Articles

(1) <b>Background</b>: Psychological flexibility, the ability to adapt to changing demands while staying true to personal values, is linked to better health behaviors. However, its relationship with cardiovascular health behaviors, particularly in Filipino populations, remains underexplored. (2) <b>Aim</b>: This study aimed to examine the relationship between psychological flexibility and cardiovascular health behaviors among outpatients in Rizal, Philippines, focusing on BMI, smoking, physical activity, and dietary habits. (3) <b>Methods</b>: A cross-sectional, descriptive-correlational design was used with 100 outpatient participants from selected hospitals. Psychological flexibility was measured using the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II), and cardiovascular health behaviors were assessed using a modified version of the American Heart Association’s Life Simple 7 tool. Descriptive statistics and Pearson’s correlation were applied. (4) <b>Results</b>: The findings showed that respondents had neutral levels of psychological flexibility. While most exhibited intermediate BMI and physical activity, dietary habits varied. A significant positive correlation was found between psychological flexibility and whole grain consumption. However, no significant associations were found with BMI, smoking, or physical activity. (5) <b>Conclusions</b>: Psychological flexibility appears to influence specific health behaviors, such as dietary choices, but does not strongly correlate with other cardiovascular health behaviors. Further research is needed to explore its broader role in cardiovascular disease prevention.

<b>Background:</b> Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a life-threatening heart muscle disease of unknown aetiology that affects women during the peripartum period, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. While many studies have observed normal blood pressure (BP) in PPCM patients, none have explored whether their BP is appropriate for their body size. This study investigated the correlation between body anthropometric parameters and BP in PPCM patients, comparing the findings with those of age-matched normal peripartum controls. <b>Methods: </b>A cohort of 105 women, each from PPCM and matched normal peripartum control groups, were recruited from three healthcare facilities in Sokoto. Blood pressure (BP) parameters were assessed in relation to their anthropometric measurements, and the findings were compared between the two groups. <b>Results:</b> The PPCM patients were significantly smaller in body weight (57.0 ±11.6 Kg vs 66.8 ±13.8 Kg, P <.0001), body mass index (BMI) (21.9 ±4.1 Kg/m2 vs 25.4 ±5.4 Kg/m2, P <.0001, body surface area (BSA) (1.3 ±0.7 m2 vs 1.7 ±0.2 m2, P <.0001), Lean body mass (LBM) (45.3 ±7.0 Kg vs 49.4 ±4.1 Kg, P <.0001) and Percentage body fat (BF) (23.5 ±10.9 % vs 31.2 ±6.9 %, P <.0001). Similarly, PPCM patients had significantly higher systolic BP (SBP), Pulse pressure (PP) and Mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) compared to the normal peripartum PPCM control. Further, linear regression analysis showed that there was higher slope of the relationship between anthropometric indices and SBP and PP in the PPCM cohort, compared to the normal peripartum control group. A similar trend of the slope was seen in the Pearson’s coefficient of the relationship of the anthropometries and BP parameters. <b>Conclusions:</b> This study found that women with peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) exhibited disproportionately higher systolic blood pressure (SBP) and pulse pressure (PP) for each unit increase in anthropometric measurements compared to normal peripartum controls. Notably, PPCM patients had significantly lower anthropometric measures, potentially attributable to poverty and chronic undernutrition. Additionally, the effects of poor antenatal care, lack of immunization and recurrent infection should be considered. These findings suggest an abnormal relationship between anthropometry and blood pressure in PPCM patients, which may have detrimental effects on their cardiovascular health. This abnormal relationship may contribute to the development of heart failure (HF) in PPCM patients and potentially increase the risk in women susceptible to PPCM. Even-though our assumption, yet to be proven. To address this concerning trend in vulnerable populations, improvements in nutritional status, socioeconomic determinants health, adequate antenatal care (ANC), immunization, and infection prevention should be considered.

<b>Background</b><b>:</b> Socioeconomic status (SES) is a well-established determinant of health, often associated with lower risk of cardiometabolic diseases (CMD). However, the extent to which SES influences CMD may vary by gender due to differences in social roles, health behaviors, and biological susceptibilities. This study examined the relationship between SES, measured by the poverty-to-income ratio (PIR), and CMD indicators—including obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease (CVD)—among men and women using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). <b>Methods</b><b>:</b> This cross-sectional study utilized NHANES data (1999-2018), adjusting for race/ethnicity and age. SES was operationalized using PIR, with CMD outcomes (obesity, diabetes, and CVD) as dependent variables. Generalized linear models (GLM) were employed to evaluate the main effects of SES on CMD, with gender included as a moderator. <b>Results</b><b>:</b> Higher SES was associated with lower overall CMD risk. However, the protective effects of SES were more pronounced in women than in men for all outcomes. These findings suggest that gender-specific pathways may mediate the relationship between SES and CMD. Women may derive greater health benefits from higher SES due to factors such as reduced stress exposure, healthier behaviors, and increased healthcare utilization. Conversely, the weaker association observed in men may reflect differences in social hierarchy sensitivity, responses to unemployment, or other contextual factors. <b>Conclusion</b><b>:</b> The findings highlight the importance of gender-specific considerations when addressing SES-related disparities in CMD outcomes. Policies and interventions aimed at reducing CMD burden should account for these gender differences to promote equitable improvements in cardiometabolic health. Further research is needed to unravel the mechanisms driving these differences and to inform targeted strategies.

Over the past few decades, cardiovascular disease and related complications have surpassed all others as the important causes of death on a universal scale. At the moment, they are the important cause of mortality universal, including in India. It is important to know how to find cardiovascular problems early so that patients get better care and prices go down. This project utilizes the UCI Heart Disease Dataset to develop ML and DL models capable of detecting cardiac diseases. Heart illness was categorized using Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) models, which are able to detect intricate patterns in supplied data. A confusion matrix rating, an F1-score, a ROC curve, accuracy, precision, and recall were some of the measures used to grade the model. It did much better than the Neural Network, Deep Neural Network (DNN), and Gradient Boosted Trees (GBT) models, with 91.71% accuracy, 88.88% precision, 82.75% memory, and 85.70% F1-score. Comparative study showed that CNN was the most accurate model. Other models had different balances between accuracy and recall. The experiment results show that the optional CNN model is a decent way to identify cardiovascular disease. This means that it could be used in healthcare systems to find diseases earlier and treat patients better.

Exercise is an important factor of rehabilitation in heart failure patients, improving several indicators of disease prognosis and functional capacity. The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of a cardiorespiratory rehabilitation program on the physical and mental fatigue, general health and anxiety in patients suffering from heart failure. Thirty-one patients with heart failure [(M±SD) age: 67.59±7.60 years] participated in a cardiorespiratory rehabilitation program. The program included aerobic exercise on cycle ergometers and muscle strengthening for 3 months (12 weeks), 3 times/week. Before and after the program, patients' fatigue, general and mental health were assessed using the following self-reported questionnaires: a) Fatigue Assessment Scale (FAS), b) Goldberg's General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) and c) Spielberger's Anxiety Questionnaire. Data analysis showed a statistically significant tendency of reduction in social dysfunction (from 1.99±0.42 to 1.75±0.45, p=0.05), while anxiety (from 27.10±7.61 to 26.40±4.35) showed no change (p>0.05).Also, evaluating the changes in the health level after attending the program, there was a trend of improvement in physical activity and functioning with the appearance of fewer physical symptoms (from 1.38±0.43 to 1.24±0.31, p=0,13). These results show that exercise can contribute to increasing the general well-being of these patients and reducing feelings of helplessness, making them able to cope with their daily activities and tasks.

An arrhythmia, or abnormal heart rhythm, usually means that the heart is beating too fast, too slowly, or irregularly. Few people do not feel discomfort when they notice that their heart is beating faster or irregularly or if they feel their heart pounding in their throat. Arrhythmia is an abnormal heart rhythm. The heart is controlled by a conduction system that transmits electrical impulses. This causes the heart to beat. This system works automatically, so outside of human will. The heart generally works rhythmically throughout life.

Alterations in the cardiac electrical system are the cause of morbidity and a wide variety of symptoms – from mild to those requiring urgent intervention – because of the risk of sudden cardiac death. The most prevalent of these types of electrical disturbances is atrial fibrillation, the incidence of which is growing as the average age of the human being increases. Among many other electrical heart alterations is one I describe in this document: "The presence of short PR and QTc intervals together in the same ECG tracing”. <b>Methods: </b>A cardiac calibrator was used by four different cardiologists in blinded fashion to document a distinct ECG pattern, that of a short PR and QTc intervals together in the same ECG tracing from more than 2.500 cases assessed for this condition (more than two thousand five hundred cases evaluated since 2.007 to date). <b>Results:</b> Here we describe the clinical features of 330 patients with a documented short PR and QTc intervals together in the same ECG tracing along with descriptions of their symptoms and ancillary investigations. <b>Conclusions:</b> ECG tracing must be studied carefully in patients with suggestive symptoms before declaring normal an ECG tracing with certain defined characteristics.

The heart remained a mystery for many years and was considered surgically untouchable. With the use of extracorporeal circulation, there has been a revolution in this area. Due to its mechanical components and interactions with blood, cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) can cause significant changes in the body. Factors such as contact between artificial materials and blood, continuous flow, hemodilution, hypothermia and anticoagulation affect all organs during CPB, and may result in various complications. The minimally invasive extracorporeal circulation (MiECC) system was developed to minimize the contact of blood with air and foreign surfaces during conventional CPB. In addition, the biocompatibility of the components that make up the MiECC circuits increased, which reduced the inflammatory response. The absence of a venous reservoir and shorter lines allow the prime volume to be used to decrease, which also reduces the damage to the blood elements, and consequently, the need for blood transfusion. The MiECC system also has its downsides, the most important one being the difficulty in removing the air that can enter through the venous line, the impairment of the pump function, and embolization. During the use of these systems, perfusion safety and communication with the whole team must be at the highest level. In line with this information, the use of these systems can become standard in cardiac surgery with new technological additions.