Endocrine, Metabolic & Immune Disorders-Drug Targets (Formerly Current Drug Targets - Immune, Endocrine & Metabolic Disorders) - Volume 13, Issue 1, 2013

The association between subclinical thyroid dysfunction and cardiovascular outcomes has been recently clarified with the publication of three individual participant data (IPD) analyses from the Thyroid Studies Collaboration. We identified original cohort studies with a systematic review and pooled individual data from over 70'000 participants to obtain a more precise estimate of the risks of cardiovascular outcomes associat Read More

Context: Although the negative impact of subclinical hypothyroidism (sHT) in terms of cardiovascular risk in young adults is mostly acknowledged it remains to be established in the elderly, especially in the oldest old. Evidence Acquisition: We searched Medline for reports published with the following search words: hypothyroidism, sHT, ageing, elderly, L-thyroxin, thyroid, guidelines, treatment, quality of life, cardiovascular ris Read More

Thyroid hormones have relevant activity at cardiac and vascular level, by influencing heart rate, myocardial excitability as well as inotropic and lusitropic status, systemic vascular resistance and blood pressure. Moreover, they interact with neuro-hormonal systems such as sympathetic nervous system and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system thus also indirectly influencing cardiovascular function. Due to these effects, Read More

Diabetes and chronic heart failure are interrelated conditions with major medical and economic impact that have to be treated as a distinct entity. Several pathological mechanisms have been investigated and proposed to explain the structural and functional changes associated with diabetic cardiomyopathy. These mechanisms are likely to act synergically and may potentiate one the other. This review outlines recent advance Read More

Epidemiological studies have recently shown that obesity, and abdominal obesity in particular, is an independent risk factor for the development of heart failure (HF). Higher cardiac oxidative stress is the early stage of heart dysfunction due to obesity, and it is the result of insulin resistance, altered fatty acid and glucose metabolism, and impaired mitochondrial biogenesis. Extense myocyte hypertrophy and myocardial fibrosi Read More

Skeletal muscle abnormalities and loss are frequently present in patients with mild or moderate cardiac heart failure (CHF) and may contribute to fatigue and dyspnea. These muscle abnormalities may be associated with age related body composition changes, such as sarcopenia. Muscle damage has also been observed in subjects with cardiac cahexia, a serious CHF complication, associated with poor prognosis independe Read More

Cardiac hypertrophy/remodeling manifests as a critical condition which may likely predispose to the risk of fatal heart failure and multiple organ dysfunction if not efficiently addressed, as a result of irreversible neuroendocrine, autonomic and immune system imbalances. Undeniably, the over-excitation of sympathetic and/or the breakdown of central parasympathetic tone play a significant role to be the basis of the persis Read More

The classic model of Chronic Heart Failure (CHF) is rooted in the overexpression of neurohormonal molecules. To complement this paradigm, increasing evidence indicates that a variety of hormones may be down-regulated in CHF patients. The list includes growth hormone (GH) and its tissue effector insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1). The GH/IGF-1 axis regulates cardiac growth, stimulates myocardial contractility, and in Read More

Testosterone deficiency syndrome (TDS) induces several negative effects that generally involve different organs such as testis, bone, skeletal muscle, and heart, leading to reduction in testis function, causing osteoporosis, strongly reducing muscle mass, decreasing exercise capacity and strength and facilitating heart failure. Approximately 25% of patients affected by chronic heart failure (CHF) is characterized by plasma Read More

Heart failure (HF) is a clinical syndrome featuring cardiac pump failure along with signs and symptoms arising from salt and water retention mediated by activated renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS). In addition to this cardiorenal perspective, HF is accompanied by a systemic illness, especially in advanced stages characterized by oxidative stress in various tissues, causing damage to soft tissue and bone. Secon Read More

n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) have been proposed as potential treatments for human heart failure. The cardioprotective effects of n-3 PUFA are supported by extensive cell culture, animal and human studies. Animal studies with n-3 PUFA have shown marked improvements in many independent risk factors for heart failure, including obesity, type II diabetes, insulin resistance, hypertension and inflammation. However Read More

In South Africa, rapid urbanisation and epidemiological transition have left the black urban population vulnerable to diseases of lifestyle such as diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity and heart disease, as well as chronic heart failure. This is in part due to the fact that changes in dietary patterns during urbanisation play an important role in the increase of risk factors of these diseases. The South African population is mad Read More

Nowadays, erectile dysfunction (ED) is considered an increasingly important clinical condition in men with heart failure (HF) which may influence the therapeutic approach to these patients. Since there is cogent evidence that ED is a “sentinel marker” of acute cardiovascular events especially in men younger than 65 years or in those affected by type 2 diabetes mellitus, it deserves an early diagnosis and an appropriate treatment Read More