Background and Objectives: The term long COVID refers to patients with a history of confirmed COVID-19 infection, who present symptoms that last for at least 2 months and cannot be explained by another diagnosis. Objectives: The present study aims to determine the most common symptoms of the long COVID syndrome and their impact on the quality of life. Materials and Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted on patients diagnosed with mild and moderate COVID-19 (based on a positive SARS-CoV-2 molecular diagnostic or rapid antigen test and severity form definition) at the Clinical Hospital of Infectious Diseases, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Clinical examinations with detailed questions about symptoms were performed at the time of the diagnosis of COVID-19 and the six-month follow-up. Two years after COVID-19 infection, patients were invited to complete an online quality-of-life questionnaire regarding long COVID symptoms. Results: A total of 103 patients (35.92% males) with a mean age of 41.56 ± 11.77 were included in this study. Of the total number of patients, 65.04% presented mild forms of COVID-19. Data regarding the vaccination status showed that 83.5% were vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2. The most common symptoms at diagnosis were cough (80.6%), fatigue (80.4%), odynophagia (76.7%), and headaches (67.6%), with female patients being statistically more likely to experience it (p = 0.014). Patients with moderate forms of the disease had higher levels of both systolic (p = 0.008) and diastolic (p = 0.037) blood pressure at diagnosis, but no statistical difference was observed in the 6-month follow-up. The most common symptoms at 2 years (in 29 respondent subjects) were represented by asthenia (51.7%), headache (34.5%), memory disorders (27.6%), abdominal meteorism (27.6%), and arthralgia (27.6%). In terms of cardiovascular symptoms, fluctuating blood pressure values (20.7%), palpitations (17.2%), and increased heart rate values (17.2%) were recorded. Conclusions: If at the time of diagnosis, the most frequent manifestations of the disease were respiratory, together with headache and fatigue, at re-evaluation, asthenia, decreased effort tolerance, and neuropsychiatric symptoms prevailed. Regarding the cardiovascular changes as part of the long COVID clinical picture, some patients developed prehypertension, palpitations, and tachycardia.

Heart failure (HF) is a complex, multisystemic condition affecting 64 million people worldwide and often leads to cardio-hepatic syndrome due to venous congestion and ischemic liver changes. Liver stiffness (LS) measured through elastographic methods has emerged as a potential noninvasive marker for cardiac outcomes in HF patients. However, its prognostic value and the implications for LS cutoff values remain uncertain, necessitating further investigation. Multiple databases (PubMed, Embase, Scopus and the Cochrane Library Database) were searched up to 1st September 2024. Two reviewers screened records and extracted data according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The methodological quality was evaluated using the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) for observational cohort and cross-sectional studies. The meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.4 and the meta-regression and publication bias analyses (including Egger’s and Rank-correlation tests) were performed using JASP software, version 0.19.1. Thirty-four studies involving 3753 individuals were included in our qualitative assessment, while 11 studies involving 1085 patients were included in the quantitative assessment. Elevated LS was significantly associated with adverse cardiac events in both acute decompensated HF (ADHF, hazard ratio (HR): 1.04, 95% CI: 1.01–1.07; I² = 61%) and chronic HF (CHF, HR: 1.09, 95% CI: 1.04–1.13; I² = 81%). Meta-regression revealed that LS cutoff values did not influence pooled estimates, and heterogeneity likely stemmed from demographic and methodological differences. Increased LS is associated with poor outcomes in patients hospitalized for HF, with a greater overall effect size in the CHF group than in the ADHF group. The LS is a promising noninvasive marker of liver congestion in HF and may aid both therapeutic decision-making and prognostication.

The right ventricle has been considered by many clinicians to be the “forgotten chamber” of the heart. In this narrative review of the literature, we aim to examine chemotherapy-induced right ventricular failure. We will discuss the clinical significance of the subject, the effects of chemotherapy on the heart, and why it is crucial to take a closer look at the right ventricle. We will present key aspects of the anatomy and physiology of the right ventricle and how it differs from the left ventricle. Furthermore, this review explains the mechanisms behind chemotherapy-induced right ventricular dysfunction, strategies for assessing the right ventricle, recent advancements in cardiac imaging, available treatment options, and future directions in therapeutic management.

Background and Objectives: Although modern oncologic therapies have substantially improved cancer survival and overall prognosis, they have also led to an increasing burden of cardiovascular toxicity. Preventing severe complications such as heart failure and death remains a major priority, while maintaining the need for effective and potentially curative cancer therapy. Careful patient monitoring and early detection of cardiovascular complications may allow the timely implementation of cardioprotective strategies and treatments that could delay or prevent myocardial toxicity. Materials and Methods: A total of 92 women with breast cancer were enrolled in a prospective observational cohort study. All patients received an anthracycline-based chemotherapy regimen, cyclophosphamide, docetaxel and trastuzumab. Biomarker assessment, including NT-proBNP, high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI), Gal-3, and GDF-15, was performed at baseline and at the initiation of trastuzumab-based therapy. A comprehensive diastolic function assessment was performed, including transmitral Doppler flow parameters and tissue velocities. Patients were followed for 12 months, and all cardiovascular events occurring during the follow-up period were recorded. Results: Biological and ecocardiographic parameters were analyzed and multiple models of prediction were made. To identify predictors of estimated left ventricular filling pressure (eLVFP), stepwise multiple linear regression analyses were performed, and four significant predictors of left ventricular end-diastolic filling pressure were identified: one echocardiographic parameter (baseline LV filling pressure) and three biological variables (changes in Gal-3, GDF-15, and hs-cTnI levels after treatment). The overall regression model was highly significant (p < 0.001) and explained 77.07% of the variance in the dependent variable. Gal-3 was the strongest predictor of left ventricular filling pressure (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The regression analyses suggest that this phenotype is multifactorial, with echocardiographic indices capturing the functional component and circulating biomarkers reflecting complementary aspects of the underlying biological response. This multimodal approach may therefore help identify patients with early treatment-related cardiac changes and potentially those at increased risk of subsequent CTRCD, particularly during a period when conventional LVEF-based surveillance may still appear reassuring.