Natriuretic Peptide Concentrations and Echocardiography Findings in Patients with Micro-atrial Fibrillation.

Aim: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a rhythm disorder characterized by very rapid and disorganized atrial-derived electrical activations with uncoordinated atrial contractions. Very short periods of AF-like activity (micro-AF) may be precursors of undetected, silent episodes of atrial fibrillation. Here, we examined the relationship between natriuretic peptide concentrations and echocardiography findings in patients with micro-AF.

Can the SYNTAX score predict mortality in patients with cardiac arrest?

Objective: Sudden cardiac death or arrest describes an unexpected cardiac cause-related death or arrest that occurs rapidly out of the hospital or in the emergency room. This study aimed to reveal the relationship between coronary angiographic findings and cardiac death secondary to acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction.

Materials And Methods: Patients presenting with acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction complicated with cardiac arrest were included in the study.

Can the efficacy of a medical treatment be predicted based on the type of idiopathic premature ventricular contraction?

Background: Premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) are common arrhythmias with diverse clinical implications. This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of medical treatments using various clinical, imaging, and electrocardiographic parameters in patients with idiopathic PVCs.

Methods: A total of 1051 patients with idiopathic PVCs were retrospectively analyzed.

Comparison of granisetron and palonosetron in triplet anti-emetic prophylaxis in non-small cell lung cancer patients receiving cisplatin-based highly emetogenic chemotherapy.

Introduction: We compared the efficacy of first-generation granisetron and second-generation palonosetron in triplet anti-emetic prophylaxis in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) receiving cisplatin-based high emetogenic chemotherapy (HEC).

Methods: This prospective, multicenter, non-randomized, observational study was conducted between June 2018 and December 2021. Patients diagnosed with NSCLC who received triplet anti-emetic prophylactic treatment with aprepitant and dexamethasone plus granisetron or palonosetron before the first cycle of chemotherapy were included in the study.

Cost-effectiveness and safety of continuous pulse oximetry for management of undiagnosed obstructive sleep apnea in bariatric surgery: a nationwide cohort study.

Background: Undetected obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is highly prevalent in patients undergoing bariatric surgery and increases perioperative risks. Screening for OSA using preoperative polygraphy (PG) with subsequent continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is costly and time-consuming. Postoperative continuous pulse oximetry (CPOX) is less invasive, and is hypothesized to be a safe and cost-effective alternative.

Sex-specific cardiac magnetic resonance pulmonary capillary wedge pressure.

Aims: Heart failure (HF) with preserved ejection fraction disproportionately affects women. There are no validated sex-specific tools for HF diagnosis despite widely reported differences in cardiac structure. This study investigates whether sex, as assigned at birth, influences cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) assessment of left ventricular filling pressure (LVFP), a hallmark of HF agnostic to ejection fraction.

Clinical implementation of a fully automated quantitative perfusion cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging workflow with a simplified dual-bolus contrast administration scheme.

This study clinically implemented a ready-to-use quantitative perfusion (QP) cardiovascular magnetic resonance (QP CMR) workflow, encompassing a simplified dual-bolus gadolinium-based contrast agent (GBCA) administration scheme and fully automated QP image post-processing. Twenty-five patients with suspected obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) underwent both adenosine stress perfusion CMR and an invasive coronary angiography or coronary computed tomography angiography. The dual-bolus protocol consisted of a pre-bolus (0.

Can the Glasgow prognostic score predict ischemic stroke in patients with infective endocarditis?

Objective: The Glasgow prognosis score is a simple parameter calculated using serum levels of albumin and C-reactive protein. The aim of this study was to examine whether this parameter may predict ischemic stroke in patients with infective endocarditis.

Methods: A total of 80 patients who were diagnosed with definitive infective endocarditis according to Duke criteria between 2016 and 2023 were included in the study.

Tissue-specific inflammation and insulin sensitivity in subjects with obesity.

Obesity is associated with low-grade inflammation and insulin resistance (IR). The contribution of adipose tissue (AT) and hepatic inflammation to IR remains unclear. We conducted a study across three cohorts to investigate this relationship.

European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging survey on cardiovascular multimodality imaging in acute myocarditis.

Aims: To assess the current role of cardiac imaging in the diagnosis, management, and follow-up of patients with acute myocarditis (AM) through a European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging survey.

Methods And Results: A total of 412 volunteers from 74 countries responded to the survey. Most participants worked in tertiary centres (56%).

The effect of concomitant beta-blocker use on survival in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma treated with a vascular endothelial growth factor receptor inhibitors in the first line.

Purpose: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibition is one of the cornerstones of treatment in the treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). Since RCC is a disease of advanced age and hypertension as a side effect of VEGF receptor inhibitors, beta-blocker use is common in these patients. We aimed to compare the treatment efficacy and survival results in case of concomitant use of these two drugs due to the inhibition of VEGF in beta-blockers.

European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging survey on the evaluation of mitral regurgitation.

Aims: To evaluate the diagnosis and imaging of patients with mitral regurgitation (MR) and the management in routine clinical practice across Europe, the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging Scientific Initiatives Committee performed a survey across European centres. In particular, the routine use of echocardiography, advanced imaging modalities, heart valve clinics, and heart valve teams was explored.

Methods And Results: A total of 61 responders, mainly from tertiary centres or university hospitals, from 26 different countries responded to the survey, which consisted of 22 questions.

Preoperative Weight Gain Is Not Related to Lower Postoperative Weight Loss, But to Lower Total Weight Loss up to 3 Years After Bariatric-Metabolic Surgery.

Introduction: Weight loss prior to bariatric-metabolic surgery (BMS) is recommended in most bariatric centers. However, there is limited high-quality evidence to support mandatory preoperative weight loss. In this study, we will evaluate whether weight gain prior to primary BMS is related to lower postoperative weight loss.

Role of simple inflammatory parameters in predicting the severity of coronary artery disease.

Objective: In our study, we aimed to find simple, useful biomarkers in patients with non-ST elevation myocardial infarction to predict coronary artery severity.

Methods: Between May 2022 and December 2022, patients diagnosed with non-ST elevation myocardial infarction according to the European cardiology guidelines were included in our study. The Synergy between PCI with Taxus and Cardiac Surgery score was calculated to determine the severity of coronary artery disease.

Efficiency based updating of evidence based surgical guidelines - Experiences from a multidisciplinary guideline upon Minimally Invasive Surgery.

Background: Updating evidence-based clinical practice guidelines is an onerous process and there is a call for more efficient determination of key questions that need updating. Especially for surgical techniques it is unclear if new evidence will result in substantial changes after wide implementation and if continuous updating is always necessary.

Objectives: This study analyses the impact of updating a surgical guideline and proposes suggestions for optimising this process.

Is the Prognostic Nutritional Index a Prognostic Marker for the Survival of Patients with Lymph-Node Positive Stage II-III Gastric Cancer Who Receive Adjuvant Chemotherapy?

Purpose: The prognostic nutritional index (PNI), like other systemic inflammatory markers, has been shown to be a prognostic factor in various cancer patients. In this study, we aimed to show whether PNI calculated before adjuvant chemotherapy is a prognostic factor for overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) in patients with lymph node-positive stage II-III gastric cancer.

Methods: The PNI was calculated using the albumin and lymphocyte count.

The usefulness of tumor necrosis factor-like weak inducer of apoptosis in patients with acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction.

Objective: We aimed to determine the utility of tumor necrosis factor-like weak inducer of apoptosis (TWEAK) for the early diagnosis and prognosis of acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).

Patients And Methods: Patients presented with STEMI arrived at the hospital within 45 minutes after the onset of chest pain were included in this study. Blood samples for TWEAK, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), creatine kinase MB isoenzyme (CK-MB), and high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-TnT) levels were obtained at the time of arrival at the hospital.

The diagnostic performance of quantitative flow ratio and perfusion imaging in patients with prior coronary artery disease.

Aims: In chronic coronary syndrome (CCS) patients with documented coronary artery disease (CAD), ischaemia detection by myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) and an invasive approach are viable diagnostic strategies. We compared the diagnostic performance of quantitative flow ratio (QFR) with single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), positron emission tomography (PET), and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) in patients with prior CAD [previous percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and/or myocardial infarction (MI)].

Methods And Results: This PACIFIC-2 sub-study evaluated 189 CCS patients with prior CAD for inclusion.

Left atrial sphericity in relation to atrial strain and strain rate in atrial fibrillation patients.

Purpose: Left atrial (LA) sphericity is a novel, geometry-based parameter that has been used to visualize and quantify LA geometrical remodeling in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). This study examined the association between LA sphericity, and LA longitudinal strain and strain rate measured by feature-tracking in AF patients.

Methods: 128 AF patients who underwent cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging in sinus rhythm prior to their pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) procedure were retrospectively analyzed.

Low-dose (7.5 mg/kg) bevacizumab may be a viable option in recurrent ovarian cancer: A retrospective study.

Objective: Bevacizumab (BEV) is a humanized monoclonal antibody of vascular endothelial growth factor receptors and, as a result of clinical trials, was approved for the treatment of recurrent ovarian cancer (ROC). The aim of this study was to assess the clinical utility of BEV in patients with ROC in real-world practice beyond clinical trials.

Materials And Methods: In this single-center retrospective cohort study, we evaluated the medical data of all patients with ROC who were treated with BEV between October 2013 and March 2020.