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Journal of Cardiovascular Development and Disease, Volume 12, Issue 10

2025 October - 41 articles

Cover Story: The epicardium plays a pivotal role in heart development and regeneration through its lineage contributions and paracrine signaling. Recent advances in lineage tracing, single-cell profiling, and human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiac organoids have revealed new insights into the cellular diversity and dynamic interactions between epicardial cells, cardiomyocytes, endothelial cells, and immune cells. These models uncover both conserved and divergent mechanisms underlying epicardial function and cardiac repair. This review integrates findings from developmental, regenerative, and organoid studies to present an updated perspective on epicardial biology and its therapeutic potential. View this paper
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Articles (41)

  • Article
  • Open Access
956 Views
11 Pages

Prescription Trends and the Role of Cardiologists in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Erectile Dysfunction

  • Filip Tkaczyk,
  • Michal Chudzik,
  • Aleksandra M. Piotrowska,
  • Tim Stolpe,
  • Julia Zurawska and
  • Zbigniew Siudak

Introduction: Erectile dysfunction (ED) is strongly associated with metabolic and cardiovascular diseases and may serve as a marker of vascular pathology. Phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE-5) inhibitors are the mainstay of treatment. Considering this lin...

  • Article
  • Open Access
695 Views
13 Pages

Risk Factors for Reintervention in Children with Subvalvular Aortic Stenosis: A 20-Year Single-Center Study

  • Jelena Hubrechts,
  • Alessandra Zanfardino,
  • Catherine Barrea,
  • Thierry Detaille and
  • Alain Poncelet

Subvalvular aortic stenosis (SAS) is a frequent cause of left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) obstruction in children. Surgical resection is the standard treatment, yet recurrence requiring reintervention remains a significant concern. We aim to ide...

  • Article
  • Open Access
1,181 Views
11 Pages

Background: Pulse field ablation (PFA) is a novel ablation technology with efficacy and safety, potentially making it a preferred ablation technology for persistent atrial fibrillation (AF). There is no optimal procedural workflow established to opti...

  • Reply
  • Open Access
392 Views
2 Pages

Reply to Al Ebrahim, K.E. Comment on “Leivaditis et al. Between Air and Artery: A History of Cardiopulmonary Bypass and the Rise of Modern Cardiac Surgery. J. Cardiovasc. Dev. Dis. 2025, 12, 365”

  • Vasileios Leivaditis,
  • Andreas Maniatopoulos,
  • Francesk Mulita,
  • Paraskevi Katsakiori,
  • Nikolaos G. Baikoussis,
  • Sofoklis Mitsos,
  • Elias Liolis,
  • Vasiliki Garantzioti,
  • Konstantinos Tasios and
  • Manfred Dahm
  • + 6 authors

We are grateful to Dr. Al Ebrahim for his thoughtful and constructive commentary on our historical review of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) [...]

  • Review
  • Open Access
1 Citations
1,487 Views
27 Pages

Coronary Bifurcation PCI—Part I: Fundamentals

  • Sara Pollanen,
  • Rongras Damrongwatanasuk,
  • Ju Young Bae,
  • Jason Wen,
  • Michael G. Nanna,
  • Abdulla Al-Damluji,
  • Mamas A. Mamas,
  • Elias B. Hanna and
  • Jiun-Ruey Hu

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of bifurcation lesions remain one of the most technically challenging areas in interventional cardiology. Careful planning and execution are needed to preserve main vessel and side branch patency, with evolvin...

  • Case Report
  • Open Access
860 Views
14 Pages

Aortic Regurgitation in a Patient with Rheumatoid Arthritis/Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Overlap Syndrome (Rhupus): Case Report and Review of Literature

  • Mislav Radić,
  • Hana Đogaš,
  • Tina Bečić,
  • Petra Šimac,
  • Ivana Jukić,
  • Josipa Radić and
  • Damir Fabijanić

Background/Objectives: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), including valvular heart disease (VHD), remain the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Case Presentation: W...

  • Review
  • Open Access
665 Views
11 Pages

Surgical Explantation of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Requires Patient-Tailored Management, but Challenges Remain

  • Vasiliki Androutsopoulou,
  • Andrew Xanthopoulos,
  • Kalliopi Keramida,
  • Arian Arjomandi Rad,
  • Georgia Nazou,
  • Prokopis-Andreas Zotos,
  • John Skoularigis,
  • Thanos Athanasiou and
  • Dimitrios C. Iliopoulos

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement has become a widely accepted alternative to surgical aortic valve replacement even in younger, lower-risk patients with longer life expectancy. The increasing use of transcatheter aortic valve replacement is lea...

  • Review
  • Open Access
2,485 Views
17 Pages

Addressing Complications in Cardiac Implantable Electronic Devices: A Guideline to Prevention of CIED Infection

  • Benito Baldauf,
  • Roberto Cemin,
  • Mauro Biffi,
  • Antonio Rapacciuolo,
  • Giulio Zucchelli,
  • Maria Grazia Bongiorni,
  • Ernesto Casorelli,
  • Gianfranco Mitacchione,
  • Felix Hohendanner and
  • Kerstin Bode
  • + 14 authors

Background: Cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) are vital for managing arrhythmias but carry a notable risk of infection, which increases patient morbidity, mortality, and healthcare burden. This review examines current evidence on risk fa...

  • Article
  • Open Access
1,412 Views
13 Pages

Pilot Study Assessing the Hemodynamic Impact and Post-Exercise Hypotension Induced by High- Versus Low-Intensity Isometric Handgrip in Patients with Ischemic Heart Disease

  • Giuseppe Caminiti,
  • Matteo Vitarelli,
  • Maurizio Volterrani,
  • Giuseppe Marazzi,
  • Vincenzo Manzi,
  • Valentino D’Antoni,
  • Simona Fecondo,
  • Sara Vadalà,
  • Barbara Sposato and
  • Marco Alfonso Perrone
  • + 4 authors

Background: Isometric handgrip (IHG) exercise reduces blood pressure (BP) in both normotensive and hypertensive individuals. However, there are few studies specifically addressing its effects in hypertensive patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD)...

  • Brief Report
  • Open Access
839 Views
9 Pages

Minimally Invasive Repair of Sinus Venosus Atrial Septal Defects and Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Connections via Vertical Right Axillary Thoracotomy

  • Sameh M. Said,
  • Ali H. Mashadi,
  • Yasin Essa,
  • Kristin Greathouse,
  • Nicholas Brown,
  • Mahmoud I. Salem and
  • Joseph Giamelli

(1) Background: There has been an increase in the utilization of the minimally invasive vertical right axillary thoracotomy approach for repairing congenital heart defects in children recently. We aim, in the current study, to evaluate the outcomes o...

  • Article
  • Open Access
1,130 Views
17 Pages

Trends in Conventional Heart Failure Therapy in a Real-World Multinational ATTR-CA Cohort

  • Eva H. van der Geest,
  • Nina Ajmone Marsan,
  • Dorien Laenens,
  • Philippe J. M. R. Debonnaire,
  • Mathias Claeys,
  • Fauto Pinto,
  • Dulce Brito,
  • Erwan Donal,
  • Steven Droogmans and
  • Madelien V. Regeer
  • + 4 authors

Background: Conventional HF treatment in transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis (ATTR-CA) resulting in restrictive cardiomyopathy is debated due to absent trial evidence in this specific sub-population of heart failure (HF) patients. Current European Soci...

  • Article
  • Open Access
1,330 Views
16 Pages

Beyond the Obvious: Evaluating Incidence and Causes of False Positive Patent Foramen Ovale Diagnoses in Cryptogenic Ischemic Stroke—A Retrospective Analysis

  • Raphael Phinicarides,
  • Kira Berning,
  • Houtan Heidari,
  • Dominika Kanschik,
  • Amin Polzin,
  • Nikos Werner,
  • Malte Kelm,
  • Christian Jung,
  • Kathrin Klein and
  • Shazia Afzal
  • + 1 author

(1) Background: Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is the gold standard for diagnosing patent foramen ovale (PFO) in cryptogenic ischemic stroke. However, false-positive diagnoses remain clinically relevant, exposing patients to unnecessary invas...

  • Article
  • Open Access
1,474 Views
13 Pages

The Association Between Short-Term Blood Pressure Variability and Inflammation in Healthy Young Adults

  • Charles J. Weeks,
  • Bayu B. Bekele,
  • Michelle Altvater,
  • Jie Cheng,
  • Haidong Zhu,
  • Ying Huang,
  • Deborah A. Jehu,
  • Abigayle B. Simon,
  • Wenjun Li and
  • Yanbin Dong

Blood pressure variability (BPV) is linked to cardiovascular disease (CVD) and systemic inflammation in adults, but its relevance in young, healthy populations remains unclear. This study examined the association between short-term BPV and inflammato...

  • Article
  • Open Access
577 Views
12 Pages

Background: Perioperative hypotension is a frequent but underrecognized complication during transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). Although reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) and low baseline blood pressure have been linked to h...

  • Article
  • Open Access
773 Views
12 Pages

Accuracy of a Bedside Heparin Anticoagulation Monitoring Test in Critically Ill Patients

  • María Teresa Cruces Moreno,
  • Raimundo García del Moral and
  • Manuel Colmenero

Anticoagulation therapy with unfractionated heparin (UHF) is a mandatory treatment for many critically ill patients. While the gold standard for monitoring this therapy remains the laboratory-based aPTT (aPTT-lab), the need for immediate results has...

  • Case Report
  • Open Access
816 Views
7 Pages

Transfemoral TAVI in a High-Risk Patient with Porcelain Aorta and Severe Subrenal Abdominal Aortic Stenosis: A Case Report

  • Anees Al Jabri,
  • Marcello Ravani,
  • Giuseppe Trianni,
  • Tommaso Gasbarri,
  • Marta Casula and
  • Sergio Berti

Aortic stenosis (AS) is a common degenerative valvular disease in elderly patients, causing obstruction of left ventricular outflow and presenting with symptoms such as angina, syncope, and heart failure. Although surgical aortic valve replacement (S...

  • Article
  • Open Access
1,766 Views
14 Pages

Diagnostic Accuracy of Coronary CT Angiography in Ruling Out Significant Coronary Artery Disease in Candidates for Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement

  • Chiara Gallo,
  • Alfonso Campanile,
  • Carmine Izzo,
  • Sonia Paoletta,
  • Valentina Russo,
  • Pierpaolo Chivasso,
  • Francesco Vigorito,
  • Marco Di Maio,
  • Michele Ciccarelli and
  • Oliviero Caleo
  • + 6 authors

Obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) is common in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). While invasive coronary angiography (ICA) is the gold standard for coronary evaluation, coronary computed tomography angiograph...

  • Article
  • Open Access
1,729 Views
19 Pages

Real-World Patterns and Outcomes of Anticoagulation Therapy in Pulmonary Embolism: An Observational Dual-Centre Registry Analysis

  • Ivana Jurin,
  • Josip Pejić,
  • Karlo Gjuras,
  • Fran Šaler,
  • Tea-Terezija Cvetko,
  • Nevenka Piskač Živković,
  • Zdravko Mitrović,
  • Šime Manola,
  • Marin Pavlov and
  • Irzal Hadžibegović
  • + 3 authors

Background: Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a major cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Guidelines favor direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) over vitamin K antagonists (VKAs), but real-world Croatian data are scarce. Methods: A prospective dua...

  • Article
  • Open Access
952 Views
14 Pages

Impact of Hypertension on Physical and Cognitive Performance Under Single- and Dual-Task Conditions in Older Adults

  • Daniel Estévez-Caro,
  • María Melo-Alonso,
  • Miguel A. Hernández-Mocholí,
  • Santos Villafaina and
  • Francisco Javier Domínguez-Muñoz

Background: Up to 40% of people with hypertension (HTN) develop mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease during their lifetime. This study aimed to compare physical and cognitive performance in older adults, classified as non-HTN or wi...

  • Article
  • Open Access
1 Citations
1,784 Views
13 Pages

Clinical, Imaging, and Serum Biomarker Predictors of Malignant Cerebral Infarction

  • Alejandro Rodríguez-Vázquez,
  • Salvatore Rudilosso,
  • Antonio Doncel-Moriano,
  • Andrea Cabero-Arnold,
  • Carlos Laredo,
  • Darío Ramis,
  • David Moraleja,
  • Mònica Serrano,
  • Yolanda González-Romero and
  • Ángel Chamorro
  • + 7 authors

Malignant cerebral infarction (MCI) is rare but often fatal. Early identification helps guide monitoring and decompressive surgery. This study evaluated whether serum biomarkers add predictive value beyond clinical and imaging data in severe stroke p...

  • Systematic Review
  • Open Access
1,044 Views
13 Pages

Impact of Atrial Fibrillation on the Outcome of Patients with Brugada Syndrome: A Meta-Analysis

  • Max Aboutorabi,
  • Mahmood Ahmad,
  • Jonathan J. H. Bray,
  • Daniel A. Gomes and
  • Rui Providencia

Introduction: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is common in patients with Brugada syndrome (BrS). The impact and significance of AF in this patient population needs to be further clarified. Method: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of studie...

  • Review
  • Open Access
2 Citations
4,752 Views
21 Pages

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and chronic heart failure (CHF) are pathologies that impact mortality and morbidity worldwide. These chronic diseases have multiple causes, and they share some common clinical symptoms, such as diaphragm d...

  • Review
  • Open Access
1 Citations
1,528 Views
20 Pages

The epicardium plays a pivotal role in heart development, regeneration, and disease response through its contributions to multiple cardiac lineages and its dynamic paracrine signaling. Recent advances in lineage tracing, single-cell technologies, and...

  • Article
  • Open Access
588 Views
9 Pages

Hypertrabeculation in Olympic Athletes: Advanced LV Function Analysis by CMR

  • Alessandro Spinelli,
  • Sara Monosilio,
  • Giuseppe Di Gioia,
  • Gianni Pedrizzetti,
  • Giovanni Tonti,
  • Cosimo Damiano Daniello,
  • Maria Rosaria Squeo,
  • Antonio Pelliccia and
  • Viviana Maestrini

Left ventricular (LV) hypertrabeculation is increasingly recognized as a phenotype that may reflect physiological adaptation, particularly in athletes exposed to chronic overload, although its functional relevance remains uncertain. This study evalua...

  • Article
  • Open Access
1,265 Views
12 Pages

Effect of Acute Grape Seed Extract Supplementation on Heart Rate Recovery in Young Individuals

  • Dae Sik Song,
  • William Boyer,
  • Trevor Gillum,
  • Sean Sullivan,
  • Iltark Yoon,
  • Junbei Bai,
  • Seung-Jae Kim and
  • Jong-Kyung Kim

Evidence has suggested that post-exercise heart rate recovery (PHRR) is a useful tool in evaluating cardiac autonomic function. Altered cardiac autonomic function is characterized by heightened sympathetic activation and the abnormal reactivation of...

  • Review
  • Open Access
1 Citations
1,611 Views
16 Pages

Early Currents: Developmental Electrophysiology and Arrhythmia in Pediatric Congenital Heart Disease

  • Lixia Dai,
  • Weilin Liu,
  • Vehpi Yildirim,
  • Mathijs S. van Schie,
  • Yannick J. H. J. Taverne and
  • Natasja M. S. de Groot

Arrhythmias significantly contribute to morbidity and mortality in patients with congenital heart disease (CHD). While postoperative factors predisposing to arrhythmias are well-established, early electrophysiological alterations in pediatric CHD rem...

  • Article
  • Open Access
773 Views
12 Pages

Effects of Physical Activity, Metabolic Syndrome, and Social Status on ECG Parameters in Children: A Prospective Cohort Study

  • Árpád Kézdi,
  • Viktor József Horváth,
  • Regina Hangács,
  • Ádám Gyula Tabák,
  • Dominic Joseph Fogarasi,
  • Dániel Vadon,
  • György Grósz,
  • Ferenc Fekete and
  • Anikó Nagy

(1) Background: Physical activity, altered metabolic parameters, and socio-economic status may affect electrocardiographic (ECG) parameters in children. However, a direct comparison of their effects on resting ECG has not yet been performed. (2) Meth...

  • Review
  • Open Access
2,097 Views
22 Pages

Atherosclerosis is a complex systemic inflammatory metabolic disease, which originates from endothelial dysfunction and progresses through plaque formation involving vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and macrophage uptake of modified low-density l...

  • Review
  • Open Access
6,043 Views
19 Pages

Homocysteine in the Cardiovascular Setting: What to Know, What to Do, and What Not to Do

  • Saverio D’Elia,
  • Mariarosaria Morello,
  • Gisella Titolo,
  • Valentina Maria Caso,
  • Achille Solimene,
  • Ettore Luisi,
  • Chiara Serpico,
  • Andrea Morello,
  • Lucia La Mura and
  • Giovanni Cimmino
  • + 3 authors

Homocysteine has long been studied as a potential cardiovascular risk factor due to its biochemical role in endothelial dysfunction, oxidative stress, inflammation, and thrombogenesis. Despite strong epidemiological and mechanistic support, the trans...

  • Editorial
  • Open Access
1,141 Views
9 Pages

Clinical diagnosis of cardiovascular disease has undergone revolutionary changes over the last decades thanks to rapid developments in medical imaging modalities significantly enhancing the diagnostic performance of cardiac imaging in cardiovascular...

  • Article
  • Open Access
718 Views
14 Pages

Cardiopulmonary Test in Fontan Patients: Is the Type of Ergometer Critical?

  • Federica Gentili,
  • Giulia Cafiero,
  • Eliana Tranchita,
  • Jacopo Kowalczyk,
  • Fausto Badolato,
  • Paola Pagliari,
  • Benedetta Leonardi,
  • Giulio Calcagni,
  • Gabriele Rinelli and
  • Ugo Giordano
  • + 2 authors

Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) is recommended as part of routine care in people with congenital heart disease. A significant difference has been observed in many CPET parameters, depending on the ergometer and exercise protocol used. The aim...

  • Article
  • Open Access
1 Citations
1,184 Views
14 Pages

Efficacy of Contractility Modulation Therapy in Patients with Transthyretin Amyloid Cardiomyopathy, Mildly Reduced to Reduced EF and NYHA III and IV: A Multicentric, Prospective Pilot Study for AMY-CCM Registry

  • Procolo Marchese,
  • Francesca Gennaro,
  • Giovanni Mazzotta,
  • Pierfrancesco Grossi,
  • Luigi Cocchiara,
  • Stefano Guarracini,
  • Lorenzo Mazzocchetti,
  • Matteo Ziacchi,
  • Mauro Biffi and
  • Cristina Chimenti
  • + 10 authors

Background: Transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis (ATTR-CM) is an infiltrative cardiomyopathy that frequently progresses to symptomatic heart failure (HF), often with mildly reduced or reduced ejection fraction (EF). Standard therapies are limited in NYH...

  • Review
  • Open Access
1 Citations
2,112 Views
18 Pages

Heart at Hand: The Role of Point-of-Care Cardiac Ultrasound in Internal Medicine

  • Piero Tarantini,
  • Francesco Cei,
  • Fabiola Longhi,
  • Aldo Fici,
  • Salvatore Tupputi,
  • Gino Solitro,
  • Lucia Colavolpe,
  • Stefania Marengo and
  • Nicola Mumoli

Bedside echocardiography stands as a cornerstone diagnostic tool in internal medicine, offering rapid, real-time evaluation of cardiac structure and function across a wide spectrum of acute and chronic conditions. Its application, particularly when c...

  • Review
  • Open Access
1,276 Views
19 Pages

Opening the Sacred Chamber: The Cultural and Ethical Odyssey of Cardiac Surgery

  • Vasileios Leivaditis,
  • Georgios Mavroudes,
  • Francesk Mulita,
  • Nikolaos G. Baikoussis,
  • Athanasios Papatriantafyllou,
  • Vasiliki Garantzioti,
  • Konstantinos Tasios,
  • Levan Tchabashvili,
  • Dimitrios Litsas and
  • Manfred Dahm
  • + 7 authors

Cardiac surgery, now a routine medical intervention, was once deemed unthinkable—not merely due to technical limitations, but because of deep-seated cultural, religious, and philosophical prohibitions. This article traces the historical and eth...

  • Systematic Review
  • Open Access
1,108 Views
42 Pages

Context and Objective: Post-Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) mortality exhibits extreme heterogeneity that conventional meta-analyses fail to explain, limiting the clinical utility of evidence synthesis and hindering accurate prognostic...

  • Article
  • Open Access
550 Views
11 Pages

Subacute Hypoxia Induces Cardiac Remodeling and Mitochondrial Dysfunction via Apoptotic Pathways in a Rabbit Model of Tracheal Stenosis

  • Taeyun Kim,
  • Kyoung-Im Cho,
  • Hyoung Kyu Kim,
  • Chulho Oak,
  • Jin Han,
  • Hyoung Shin Lee and
  • Yohan Jeon

Myocardial hypoxia is a major cause of cardiac dysfunction, triggering cellular injury and apoptosis. This study aims to investigate the effects of subacute hypoxia on cardiac remodeling and mitochondrial oxygen consumption. This study is based on a...

  • Review
  • Open Access
1,851 Views
23 Pages

Clinical Applications of Cardiac Computed Tomography: A Focused Review for the Clinical Cardiologists

  • Christian Giovanni Camacho-Mondragon,
  • Juan Carlos Ibarrola-Peña,
  • Daniel Lira-Lozano,
  • Carlos Jerjes-Sanchez,
  • Erasmo De la Pena-Almaguer and
  • Jose Gildardo Paredes-Vazquez

Cardiac computed tomography (CT) has become a cornerstone in the non-invasive evaluation and management of cardiovascular disease, offering clinicians detailed anatomical and functional information that directly influences patient care. This review f...

  • Review
  • Open Access
1,784 Views
19 Pages

Childhood-onset hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a cardiac disorder presenting unique diagnostic and therapeutic challenges in children that require tailored clinical attention compared to HCM arising at other life stages. Despite this, current t...

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J. Cardiovasc. Dev. Dis. - ISSN 2308-3425