March 2023
112 ArticlesNo Section
Intravenous pulse methylprednisolone for the treatment of severe COVID-19
Corticosteroids still represent one of the cornerstone treatment options for subjects hospitalized with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), especially for those suffering from a severe form of the... more
Treatment of recurrent pericarditis in elderly
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Clinical Insights
Clinical pearls and pitfalls of SARS-CoV-2 serology
Although the effort to provide updated and reliable statistics about coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) remains a challenging enterprise due to the ongoing epidemiologic evolution and an almost... more
The relationship between COVID-19 vaccines and increased blood pressure: A word of caution
COVID-19 vaccines substantially changed the course of the pandemic, saving millions of lives on a global scale [1]. According to the latest evidence, 64.85% of the world's population has been fully... more
Commentary
Combination therapy as a first step of treatment in diabetes: Changing the paradigm in KDIGO guidelines?
The use of more than one drug in the initial management of hypertension under certain instances has been recognized as paramount and is featured in several clinical guidelines for high blood pressure... more
The environmental impact of unnecessary imaging: Why less is more
Global warming is a global health crisis of epidemic proportions. As glaciers melt, oceans and rivers rage and catastrophic weather events become more common, it is critical to do all we can to slow... more
Network meta-analysis: A map to navigate the maze of treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma
The treatment landscape of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has become increasingly complex over the past few years [1]. After the decade-long multi-kinase inhibitor (MKI) monopoly of... more
Lung ultrasound must be the first-line image technique in COVID-19 patients
Lung ultrasound (LUS) is a paradigm of Point of Care Ultrasound values. First, it has no “owner” because its use has been developed by different specialties such as Intensive Care Medicine, Emergency... more
De-escalation in intensity or duration of dual antiplatelet therapy in patients with coronary artery disease: More than alternative treatment options
Antithrombotic therapy represents the mainstay of pharmacological treatments in patients with acute or chronic coronary syndrome (CCS) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) [1]. Since... more
Endovascular therapy for basilar occlusion: Is there robust evidence?
The combined rate of mortality and severe disability for patients with acute basilar artery occlusion is as high as 90% [1,2]. Observational studies report that with revascularization therapies this... more
Identifying patients at risk for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension
Patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension represent a subgroup of patients suffering from pulmonary hypertension. The disease is characterized by chronic, non-resolving... more
Antimicrobial stewardship at the emergency department: Dead bugs do not mutate!
Detecting organisms in blood is a key determinant in sepsis management [1] and in optimizing antimicrobial use in hospitalized patients [2]. Conway et al. [3] reported that blood cultures were... more
Ideas and Opinions
General health check-ups: To check or not to check? A question of choosing wisely
In high-income countries, regular general health check-ups are part of the fabric of the health care systems. The hidden concept of general health check-ups, promoted for more than a century, is to... more
Internal Medicine Flashcard
Yellow-Tinted Dialysis Drainage
A 69-year-old woman, with end-stage renal disease and in a hemodialysis program for 11 years, presented to a dialysis treatment center for maintenance hemodialysis without symptoms. We started... more
Peculiar genital lesions
A 25-year-old university student presented with a 3-day history of malaise, sore throat, and one-day history of skin lesions on the penis with isolated lesions on the arms and palms. He has a history... more
A typical but rare cause of hemoptysis
A 51-year-old female patient was admitted to our institution because of abnormal lung shadows that were accidentally found during her health examination. The patient did not experience fever, cough,... more
Bilateral enlarged ovarian masses and hypothyroidism
A 15-year-old female, with irregular menses, presented with a two-week history of abdominal pain and enlargement. She had no past medical history and she was not taking any medications. On clinical... more
A female with left lower limb deep vein thrombosis
A 42-year-old female patient presented to the Emergency Department (ED) for unilateral edema involving the entire left lower limb that had been rapidly progressing in the last 24 h. It was associated... more
Secondary amenorrhoea with absent axillary hair
A 39-year-old female presented with progressive fatigue, extreme tiredness, muscle pain, giddiness and shortness of breath for six months. On further questioning she reported lack of menses for 19... more
Sudden erythematous cutaneous eruption
A 43-year-old male with a history of hypertension, diabetes and obesity (BMI > 55) presented to the Emergency Department with a pruritic palpable rash for several days. It had started suddenly as... more
Eruptive yellowish red papules in a fat youth
A 22-year-old man presented with a 6-week history of generalized asymptomatic papules (Fig. 1A). The rashes were increasing gradually and predominantly distributed on the back and the extensor... more
Hepatobiliary diseases
A 60-year-old woman had been diagnosed with Gallstone five years previously. The patient's symptoms were relieved following anti-inflammatory therapy for one week. She was now admitted to... more
Zosteriform erythematous rash
A 70-years-old male presented with unilateral rash below the right axilla of one-month duration. The patient gave history of cough with shortness of breath for the last two years and pain in the... more
Peculiar form of rapidly progressive pneumonia in healthy man
A healthy 53–years-old male presented to ED with fever and arthralgia for two days. On admission the patient was alert, oriented, febrile; thoracic exam revealed crackles in left basal area. Blood... more
A plaque on the right retropharyngeal wall
A 25-year-old unmarried man was referred because of 1-week history of mildly sore throat, without association of systemic symptoms. He had an oral sex with a man 3 weeks before his presentation. His-... more
Dyspnea with chylothorax: Importance of examining the nails
A previously healthy 53-year-old man presented to our department with 2 months of dyspnea. Lung examination revealed a left-sided pleural effusion confirmed on the chest radiograph (Fig. 1A) and CT... more
Internal Medicine Flashcards
Multiple pulmonary opacities. An alarming sign?
A 60-year-old man with a history of chronic transfusion-dependent β-thalassemia intermedia, splenectomy and secondary hemochromatosis was admitted due to one week of fever and non-respiratory... more
Letter to the Editor
Differences in reporting of adverse drug reactions due to COVID-19 vaccines depending on the reporter
The pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by SARS-CoV-2 provoked the rapid generation and mass production of vaccines against the virus. In this serious situation, the European... more
C-reactive protein level association with future cardiovascular events assessed by different risk scores among rheumatoid arthritis patients
We appreciate the interest of Noriaki Kou and colleagues [1] in our article [2], and we fully agree that beside disease activity, therapies, and systemic inflammation other non-traditional... more
Characteristics and trends of publications in the European Journal of Internal Medicine
Scientific journals play a central role in informing the science and practice of Internal Medicine, in particular through the publication of clinical trials and systematic reviews [1]. The relevancy... more
Clinical outcomes of patients with incident atrial fibrillation diagnosed by cardiologists compared to non-cardiologists
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Therapeutic adherence in hyperlipidemia: When one size doesn't fit all
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Telemedicine in internal medicine: A statement by the European Federation of Internal Medicine.
The World Health Organization defines telemedicine as “the delivery of health care services, where distance is a critical factor, by all health care professionals using information and communication... more
Safety of arterial catheters in internal medicine ward: A new competence for the internist?
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Safety and efficacy of colchicine for the prevention of recurrent atrial fibrillation post-catheter ablation
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Colchicine and mortality outcomes in patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19)
One of the therapeutic hallmarks of the ongoing (COVID-19) pandemic has been the different iterations of successful and sometimes unsuccessful attempts at re-purposing of drugs with pre-existing... more
Treatment of acute alcohol intoxication: The role of metadoxine
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Safety of COVID-19 vaccines: A comparison between adverse drug reactions among vaccines marketed in Europe
The current pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoronaVirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) prompted the rapid production of vaccines against the virus. In view... more
Evolution of the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic: From genomic surveillance to new health needs
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Statistical models to predict clinical outcomes with anakinra vs. tocilizumab treatments for severe pneumonia in COVID19 patients
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Lower risks of incident colorectal cancer in SGLT2i users compared to DPP4i users: A propensity score-matched study with competing risk analysis
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Effectiveness and persistence with selexipag in pulmonary arterial hypertension in the real-life setting
The prostanoid analog epoprostenol, the first approved targeted therapy for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), is also the only one that has shown any benefit for survival vs. placebo in PAH... more
Point of care ultrasound in internal medicine in Portugal – where we are and where we should go?
Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is growing rapidly across a broad span of specialties in Medicine as a whole, worldwide. Further, POCUS is driving a revolution in every aspect of clinical practice [... more
The impact of atrial fibrillation on outcomes in patients hospitalized with COVID-19
Studies have shown that coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) is an independent predictor of incident atrial fibrillation (AF) but the impact of pre-existing AF on the outcomes of patients hospitalized... more
Which events to consider in the study of venous thromboses in pancreatic cancer patients? Authors' reply
We appreciate the comments made by Debourdeau et al. [1] regarding our recent publication “Incidence, risk factors, and evolution of venous thromboembolic events in patients diagnosed with pancreatic... more
Hyperglycemia drives the transition from pre-frailty to frailty: The Monteforte study
Pre-frailty is a condition that precedes frailty; in 2001, Linda Fried and colleagues defined pre-frailty as the presence of 1 or 2 out of the 5 Fried criteria [1]. Hence, pre-frail older adults... more
Anakinra for macrophage activation syndrome
Macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) is a serious, life-threatening, complication, characterized by generalized, multisystem, inflammatory response, which can affect almost every organ system,... more
Characteristics and outcomes of unvaccinated and vaccinated COVID-19 patients with acute respiratory failure treated with CPAP in a medical intermediate care unit
Vaccinations against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have undoubtedly conferred widespread protection against infection worldwide and are strongly associated with prevention of serious illness,... more
Outcomes of patients with cardiac arrest with and without COVID-19 in the United States
Cardiac arrest (CA) remains associated with very high mortality, with only one in ten patients surviving to hospital discharge [1–3]. Over the last three years, the widespread prevalence of COVID-19... more
Treatment efficacy of fecal microbiota-based live biotherapeutics (RBX2660) for the prevention of recurring Clostridioides difficile infection
Dear Editor, A first-in-class microbiota-based live biotherapeutic, originally termed RBX2660, was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), on November 30, 2022 [1]. RBX2660 works by... more
Long-term prognostic capacity of multi-comorbid indices in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
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Risk of obstructive sleep apnea in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
To the editor,
Prognostic value of positive blood cultures and culture results on outcomes in emergency medical admissions
Blood cultures are commonly performed in emergency medical admissions but the extent to which they improve established prognostic algorithms has been infrequently studied [1]. We report on a large... more
Timeline analysis of clinical severity of COVID-19 in the general population
We read with interest the recent article of Giacomelli et al. [1], who showed that the main characteristics of patients hospitalised with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have substantially... more
Trend in the proportion of subjects with SARS-CoV-2 infection without COVID-19 specific symptoms among patients admitted to a COVID-19 referral hospital
The clinical and epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19 gradually changed during different waves [1]. The highly transmissible omicron variant that has globally dominated during 2022 has led to... more
An elevated C-reactive protein level was associated with cardiovascular events among rheumatoid arthritis patients: What's next?
Although the Expanded Cardiovascular Risk Prediction Score for Rheumatoid Arthritis (ERS-RA) is frequently used to estimate cardiovascular risk among rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, it does not... more
Lack of efficacy of Interferon β-1a in COVID-19 patients with mild to moderate pneumonia
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), poses an unprecedented threat for global health. Even in the context of intensified vaccine... more
Hypersensitivity reactions associated with iron isomaltoside and ferric carboxymaltose
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Which events to consider in the study of venous thromboses in pancreatic cancer patients?
The incidence of Venous Thromboembolism (VTE) in patients with pancreatic cancer is high, especially in individuals with locally advanced or metastatic disease treated with chemotherapy, as outlined... more
Hip involvement in familial Mediterranean fever
Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is a monogenic autoinflammatory disorder that is linked to homozygous mutations of the MEFV gene [1]. The field of FMF is expanding as many patients with FMF... more
Aspirin and P2Y12 inhibitors in treating COVID-19
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Endovascular Thrombectomy in Basilar-Artery Occlusion Stroke
Dear Editor;
Non-infectious gastrointestinal manifestations of Good syndrome
Good syndrome is a rare adult-onset immunodeficiency syndrome, typically characterized by thymoma and hypogammaglobulinemia. Its clinical manifestations are highly variable, and concurrent non-... more
The effects of different types of resistance training in patients with coronary artery disease
Exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) reduces all-cause mortality, reinfarction and revascularisation rates, and rehospitalizations for cardiovascular... more
Safety and efficacy of interleukin-1 antagonists in hospitalized patients with COVID-19
the ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) due to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection still represents a major public health concern. Severe COVID-... more
Discordance in perception of disease severity between patient and physicians
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Impact of chronic lung disease on long-term clinical outcomes in patients with venous thromboembolism: From the COMMAND VTE registry
Chronic lung disease (CLD), such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and restrictive lung diseases, has been reported to be a moderate risk factor for the development of venous... more
Fostering the intersection between primary care and hospital: hints from a survey and the PRIME (PRIMary care-hospital Embedding) project
great debate is ongoing in Italy and in other countries about the challenges faced by primary care, among which its reduced efficacy and lack of workforce turnover [1–3]. Some even envisage “the end... more
Prognostic value of clusterin/apolipoprotein J in patients with reperfused ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction
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The management of erythrocytosis during testosterone therapy: A practical approach
Testosterone is the primary sex hormone and anabolic steroid in men. It is a widely used drug which is used by males as an anabolic–androgenic steroid but it is also the cornerstone in treatment of... more
Original Article
Association between cumulative dose of hydroxychloroquine and electrocardiographic abnormalities in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic, multisystemic disease with a variable and potentially severe prognostic course [1]. Antimalarial agents, such as chloroquine (CQ) and, mainly,... more
Association of IgG4-related disease and systemic rheumatic disorders
Autoimmune disorders are the result of largely unknown hypersensitivity reactions. As such, diverse rheumatic conditions with specific clinical manifestations can co-exist in the same individuals... more
Current evidence and clinical utility of phenobarbital for alcohol withdrawal syndrome
Alcohol is the most commonly abused substance in the United States, with an estimated 1.2 million hospital admissions being related to the abuse. Approximately 500,000 episodes of withdrawal symptoms... more
The influence of comorbidities on the prognosis after an acute heart failure decompensation and differences according to ejection fraction: Results from the EAHFE and RICA registries
Heart failure (HF) is highly prevalent in people over the age of 65 years and constitutes a leading cause of hospitalization and death in this population [1,2]. Decompensations are a crucial point in... more
Predictors of relapse in Takayasu arteritis
Takayasu arteritis (TAK) is a chronic systemic large vessel vasculitis characterized by damage to the aorta and its major branches. TAK primarily occurs in young women in Asia, with a male-to-female... more
Hypertriglyceridemia is associated with decline of estimated glomerular filtration rate and risk of end-stage kidney disease in a real-word Italian cohort: Evidence from the TG-RENAL Study
This analysis investigated the role of hypertriglyceridemia on renal function decline and development of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) in a real-world clinical setting.
Temporal relationship between hyperuricemia and hypertension and its impact on future risk of cardiovascular disease
Hyperuricemia and hypertension are important risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD), which is the leading cause of death in China and accounts for more than 40% of all deaths in both rural and... more
Association between cannabis use and ten-year estimated atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk in a middle-aged population survey
Cannabis is the most used illicit drug. There is a worldwide trend to legalize cannabis, therefore, it is important to better understand the health impacts associated with its regular use. Recent... more
Patients with Whipple's disease have a high prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection
Whipple's disease (WD) is a chronic systemic infection due to Tropheryma whipplei (T. whipplei), a Gram-positive rod-shaped bacterium widespread in the environment, characterized by severe... more
High prevalence of incidental endoscopic findings at routine endoscopy after atrial fibrillation ablation: Do we need a screening endoscopy for the upper gastrointestinal tract in the general population?
Atrial fibrillation (AF) represents the most common cardiac arrhythmia. It is associated with a 1.5- to 3.5-fold increase in mortality in conjunction with accompanying heart failure and other... more
Risk factors for recurrence and major bleeding in patients with cancer-associated venous thromboembolism
Cancer and venous thromboembolism (VTE), which includes deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), are linked by a two-way association [1]. On one hand, 15–20% of patients who are... more
Mortality and causes of death in systemic lupus erythematosus over the last decade: Data from a large population-based study
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex, severe autoimmune disease which can potentially lead to life-threatening manifestations and therapy-associated complications. Common causes of death... more
Serum uric acid variation and the risk of cardiovascular disease: A prospective cohort study
Serum uric acid (SUA) is an end product of purine nucleotide catabolism arising from endogenous and exogenous sources [1,2]. The SUA levels are rigorously controlled by the balance between SUA... more
Prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in a multicentre cohort of people living with HIV in Spain.
Since the beginning of the history of HIV infection, liver disease has been one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality in people living with HIV (PLWH) [1]. Even though the emergence of the... more
Functional outcome after cardiac rehabilitation and its association with survival in heart failure across the spectrum of ejection fraction
Heart failure (HF) is an increasingly prevalent clinical syndrome and a major cause of cardiovascular mortality and morbidity [1,2]. Functional disability and loss of independence are hallmark... more
The environmental cost of unwarranted variation in the use of magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scans
Pollution and related climate changes have a major impact on global health. In 2015 pollution accounted for an estimated 9 million premature deaths and 16% of all deaths globally [1,2]. Humanity is... more
Trends in prevalence and all-cause mortality of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease among adults in the past three decades: Results from the NHANES study
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a major cause of chronic liver disease, with an overall prevalence of 25%–32.4% worldwide, imposing a considerable health and economic burden [1,2]. Given... more
Circulating GDF-15 in relation to the progression and prognosis of chronic kidney disease: A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) has been a health problem worldwide that is characterized by the high incidence, poor prognosis, and large healthcare cost [1]. Since CKD has insidious onset and atypical... more
Higher diagnostic yield of 18F-FDG PET in inflammation of unknown origin compared to fever of unknown origin
18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (18F-FDG PET) imaging often plays an important role in the workup of fever of unknown origin (FUO) and inflammation of unknown origin (IUO),... more
The efficacy and safety of tacrolimus in patients with dermatomyositis/polymyositis: A meta-analysis and systematic review
Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs) are a group of autoimmune inflammatory muscle disorders characterized by muscle weakness and multisystem involvement, especially in skin and lungs.... more
Comparison of missed adenomas in deep-sedated and unsedated colonoscopy: A multicenter retrospective study
According to the Global Cancer Report 2020, colorectal cancer ranks third in incidence and second in mortality of cancer-related diseases worldwide [1]. Colonoscopy is currently considered the gold... more
Patterns of immunosuppressive drug use during pregnancy in women with systemic vasculitis: A nationwide population-based cohort study
Systemic vasculitis are characterized by inflammation of the vessel wall, classified according to clinical, biological and histological criteria [1]. Systemic vasculitis can be severe and even life-... more
Competences of internal medicine specialists for the management of patients with multimorbidity. EFIM multimorbidity working group position paper
By 2060, the number of Europeans above age 65 is projected to increase from 88 to 153 million [1]. In consequence, the true challenge for European health care systems is to prepare for this... more
Active fluid de-resuscitation in critically ill patients with septic shock: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Adequate initial fluid resuscitation
The clinical presentation of syncope influences the head-up tilt test responses
The nitroglycerin (NTG) potentiated head-up tilt test (HUTT) positivity rate was about 1.5 times higher in patients with classical vasovagal (VVS) compared to those with non-classical VVS. The higher... more
Is the steady-state concentration, duration of action, or molecular weight of GLP-1RA associated with cardiovascular and renal outcomes in type 2 diabetes?
Patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) suffer from a higher risk of cardiovascular events and renal events, which are strongly associated with morality [1–3]. The novel anti-hyperglycemic agent,... more
Associations of relative fat mass, a new index of adiposity, with type-2 diabetes in the general population
Associations of adiposity measures with incident type-2 diabetes in the total population and across multiple age categories. Adiposity indices were standardized sex specifically. Abbreviations: RFM,... more
Dual immune checkpoint inhibitors or combined with anti-VEGF agents in advanced, unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma
Hepatocellular carcinoma is a worldwide common cancer with the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death [1,2]. Although the surgical resection, radiofrequency ablation or liver transplantation... more
Impact of adherence to EULAR quality indicators on the quality of life of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease with a wide range of manifestations affecting health-related quality of life [1]. In recent years recommendations have been... more
The effect of sex inequality on solid organ transplantation: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Solid organ transplantation (SOT) is the preferred treatment option for patients with end-stage diseases [1]. The prognosis of these patients is influenced by many factors such as infection [2],... more
Efficacy of endovascular therapy for basilar and vertebral artery occlusion: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
The best management for acute basilar artery occlusion (BAO) has increasingly been clarified by recent randomized controlled trials (RCTs). We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs... more
Cardiovascular outcomes and mortality after incident ischaemic stroke in patients with a recent cancer history
Evidence from previous studies suggests a relationship between ischaemic stroke and cancer such that 1 in 10 patients with ischaemic stroke has been shown to have comorbid cancer [1–3]. The most... more
Role of anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha agents in treatment of sarcoidosis: A meta-analysis
Sarcoidosis is a chronic multisystem inflammatory disorder characterized by noncaseating granulomas. The exact etiology and underlying mechanisms of sarcoidosis have not been fully elucidated. It is... more
Long-term lung ultrasound follow-up in patients after COVID-19 pneumonia hospitalization: A prospective comparative study with chest computed tomography
From December 2019, the medical scenario has been characterized by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic that put a strain on the healthcare systems all around the world. Human-to-human aerosol transmission as... more
Review Article
Metabolically healthy obesity: Misleading phrase or healthy phenotype?
A tripling of obesity in the last 50 years has resulted in more than 650 million individuals being obese worldwide [1],[2]. Obesity is associated with several important non-communicable diseases... more
Current and future options in cholesterol lowering treatments
The relative risk reduction of cardiovascular events is proportional to the absolute reduction in LDL-C levels, the primary target of therapy, no matter the way of reduction. During the last decades... more
Antiphospholipid antibodies in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension
Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a chronic progressive condition characterized by an increase of mean pulmonary artery pressure above 25 mmHg at rest. Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (... more
How low should blood pressure be in patients with chronic coronary and cerebrovascular diseases
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) represents the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. More than 18 million deaths are attributed to CVD in 2019 while the global trends for disability-... more
Pathophysiology of cough with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors: How to explain within-class differences?
Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi) are largely used for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular and renal diseases [1]. The rationale supporting the use of ACEi is based on... more
De-escalation of antiplatelet therapy in patients with coronary artery disease: Time to change our strategy?
Since more than two decades, dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) with aspirin and a P2Y12 receptor inhibitor is considered the gold standard for patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) as well as... more
The spike effect of acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 and coronavirus disease 2019 vaccines on blood pressure
Data accrued over the last 2 years reported that specific comorbidities are associated with increased risk of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and worse... more
Reshaping care in the aftermath of the pandemic. Implications for cardiology health systems
Since the COVID-19 pandemic commenced more than two years ago, it has taken the lives of more than six million people around the globe [1]. In parallel with high mortality rates, health care delivery... more