Arterial hypertension (HT) is a major risk factor in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases and has a high prevalence. The pathogenesis of primary HT, which accounts for the majority of HT cases, has not been fully elucidated; therefore, effective treatment targets remain an important area of research. Transient receptor potential (TRP) channels represent a distinct class of cation channels that play a pivotal role in signal transduction by altering membrane potential or intracellular Ca2+ concentration. Based on sequence similarity, TRP channels are classified into six subfamilies: TRP canonical (TRPC), TRP melastatin (TRPM), TRP vanilloid (TRPV), TRP mucolipin (TRPML), TRP ankyrin (TRPA), and TRP polycystin (TRPP). These channels exhibit broad expression across diverse tissues and cell types and play critical roles in numerous pathophysiological processes through the regulation of ion concentrations (Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, and K+) and the modulation of intracellular signal transduction pathways. Research involving human subjects, as well as experimental models, highlights the essential role of TRP channels in maintaining vascular homeostasis and regulating blood pressure. TRP channels, particularly TRPCs, have gained increasing attention for their role in resistant HT, a condition in which blood pressure remains uncontrolled despite the use of multiple antihypertensive drugs. Additionally, these channels have been identified as central mediators of inflammation and oxidative stress, processes that are pivotal in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disorders, including HT. This review summarizes current evidence on TRPC, TRPV, and TRPM channels in HT, highlighting emerging translational findings and potential therapeutic implications.

Objective: Obesity is associated with characteristic cardiac remodeling, including left ventricular
(LV) hypertrophy, concentric geometry, and subclinical myocardial dysfunction. Bariatric surgery induces reverse cardiac remodeling; however, it remains unclear whether structural and functional recovery differ between sleeve gastrectomy (SG) and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), and to what extent these changes are driven by weight loss versus metabolic and inflammatory mechanisms.

Method: In this prospective observational cohort study, 100 adults with severe obesity (body mass index [BMI] > 35 kg/m²) undergoing primary bariatric surgery (SG, n = 50; RYGB, n = 50) were evaluated at baseline and six months postoperatively. Clinical, metabolic, inflammatory, and echocardiographic parameters—including left ventricular mass index (LVMI), epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) thickness, diastolic function, and global longitudinal strain (GLS)—were assessed using standardized transthoracic echocardiography with speckle-tracking analysis. Multivariable regression identified independent predictors of structural (ΔLVMI) and functional (ΔGLS) improvement.

Results: Baseline characteristics were comparable between groups (mean age 35.9 years; 67% female; BMI 47.1 kg/m²). Both procedures resulted in significant improvements in anthropometric, metabolic, inflammatory, and cardiac parameters. RYGB was associated with greater reductions in BMI (−10.74 ± 2.42 vs. −9.32 ± 2.42 kg/m²; P = 0.004), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) (median −1.40% vs. −0.90%; P = 0.007), and C-reactive protein (CRP) (P = 0.029). Structural reverse remodeling was more pronounced following RYGB, with greater reductions in LVMI (median −12.0 vs. −6.5 g/m²·7; P < 0.001) and EAT thickness (−1.20 vs. −0.70 mm; P = 0.014). GLS improved in both groups (−2.33% vs. −1.40%; P = 0.031). However, multivariable analysis demonstrated that improvement in GLS was independently associated with baseline GLS, reduction in LV mass, and improvements in HbA1c and CRP, rather than the type of surgical procedure.

Conclusion: Bariatric surgery leads to significant reverse cardiac remodeling in patients with severe obesity. RYGB is associated with greater structural regression, whereas improvement in myocardial deformation appears to be primarily driven by metabolic improvement and inflammatory changes rather than surgical technique. These findings suggest that cardiac recovery reflects an integrated process involving structural, metabolic, and inflammatory restoration beyond weight loss alone.

Objective: Iron deficiency is the leading cause of anemia in childhood and may induce cardiovascular adaptations, including increased heart rate, elevated cardiac output, plasma volume expansion, and myocardial remodeling. Beyond hematologic consequences, reduced iron availability may also affect myocardial structure and function. This study aimed to assess biventricular function in children with iron deficiency anemia using two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography.

Method: This prospective case–control study included pre- and post-treatment evaluations. Forty children with iron deficiency anemia and 29 healthy controls were enrolled. Of the 40 patients, 24 were re-evaluated after treatment. Tissue Doppler imaging was used to measure myocardial velocities, isovolumic contraction time, isovolumic relaxation time, and ejection time at the interventricular septum and the basal segments of both ventricles. Speckle-tracking echocardiography was used to assess left ventricular longitudinal strain (LS) and strain rate, left ventricular circumferential strain and strain rate, as well as right ventricular global longitudinal strain and strain rate.

Results: Left and right ventricular LS values improved following treatment, indicating recovery of myocardial function. Tissue Doppler parameters also demonstrated improvement in both systolic and diastolic function.

Conclusion: Although significant improvement was observed after treatment, some echocardiographic parameters did not fully normalize, suggesting that subtle myocardial alterations may persist. These findings should be interpreted with caution due to the relatively small sample size and the predominance of mild-to-moderate anemia in the study population. Children with iron deficiency anemia may benefit from longer-term follow-up and post-treatment evaluation.

Objective: Percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) of saphenous vein grafts (SVG) are technically challenging due to friable plaques, high thrombus burden, and the risk of distal embolization. The impact of balloon predilatation on outcomes in patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of predilatation in patients undergoing SVG PCI.

Method: In this single-center retrospective study, 202 patients with ACS and prior coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery who underwent PCI to an SVG between 2007 and 2024 were analyzed. Patients were categorized according to whether predilatation was performed before stent implantation (predilatation group, n = 112; no predilatation group, n = 90). Coronary flow was assessed using the Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) classification. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify independent predictors of inadequate post-procedural flow (TIMI < 3).

Results: Baseline demographic and clinical characteristics were comparable between the groups. Post-procedural TIMI 3 flow was achieved in 69.6% of the predilatation group and 55.6% of the non-predilatation group (P = 0.039). Predilatation (odds ratio [OR] = 0.51, P = 0.030) and the use of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors (OR = 0.39, P = 0.003) were independently associated with a lower risk of inadequate flow. ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) was associated with a higher risk of inadequate TIMI flow (OR = 2.37, P = 0.039). Lipid parameters and statin use were not associated with TIMI flow outcomes.

Conclusion: In patients with ACS undergoing SVG PCI, predilatation before stent implantation was associated with improved reperfusion, as reflected by higher rates of post-procedural TIMI 3 flow. The use of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa (GP IIb/IIIa) inhibitors was associated with additional protection. Larger prospective studies are warranted.

Objective: The atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) has been increasingly associated with coronary artery disease and adverse cardiovascular outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical relevance of AIP in predicting technical success in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for chronic total occlusion (CTO).

Method: This retrospective study included 197 patients who met the eligibility criteria. AIP was calculated as the base-10 logarithm of the triglyceride (TG)-to-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) ratio (log10[TG/HDL-C]). Technical success was defined as successful recanalization of the CTO with residual stenosis < 30% and restoration of antegrade flow.

Results: Based on the receiver operating characteristic (ROC)–derived AIP cutoff value (0.802), patients were classified into low-AIP (n = 125, 64%) and high-AIP (n = 72, 36%) groups. Higher AIP levels were associated with lower technical success rates. To assess the incremental predictive value of AIP, two nested models (Model 1 and Model 2) were constructed. Model discrimination improved with the inclusion of AIP (area under the curve [AUC]: 0.73 vs. 0.83), and likelihood ratio testing confirmed a significant enhancement in model performance (P < 0.001). In both models, estimated glomerular filtration rate and the Japanese Chronic Total Occlusion (J-CTO) score remained independent predictors of CTO PCI technical success. In Model 2, AIP was also independently associated with technical success (odds ratio: 0.03, 95% confidence interval: 0.01–0.12, P < 0.001). Although AIP demonstrated a numerically higher AUC than the J-CTO score in ROC analysis for predicting CTO PCI success, the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.097).

Conclusion: AIP may serve as a useful predictor of technical success in chronic total occlusion percutaneous coronary intervention and may provide incremental value during procedural planning.

Objective: Despite advances in prostacyclin therapy, pulmonary hypertension (PH) continues to impair patients' quality of life (QoL). This study aimed to identify the clinical and psychological factors associated with QoL in patients receiving prostacyclin therapy.

Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted between July 2023 and September 2024 and included 58 patients with PH receiving prostacyclin therapy. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire assessing sociodemographic and disease-related characteristics. Symptom severity, anxiety, depression, and QoL were evaluated using the Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Symptom Scale (PAHSS), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and the EmPHasis-10 Questionnaire.

Results: The mean age of the patients was 48.89 ± 16.17 years, and 69% were female. Overall, 69% had at least one chronic comorbidity, 19% required continuous oxygen therapy, and the mean disease duration was 7.45 ± 6.84 years. The average duration of prostacyclin therapy was 28.03 ± 34.21 months. Mean scores were 71.52 ± 36.40 for PAHSS, 8.70 ± 5.23 for HADS-Anxiety, 7.82 ± 5.32 for HADS-Depression, and 30.05 ± 14.92 for EmPHasis-10. EmPHasis-10 scores showed moderate correlations with PAHSS, HADS-Anxiety, HADS-Depression, and 6-minute walk test (6MWT) scores. In multivariate analysis, age, PAHSS score, anxiety, depression, and vomiting explained 80% of the variance in EmPHasis-10 scores.

Conclusion: QoL was substantially impaired in patients with PH receiving prostacyclin therapy and was influenced by age, symptom severity, anxiety, depression, and vomiting.

Objective: Impaired myocardial contractility is a major contributor to cardiovascular failure during septic shock; however, the underlying mechanisms remain incompletely understood. This study investigated the roles of endothelin and nitric oxide (NO) in cardiac dysfunction using the endothelin receptor antagonist tezosentan and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitors in an experimental model of endotoxic shock.

Method: Endotoxic shock was induced in rats via intraperitoneal injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 1 mg/kg). Hearts were isolated four hours after LPS or saline administration and perfused using a Langendorff apparatus. Myocardial contractility, coronary perfusion pressure, and heart rate were recorded. The effects of tezosentan and NOS inhibitors (Nω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester [L-NAME], aminoguanidine, and S-methylisothiourea sulfate [AETU]) were assessed by adding these agents to the perfusate. In parallel, atrial and papillary muscle contractility and spontaneous beating rates were evaluated using isolated tissue preparations in in vitro organ bath studies.

Results: Baseline myocardial contractility was significantly reduced in LPS-treated perfused hearts compared with controls (3.03 ± 0.25 vs. 4.94 ± 0.39 g, P < 0.05), whereas no significant differences were observed in isolated atrial or papillary muscle preparations. Coronary perfusion pressure was significantly increased in the LPS group (101 ± 6 vs. 79 ± 6 mmHg, P < 0.05). Tezosentan significantly attenuated the LPS-induced reduction in myocardial contractility but did not affect the increase in perfusion pressure. None of the NOS inhibitors altered myocardial contractility or perfusion pressure in LPS-treated hearts.

Conclusion: Myocardial contractility impairment in experimental endotoxic shock occurs only in the presence of an intact coronary vasculature and is prevented by endothelin receptor blockade. These findings suggest that vascular endothelium-derived endothelin plays a key role in myocardial depression during endotoxic shock, whereas nitric oxide appears to have a limited contribution in this model.

Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a rare form of cardiomyopathy that develops in the last months of pregnancy or during the postpartum period and is characterized by a decrease in left ventricular ejection fraction below 45%. The diagnosis and management of PPCM can be difficult because the symptoms of the disease may be confused with normal pregnancy symptoms. This requires physicians to maintain a high level of clinical suspicion. PPCM can be fatal if not correctly diagnosed and treated. In this case series, we describe the clinical course of four PPCM patients treated with sacubitril/valsartan (S/V) in addition to standard therapy. In these patients, S/V therapy was associated with improvements in left ventricular function. By the end of the first month, all patients demonstrated recovery of ejection fraction above 50% and were classified as New York Heart Association (NYHA) class I. These preliminary observations suggest that S/V may represent a potential treatment option for PPCM, although confirmation in larger studies is required. Although data on the use of S/V in PPCM remain limited, our case series provides preliminary insights that warrant further investigation. The management of PPCM requires a multidisciplinary approach, emphasizing the importance of timely intervention. Our observations indicate that S/V could be considered a possible therapeutic option, but confirmation in larger cohorts is needed.

Migration of a coronary stent is an uncommon but potentially dangerous event during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), and it is even rarer once the stent has been fully deployed. We describe a 39-year-old man presenting with non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) who underwent PCI of the left circumflex artery (LCx). After implantation, a drug-eluting stent unexpectedly migrated backward into the left main coronary artery (LMCA). An attempt to capture it with a snare via the femoral approach was unsuccessful. Using a balloon anchoring maneuver, the stent was carefully advanced to the radial artery and fixed in position with an additional stent, preserving arterial flow. PCI of the LCx was then completed with a good angiographic outcome. This case underlines the importance of choosing an appropriate stent size, recognizing predisposing factors such as vessel spasm, and being familiar with different retrieval or management techniques to deal with such rare complications.