Ricerc@Sapienza

Adverse drug reaction is defined by the World Health Organization as any response to a drug that is noxious and unintended and occurs at a dose normally used in man. Older people are at elevated risk of adverse drug reactions-because of changes in pharmacodynamics, concurrent use of multiple medications and the related drug interactions. However, adverse drug reactions are significantly underestimated in the elderly population that is also exposed to inappropriate drugs.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and atrial fibrillation (AF) are characterized by increased oxidative stress, but the impact of the coexistence of COPD and AF on systemic oxidative stress is unclear. We performed a cross-sectional study including 157 outpatients to investigate the Nox2-related oxidative stress in patients with AF and COPD. COPD was defined by an FEV1/FVC <0.70. Oxidative stress was measured by sNox2-dp, a marker of Nox2 activation, and urinary isoprostanes.

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and its impact on bleeding and thrombotic events in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Patients and Methods: Prospective multicenter cohort study including patients with nonvalvular AF receiving vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) or non-VKA oral anticoagulants (NOACs) from February 2008 for patients on VKA and from September 2013 for patients on NOACs. NAFLD was diagnosed using the validated fatty liver index, with a cutoff score of 60 or higher.

Background and aims: Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) is emerging as a novel risk factor for cardiovascular events (CVEs). Furthermore, in vitro evidence suggested that LPS may elicit proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin 9 (PCSK9) expression, but their relationship in vivo has not been investigated. Methods: We conducted a post-hoc analysis of a prospective, single centre cohort study of 907 patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF). At baseline, PCSK9, LPS and NADPH oxidase (sNox2-dp) were measured. PCSK9 and LPS were correlated with the incidence of CVEs.

Cancer may complicate the clinical course of non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF) but its association with cardiovascular events (CVEs) is still unclear. We performed a prospective cohort study including 2092 consecutive AF patients on vitamin K antagonists. Principal endpoint was the occurrence of CVEs including fatal/non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI) and ischemic stroke/TIA and cardiovascular death. Secondary endpoints were major adverse cardiac events (MACE) and thromboembolism (TE).

The function of left atrium (LA) is closely related to LA remodeling and one of the most important mechanisms is an increased deposition of brous tissue that often is the basis for LA electro-mechanical changes before the onset of atrial brillation (AF).

BACKGROUND: The usefulness of β-blockers in heart failure (HF) patients with permanent atrial fibrillation (AF) has been questioned.

Background: Intracardiac thrombosis is reported to occur frequently in cardiac amyloidosis (CA). However, data regarding arterial thrombo-embolic events (AEs) in CA are limited. We aimed at assessing prevalence, clinical characteristics and predictors of AEs in a large multicentric CA cohort. Methods and results: Four-hundred-six consecutive CA patients (134 AL, 73 ATTRm and 199 ATTRwt) from 5 Italian referral centres were retrospectively evaluated and followed-up for a median time of 19 months.