Association between multidrug resistance-1 C3435T gene polymorphism and right ventricular dysfunction in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: cross-sectional study.

Background: Right ventricular (RV) dysfunction may develop over the course of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and is an important predictor of morbidity and mortality. Polymorphism of the multidrug resistance-1 (MDR-1) gene has been correlated with worse clinical findings among patients with COPD. Our aim here was to investigate the relationship between MDR-1 C3435T gene polymorphism and RV dysfunction in COPD patients.

Prognostic role of soluble suppression of tumorigenicity-2 on cardiovascular mortality in outpatients with heart failure.

Objective: Soluble suppression of tumorigenicity-2 (sST2), a member of the interleukin 1 receptor family, is increased in mechanical stress conditions and is produced by cardiomyocytes and cardiac fibroblasts. Elevated sST2 level is associated with the prognosis of acute coronary syndrome, pulmonary arterial hypertension, and acute and chronic heart failure (HF). In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between sST2 levels and cardiovascular mortality in outpatients with HF.

Cancer Antigen 125 is Associated with Length of Stay in Patients with Acute Heart Failure.

Length of stay is the primary driver of heart-failure hospitalization costs. Because cancer antigen 125 has been associated with poor morbidity and mortality rates in heart failure, we investigated the relationship between admission cancer antigen 125 levels and lengths of stay in heart-failure patients. A total of 267 consecutive patients (184 men, 83 women) with acute decompensated heart failure were evaluated prospectively.

Plasma osmolality predicts mortality in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction.

Background: Heart failure (HF) is a fatal disease. Plasma osmolality with individual impacts of sodium, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and glucose has not been studied prognostically in patients with HF.

Aim: This study aims to investigate the impact of serum osmolality on clinical endpoints in HF patients.

Relationship between functional capacity and socioeconomic status in a cohort of Turkish heart failure patients.

Objective: New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification predicts prognosis for heart failure (HF) patients. Socioeconomic status (SES) has the potential to affect treatment strategy and disease course. The present objective was to investigate whether SES of Turkish HF patients affected NYHA classification.

Postperfusion Syndrome in Cadaveric Liver Transplantations: A Retrospective Study.

Objective: To evaluate the factors that affects the postperfusion syndrome in cadaveric liver transplantations and the effect of the postperfusion syndrome on discharge from the hospital.

Methods: Patients who underwent cadaveric liver transplantations between 2007 and 2013 were scanned retrospectively. Intraoperative anaesthesia records, intensive care unit follow-up forms and discharge reports were examined from patient files.

Is Preoperative Eosinopenia an Independent Predictor of Early Mortality for Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery?

Objective: Coronary artery bypass graft surgery in one of the most effective and widely used methods employed in the treatment of ischemic heart disease, but many factors to various degrees are directly associated with perioperative and postoperative problems. In this study, we evaluated the relationship between preoperative eosinophil count and postoperative mortality in patients who underwent coronary artery bypass graft operation.

Methods: A total of 241 patients (157 males, 84 females) who underwent isolated on-pump coronary artery bypass graft operation between 2011 and 2013 in two centers were evaluated retrospectively.

COHgb levels predict the long-term development of acute myocardial infarction in CO poisoning.

Background: There are several studies evaluating the cardiac effects of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning during the acute period; however, the number of studies evaluating the long-term cardiac effects is limited.

Objective: The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of blood carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) levels, elevated due to CO poisoning on the long-term development of acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

Methods: This cross-sectional cohort study included a total of 1013 consecutive patients who presented to the emergency department (ED) due to CO poisoning, between January 2005 and December 2007.

Higher cancer antigen 125 level is associated with the presence of permanent atrial fibrillation in systolic heart failure patients.

Introduction: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common arrhythmia in heart failure (HF). Recent studies have shown that serum cancer antigen-125 (CA-125) levels are elevated in HF, and high levels of CA-125 in HF patients with sinus rhythm have been shown to be associated with the development of new onset AF. However, the relation between CA-125 levels and the presence of AF in HF is unknown.

Elevated gamma glutamyl transferase levels are associated with the location of acute pulmonary embolism. Cross-sectional evaluation in hospital setting.

Context And Objective: The location of embolism is associated with clinical findings and disease severity in cases of acute pulmonary embolism. The level of gamma-glutamyl transferase increases under oxidative stress-related conditions. In this study, we investigated whether gamma-glutamyl transferase levels could predict the location of pulmonary embolism.

Regular blood donation improves endothelial function in adult males.

Objective: Endothelial dysfunction, secondary to systemic inflammation and oxidative stress, is known to play a major role in the development and progression of atherosclerosis. It is hypothesized that the lower incidence of coronary artery disease in the premenopausal period in females when compared with males is associated with regular menstrual blood loss. We investigated whether regular blood donation (BD) is associated with improved endothelial function in healthy adult males.

Lymphocytopenia is associated with poor NYHA functional class in chronic heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction.

Objective: In heart failure (HF) patients, functional capacity has been demonstrated to be a marker of poor prognosis, independent of left ventricular ejection fraction (EF). Lymphocyte count is currently recognized in certain risk stratification scores for chronic HF, and severe HF is associated with lymphocytopenia. However, no data exists on the association between lymphocyte count and functional capacity in patients with stable HF.

Cancer antigen-125 levels predict long-term mortality in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background: Cancer antigen-125 (CA-125) might be a useful biomarker to predict long-term mortality in patients with recent exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Methods: A total of 87 consecutive patients with COPD were evaluated prospectively. Mean age of patients was 68 ± 10 years (55% males, 45% females) with a median follow-up period of 49 months.

Association between oxidative stress index and post-CPR early mortality in cardiac arrest patients: A prospective observational study.

Objective: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a series of lifesaving actions that improve the chance of survival following cardiac arrest (CA). Many clinical and laboratory parameters, such as the presence of asystole, out-of-hospital CPR, and duration of cardiac arrest, are associated with failed CPR in patients with CA. Asystole is a state of no cardiac electrical activity, along with the absence of contractions of the myocardium and absence of cardiac output.

Influence of preoperative coronary collateral circulation on in-hospital mortality in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery with intra-aortic balloon pump support.

Background: Outcomes in patients requiring coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery have been improved with devices such as the intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP). Good coronary collateral circulation (CCC) has been shown to reduce mortality in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). We aimed to investigate whether poor preoperative CCC grade is a predictor of in-hospital mortality in CABG surgery requiring IABP support.

Usefulness of admission gamma-glutamyltransferase level for predicting new-onset heart failure in patients with acute coronary syndrome with left ventricular systolic dysfunction.

Objectives: Our aim was to determine whether there is a relationship between admission gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) and subsequent heart failure hospitalizations in patients with acute coronary syndrome.

Study Design: We selected 123 patients with newly diagnosed acute coronary syndrome of ejection fraction (EF) <45%. Patients were followed 15±10 months, and the relationship between admission GGT level and hospitalization because of heart failure during the follow-up was examined.

Atypical antipsychotic use is an independent predictor for the increased mean platelet volume in patients with schizophrenia: A preliminary study.

Background: Cardiovascular diseases, cardiovascular risk factors, and mortality due to these situations are more frequently encountered in schizophrenic patients when compared with the general population. The mean platelet volume (MPV) is a surrogate biomarker of the platelet activity and an useful prognostic test in cardiometabolic diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate what influenced MPV levels in patients with schizophrenia.

Preoperative poor coronary collateral circulation can predict the development of atrial fibrillation after coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

Aim: Coronary collateral circulation (CCC) helps to protect and preserve myocardium from episodes of ischemia, and reduce angina symptoms, arrhythmia, and cardiovascular events. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most frequent form of arrhythmia after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between CCC and the development of AF in patients undergoing CABG surgery.

What Is the Meaning of Increased Myocardial Injury Enzymes during Hemodialysis? A Tissue Doppler Imaging Study.

Background: Cardiovascular death is decreasing in the general population; however, it appears in still higher rates and even increases gradually in hemodialysis (HD) patients. This situation has led to a debate about cardiovascular adverse effects of HD which lead to significant changes in cardiac and hemodynamic events. It is known that troponins are often elevated in HD patients, and high levels of troponin are associated with increased mortality.

Aortic intracardiac echocardiography-guided septal puncture during mitral valvuloplasty.

Aims: Transoesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and venous intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) are traditionally used to visualize the interatrial septum (IAS) and the tenting effect of the fossa ovalis in patients undergoing percutaneous balloon mitral valvuloplasty (PBMV). The aim of the present study was to assess the comparative efficacy and safety of arterial (intra-aortic) ICE and venous ICE, compared with TEE (traditional approach), in the patients undergoing PBMV.

Methods And Results: TEE, aortic ICE, and venous ICE were consecutively performed in 50 patients (40 ± 9 years, 86% female).

Elevated mean pulmonary artery pressure in patients with mild-to-moderate mitral stenosis: a useful predictor of worsening renal functions?

Objective: Renal dysfunction commonly accompanies the course of cardiac disorders and strongly associates with increased morbidity and mortality. Elevated central venous pressure is related to worsening renal function in patients with heart failure. However, predictors of worsening renal function in mitral stenosis-whose pathophysiologic process is similar to heart failure with regard to right heart dysfunction-are unknown.