A wealth of studies has demonstrated that patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are at increased risk of cardiovascu-lar morbidity and mortality, and that this increase is manifest early in the course of RA. 1 2 Another wealth of studies has shown the increasing effi cacy of recent therapies, or therapeutic strategies, in reducing disease activity in RA. As the infl ammatory burden in RA may ...

Increasing evidence suggests that polyphenols from fruits, vegetables and beverages such as wine and tea may exert protective effects on the cardiovascular system. Indeed, research in the field of polyphenols points out their antioxidant and free radical scavenging properties, leading to lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation and platelet aggregation. These compounds are also able to mod...

The therapeutic use of ultrasound contrast agents (UCAs) is an emerging methodology with high potential for enhanced directed therapeutic gene, bioactive gas, drug, and stem cell delivery. Ultrasound-targeted microbubble destruction has already demonstrated feasibility for plasmid DNA delivery. Similarly, therapeutic ultrasound for thrombolysis treatment has been taken into the clinical setting...

Accumulating evidence demonstrates that vascular oxidative stress is a critical feature of atherosclerotic process, potentially triggered by several infectious agents that are considered as risk co-factors for the atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). C. pneumoniae has been shown to upregulate multiple enzymatic systems capable of producing reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as NADPH ...

We review the cardiovascular effects of newer antidepressants. Although further studies are warranted, the safety of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and the serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors on patients with comorbid cardiac conditions is impressive. Newer antidepressants should be considered as first-line agents for the treatment of depression in patients with and withou...

Ocular and cardiovascular effects of carteolol 2%, timolol 0.5%, and dummy eyedrops have been measured in a single dose double-blind crossover study in six healthy volunteers. Both drugs lowered intraocular pressure and reduced exercise-induced tachycardia. Neither produced a significant change in resting heart rate or blood pressure. The two agents appear comparable as regards ocular hypotensi...

BACKGROUND Patients with COPD have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Despite the clinical benefits of long-acting beta-agonist agents in the treatment of COPD, patients may be at an increased risk of cardiovascular toxicity, including tachyarrhythmia due to beta-adrenergic stimulation. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the cardiovascular safety of salmeterol in COPD patients by conducting a po...

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a major risk factor for cardiovascular events, including ischemic stroke. Moreover, ischemic stroke appears to be more severe in these patients and to be associated with less favorable outcomes. However, strict glycemic control does not appear to reduce the risk of ischemic stroke. On the other hand, newer glucose-lowering agents (glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agoni...

The purpose of this paper is to review the randomized controlled trial (RCT) data investigating cardiac medical therapy for patients after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). We identified RCTs with 100 enrolled patients that examined the impact of cardiac medical therapy on outcomes 1 year after CABG. The MEDLINE database was searched for trials conducted between 1966 and 2004 on the follo...