Survival prospects of pulmonary arterial hypertension associated with congenital heart disease: Insights from the HOPE registry.

Background: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a severe complication among adult patients with congenital heart disease (ACHD). This study presents real-world data on risk stratification, pharmacotherapy and survival rates in PAH-ACHD.

Methods: Data from PAH-ACHD patients were analyzed using The Hellenic Pulmonary Hypertension Registry (HOPE), spanning eight specialized centers between 2015 and 2023.

The impact of cardiovascular comorbidities associated with risk for left heart disease on idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension: Data from the Hellenic Pulmonary Hypertension Registry (HOPE).

Whereas younger female patients were diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) in 1980s, it is now frequently encountered in elderly patients with cardiovascular comorbidities (CVCs) associated with increased risk for left heart disease. We present data until November 2019 regarding specific features and clinical outcomes of IPAH population from the Hellenic Pulmonary Hypertension Registry (HOPE). Patients were divided into two groups based on the presence of ≥ or <3 CVCs, arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, obesity, presence of coronary artery disease, or atrial fibrillation.

Long-Term Outcome of Pericardial Drainage in Cases of Chronic, Large, Hemodynamically Insignificant, C-Reactive Protein Negative, Idiopathic Pericardial Effusions.

Pericardial effusion (PE) prognosis depends on the underlying etiology. We sought to assess the outcome of patients with chronic (>3 months), large (diastolic echo-free space >2 cm), idiopathic (without apparent etiology), C-reactive protein (CRP) negative PE, a topic where data are lacking. A total of n = 74 patients were enrolled in this study.

Epidemiology and initial management of pulmonary arterial hypertension: real-world data from the Hellenic pulmOnary hyPertension rEgistry (HOPE).

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a heterogenous clinical entity with poor prognosis, despite recent major pharmacological advances. To increase awareness about the pathophysiology, epidemiology, and management of the disease, large national registries are required. The Hellenic pulmOnary hyPertension rEgistry (HOPE) was launched in early 2015 and enrolls patients from all pulmonary hypertension subgroups in Greece.

Hospitalisations for heart failure predict mortality in pulmonary hypertension related to congenital heart disease.

Objective: Despite the progress in the management of patients with adult congenital heart disease (ACHD), a significant proportion of patients still develop pulmonary hypertension (PH). We aimed to highlight the rate of the complications in PH-ACHD and the predicting factors of cumulative mortality risk in this population.

Methods: Data were obtained from the cohort of the national registry of ACHD in Greece from February 2012 until January 2018.

Distal embolization of a transcatheter valve in a valve complex: a bail-out surgical approach.

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement has emerged as an alternative to surgical aortic valve replacement for high-risk and inoperable patients. Although transcatheter aortic valve replacement avoids the use of extracorporeal circulation and sternotomy, it is nonetheless associated with inherent complications. We aim to present an embolized valve-in-valve complex in the ascending aorta, which required emergency surgery with deep hypothermic circulatory arrest and proximal aortic cannulation.

Trans-aortic endoscopic ventricular thrombectomy in a patient with HIT and concomitant Aortic and ventricular thromboses.

Dual aortic and ventricular thrombi are rare following myocardial infraction. We report the case of a 56-year-old man who initially denied primary percutaneous coronary intervention as a result of psychological phobia. Initial pharmacological management by thrombolysis and heparin was followed by multiple arterial thromboses including those of the left ventricle and right iliac artery with a subsequent diagnosis of heparin-induced thrombocytopaenia.

Gender Analysis in the Outcomes of a Lifestyle Intervention Among Patients Who Had an Open Heart Surgery.

Unlabelled: The aim of this study was to evaluate the gender-oriented differences in the outcomes of a lifestyle intervention trial (diet, smoking cessation, and exercise) among patients who had open heart surgery. A randomized, nonblind intervention study was performed on 500 patients who had open heart surgery. Immediately after hospital discharge, 250 patients were randomly allocated lifestyle intervention by receiving oral and written information in the form of a booklet with specific educational information for postoperative rehabilitation.

Lifestyle intervention and one-year prognosis of patients following open heart surgery: a randomised clinical trial.

Aims And Objectives: To evaluate the one-year prognosis of a lifestyle counselling intervention (diet, smoking cessation and exercise) among patients who had open heart surgery.

Background: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of morbidity worldwide in both developing and developed countries. Lifestyle modification plays an important role for patients who are at a high risk of developing cardiovascular disease and for those with an established cardiovascular disease.

Gender Specificity of a Genetic Variant of Androgen Receptor and Risk of Coronary Artery Disease.

Background: Androgens are known to influence the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. This study aims at investigating the possible association between G1733A polymorphism in the coding region of androgen receptor (AR) gene and premature coronary artery disease (CAD).

Methods: A total of 460 Greek subjects were investigated for the G1733A polymorphism.

Genetic variant in the CYP17 gene and risk of premature coronary artery disease.

Introduction: Sex hormones are well known to increase the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD). The CYP17 gene encodes the enzyme cytochrome P450c17, which functions at key steps during the process of human sex steroid hormone synthesis. A T/C polymorphism in the 5 promoter region of the CYP17 gene influences its expression and the resulting serum levels of androgens and estrogens.

Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF/CCN2): a protagonist in cardiac allograft vasculopathy development?

Background: Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) has been reported to be upregulated in experimental models of chronic cardiac allograft rejection. We investigated the contribution of CTGF to the development of cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV), a surrogate marker for chronic rejection.

Methods: This prospective study included 72 adult heart allograft recipients.

Bone marrow stem cell adherence into old anterior myocardial infarction: a scintigraphic study using Tl-201 and Tc-99m-HMPAO.

Aim: The precise localization of bone marrow stem cells (SCs) into the necrotic tissue after intracoronary infusion (ICI) may be important for the therapeutic outcome. This study aims to examine the correlation between Tl-201 and Tc-99m-hexa-methyl-propylene-amine-oxime (HMPAO) images.

Methods: Thirteen patients, aged 36-62 years, with an old, nonviable, anterior myocardial infarction (MI) and reduced myocardial contractility (LVEF <40%), underwent ICI of selected CD133(+) and CD133(neg)CD34(+) SCs.

Long-term results after drug-eluting stent implantation in diabetic patients according to diabetic treatment.

Introduction: In this prospective, single-center study we assessed the long-term results after drug-eluting stent implantation in non insulin-dependent diabetic patients compared to insulin-dependent patients.

Methods: A total of 610 consecutive diabetic patients (mean age 65 ± 9 years) underwent percutaneous coronary intervention with drug-eluting stent implantation. They were classified into 2 groups according to their diabetic treatment: 1) non insulin-dependent patients (477); 2) insulin-dependent patients (133).

Pulmonary arterial hypertension: many years' experience and modern approach to a malignant disease in a pulmonary hypertension centre.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to record the results from a modern diagnostic and therapeutic approach to patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Methods: We studied the clinical characteristics and the treatment of 69 patients (50 women, 72.5%), aged 44 +/- 17 years, who were diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension (World Health Organisation categories I, IV and V).

Effect of balloon valvuloplasty in patients with severe aortic stenosis on levels of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide.

Plasma levels of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) have been shown to correlate to aortic stenosis severity and are predictive of symptom development and survival. They also predict postoperative outcomes after valve replacement in patients with aortic stenosis. The early evolution of N-terminal-pro-BNP (NT-pro-BNP) levels after 50 aortic balloon valvuloplasty procedures performed in 45 patients was investigated.

Predictors for very late stent thrombosis after drug-eluting stent implantation in diabetic patients.

Aims: Despite encouraging results with drug-eluting stents (DES) reported in diabetic patients, the long-term safety is unknown because of very late stent thrombosis (VLST). We investigated the incidence, risk factors and clinical manifestations of VLST in diabetic patients treated with DES, during long-term clinical follow-up.

Methods And Results: A total of 610 consecutive diabetic patients underwent PCI with DES.

Thyroid hormone is a critical determinant of myocardial performance in patients with heart failure: potential therapeutic implications.

Objective: Previous experimental studies have provided evidence showing that changes in thyroid hormone signaling correspond to alterations in myocardial function in animal models of heart failure. The present study further explores whether thyroid hormone alterations are correlated with the functional status of the myocardium in patients with heart failure.

Methods: In this study, 37 patients with mean ejection fraction (EF%) of 26.

Prospective native coronary artery stenosis treated with sirolimus-eluting stent (ONASSIS) registry--acute results and mid-term outcomes: a single-center experience.

Background: Encouraging results with the use of the sirolimus-eluting stent (SES) have been recently presented in several multi-center trials. In the present study, the short- and mid-term clinical outcomes of the SES in everyday clinical practice of interventional cardiology were compared with a strategy using conventional bare metal stents.

Methods: In a total of 530 consecutive patients (males 86%, mean age 61 +/- 10 years) who had been treated with a SES were compared with a control group of 398 patients (males 87%, mean age 59 +/- 11 years) treated with a bare metal stent before the use of SES.

Inspiratory muscle training using an incremental endurance test alleviates dyspnea and improves functional status in patients with chronic heart failure.

Background: The benefits of inspiratory muscle training (IMT) in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) have been inadequately studied.

Design And Methods: Using a prospective, age and sex-matched controlled study, we investigated 35 patients with moderate to severe CHF (NYHA class II-III and left ventricular ejection fraction 24.4+/-1.

Diabetes mellitus and unstable coronary artery disease: improved clinical outcome of coronary artery stenting in an era of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors and lipid-lowering therapy.

Objective: The short- and long-term clinical outcomes of coronary artery stenting in diabetic patients with unstable coronary artery disease were assessed and compared with a cohort of non-diabetic patients in the context of platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors and lipid-lowering therapy.

Methods: The study population comprised 252 consecutive patients with unstable angina who underwent coronary artery stenting; of these 46 were diabetic and 206 were non-diabetic. In-hospital results and clinical outcome during follow-up (24 +/- 13 months, range 7-56 months) were obtained in all patients without major in-hospital complications.

Magnetic resonance angiography is equivalent to X-ray coronary angiography for the evaluation of coronary arteries in Kawasaki disease.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to compare the results of magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) with X-ray coronary angiography (XCA) in a pediatric population.

Background: Coronary artery abnormalities in Kawasaki disease (KD) develop in about 15% to 25% of young patients, mostly in the form of aneurysms.

Methods: Thirteen patients (12 male), age three to eight years, were studied.

Relative coronary flow velocity reserve improves correlation with stress myocardial perfusion imaging in assessment of coronary artery stenoses.

Study Objective: To evaluate the angiographic and coronary flow velocity parameters that best correlate with the results of stress myocardial perfusion imaging.

Design: Criterion standard.

Setting: Tertiary care center.

Long-term clinical outcome of coronary artery stenting in elderly patients.

Background: The elderly constitute a rapidly expanding segment of our population and cardiovascular disease becomes more prevalent with increasing age. Existing data have shown that percutaneous coronary interventions in the elderly are associated with an increase risk of in-hospital complications compared to younger patients. In the present study we retrospectively assessed the long-term clinical outcome of coronary artery stenting in an elderly population and compared them with the cohort of younger patients.