Due to their mechanical properties, ranging from flexible to hard materials, polyurethanes (PUs) have been widely used in many industrial and biomedical applications. PUs’ characteristics, along with their biocompatibility, make them successful biomaterials for short and medium-duration applications. The morphology of PUs includes two structural phases: hard and soft segments. Their high mechanical resistance featuresare determined by the hard segment, while the elastomeric behaviour is established by the soft segment. The most important biomedical applications of PUs include antibacterial surfaces and catheters, blood oxygenators, dialysis devices, stents, cardiac valves, vascular prostheses, bioadhesives/surgical dressings/pressure-sensitive adhesives, drug delivery systems, tissue engineering scaffolds and electrospinning, nerve generation, pacemaker lead insulation and coatings for breast implants. The diversity of polyurethane properties, due to the ease of bulk and surface modification, plays a vital role in their applications.

Background/Objectives: Cardiac hemangiomas are rare benign vascular tumors, accounting for less than 2% of primary cardiac tumors. Despite their rarity, they can cause significant clinical effects depending on their size and location. This systematic review aims to provide an updated analysis of recent cases, focusing on epidemiology, histopathological subtypes, clinical presentation, diagnostic approaches, and treatment outcomes. Methods: A systematic search of the PubMed database identified case reports and series published between 2019 and 2025. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 55 eligible cases were selected for analysis. Data were extracted on patient demographics, tumor characteristics, imaging methods, treatment strategies, and follow-up outcomes. Results: Cavernous hemangiomas were the most commonly reported subtype. Patient ages ranged from infancy to over 85 years, with a slight predominance in females. Presentations varied from asymptomatic incidental findings to symptoms such as dyspnea and chest pain. Echocardiography was the primary diagnostic tool in over 80% of cases. Surgical resection was performed in 87.3% of patients, yielding favorable outcomes and low recurrence. However, follow-up duration was inconsistent, and long-term outcomes were underreported, underscoring the lack of standardized surveillance protocols. This variability limits clinicians’ ability to assess recurrence risk and long-term prognosis, highlighting the need for evidence-based guidelines to inform structured follow-up and improve patient care. Conclusions: The increasing number of published cases likely reflects improved diagnostic imaging and greater clinical awareness. While surgery remains the preferred treatment, the variability in follow-up and diagnostic reporting highlights the need for standardized protocols. Further studies are warranted to clarify the natural history, refine classification systems, and establish evidence-based guidelines for the management of this rare cardiac tumor.

Pazopanib, a multi-targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor, has been explored for its efficacy in treating various subtypes of thyroid cancer, including differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC), medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), and anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC). This systematic review assesses the efficacy and safety of pazopanib, focusing on the progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and response rates and adverse events. A comprehensive search was conducted in databases including PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science up to October 2024 to identify randomized controlled trials and phase II clinical trials that investigated the use of pazopanib in thyroid cancer. The PRISMA guidelines were followed for data extraction and quality assessment. The review included six studies encompassing 289 patients, presenting a comprehensive overview of pazopanib’s application across different thyroid cancer subtypes. The studies reported median PFS rates ranging from 2.1 to 11.7 months and median OS rates ranging from 5.7 months to not reached. The partial response rates varied from 5% to 49%. Adverse events were common, with hypertension occurring in up to 71.7% of patients, and fatigue and diarrhea were also frequently reported. Grade 3–5 adverse events led to treatment discontinuations in up to 14% of patients. Pazopanib shows variable efficacy across thyroid cancer types, offering significant benefits in MTC and refractory DTC in terms of PFS and OS but limited impact in ATC. The adverse event profile necessitates careful management, particularly regarding hypertension and other treatment-related toxicities. Further studies are required to refine the therapeutic protocols for pazopanib, exploring combination therapies that may enhance its efficacy and reduce the adverse outcomes.

Background/Objectives: Heart failure remains a complex syndrome with high morbidity and mortality, highlighting the urgent need for alternative treatments that address underlying bioenergetic impairments. CoQ10, which plays a crucial role in mitochondrial ATP production, has shown promising results in small studies, although larger trials are needed to confirm its efficacy. Results: This randomized controlled trial investigated the effects of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) supplementation on cardiac function and quality of life in heart failure patients. A total of 120 patients were randomly assigned to receive either CoQ10 (2 × 60 mg daily) or a placebo for six months. Baseline characteristics were similar between groups. The primary outcomes were changes in global longitudinal strain (GLS) and left ventricular ejection fractions (LVEFs), while secondary outcomes included improvements in functional capacity and quality of life. At the 6-month endpoint, the CoQ10 group showed significant improvements in GLS (−11.7% to −14.9%, p < 0.001), NT-proBNP levels (815.6 vs. 1378.5 pg/mL, p = 0.012), blood pressure, and 6 min walk test distance (349.3 vs. 267.0 m, p = 0.008) compared to the placebo group. LVEFs improved slightly in the CoQ10 group (38.9% to 40.6%, p = 0.170) but remained unchanged in the placebo group. Conclusions: These findings suggest that CoQ10 supplementation may improve cardiac function, reduce cardiac stress, and enhance functional capacity and quality of life in heart failure patients. Further research is needed to optimize dosage and identify the subgroups that may benefit most from CoQ10 therapy.

Background and Objectives: Our study aimed to investigate the gross anatomy aspects of the fossa ovalis (FO) and the presence of some anatomical variation resulting from the incomplete fusion of septum primum and septum secundum, such as an atrial septal pouch (SP) and left atrial septal ridge. Materials and Methods: Thirty-one adult human hearts removed from formalin-fixed specimens were examined to provide information about the morphology of the FO. The organs were free of any gross anatomically visible pathological conditions. Results: The most common variants were the FO located in the inferior part of the interatrial septum (64.51%), circular (61.3%), with a net-like structure (51.62%), prominent limbus (93.55%), and patent foramen ovale (PFO) (25.8%). The right SP was observed in 9.67% of specimens, the left SP was observed in 29.03% of cases, and in 51.61% of cases, a double SP was observed. One sample presented a right SP and a double left SP, and one case showed a triple left SP, which was not reported previously to our knowledge. Conclusions: Knowledge of the interatrial septal anatomy becomes important for interventional cardiologists and should be documented before transeptal puncture.

Metformin, the first-line drug in type 2 diabetes mellitus, elicits cardiovascular protection also in obese patients via pleiotropic effects, among which the anti-oxidant is one of the most investigated. The aim of the present study was to assess whether metformin can acutely mitigate oxidative stress in atrial tissue harvested from overweight non-diabetic patients. Right atrial appendage samples were harvested during open-heart surgery and used for the evaluation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production by means of confocal microscopy (superoxide anion) and spectrophotometry (hydrogen peroxide). Experiments were performed after acute incubation with metformin (10 µM) in the presence vs. absence of angiotensin II (AII, 100 nM), lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 1 μg/mL), and high glucose (Gluc, 400 mg/dL). Stimulation with AII, LPS, and high Gluc increased ROS production. The magnitude of oxidative stress correlated with several echocardiographic parameters. Metformin applied in the lowest therapeutic concentration (10 µM) was able to decrease ROS generation in stimulated but also non-stimulated atrial samples. In conclusion, in a pilot group of overweight non-diabetic cardiac patients, acute incubation with metformin at a clinically relevant dose alleviated oxidative stress both in basal conditions and conditions that mimicked the activation of the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system, acute inflammation, and uncontrolled hyperglycemia.