April 2021
112 ArticlesNo Section
Joint Effect of Heart Failure and Coronary Artery Disease on the Risk of Death during Hospitalization for COVID-19
Since the initial coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) outbreak in the province of Wuhan, China, more than 50 million people have been infected so far, causing unnerving impact on routine patient care and... more
Weight-adjusted versus fixed dose heparin thromboprophylaxis in hospitalized obese patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a multi-factorial disease with high morbidity and mortality rates. As it has been reported to occur in about 100–200 cases/100,000 inhabitants per year [1], VTE... more
Safety of treatment with chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine: A ten-year systematic review and meta-analysis
Previously known as SN7618, chloroquine has been used since the early 1940s for the treatment of malaria [1]. In 1946 Loeb F. et al., in a statement approved by the board for coordination of malarial... more
The efficacies of entecavir and tenofovir in terms of enhancing prognosis after curative treatment of hepatitis B virus–related hepatocellular carcinoma
Whether entecavir (ETV) or tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) affords the better prognosis after curative treatment of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unclear... more
Influence of gender on the performance of urine dipstick and automated urinalysis in the diagnosis of urinary tract infections at the emergency department
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are generally more common in women compared to men [1-3]. Beside incidence, also differences in presentation and course of UTI exist between men and women. This is due... more
When and how did the air come in?
An 84-year-old man with cognitive dysfunction was taken to the emergency room because of a change in consciousness. He came in with a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of E4V4M5. According to his family... more
SGLT2 inhibitors should be recommended in patients with one or more of the three diseases: type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and HFrEF
Patoulias and colleagues have made a relevant commentary entitled “Chronic kidney disease and diabetes status do not affect efficacy of SGLT-2 inhibitors in patients with heart failure with reduced... more
Infective endocarditis in patients with solid organ transplantation. A nationwide descriptive study
Infective endocarditis (IE) is a serious condition with a poor prognosis [1,2]. Solid organ transplantation (SOT) is an established and practical definitive treatment option for patients with end-... more
Mid-term Prognostic Implication of hospitalized COVID-19 patients with Prior Heart Failure diagnosis
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that was diagnosed in late 2019 in Wuhan (China)[1]. It has spread... more
Estimated glomerular filtration rate and renal resistive index as possible predictive markers of mortality in systemic sclerosis
Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an autoimmune disease characterized by immune system activation, microvascular damage and fibrosis of skin and internal organs. Renal manifestations of SSc include... more
Risk factors and current management of venous thromboembolism in patients with primary immune thrombocytopenic purpura.
immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is a rare hematologic disorder characterized by isolated thrombocytopenia due to platelet destruction, without abnormalities of erythrocyte or leukocyte number... more
Inhaled long-acting muscarinic antagonists in asthma – A narrative review
The efficacy of muscarinic antagonists in asthma has been known since the early 1800s when inhalation of smoke from burning Datura stramonium leaves and roots became widespread in Britain as a... more
The 3Ds – Discussion, diagnosis and direction: Elements for effective obesity care by healthcare professionals
Obesity is a chronic disease associated with multiple health complications [1]. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic has made evident the impact obesity can have on health outcomes, whereby people with... more
Pulmonary congestion and mortality during venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO): does time matter?
In a recent edition of this Journal, an intriguing study was published which examined the association between (development of) pulmonary congestion (PC) and mortality in patients with post-cardiotomy... more
Commentary
SGLT2 inhibitors: Do we need other evidences?
The five cardiovascular outcome trials (CVOT) conducted in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus so far have shown that renal sodium-glucose cotransporters two inhibitors (SGLT2i) are cardiovascular... more
Colorectal cancer and cardiovascular diseases: Are we closing the gap between knowledge and action?
Colorectal cancer (CRC) and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are amongst the two leading causes of death in western countries and have dramatic impact on the financial sustainability of the health... more
Colorectal cancer and cardiovascular disease: A thrombo-inflammatory link?
One of the few advantages of the Covid-19 pandemic is a renewed focus on the benefits of a healthy lifestyle, as a way to reduce both the risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2 infection and, in case of... more
When is it reasonable to extrapolate during a pandemic?: The case of broad UK labeling for AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine
Amid an unprecedented surge of COVID-19 cases in the UK, with an increasing number due to a novel more infectious SARS-CoV-2 variant,[1] the UK regulatory agency (MHRA) granted emergency approval to... more
Venous lactate: The new “magic marker” for stratification in intermediate-risk pulmonary embolism?
Risk stratification in patients with acute pulmonary embolism (PE) is essential to guide the choice of appropriate therapy. The stratification of risk is first and foremost based on the presence of... more
Postoperative atrial fibrillation after non-cardiac surgery: How important is it and what do we do about it?
Postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF), defined as the occurrence of new-onset AF in the perioperative setting, is a common complication occurring in up to 3% of patients undergoing non-... more
Proton Pump Inhibitor (PPI) co-therapy and gastrointestinal bleeding with antithrombotic drugs: a step forward but not enough
Nonvariceal gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding is common and one of the most frequent medical events which determine hospitalizations worldwide. Death rates (5-12%) in patients with GI bleeding are... more
Editorial
Implementation of Guidelines on Atrial Fibrillation Management in the Global Arena: So Many Actors on Stage!
According to the seminal definition by the Institute of Medicine released in 1990, clinical guidelines represent “systematically developed statements to assist practitioner and patient decisions... more
Internal Medicine Flashcard
No more than meets the eye
A 33-year old Ivorian woman was admitted for fever and thrombocytopenia. She had been previously treated in France by tocilizumab then anti TNF-α for rheumatoid arthritis since 7 and 2 years... more
Atypical cause of dysphagia
A 27-years-old male presented with progressively worsening dysphagia for four years. The dysphagia was worse for solids, and for the past three months, the patient had restricted his diet to liquids... more
Atypical cause of episodic abdominal pain and unintentional weight loss
A 23-year-old female with past medical history of generalized anxiety disorder and migraine presents to the clinic with unintentional weight loss of approximately 20 lbs and chronic episodic... more
The long toenail sign in older adults
A 78 year old male attended a geriatric medicine outpatient clinic accompanied by his son. He described a history of falls, memory impairment and difficulty completing activities of daily living... more
A forgotten disease in Japan
A 67-year-old woman with acute onset of fever, disorientation, and confusion was transferred to our emergency department. Physical findings revealed neck stiffness, left dominant tremulous arms with... more
A man with arthralgias and skin lesions
A healthy 43-year-old man presented to the Emergency Department with a one-week history of fever, low back pain and arthralgias mainly localized in the right knee. Physical examination revealed... more
Letter to the Editor
Prevalence of proximal deep vein thrombosis in hospitalized COVID-19 patients
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-COV-2) is a novel virus that has spread worldwide since the end of 2019. Although a proportion of patients remains asymptomatic, the virus may be... more
Intermediate dose thromboprophylaxis in SARS-CoV-2 related venous thrombo embolism
SARS-CoV-2 illness is associated with both pulmonary and extra pulmonary complications with hypoxemia being a marker of severity [1]. Evidence has shown an increase in venous thromboembolism (VTE)... more
The power of choice: Experimental evidence that freedom to choose a vaccine against COVID-19 improves willingness to be vaccinated
Ending the COVID-19 pandemic will require rapid and large-scale uptake of vaccines against the disease. The European Commission has authorized three vaccines so far, and first doses have already been... more
Pneumothorax/pneumomediastinum in non-intubated COVID-19 patients: Differences between first and second Italian pandemic wave
Pneumothorax (PNX) and pneumomediastinum (PMD) have been frequently observed in mechanically ventilated patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related acute respiratory distress syndrome (... more
Pre-admission atrial fibrillation in COVID-19 patients: Prevalence and clinical impact
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a highly pathogenic human coronavirus recently recognized as the cause of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Italy is one of the... more
Loneliness that destroys and upsets: A lesson from and beyond COVID-19
“I've often come up against the bad part about living”. A famous poem by the great poet Eugenio Montale represents well the situation of elderly patients admitted to our hospitals in recent months.
Hellenic Postprandial Lipemia Study (HPLS): Results from the Pre-treatment Postprandial Lipemia
Although fasting triglyceride (TG) levels are routinely measured in clinical practice, studies indicate that postprandial hypertriglyceridemia may be also related to atherosclerosis [1]. Currently,... more
Usefulness of step down units to manage survivors of critical Covid-19 patients
The Coronavirus 2 (Covid-19) associated severe acute respiratory failure (ARF) has led to a huge number of admissions to intensive care units (ICU) with high fatality rates and shortage of beds. We... more
Is the “beach position” of value during the “eyeball” assessment of patients?
The rapid identification at low cost of patients at risk is particularly important in emergency departments in low- and middle-income countries, which may lack experienced emergency healthcare... more
DNA genotyping of the ABO gene showed a significant association of the A-group (A1/A2 variants) with severe COVID-19.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by the new beta-coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. The virus has spread worldwide causing a pandemic with millions of infected. The adverse outcome is... more
Chronic kidney disease and diabetes status do not affect efficacy of SGLT-2 inhibitors in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction
We have read with great interest the meta-analysis performed by Qiu et al. [1] published in the European Journal of Internal Medicine, assessing the cardio-renal efficacy of different sodium-glucose... more
Acute coronary syndrome-related hospital admissions during and after lockdown in Southern Germany
The Covid-19 pandemic has affected all aspects of our daily life and challenged our health care system in an unprecedented manner [1]. The crisis even altered the health behavior resulting in... more
Effectiveness and safety of high and low dose NOACs in patients with atrial fibrillation
Non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) were marketed in 2011 as alternatives to Vitamin K Antagonists (VKA) for treatment of thromboembolic risk in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients.... more
Cor homini lupus? Identification of risk factors implicated in cardiovascular events in patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in Romania
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) accounts for up to 35% of mortality in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) [1]. Emerging evidence supports that SLE disease activity is associated with up to... more
Treating life-threatening TAFRO syndrome with interleukin-1 inhibition
TAFRO syndrome (Thrombocytopenia, Anasarca, Fever, Reticulin fibrosis, and Organomegaly) is a newly recognized variant of idiopathic - human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8) negative - Multicentric Castleman... more
Diagnosis of infection by SARS-COV-2: Is one molecular test enough?
A pandemic phase of SARS-CoV-2 infection is currently ongoing, with a particular diffusion in Italy [1]. Accurate diagnosis of asymptomatic carriers of the virus as well as of patients with acute... more
“Let me choose my COVID-19 vaccine”
In the first half of 2021, many millions of Europeans will be offered vaccination against SARS -CoV-2. Four vaccines, two mRNA-based vaccines (Pfizer-BioNTech and NIH-Moderna) and two non-replicating... more
SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in the Vatican City State
The ongoing Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has affected so far 218 countries with over 94 million cases, about 2... more
How specific are elevated IgG4 levels for IgG4-related disease?
IgG4-Related Disease (IgG4-RD) is a systemic inflammatory disorder with potential to affect almost every organ [1]. The diagnosis of IgG4-RD is primarily based upon characteristic histological... more
A systematic bias assessment of top-cited full-length original clinical investigations related to COVID-19
With the emergence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, there has been an exponential rise in the number of scientific publications to convey relevant information about this novel disease... more
Vertebral level identified by the intercristal line: Confirmation by ultrasound
Prior to performing a lumbar puncture (LP) at the bedside, the intercristal line, formed posteriorly between the superior aspect of the iliac crests, commonly serves as a landmark to identify the L4... more
Longitudinal trends and outcomes of adult heart transplantation in the U.S.
Heart transplantation is the treatment of choice for patients with end-stage heart failure [1, 2]. Evaluation of outcome trends is imperative to identifying areas of improvement and making goal-... more
Do four SGLT2 inhibitors lead to different cardiorenal benefits in type 2 diabetes, in chronic heart failure, and in chronic kidney disease?
Large randomized trials have confirmed the cardiorenal benefits from sodium-glucose transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors for patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D), for patients with chronic heart failure... more
Serum uric acid levels: A surrogate marker of oxidative stress or dehydration?
Dear Editors,
Less is more: Perspectives from the European Code Against Cancer
We have read the article of Kherad et al. with great interest. The authors elaborate on the “less is more” principle, which has become quite relevant in various areas of medicine including cancer [1... more
Mid-day sleep and blood pressure in patients with arterial hypertension. Author's reply
We thank Dr Kawada for his comments on our study [1]. He raised some concerns regarding the effect of mid-day sleep on alertness and performance as well as health outcomes. He based his concerns on... more
Proprotein Convertase Subtilisin-Kexin Type 9 inhibitors and stroke prevention: A meta-analysis
Dear Editor, over the last decades lipid-modifying strategies made a pivotal change in cardiovascular prevention especially in patients with previous coronary artery disease or ischemic stroke. In... more
Flying higher than politics: The goal of preventive medicine at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic
The present SARS-CoV-2-caused COVID-19 pandemic [1] has clearly shown that great health crises can elicit heated political and scientific debates. The history of medicine teaches us how, throughout... more
Heart rate turbulence in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome: The effect of short-term CPAP therapy
Patients affected by obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) present an increased risk of cardiovascular (CV) events [1]. This is likely due to the imbalance in the autonomic nervous system, with cardiac... more
Associating enterococcal endocarditis and colorectal neoplasia: is colonoscopy mandatory? – Authors’ reply
We are glad to share with Corredoira and colleagues the interest for our recently published work regarding the relationship between Enteroccocus spp infective endocarditis (EIE) and colorectal... more
Low influenza vaccination coverage among hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Milan: A gap to be urgently filled
The first wave of the COVID-19 epidemic in Italy during March and April 2020 put extreme pressure on the national healthcare system, particularly on the hospitals in the most affected regions of... more
Mid-day sleep and blood pressure in patients with arterial hypertension
To the Editor
NEWS2 is a valuable tool for appropriate clinical management of COVID-19 patients
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a severe acute respiratory infection caused by an emergent coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, recognized in Wuhan (China) in December 2019. The World Health Organization... more
Prognostic Implications of Residual Pleural Effusions at Discharge in Patients with Acute Decompensated Heart Failure
Pleural effusion, which is included as one of the Framingham minor diagnostic criteria for heart failure (HF), is one of the common signs reflecting body fluid retention and can be quickly and... more
Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors versus angiotensin II receptor blockers for renal outcomes and mortality in diabetic kidney disease
Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is the leading cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) worldwide. Inhibition of intrarenal renin-angiotensin system (RAS) with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (... more
Associating enterococcal endocarditis and colorectal neoplasia: is colonoscopy mandatory?
Dear Editor:
Sodium fluctuation, a novel single parameter to predict hospital mortality
Dysnatremia is the most common electrolyte disorder in hospitalized patients [1]. Dysnatremia is generally classified as hyponatremia (145mmol/L). Many studies showed that hypernatremia and... more
Risk of infectious events in acute myocardial infarction patients treated with ticagrelor or clopidogrel
Ticagrelor is an oral direct-acting antiplatelet agent that inhibits P2Y12 receptor activation. The PLATO study showed that ticagrelor significantly reduced the composite outcome of vascular death,... more
Original Article
Adrenomedullin as a potential biomarker involved in patients with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia
Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) or Rendu–Osler–Weber syndrome (ORPHA774) is a rare autosomal dominant vascular disease characterized by telangiectases and larger vascular malformations (... more
Autologous fecal microbiota transplantation can retain the metabolic achievements of dietary interventions
We recently reported that autologous fecal microbiota transplantation (aFMT), derived from the time of maximal weight-loss and administrated in the regain-phase, might preserve weight loss and... more
Efficacy and safety of steroid-sparing treatments in giant cell arteritis according to the glucocorticoids tapering regimen: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is the most common systemic vasculitis in Western countries, with an annual incidence of 10 to 20 per 100,000 adults older than 50 years and increasing with age [1]. Its... more
Adiponectin involved in portal flow hepatic extraction of 13C-metacethin in obesity and non-alcoholic fatty liver
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common cause of chronic liver disease with a worldwide prevalence of about 30% [1]. NAFLD frequently occurs in overweight and obese individuals [... more
Drug withdrawal in patients with autoimmune hepatitis in long-term histological remission: A prospective observational study
Recommendations for drug withdrawal in patients with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) in longstanding remission are conflicting and rely on retrospective data. We prospectively investigated the predictive... more
Post-discharge antithrombotic management and clinical outcomes of patients with new-onset or pre-existing atrial fibrillation and acute coronary syndromes undergoing coronary stenting: Follow-up data of the MATADOR-PCI study
. Patients with concomitant atrial fibrillation (AF) and acute coronary syndromes (ACS) do not seem to receive proper antithrombotic therapies and present high rates of adverse clinical events.
Effect of SGLT-2 inhibitors on cardiovascular outcomes in heart failure patients: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Heart failure (HF) is a highly prevalent disease with considerable morbidity and mortality. It is estimated that approximately 50 million people are afflicted with this disease worldwide. The disease... more
Sex-specific differences in the presentation, clinical course, and quality of life of patients with acute venous thromboembolism according to baseline risk factors. Insights from the PREFER in VTE
The presentation and prognosis of venous thromboembolism (VTE) are known to be characterized by considerable sex differences. While men and women have a similar overall risk of developing a first... more
Lessons from pathophysiology: Use of individualized combination treatments with immune interventional agents to tackle severe respiratory failure in patients with COVID-19
Aims Infection by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) may lead to the development of severe respiratory failure. In hospitalized-patients, prompt interruption of the virus-... more
Growth differentiation factor-15 predicts major adverse cardiac events and all-cause mortality in patients with atrial fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common cardiac arrhythmia, is associated with high morbidity and mortality, largely attributable to an increased risk of stroke and systemic embolism.... more
TGF-β1 +869T/C (rs1982073) gene polymorphism and susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis: Updated systematic review and meta-analysis
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a complex autoimmune disease that affects about 1% of the world's population, which is characterized by the erosion and destruction of cartilage and bone [1,2]. As a... more
Incidence and risk factors for preneoplastic and neoplastic lesions of the colon and rectum in patients under 50 referred for colonoscopy
According to estimates from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (2018), colorectal cancer (CRC) occurred in approximately 1.8 million patients and accounted for 900000 deaths worldwide,... more
Myocardial infarction during giant cell arteritis: A cohort study
Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is the most frequent vasculitis in adults over 50 years. It is a granulomatous large-vessel vasculitis mainly involving the aorta and cranial arteries [1–3]. Clinical signs... more
Non–Specific Clinical Presentations are Not Prognostic and do not Anticipate Hospital Length of Stay or Resource Utilization
Up to 20% of patients arriving at an emergency department (ED) may have a non-specific presentation (NSP). Previous studies have suggested that a NSP, despite the similarity of patient demographics... more
Prediction and primary prevention of major vascular complications in systemic sclerosis
Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) is a chronic autoimmune disease, characterized by immune system activation, vascular abnormalities and uncontrolled fibrotic response in the skin and internal organs [1]. The... more
Venous lactate improves the prediction of in-hospital adverse outcomes in normotensive pulmonary embolism
Pulmonary embolism (PE) is associated with high morbidity and mortality, making it a major contributor to global disease burden. [1,2] Thus, current guideline recommendations emphasize the importance... more
Patient motivation to lose weight: Importance of healthcare professional support, goals and self-efficacy
Obesity is a global health concern [1]. Multiple complications are associated with overweight and obesity including diabetes, heart disease, musculoskeletal disorders and some cancers, and people... more
Anakinra for patients with COVID-19: a meta-analysis of non-randomized cohort studies.
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) affected 104.956.439 people worldwide and caused the death of 2.290.488 as of February 7, 2121[1]. Life-threatening cases of the... more
Long-term effectiveness and safety of anticoagulation therapy in oldest old, frail people with atrial fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia in clinical practice [1] with a prevalence destined to progressively increase due to population aging [2]. As a fact, AF represents a... more
Assessing the impact of COVID-19 on the health of geriatric patients: The European GeroCovid Observational Study
Older adults have been the part of the population most burdened by COVID-19 pandemic. Indeed, the disease mortality rate was reported to rise, in men and women, from 4.6% and 2.5% among those aged 30... more
Age-Related Changes in Clinical Presentation of Covid-19: the EPICOVID19 Web-Based Survey
The burden posed by the Covid-19 pandemic on healthcare systems requires strategies to identify high-risk people in order to better allocate the available health resources and plan targeted care... more
The Diagnosis of Acute Myocarditis in Emergency (DAME) score: improving diagnostics within the emergency department.
Myocarditis is defined as an inflammatory cardiac muscular disease. The etiology is extremely heterogeneous, the causes varying from infective (bacterial, viral, etc) to non-infective (drugs,... more
Impact of the number of comorbidities on cardiac sympathetic derangement in patients with reduced ejection fraction heart failure
Heart failure (HF) is a very prevalent condition associated with high morbidity and mortality rates, thus representing a relevant global health burden. It affects more than 26 million people... more
Cannabis is associated with blood pressure reduction in older adults – A 24-hours ambulatory blood pressure monitoring study
Background: Medical cannabis use is increasing rapidly in the past several years, with older adults being the fastest growing group. Nevertheless, the evidence for cardiovascular safety of cannabis... more
Validity of "Sepsis-3" criteria in identifying patients with community-onset sepsis in Internal Medicine wards; a prospective, multicenter study
Few data are available on the validity of “Sepsis-3” criteria in identifying patients with sepsis in internal medicine wards (IMWs). Real-life data about this topic and on the prevalence of sepsis in... more
Alcoholic liver disease and autoimmune hepatitis: Sometimes a closer look under the surface is needed
Differential diagnosis of autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) incorporates various liver diseases, including alcoholic liver disease (ALD). We report on clinical, laboratory and outcome characteristics of AIH... more
Non-retrieved inferior vena cava filters: causes and long-term follow-up
Inferior vena cava (IVC) filters are implantable devices created to trap thrombi from the lower extremities and prevent clinically significant pulmonary embolism (PE). According to guidelines, the... more
Predictors of mortality among adult, old and the oldest old patients with bloodstream infections: An age comparison
In recent years, incidence of bloodstream infections (BSIs) has been increasing worldwide, with over 1.2 million estimated episodes of BSI per year in Europe and around 600 000 in North America [1].... more
Long-term outcomes of postoperative atrial fibrillation following non cardiac surgery: A systematic review and metanalysis
New-onset atrial fibrillation (AF) in non-cardiac postoperative setting is common and is associated with a high risk of in-hospital mortality and morbidity. The long-term risks of stroke, mortality... more
Lung ultrasonography: A prognostic tool in non-ICU hospitalized patients with COVID-19 pneumonia
From February to March 2020, Italy became the most affected country worldwide by coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Our healthcare system was put under enormous pressure, especially in Lombardia which... more
Prevalence and impact on outcome of sodium and potassium disorders in patients with community-acquired pneumonia: A retrospective analysis
Disorders of serum sodium and potassium are frequently encountered in hospitalized patients and patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) [1, 2].
Cardiac involvement in eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (formerly Churg-Strauss syndrome): Prospective evaluation at a tertiary referral centre
Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) is a rare systemic vasculitis. Cardiac specific involvement (CSI) is caused by coronary artery vasculitis, but also by myocardial eosinophilic... more
The Atrial fibrillation Better Care (ABC) pathway and cardiac complications in atrial fibrillation: a potential sex-based difference. The ATHERO-AF study
An integrated care approach is recommended to optimize management of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). The impact of the Atrial fibrillation Better Care (ABC) pathway on major adverse cardiac... more
Neuraminidase inhibitors are effective and safe in reducing influenza complications: meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Influenza is an infection of variable severity resulting in high accumulated mortality worldwide [1]. Seasonal influenza deaths occur mainly in young children and the elderly, while during influenza... more
Is there excessive troponin testing in clinical practice? Evidence from emergency medical admissions
Troponin assays are a relatively common laboratory diagnostic request in emergency medical admissions. Following cardiac injury these macromolecules diffuse into the cardiac interstitium with... more
Home FIRsT: interdisciplinary geriatric assessment and disposition outcomes in the Emergency Department
With population ageing worldwide, the numbers of older people attending Emergency Departments (ED) continue to increase, which may lead to adverse operational and patient outcomes. [1] Older people... more
Serum levels of C-terminal FGF23 (cFGF23) are associated with 1-year-mortality in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR)
The family of fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) was discovered in 1975 [1] and has since been investigated in numerous scientific studies. The FGFs comprise a group of 22 small polypeptides (... more
Prevalence, risk factors and proteomic bioprofiles associated with heart failure in rheumatoid arthritis: The RA-HF study
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a systemic chronic and progressive inflammatory disease, characterized by persistent synovitis and joint erosion [1]. It affects around 1% of the general population and... more
Review Article
Obesity as an adipose tissue dysfunction disease and a risk factor for infections – Covid-19 as a case study
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS CoV2) disease (COVID-19) is a novel threat that hampers life expectancy especially in obese individuals. Though this association is clinically... more
Non-invasive respiratory support in the treatment of acute hypoxemic respiratory failure secondary to CoViD-19 related pneumonia
While many of the epidemiological aspects and clinical characteristics of CoViD-19 disease have been understood [1-3], little has been clarified regarding the best ventilatory support to offer to... more
Sustainable and personalized nutrition: From earth health to public health
In the difficult times amidst the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, the whole world has become more conscious of the importance of primary and secondary prevention. COVID-19 is already having a triple hit on... more
Multidisciplinary prevention and management strategies for colorectal cancer and cardiovascular disease
Colorectal cancer (CRC) and Cardiovascular disease (CVD) represent leading causes of morbidity and mortality in industrialized countries [1]. While they are typically thought of as separate disease... more
Sweet taste and obesity
Obesity is associated with significant morbidity and mortality, and currently represents a global health challenge[1]. While it is associated with complex pathophysiology, increased availability of... more
Beyond the 2020 guidelines on atrial fibrillation of the European society of cardiology
The history of guidelines began in 1990 when the Institute of Medicine (IOM) published a report defining guidelines as "systematically developed statements to assist practitioner and patient... more
Mechanisms of weight regain.
Obesity is a chronic progressive disease with a high tendency to recidivism. Weight regain is frequent after any attempts of voluntary weight loss [1]. Weight regain is frequently attributed to the... more
Gastroprotection in patients on antiplatelet and/or anticoagulant therapy: a position paper of National Association of Hospital Cardiologists (ANMCO) and the Italian Association of Hospital Gastroenterologists and Endoscopists (AIGO)
Aspirin and P2Y12 receptor antagonists are widely used across the spectrum of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Gastrointestinal complications, including ulcer and bleeding, are relatively... more