Acute coronary syndromes (ACS), encompassing conditions like ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndromes (NSTE-ACS), represent a significant challenge in cardiovascular care due to their complex pathophysiology and substantial impact on morbidity and mortality. The 2023 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines for ACS management introduce several updates in key areas such as invasive treatment timing in NSTE-ACS, pre-treatment strategies, approaches to multivessel disease, and the use of imaging modalities including computed tomography (CT) coronary angiography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and intracoronary imaging techniques, such as optical coherence tomography (OCT) and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS). They also address a modulation of antiplatelet therapy, taking into consideration different patient risk profiles, and introduce new recommendations for low-dose colchicine. These guidelines provide important evidence-based updates in practice, reflecting an evolution in the understanding and management of ACS, yet some potentially missed opportunities for more personalized care and technology adoption are discussed.

Aims: To describe through emblematic images rare but clinically relevant carotid artery stenting complications that occurred at two high-volume centres for carotid artery stenting (CAS). Background: CAS is an alternative to carotid endarterectomy (CEA) for the treatment of carotid artery stenosis in patients judged to be at high risk for CEA. CAS complications range between 1 and 9% and are higher in older patients complaining of neurological symptoms at the time of presentation. Besides periprocedural or early-after-procedure stroke, which remains the true Achilles’ heel of CAS, other dramatic complications might compromise the clinical outcomes of this procedure. Methods: Five infrequent complications, out of more than 1000 CAS performed in the years 2016–2021, have been described. Results: Among CAS complications, acute carotid stent thrombosis, rescue retrieval of a disconnected distal cerebral embolic protection device, plaque prolapse after carotid stenting, cerebral hyperperfusion syndrome (CHS), and radial artery long sheath entrapment requiring surgical intervention were found to account for 0.3% of the total number of procedures performed by operators with high CAS volume. Conclusions: Unusual CAS complications may infrequently occur, even in hands of expert operators. To know how to deal with such complications might help interventionalists to improve CAS performance.

Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT), combining aspirin and a P2Y12 receptor inhibitor, is the basis of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) treatment, demonstrating efficacy in reducing ischemic complications while being linked to increased bleeding. Recent interest has emerged in bleeding reduction strategies, specifically de-escalation strategies involving P2Y12 inhibitor potency and dosage modulation that can be achieved in two different ways: the unguided de-escalation, where P2Y12 inhibitors are adjusted based on clinical judgment, and the guided de-escalation, incorporating genetic or platelet function tests to tailor the therapy. Several randomized controlled trials (RCTs) demonstrated that both unguided and guided de-escalation strategies can reduce bleeding without compromising ischemic outcomes. However, some gaps in evidence are still present and further investigation is needed. Ongoing and upcoming RCTs aim to address uncertainties, including direct comparisons between de-escalation strategies, optimal timing for intervention, and personalized approaches guided by genetic testing. Furthermore, the review emphasizes the need for standardization in implementing de-escalation strategies in routine clinical practice.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is often part of a more complex cardiopulmonary disease, especially in older patients. The differential diagnosis of the acute exacerbation of COPD and/or heart failure (HF) in emergency settings is challenging due to their frequent coexistence and symptom overlap. Both conditions have a detrimental impact on each other’s prognosis, leading to increased mortality rates. The timely diagnosis and treatment of COPD and coexisting factors like left ventricular overload or HF in inpatient and outpatient care can improve prognosis, quality of life, and long-term outcomes, helping to avoid exacerbations and hospitalization, which increase future exacerbation risk. This work aims to address existing gaps, providing management recommendations for COPD with/without HF, particularly when both conditions coexist. During virtual meetings, a panel of experts (the authors) discussed and reached a consensus on the differential and paired diagnosis of COPD and HF, providing suggestions for risk stratification, accurate diagnosis, and appropriate therapy for inpatients and outpatients. They emphasize that when COPD and HF are concomitant, both conditions should receive adequate treatment and that recommended HF treatments are not contraindicated in COPD and have favorable effects. Accurate diagnosis and therapy is crucial for effective treatment, reducing hospital readmissions and associated costs. The management considerations discussed in this study can potentially be extended to address other cardiopulmonary challenges frequently encountered by COPD patients.

BACKGROUND:The treatment of resistant coronary lesions (RCL) is a great challenge for interventional cardiologists. The excimer laser coronary atherectomy (ELCA) is a plaque modification tool based on a main mechanism of photomechanical effect leading to mechanical disruption of the plaque. Contrast dye injection during laser delivery has demonstrated to enhance its power. AIM:To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of the contrast-enhanced ELCA by a stepwise approach in the treatment of RCLs. METHODS:We retrospectively examined consecutive patients undergoing contrast-enhanced ELCA-assisted PCI between 2018 and 2021 at two Italian sites. RCLs were defined as novo or in-stent undilatable/uncrossable with conventional balloons (SC/NC balloon). The primary endpoint was ELCA technical success defined as the laser catheter crossing the entire length of the target lesion established by angiographic evidence of the catheter tip in the artery distal to the stenosis. RESULTS:We enrolled 114 patients who underwent contrast-enhanced ELCA-assisted PCI: 58% of the patients had acute coronary syndrome while the left anterior descending artery was the target vessel in 42.1% of cases. The target lesion was most commonly in-stent (56.2%). The 0.9 mm ELCA catheter tip was employed in 89.5% of cases. The most used frequency/fluency profile was 70/70 (39.5%). The use of contrast-enhanced ELCA was associated with high technical, procedural, and clinical success rates (97.4%, 93.7%, and 90.1%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS:The contrast-enhanced ELCA seems to be a safe and effective treatment option for the management of both de novo and in-stent-resistant coronary lesions.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is characterized by multi-organ involvement, including respiratory and cardiac events. Echocardiography is widely considered the first-choice tool for the evaluation of cardiac structures and function because of its reproducibility, feasibility, easy to use at bedside, and for good cost-effectiveness. The aim of our literature review is to define the utility of echocardiography in the prediction of prognosis and mortality in COVID-19 patients with mild to critical respiratory illness, with or without known cardiovascular disease. Moreover, we focused our attention on classical echocardiographic parameters and the use of speckle tracking to predict the evolution of respiratory involvement. Finally, we tried to explore the possible relationship between pulmonary disease and cardiac manifestations.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a genetic heart disease characterized by the thickening of the heart muscle, which can lead to symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath, and an increased risk of sudden cardiac death. However, not all patients with HCM have the same underlying genetic mutations, and some have conditions that resemble HCM but have different genetic or pathophysiological mechanisms, referred to as phenocopies. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging has emerged as a powerful tool for the non-invasive assessment of HCM and its phenocopies. CMR can accurately quantify the extent and distribution of hypertrophy, assess the presence and severity of myocardial fibrosis, and detect associated abnormalities. In the context of phenocopies, CMR can aid in the differentiation between HCM and other diseases that present with HCM-like features, such as cardiac amyloidosis (CA), Anderson-Fabry disease (AFD), and mitochondrial cardiomyopathies. CMR can provide important diagnostic and prognostic information that can guide clinical decision-making and management strategies. This review aims to describe the available evidence of the role of CMR in the assessment of hypertrophic phenotype and its diagnostic and prognostic implications.

Endocan is a soluble dermatan sulfate proteoglycan (50 kDa) secreted by endothelial cells and expressed by dermal, coronary, pulmonary and adipose tissue microvasculature. It plays an important role in the pathogenesis of vascular disorders, inflammatory state, endothelium dysfunction and neoangiogenesis. Aims of the study were to compare fasting serum endocan levels between children with obesity and healthy controls and to investigate the relationships between endocan, body mass index (BMI) and other indices of cardiometabolic risk.This single-center, observational, retrospective study included 19 pediatric patients with obesity aged 11.94 ± 0.52 years and 19 lean matched controls. Each patient underwent clinical and auxological examination and laboratory investigations including routine organs function tests and lipid profile. Homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was calculated. Fasting endocan serum levels were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).Compared to healthy subjects, serum endocan levels were found to be significantly upraised in children with obesity. Endocan resulted significantly correlated with insulin levels (rho 0.47; p = 0.04); in addition, an association with HOMA-IR values with a trend toward the statistical significance (rho 0.43; p = 0.07) was found. No significant correlation with fasting blood glucose values and lipid serum levels was demonstrated. Although not statistically significant, a correlation between endocan and the presence and grading of liver steatosis on ultrasound (rho 0.51; p = 0.08 and rho 0.51; p = 0.08, respectively) was found.These findings confirm the association between endothelial damage and insulin resistance in children with obesity. Endocan could be used as a biomarker of early endothelial dysfunction in children with obesity and could be a valid predictor of future cardiovascular risk in adulthood.

Background and Objectives: In patients with COVID-19, high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) are widely applied as initial treatments for moderate-to-severe acute hypoxemic respiratory failure. The aim of the study was to assess which respiratory supports improve 28-day mortality and to identify a predictive index of treatment response. Materials and Methods: This is a single-center retrospective observational study including 159 consecutive adult patients with COVID-19 and moderate-to-severe hypoxemic acute respiratory failure. Results: A total of 159 patients (82 in the CPAP group and 77 in the HFNC group) were included in the study. Mortality within 28 days was significantly lower with HFNC compared to CPAP (16.8% vs. 50%), while ICU admission and tracheal intubation within 28 days were significantly higher with CPAP compared to HFNC treatment (32% vs. 13%). We identified an index for survival in HFNC by including three variables easily available at admission (LDH, age, and respiratory rate) and the PaO2/FiO2 ratio at 48 h. The index showed high discrimination for survival with an AUC of 0.88, a negative predictive value of 86%, and a positive predictive value of 95%. Conclusions: Treatment with HFNC appears to be associated with greater survival and fewer ICU admission than CPAP. LDH, respiratory rate, age, and PaO2/FiO2 at 48 h were independently associated with survival and an index based on these variables allows for the prediction of treatment success and the assessment of patient allocation to the appropriate intensity of care after 48 h. Further research is warranted to determine effects on other outcomes and to assess the performance of the index in larger cohorts.

BACKGROUND:During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, several biomarkers were shown to be helpful in determining the prognosis of COVID-19 patients. The aim of our study was to evaluate the prognostic value of N-terminal pro-Brain Natriuretic Peptide (NT-pro-BNP) in a cohort of patients with COVID-19.METHODS:One-hundred and seven patients admitted to the Covid Hospital of Messina University between June 2022 and January 2023 were enrolled in our study. The demographic, clinical, biochemical, instrumental, and therapeutic parameters were recorded. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. A comparison between patients who recovered and were discharged and those who died during the hospitalization was performed. The independent parameters associated with in-hospital death were assessed by multivariable analysis and a stepwise regression logistic model.RESULTS:A total of 27 events with an in-hospital mortality rate of 25.2% occurred during our study. Those who died during hospitalization were older, with lower GCS and PaO2/FiO2 ratio, elevated D-dimer values, INR, creatinine values and shorter PT (prothrombin time). They had an increased frequency of diagnosis of heart failure (p < 0.0001) and higher NT-pro-BNP values. A multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that higher NT-pro-BNP values and lower PT and PaO2/FiO2 at admission were independent predictors of mortality during hospitalization.CONCLUSIONS:This study shows that NT-pro-BNP levels, PT, and PaO2/FiO2 ratio are independently associated with in-hospital mortality in subjects with COVID-19 pneumonia. Further longitudinal studies are warranted to confirm the results of this study.

Obesity, a major risk factor for acute coronary syndrome (ACS), is a multifaceted disease with different metabolic phenotypes and sex-specific features. Here, we evaluated the long-term cardiovascular risk by different obesity/metabolic phenotypes and by sex in ACS patients. The occurrence of the composite outcome of death, nonfatal reinfarction with or without PCI and/or stroke was evaluated in 674 patients (504 men; 170 women), consecutively hospitalized for ACS and followed-up for 7 years, who were stratified in metabolically healthy (MHNW) and unhealthy normal weight (MUNW), and in metabolically healthy (MHO) and unhealthy obese (MUO) groups. At baseline, 54.6% of patients were included in the MHNW group, 26.4% in the MUNW, 5.9% in the MHO and 13.1% in the MUO, with no sex-differences in the distribution of phenotypes. The overall rate of major outcome (100 person-years) in the reference group (MHNW) was higher in men than in women (RR: 1.19 vs. 0.6). The Kaplan–Meier curves for cumulative survival free from cardiovascular events according to obesity/metabolic status diverged significantly according to sex (log rank test, p = 0.006), this effect being more prominent in men (log 11.20; p = 0.011), than in women (log 7.98; p = 0.047). Compared to MHNW, the risk increased in obese men (RR: 2.2; 95% 1.11–1.54 in MUO group), whereas in women the risk was confined to metabolically unhealthy subjects (RR: 3.2; 95% CI 1.23–9.98, MUNW group). Our data show a sex-specific impact of obesity phenotypes on long-term cardiovascular risk in patients hospitalized for ACS.

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is one of the most common procedures performed in medicine. However, its net benefit among patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is less well established than in the general population. The prevalence of patients suffering from both CAD and CKD is high, and is likely to increase in the coming years. Planning the adequate management of this group of patients is crucial to improve their outcome after PCI. This starts with proper preparation before the procedure, the use of all available means to reduce contrast during the procedure, and the implementation of modern strategies such as radial access and drug-eluting stents. At the end of the procedure, personalized antithrombotic therapy for the patient's specific characteristics is advisable to account for the elevated ischemic and bleeding risk of these patients.

Background and objectives: COVID-19 is associated with an aberrant inflammatory response that may trigger new-onset cardiac arrhythmias. The aim of this study was to assess the mortality risk in hospitalized COVID-19 patients according to IL-6 serum levels and new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF) according to PaO2/FiO(2) stratification. Materials and Methods: 175 COVID-19 patients (25 new-onset AF, 22 other types of AF and 128 no-AF) were included in this single-center, retrospective study; clinical and demographic data, vital signs, electrocardiograms and laboratory results were collected and analyzed. The primary outcome of the study was to evaluate the mortality rate in new-onset AF patients according to IL-6 serum levels and PaO2/FiO(2) stratification. Results: The incidence of new-onset AF in the study population was 14.2%. Compared to the no-AF group, new-onset AF patients were older with a positive history of chronic kidney disease and heart failure, had higher IL-6, creatinine and urea serum levels whereas their platelet count was reduced. After PaO2/FiO(2) stratification, 5-days mortality rate was higher in new-onset AF patients compared to patients with other types of AF and no-AF patients, and mortality risk increases 5.3 fold compared to no-AF (p = 0.0014) and 4.8 fold compared to other forms of AF (p = 0.03). Conclusions: New-onset AF is common in COVID-19 patients and is associated with increased IL-6 serum levels and early mortality. Further studies are needed to support the use of IL-6 as an early molecular target for COVID-19 patients to reduce their high rate of mortality.

Autologous hematopoietic stem cells transplantation (AHSCT) has been employed as treatment for severe systemic sclerosis (SSc) with high risk of organ failure. In the last 25 years overall survival and treatment-related mortality have improved, in accordance with a better patient selection and mobilization and conditioning protocols. This review analyzes the evidence from the last 5 years for AHSCT-treated SSc patients, considering in particular the outcomes related to interstitial lung disease. There are increasing data supporting the use of AHSCT in selected patients with rapidly progressive SSc. However, some unmet needs remain, such as an accurate patient selection, pre-transplantation analysis to identify subclinical conditions precluding the transplantation, and the alternatives for post-transplant ILD recurrence.

ObjectiveSystemic sclerosis (SSc) mortality is extremely variable in its internal organ involvement. Pulmonary fibrosis occurs in up to 30% of the cases. Animal models provide evidence that IL-33 is able to induce both cutaneous and pulmonary fibrosis via increased IL-13 and in SSc patients the levels of IL-33 correlate with skin fibrosis. Our aim was to test whether both IL-33 and IL-13 are higher in patients with diffuse SSc and interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD) compared to SSc patients without ILD and healthy controls. MethodsSerum levels of IL-13 and IL-33 were measured in 30 SSc patients with diffuse disease and 30 healthy controls by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The extent of pulmonary fibrosis was assessed according to HRCT Warrick score. Pulmonary function tests included lung diffusion capacity for carbon monoxide, forced vital capacity and total lung capacity. ResultsBoth IL-13 and IL-33 levels were increased in SSc patients compared to controls and significantly associated each other. DLco, FVC and TLC scores were inversely associated with IL-33 and IL-13 levels. Both IL-33 and IL-13 levels were significantly associated with the Warrick severity score and higher in the group of SSc patients with reduced pulmonary function compared to SSc patients with normal pulmonary function tests. ConclusionThe IL-13/IL-33 axis needs to be further explored in longitudinal studies of SSc-ILD patients to assess its validity as a biomarker and future treatment target, as does downstream mediator ST2.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a complex rare autoimmune disease with heterogeneous clinical manifestations. Currently, interstitial lung disease (ILD) and cardiac involvement (including pulmonary arterial hypertension) are recognized as the leading causes of SSc-associated mortality. New molecular targets have been discovered and phase II and phase III clinical trials published in the last 5 years on SSc-ILD will be discussed in this review. Details on the study design; the drug tested and its dose; the inclusion and exclusion criteria of the study; the concomitant immunosuppression; the outcomes and the duration of the study were reviewed. The two most common drugs used for the treatment of SSc-ILD are cyclophosphamide and mycophenolate mofetil, both supported by randomized controlled trials. Additional drugs, such as nintedanib and tocilizumab, have been approved to slow pulmonary function decline in SSc-ILD. In this review, we discuss the therapeutic alternatives for SSc management, offering the option to customize the design of future studies to stratify SSc patients and provide a patient-specific treatment according to the new emerging pathogenic features of SSc-ILD.

The new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) disease (COVID-19) represents a public health problem worldwide. COVID-19 triggers a maladaptive cytokine release commonly referred to as cytokine storm syndrome with increased production of proinflammatory cytokines, which also appears to contribute to chronic neuroinflammation and neurodegenerative disorders' appearance, including multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's disease. In this context, SARS-CoV-2 might enter the central nervous system through binding with the angiotensin converting enzyme 2 receptors which are highly expressed in glial cells and neurons. For this reason, an association between COVID-19, its dependent cytokine storm, and the development and/or progression of neurodegenerative disorders might be evaluated. Therefore, the aim of this review was to assess the impact of COVID-19 on neurodegenerative disorders, focusing on the possible increased mortality risk and/or deterioration of the clinical course of pre-existing chronic neurological diseases in patients with dementia.

INTRODUCTION:The actual prevalence of pulmonary hypertension (PH) in Italy is unknown. Echocardiography is useful in the screening of patients with suspected PH by estimation of the pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) from the regurgitant tricuspid flow velocity evaluation, according to the simplified Bernoulli equation.OBJECTIVES:We aimed to evaluate the frequency of suspected PH among unselected patients.METHODS:We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional database search of 7005 patients, who underwent echocardiography, to estimate the prevalence of PH, between January 2013 and December 2014. Medical and echocardiographic data were collected from a stratified etiological group of PH, using criteria of the European Society of Cardiology classifications.RESULTS:The mean age of the study population was 57.1 ± 20.5 years, of which 55.3% were male. The prevalence of intermediate probability of PH was 8.6%, with nearly equal distribution between men and women (51.3 vs. 48.7%; p = 0.873). The prevalence of high probability of PH was 4.3%, with slightly but not significant higher prevalence in female patients (43.2 vs. 56.8%; p = 0.671). PH is predominant in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or left ventricle (LV) systolic dysfunction and related with age. PASP was significantly linked with left atrial increase and left ventricular ejection fraction. In addition, an increased PASP was related to an enlargement of the right heart chamber.CONCLUSIONS:PH has a frequency of 4.3% in our unselected population, but the prevalence may be more relevant in specific subgroups. A larger epidemiological registry could be an adequate strategy to increase quality control and identify weak points in the evaluation and treatment of these patients.

To realize a machine learning (ML) model to estimate the dose of low molecular weight heparin to be administered, preventing thromboembolism events in COVID-19 patients with active cancer. Methods: We used a dataset comprising 131 patients with active cancer and COVID-19. We considered five ML models: logistic regression, decision tree, random forest, support vector machine and Gaussian naive Bayes. We decided to implement the logistic regression model for our study. A model with 19 variables was analyzed. Data were randomly split into training (70%) and testing (30%) sets. Model performance was assessed by confusion matrix metrics on the testing data for each model as positive predictive value, sensitivity and F1-score. Results: We showed that the five selected models outperformed classical statistical methods of predictive validity and logistic regression was the most effective, being able to classify with an accuracy of 81%. The most relevant result was finding a patient-proof where python function was able to obtain the exact dose of low weight molecular heparin to be administered and thereby to prevent the occurrence of VTE. Conclusions: The world of machine learning and artificial intelligence is constantly developing. The identification of a specific LMWH dose for preventing VTE in very high-risk populations, such as the COVID-19 and active cancer population, might improve with the use of new training ML-based algorithms. Larger studies are needed to confirm our exploratory results.

Background: Histamine fish poisoning, known as scombroid syndrome, is a foodborne disease caused by histamine toxicity that results from eating specific types of spoiled fish. In some cases it can lead to the development of life-threatening anaphylactic reactions. In literature the possibility of correlated coronary involvements is widely recognized and accepted, cases described are rare, but even more rare if combined with the novel human coronavirus disease COVID-19 infection, the fifth documented pandemic since the 1918 flu pandemic. In this report, we describe a case of acute coronary syndrome in infected patient with COVID-19, for the first time. The occurrence of acute coronary events with allergic or hypersensitivity reactions has been described as the Kounis syndrome, but in few cases it has been associated with scombroid syndrome. Case report: A young woman came to our Emergency Department with erythematous lesions, mild itching, nausea, diaphoresis and weakness, after a meal with canned tuna. Her clinical situation worsened and she developed acute coronary syndrome due to vasospasm. After the first negative result for rapid oropharyngeal swab test of SARS-CoV-2RNA, waiting for molecular oropharyngeal swab during her hospitalization, a few days later she was tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Acute coronary syndrome in patients with scombroid syndrome is rare to find and more rare if associated with COVID-19 infection. This case demonstrated a linkage of histamine fish poisoning with Kounis syndrome and SARS-CoV-2 infection, allowing us to foster the treatment decision-making process. Why should an emergency physician be aware of this? This syndrome can represent a life-threatening, if not promptly and early known. An emergency physician must have this knowledge, to evaluate accurately the anamnesis of affected patients. Only a circumspect anamnesis can lead us to correct diagnosis and change our decision-making process for treatment.