Oral Anticoagulants Preference in Hospitalized Patients with Acute Deep Vein Thrombosis or Non-Valvular Atrial Fibrillation.

(1) Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the preferences of oral anticoagulants (OA) in patients diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) of lower limbs or non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF) requiring anticoagulation for medium/long term. (2) Materials and methods: the study included consecutive patients admitted with a diagnosis of either acute DVT of lower limbs (without signs of pulmonary embolism) or non-valvular AF who required oral anticoagulation, in a time frame of 18 months from January 2017 until June 2018. The following data were recorded: demographic variables, comorbidities (ischemic heart disease, arterial hypertension, heart failure, stroke, peripheral artery disease, diabetes mellitus, obesity), type and dose of OA (acenocoumarol, dabigatran, apixaban, rivaroxaban), complications due to the use of OA. (3) Results: AF patients were older and had considerably more cardiovascular comorbidities than DVT patients. Vitamin K antagonists (VKA) were more likely to be administered in patients with AF, as they had indication for indefinite anticoagulation. VKA were more frequently prescribed in patients with ischemic heart disease, heart failure, and diabetes compared with DVT patients. Moreover, complications related to OA use were more frequent in the VKA group. Almost half of patients with acute DVT (48.5%) were treated with direct OA (DOAC) rather than VKA, and only a quarter of AF patients (24.8%) were treated with DOACs.

The Effects of Flavonoids in Cardiovascular Diseases.

Flavonoids are metabolites of plants and fungus. Flavonoid research has been paid special attention to in recent times after the observation of their beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system. These favorable effects are exerted by flavonoids mainly due to their antioxidant properties, which result from the ability to decrease the oxidation of low-density lipoproteins, thus improving the lipid profiles. The other positive effect exerted on the cardiovascular system is the ability of flavonoids to produce vasodilation and regulate the apoptotic processes in the endothelium. Researchers suggested that these effects, including their anti-inflammatory function, are consequences of flavonoids' potent antioxidant properties, but recent studies have shown multiple signaling pathways linked to them, thus suggesting that there are more mechanisms involved in the beneficial effect of the flavonoids on the human body. This review aims to present the latest data on the classification of these substances, their main mechanisms of action in the human body, and the beneficial effects on the physiological and pathological status of the cardiovascular system.