Effect of intracoronary balloon inflation at percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty on QT dispersion.

Background: QT dispersion (QTd) has recently been used as a marker for arrhythmic death caused by adverse drug effect. However, the effect of acute ischemia on QTd is not well described.

Methods: To determine the effect of acute ischemia on QTd, 12-lead electrocardiograms were obtained at baseline and 2 minutes after intracoronary balloon inflation in 34 patients.

Atrial natriuretic peptide and its potential role in pharmacotherapy.

Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) is a 28 amino-acid polypeptide secreted into the blood by atrial myocytes after atrial pressure and distension. Although its role in humans is not clear, it can produce a variety of physiologic effects including vasodilatation, natriuresis, and suppression of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone axis. These actions are potentially useful in a variety of pathologic states such as hypertension and congestive heart failure, and diverse methods to augment the effects of ANP in these states have been devised.

[Clinico-angiographic correlations in intramural myocardial infarction].

The results of examination of 74 patients aged 33 to 65 years with intramural myocardial infarction (MI) are analyzed. It is established that as compared to patients with transmural MI, this group of patients showed recurrent attacks of angina pectoris and MI more frequently (during treatment at hospital). In addition, the exercise test in such patients was positive more often either (the data are statistically significant).