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International Journal of Molecular... Jan 2024Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is one of the most common genetic cardiovascular diseases, and it shows an autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance. HCM can be... (Review)
Review
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is one of the most common genetic cardiovascular diseases, and it shows an autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance. HCM can be clinically silent, and sudden unexpected death due to malignant arrhythmias may be the first manifestation. Thus, the HCM diagnosis could be performed at a clinical and judicial autopsy and offer useful findings on morphological features; moreover, it could integrate the knowledge on the genetic aspect of the disease. This review aims to systematically analyze the literature on the main post-mortem investigations and the related findings of HCM to reach a well-characterized and stringent diagnosis; the review was performed using PubMed and Scopus databases. The articles on the post-mortem evaluation of HCM by gross and microscopic evaluation, imaging, and genetic test were selected; a total of 36 studies were included. HCM was described with a wide range of gross findings, and there were cases without morphological alterations. Myocyte hypertrophy, disarray, fibrosis, and small vessel disease were the main histological findings. The post-mortem genetic tests allowed the diagnosis to be reached in cases without morpho-structural abnormalities; clinical and forensic pathologists have a pivotal role in HCM diagnosis; they contribute to a better definition of the disease and also provide data on the genotype-phenotype correlation, which is useful for clinical research.
Topics: Humans; Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic; Genetic Testing; Arrhythmias, Cardiac; Autopsy; Fibrosis; Phenotype; Death, Sudden, Cardiac
PubMed: 38279275
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25021275 -
Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics Sep 2024This study explored the effects of resistance training (RT) volume on muscle hypertrophy in postmenopausal and older females. (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Higher volume resistance training enhances whole-body muscle hypertrophy in postmenopausal and older females: A secondary analysis of systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.
OBJECTIVE
This study explored the effects of resistance training (RT) volume on muscle hypertrophy in postmenopausal and older females.
METHODS
This systematic review searched randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, and SciELO. Studies with postmenopausal (age ≥ 45 y) or older females (age ≥ 60 y) that compared RT (whole-body) effects on muscle hypertrophy with a control group (CG) were included. Independently reviewers selected the studies, extracted data, and performed the risk of bias of RCTs (RoB2) and certainty of the evidence (GRADE). Whole-body lean mass, free-fat mass, and skeletal muscle mass measurements were included as muscle hypertrophy outcomes. A random-effects model standardized mean difference (Hedges'g), and 95% confidence interval (95%CI) were used for meta-analysis.
RESULTS
Fourteen RCTs (overall RoB2: some concerns, except one study with high risk; GRADE: low evidence) were included. RT groups were divided into low (LVRT, total volume: 445.0 au) and high-volume (HVRT, total volume: 997.3 au). Most exercises performed were arm curl, bench press or chest press, calf raise, leg curl, leg extension, leg press or squat, seated row or lat pulldown, and triceps pushdown. Both groups experienced muscle hypertrophy (HVRT = ∼1.3 kg vs. LVRT = ∼0.9 kg) when compared to CG, although HVRT demonstrated moderate effects size (HVRT = 0.52, 95%CI: 0.27, 0.77) and LVRT demonstrated small effects size (LVRT = 0.34, 95%CI: 0.14, 0.53).
CONCLUSIONS
Compared to CG, results suggest that the HVRT protocol elicits superior improvements in muscle hypertrophy outcomes than LVRT in postmenopausal and older females.
Topics: Humans; Resistance Training; Female; Postmenopause; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Aged; Muscle, Skeletal; Middle Aged; Muscle Strength; Hypertrophy
PubMed: 38744142
DOI: 10.1016/j.archger.2024.105474 -
Journal of Strength and Conditioning... Jul 2024de Lemos Muller, CH, Farinha, JB, Leal-Menezes, R, and Ramis, TR. Aerobic training with blood flow restriction on muscle hypertrophy and strength: systematic review and... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
de Lemos Muller, CH, Farinha, JB, Leal-Menezes, R, and Ramis, TR. Aerobic training with blood flow restriction on muscle hypertrophy and strength: systematic review and meta-analysis. J Strength Cond Res 38(7): 1341-1349, 2024-Integrating strength and endurance training in a single exercise session, even on separate days, can be physically demanding and time-consuming. Therefore, there is a growing interest in identifying efficient training methods that can concurrently enhance cardiovascular and neuromuscular performance through a singular training modality. This study conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to explore the effects of aerobic training with blood flow restriction (AT + BFR) on muscle hypertrophy and strength gains in healthy individuals. Our study was registered at PROSPERO and used multiple databases (PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science), seeking clinical trials that examined AT + BFR influence on muscle hypertrophy and strength gains in individuals aged 18-60 years and comparing with aerobic training without BFR. The risk of bias and method quality were assessed using the ROB2.0 tool and PEDro scale, respectively, and the quality of evidence was evaluated with the GRADE method. A random-effects model was used for meta-analysis, and standardized mean difference (SMD) was calculated for each outcome. Of 4,462 records, 29 full texts were assessed for eligibility, with 7 articles meeting the inclusion criteria. The results indicated that AT + BFR was more beneficial for inducing muscle hypertrophy than aerobic training without BFR (SMD [95% CI] = 0.86 [0.37-1.35]; I2 = 42%). Furthermore, AT + BFR was associated with greater improvements in muscle strength (SMD [95% CI] = 0.41 [0.10-0.72]; I2 = 0%). Despite the generally high risk of bias for both outcomes, these encouraging findings underscore the clinical significance of AT + BFR as a compelling tool for enhancing neuromuscular parameters.
Topics: Humans; Muscle Strength; Muscle, Skeletal; Resistance Training; Exercise; Hypertrophy; Blood Flow Restriction Therapy; Regional Blood Flow; Skeletal Muscle Enlargement
PubMed: 38900180
DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000004800 -
Aging and Disease Mar 2024Although researched extensively the understanding regarding mechanisms underlying glaucoma pathogenesis remains limited. Further, the exact mechanism behind neuronal... (Review)
Review
Although researched extensively the understanding regarding mechanisms underlying glaucoma pathogenesis remains limited. Further, the exact mechanism behind neuronal death remains elusive. The role of neuroinflammation in retinal ganglion cell (RGC) death has been prominently theorised. This review provides a comprehensive summary of neuroinflammatory responses in glaucoma. A systematic search of Medline and Embase for articles published up to 8th March 2023 yielded 32 studies using post-mortem tissues from glaucoma patients. The raw data were extracted from tables and text to calculate the standardized mean differences (SMDs). These studies utilized post-mortem tissues from glaucoma patients, totalling 490 samples, compared with 380 control samples. Among the included studies, 27 reported glial cell activation based on changes to cellular morphology and molecular staining. Molecular changes were predominantly attributed to astrocytes (62.5%) and microglia (15.6%), with some involvement of Muller cells. These glial cell changes included amoeboid microglial cells with increased CD45 or HLA-DR intensity and hypertrophied astrocytes with increased glial fibrillary acidic protein labelling. Further, changes to extracellular matrix proteins like collagen, galectin, and tenascin-C suggested glial cells' influence on structural changes in the optic nerve head. The activation of DAMPs-driven immune response and the classical complement cascade was reported and found to be associated with activated glial cells in glaucomatous tissue. Increased pro-inflammatory markers such as interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) were also linked to glial cells. Glial cell activation was also associated with mitochondrial, vascular, metabolic and antioxidant component disruptions. Association of the activated glial cells with pro-inflammatory responses, dysregulation of homeostatic components and antigen presentation indicates that glial cell responses influence glaucoma progression. However, the exact mechanism triggering these responses and underlying interactions remains unexplored. This necessitates further research using human samples for an increased understanding of the precise role of neuroinflammation in glaucoma progression.
PubMed: 38502591
DOI: 10.14336/AD.2024.0103 -
Journal of Strength and Conditioning... Apr 2024Molinari, T, Radaelli, R, Rech, A, Brusco, CM, Markarian, AM, and Lopez, P. Moderators of resistance training effects in healthy young women: A systematic review and... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Molinari, T, Radaelli, R, Rech, A, Brusco, CM, Markarian, AM, and Lopez, P. Moderators of resistance training effects in healthy young women: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Strength Cond Res 38(4): 804-814, 2024-To systematically review and analyze the effects of resistance-based exercise programs and potential moderators of change in body fat percentage, whole-body fat and lean mass, muscle hypertrophy, muscle strength, and muscle power/rapid force in healthy young women (between 18 and 35 years). A systematic search was undertaken in 7 databases from inception to May 2022. Eligible randomized controlled trials examined the effects of resistance-based exercise programs on outcomes of interest in healthy young women. Meta-analysis was undertaken with a 3-level mixed-effects model. Associations between standardized mean difference (SMD) and potential moderators (number of sessions, weekly volume, and intensity) were tested by meta-regression models. Statistical significance was set at an α level of 0.05, whereas an α level of 0.05-0.10 was also considered for potential moderators of resistance training effects. Forty articles ( n = 1,312) were included. Resistance-based exercise programs resulted in a significant improvement of 0.4 SMD (95% confidence intervals [95% CI]: 0.2 to 0.5, p < 0.001) in lean mass/muscle hypertrophy and 1.2 SMD (95% CI: 0.9 to 1.5, p < 0.001) in muscle strength. A higher number of sessions was associated with changes in lean mass/muscle hypertrophy ( β = 0.01 ± 0.00, p = 0.009), whereas a higher weekly volume approached statistical significance to moderate changes in muscle strength ( β = 0.01 ± 0.01, p = 0.053). Body fat percentage (-0.4 SMD, 95% CI: -0.6 to -0.1, p = 0.006) and muscle power/rapid force (0.6 SMD, 95% CI: 0.2 to 1.1, p = 0.011) were significantly improved. In conclusion, a higher resistance training volume was associated with greater improvements in lean mass/muscle hypertrophy, muscle strength, and body fat percentage, whereas muscle power/rapid force improvements were observed irrespective of prescription characteristics. These findings may help in designing resistance training programs for muscle hypertrophy, strength and power, and body fat percentage in healthy women.
Topics: Humans; Female; Resistance Training; Health Status; Exercise; Muscle Strength; Hypertrophy
PubMed: 38090747
DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000004666 -
Current Problems in Cardiology Jan 2024Maternal obesity may affect offspring's cardiovascular health. Our literature search using PubMed, Web of Sciences included original English research and Google Scholar...
Maternal obesity may affect offspring's cardiovascular health. Our literature search using PubMed, Web of Sciences included original English research and Google Scholar articles published over the past ten years, culminating in 96 articles in this topic. A mother's obesity during pregnancy has a negative impact on the cardiovascular risk for their offspring. Dependence was observed in relation to hypertension, coronary artery disease, stroke, and heart failure. The adverse impact of an abnormal diet in pregnant mice on heart hypertrophy was observed, and was also confirmed in human research. Pregnant women with obesity were at greater risk of having a child with innate heart disease than pregnant women with normal mass. To conclude: mother's obesity has a negative impact on the long-term cardiovascular consequences for their offspring, increasing their risk of high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, stroke and heart failure. It also increases the probability of heart hypertrophy and innate heart defects.
Topics: Animals; Child; Female; Humans; Mice; Pregnancy; Cardiomegaly; Heart Failure; Obesity; Obesity, Maternal; Stroke
PubMed: 37652110
DOI: 10.1016/j.cpcardiol.2023.102062 -
Frontiers in Pharmacology 2023Astragaloside IV (ASIV) is the primary pharmacologically active compound found in Schischkin, which has potential protective effects on cardiac function. However,...
Astragaloside IV (ASIV) is the primary pharmacologically active compound found in Schischkin, which has potential protective effects on cardiac function. However, there are almost no systematic evaluations of ASIV for the treatment of heart failure (HF). Preclinical studies published before 27 December 2022, were retrieved from PubMed, Web of Science, MEDLINE, SinoMed, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), VIP information database, and Wanfang Data information site. The quality of included research was evaluated using SYRCLE's RoB tool. Review Manager 5.4.1 was used to perform meta-analyses of the cardiac function parameters and other indicators. Regression analysis was conducted to observe the dose-efficacy relationship. Nineteen studies involving 489 animals were included. Results indicated that compared with the control group, ASIV could enhance cardiac function indicators, including left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricular fractional shortening (LVFS), left ventricular pressure change rate (±dp/dt), left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP), left ventricular systolic pressure (LVSP), heart weight/body weight (HW/BW) and left ventricular weight/body weight (LVW/BW). Furthermore, the regression analysis showed that the treatment of HF with ASIV was dose-dependent. Findings suggest that ASIV can inhibit cardiac hypertrophy by reducing cardiac preload and afterload, thereby protecting cardiac function.
PubMed: 37854719
DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1226008 -
European Journal of Obstetrics,... Jul 2024Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) are among the leading causes of maternal morbidity and mortality. The primary objective of this study was to ascertain whether... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
OBJECTIVES
Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) are among the leading causes of maternal morbidity and mortality. The primary objective of this study was to ascertain whether maternal cardiac remodeling is more prevalent in HDP than normotensive pregnancy and if significant change in aortic root size is involved. The secondary objective was to determine the types of cardiac remodeling often associated with HDP.
METHODS
A systematic search was conducted across four electronic databases, including Medline, PubMed, Cochrane and EMBASE. The reference lists of selected articles were also searched to ensure no relevant studies were missed. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines were followed in this systematic review.
RESULTS
Out of 5,278 articles identified by the search terms, 9 were eligible for inclusion in the meta-analysis. The investigation unveiled a greater prevalence of maternal cardiac remodeling in HDP than normotensive pregnancies. The commonest type of maternal cardiac remodeling in both HDP and normotensive pregnancies was eccentric left ventricular hypertrophy, followed by concentric left ventricular remodeling which was more specific to HDP. Notably, left atrial diameter was significantly increased in HDP than normotensive pregnancies, suggesting higher prevalence of diastolic dysfunction. Additionally, the aortic root dimension was significantly increased in HDP than normotensive pregnancies.
CONCLUSION
This study underscores the importance of monitoring cardiac health in pregnancy, particularly in those with hypertensive disorders, in order to mitigate potential complications and improve maternal outcomes. Finally, the risk of aortic dissection that may occur as a long-term effect of aortic root enlargement in women with history of HDP ought to be investigated in future studies.
Topics: Humans; Female; Pregnancy; Ventricular Remodeling; Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular
PubMed: 38749071
DOI: 10.1016/j.ejogrb.2024.05.003 -
Frontiers in Medicine 2023This systematic review aimed to compare liver venous deprivation (LVD) with portal vein embolization (PVE) in terms of future liver volume, postoperative outcomes, and...
A systematic review and meta-analysis of liver venous deprivation versus portal vein embolization before hepatectomy: future liver volume, postoperative outcomes, and oncological safety.
INTRODUCTION
This systematic review aimed to compare liver venous deprivation (LVD) with portal vein embolization (PVE) in terms of future liver volume, postoperative outcomes, and oncological safety before major hepatectomy.
METHODS
We conducted this systematic review and meta-analysis following the PRISMA guidelines 2020 and AMSTAR 2 guidelines. Comparative articles published before November 2022 were retained.
RESULTS
The literature search identified nine eligible comparative studies. They included 557 patients, 207 in the LVD group and 350 in the PVE group. This systematic review and meta-analysis concluded that LVD was associated with higher future liver remnant (FLR) volume after embolization, percentage of FLR hypertrophy, lower failure of resection due to low FLR, faster kinetic growth, higher day 5 prothrombin time, and higher 3 years' disease-free survival. This study did not find any difference between the LVD and PVE groups in terms of complications related to embolization, FLR percentage of hypertrophy after embolization, failure of resection, 3-month mortality, overall morbidity, major complications, operative time, blood loss, bile leak, ascites, post hepatectomy liver failure, day 5 bilirubin level, hospital stay, and three years' overall survival.
CONCLUSION
LVD is as feasible and safe as PVE with encouraging results making some selected patients more suitable for surgery, even with a small FLR.
SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION
The review protocol was registered in PROSPERO before conducting the study (CRD42021287628).
PubMed: 38269320
DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2023.1334661 -
Finite element modeling of the human cervical spinal cord and its applications: A systematic review.North American Spine Society Journal Sep 2023Finite element modeling (FEM) is an established tool to analyze the biomechanics of complex systems. Advances in computational techniques have led to the increasing use... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND CONTEXT
Finite element modeling (FEM) is an established tool to analyze the biomechanics of complex systems. Advances in computational techniques have led to the increasing use of spinal cord FEMs to study cervical spinal cord pathology. There is considerable variability in the creation of cervical spinal cord FEMs and to date there has been no systematic review of the technique. The aim of this study was to review the uses, techniques, limitations, and applications of FEMs of the human cervical spinal cord.
METHODS
A literature search was performed through PubMed and Scopus using the words finite element analysis, spinal cord, and biomechanics. Studies were selected based on the following inclusion criteria: (1) use of human spinal cord modeling at the cervical level; (2) model the cervical spinal cord with or without the osteoligamentous spine; and (3) the study should describe an application of the spinal cord FEM.
RESULTS
Our search resulted in 369 total publications, 49 underwent reviews of the abstract and full text, and 23 were included in the study. Spinal cord FEMs are used to study spinal cord injury and trauma, pathologic processes, and spine surgery. Considerable variation exists in the derivation of spinal cord geometries, mathematical models, and material properties. Less than 50% of the FEMs incorporate the dura mater, cerebrospinal fluid, nerve roots, and denticulate ligaments. Von Mises stress, and strain of the spinal cord are the most common outputs studied. FEM offers the opportunity for dynamic simulation, but this has been used in only four studies.
CONCLUSIONS
Spinal cord FEM provides unique insight into the stress and strain of the cervical spinal cord in various pathological conditions and allows for the simulation of surgical procedures. Standardization of modeling parameters, anatomical structures and inclusion of patient-specific data are necessary to improve the clinical translation.
PubMed: 37636342
DOI: 10.1016/j.xnsj.2023.100246