Awareness of cholesterol levels in 46,309 Italian children and adolescents unveils the tip of the iceberg.

Background And Aims: Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) risk factors include high cholesterol. Children with total cholesterol (TC) levels ≥ 170 mg/dL are usually considered hypercholesterolemic. This study aimed at investigating the awareness of TC levels in a large Italian paediatric population and at looking for a possible correlation between their TC and TC in their parents' blood.

Apolipoprotein B and Lipid Profile in Italian Children and Adolescents.

Rationale: The prevention of cardiovascular (CV) disease is mandatory from childhood onwards. Among biochemical markers related to the clinical cardiovascular outcome, LDL cholesterol (LDL-C), non-HDL-C and apolipoprotein B (ApoB) are recognized as main target parameters. Emphasis on ApoB concentrations is growing, as representative of any class of atherogenic lipoprotein.

The Association between Mid-Upper Arm Circumference and Blood Pressure in an Italian Population of School-Aged Children and Adolescents with Lipid Disorders.

Many anthropometric measurements have been investigated concerning their association with blood pressure (BP) in paediatric age groups. This study aims to find a relationship between mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) and BP in a population of children and adolescents aged 1-18 years. 5853 subjects (2977 females and 2876 males) were studied.

Nailfold capillaroscopy reveals early peripheral microcirculation abnormalities in children affected by heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia.

Background: nailfold capillaroscopy (NCF) is a non-invasive imaging technique to seek peripheral microcirculation abnormalities in children and adults. Familial hypercholesterolemia is a genetic disorder caused by mutations capable of increasing blood levels of low-density lipoproteins cholesterol (LDL-C), thus triggering early atherosclerosis. The study aims at evaluating peripheral microcirculation in children with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH) by means of NFC in comparison with healthy peers and at searching for possible correlations between these abnormalities and patients' lipid panel.

Acute atrial ischemia associates with early but not late new-onset atrial fibrillation in STEMI patients treated with primary PCI: relationship with in-hospital outcomes.

Background: New-onset atrial fibrillation (NOAF), both early (EAF) or late (LAF), may complicate ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). The mechanisms underlying EAF or LAF are poorly described. We investigated atrial branch occlusion and EAF or LAF onset in STEMI patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

Myocardial Metastasis of Tongue Cancer: A Rare Localization.

BACKGROUND Cardiac metastases of head and neck tumors are extremely rare, and antemortem diagnosis is even rarer. In most cases, patients show symptoms or electrocardiographic abnormalities and expected survival is considerably low. CASE REPORT A 72-year-old man was admitted to our cardiology ward with suspected endocarditis 2 months after a right hemiglossectomy for a squamous cell carcinoma.

Concomitant screening of coronary artery disease and lung cancer with a new ultrafast-low-dose Computed Tomography protocol: A pilot randomised trial.

We performed a pilot randomised study to assess the feasibility and radiation exposure of a new computed tomography (CT) protocol that allows screening of both coronary artery disease (CAD) and lung cancer. Current or former heavy smokers at high lung cancer risk with indication to cardiac CT for suspected or known CAD were randomised to undergo concomitant CT evaluation of either cardiac or thoracic area or cardiac CT only. Out of 129 subjects deemed eligible for the study, 110 agreed to participate and were randomised to simultaneous cardiac and lung CT (Gr.

Antiplatelet therapy in elderly patients with acute coronary syndrome: Between scientific evidence and future perspectives.

Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) is an important strategy for reducing cardiovascular events (CV) after an acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Elderly patients undergoing DAPT have a higher risk of bleeding than younger patients for a variety of reasons. Stratification of thrombotic/hemorrhagic risk is mandatory in order to decide on the type and duration of DAPT.

[The importance of defining methodology for post-marketing observational studies on cardiovascular therapies].

In recent years, a growing number of observational studies in cardiology have been carried out following the criticism that rigid design of randomized clinical trials produces information that is not applicable to the general patient. This approach is very common in several branches of medicine, first of all oncology, but has often been considered marginal in cardiology. The recent introduction of new oral anticoagulants (NOACs) on the market, however, has seen a proliferation of "real-life" studies, drawing the attention of cardiologists to the advantages and limitations of post-marketing studies.

Ivabradine in Patients with ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction Complicated by Cardiogenic Shock: A Preliminary Randomized Prospective Study.

Background And Objective: An elevated heart rate (HR) is an independent risk factor for mortality and morbidity in patients with acute heart failure (HF). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of ivabradine, a selective HR-lowering agent, in patients with cardiogenic shock (CS) complicating ST-elevation acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

Methods: Patients with post-AMI CS were randomized to standard treatment (SDT, 28 patients) or to standard treatment plus ivabradine (I + SDT, 30 patients).

Clopidogrel plus indobufen in acute coronary syndrome patients with hypersensitivity to aspirin undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.

The prescription of aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid (ASA)) to patients with a history of hypersensitivity to this drug could prove harmful. The aim of the study was to assess the antiplatelet activity and safety of a combined antiplatelet treatment with indobufen and clopidogrel in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients with hypersensitivity to aspirin, undergoing coronary stenting. Forty-two consecutive ACS patients treated with stent implantation were randomly assigned to receive clopidogrel 75 mg daily (loading dose 300 mg) plus indobufen 100 mg twice a day (group A), or clopidogrel 75 mg daily, after 300 mg of loading dose (group B).

Effectiveness of two-year clopidogrel + aspirin in abolishing the risk of very late thrombosis after drug-eluting stent implantation (from the TYCOON [two-year ClOpidOgrel need] study).

It remains unclear whether dual antiplatelet therapy >12 months might carry a better prognosis after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug-eluting stents (DESs). To address the hypothesis that in the real world the risk of very late thrombosis after PCI with DESs can be decreased by an extended use of clopidogrel, we set up the Two-Year ClOpidOgrel Need (TYCOON) registry and prospectively investigated the impact on very late thrombosis of 12- versus 24-month dual antiplatelet regimens in an unselected population. The registry enrolled 897 consecutive patients who underwent PCI with stenting from January 1, 2003, to December 31, 2004, and had dual antiplatelet therapy.

Clinical results of two year dual antiplatelet therapy after primary percutaneous coronary intervention with paclitaxel-eluting stents: a single centre study.

Aims: The long-term outcome of extended dual antiplatelet therapy after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is unexplored. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the 2 year safety and efficacy of continuous dual antiplatelet treatment in patients undergoing primary PCI with paclitaxel-eluting stent (PES) for acute ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).

Methods And Results: A series of 145 consecutive patients with STEMI underwent primary PCI with PES.

Ambulatory pulse pressure, left ventricular hypertrophy and function in arterial hypertension.

Background: A wide pulse pressure (PP) can provide important risk assessment information about myocardial infarction, carotid artery atherosclerosis, and global cardiovascular risk. Ambulatory pulse pressure (APP) does not have a well-known prognostic value in hypertensive patients.

Methods: To evaluate the relationship among high APP, atrial volumes, and cardiac function, an observational study was performed on 108 untreated non-elderly hypertensive patients (mean age 54.

Myocardial cytoprotection by trimetazidine against anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity in anticancer chemotherapy.

The ability of trimetazidine (2,3,4, trimethoxybenzylpiperazine dihydrochloride, TMZ) to protect the myocardium against anthracycline (ANT)-induced cardiotoxicity during chemotherapy has been evaluated in female patients with breast cancer. A clinical trial was conducted in 61 patients subdivided into three groups: group 1 (n = 15, G1 ) treated with standard ANT protocol and cardioprotection by dexrazoxane (DEX) plus TMZ (60 mg, daily dose); group 2 (n = 22, G2) treated with ANT and cardioprotection by TMZ only; and group 3 (n = 24, G3) scheduled to receive ANT therapy and DEX. All the patients submitted to an echocardiographic evaluation of diastolic function (E wave velocity, A wave velocity, isovolumetric relaxation time [IVRT], deceleration time [DT]) at enrollment (T0), at T1 time, at T2 time, and at T3 time.