Effect of Albumin-Bilirubin Score on Prognosis in Ambulatory Heart Failure Patients with Reduced Ejection Fraction.

Objective: Heart failure (HF) often impacts liver function due to reduced cardiac output and increased venous congestion. The Albumin-Bilirubin (ALBI) score has recently been shown to possess prognostic value in patients hospitalized with HF. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the association of the ALBI score with long-term mortality in ambulatory HF patients with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).

The Relationship between the Presence of Cardiohepatic Syndrome and Mortality in Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction.

Objective: Heart failure (HF) is a major health burden that commonly affects liver function. Therefore, cardiohepatic syndrome (CHS) has been defined to describe the relationship between the heart and the liver. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of CHS on long-term mortality in HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).

Endoscopic Thoracic Sympathectomy in the Treatment of Vasospastic Angina Resistant to Medical Therapy.

Background: In this study, we aimed to investigate the clinical follow-up results of endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy (ETS) in the treatment of vasospastic angina (VSA) resistant to maximal medical therapy.

Methods: A total of 80 patients with VSA who presented to our hospital between 2010 and 2022 were included in our study. Among them, 6 patients who did not respond to medical therapy underwent ETS.

Cardiohepatic syndrome and its prognostic predictive ability in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension.

With the development of progressive right ventricular dysfunction, pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is one of the causes of type 2 cardiohepatic syndrome (CHS). Risk assessment, timely and effective management are crucial to improve survival in PAH. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the presence of CHS at diagnosis and its association with prognosis in patients with PAH.

Association of ectatic non-infarct-related artery with 1-month stent thrombosis in patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction.

Background: Ectatic infarct-related artery (IRA) has been shown to be associated with higher thrombus burden, no-reflow, stent thrombosis (ST) and major adverse cardiovascular events in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). The effect of ectatic non-IRA on ST without ectatic IRA is not known. We aimed to assess the effect of ectatic non-IRA presence on ST within 1 month after primary percutaneous intervention (pPCI) in patients with STEMI.

Prognostic impact of cardiohepatic syndrome in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

Cardiohepatic syndrome (CHS) indicates a bidirectional interaction between the heart and liver. This study was designed to evaluate the impact of CHS on in-hospital and long-term mortality in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention. 1541 consecutive STEMI patients were examined.

Effects of RAAS blocker use on AKI in elderly hypertensive STEMI patients with propensity score weighed method.

Studies reported conflicting results on the effect of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) blocker use on acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients undergoing elective coronary angiography but association in elderly patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is not known. Also, there are limited data on the effect of inflammatory markers on AKI. We aimed to investigate the effects of RAAS blocker pretreatment and inflammatory markers on AKI in this population.

Peritoneal dialysis for refractory heart failure: A single-center experience.

Introduction: Heart failure (HF) is a disease associated with poor quality of life. Peritoneal dialysis (PD) can be an alternative in the treatment of these patients to overcome fluid overload. The objective of this study is to observe the effects of PD in refractory HF patients.

Association of monocyte to high-density lipoprotein ratio with bare-metal stent restenosis in STEMI patients treated with primary PCI.

Objective: Monocyte to high-density lipoprotein ratio (MHR) has recently been postulated as a novel parameter related to adverse cardiovascular outcomes. In this study, we aimed to investigate the correlation of MHR with stent restenosis (SR) rates after the primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and bare-metal stent (BMS) implantation.

Methods: In this study, patients who had undergone primary PCI for STEMI and had a control angiogram during follow-up were retrospectively recruited.

Normal echocardiographic measurements in a Turkish population: The Healthy Heart ECHO-TR Trial.

Objective: Normal reference values for the cardiac chambers are widely based on cohorts from European or American populations. In this study, we aimed to obtain normal echocardiographic measurements of healthy Turkish volunteers to reveal the age, gender, and geographical region dependent differences between Turkish populations and other populations.

Methods: Among 31 collaborating institutions from all regions of Turkey, 1154 healthy volunteers were enrolled in this study.

Obstructive sleep apnea is associated with increased QT corrected interval dispersion: the effects of continuous positive airway pressure.

Introduction: Severe obstructive sleep apnea is associated with increased QT corrected interval dispersion and continuous positive airway pressure is thought to improve this arrhythmogenic marker.

Objective: The aim of the study was to determine the decrease of ratio of cardiovascular risk in patients with obstructive sleep apnea.

Methods: The study included 65 patients with severe obstructive sleep apnea who had an apnea-hypopnea index score of >30.

Incremental value of live/real time three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography over the two-dimensional technique in the assessment of aortic atherosclerotic thrombi and ulcers.

We present two cases in whom live/real time three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography (3DTEE) provided incremental value in the assessment of atherosclerotic disease in the aorta. In one patient, it identified additional atherosclerotic ulcers as well as thrombi within them which were missed by two-dimensional (2D) TEE. In both cases, the size of the large mobile atherosclerotic plaque was underestimated by 2DTEE as compared with 3DTEE.

Association of contrast-induced nephropathy with bare metal stent restenosis in STEMI patients treated with primary PCI.

Background: Contrast induced nephropathy (CIN) has been proven as a clinical condition related to adverse cardiovascular outcomes. However, relationship between CIN and stent restenosis (SR) remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate the association of CIN with SR rates after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and bare metal stent (BMS) implantation.

Comparison of long-term prognostic value of baseline SYNTAX and clinical SYNTAX scores in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction patients with multivessel disease.

Background: The prognostic value of baseline SYNTAX (SS) and clinical SYNTAX (cSS) scores has been shown in different populations with coronary artery disease. However, their prognostic value has not been compared in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and multivessel disease.

Methods: Patients who had undergone a primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for STEMI and had at least one critical lesion other than the culprit artery were recruited retrospectively.

Low-Level Vitamin D Is Associated with Atrial Fibrillation in Patients with Chronic Heart Failure.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) frequently accompanies heart failure (HF), and causes exacerbation of symptoms and treatment failure in such patients. Vitamin D was recently suggested to be an important mediator of cardiovascular disease, including HF.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between vitamin D deficiency and AF in patients with chronic HF.

Vitamin D levels predict hospitalization and mortality in patients with heart failure.

Objectives: Low levels of vitamin D are closely associated with cardiovascular diseases. Heart failure (HF) is a major health problem globally, occurring with increasing frequency and characterised by poor prognosis despite therapy. We aimed to investigate the effect of vitamin D levels on hospitalisation and mortality in patients with HF.

Immediate electrical storm of Torsades de Pointes after CRT-D implantation in an ischemic cardiomyopathy patient.

Cardiac resynchronization therapy with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (CRT-D) is the preferred treatment for patients with severe heart failure, dyssynchrony, and an increased risk of sudden cardiac death or for primary ventricular arrhythmia survivors. Rarely, left ventricular epicardial pacing can induce ventricular tachyarrhythmia rather than a beneficial effect. We describe an ischemic cardiomyopathy patient who underwent CRT-D therapy and developed sustained torsades de pointes (TdP) immediately after switching to biventricular pacing (BVP) mode.

Assessment of epicardial adipose tissue thickness in patients with resistant hypertension.

Objective: Recent studies have shown that epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) thickness is increased in patients with hypertension. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relation of EAT thickness with resistant hypertension (RHT).

Participants And Methods: Study participants (n=150) were classified into three groups according to their office and ambulatory blood pressure measurements: RHT (n=50), controlled hypertension (CHT, n=50), and normotension (NT, n=50).

The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio is associated with bare-metal stent restenosis in STEMI patients treated with primary PCI.

Background: The clinical importance of complete blood count (CBC) parameters such as the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been shown in cardiovascular diseases. Stent restenosis (SR) is a major adverse event after stent implantation. In this study, we aimed to investigate the correlation of CBC parameters with SR rates after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Increased Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio in Patients With Resistant Hypertension.

Resistant hypertension (RHT) is an important disease that causes an increase in cardiovascular risk, yet its etiology remains unclear. The authors aimed to investigate neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) as an inflammation marker in patients with RHT. A total of 150 patients were included in the study and grouped according to their office and ambulatory blood pressure measurements.

Two- and live/real time three-dimensional transthoracic echocardiographic assessment of infective endocarditis of a valved pulmonary conduit.

We describe the use of a nonstandard left infraclavicular approach in making the diagnosis of an infected valved conduit with two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography. The patient was an adult with tetralogy of Fallot and pulmonary atresia who had undergone multiple surgical repair procedures. The initial diagnosis of infective endocarditis was made by transesophageal echocardiography.

The advantages of live/real time three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography in the assessment of tricuspid valve infective endocarditis.

Currently, tricuspid valve infective endocarditis (TVIE) is encountered in daily clinical practice more frequently due to the increasing prevalence of illicit intravenous drug use and the implantation of intracardiac devices. In this study, we compared findings from intra-operative live/real time three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiograms (3DTEE) and two-dimensional transesophageal echocardiograms (2DTEE) of 10 patients who underwent surgery for native tricuspid valve (TV) endocarditis. Unlike 2DTEE, 3DTEE allowed en face visualization of the 3 TV leaflets from both, atrial and ventricular aspects, in 9 of the 10 cases.

Live/real time three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiographic assessment of ventricular septal volume and mass before and after myectomy in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common genetically transmitted cardiomyopathy. In patients resistant to medical management, myectomy is the surgical procedure of choice to reduce the symptoms of left ventricular outflow obstruction. Two-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography (2DTEE) has become part of the operative procedure by decreasing the incidence of postoperative complications.

Transthoracic echocardiographic detection of pulmonary valve involvement in Löeffler's endocarditis.

We are describing pulmonary valve involvement with thickening and stenosis detected by two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography in an adult presenting with Löeffler's endocarditis. To our knowledge, this has not been described previously. Complete regression of the lesions occurred with corticosteroid therapy.