Minerva medica
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Recently, transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has emerged as established standard treatment for symptomatic severe aortic stenosis, providing an effective, less-invasive alternative to open cardiac surgery for inoperable or high-risk older patients. In order to assess the anticipated benefit of aortic replacement, considerable interest now lies in better identifying factors likely to predict outcome. In the elderly population frailty and medical comorbidities have been shown to significantly predict mortality, functional recovery and quality of life after transcatheter aortic valve replacement. ⋯ Several dedicated risk score have been proposed to provide new insights into predicted "futile" outcome. However, assessment of frailty according to a limited number of variables is not sufficient, while a multi-dimensional geriatric assessment significantly improves risk prediction. A multidisciplinary heart team that includes geriatricians can allow the customization of therapeutic interventions in elderly patients to optimise care and avoid futility.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Nutrition program, physical activity and gut microbiota modulation: a randomized controlled trial to promote a healthy lifestyle in students with vitamin D3 deficiency.
University students are a high-risk group for stress, consumption of junk food and significant weight gain over a short period. Inadequate vitamin D intake has been linked to many health issues, including chronic headache, apathy, aggression and depression. Furthermore, vitamin D deficiency led to dysbiosis of the gut microbiota. The purpose of our study was to estimate the effect of 90-days healthy lifestyle programs along with gut microbiota modulation in university students with vitamin D
3 deficiency. ⋯ Nutrition program, physical activity, vitamin D3 intake and gut microbiota modulation led to both the improvement in vitamin D levels in serum and emotional harmonization. -
Cardiac involvement significantly contributes to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) mortality.12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) represents a fast, cheap, and easy to perform exam with the adjunctive advantage of the remote reporting possibility. In this study, we sought to investigate if electrocardiographic parameters can identify patients, deemed at low-risk at admission, who will face in-hospital unfavorable course. ⋯ Our study demonstrated for the first time that RBBB and PRWP, assessed upon admission with ECG, are associated with unfavorable clinical course in a baseline low-risk population hospitalized for COVID-19.