Left atrial strain as sensitive marker of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in heart failure.

Aims: The purpose of this retrospective analysis was to examine the association of left atrial (LA) strain (i.e. LA reservoir function) with left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (DD) in patients with heart failure with reduced and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF).

Phasic Left Atrial Function in Cancer Patients Before Initiation of Anti-Cancer Therapy.

We aimed to explore left atrial (LA) remodeling in the patients with solid cancer before initiation of chemo- or radiotherapy. This retrospective investigation included 92 chemo- and radiotherapy-naive cancer patients and 40 age- and gender-matched controls with a similar cardiovascular risk profile as the cancer group. All participants underwent comprehensive echocardiographic examination before the start of chemo- or radiotherapy.

Diastolic stress test echocardiography in patients with suspected heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: a pilot study.

Aims: The purpose of this pilot study was to assess the potential usefulness of diastolic stress test (DST) echocardiography in patients with suspected heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF).

Methods And Results: Patients with suspected HFpEF (left ventricular ejection fraction ≥ 50%, exertional dyspnoea, septal E/e' at rest 9-14, and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) at rest < 220 pg/mL; n = 13) and a control group constituted from asymptomatic patients with arterial hypertension (n = 19) and healthy subjects (n = 18) were included. All patients were analysed by two-dimensional and Doppler echocardiography at rest and during exercise (DST) and underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing and NT-proBNP analysis during exercise.

The role of arterial hypertension in development heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: just a risk factor or something more?

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is an entity that still raises many questions. The agreement about definition, pathophysiology, and therapeutic approach is still missing. Arterial hypertension is present in majority of patients with HFpEF, and it is still not clear if it represent a risk factor or "sine qua non" condition for HFpEF development.

Early detection of cardiac alterations by left atrial strain in patients with risk for cardiac abnormalities with preserved left ventricular systolic and diastolic function.

This study sought to examine whether early cardiac alterations could be detected by left atrial (LA) strain in patients with risk for cardiac abnormalities. In this cross-sectional and retrospective study, we included patients with (n = 234) and without (n = 48) risk for cardiac abnormalities (i.e.

Left ventricular longitudinal systolic function analysed by 2D speckle-tracking echocardiography in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: a meta-analysis.

Background: The purpose of this meta-analysis was to confirm if the global longitudinal systolic function of the left ventricle (LV) is altered in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF).

Methods: We searched in different databases (Medline, Embase and Cochrane) studies that analysed LV global longitudinal systolic strain (GLS) in patients with HFpEF and in controls (such as healthy subjects or asymptomatic patients with arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus or coronary artery disease).

Results: Twenty-two studies (2284 patients with HFpEF and 2302 controls) were included in the final analysis.

Lower limit of normality and clinical relevance of left ventricular early diastolic strain rate for the detection of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction.

Aims: The aim of the present study was to determine the lower limit of normality and the clinical relevance of left ventricular (LV) early diastolic strain rate (LVSRe) for the detection of LV diastolic dysfunction (LVDD).

Methods And Results: Using 2D speckle-tracking echocardiography, we analysed 377 healthy subjects and 475 patients with risk for LVDD with preserved LV ejection fraction (LVEF). The normal range of LVSRe analysing the healthy subjects was 1.

Tumor-induced osteomalacia due to a recurrent mesenchymal tumor overexpressing several growth factor receptors.

Unlabelled: Tumor-induced osteomalacia (TIO) is a rare paraneoplastic syndrome caused primarily by benign mesenchymal tumors. These tumors typically follow a benign clinical course and local recurrence occurs in <5% of cases. We investigated a 49-year-old man with a recurrent mesenchymal phosphaturic tumor showing no signs of malignancy.