An overview of sport participation and exercise prescription in mitral valve disease

The incidence of heart valve disease (HVD) has been rising over the last few decades, mainly due to the increasing average age of the general population, and mitral valve (MV) disease is the second most prevalent HVD after calcific aortic stenosis, but MV disease is a heterogeneous group of different pathophysiological diseases. It is widely proven that regular physical activity reduces all-cause mortality rates, and exercise prescription is part of the medical recommendations for patients affected by cardiovascular diseases. However, changes in hemodynamic balance during physical exercise (including the increase in heart rate, preload, or afterload) could favor the progression of the MV disease and potentially trigger major cardiac events. In young patients with HVD, it is therefore important to define criteria for allowing competitive sport or exercise prescription, balancing the positive effects as well as the potential risks. This review focuses on mitral valve disease pathophysiology, diagnosis, risk stratification, exercise prescription, and competitive sport participation selection, and offers an overview of the principal mitral valve diseases with the aim of encouraging physicians to embody exercise in their daily practice when appropriate

Very slightly anomalous leakage of CO2, CH4 and radon along the main activated faults of the strong L’Aquila earthquake (Magnitude 6.3, Italy). Implications for risk assessment monitoring tools & public acceptance of CO2 and CH4 underground storage.

The 2009-2010 L'Aquila seismic sequence is still slightly occurring along the central Apenninic Belt (August 2010), spanning more than one year period. The main- shock (Mw 6.3) occurred on April 6th at 1:32 (UTC). The earthquake was destructive and caused among 300 casualties. The hypocenter has been located at 42.35°N, 13.38° at a depth of around 10 km. The main shock was preceded by a long seismic sequence starting several months before (i.e., March, 30, 2009 with Mw 4.1; April, 5 with Mw 3.9 and Mw 3.5, a few hours before the main shock). A lot of evidences stress the role of deep fluids porepressure evolution – possibly CO2 or brines - as occurred in the past, along seismically activated segments in Apennines. Our geochemical group started to survey the seismically activated area soon after the main-shock, by sampling around 1000 soil gas points and around 80 groundwater points (springs and wells, sampled on monthly basis still ongoing), to help in understanding the activated fault segments geometry and behaviour, as well as leakage patterns at surface (CO2, CH4, Radon and other geogas as He, H2, N2, H2S, O2, etc...), in the main sector of the activated seismic sequence, not far from a deep natural CO2 reservoir underground (termomethamorphic CO2 from carbonate diagenesis), degassing at surface only over the Cotilia-Canetra area, 20 km NW from the seismically activated area. The work highlighted that geochemical measurements on soils are very powerful to discriminate the activated seismogenic segments at surface, their jointing belt, as well as co-seismic depocenter of deformation. Mostly where the measured “threshold” magnitude of earthquakes (around 6), involve that the superficial effects could be absent or masked, our geochemical method demonstrated to be strategic, and we wish to use these methods in CO2 analogues/CO2 reservoir studies abroad, after done in Weyburn. The highlighted geochemical -slight but clear- anomalies are, in any case, not dangerous for the human health and keep away the fear around the CO2-CH4 bursts or explosions during strong earthquakes, as the L'Aquila one, when these gases are stored naturally/industrially underground in the vicinity (1-2 km deep). These findings are not new for these kind of Italian seismically activated faults and are very useful for the CO2- CH4 geological storage public acceptance: not necessarily (rarely or never) these geogas escape abruptly from underground along strongly activated faults

Contact-force monitoring increases accuracy of right ventricular voltage mapping avoiding "false scar" detection in patients with no evidence of structural heart disease

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The Impact of Olive Oil and Mediterranean Diet on the Prevention of Cardiovascular Diseases

The Mediterranean diet has a lot of health benefits but especially because it lowers the incidence of cardiovascular diseases. It has been shown that food components, certain nutrients and the pattern of the diet lowers the risk of several diseases such as diabetes, certain cancers, obesity, respiratory disorders, mental health and cognitive decline, bone diseases (osteoarthritis), healthy aging and quality of life among more others. It has been concluded from studying the mechanism responsible for lowering these risks that food combinations, food nutrients, presence of non-nutritive substances, lifestyles habits and the cooking techniques all together make the Mediterranean dietary pattern into a tool that can not only prevent but can also be used as a way of treatment for these medical ailments. As part of the essential dietary fat, consumption of extra virgin olive oil is the main feature of Mediterranean diet. Olive oil is noted to have anti-bacterial characteristics, involved in improving the endothelial function in young females, and is hypothesized to have epigenetic effects interplay offering protection from cancers due to the presence of beneficial monounsaturated fats. The presence of antioxidants contributes to the inflammation protecting properties of the olive oil. Olive oil has high quantities of antioxidants and offers numerous benefits for cardiovascular health, such as protection of LDL from oxidation and lowering of the high blood pressure as well as offers protection from diabetes mellitus. The Mediterranean diet and the Olive oil consumption also have a fundamental impact in secondary prevention, such as in patients with atrial fibrillation that underwent catheter ablation