Comparison of quantitative and qualitative coronary angiography: computer versus the eye.

Objective: Since visual estimation of the extent of vessel stenosis may vary between operators, we aimed in this study to investigate both inter-observer variability and consistency between the estimation of an operator and quantitative coronary analysis (QCA) measurements.

Methods: A total of 147 elective percutaneous coronary intervention patients with 155 lesions between them were consecutively enrolled in the study. These patients were evaluated for visual estimation of lesion severity by three operators.

One-year results of primary stenting for TASC II D lesions of the superficial femoral and popliteal arteries.

Objective This study aimed to evaluate the safety and the efficacy of primary stenting to treat Trans-Atlantic Inter-Society Consensus II (TASC) D femoropopliteal lesions. Background Advances in wire, balloon and stent design have been reported to improve the durability of stenting of longer femoropopliteal lesions. Methods A total of 57 limbs of 53 patients with Rutherford stage 3 to 6 due to TASC D femoropopliteal lesions were treated with a self-expanding nitinol stent in a prospective, single-centre, observational study.

Comparison of the effects of high-dose atorvastatin and high-dose rosuvastatin on oxidative stress in patients with acute myocardial infarction: A pilot study.

Objective: Oxidative stress is increased in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Statins reduce oxidative stress independent of their effect in reducing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). The aim of the present study was to compare the effects of atorvastatin and rosuvastatin on oxidative status by investigating serum paraoxonase, serum arylesterase, total oxidant status, total antioxidant status (TAS) and oxidative stress index (OSI) in patients with AMI.

Heart rate variability in normal-weight patients with polycystic ovary syndrome.

Objective: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrine disease closely related to several risk factors of cardiovascular disease. Obese women with PCOS show altered autonomic modulation. The results of studies investigating cardiac autonomic functions of normal-weight women with PCOS are conflicting.

Which Coronary Lesions Are More Prone to Cause Acute Myocardial Infarction?

Background:: According to common belief, most myocardial infarctions (MIs) are due to the rupture of nonsevere, vulnerable plaques with < 70% obstruction. Data from recent trials challenge this belief, suggesting that the risk of coronary occlusion is, in fact, much higher after severe stenosis. The aim of this study was to investigate whether or not acute ST-elevation MIs result from high-grade stenoses by evaluating the presence of coronary collateral circulation (CCC).

Successful thrombolytic treatment of a mobile thrombus on atrial septal defect occluder device.

This case report presents a case with septal occluder device thrombosis which was successfully treated with low dose longer duration of thrombolytic application. Our case showed that the thrombolytic strategy with the lower dose and the longer duration might be a valuable alternative treatment option for the septal occluder thrombosis which is anticoagulation-resistant. This strategy might obviate the need for surgery.

The effects of air pollution and weather conditions on the incidence of acute myocardial infarction.

Objective: In this retrospective study, we investigated the association between air pollution and weather conditions with the incidence of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in the city of Kutahya.

Methods: A total of 402 patients who were admitted with acute ST segment elevation MI and non-ST segment elevation MI were included in the study in 1 year. Daily maximum, minimum, and mean ambient temperature and mean barometric pressure data were obtained from the Kutahya Meteorology Department.

Autonomic modulation in hypertension without hypertrophy.

Objectives: Cardiac autonomic modulation and baroreflex sensitivity are altered in individuals with essential hypertension. Hypertension is considered as a strong and independent risk factor for supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias. The aim of the present study was to evaluate cardiac autonomic control and the arrhythmogenic risk by using 24-h heart rate variability (HRV) and heart rate turbulence (HRT) analysis in essential hypertension without left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH).

The usefulness of plateletcrit to predict cardiac syndrome X in patients with normal coronary angiogram.

Introduction: Cardiac syndrome X (CSX) is a clinical entity defined as the triad of typical angina pectoris on exercise, electrocardiographic or metabolic findings of ischemia and normal epicardial coronary arteries. Platelets, whose amount in the blood is indicated with plateletcrit (PCT), play an important role in inflammatory and thrombotic processes and the physiopathology of cardiovascular events.

Aim: To investigate the association between cardiac syndrome X and PCT and platelet count.

The effect of zolmitriptan on cardiac autonomic modulation in patients with migraine: A double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study.

Background: Triptans, which activate 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)-1B/1D receptors in cerebral arteries, are very effective in aborting attacks of migraine. Although activation of 5-HT-1B/1D receptors diminishes the secretion of noradrenaline from cardiac sympathetic nerves, some studies report that they may cause chest discomfort, myocardial infarction and arrhythmias due to coronary vasospasm. The effect of zolmitriptan on cardiac autonomic modulation has not been evaluated in migraineurs.

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy in monozygotic twin sisters, and persistent left superior vena cava in one complicating implantation of ICD.

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is an inherited cardiomyopathy characterized histologically by fibro-fatty replacement of heart muscle, and clinically by ventricular arrhythmias and right ventricular dysfunction. This report presents monozygotic twins with ARVC, suggesting a genetic abnormality as the most probable cause.

Time-to-reperfusion in STEMI undergoing interhospital transfer using smartphone and WhatsApp messenger.

Objective: The objective of this study is to assess the efficacy of WhatsApp application as a communication method among the emergency physician (EP) in a rural hospital without percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) capability and the interventional cardiologist at a tertiary PCI center.

Background: Current guidelines recommend that patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) receive primary PCI within 90 minutes. This door-to-balloon (D2B) time has been difficult to achieve in rural STEMI.

Relationship between platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio and coronary slow flow.

Objective: The coronary slow flow phenomenon (CSFP), which is characterized by delayed distal vessel opacification in the absence of significant epicardial coronary disease, is an angiographic finding. The aim of this study is to investigate the association between platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and coronary blood flow rate.

Methods: This is a retrospective observational study.

Do mobile phones pose a potential risk to autonomic modulation of the heart?

Background: It has long been speculated that mobile phones may interact with the cardiac devices and thereby cardiovascular system may be a potential target for the electromagnetic fields emitted by the mobile phones. Therefore, the present study was designed to test possible effects of radiofrequency waves emitted by digital mobile phones on cardiac autonomic modulation by short-time heart rate variability (HRV) analysis.

Methods And Results: A total of 20 healthy young subjects were included to the study.

Cardiac autonomic function in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: heart rate turbulence analysis.

Objective: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic disease. The risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality is high in patients with RA. Heart rate turbulence (HRT) expresses ventriculophasic sinus arrhythmia and has been considered to reflect cardiac autonomic activity.

Effect of acute cigarette smoking on left and right ventricle filling parameters: a conventional and tissue Doppler echocardiographic study in healthy participants.

Acute effects of smoking on left and right ventricular function is determined by conventional and tissue Doppler imaging methods in this study. Pulsed-wave Doppler indices of the left and right ventricle diastolic function, including mitral and tricuspid inflow peak early and late velocity and their ratio were obtained from 20 healthy subjects by conventional Doppler and tissue Doppler imaging. Echocardiographic indices of left and right ventricles, including isovolumetric relaxation time, deceleration time, isovolumetric contraction time, ejection time, and myocardial performance index of right ventricle were measured before and 30 minutes after smoking a cigarette.

Cardiac autonomic function evaluated by the heart rate turbulence method was not changed in obese patients without co-morbidities.

Obese subjects are more prone to sudden deaths and arrhythmias than non-obese subjects. Heart rate turbulence (HRT) impairment reflects cardiac autonomic dysfunction, in particular impaired baroreflex sensitivity and reduced parasympathetic activity. Our aim was to evaluate the cardiac autonomic function in obesity by the HRT method.

A case of acute myocardial infarction due to indirect lightning strike.

Lightning strike is a natural phenomenon with potentially devastating effects and represents one of the leading causes of cardiac arrest and death from environmental phenomena. Almost every organ system may be impaired as lightning passes through the human body preferring the pathways that the lowest resistance between the contact points. Lightning can also have widespread effects on the cardiovascular system, producing extensive catecholamine release or autonomic stimulation.

The effect of successful electrical cardioversion on left ventricular diastolic function in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation: a tissue Doppler study.

Background: Changes in mitral inflow and pulmonary venous flow after electrical cardioversion (ECV) in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) were showed in many former studies. In our study we investigated the effects of ECV on diastolic parameters by using tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) in patients with persistent AF.

Methods: Forty-one (24 women) consecutive patients underwent successful elective ECV for nonvalvular persistent AF, and maintained sinus rhythm for 1 month were enrolled to the study.