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While arterial stiffening is a known risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, it remains unclear whether there is an early vascular aging (EVA) in patients who have experienced acute ischemic stroke (AIS). This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to investigate whether patients with AIS exhibit EVA through pulse wave velocity (PWV) measurements shortly after the stroke onset, shedding light on the relationship between arterial stiffness, hypertension, and stroke. Thirteen case-control studies were included, comparing PWV measurements between AIS patients and non-AIS individuals. A meta-analysis was performed to compare PWV levels, age, blood pressure, and the prevalence of different cardiovascular risk factors among 1711 AIS patients and 1551 controls. Despite AIS patients showing higher PWV compared to controls (mean difference: 1.72 m/s, 95 % CI: 1.05–2.38, p < 0.001; I 2 = 88.3 %), their age did not significantly differ (95 % CI: −0.47–0.94, p = 0.519; I2 = 0 %), suggesting EVA in AIS patients. Moreover, AIS patients exhibited elevated systolic and diastolic blood pressure and had higher odds of smoking, hypertension, diabetes, and male gender compared to controls. This study's findings underscore the presence of EVA in AIS patients, evident through increased PWV measurements shortly after stroke onset. Notably, smoking, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus emerge as substantial factors contributing to accelerated arterial stiffness within this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The ideal management for patients with intermediate and advanced stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is controversial. The main purpose of this systematic review is to examine the role of liver resection in patients with intermediate stage HCC (multinodular HCCs) and in advanced stage HCC [mainly patients with portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT)]. Methods A systematic search of the literature was performed in Pud Med and the Cochrane Library from 01.01.2000 to 30.06.2016. Results Twenty-three articles with 2412 patients with multinodular HCCs were selected. Also, 29 studies with 3659 patients with HCCs with macrovascular invasion were selected. In patients with multinodular HCCs the median post-operative morbidity was 25% and the 90-day mortality was 2.7%. The median survival was 37 months and the 5-year survival 35%. The 5-year survival was much better for patients with a number of HCCs ≤3 vs. HCCs >3 (49% vs. 23%). In patients with macrovascular invasion, who underwent hepatic resection, the median post-operative morbidity was 33% and the in-hospital mortality 2.7%. The median survival was 15 months. The 3 and 5year survival was 33% and 20% respectively. Moreover a significant difference in survival was noted according to PVTT stage: 5- year survival for distal PVTT, PVTT of the main intrahepatic PV branch and PVTT extending to the main PV was 45%, 19% and 14.5% respectively. Conclusions Liver resection in patients with multinodular HCCs and HCCs with PVTT offers satisfactory long-term survival and should be considered in selected patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives The aim was to prospectively evaluate post-implantation syndrome (PIS) after elective endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) and to investigate its association with clinical and laboratory parameters and the clinical outcome of the patients. Methods From January 2010 till June 2013, 214 consecutive patients treated electively by EVAR for AAA were prospectively included. PIS was defined according to systemic inflammatory response syndrome criteria. Adverse events included any major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), acute renal failure, re-admission and death from any cause. Results PIS was diagnosed in 77 (34%) patients. Pre-operative white blood cell (WBC) count values ( p < .001), endograft material (polyester) ( p < .001), and heart failure ( p = .03) were independent predictors of PIS. Mean post-operative temperature ( p < .001), length of hospital ( p < .001) and intensive care unit ( p = .008) stay, as well as maximum post-operative WBC count ( p < .001) and hs-CRP values ( p < .001) were significantly higher in the PIS group. Post-operative hs-CRP ( p = .001) and duration of fever ( p = .02) independently predicted the occurrence of MACE. Post-operative hs-CRP ( p = .004), maximum temperature ( p = .03), and the presence of PIS ( p = .01) were independent predictors of an adverse event during the first 30 days. A threshold of post-operative hs-CRP value of 125 mg/L was highly associated with the occurrence of MACE, with a sensitivity of 82% and specificity of 75%. Conclusions A systematic inflammatory response is observed in a significant number of patients after EVAR. The type of endograft material seems to play a significant role in this inflammatory process. The intensity of inflammation, as assessed mainly by the post-operative hs-CRP values, correlates with the presence of a cardiovascular or any other adverse event during the first 30 days after the procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hyponatremia (defined as a serum sodium level < 134 mmol/L) is the most common electrolyte abnormality in hospitalized patients. Certain drugs (eg, diuretics, antidepressants, and antiepileptics) have been implicated as established causes of either asymptomatic or symptomatic hyponatremia. However, hyponatremia occasionally may develop in the course of treatment with drugs used in everyday clinical practice (eg, newer antihypertensive agents, antibiotics, and proton pump inhibitors). Physicians may not always give proper attention in time to undesirable drug-induced hyponatremia. Effective clinical management can be handled through awareness of the adverse effect of certain pharmaceutical compounds on serum sodium levels. Here, we review clinical information about the incidence of hyponatremia associated with specific drug treatment and discuss the underlying pathophysiologic mechanisms. Copyright © 2008 National Kidney Foundation, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clinicians inevitably encounter patients who meet the diagnostic criteria for the metabolic syndrome (MetS); these criteria include central obesity, hypertension, atherogenic dyslipidaemia, and hyperglycaemia. Regardless of the variations in its definition, MetS may be associated with adverse outcomes in patients undergoing both cardiac and non-cardiac surgery. There is a paucity of data concerning the anaesthetic management of patients with MetS, and only a few observational (mainly retrospective) studies have investigated the association of MetS with perioperative outcomes. In this narrative review, we consider the impact of MetS on the occurrence of perioperative adverse events after cardiac and non-cardiac surgery. Metabolic syndrome has been associated with higher rates of cardiovascular, pulmonary, and renal perioperative events and wound infections compared with patients with a non-MetS profile. Metabolic syndrome has also been related to increased health service costs, prolonged hospital stay, and a greater need for posthospitalization care. Therefore, physicians should be able to recognize the MetS in the perioperative period in order to formulate management strategies that may modify any perianaesthetic and surgical risk. However, further research is needed in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/objectives The most recent ACC/AHA guidelines recommend high-intensity statin therapy in ischemic stroke patients of presumably atherosclerotic origin. On the contrary, there is no specific recommendation for the use of statin in patients with non-atherosclerotic stroke, e.g. strokes related to atrial fibrillation (AF). We investigated whether statin treatment in patients with AF-related stroke is associated with improved survival and reduced risk for stroke recurrence and future cardiovascular events. Methods All consecutive patients registered in the Athens Stroke Registry with AF-related stroke and no history of coronary artery disease nor clinically manifest peripheral artery disease were included in the analysis and categorized in two groups depending on whether statin was prescribed at discharge. The primary outcome was overall mortality; the secondary outcomes were stroke recurrence and a composite cardiovascular endpoint comprising of recurrent stroke, myocardial infarction, aortic aneurysm rupture or sudden cardiac death during the 5-year follow-up. Results Among 1602 stroke patients, 404 (25.2%) with AF-related stroke were included in the analysis, of whom 102 (25.2%) were discharged on statin. On multivariate Cox-proportional-hazards model, statin treatment was independently associated with a lower mortality (hazard-ratio (HR): 0.49, 95%CI:0.26-0.92) and lower risk for the composite cardiovascular endpoint during the median 22 months follow-up (HR: 0.44, 95%CI:0.22-0.88), but not with stroke recurrence (HR: 0.47, 95%CI:0.22-1.01, p: 0.053). Conclusions In this long-term registry of patients with AF-related stroke, statin treatment was associated with improved survival and reduced risk for future cardiovascular events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unlabelled: Plasma and Lp(a)-associated PAF-acetylhydrolase activity in uremic patients undergoing different dialysis procedures.Background: Platelet-activating factor (PAF) is a potent inflammatory mediator associated with several physiopathological conditions, including renal diseases. PAF is degraded to the inactive metabolite lyso-PAF by PAF-acetylhydrolase (PAF-AH), which is considered as a potent anti-inflammatory and anti-atherogenic enzyme associated with lipoproteins. In this study, we evaluated the plasma- and lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)]-associated PAF-AH activity in relationship to plasma lipid parameters and Lp(a) isoform size in patients with mild/moderate chronic renal failure (CRF), as well as in hemodialysis (HD) and chronic ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients.Methods: We studied 74 patients undergoing maintenance HD, 44 patients undergoing CAPD, 56 patients with mild/moderate CRF, and 98 healthy subjects whose lipid profile, as well as plasma and high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-associated PAF-AH activity, was determined. Moreover, the effect of Lp(a) plasma levels on the distribution of PAF-AH among plasma lipoproteins, as well as the specific activity and kinetic properties of PAF-AH on two different Lp(a) isoforms, was measured in each studied group.Results: The plasma PAF-AH activity in all studied groups was significantly higher than in controls, and the increase was more profound in CAPD patients. The HDL-associated PAF-AH activity, expressed per milliliter of plasma, was similar among all studied groups; however, when it was expressed as either per milligrams of HDL cholesterol or per milligrams of plasma apolipoprotein (apo) AI, the PAF-AH activity was significantly higher in all patient groups compared with controls. All patient groups had significantly elevated plasma Lp(a) levels, which altered the distribution of PAF-AH among the plasma lipoproteins compared with that observed in subjects with very low plasma Lp(a) levels (<8 mg/dl). Additionally, in each studied group, the specific activity as well as the apparent Km and Vmax values of the 19K4 apo(a) isoform were significantly higher (P < 0.01) compared with the values of the 23K4 isoform. However, the specific activity, as well as the Km and Vmax values on either the 19K4 apo(a) isoform or the 23K4 isoform, was significantly higher in CAPD patients compared with the other three groups.Conclusions: Plasma PAF-AH activity is increased in uremic patients. This elevation is more profound in CAPD patients, who also exhibit a more atherogenic lipid profile and more pronounced alterations in the specific activity and the kinetic constants of Lp(a)-associated PAF-AH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Percutaneous liver biopsy showed PEComa and the patient underwent left hepatectomy. As he became again pyrexial (on day 7), a new CT abdo was done revealing concentric hepatic artery stenosis with hypodense areas on segment VI with sphenoid shape. Acute exacerbation of SLE with right hepatic artery partial thrombosis or vasculitis was considered to be the diagnosis. [Extracted from the article]