Physician and Patient Preferences for Oral Anticoagulation Therapy Decision Making in Atrial Fibrillation: Results From a National Best-Worst Scaling Survey in Türkiye.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac dysrhythmia and a common cause of ischemic stroke. Stroke prevention with oral anticoagulation (OAC) is the cornerstone of AF management. Patients and their treating physicians may have different views on different attributes of OACs.

Current barriers and recommendations on the diagnosis of transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy: a Delphi study.

Objectives: This study has been conducted to investigate the non-invasive diagnostic journey of patients with a transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (aTTR-CM) in Turkey, identify the challenges and uncertainties encountered on the path to diagnosis from the perspectives of expert physicians, and develop recommendations that can be applied in such cases.

Methods: This study employed a three-round modified Delphi method and included 10 cardiologists and five nuclear medicine specialists. Two hematologists also shared their expert opinions on the survey results related to hematological tests during a final face-to-face discussion.

Relationship between adiponectin and copeptin levels with long-term cardiovascular mortality in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction after percutaneous coronary intervention.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine adiponectin and copeptin levels that might be prognostic for cardiovascular mortality (CvsM) in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients who had percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods: Patients who underwent PCI between November 2010 and April 2011 were enrolled and followed for more than eight years. The baseline, demographic and angiographic findings, in-hospital follow up, laboratory results including adiponectin and copeptin levels, and echocardiographic data of the patients were evaluated.

Effects of weight loss after bariatric surgery on atrial electromechanical delay in obese subjects.

The authors investigated the relationship between weight loss after sleeve gastrectomy and change in atrial electromechanical delay values. A total of 41 patients were included. The primary end point was any effect of total weight loss on atrial electromechanical delay parameters.

Evaluation of Asymmetric Dimethylarginine Levels in Patients With Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension Undergoing Pulmonary Endarterectomy.

Background: Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is a form of pulmonary embolism, and pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA) is the surgical treatment. Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) levels are increased in pulmonary hypertension. This study aimed to investigate serum ADMA levels in patients with CTEPH, the effect of PEA on ADMA, and its prognostic value in long-term mortality.

Cardiovascular disintegration: A conceptual, model-based approach to heart failure hemodynamics.

Objective: The current understanding of heart failure (HF) largely centers round left ventricular (LV) function; however, disorders in serial integration of cardiovascular system may cause a hemodynamic picture similar to left-sided HF. Therefore, focusing only on LV function may be a limited and misleading approach. We hypothesized that cardiovascular system has four major integration points, and disintegration in any of these points may produce the hemodynamic picture of HF.

Investigation of Circulating miRNA-133, miRNA-26, and miRNA-378 as Candidate Biomarkers for Left Ventricular Hypertrophy.

Background/aim: Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) involves increased muscular mass of the left ventricle due to increased cardiomyocyte size and is caused by cardiomyopathies. Several microRNAs (miRNAs) have been implicated in processes that contribute to heart disease. This study aimed to examine miRNA-133, miRNA-26 and miRNA-378 as candidate biomarkers to define prognosis in patients with LVH.

The Association between Serum Heme Oxygenase-1 Levels and Coronary SYNTAX Score.

Aim: The relationship between heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) levels and atherosclerosis was investigated in multiple studies. The aim of this study was to establish the relationship between HO-1 levels and coronary SYNergy between percutaneous coronary intervention with TAXus and Cardiac Surgery (SYNTAX) score in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD).

Methods: Patients who had been planned to undergo invasive coronary angiography due to a suspected CAD, between the dates of September and December 2019, were included in the study.

DIagnostic accuracy oF electrocardiogram for acute coronary OCClUsion resuLTing in myocardial infarction (DIFOCCULT Study).

Background: Although ST-segment elevation (STE) has been used synonymously with acute coronary occlusion (ACO), current STE criteria miss nearly one-third of ACO and result in a substantial amount of false catheterization laboratory activations. As many other electrocardiographic (ECG) findings can reliably indicate ACO, we sought whether a new ACO/non-ACO myocardial infarction (MI) paradigm would result in better identification of the patients who need acute reperfusion therapy.

Methods: A total of 3000 patients were enrolled in STEMI, non-STEMI and control groups.

NT-proBNP level in stage 3-4 chronic kidney disease and mortality in long-term follow-up: HAPPY study subgroup analysis.

Objective: This was an investigation of the relationship between the N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) level and mortality in patients with stage 3-4 chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Methods: This study was designed as a subgroup analysis of the Heart Failure Prevalence and Predictors in Turkey (HAPPY) study. The HAPPY study included 4650 randomly selected individuals from the 7 geographical regions of Turkey.

A new electrocardiographic pattern indicating inferior myocardial infarction.

Background: We identified a specific pattern that does not display contiguous ST-segment elevation (STE), indicating acute inferior myocardial infarction (MI) with concomitant critical stenoses on the other coronary arteries. We sought to define the frequency, underlying anatomic substrate, diagnostic power and prognostic implications of this pattern.

Methods: One thousand patients with a diagnosis of non-STEMI were enrolled as the study group.

Does electrocardiogram help in identifying the culprit artery when angiogram shows both right and circumflex artery disease in inferior myocardial infarction?

Objective: In a subgroup of patients with inferior myocardial infarction (MI), both the right coronary artery (RCA) and circumflex coronary artery (Cx) show potentially culprit lesions, and angiography may be insufficient to determine which artery is responsible for the clinical presentation. Although many electrocardiographic (ECG) algorithms have been proposed for identifying the infarct-related artery in patients with inferior MI, it is unclear whether the current algorithms have the discriminative power to identify the real culprit artery in these patients.

Methods: The patients with the diagnosis of acute inferior MI and underwent coronary angiography were enrolled in the study.

[Turkish Cardiology Association Consensus Report: COVID-19 Pandemic and Cardiovascular Diseases (May 13, 2020)].

In December 2019, in the city of Wuhan, in the Hubei province of China, treatment-resistant cases of pneumonia emerged and spread rapidly for reasons unknown. A new strain of coronavirus (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 [SARS-CoV-2]) was identified and caused the first pandemic of the 21st century. The virus was officially detected in our country on March 11, 2020, and the number of cases increased rapidly; the virus was isolated in 670 patients within 10 days.

[Consensus Report from Turkish Society of Cardiology: COVID-19 and Cardiovascular Diseases. What cardiologists should know. (25th March 2020)].

In December 2019, in the city of Wuhan, in the Hubei province of China, treatment-resistant cases of pneumonia emerged and spread rapidly for reasons unknown. A new strain of coronavirus (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 [SARS-CoV-2]) was identified and caused the first pandemic of the 21st century. The virus was officially detected in our country on March 11, 2020, and the number of cases increased rapidly; the virus was isolated in 670 patients within 10 days.

Is the inferior ST-segment elevation in anterior myocardial infarction reliable in prediction of wrap-around left anterior descending artery occlusion?

Objective: In a subgroup of patients with the anterior wall myocardial infarction (MI), the electrocardiogram (ECG) records a concomitant inferior ST-segment elevation (STE), which is generally explained by a 'wrap-around' left anterior descending (LAD) artery occlusion. However, recent evidence indicates that this may be due to a distal LAD occlusion, which may be irrelevant to the LAD length. We investigated the relationship between inferior ST-T changes in anterior MI and the presence of a wrap-around LAD.

Short-term effects of sleeve gastrectomy on weight loss and diastolic function in obese patients.

Unlabelled: diac structure and function in obese patients. This study was an examination of the short-term effects of sleeve gastrectomy on body measurements and diastolic function.

Methods: A total of 41 consecutive obese patients who were scheduled to undergo a sleeve gastrectomy procedure were included in the study.

The established electrocardiographic classification of anterior wall myocardial infarction misguides clinicians in terms of infarct location, extent and prognosis.

Background: The currently used scheme for the classification of infarct location and extent in anterior myocardial infarction (MI) is intuitive rather than being evidence-based, and recent evidence suggests that it may be misleading both in anatomic and prognostic sense.

Material And Methods: Consecutive patients with the diagnosis of anterior MI were enrolled. All electrocardiograms (ECG) were first classified according to established scheme and then reassessed using newer criteria for angiographic site of occlusion.

An algorithm for the differentiation of the infarct territory in difficult to discern electrocardiograms.

Background: In a minority of the patients presenting with ST-segment elevation (STE) myocardial infarction (MI), electrocardiogram (ECG) may show a balanced STE in both anterior and inferior lead groups and may cause diagnostic confusion about involved myocardial territory. In this study, we sought ECG clues which may facilitate discriminating (1) MI location and then (2) culprit artery in patients with difficult-to-discern ECGs.

Material And Methods: Consecutive patients with the diagnosis of STEMI were scanned and patients with ECGs displaying both anterior and inferior STE were enrolled.

NT-proBNP levels and mortality in a general population-based cohort from Turkey: a long-term follow-up study.

Aim: We investigated the relationship between NT-ProBNP and mortality in a general population-based cohort.

Methods & Results: A total of 2021 out of 4650 participants from previously published HAPPY study were included. Mean follow-up was 84.

A Simplified Formula Discriminating Subtle Anterior Wall Myocardial Infarction from Normal Variant ST-Segment Elevation.

Benign variant (BV) ST-segment elevation (STE) is present in anterior chest leads in most individuals and may cause diagnostic confusion in patients presenting with chest pain. Recently, 2 regression formulas were proposed for differentiation of BV-STE from anterior ST-elevation myocardial infarction (MI) on the electrocardiogram, computation of which is heavily device-dependent. We hypothesized that a simpler visual-assessment-based formula, namely (R-wave amplitude in lead V4 + QRS amplitude in V2) - (QT interval in millimeters + STE60 in V3), will be noninferior to these formulas.

A tale of two formulas: Differentiation of subtle anterior MI from benign ST segment elevation.

Background: It may sometimes be difficult to differentiate subtle ST-segment elevation (STE) due to anterior myocardial infarction (MI) from benign variant (BV) STE. Recently, two related formulas were proposed for this purpose. However, they have never been tested in an external population.

[Prasugrel in clinical practice: Frequently asked questions].

This section includes evidence based short answers to frequently asked questions regarding the clinical use of prasugrel.

Patient characteristics and statin discontinuation-related factors during treatment of hypercholesterolemia: an observational non-interventional study in patients with statin discontinuation (STAY study).

Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify patient characteristics and statin discontinuation-related factors in patients with hypercholesterolemia.

Methods: A total of 532 patients (age mean±SD: 57.4±11.