Pacing at accelerated heart rate during echocardiography-guided atrioventricular optimisation following cardiac resynchronisation therapy.

Introduction: Although echo-guided atrioventricular optimisation (AVO) is standardly performed at rest, this approach may not provide optimal AV synchrony during daily activities.

Material And Methods: The AVO protocol at one of two hospital campuses had been modified to be performed while pacing at an accelerated heart rate. We tested if this approach would improve the yield from AVO compared to the other campus, where AVO was performed at the intrinsic sinus rate.

Coronary artery calcification is inversely related to body morphology in patients with significant coronary artery disease: a three-dimensional intravascular ultrasound study.

Aims: Emerging data have indicated unexpected complexity in the regulation of vascular and bone calcification. In particular, several recent studies have challenged the concept of a universally positive relationship between body morphology [weight, height, body mass index (BMI), body surface area (BSA)] and the extent of vascular calcification. We sought to clarify these discrepancies and investigated the relationship between index lesion coronary artery calcification (CAC) and body morphology in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) using three-dimensional intravascular ultrasound (IVUS).

Virtual histology intravascular ultrasound comparison of coronary chronic total occlusions versus non-occlusive lesions.

To use virtual histology intravascular ultrasound (VH-IVUS) to assess the differences in tissue composition between chronic total occlusions (CTO) and non-occlusive lesions, especially in vivo. We compared 50 CTOs (49 patients) after guidewire crossing with 41 non-occlusive lesions (41 patients, 25 with unstable angina and 16 with stable angina). Overall, the percentage of necrotic core in the CTO segments was similar to non-occlusive lesions (35.

High platelet reactivity on clopidogrel therapy correlates with increased coronary atherosclerosis and calcification: a volumetric intravascular ultrasound study.

Objectives: This study sought to evaluate the relationship between platelet reactivity and atherosclerotic burden in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with pre-intervention volumetric intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) imaging.

Background: Atherosclerosis progresses by the pathologic sequence of subclinical plaque rupture, thrombosis, and healing. In this setting, increased platelet reactivity may lead to more extensive arterial thrombosis at the time of plaque rupture, leading to a more rapid progression of the disease.

Cardiac applications of 123I-mIBG imaging.

Cardiac autonomic innervation plays a key role in maintaining hemodynamic and electrophysiologic harmony. Cardiac sympathetic function is adversely altered in many disease states, such as congestive heart failure, myocardial ischemia, and diabetes. (123)I-mIBG, a sympathetic neurotransmitter radionuclide analog, aids in the detection of sympathetic innervation abnormalities and can be imaged with planar and single-photon emission computed tomographic techniques.

Outcome of renal insufficiency patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

Renal insufficiency (RI) is a prognostic marker in patients with cardiovascular disease. In this study, the latest standard of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) calculation, that is the modification of diet in renal disease (MDRD) study equation, is used to measure the difference in the outcome of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery in various GFR groups. Between 2000 and 2005, 1,055 patients underwent CABG surgery and were categorized into 5 groups according to the National Kidney Foundation guidelines: stage 1 = normal renal function; stage 2 = mild RI; stage 3 = moderate RI; stage 4 = severe RI; stage 5 = end-stage renal failure (excluded).