The Interplay between Conventional Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Health-Related Quality of Life in a Cohort of Working Young and Middle-Aged Adults: A Prospective Study.

Psychosocial and work stress, socioeconomic status, and environmental health directly impact the onset and progression of cardiovascular diseases, irrespective of sex or conventional cardiovascular risk factors (cCRFs). On the other hand, the impact of cCRFs on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is not well known, and the psychological socioeconomic environmental somatic health interaction is often neglected. Accordingly, we aimed to: (i) compare the self-reported HRQoL using the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire between healthy subjects and those with cCRFs; and (ii) evaluate the interplay between HRQoL, cCRFs, and cardiovascular treatment adherence. We prospectively included 90 working adults (46 healthy and 44 with cCRFs age- and sex-matched adults) evaluated by clinical examination, 12-leads electrocardiography, and transthoracic echocardiography as part of a cardiovascular diseases screening program, that also filled in the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire. Subjects with CRFs were less satisfied with their own individual health. The presence and the number of CRFs, as well as the need for cardiovascular treatment and the number of drugs taken correlated with reduced scores at the majority of HRQoL domains. The results in the social relationships domain were the best predictor of cardiovascular treatment adherence. Finally, the results of all HRQoL domains were strongly correlated to each other demonstrating the psychological socioeconomic environmental somatic health interaction.

Antiplatelet therapy in secondary ischemic stroke prevention - a short review.

Platelets play an essential role in atherothrombosis and for this reason they are the primary target of antithrombotic therapy in ischemic stroke. We discussed here the evidence for efficacy and safety of current knowledge in antiplatelet therapy for stroke prevention after an acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack. After an acute episode, long-term antithrombotic therapy is essential for the secondary prevention of stroke recurrence and complications. Antiplatelet therapy for acute ischemic stroke (non-cardioembolic) or ischemic stroke consists of three antiplatelet drugs, in accordance with Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from the USA and also with the Guidelines published by the American Heart Association (AHA) and nevertheless with the Guidelines of the American Stroke Association (ASA), in 2014, for preventing vascular events, such as stroke. These are aspirin, clopidogrel and dipyridamole. Moreover, recent randomized clinical trials and the last Guidelines for stroke of AHA∕ASA, in 2018, also mention ticagrelor. All of these antiplatelet therapies, besides inhibiting acute arterial thrombosis, also interfere with physiological hemostasis. In conclusion, we can say that current recommendations focused primarily on the therapy with aspirin for the secondary prevention of stroke in patients that presented vascular events, such as ischemic stroke of non-cardioembolic cause or transient ischemic attack and, as appropriate, aspirin plus dipyridamol or clopidogrel. The new therapy with ticagrelor in secondary stroke prevention seems to be promising, but more randomized clinical trials are needed to accurately assess the safety and efficacy of this new antiplatelet drug.

A rare cause of ischemic stroke: cardiac myxoma. Case report and review of literature.

A 46-year-old female diagnosed several years ago with arterial hypertension and an ischemic stroke with significant recovery was admitted for dyspnea on usual physical activity and fatigue. Physical examination revealed signs of heart failure with crackles on both lung bases, distented jugular veins, accentuated pulmonic valve closure (P2) and tricuspid regurgitation murmur. Echocardiography identified a large tumor in the left atrium, suggestive of atrial myxoma, which caused a severe functional mitral stenosis and produced severe pulmonary hypertension. A cardiac embolic source should always be checked in young patients with stroke. Atrial myxoma can mimic a variety of diseases: rheumatic mitral stenosis, infective endocarditis or autoimmune disease. A review on myxoma's histology, immunohistochemistry and genetics together with clinical aspects is presented.

Synaptophysin expression as prognostic factor for survival in colorectal carcinomas.

The aim of this study is to assess the status of synapses in normal colorectal tissue compared to neoplastic colorectal tissue, and to correlate this status with survival in patients with colorectal neoplasia. Our study included 61 patients diagnosed with colorectal adenocarcinoma, representing the study group, and 53 patients diagnosed with benign conditions, that required a resection of a colorectal segment, representing the control group. We performed the immunohistochemical staining by using anti-synaptophysin antibody, which identifies synaptic vesicles and, so, we managed to analyze the expression of synapses in colorectal adenocarcinoma. Regarding both the signal area and integrated optical density (IOD) of the synaptophysin, the univariate analysis with a log-rank (Mantel-Cox) test indicated that patients with a low level of synaptophysin had a better overall survival rate than those with a high-level synaptophysin. Also, we noticed that tumor size, tumor invasion and lymph node metastasis were significantly associated with the overall survival rate, whereas the other clinicopathological features were not. In conclusion, the status of synaptic vesicles evaluated via synaptophysin expression in patients with colorectal cancer positively correlates with the survival rate and it can play a role in the neoplastic therapy process.