The Influence of Oxidative Stress-Related Factors on Pregnancy and Neonatal Outcomes

Background: Pregnancy is a physiological process associated with an excessive oxidative stress for both the mother and the neonate. Oxidative stress was extensively studied and is still in focus as a factor of maternal pathologies during pregnancy, with consequences on the outcome of the neonate

Finite Element Analysis of Normal and Dysplastic Hip Joints in Children

From a surgical point of view, quantification cannot always be achieved in the developmental deformity in hip joints, but finite element analysis can be a helpful tool to compare normal joint architecture with a dysplastic counterpart. CT scans from the normal right hip of an 8-year-old boy and the dysplastic left hip of a 12-year-old girl were used to construct our geometric models. In a three-dimensional model construction, distinctions were made between the cortical bone, trabecular bone, cartilage, and contact nonlinearities of the hip joint. The mathematical model incorporated the consideration of the linear elastic and isotropic properties of bony tissue in children, separately for the cortical bone, trabecular bone, and articular cartilage. Hexahedral elements were used in Autodesk Inventor software version 2022 (“Ren”) for finite element analysis of the two hips in the boundary conditions of the single-leg stance. In the normal hip joint on the cartilaginous surfaces of the acetabulum, we found a kidney-shaped stress distribution in a 471,672 mm2 area. The measured contact pressure values were between 3.0 and 4.3 MPa. In the dysplastic pediatric hip joint on a patch of 205,272 mm2 contact area, the contact pressure values reached 8.5 MPa. Furthermore, the acetabulum/femur head volume ratio was 20% higher in the dysplastic hip joint. We believe that the knowledge gained from the normal and dysplastic pediatric hip joints can be used to develop surgical treatment methods and quantify and compare the efficiency of different surgical treatments used in children with hip dysplasia

Finite Element Analysis of Various Osteotomies Used in the Treatment of Developmental Hip Dysplasia in Children

Late-discovered developmental hip dysplasia deformities often necessitate complex surgical treatments and meticulous preoperative planning. The selection of osteotomies is contingent upon the patient’s age and the specific structural deformity of the hip. In our anatomical hip model, derived from the data of a 12-year-old patient, we performed virtual osteotomies that are commonly recommended for such cases. We precisely constructed geometric models for various osteotomies, including the Dega, Pemberton, Tönnis, Ganz, Chiari pelvic, and Pauwels femoral osteotomies. We employed Autodesk Inventor for the finite element analysis of the hip joint and the corrective osteotomies. In comparing one-stage osteotomies, we noted that the Dega and Ganz pelvic osteotomies, especially when combined with the Pauwels femoral osteotomy, yielded the most favorable outcomes. These combinations led to enhanced femoral head coverage and reduced intra-articular pressure. Furthermore, we calculated the femoral head-to-acetabulum volume ratio for both the Dega and Pauwels osteotomies. The encouraging results we obtained advocate for the integration of finite element analysis in virtual osteotomies of the pelvis and femur as a preoperative tool in the management of developmental hip dysplasia

The Management of COVID-19-Related Coagulopathy: A Focus on the Challenges of Metabolic and Vascular Diseases

The course of COVID-19 is highly dependent on the associated cardiometabolic comorbidities of the patient, which worsen the prognosis of coronavirus infection, mainly due to systemic inflammation, endothelium dysfunction, and thrombosis. A search on the recent medical literature was performed in five languages, using the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, and Google Scholar databases, for the review of data regarding the management of patients with a high risk for severe COVID-19, focusing on the associated coagulopathy. Special features of COVID-19 management are presented, based on the underlying conditions (obesity, diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular diseases), emphasizing the necessity of a modern, holistic approach to thromboembolic states. The latest findings regarding the most efficient therapeutic approaches are included in the article, offering guidance for medical professionals in severe, complicated cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection. We can conclude that severe COVID-19 is closely related to vascular inflammation and intense cytokine release leading to hemostasis disorders. Overweight, hyperglycemia, cardiovascular diseases, and old age are important risk factors for severe outcomes of coronavirus infection, involving a hypercoagulable state. Early diagnosis and proper therapy in complicated SARS-CoV-2-infected cases could reduce mortality and the need for intensive care during hospitalization in patients with cardiometabolic comorbidities

Relationship between Nutrition, Lifestyle Habits and Laboratory Parameters in Hypertensive Patients with/without Cognitive Dysfunction

(1) Background: Cognitive dysfunction is a major concern in hypertensive patients. Lifestyle habits and nutrition influence laboratory parameters, with an impact on clinical course. The objective of the study was to evaluate nutrition and lifestyle habits in hypertensive patients with/without cognitive dysfunction and establish correlations to laboratory parameters. Material and Methods: 50 patients admitted to the Cardiovascular Rehabilitation Clinic in Târgu Mureș were enrolled in this study between March–June 2021. We evaluated their cognitive function, and they filled in a questionnaire about lifestyle and nutrition. Biochemical blood tests were performed using a Konelab Prime 60i analyzer. IBM-SPSS22 and GraphPad InStat3 were used for statistics. Results: Mean age of hypertensive patients (n = 50) was 70.42 ± 4.82 (SD) years, half of them had cognitive dysfunction. Zinc deficiency was present in 74% of the subjects. The subgroup with cognitive dysfunction had significantly higher BMI (p = 0.009) and microalbuminuria (p = 0.0479), as well as significantly lower magnesium intake (p = 0.032) and cholesterol intake (p = 0.022), compared to those with normal cognitive status. Conclusions: Nutrition is in a close relationship with laboratory parameters; significant differences (microalbuminuria, cholesterol intake, BMI, etc.) are present between hypertensive patients with/without cognitive dysfunction. A healthy diet is important for the maintenance of metabolic balance, the achievement of optimal body weight, and the prevention of complications

Cardiovascular Effects of Herbal Products and Their Interaction with Antihypertensive Drugs—Comprehensive Review

Hypertension is a highly prevalent population-level disease that represents an important risk factor for several cardiovascular complications and occupies a leading position in mortality statistics. Antihypertensive therapy includes a wide variety of drugs. Additionally, the potential antihypertensive and cardioprotective effects of several phytotherapy products have been evaluated, as these could also be a valuable therapeutic option for the prevention, improvement or treatment of hypertension and its complications. The present review includes an evaluation of the cardioprotective and antihypertensive effects of garlic, Aloe vera, green tea, Ginkgo biloba, berberine, ginseng, Nigella sativa, Apium graveolens, thyme, cinnamon and ginger, and their possible interactions with antihypertensive drugs. A literature search was undertaken via the PubMed, Google Scholar, Embase and Cochrane databases. Research articles, systematic reviews and meta-analyses published between 2010 and 2023, in the English, Hungarian, and Romanian languages were selected