How cardiologists can manage excess body weight and related cardiovascular risk. An expert opinion

Obesity is an important independent cardiovascular (CV) risk factor and a chronic inflammatory disease related to the development of insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, dyslipidaemia, coronary artery disease, hypertension, heart failure, atrial fibrillation and obstructive sleep apnoea. Body Mass Index (BMI) values >27 kg/m2 are associated with an exponential increase in the risk for Major Adverse Cardiac Events (MACE). On the other hand, weight reduction can significantly reduce metabolic, CV and oncological risk. Orlistat, bupropion/naltrexone, liraglutide and semaglutide, combined with lifestyle changes, have proven to be effective in weight loss; the last two have been tested in randomized clinical trials (RCTs) with CV outcomes only in diabetic patients, and not in obese patients. To fill a fundamental gap of knowledge, the SELECT trial on patients with obesity and CV disease treated with semaglutide is ongoing, aiming at MACE as the primary endpoint. The battle against the social and clinical stigma towards obesity must be counteracted by promoting an awareness that elevates obesity to a complex chronic disease. Several actions should be implemented to improve the management of obesity, and cardiologists have a key role for achieving a global approach to patients with excess weight also through the correct implementation of available treatment strategies

Left ventricular assist device and transcatheter edge-to-edge mitral valve repair in advanced heart failure: allies or enemies?

The implantation of left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) has been increasing, with good long-term results, in parallel with a growing population with advanced heart failure (HF). However, in some European countries, LVADs are still underused, with one of the main issues being the patient's late referral. On the contrary, the use of transcatheter edge-to-edge mitral valve repair (TEER) has exponentially increased over the past decade, expanding its potential use even in patients on the heart transplantation waiting list. Even though the study populations of the main trials that investigated the prognostic impact of LVAD and TEER are different, in clinical practice a clear distinction might not be so clear. Therefore, patients with refractory HF symptoms and significant mitral regurgitation should be thoroughly evaluated through a multidisciplinary Heart Team meeting with both an advanced HF specialist and interventional cardiologist, to avoid futile procedures and to define the optimal timing for advanced HF therapies, when they are indicated. We analyzed the main available studies and registries on both TEERs and LVADs and we compared their populations and outcomes, to provide the current evidence on the use of LVAD and TEER in the HF population, especially in the light of the recently released 5-year follow-up results, giving some insights on the Italian situation, and finally to stress the importance of a solid HF network between hospitals, aiming for advanced HF patients' timely referral for LVAD or heart transplants

“Il Corpo Ritrovato”: Dermocosmetological Skin Care Project for the Oncologic Patient

Neoplastic disease and its therapeutic options have a huge impact on the patient's quality of life from both the emotional and the working point of view. The project “Il Corpo Ritrovato” aims at creating an interdisciplinary network of physicians to improve the quality of life of the oncologic patient, focusing on such important aspects as dermocosmetological skin care but also on the evaluation of new therapeutic and diagnostic algorithms in order to make further progress in the field of prevention

Novel echocardiographic techniques to assess left atrial size, anatomy and function

Three-dimensional echocardiography (3DE) and speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) have recently applied as imaging techniques to accurately evaluate left atrial (LA) size, anatomy and function. 3DE and off-line quantification softwares, have allowed, in comparison to magnetic resonance imaging, the most time-efficient and accurate method of LA volume quantification. STE provides a non-Doppler, angle-independent and objective quantification of LA myocardial deformation. Data regarding feasibility, accuracy and clinical applications of LA analysis by 3DE and STE are rapidly gathering. This review describes the fundamental concepts of LA 3DE and STE, illustrates how to obtain respective measurements and discuss their recognized and emerging clinical applications

Ventricular-vascular coupling in hypertension: methodological considerations and clinical implications

The present review is addressed to analyse the complex interplay between left ventricle and arterial tree in hypertension. The different methodological approaches to the analysis of ventricular vascular coupling in the time and frequency domain are discussed. Moreover, the role of hypertension-related changes of arterial structure and function (stiffness and wave reflection) on arterial load and how ventricular-vascular coupling modulates the process of left ventricular adaptation to hypertension are analysed.The different interplay between vascular bed and left ventricle emerges as the pathophysiological basis for the development of the multiple patterns of ventricular structural adaptation in hypertension and provides a pathway for the interpretation of systolic and diastolic functional abnormalities observed in hypertensive patients. Targeting the therapeutic approach to improve ventricular-vascular coupling may have relevant impact on reversing left ventricular hypertrophy and improving systolic and diastolic dysfunctio

Pathophysiologic risk stratification of chronic heart failure: coexisting left atrial and right ventricular damage and the role of pulmonary circulation

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Background in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) the chronic increase of filling pressures progressively involves left atrium (LA), pulmonary circulation (PC) and right ventricle (RV), leading to worse outcome. Purpose we investigated the prognostic impact of either isolate LA impairment, RV dysfunction combined with pulmonary hypertension, or both, in HFrEF, using basic and advanced echocardiography. Methods 106 outpatients with HFrEF were enrolled. Exclusion criteria were primary lung disease, non-sinus rhythm, previous cardiac surgery, poor acoustic window. Clinical examination and basic echocardiography were performed. Speckle tracking analysis was used to measure peak atrial longitudinal strain (PALS) and a new marker of interaction between RV and PC: absolute free wall RV longitudinal strain(fwRVLS)/systolic pulmonary artery pressure(sPAP). Patients were followed for all-cause or cardiovascular death and heart failure (HF) hospitalization. Results of 84 eligible patients [mean age: 60.1 ± 11.5; 82% male, mean left ventricular ejection fraction (LV EF) 28 ± 5%], 48 reached the combined endpoint. Population was divided into 3 groups: Group 1 [PALS≥15 and fwRVLS/sPAP ≤ 0.5]; Group 2 [PALS ≤ 15 and fwRVLS/sPAP ≤ 0.5 or PALS≥15 and fwRVLS/sPAP≥0.5]; Group 3 [PALS ≤ 15 and fwRVLS/sPAP≥0.5]. Mean follow-up was 3.5 ± 0.3years. The increasing severity groups were associated with higher LA volume index (LAVI), New York Heart Association (NYHA) class, mitral regurgitation (MR) and tricuspid regurgitation (TR) grades, lower LV EF, LV global longitudinal strain (GLS), PALS, tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE), sPAP, fwRVLS and global RVLS(p < 0.0001). Reduced PALS and fwRVLS/sPAP were independent predictors of NYHA > 2 at univariate and multivariate analysis adjusted for age, sex, LV EF, and of any events with adjusted Cox models (Table 1). Kaplan-Meier curves showed a clear divergence between the groups for the prediction of the combined endpoint (Fig.1), cardiovascular death and HF hospitalization. Conclusions the combination of LA and RV damage could represent the transition point to end-stage HF, with considerably worse prognosis. Its assessment with PALS and fwRVLS/sPAP could help risk stratification of HFrEF patients in order to provide early treatment. Table 1 Unadjusted hazard ratio [95% CI] Adjusted for GLS hazard ratio [95% CI] Adjusted for GLS, LAVi, TR, RVFAC hazard ratio [95% CI] Group 3 vs 1 10.61 [4.16-27.06], p < 0.0001 10.24 [3.49-30.02], p < 0.0001 9.54 [2.95-30.92], p = 0.0002 Group 3 vs 2 3.90 [1.92-7.93], p = 0.0002 3.82 [1.74-8.36], p = 0.0008 3.78 [1.66-8.61], p = 0.002 Group 2 vs 1 2.72 [1.03-7.20], p = 0.04 2.69 [0.99-7.25], p = 0.05 2.53 [0.84-7.58], p = 0.1 CI, confidence interval; EF, ejection fraction; GLS, global longitudinal strain;LAVI, left atrial volume index; MR, mitral regurgitation, TR, tricuspid regurgitation Abstract Figure. Fig.

ELMOD3-SH2D6 gene fusion as a possible co-star actor in autism spectrum disorder scenario

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a group of neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by high heritability. It is known that genetic factors contribute to ASD pathogenesis. In particular, copy number variants (CNVs) are involved in ASD susceptibility and can affect gene expression regulation. 2p11.2 microdeletions encompassing ELMOD3, CAPG and SH2D6 genes have been described in four unrelated ASD families. The present study revealed that this microdeletion is responsible for the production of a chimeric transcript generated from the fusion between ELMOD3 and SH2D6. The identified transcript showed significantly higher expression levels in subjects carrying the deletion compared to control subjects, suggesting that it is not subjected to nonsense-mediated decay and might encode for a chimeric protein. In conclusion, this study suggests the possible involvement of this gene fusion, together with the other previously identified variants, in ASD

Functional Progression in Patients with Interstitial Lung Disease Resulted Positive to Antisynthetase Antibodies: A Multicenter, Retrospective Analysis

Antisynthetase syndrome (ASSD) is a rare autoimmune disease characterized by serologic positivity for antisynthetase antibodies. Anti-Jo1 is the most frequent, followed by anti PL-7, anti PL-12, anti EJ, and anti OJ antibodies. The lung is the most frequently affected organ, usually manifesting with an interstitial lung disease (ILD), which is considered the main determinant of prognosis. Some evidences suggest that non-anti-Jo-1 antibodies may be associated with more severe lung involvement and possibly with poorer outcomes, while other authors do not highlight differences between anti-Jo1 and other antisynthetase antibodies. In a multicenter, retrospective, "real life" study, we compared lung function tests (LFTs) progression in patients with ILD associated with anti-Jo1 and non-anti-Jo1 anti-synthetase antibodies to assess differences in lung function decline between these two groups. Therefore, we analyzed a population of 57 patients (56% anti-Jo1 positive), referred to the outpatient Clinic of four referral Centers in Italy (Modena, Monza, Siena, and Trieste) from 2008 to 2019, with a median follow-up of 36 months. At diagnosis, patients showed a mild ventilatory impairment and experienced an improvement of respiratory function during treatment. We did not observe statistically significant differences in LFTs at baseline or during follow-up between the two groups. Moreover, there were no differences in demographic data, respiratory symptoms onset (acute vs. chronic), extrapulmonary involvement, treatment (steroid and/or another immunosuppressant), or oxygen supplementation. Our study highlights the absence of differences in pulmonary functional progression between patients positive to anti-Jo-1 vs. non anti-Jo-1 antibodies, suggesting that the type of autoantibody detected in the framework of ASSD does not affect lung function decline