and long-term mortality. We sought to evaluate the impact of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) on the risk of AKI in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and severe aortic stenosis (AS) undergoing TAVI.

Methods: Multicenter international registry of consecutive T2DM patients with severe AS undergoing TAVI between 2021 and 2024.

Expert consensus document on artificial intelligence of the Italian Society of Cardiology.

Artificial intelligence (AI), a branch of computer science focused on developing algorithms that replicate intelligent behaviour, has recently been used in patients management by enhancing diagnostic and prognostic capabilities of various resources such as hospital datasets, electrocardiograms and echocardiographic acquisitions. Machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) models, both key subsets of AI, have demonstrated robust applications across several cardiovascular diseases, from the most diffuse like hypertension and ischemic heart disease to the rare infiltrative cardiomyopathies, as well as to estimation of LDL cholesterol which can be achieved with better accuracy through AI. Additional emerging applications are encountered when unsupervised ML methodology shows promising results in identifying distinct clusters or phenotypes of patients with atrial fibrillation that may have different risks of stroke and response to therapy.

Effects of SGLT2i therapy on cardiac electrophysiological properties and arrhythmias in diabetic patients with implantable cardiac defibrillator.

Sodium-glucose-transporter-2-inhibitors (SGLT2i) reduce ventricular-tachycardia (VT) and cardiac deaths in diabetic patients with internal-cardioverter-defibrillators (ICD) and/or cardiac-resynchronization-therapy (CRT). SGLT2i might improve cardiac electrophysiological-properties, reducing inflammation and sympathetic tone. We evaluated SGLT2i effects on lead-parameters, arrhythmias, ICDs' interventions, and heart failure (HF) hospitalizations and cardiac deaths in diabetics at 1 year of follow-up.

Reduction of New Onset of Atrial Fibrillation in Patients Treated with Semaglutide: An updated systematic review and meta regression analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Aim: This meta-analysis aims to evaluate the effect of semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RAs), on new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF) in randomized clinical trials (RCTs).

Methods And Results: Twenty-six RCTs involving 48,583 participants (of whom 25,879 on semaglutide) with 541 new onset AF were analyzed. Semaglutide treatment resulted in a 17% reduction in AF incidence compared to controls (OR 0.

Procedural and Antithrombotic Therapy Optimization in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: A Narrative Review.

In the past decades, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has become the most common modality for myocardial revascularization in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) with aspirin and a P2Y12 inhibitor is essential in all patients undergoing PCI to prevent thrombotic complications. A large proportion of patients undergoing PCI also have concomitant atrial fibrillation (AF), thus requiring an oral anticoagulant (OAC) to prevent ischemic stroke or systemic embolism.

LDL-cholesterol levels and lipid lowering therapy in secondary prevention. Baseline data from the BRING-UP prospective registry.

Aims: To narrow the gap between guidelines recommendation for secondary cardiovascular prevention and clinical practice, we designed a national project based on educational programs and patient data collection.

Methods: BRING-UP Prevention is an observational, prospective, multicentre study on patients with an atherothrombotic event enrolled in 2 phases: an educational intervention followed by two 3-months data collection, followed by 6 and 12-month follow-up, when the primary, secondary and exploratory endpoints will be evaluated. Clinical characteristics, treatments and target achievement for LDL cholesterol and other modifiable risk factors at baseline are reported in this manuscript.

Chronic Inflammatory Diseases and Cardiovascular Risk: Current Insights and Future Strategies for Optimal Management.

Chronic inflammation is a pivotal driver in the progression of atherosclerosis, significantly contributing to the burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Patients with chronic inflammatory diseases, such as inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) (e.g.