Current Cardiology Reviews - Volume 17, Issue 4, 2021

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) first emerged in a group of patients who presented with severe pneumonia in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. A novel virus, now called SARSCoV- 2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2), was isolated from lower respiratory tract samples. The current outbreak of infection has spread to over 100 countries and killed more than 340,000 people as of 25th May, 2020. The pred Read More

Hypertension is one of the leading risk factors for stroke, myocardial infarction and untimely death. The prevalence of hypertension is extremely high among the global population, and many of them depend on modern medicines to manage their blood pressure. The modern antihypertensive medications include angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs), angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs), calcium channel blockers Read More

In December 2019, a novel COVID-19 infection caused by SARS-CoV-2 has emerged as a global emergency. In a few months, the pathogen has infected millions of people in the world. Primarily SARS-CoV-2 infects the pulmonary system which ultimately leads to ARDS and lung failure. The majority of patients develop milder symptoms but the infection turns severe in a huge number of people, which ultimately results in enh Read More

Menopause is associated with changes consistent with cardiovascular aging. The effects of cardiac disease are multifaceted, affecting endothelial function, coronary artery physiology and metabolic dysfunction leading to structural changes in the coronary anatomy. A systematic review of literature from 1986 to 2019 was conducted using PubMed and Google Scholar. The search was directed to retrieve papers that address Read More

There is considerable evidence that autophagy in cardiomyocytes is activated by hypoxia/ reoxygenation (H/R) or in hearts by ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). Depending upon the experimental model and duration of ischemia, increases in autophagy in this setting maybe beneficial (cardioprotective) or deleterious (exacerbate I/R injury). Besides the conundrum as to whether or not autophagy is an adaptive process, it is clearly regulat Read More

Radiofrequency ablation for atrial fibrillation is currently the most effective rhythm control strategy. These procedures, although safe, pose a risk for potential exposure to radiation and can be time consuming. Radiation exposure during ablation can increase the risk of serious complications in both patients as well as physicians. The overall procedure time also increases with use of fluoroscopy. Advances in mapping technology, Read More

Understanding the similarities and differences between myocardial infarction with or without ST-segment elevation is an essential step for proper patients’ management in current practice. Both syndromes are caused by critical stenosis or total occlusion of coronary arteries (mostly due to thrombosis on atherosclerotic plaque), and manifest with a similar clinical presentation. Recent epidemiologic studies show that the relat Read More

Despite the technological advancements in the last 40 years, conditions such as refractory cardiogenic shock and cardiac arrest still present a very high mortality rate in real-world clinical practice. In this light, we have reviewed the techniques, indications, contraindications, and results of the socalled Veno-Arterial Extracorporeal Circulatory Membrane Oxygenation (VA-ECMO) in the adult population to evaluate the current res Read More

Muscle-specific miRNAs, which are known as MyomiRs, are crucial regulatory elements for cardiovascular development. MyomiRs are abundantly expressed in the myocardium and regulate certain aspects of physiological and pathological processes in myocardiocytes, including cardiovascular development, myocardial remodeling, and arise for cardiovascular diseases through different mechanisms, such as epigenetic pathways Read More

Right atrial thrombus can originate from distal venous sources or can be iatrogenic, secondary to the placement of central venous catheters, atrial devices, or surgeries. One of the most common complications of Central Venous Catheters (CVCs) is thromboembolism, which can be either fixed to the right atrium or can be free-floating. Device-related Right Atrial Thrombosis (RAT) can result in catheter occlusion, vascular occlusi Read More

Aortic dissection is an emergent medical condition, generally affecting the elderly, characterized by a separation of the aortic wall layers and subsequent creation of a pseudolumen that may compress the true aortic lumen. Predisposing factors mediate their risk by either increasing tension on the wall or by causing structural degeneration. They include hypertension, atherosclerosis, and a number of connective tissu Read More

Background: Aortic aneurysms are worrisome because of their predisposition to dissection and rupture. Beta-blockers are considered first-line therapy for aortic aneurysms. The following meta-analysis assesses if beta-blockers diminish aortic aneurysm growth. Methods: A literature search was performed to collect information on clinical trials that have assessed aortic aneurysm growth between beta-blockers and placebo. T Read More

Background: Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is an under-recognized cause of acute coronary syndrome in women. Case Presentation: We present a 40-year-old female who presented with recurrent STEMI due to recurrent SCAD 10 days after the index presentation in a different coronary territory. She was successfully treated both times with drug eluting stents. MRI showed an evidence of transmural in Read More