Can the efficacy of a medical treatment be predicted based on the type of idiopathic premature ventricular contraction?

Background: Premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) are common arrhythmias with diverse clinical implications. This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of medical treatments using various clinical, imaging, and electrocardiographic parameters in patients with idiopathic PVCs.

Methods: A total of 1051 patients with idiopathic PVCs were retrospectively analyzed.

Effect of Empagliflozin Treatment on Ventricular Repolarization Parameters.

Background: An example of a sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitor is Empagliflozin. It is a new medicine for treating type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), but there is increasing interest in how empagliflozin affects the heart. This study aims to examine the impact of empagliflozin treatment on ventricular repolarization parameters in T2DM patients.

Long-term outcomes following double kissing crush or mini-culotte stenting for complex coronary bifurcation lesions: the EVOLUTE-CRUSH IV study.

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the long-term outcomes of double kissing crush stenting (DKC) and mini-culotte technique (MCT) in patients with complex bifurcation lesions.

Methods: This retrospective study enrolled 236 patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for complex coronary bifurcation disease between January 2014 and November 2022. The primary endpoint was target lesion failure (TLF), defined as the combination of cardiac death, myocardial infarction (MI), or clinically driven target lesion revascularization (TLR).

Evaluation of left ventricular function in patients with mitral annular disjunction using speckle tracking echocardiography.

Background: Mitral annular disjunction (MAD) is a structural abnormality characterized by the systolic detachment of the posterior mitral annulus and the ventricular myocardium. It is usually observed coexistent with mitral valve prolapse (MVP) and associated with a mechanical dysfunction despite preserved electrical isolation function of the mitral annulus. This study aimed to evaluate left ventricular (LV) function using speckle tracking echocardiography in MVP patients with MAD.

Galectin-3 as a Biomarker to Predict Cardiorenal Syndrome in Patients with Acute Heart Failure.

Background: Galectin-3 affects cardiac tissue inflammation as an inflammatory mediator. The development of cardiorenal syndrome in heart failure patients is associated with a poor prognosis. This study aims to investigate whether serum galectin-3 levels can be used as a biomarker to predict cardiorenal syndrome in heart failure patients with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction.

Impact of Treatment With Sacubitril/Valsartan on Erectile Dysfunction in Patients With Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction.

Sacubitril/valsartan (S/V), an angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitor, has been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular death or heart failure hospitalization and relieve symptoms in patients with chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of S/V on erectile dysfunction in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). A prospective, open-label study was conducted with 59 male patients diagnosed with HFrEF and concomitant erectile dysfunction.

The Relationship between Coronary Flow Reserve and the TyG Index in Patients with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus.

: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a prevalent metabolic disorder characterized by glucose intolerance during pregnancy. The triglyceride glucose (TyG) index, a marker of insulin resistance, and coronary flow reserve (CFR), a measure of coronary microvascular function, are emerging as potential indicators of cardiovascular risk. This study aims to investigate the association between CFR and the TyG index in GDM patients.

The Relationship between the MAGGIC Score and Cardiorenal Syndrome in Patients with Acute Decompensated Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction.

Background: The Meta-Analysis Global Group in Chronic Heart Failure (MAGGIC) is a scoring system that is easy to use in outpatient clinics or at the bedside, and was developed to predict the survival of heart failure patients after hospitalization.

Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the relationship between the MAGGIC score and cardiorenal syndrome (CRS) in patients with acute decompensated heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).

Methods: This retrospective, single-center study, included 706 patients with New York Heart Association II-IV who were hospitalized and discharged for acute decompensated heart failure between 2016 and 2021.

Non-dominant right coronary artery (RCA) is associated with suspected inferior ischemia on SPECT in patients without significant coronary artery disease (CAD).

Objective: There is a huge uncertainty in the medical community regarding the significance of non-dominant right coronary artery (RCA) in patients with inferior wall ischemia on myocardial perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of non-dominant RCA on myocardial perfusion SPECT (MPS) with respect to the misleading detection of ischemia in the inferior wall of the myocardium.

Methods: This is a retrospective study of 155 patients, who had undergone elective coronary angiography owing to an indication of inferior wall ischemia by MPS between 2012 and 2017.

Can high-sensitive troponin levels within the normal range predict positivity in treadmill test?

Background: This study aimed to determine whether a high level of high-sensitivity troponin T (hsTnT) predicts a positive treadmill test in patients with suspected stable ischemic heart disease (SIHD).

Methods: In all, 366 patients with suspected SIHD were included in the study. We measured the serum hsTnT levels before the treadmill test.

Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 levels as an indicator of severity and mortality for COVID-19.

Objective: Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) is a multisystemic disease that can cause severe illness and mortality by exacerbating symptoms such as thrombosis, fibrinolysis, and inflammation. Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) plays an important role in regulating fibrinolysis and may cause thrombotic events to develop. The goal of this study is to examine the relationship between PAI-1 levels and disease severity and mortality in relation to COVID-19.

The Impact of Lesion Complexity and the CHADS-VASc Score on Spontaneous Reperfusion in Patients with ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction.

Background: In patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), a patent infarct-related artery (IRA) on initial angiography is defined as spontaneous reperfusion (SR).

Objective: The present study aimed to determine the impact of lesion complexity and the CHADS-VASc score on SR in patients with STEMI.

Methods: A total number of 1,641 consecutive patients with STEMI undergoing primary PCI were assessed for this study.

Impact of Sacubitril/Valsartan on Lipid Parameters in Patients with Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction.

Background And Objective: Sacubitril/valsartan, an angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitor, has been shown to significantly reduce cardiovascular mortality, heart failure hospitalizations, and all-cause mortality in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. This study aims to investigate the long-term impact of the sacubitril/valsartan combination on lipid parameters in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction.

Methods: For this single-center retrospective cross-sectional study, data of patients using sacubitril/valsartan because of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction were collected.

Prognostic significance of addition of electrocardiographic findings to the MAGGIC heart failure risk score.

Background: The Meta-analysis Global Group in Chronic Heart Failure (MAGGIC) is a scoring system that is easy to use in outpatient or inpatient settings and was developed to predict the survival of heart failure (HF) patients after hospitalization.

Aim: This study aims to determine the prognostic significance of MAGGIC risk score combined with electrocardiography (ECG) parameters in decompensated patients with heart failure with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (HFrEF) who were hospitalized for worsening HF.

Methods: A total of 562 HF patients with New York Heart Association (NYHA) II-IV functional class who were discharged after hospitalization for decompensated HF between 2013 and 2018 in a single center were included.

Impact of Multimodality Imaging on the Diagnosis of Left Ventricular Apical Thrombus in Patients After Anterior Myocardial Infarction.

Background: The presence of the left ventricle (LV) apical thrombus is one of the most critical complications of anterior myocardial infarction (MI). Due to the high risk of systemic embolization, the determination of LV apical thrombus (LVAT) is essential. We aimed to compare the two-dimensional echocardiography (2DE), contrast-2DE and real-time three-dimensional echocardiography (RT-3DE) in the diagnosis of LVAT and determine which imaging modality is superior.

Clinical features and major bleeding predictors for 161 fatal cases of COVID-19: A retrospective observational study.

The aim of this study was to investigate the patient characteristics and laboratory parameters for COVID-19 non-survivors as well as to find risk factors for major bleeding complications. For this retrospective study, the data of patients who died with COVID-19 in our intensive care unit were collected in the period of March 20 - April 30, 2020. D-dimer, platelet count, C-reactive protein (CRP), troponin, and international normalized ratio (INR) levels were recorded on the 1st, 5th, and 10th days of hospitalization in order to investigate the possible correlation of laboratory parameter changes with in-hospital events.

Prognostic significance of temporal changes of lipid profile in COVID-19 patients.

Background: COVID-19 is a multisystemic disease that affects many organs and has metabolic effects.

Aims: This study aims to investigate the effect of the temporal changes of lipid levels on the prognosis during the course of the disease.

Study Design: Retrospective cross-sectional study.

The relationship between CHADS-VASc score and isolated coronary artery ectasia.

Introduction: Coronary artery ectasia (CAE) is defined as localized or diffuse dilatation of the epicardial coronary arteries. We aimed to elucidate the relationship between the CHADS-VASc score and CAE.

Methods: The study population consisted of 122 patients with isolated CAE and 87 sex- and age-matched control subjects.

Treatment of LAD With Investment Procedure in a Patient With Failed CTO Attempt With TIMI 0 Flow.

Subintimal plaque modification to restore some antegrade flow can promote subsequent lesion recanalization (investment procedure) in cases of failed re-entry into the distal true lumen during chronic total occlusion percutaneous coronary intervention. In this case, we aimed to present a case in which TIMI 0 flow was observed in the LAD after unsuccessful PCI attempt, but was left to recover with the investment procedure and TIMI 3 flow was detected in the control angiogram. In unsuccessful PCI-CTO cases, even in the presence of TIMI 0, flow can improve in the future through an investment procedure.

The disappearance of nonsustained ventricular tachycardia after surgical repair in a patient with mitral annular disjunction and mitral valve prolapse.

Mitral annular disjunction (MAD) is a structural abnormality defined as the separation of the ventricular myocardium between the mitral valve annulus and the left atrial wall. It is present in some patients with mitral valve prolapse (MVP) and is associated with papillary muscle fibrosis and ventricular arrhythmia. Although it is easy to diagnose, it can be overlooked in daily practice.

Prognostic Significance of Fragmented QRS in Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke.

Objectives: There are studies in the literature showing the clinical importance of fragmented QRS (fQRS) in many systemic diseases. In this study, we aimed to investigate the frequency and prognostic value of fQRS on electrocardiogram (ECG) in patients with acute ischemic stroke.

Materials And Methods: We prospectively enrolled 241 patients with acute ischemic stroke between January 2018 and January 2020.