Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) has a strong relationship with inflammation. However, it is unclear whether the dietary inflammatory potential is associated with PAD. We aimed to address this knowledge gap. The dietary inflammatory index (DII) was obtained using a 24-h dietary recall interview for each individual. Logistic regression models and restricted cubic spline were performed to assess the relationship of DII with the prevalence of PAD. In addition, Spearman correlation analysis and subgroup analysis were also undertaken. In total, 5840 individuals from the 1999–2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were enrolled in our study. Participants in higher DII quartile tended to have higher rates of PAD. The increase in DII scores showed a positive association with PAD after fully multivariate adjustment (OR (odds ratios) = 1.094, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.022–1.171). The multivariable-adjusted OR and 95% CI of the highest DII index quartile compared with the lowest quartile was 1.543 (95% CI: 1.116–2.133). Subgroup analysis demonstrated that the positive association between DII and PAD was persistent across population subgroups. In conclusion, we report that a proinflammatory dietary pattern is related to a higher risk of developing PAD among US adults.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) can increase the risk of stroke by five-fold; strokes associated with AF are more likely to lead to death or severe disability in patients. Thus, preventing the formation of thrombosis is of vital importance in the treatment of patients with AF. Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) is a risk factor for AF and is closely associated with many AF-related complications. However, to our knowledge, no in-depth studies on the relationship between the incidence of thrombosis in AF patients and EAT have been conducted. Therefore, it is of great clinical significance to explore the potential of EAT quantification in predicting intra-atrial thrombosis in patients with AF. Methods: This is a case–control study; patients with AF who underwent coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) were included. These patients were divided into the thrombus group and the non-thrombus group according to the results of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). The volume of EAT, the mean density of EAT, and the ratio of EAT volume to the whole heart volume were measured by CCTA, and the data of the two groups were compared. Meanwhile, the diagnostic efficiency of using these parameters was analyzed. Result: A total of 308 patients with AF who underwent both TEE and CCTA were enrolled in this study. After a 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM) analysis based on age and sex, a total of 76 patients were finally included. Compared with the patients in the non-thrombus group, those in the thrombus group had a larger volume of EAT (132.38 ± 45.25 cm3 vs. 95.51 ± 25.38 cm3; p < 0.001) and a higher ratio of EAT volume to the whole heart volume (0.13 ± 0.05 vs. 0.10 ± 0.03; p < 0.05). However, there was no difference in the mean density of EAT between the two groups. The volume of EAT was identified as an independent risk factor (odds ratio = 1.042; p = 0.003). Moreover, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis presented the EAT volume as a potential diagnostic value in predicting intra-atrial thrombus in AF patients, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.755. Conclusions: The EAT volume may be a potential biomarker for predicting intra-atrial thrombosis in patients with AF; however, further validation is required to confirm the diagnostic value.

A 38-year-old man presented to the hospital with chest pain and shortness of breath. He was wounded during a construction accident 11 h earlier. On admission, the patient’s vital signs were stable with a blood pressure of 106/61 mmHg and a tiny wound at the left second spatia intercostalia. Emergency coronary computed tomography angiography (Panel A) revealed a high-density shadow within the descending thoracic aorta inserted into the 11th thoracic vertebra. An emergency operation of aortic coarctation repair was performed, during which a broken common nail (Panel B) was observed to puncture through the descending thoracic aorta, penetrating half-way into the 11th thoracic vertebra. The amazing luck in this life-threatening accident is how the hard vertebrae stopped the nail. The nail had penetrated deeply enough to have secured itself from moving and rupturing the descending thoracic aorta walls; yet the vertebrae prevented it from having penetrated more deeply, just enough to not create an open wound on the anterior wall. As a result, the patient, fortunately, survived what was initially misdiagnosed as an abrasion, experiencing neither penetrating trauma nor massive haemorrhage hours after receiving inadequate treatments from a local emergency department before visiting our hospital as his chest and back pain persisted. He had an uneventful postoperative recovery and was doing well at a 3-month follow-up.

Background/Objectives: Intracardiac thrombosis (ICT) is a serious complication in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients. This study aimed to identify potential risk factors of ICT in AMI patients, providing valuable insights for clinical management. Methods: A case–control study was conducted involving consecutive AMI patients admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University between January 2019 and December 2022. Binary logistic regression identified independent risk factors of ICT and a nomogram prediction model was constructed and validated for accuracy. Conclusions: A total of 7341 patients with ICT and 74 without ICT were included. Multivariate logistic regression identified male gender, acute anterior wall myocardial infarction (AWMI), ventricular aneurysm, and lower prothrombin activity as independent risk factors of ICT in AMI patients. A nomogram based on these factors demonstrated excellent performance (AUC: 0.910, 95% CI: 0.877–0.943, p < 0.001), with calibration and sensitivity analyses confirming its robustness. This nomogram provides an accurate tool for predicting ICT risk, facilitating personalized management and early intervention in AMI patients.