The spice saffron is made from the dried stigmas of the plant Crocus sativus L. The main use of saffron is in cooking, due to its ability to impart colour, flavour and aroma to foods and beverages. However, from time immemorial it has also been considered a medicinal plant because it possesses therapeutic properties, as illustrated in paintings found on the island of Santorini, dated 1627 BC. It is included in Catalogues of Medicinal Plants and in the European Pharmacopoeias, being part of a great number of compounded formulas from the 16th to the 20th centuries. The medicinal and pharmaceutical uses of this plant largely disappeared with the advent of synthetic chemistry-produced drugs. However, in recent years there has been growing interest in demonstrating saffron’s already known bioactivity, which is attributed to the main components—crocetin and its glycosidic esters, called crocins, and safranal—and to the synergy between the compounds present in the spice. The objective of this work was to provide an updated and critical review of the research on the therapeutic properties of saffron, including activity on the nervous and cardiovascular systems, in the liver, its antidepressant, anxiolytic and antineoplastic properties, as well as its potential use as a functional food or nutraceutical.

No abstract

No abstract

Over one third of elderly patients with high-risk acute coronary syndrome are frail. Frailty phenotype is an important and independent prognostic marker in these patients.

Background Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients are increasingly older. Conventional prognostic scales include chronological age but do not consider vulnerability. In elderly patients, a frail phenotype represents a better reflection of biological age. Hypothesis: This study aims to determine the prevalence of frailty and its influence on patients age ≥75 years with ACS. Methods Patients age ≥75 years admitted due to type 1 myocardial infarction were included in 2 tertiary hospitals, and clinical data were collected prospectively. Frailty was defined at admission using the previously validated Survey of Health Ageing and Retirement in Europe Frailty Index (SHARE‐FI) tool. The primary endpoint was the combination of death or nonfatal myocardial reinfarction during a follow‐up of 6 months. Major bleeding (hemoglobin decrease ≥3 g/dL or transfusion needed) and readmission rates were also explored. Results A total of 234 consecutive patients were included. Frail patients (40.2%) had a higher‐risk profile, based on higher age and comorbidities. On multivariate analysis, frailty was an independent predictor of the combination of death or nonfatal myocardial reinfarction (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR]: 2.54, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.12‐5.79), an independent predictor of the combination of death, nonfatal myocardial reinfarction, or major bleeding (aHR: 2.14, 95% CI: 1.13‐4.04), and an independent predictor of readmission (aHR: 1.80, 95% CI: 1.00‐3.22). Conclusions Frailty phenotype at admission is common among elderly patients with ACS and is an independent predictor for severe adverse events. It should be considered in future risk‐stratification models.