Outcome of patients with right heart thrombi: the Right Heart Thrombi European Registry.

Our aim was the assessment of the prognostic significance of right heart thrombi (RiHT) and their characteristics in pulmonary embolism in relation to established prognostic factors.138 patients (69 females) aged (mean±sd) 62±19 years with RiHT were included into a multicenter registry. A control group of 276 patients without RiHT was created by propensity scoring from a cohort of 963 contemporary patients.

Echocardiographic Correlates of Abnormal Liver Tests in Patients with Exacerbation of Chronic Heart Failure.

Background: Elevated total bilirubin (TB) and transaminases are frequently reported in patients with heart failure and are related to their worse prognosis. On the basis of hemodynamic data from previous studies, the investigators hypothesized that elevated bilirubin and transaminases are associated with different patterns of cardiac remodeling and dysfunction in patients with heart failure (i.e.

Echocardiographic evaluation of external iliac artery Doppler waveform in patients with coronary artery disease.

Visual interpretation of the Doppler waveform in the common femoral or distal external iliac artery (EIA) was reported to be useful in screening for proximal peripheral artery occlusive disease (PAOD) in patients with lower limb ischemia. Commonly patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) referred for echocardiography have coexistent arterial pathology. Therefore, we decided to study whether echocardiographic evaluation of the distal EIA flow can be useful for detection of PAOD in patients with CAD.

Echocardiographic evaluation of aorto-iliac occlusive disease.

Several studies demonstrated feasibility of visual assessment of the common femoral artery Doppler waveform, in an indirect evaluation of aorto-iliac segment stenosis. Patients with cardiac diseases referred for echocardiography often have coexistent arterial pathology. Since many of them are potential candidates for endovascular procedures, we decided to study, whether echocardiography can be useful for detection of aorto-iliac occlusive disease.

Descending aortic Doppler flow pattern in patients with proximal peripheral artery disease.

Midsystolic deceleration (notch) in pulmonary pulse-wave (PW) Doppler flow is a common finding in patients with pulmonary embolism. The possible mechanism involves early reflection of pressure wave from proximal embolic sites. The aim of this study was to evaluate with PW Doppler whether occlusion or significant stenosis in the distal aorta or iliac arteries might produce a similar midsystolic notch in descending aortic flow.

Biomarker-based risk assessment model in acute pulmonary embolism.

Aims: Despite growing interest in biomarkers application for risk evaluation in acute pulmonary embolism (APE), no decision-making levels have been defined.

Methods And Results: We developed a biomarker-based risk stratification in 100 consecutive, normotensive on admission, APE patients (35 males, 65 females, 62+/-18 years). On admission serum NT-proBNP and cardiac troponin T (cTnT) levels were assessed and echocardiography was performed.

Does saddle embolism influence short-term prognosis in patients with acute pulmonary embolism?

Background: In some patients with acute pulmonary embolism (APE) thrombi may lodge at the levels of the bifurcation of pulmonary trunk and extend into both main pulmonary arteries, forming so-called saddle embolism (SE).

Aim: To assess the incidence of SE and whether it is associated with an increased risk of complicated clinical course.

Methods: We studied 150 consecutive patients (94 females, 56 males) aged 63.

Plasma neuropeptide Y immunoreactivity influences left ventricular mass in pheochromocytoma.

Unlabelled: Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in patients with arterial hypertension is closely related to the levels of blood pressure (BP), catecholamines, angiotensin II and other mitogenic peptides. Pheochromocytoma (pheo) is a type of hypertension caused by excessive production of catecholamines. The aim of this study was to determinate if left ventricular hypertrophy in patients with pheochromocytoma is related to catecholamines and neuropeptide Y (NPY).

Cardiac troponin T monitoring identifies high-risk group of normotensive patients with acute pulmonary embolism.

Study Objectives: Indications for thrombolysis in normotensive patients with pulmonary embolism (PE), based on the presence of right ventricular (RV) overload during transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), are controversial. We checked whether the monitoring of cardiac troponin T (cTnT) might help in risk stratification by detecting patients with RV myocardial injury.

Patients And Design: We studied 64 normotensive patients (30 women and 34 men) with a mean (+/- SD) age of 61.

Homocysteine, adrenergic activity and left ventricular mass in patients with essential hypertension.

Objective: Assessment of relationship between homocysteine (Hcy) and noradrenaline (NA), adrenaline (A) concentration and left ventricular mass index (LVMI) in patients with essential hypertension (EH).

Design And Methods: Samples obtained from 37 patients (14 female, 23 male) with mild EH (according to WHO criteria) (mean age 43.6 +/- 13.