To address the problem of thrombosis, anticoagulant coatings have been developed for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation circuits. This article reviews commercial and novel anticoagulant coatings recently and proposes a new classification of them.

Background: Cardiogenic shock (CS) complicating acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is associated with a high mortality rate. Early identification of patients at risk for in-hospital CS is crucial for timely intervention. This study aimed to develop a risk prediction model for CS using admission data. Methods: This retrospective case–control study included AMI patients and classified them into case and control groups, based on the development of in-hospital CS. Clinical information at admission was obtained and 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM) was performed based on age, gender, and diagnosis of ST-elevation myocardial infarction. Factors with p < 0.10 at baseline were incorporated to identify the independent risk factors, which were further used to construct a predictive nomogram. Results: After PSM, 374 patients were finally enrolled in both groups. After relaxed least absolute shrinkage and selection operator and multivariate logistic regression, independent risk factors identified for CS in AMI patients included systolic blood pressure [odds ratio (OR): 0.866; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.844–0.888, p < 0.001], diastolic blood pressure (OR: 1.031; 95% CI: 1.001–1.063, p = 0.046), triglycerides (OR: 0.561; 95% CI: 0.385–0.820, p = 0.003), creatinine (OR: 1.005; 95% CI: 1.000–1.010, p = 0.048), globulin (OR: 0.915; 95% CI: 0.862–0.972, p = 0.004), left ventricular ejection fraction (OR: 0.951; 95% CI: 0.928–0.975, p < 0.001), and coronary angiography (OR: 0.183; 95% CI: 0.058–0574, p = 0.004). The nomogram incorporating these variables demonstrated an area under the curve of 0.937 (95% CI: 0.952–0.967), indicating good discriminatory ability in the calibration curve and decision curve. Conclusions: Seven independent risk factors for CS in AMI patients were identified upon admission. The proposed nomogram might facilitate early risk stratification and guide clinical decision-making to improve outcomes.

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.

Background: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a prevalent condition that often coexists with chronic kidney disease (CKD), significantly impacting patient prognosis. This study aimed to investigate the predictive value of complete blood cell counts derived inflammatory indicators in assessing CKD risk in HCM patients. Methods: This study enrolled HCM patients and categorized them into CKD and non-CKD group based on discharge diagnoses. Analyzed indicators included systemic inflammation response index (SIRI), systemic immune inflammation index (SII), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR). Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) logistic and multivariable logistic regression were employed to identified independent risk factors for CKD, which were subsequently utilized to develop a nomogram. Results: A total of 1795 HCM patients were included, including 112 (6.24%) individuals assigned to the CKD group. In univariate analyses, NLR (AUC: 0.755; 95%CI: 0.711–0.800) demonstrated superior accuracy compared to others. Eighteen baseline characteristics exhibiting statistical difference were incorporated into LASSO-logistic regression. Six factors were further selected by multivariable logistic regression. The results identified male gender (OR: 2.622; 95% CI: 1.565–4.393, p < 0.001), Hb (OR: 0.972; 95% CI: 0.962–0.981, p < 0.001), Pro-BNP (OR: 1.000; 95% CI: 1.000–1.000, p < 0.001), SIRI (OR: 1.037; 95% CI: 1.026–1.049, p < 0.001), and SII (OR: 1.000; 95% CI: 1.000–1.001, p = 0.003) as risk factors. These five factors were used to construct a nomogram, which exhibited good accuracy and consistency. Conclusions: Male gender, Hb, Pro-BNP, SIRI, and SII were identified as risk factors for CKD risk in HCM patients. A nomogram was developed using these factors, which may facilitate early identification and management of high-risk individuals.

Background/Objectives: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) may have health implications beyond the gastrointestinal tract, but its association with incident hypertension remains unclear. Methods: We analyzed 355,404 UK Biobank participants without recorded hypertension at baseline using multivariable Cox regression, propensity score matching, and sensitivity analyses addressing early events, baseline medication use and blood pressure, and competing mortality. Bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR), Bayesian colocalization, and intestinal transcriptomic analyses examined genetic and tissue-level evidence. Results: During a median follow-up of 14.09 years, IBS was associated with incident hypertension (HR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.22–1.30). The association persisted after matching (HR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.16–1.28) and across sensitivity analyses. Forward MR provided suggestive support: the primary inverse-variance weighted estimate was positive but imprecise (OR, 1.18; 95% CI, 0.78–1.77), while weighted median and outlier-corrected analyses showed positive associations. Reverse MR showed no clear association. SuSiE-based colocalization supported shared signals for IBS with diastolic and systolic blood pressure at the NCAM1 locus (PP.H4, 0.903 and 0.890, respectively). Intestinal NCAM1 expression was lower in IBS, and correlated transcriptional programs involved epithelial remodeling, adhesion, and mucosal immune processes. Conclusions: IBS was associated with increased long-term hypertension risk, with suggestive genetic support and shared susceptibility signals at NCAM1. These findings support a potential biological link and prioritize NCAM1 for mechanistic investigation.