Background: Cardiac arrhythmias are a frequent complication of acute SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, their long-term prevalence and clinical determinants among patients with post-COVID-19 syndrome, especially those previously hospitalized, remain poorly defined. Objectives: To assess the prevalence and types of arrhythmias in long COVID patients following hospitalization and to identify associated clinical risk factors. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 53 patients previously hospitalized with confirmed COVID-19 were evaluated ≥3 months post-infection. All participants underwent a standardized clinical assessment, 12-lead electrocardiography, and 24 h Holter monitoring. Logistic and Cox regression analyses were performed to identify predictors of arrhythmia. Results: Arrhythmias were identified in 41.5% (n = 22) of patients. Atrial fibrillation (32%) was the most frequent arrhythmia, followed by sinus bradycardia (27%) and sinus tachycardia (18%). Age (OR 1.06, 95% CI 1.01–1.10, p = 0.01) and length of hospital stay (OR 1.1, 95% CI 1.01–1.2, p = 0.04) were independently associated with arrhythmia. Biguanide (metformin) therapy was inversely associated with the occurrence of arrhythmia (Exp(B) = 0.017, p = 0.008). Dyspnea (82.4%) and palpitations (41.5%) were the most commonly reported symptoms. Conclusions: Arrhythmias are common in patients with long COVID following severe disease. Advanced age and prolonged hospitalization are significant risk factors, while biguanide use may offer a protective effect. These findings underscore the need for targeted cardiac surveillance in this population.

Background: Periodontitis and type 2 diabetes (T2D) maintain a bidirectional pathophysiological relationship that impairs conventional periodontal treatment outcomes. Chitosan, a biopolymer derived from chitin, possesses well-documented antimicrobial, hemostatic, wound-healing, and osteo-inductive properties. Objective: We aimed to evaluate whether 1% chitosan gel delivered nightly via a custom occlusal guard, as an adjunct to full-mouth scaling and root planning (SRP), would improve periodontal clinical and radiographic outcomes in patients with T2DM and Stage I-II periodontitis compared to placebo. Methods: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel-group clinical trial was conducted (n = 16; 8 per group) in adults aged 40-65 years with T2D and periodontitis. Following SRP, participants received either 1% chitosan gel or placebo nightly via a custom occlusal guard for 30 days. Primary outcomes included periodontal pocket depth (PPD), clinical attachment level (CAL), and radiographic bone level (RBL). Secondary outcomes were probing depth (PD), bleeding on probing (BOP), and Miller mobility grade. Statistical analysis employed the Wilcoxon signed-rank test (within-group) and Mann-Whitney U test (between-group); p < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: Groups were comparable at baseline. Within-group analysis at 30 days revealed significant reductions in PPD (4.2 +/- 1.1 to 3.4 +/- 1.1 mm; p = 0.019) and RBL (5.6 +/- 2.2 to 5.1 +/- 1.9 mm; p = 0.030) in the chitosan group, and a clinically meaningful trend in CAL (5.1 +/- 2.8 to 3.8 +/- 1.7 mm; p = 0.069). The placebo group showed significant BOP reduction (78.3 +/- 23.4 to 51.5 +/- 26.0%; p = 0.017), consistent with the known effect of mechanical debridement. No between-group differences reached significance in delta values. Conclusions: Adjunctive use of 1% chitosan gel via a custom occlusal guard as a delivery system produces clinically relevant improvements in PPD and RBL in T2D patients with periodontitis. The occlusal guard represents a novel, patient-administered, sustained-contact delivery platform for periodontal local therapy. Larger, long-term randomized trials with microbiological and glycemic endpoints are warranted.

Background and Objectives: Oral low-dose minoxidil has achieved widespread clinical adoption for androgenetic alopecia (AGA), yet its subclinical cardiovascular structural effects at dermatological doses remain uncharacterized. We aimed to evaluate the effects of dutasteride and three different doses of oral minoxidil (1, 2.5, and 5 mg/day) on carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and CIMT-derived vascular age in healthy young men. Methods: A prospective, randomized, four-group pharmacological study enrolling 44 healthy young male subjects assigned to dutasteride 0.5 mg/day (n = 12), oral minoxidil 1 mg/day (n = 8), 2.5 mg/day (n = 12), or 5 mg/day (n = 12). High-resolution carotid ultrasonography was performed at baseline and at the end of follow-up. Primary outcomes included bilateral CIMT, maximum CIMT, and CIMT-derived vascular age. Within-group changes were assessed with the Wilcoxon signed-rank test; between-group comparisons used the Kruskal-Wallis test with post hoc Mann-Whitney U testing. Results: Thirty-one participants completed the study. Groups were well balanced at baseline (all p > 0.05). The minoxidil 5 mg group exhibited statistically significant within-group increases in right CIMT (471 ± 78 vs. 555 ± 87 µm; p < 0.05), maximum CIMT (509 ± 79 vs. 575 ± 76 µm; p < 0.05), and CIMT-derived vascular age (35.9 ± 15.2 vs. 48.2 ± 14.9 years; p < 0.05). The right CIMT delta of the minoxidil 5 mg group (Δ = +79 ± 57 µm) was significantly greater than that of the dutasteride group (Δ = −21 ± 79 µm; p = 0.032). A clear dose-dependent gradient was observed across minoxidil groups for right CIMT and maximum CIMT deltas. Dutasteride showed a consistent, non-significant trend toward CIMT reduction across all parameters. Conclusions: Oral minoxidil at 5 mg/day is associated with adverse carotid arterial wall remodeling and accelerated vascular aging in healthy young men, with a dose-dependent pattern suggesting a pharmacodynamic threshold between 1 and 2.5 mg/day. Dutasteride showed a favorable vascular profile.