Evaluation of the non-alcoholic fatty liver fibrosis score in predicting short-term outcomes and severe coronary artery disease in patients undergoing coronary computed tomography angiography.

Introduction: The correlation between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and cardiovascular disease is well established.

Aim: The objective of this study was to assess the short-term associations of the non-alcoholic fatty liver disease fibrosis score (NFS) with various outcomes, including mortality, severe coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, and the need for coronary angiography, among patients who underwent coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA).

Material And Methods: In this study, we assessed 499 patients who underwent 640-slice CCTA and evaluated their liver fibrosis using the NFS.

Predictors of the right ventricular perforation caused by active-fixation pacing and defibrillator leads: A single-centre experience.

Introduction: Active-fixation leads have been associated with higher incidence of cardiac perforation. Large series specifically evaluating radiographic predictors of right ventricular (RV) lead perforation are lacking.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational study including 1691 consecutive patients implanted with an active fixation pacing and defibrillator lead at our institution between January 2015 and January 2021.

Acute Myocardial Infarction Due to Myocardial Bridge Treated With Surgery: a Case Report.

Myocardial bridging is congenital anomaly characterized by segment of epicardial coronary arteries passing through the myocardium. Various ischemic conditions are related with this pathology. We report a case of myocardial bridging that was complicated with acute anterior myocardial infarction and a review of the literature.

Long-Term Observational Study of the Isolated Ostial Diagonal Stenosis in Patients with Chronic Coronary Syndrome.

Objective: Isolated ostial diagonal stenoses are very rare lesions in which percutaneous intervention could cause significant vessel compromise, and the long-term results have been reported in a few studies. This study sought the characteristics and long-term follow-up of the patients with isolated osteal diagonal stenosis regarding percutaneous coronary intervention and presence of angina.

Methods: The study was an observational retrospective study conducted between January 2014 and December 2020.

Electrocardiographic Predictors of Complete Heart Block During Right Ventricular Lead Implantation in Patients Who Underwent Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy.

Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) device procedures have their own complications in addition to the complications associated with standard pacemaker implantations. This study aimed to analyze the predictors of the right bundle branch injury resulting in complete heart block (CHB) during right ventricular (RV) lead implantation in patients who underwent CRT with defibrillator. We conducted an observational study of consecutive 790 patients who underwent CRT with defibrillator device implantation at our institution from 2010 to 2022.

Stent Implantation May Fail Sometimes in Coronary Complications: Extension of an Iatrogenic Left Main Coronary Artery Hematoma.

Coronary artery perforations and dissections, associated with cardiac tamponade or acute vessel closure, are life-threatening complications of percutaneous coronary intervention. In some cases, subepicardial hematomas could occur and compress the vessel. A 59-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with chest pain and was diagnosed with non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction.

Prognostic value of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease fibrosis score in patients undergoing cardiac resynchronization therapy.

Background: Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is an effective option in the treatment of patients with heart failure and wide QRS. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) fibrosis score (NFS) has been shown to predict cardiac events in several patient populations. However, the relationship between NFS and response to CRT has not been investigated.

Comparison of selective coronary angiography through the ablation catheter versus conventional coronary angiography to guide ablation of premature ventricular contractions originating from aortic cusp.

Background: Intraprocedural coronary angiography (CA) is recommended in patients undergoing ablation in aortic cusps to assess the relation of catheter tip and coronary ostia. In this report, we aimed to compare selective coronary angiography (SCA) through the contact force (CF)-sensing radiofrequency catheter with conventional coronary angiography (CCA) to guide ablation of premature ventricular contractions (PVC).

Methods: This was a retrospective observational cohort study of prospectively collected data of 87 consecutive patients undergoing PVC ablation at a single institution between February 2016 and June 2021.

Radiographic predictors of failure of simple manual traction of transvenous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator leads: a single-center experience.

Background: Extraction of the implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) leads could be a difficult procedure due to fibrous tissue around the lead and anatomical variations. In this report, we present our experience in the radiographic predictors of failure of simple manual traction (SMT) in patients with dual-coil ICD requiring lead extraction (LE).

Methods: Between January 2017 and February 2021, 103 leads were removed in 65 consecutive patients; 65 (63.

Selective angiography through radiofrequency catheter during ablation of premature ventricular contractions originating from aortic cusp: A single-centre experience.

Introduction: Intraprocedural coronary angiography is recommeded in patients undergoing ablation in aortic cusps to assess the relation of catheter tip and coronary ostia. In this report, we present our experience in selective coronary angiography through the radiofrequency catheter during premature ventricular contraction (PVC) ablation.

Methods And Results: We prospectively recruited 43 consecutive patients who underwent PVC ablation in the aortic cusps between March 2018 and April 2021.

Bendopnea and Its Clinical Importance in Outpatient Patients with Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.

Purpose: Bendopnea is a recently reported novel symptom in patients with heart failure (HF) defined as shortness of breath when bending forward. It has been demonstrated that bendopnea is associated with advanced symptoms and worse outcomes. The aim of this study was to assess the presence of bendopnea and its clinical importance with regards to functional status, hemodynamic and echocardiographic characteristics in outpatient pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) patients.

Reprogramming the tachycardia parameters with long-detection strategy in patients with pre-existing implantable cardioverter-defibrillator.

A long-detection interval (LDI) programming has been proved to reduce shock therapy in patients who underwent implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) implantation. We aimed to evaluate effectiveness and safety of this new strategy in old ICD recipients. We included 147 primary prevention patients with ischaemic and non-ischaemic aetiology.

Predicting value of coupling interval variability in determining the origin of ventricular premature contractions with V3 transition.

Purpose: We aimed to investigate the predictive value of coupling interval variability (ΔCI) in determining the origin of idiopathic outflow tract ventricular tachycardia (OTVT) with V3 transition.

Methods: We reviewed data from 126 patients who underwent catheter ablation of OTVT between 2015 and 2018 at our institution. We identified 32 patients of successful OTVT ablation with a precordial transition at V3 derivation.

Surface electrogram-guided left ventricular lead placement improves response to cardiac resynchronization therapy.

Objective: Failure to select the optimal left ventricular (LV) segment for lead implantation is one of the most important causes of unresponsiveness to the cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). In our study, we aimed to investigate the echocardiographic and clinical benefits of LV lead implantation guided by an intraoperative 12-lead surface electrocardiogram (ECG) in patients with multiple target veins.

Methods: We included 80 [42 (62.

Inhibition of PDE4 by low doses of rolipram induces changes in lipid and protein components of mice heart.

There is significant increasing interest in phosphodiesterase-4 (PDE4) inhibition in treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Related with this, research has focused on cellular, biochemical, molecular and structural changes in heart tissue induced by PDE4s inhibitors. However, for their clinical applicability additional studies are still needed.

A simple discharge risk model for predicting 1-year mortality in hospitalised acute decompansated heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction.

Objective: The risk stratification for prognosis in heart failure is very important for optimal disease management and decision making. The aim of this study was to establish a simple discharge 1-year mortality prediction model by integrating data obtained from demographic characteristics, clinical evaluation, laboratory biomarkers and echocardiographic evaluation of hospitalised heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) patients with acute decompensation.

Methods And Results: A risk score model was developed based on β-coefficient number of variables in a multivariable logistic regression model which was created with the use of data on clinical, laboratory, imaging and therapeutic findings of 670 patients (65.

Mid-Term Outcomes of Stent Overlap in Long Total Occluded Lesions of Superficial Femoral Artery.

BACKGROUND Superficial femoral artery chronic total occlusion (SCTO) is a common type of peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Endovascular therapy is a treatment approach that has a poor long-term success rate in this group. The aim of this study was to compare the mid-term results of two different uses of nitinol stents in long SCTO lesions (>100 mm): the use of one long stent or two shorter stents.

Early Thrombosuction and Tirofiban Use in Knee and Below-Knee Arterial Thrombosis.

BACKGROUND Acute limb ischemia (ALI) is a clinical entity with a high rate of morbidity and mortality. Despite advances and variety of its management, there is still no criterion standard treatment. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effect of tirofiban use on the early and 6-month prognosis of patients with knee and below-knee arterial thrombosis who were treated with percutaneous thrombosuction (PT) within 24 h.

Improvement in left ventricular intrinsic dyssynchrony with cardiac resynchronization therapy.

Objective: Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) has been shown to induce a structural and electrical remodeling; the data on whether left ventricle (LV) reverse remodeling is associated with restitution of intrinsic contraction pattern are unknown. In this study, we investigated the presence of improvement in left ventricular intrinsic dyssynchrony in patients with CRT.

Methods: A total of 45 CRT recipients were prospectively studied.

Incidence of new-onset atrial fibrillation after cavotricuspid isthmus ablation for atrial flutter.

Aims: In patients with cavotricuspid isthmus (CTI) ablation for atrial flutter (AFL), the decision to hold oral anticoagulation (OAC) often becomes an issue. The purpose of this study was to describe the incidence of the development of atrial fibrillation (AF) after CTI ablation in patients with documented AFL with and without a previous history of AF and to identify risk predictors for the occurrence of AF after CTI.

Methods And Results: We included 364 consecutive patients undergoing successful CTI ablation.