Mitral Annular and Left Ventricular Dynamics in Atrial Functional Mitral Regurgitation: A Three-Dimensional and Speckle-Tracking Echocardiographic Study.

Background: Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and left atrial (LA) enlargement may develop functional, normal leaflet motion mitral regurgitation (MR) without left ventricular (LV) remodeling. Mitral annular dynamics and LV mechanics are important for preserving normal mitral valve function. The aim of this study was to assess the annular and LV dynamics in patients with AF and functional MR.

Functional Implication of Mitral Annular Disjunction in Mitral Valve Prolapse: A Quantitative Dynamic 3D Echocardiographic Study.

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the hypothesis that mitral annular disjunction (MAD) is associated with abnormal annular dynamics due to decoupling of annular-ventricular function.

Background: MAD, defined as a separation between the atrial wall-mitral valve (MV) junction and left ventricular (LV) attachment, is a structural abnormality occurring in MV prolapse (MVP). Few data exist on the 3-dimensional (3D) geometry of MAD and its functional implication.

Using Anatomic Intelligence to Localize Mitral Valve Prolapse on Three-Dimensional Echocardiography.

Background: Accurate localization of mitral valve prolapse (MVP) is crucial for surgical planning. Despite improved visualization of the mitral valve by three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography, image interpretation remains expertise dependent. Manual construction of mitral valve topographic maps improves diagnostic accuracy but is time-consuming and requires substantial manual input.

Automated quantification of mitral valve anatomy using anatomical intelligence in three-dimensional echocardiography.

Background: Quantitative analysis of mitral valve morphology with three-dimensional (3D) transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) provides anatomic information that can assist clinical decision-making. However, routine use of mitral valve quantification has been hindered by tedious workflow and high operator-dependence. The purpose of this paper was to evaluate the feasibility, accuracy and efficiency of a novel computer-learning algorithm using anatomical intelligence in ultrasound (AIUS) to automatically detect and quantitatively assess the mitral valve anatomy.

Abnormal mitral-aortic intervalvular coupling in mitral valve diseases: a study using real-time three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography.

Background: Mitral and aortic valves are coupled via fibrous tissue. This coupling is considered to be important for cardiac function before and after mitral valve surgery. The relationship between mitral-aortic coupling and different types of mitral regurgitation (MR) is not completely understood.

The prevalence and prognosis of resistant hypertension in patients with heart failure.

Background: Resistant hypertension is associated with adverse clinical outcome in hypertensive patients. However, the prognostic significance of resistant hypertension in patients with heart failure remains uncertain.

Methods And Results: The 1 year survival and heart failure re-hospitalization rate of 1288 consecutive patients admitted to a university hospital for either newly diagnosed heart failure or an exacerbation of prior chronic heart failure was analyzed.

Dynamic assessment of the changing geometry of the mitral apparatus in 3D could stratify abnormalities in functional mitral regurgitation and potentially guide therapy.

Introduction: In functional mitral regurgitation (FMR), effective regurgitant orifice area (EROA) displays a dynamic pattern. The impact of dynamic changes of annulus dysfunction and leaflets tenting on phasic EROA was explored with real-time three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography (RT3D-TEE).

Methods: RT3D-TEE was performed in 52 FMR patients and 30 controls.

Quantification of mitral valve morphology with three-dimensional echocardiography--can measurement lead to better management?

The mitral valve (MV) has complex 3-dimensional (3D) morphology and motion. Advance in real-time 3D echocardiography (RT3DE) has revolutionized clinical imaging of the MV by providing clinicians with realistic visualization of the valve. Thus far, RT3DE of the MV structure and dynamics has adopted an approach that depends largely on subjective and qualitative interpretation of the 3D images of the valve, rather than objective and reproducible measurement.

Beyond auscultation: acoustic cardiography in clinical practice.

Cardiac auscultation by stethoscope is widely used but limited by low sensitivity and accuracy. Phonocardiogram was developed in an attempt to provide quantitative and qualitative information of heart sounds and murmurs by transforming acoustic signal into visual wavelet. Although phonocardiogram provides objective heart sound information and holds diagnostic potentials of different heart problems, its examination procedure is time-consuming and it requires specially trained technicians to operate the device.

Cathepsin S-mediated fibroblast trans-differentiation contributes to left ventricular remodelling after myocardial infarction.

Background: Extracellular matrix (ECM) turnover plays an important role in left ventricular (LV) remodelling following myocardial infarction (MI). Cysteinyl cathepsins contribute to ECM catabolism in arterial diseases, suggesting their participation in post-MI remodelling.

Methods And Results: Left anterior descending artery ligation-induced MI in mice showed increased expression and activity of cathepsin S (CatS).

The healthcare burden of hypertension in Asia.

As the leading global risk for mortality, hypertension (HT) is a common healthcare problem in the world. The total number of patients with HT is likely to grow in the next few decades as the population age and the prevalence of obesity and diabetes increase. HT, as a major modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease, results in more deaths than any other risk factors, including diabetes and cigarette smoking.

Tea consumption and risk of stroke: a dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies.

Objective: To determine the association between tea consumption and the risk of stroke.

Methods: We searched the PubMed database from January 1966 to March 2012 and reviewed reference lists of retrieved articles to identify relevant studies. Studies were included if they reported relative risks (RRs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of stroke with respect to three or more categories of tea consumption.

Association between SNP rs1800875, serum chymase and immunoglobulin E levels in patients with coronary heart disease.

Objective: The gene for mast cell chymase (CMA1) is an ideal candidate for investigating the genetic predisposition to coronary heart disease (CHD), as activated mast cells have been found to be present in a greater proportion in the shoulder region of atheroma than in normal coronary intimae. Previous studies have indicated that CMA1 promoter polymorphism rs1800875 may be involved in regulating immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels in patients with eczema, and it is associated with the progression of immunoglobulin A nephropathy.

Methods: The association between single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs1800875, serum chymase, and serum IgE levels was examined in 175 CHD subjects and 95 non-CHD subjects.