Boron is considered to be a biological trace element but there is substantial and growing support for it to be classified as an essential nutrient for animals and humans, depending on its speciation. Boron-containing compounds have been reported to play an important role in biological systems. Although the exact biochemical functions of boron-containing compounds have not yet been fully elucidated, previous studies suggest an active involvement of these molecules in the mediation of inflammation and oxidative stress. Chronic inflammation and oxidative stress are known to amplify the effects of the main cardiovascular risk factors: smoking, diet, obesity, arterial hypertension, dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes (as modifiable risk factors), and hyperhomocysteinemia and age (as independent risk factors). However, the role of boron-containing compounds in cardiovascular systems and disease prevention has yet to be established. This paper is a review of boron-containing compounds' existence in nature and their possible functions in living organisms, with a special focus on certain cardiovascular risk factors that may be diminished by intake of these compounds, leading to a reduction of cardiovascular morbidity and/or mortality.
We report a rare case of native valve endocarditis caused by Staphylococcus warneri in an immunocompetent 79-year-old man with known degenerative valvular heart disease but no previous risk factors such as recent invasive treatment or medical implant. The patient presented with heart failure, due to perforation of the mitral valve, and lacked any signs of infection. The diagnosis of endocarditis with S. warneri was established by echocardiography and positive blood cultures.
Objective: Liver cirrhosis is associated with several cardiovascular abnormalities including a hyperdynamic splanchnic and systemic circulation related to arterial vasodilatation, finally leading to sodium retention, central hypovolemia, and increased intravascular volume. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between NT-proBNP and echocardiographic parameters and liver disease stage in patients with cirrhosis. Method: This prospective study included 82 consecutive patients diagnosed with liver cirrhosis and 120 healthy, age- and sex-matched subjects. Standard transthoracic echocardiography was performed in all patients. Plasma NT-proBNP levels were determined. Liver disease severity in patients with cirrhosis was established by Child-Pugh class, MELD score and presence/absence of ascites. Results: Plasma levels of NT-proBNP were significantly higher in cirrhotic patients than the corresponding levels in the healthy subjects. NT-proBNP levels were also significantly elevated in Child-Pugh class C patients compared to those in class B and A. Left atrium (LA) size, diastolic function, left ventricular (LV) wall thickness, and LV ejection fraction were significantly altered in cirrhotic patients compared to controls. Advanced cirrhosis and high levels of NT-proBNP were significantly associated with increased LA volume and signs of cardiac diastolic dysfunction. We also observed significant differences between quartile groups of MELD score for the following: NT-proBNP, Troponin I, LA volume, left ventricle wall thickness, lateral wall and septum systolic tissue Doppler velocities and global longitudinal strain. Conclusion: NT-proBNP is increased in patients with cirrhosis and is correlated with the severity of liver disease as established by Child-Pugh class, MELD score, and the presence of ascites.
Testosterone exerts an important regulation of cardiovascular function through genomic and nongenomic pathways. It produces several changes in cardiomyocytes, the main actor of cardiomyopathies, which are characterized by pathological remodeling, eventually leading to heart failure. Testosterone is involved in contractility, in the energy metabolism of myocardial cells, apoptosis, and the remodeling process. In myocarditis, testosterone directly promotes the type of inflammation that leads to fibrosis, and influences viremia with virus localization. At the same time, testosterone exerts cardioprotective effects that have been observed in different studies. There is increasing evidence that low endogenous levels of testosterone have a negative impact in some cardiomyopathies and a protective impact in others. This review focuses on the interrelationships between testosterone and cardiomyopathies and heart failure.
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