Cardiovascular disease remains the world’s leading cause of death globally, and there is continuing interest in adjunct, diet-based strategies that may support vascular health alongside guideline-directed pharmacotherapy. Anthocyanin-rich berries are one such option: they are widely consumed, generally safe, and can provide substantial amounts of polyphenols in habitual diets. This narrative review focuses on two anthocyanin-rich species, blueberries (Vaccinium spp.) and haskap/blue honeysuckle (Lonicera caerulea L.), and examines the extent to which their intake may influence vascular endothelial function and cardiometabolic risk markers. For blueberries, which are typically dominated by malvidin- and delphinidin-based anthocyanins together with flavonols, phenolic acids and stilbenes such as pterostilbene, randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses have reported improvements in flow-mediated dilation, with modest effects on blood pressure and arterial stiffness in at-risk populations. Haskap berries, characterized by high levels of cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (C3G) and enriched in iridoids and vitamin C, have been studied mainly in cell and animal models, with early human data suggesting potential effects on vascular function, blood pressure and physical performance. Across both berries, emerging evidence indicates that vascular actions are mediated largely by gut- and host-derived phenolic metabolites rather than by transient circulating parent anthocyanins. We synthesize current knowledge on the phytochemical composition of blueberries and haskap, on molecular pathways implicated in endothelial protection (including NO/eNOS signaling, NRF2-mediated antioxidant defense, NF-κB-driven inflammation, lipoprotein metabolism and platelet activation), and on clinical outcomes related to vascular and cardiometabolic health. On this basis, we outline a mechanistic hypothesis that combined blueberry–haskap interventions could provide additive or synergistic effects on vascular function. This hypothesis is currently supported primarily by preclinical and indirect clinical evidence and should be regarded as hypothesis-generating, highlighting priorities for future mechanism-aware trials rather than constituting a practice-changing recommendation.

Background/Objectives: Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) remain a major source of morbidity, mortality, and healthcare burden, and were profoundly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic through changes in case mix, care organization, and antimicrobial use. This study aimed to compare the epidemiology, etiology, ward distribution, risk factors, and outcomes of HAIs during the pandemic and post-pandemic periods in southeastern Romania, with particular emphasis on Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI), multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens, and in-hospital mortality. Methods: This retrospective observational study included 3929 patients with confirmed HAIs reported by 10 hospitals in one Romanian county between March 2020 and December 2024, divided into a pandemic period (March 2020–March 2022) and a post-pandemic period (April 2022–December 2024). Sociodemographic, clinical, ward-related, therapeutic, and microbiological variables, together with discharge status and cause of death, were analyzed using Fisher’s exact test, Z-tests with Bonferroni correction, the Mann–Whitney U test, and multivariable models, applying national and ECDC-aligned surveillance definitions for HAIs. Results: Patients were predominantly older adults (median age 67 years), with a slight male and urban predominance. Hospital stays were longer during the pandemic. Immunosuppression, previous surgery, antisecretory therapy, and chemotherapy were more frequent post-pandemic. HAIs were mainly reported from medical wards, with a relative shift towards intensive care units during the pandemic; pediatric wards carried a smaller burden. CDI was the leading HAI (about half of all cases) with higher post-pandemic prevalence, whereas SARS-CoV-2 infections predominated in medical and surgical wards; Acinetobacter baumannii and Klebsiella pneumoniae clustered in intensive care units during the pandemic, and were more often associated with mortality. Overall, 59.7% of patients improved and 17.5% died, with higher mortality during the pandemic, while post-pandemic deaths were more frequently unrelated to HAIs. Conclusions: This study demonstrates a substantial and ongoing burden of healthcare-associated infections in southeastern Romania, with elderly patients with prolonged hospital stays and complex medical conditions being most affected and experiencing considerable mortality, particularly in medical and intensive care units. After the pandemic, Clostridioides difficile infections became more prevalent in the context of repeated antibiotic use and immunosuppression. Mortality among patients with HAIs was higher during the pandemic, whereas in the post-pandemic period deaths were more often unrelated to HAIs, underscoring the need to strengthen antimicrobial stewardship programs and infection prevention strategies.

Background: Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are a significant public health problem, having a decisive impact on the prognosis of patients hospitalized with COVID-19. In Romania, the absence of a uniform reporting system and the lack of epidemiological data comparable to European standards limit the real assessment of their incidence and consequences. Methods: In this context, the present study aimed to conduct an integrated analysis of the clinical, epidemiological, and microbiological factors involved in the mortality of patients with COVID-19 and HAIs in a county located in southeastern Romania. This research was based on a retrospective observational study that included 295 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 and at least one documented HAI between January 2020 and December 2022. Data were extracted from standardized reporting forms, and statistical analyses included tests (Fisher’s exact test, Mann–Whitney U), ROC curves, Kaplan–Meier survival analysis, and Cox proportional hazard regression. Results: The analysis revealed a mortality rate of 32.5%, significantly associated with advanced age, gastrointestinal surgery, and respiratory infections. Clostridioides difficile was the predominant pathogen (84.1%), and the threshold of ≥63.5 years demonstrated predictive value for mortality. In multivariate models, age greater than 63 years and gastrointestinal surgery were confirmed as independent predictors of death. Conclusions: The findings highlight the substantial impact of HAIs on the clinical progression of COVID-19 patients, underscoring the need for comprehensive systemic interventions, including enhanced prevention and control strategies, prudent antimicrobial therapy, and standardized epidemiological monitoring. Implementing these measures is crucial to mitigating HAIs’ effects and improving patient outcomes in similar situations.

Cerebral ischemia represents a major mortality and disability cause; oxidative stress is the main intensifier mechanism of excitotoxicity, neuroinflammation, blood–brain barrier failure, and neuronal loss; under these circumstances, firm, mechanism-anchored neuroprotection is an absolute necessity. The work includes a exhaustive, PRISMA (Preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis)-adherent presentation of the effects of antioxidant peptides and small molecules on tissues, unifying disparate readouts into a coherent tissue-level narrative. A systematic interrogation was performed across major databases over a prespecified interval, applying transparent eligibility criteria to studies that quantified canonical endpoints—infarct volume, neuronal integrity (NeuN/MAP2), apoptosis (TUNEL/cleaved caspase-3), gliosis (GFAP/Iba1), and ultrastructural preservation. The evidence coalesces around a strikingly consistent signal: antioxidant strategies converge on smaller infarcts, robust preservation of neuronal markers, attenuation of apoptotic burden, dampened astroglial–microglial reactivity, and stabilization of mitochondrial and axonal architecture—patterns that align with antioxidative, anti-apoptotic, anti-inflammatory, and ferroptosis-modulating mechanisms. While early clinical data echo these benefits, translation is tempered by heterogeneity in models, timing and dosing windows, and outcome batteries. By consolidating the histological landscape and pinpointing where effects are durable versus contingent, this work elevates antioxidant peptide and small-molecule neuroprotection from promising fragments to an integrated framework and sets an actionable agenda—standardized histological endpoints, protocol harmonization, head-to-head comparisons of peptide versus small-molecule strategies, and adequately powered randomized trials embedded with mechanistic biomarkers to decisively test efficacy and accelerate clinical adoption.

Background: Psychological distress is a common comorbidity in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), yet its relationship with disease severity remains incompletely understood. This study aimed to assess depression, anxiety, and stress using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales–21 (DASS-21) and to examine their distribution across COPD severity stages. Methods: This multicenter, cross-sectional observational study included 285 clinically stable COPD patients enrolled between 2023 and 2025. COPD severity was classified according to Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) criteria. Multinomial and binary logistic regression models were constructed to identify independent predictors of COPD severity and clinically significant psychological distress, adjusting for demographic and clinical covariates. Bayesian independent sample analyses and ANOVA effect size estimates were additionally performed. Results: Smoking exposure was independently associated with advanced COPD stages (GOLD 4 vs. GOLD 1–3: aOR 1.05, p < 0.001), as was dyspnea severity (mMRC: aOR 14.66, p < 0.001). In multivariable models examining psychological outcomes, COPD severity was not independently associated with clinically significant depression (p = 0.899), anxiety (p = 0.460), or stress (p = 0.843). In contrast, symptom burden measured using the COPD Assessment Test (CAT) score was consistently associated with depression (aOR 1.133, p < 0.001), anxiety (aOR 1.179, p < 0.001), and stress (aOR 1.144, p < 0.001). ANOVA effect sizes across GOLD stages were small (η² ≤ 0.047), and Bayesian analyses provided moderate to strong evidence supporting minimal differences in DASS-21-R scores between severity groups. Conclusions: Psychological distress is prevalent across all COPD severity stages and is not independently determined by airflow limitation. Symptom burden rather than spirometric severity appears to be more closely associated with emotional outcomes.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is frequently accompanied by psychological distress, but the relationship between GOLD stage, dyspnea, functional limitation, and depression/anxiety symptoms remains incompletely defined. This study examined clinical and psychological profiles across GOLD stages, with particular attention to GOLD stages 3 and 4. Methods: This multicenter observational study included 285 adults with spirometry-confirmed COPD evaluated in Romania between 2023 and 2026. COPD severity was classified according to GOLD stages. Clinical assessment included FEV1, peripheral oxygen saturation, smoking exposure, the COPD Assessment Test (CAT), and the modified Medical Research Council dyspnea scale (mMRC). Psychological and well-being measures included DASS depression, anxiety, and stress scores; WHO-5; major depressive disorder score, and generalized anxiety disorder score. Descriptive analyses were performed across GOLD stages, and GOLD 3 was directly compared with GOLD 4. Results: GOLD 3 was the largest subgroup (n = 106, 37.2%), followed by GOLD 4 (n = 81, 28.4%), GOLD 2 (n = 69, 24.2%), and GOLD 1 (n = 29, 10.2%). GOLD 3 patients showed marked dyspnea and symptom burden, with mean mMRC = 2.92 and CAT = 24.44. DASS depression, anxiety, and stress scores were higher in GOLD 3 than GOLD 2, but did not increase further in GOLD 4. Direct GOLD 3 versus GOLD 4 comparisons showed no significant differences in DASS depression or DASS anxiety, whereas GOLD 4 had a significantly higher mMRC, major depressive disorder score, and generalized anxiety disorder score. Conclusions: GOLD 3 COPD was associated with substantial dyspnea, functional limitation, and measurable psychological distress. However, depression and anxiety patterns varied by instrument, suggesting that psychological burden in COPD is multidimensional and not explained by spirometric severity alone.