Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) is a relatively common mitral valvulopathy and the most common cause of isolated primary mitral regurgitation (MR) requiring surgical repair. It affects about 1–3% of the general population. Although MVP is viewed as a benign condition, the association between MVP and sudden cardiac death (SCD) has been proven. Patients with MVP have a three times higher risk of SCD than the general population. The underlying mechanisms and predictors of arrhythmias, which occur in patients with MVP, are still poorly understood. However, some echocardiographic features such as mitral annulus disjunction (MAD), bileaflet MVP (biMVP), and papillary muscle (PM) fibrosis were frequently linked with increased number of arrhythmic events and are referred to as “arrhythmogenic” or “malignant”. Arrhythmogenic MVP (AMVP) has also been associated with other factors such as female sex, polymorphic premature ventricular contraction (PVC), abnormalities of T-waves, and Pickelhaube sign on tissue Doppler tracing of the lateral part of the mitral annulus. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging and speckle tracking echocardiography are new tools showing significant potential for detection of malignant features of AMVP. This paper presents various data coming from electrocardiography (ECG) analysis, echocardiography, and other imaging techniques as well as compilation of the recent studies on the subject of MVP.

The deleterious consequences of alcohol consumption are extensively documented across various dimensions of human health, encompassing somatic disorders such as nervous system impairments, digestive system abnormalities, and circulatory dysfunctions, in addition to socio-psychological aspects. Within the domain of cardiology, a substantial portion of the ongoing scientific discourse centers on elucidating the toxic dose of alcohol. Presented herewith are the findings from a comprehensive review of the latest publications pertinent to this crucial issue.

The use of echocardiography, a straightforward and widely available technique, allows for a comprehensive assessment of the patient with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) under both resting and stress conditions. The true prevalence of HCM has been redefined over time by this imaging approach, which has also made it feasible to pinpoint parameters that clinicians may use to stratify patients at risk for adverse cardiovascular events. The current and emerging prognostic predictors in HCM, assessed with transthoracic echocardiography at rest and during provocation, are discussed in this review.

Congenital heart defects (CHD) represent the most frequent congenital anomalies among newborns, as well as the leading cause of spontaneous abortion, stillbirth, neonatal and infant death. CHD have been recognized as multifactorial diseases, with environmental contaminants as potential contributors to the etiopathogenesis of CHD. Toxic elements, such as arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and mercury (Hg) are known to be associated with adverse reproductive outcomes and certain congenital anomalies, however their association with the risk for CHD remains inconsistent. This review summarizes the updated evidence on the CHD-associated risk related to exposure to As, Cd, Hg, Pb during pregnancy, reporting the main findings from epidemiological and experimental studies and the underlying molecular mechanisms. Additionally, being diet the major source of these elements in the general population, after having identified the main vectors of toxic metals in food, possible remediation strategies to reduce diet-related risks are also described. Among these, a novel, consumer-centered approach in developing new foods is discussed, considering not only the nutritional characteristics of edible compounds foods are made up of, but also their organoleptic features, making the food even more appealing to the consumer. Overall, current data support the association of maternal exposure to As and Pb with increased risk for CHD, although significant associations have only been observed for total and/or specific subgroups. On the other hand, the evidence of association for Cd and Hg exposure in pregnancy with CHD in the offspring remains, yet, quite speculative. Further large prospective cohort studies and insights into the molecular and biomolecular processes of these relationships are warranted to further explore and/or verify these findings.

Atherosclerosis is a chronic disease, characterized by chronic inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, and lipid deposition in the vessel. Although many major, well-identified risk factors for atherosclerosis [e.g., hyperlipidemia, hypertension, type 2 diabetes (T2D), smoking habit, and obesity] explain a lot about the risk, there is a considerable number of patients who develop atherosclerotic damage and undergo adverse events without presenting any of these established modifiable risk factors. This observation has stimulated an urgent need to expand knowledge towards the identification of additional, less established risk factors that may help in the assessment of risk and fill the gap of knowledge in the cardiovascular (CV) setting. Among them, the hypothesis of a possible relationship between viral infectious agents and atherosclerosis has risen since the early 1900s. However, there is still a great deal of debate regarding the onset and progression of CV disease in relation to the roles of the pathogens (as active inducers or bystanders), host genomic counterparts, and environmental triggers, affecting both virus abundance and the composition of viral communities. Accordingly, the aim of this review is to discuss the current state of knowledge on infectious agents in the atherosclerotic process, with particular focus on two environmental-related viruses, as examples of familiar (influenza) and unfamiliar [severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2)] disease triggers.

The clinical manifestations of COVID-19 which mainly involve the respiratory system may however affect also cardiovascular system. There are a lot and still increasing numbers of reports revealing cardiovascular complications of COVID-19, which may occur in the acute phase as well as during longer follow-up period. The most clinically important diseases include: pulmonary embolism (PE), myocarditis, and acute coronary syndromes (ACS) as well as arrhythmias with the very common atrial fibrillation (AF) and pericarditis. In this review, cardiac imaging options in patients with and after coronavirus infection are presented, showing potential utility for expanding and improving the full and accurate diagnosis of potential complications. Echocardiography, magnetic resonance imaging, and computed tomography (CT) are considered in turn, highlighting their best advantages in patients affected by COVID.