September 2023
32 ArticlesNo Section
Safety of SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines and effects of immunosuppressive drugs on adverse reactions in patients with rheumatic diseases
Patients with rheumatic diseases (RD) have a higher rate of poor outcomes of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) [1]. The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) and the European League Against... more
Clinical Insights
One year later: Prevalence of long-COVID symptoms
It has been two years since the publication of one of the first meta-analyses investigating the prevalence of post-COVID symptomatology but differentiating between hospitalized and non-hospitalized... more
The spectrum of hospitalization-associated harm in the elderly
Hospital admission constitutes the standard of care for significant acute illness and have shown a marked and consistent worldwide increase over the last years. Nevertheless, not all admissions are... more
COVID-19 and smoking: Considerations after two years
Although both virulence and pathogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 have considerably declined over time, the number of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases and the consequent clinical burden remain... more
Commentary
Atherosclerosis in autoimmune rheumatic diseases
Autoimmune rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs) including rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic sclerosis (SSc) and others have been associated with increased cardiovascular (CV) risk,... more
Modern technology meets established health care. Challenges and opportunities in fulfilling the promises of remote device monitoring in heart failure
In 1961, American astronaut Alan Shepard became the second human being travelling into space. Onboard the spacecraft, some of his vital parameters, heart rate and rhythm, body temperature and... more
Unwarranted clinical practice variation and resource overutilization in medical care: The example of transfusion practices in elderly hospital patients
Clinical practice variation refers to the differences in healthcare practices and treatment decisions among healthcare providers, for patients with similar clinical conditions [1]. These variations... more
The arduous challenge of seeking for biomarkers in rare diseases
Hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) is a rare genetic vascular disease that can significantly impair the quality of life of affected patients [1]. Medical management is mainly aimed at... more
Internal Medicine Flashcard
Unusual cause of acute severe epigastric pain in a Japanese woman
A 42-year-old woman with 2-day history of acute onset severe epigastric pain, nausea, and vomiting presented to our emergency department. She had no previous significant cardiovascular or... more
A man with bright-golden orange phlegm
A 57-year-old Japanese man with a history of hypertension was admitted to our hospital complaining of headache and fatigue that started 3 days before. On admission, his consciousness was clear. He... more
Bad luck comes in threes
An 84-year-old Caucasian woman presented to our clinic with a diffuse erythematous skin eruption associated with fever and fatigue. The patient has a two-month-old diagnosis of cortico-resistant... more
Letter to the Editor
The efficacy and safety of out-hospital anticoagulation therapy with direct oral anticoagulant for COVID-19
As coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused unprecedented morbidity and mortality in the global pandemic, effective strategies to treat and prevent the disease are urgently needed.... more
Clinically significant contrast-associated acute kidney injury after emergent computed tomography angiography of the cerebral arteries
Contrast associated acute kidney injury (CA-AKI) is defined as a sudden deterioration in renal function within 48 h following the intravascular administration of iodinated contrast medium[1]. CA-AKI... more
Incidence of myocarditis and pericarditis considered as separate clinical events over the years and post-SARS-CoV2 vaccination in adults and children
Dear Editor,
Association between diagnostic outcomes and symptom pattern in fever and inflammation of unknown origin
Fever of unknown origin (FUO) and inflammation of unknown origin (IUO) are syndromes that share a similar spectrum of causes and that are separated by an arbitrary temperature threshold [1]. They... more
A higher BMI is positively associated with advanced neck lymphoma at diagnosis
Lymphomas comprise a heterogeneous group of malignancies which can arise in different nodal and extranodal sites in the head and neck in which cervical lymphadenopathy is the most common head and... more
Comprehensive diagnostic evaluation of palpatory method of blood pressure measurement
Dear Editor,
Frailty in nursing home residents
Dear Editor,
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the occurrence and outcome of cardiogenic shock complicating acute myocardial infarction
SARS-CoV-2 predisposes patients to thrombotic disease due to excessive inflammation, platelet activation, endothelial dysfunction, and stasis [1]. The infection was recognized as an independent risk... more
Characteristics and outcomes of COVID-19-associated pulmonary embolism
Pulmonary embolism (PE) in the setting of COVID-19 is related to the procoagulant state as evidenced by the increased d-dimer levels and in situ thrombosis [1,2] and it usually involves the segmental... more
Original Article
How does current disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis affect the short-term risk of acute coronary syndrome? A clinical register based study from Sweden and Norway
Cardiovascular (CV) disease (CVD) co-morbidity and mortality is one of the largest drivers of the excess morbidity and pre-term mortality in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) [1–3]. The... more
Phenotypic Profiles Among 72 Caucasian and Afro-Caribbean Patients with Antisynthetase Syndrome Involving Anti-PL7 or Anti-PL12 Autoantibodies
Antisynthetase syndrome (ASyS), a rare and heterogeneous systemic autoimmune disease, is classified as a subtype of idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM). It is associated with at least one of the... more
Efficacy and safety assessment of mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists in patients with chronic kidney disease
As a global health concern, chronic kidney disease (CKD) is threatening the health of 843.6 million people worldwide and is expected to become the 5th leading cause of death in 2040 [1,2]. CKD is... more
Subclinical coronary atherosclerosis, detected by computer tomography with coronary calcium score, and the occurrence of major cardiovascular events at 5 years of follow-up in a cohort of patients with systemic sclerosis
Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a rare disease, with a not well known pathogenesis based on autoimmune dysregulation, charcaterized by clinical triad of vasculopathy, fibrosis of diverse organs, and... more
Early glomerular filtration rates changes and risk of mortality in acute heart failure. The modifying role of admission renal function and decongestion
The pathophysiology of changes in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in acute heart failure (AHF) is complex and multifactorial. We evaluated the associated mortality risk of early changes... more
Ventricular arrhythmias and cardiac arrest in atrial fibrillation patients with pacemakers and implantable cardioverter-defibrillators
Atrial fibrillation (AF) continues to be a growing epidemic due to its increasing incidence, prevalence, and detrimental consequences. In 2017, the Global Burden of Disease study revealed 37.57... more
Incidence, mortality, and risk factors of acute kidney injury after immune checkpoint inhibitors: Systematic review and meta-analysis of real-world evidence
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) constitute an important breakthrough in anticancer treatments, which has been rapidly and widely prescribed worldwide [1]. There are a variety of ICIs currently... more
Anemia management and transfusion strategy in internal medicine units: Less is more
Anemia is a global public health problem affecting subjects of all ages and gender, with significant consequences for human health and an impact on social and economic aspects. The aging of the... more
Genetic and clinical features of familial mediterranean fever (FMF) in a homogeneous cohort of patients from South-Eastern Italy
Hereditary recurrent fevers represent a heterogenous group of disorders considered systemic auto inflammatory diseases, caused mostly by monogenic mutations. Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF), in... more
Review Article
Future treatments in hypertension: Can we meet the unmet needs of patients?
The prevalence of arterial hypertension, defined as a persistent systolic blood pressure ≥ 130 mm Hg and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥ 80 mm Hg according to American College of Cardiology (ACC) and... more
Potential angiogenic biomarkers in hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia and other vascular diseases
Vascular diseases are the main cause of death in developed countries [1]. Despite much progress has been made to improve the management of these diseases, it is difficult to predict those patients at... more
Remote multiparametric monitoring and management of heart failure patients through cardiac implantable electronic devices
Heart failure (HF) is currently an important driver of hospitalizations and re-hospitalizations. It is associated with a high risk of adverse cardiovascular outcomes including death, inducing also an... more