Diastolic Strain Parameters are Associated with Short Term Mortality and Rehospitalization in Patients with Advanced Heart Failure.

Background: Heart failure (HF) is a leading cause of hospitalization and mortality worldwide and places a great economic burden on healthcare systems. Identification of prognostic factors in HF patients is of great importance to establish optimal management strategies and to avoid unnecessary invasive and costly procedures in end-stage patients.

Objectives: In the current study, we aimed to investigate the association between diastolic strain parameters including E/e' SR, and short-term outcomes in advanced HF patients.

Scanning of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation as an etiological risk factor in patients with acute ischemic stroke: prospective study.

Background: Prevention of recurrence of stroke depends on recognition of the underlying mechanism of ischemia.

Objective: To screen patients who were hospitalized with diagnosis of acute ischemic stroke in terms of atrial fibrillation (AF) with repeated Holter electrocardiography recordings.

Design And Setting: Prospective study conducted at Konya Education and Research Hospital, Turkey.

Impact of preeclampsia on ventricular repolarization indices.

Background: Because of cardiac hypertrophy and electrophysiological alterations associated with preeclampsia, worsening of preexisting arrhythmias or occurrence of de novo arrhythmias are common in patients with preeclampsia. Tp-e/QT and Tpe/QTc ratios are accepted as reliable indexes for predicting ventricular arrhythmias. In this study, we examined the impact of preeclampsia on ventricular repolarization indices in patients with preeclampsia by using the QT, QTc and Tp-e interval, Tp-e/QTratio, and Tp-e/QTc ratio.

Index of cardiac-electrophysiological balance and the effects of thrombolytic therapy on the electrocardiogram of patients with pulmonary embolism.

Objective: Different parameters on electrocardiograms (ECG) have been investigated to predict arrhythmia and mortality in patients with acute pulmonary embolism (APE). The acute effect of thrombolytic therapy (TT) on these parameters has not been investigated yet.

Methods: We examined the data of 83 patients who were evaluated as high-risk APE and discharged from the hospital after TT.

Effect of serum uric acid on the positive predictive value of dobutamine stress echocardiography.

There is controversial data regarding the relationship between uric acid (UA) and coronary artery disease and cardiovascular events. Despite the deleterious effects of hyperuricemia on endothelial function, the effect of UA on myocardial ischemia has not been previously studied. We aimed to investigate the relationship between UA and myocardial ischemia that was identified using dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE).

The relationship between red blood cell distribution width and myocardial ischemia in dobutamine stress echocardiography.

Objectives: Although elevated red blood cell distribution width (RDW) is associated with adverse outcomes in patients with cardiovascular disease, its role in demonstrating the presence and extent of myocardial ischemia for coronary artery disease is not known. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between RDW and myocardial ischemia by using dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE).

Methods: A total of 917 patients were included in this prospective study.