The value of myocardial strain imaging in the evaluation of patients with repaired Tetralogy of Fallot: a review of the literature.

Tetralogy of Fallot (ToF) is considered to be the most common, complex, cyanotic congenital heart disease (CHD) representing 7-10% of all congenital heart defects, whereas the patients with ToF are the most frequently operated in their early infancy or childhood. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) consists a valuable imaging technique for the diagnosis and serial follow-up of CHD patients. Furthermore, in recent years, advanced echocardiography imaging techniques have come to the fore, aiming to achieve a complete and more accurate evaluation of cardiac function using speckle tracking imaging modalities.

Blood pressure variability assessed by office, home, and ambulatory measurements: comparison, agreement, and determinants.

The present study compared the blood pressure variability (BPV) among office (OBP), home (HBP), and ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) measurements and assessed their determinants, as well as their agreement in identifying individuals with high BPV. Individuals attending a hypertension clinic had OBP measurements (2-3 visits) and underwent HBP monitoring (3-7 days, duplicate morning and evening measurements) and ABP monitoring (24 h, 20-min intervals). BPV was quantified using the standard deviation (SD), coefficient of variation (CV), and variability independent of the mean (VIM) using all BP readings obtained by each method.

Automated blood pressure measurement in atrial fibrillation: validation process modification and evaluation of a novel professional device which detects atrial fibrillation and adapts its blood pressure measurement algorithm.

Objectives: Blood pressure (BP) measurement in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients is problematic and automated monitors are regarded as inaccurate. The optimal procedure for validating BP monitors in AF is questionable. This study evaluated the accuracy of a novel professional oscillometric upper-arm cuff device (Microlife WatchBP Office), which has an algorithm for detecting AF and then applies an AF-specific BP measurement algorithm.

Twenty-four-hour ambulatory central blood pressure in adolescents and young adults: association with peripheral blood pressure and preclinical organ damage.

Objectives: To investigate the relationship of 24-h ambulatory central blood pressure (ABP) with preclinical organ damage in youth.

Methods: Individuals aged 10-25 years referred for suspected hypertension and healthy volunteers had simultaneous 24-h peripheral and central ABP monitoring (Mobil-O-Graph 24 h PWA). Central BP was calculated using two different calibration methods (c1 using oscillometric systolic/diastolic ABP; c2 using mean arterial/diastolic ABP).

Home and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in children, adolescents and young adults: comparison, diagnostic agreement and association with preclinical organ damage.

Objectives: To compare the association of home (HBP), ambulatory (ABP) and office blood pressure (OBP) measurements with preclinical organ damage in young individuals.

Methods: Individuals referred for elevated blood pressure and healthy volunteers aged 6-25 years were evaluated with OBP (2-3 visits), 7-day HBP and 24-h ABP monitoring. Organ damage was assessed by echocardiographic left ventricular mass index (LVMI), carotid ultrasonography [intima--media thickness (IMT)] and pulse wave velocity (PWV) using piezo-electronic or oscillometric technique.

Diagnostic accuracy of a novel cuffless self-blood pressure monitor for atrial fibrillation screening in the elderly.

Blood pressure (BP) monitors equipped with atrial fibrillation (AF) detection algorithm are attractive screening tools for AF in elderly hypertensives. This study assessed the diagnostic accuracy of a novel cuffless pocket-size self-BP monitor (Freescan, Maisense) equipped with an AF detection algorithm, which displays results for the detection of "AF" or "Arrhythmia" during routine BP measurement. Subjects aged >65 years or 60-65 years with hypertension, diabetes, or cardiovascular disease were subjected to BP measurements using the Freescan device with simultaneous continuous Holter electrocardiography (ECG) monitoring.

Blood pressure measurement in atrial fibrillation: review and meta-analysis of evidence on accuracy and clinical relevance.

: Atrial fibrillation (AF) often coexists with hypertension in the elderly and multiplies the risk of stroke and death. Blood pressure (BP) measurement in patients with AF is difficult and uncertain and has been a classic exclusion criterion in hypertension clinical trials leading to limited research data. This article reviews the evidence on the accuracy of BP measurement in AF performed using different methods (office, ambulatory, home) and devices (auscultatory, oscillometric) and its clinical relevance in predicting cardiovascular damage.

Reversible stress cardiomyopathy in Guillain-Barré syndrome: a case report.

Background: Guillain-Barré syndrome is an autoimmune disorder in which autoantibodies mainly affect the peripheral nervous system. Autonomic dysfunction is a common and severe complication of Guillain-Barré syndrome. Cardiomyopathy, though, is a rare complication in Guillain-Barré syndrome, with only a few cases reported in the literature.

Atrial Fibrillation Detection During 24-Hour Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring: Comparison With 24-Hour Electrocardiography.

This study assessed the diagnostic accuracy of a novel 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) monitor (Microlife WatchBP O3 Afib) with implemented algorithm for automated atrial fibrillation (AF) detection during each ABP measurement. One hundred subjects (mean age 70.6±8.

Seasonal variation in meteorological parameters and office, ambulatory and home blood pressure: predicting factors and clinical implications.

This study investigated the relationship between seasonal variations in blood pressure (BP) and the corresponding changes in meteorological parameters and weather-induced patients' discomfort. Hypertensives on stable treatment were assessed in winter-1, summer and winter-2 with clinic (CBP), home (HBP) and 24-hour ambulatory BP (ABP). Discomfort indices derived from temperature, humidity and atmospheric pressure that reflected subjects' discomfort were evaluated.

Changing relationship among clinic, home, and ambulatory blood pressure with increasing age.

Studies in adults have shown similar levels of home (HBP) and daytime ambulatory blood pressure (dABP), which are lower than clinic blood pressure (CBP) measurements. This study investigated the impact of age on these differences. A total of 642 untreated children, adolescents, and adults referred to a hypertension clinic were evaluated with CBP, HBP, and dABP measurements within 4 weeks (mean age 38.

Prediction of treatment-induced changes in target-organ damage using changes in clinic, home and ambulatory blood pressure.

Cross-sectional studies have shown that ambulatory and home blood pressure (ABP and HBP, respectively) measurements are more closely associated with preclinical organ damage than are office measurements. This study investigated the association between treatment-induced changes in BP assessed by the three methods and the corresponding changes in organ damage. Untreated hypertensives were evaluated with office, ABP and HBP measurements and indices of organ damage (echocardiographic left-ventricular mass index (LVMI), pulse wave velocity (PWV), albuminuria) before and after 12 months of treatment.

Home blood pressure monitoring alone vs. combined clinic and ambulatory measurements in following treatment-induced changes in blood pressure and organ damage.

Background: Out-of-office blood pressure (BP) measurement using home BP (HBP) or ambulatory BP (ABP) monitoring is often necessary for the accurate evaluation of hypertension. These methods have several similarities but also have major differences. Therefore, they are regarded as complementary, and there is uncertainty on how they should be applied in clinical practice.

Asleep home blood pressure monitoring in obstructive sleep apnea: a pilot study.

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is known to be related to nocturnal blood pressure (BP) and nondipping hypertension. This pilot study evaluated night-time BP assessed using a home monitor in patients with OSA.

Participants And Methods: Patients referred to a sleep clinic were subjected to polysomnography, clinic BP measurements, and home BP monitoring using a device that allows daytime (3 days, two duplicate readings per day) and automated night-time BP measurement (3 nights, three readings per night).

Arterial stiffness predicts risk for long-term recurrence in patients with type 2 diabetes admitted for acute coronary event.

Objectives: to investigate the predictive value of arterial stiffness (AS) estimation for long-term recurrences in patients with type 2 diabetes (DM2) following acute coronary event.

Patients And Methods: prospective observational study involving 119 DM2 patients without history of coronary heart disease admitted with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Medical history, anthropometrics, smoking, HbA1c, lipid profile, troponine-I levels, and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) were recorded.

Automated blood pressure measurement in atrial fibrillation: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: The measurement of blood pressure in atrial fibrillation is considered as difficult and uncertain, and current guidelines recommend the use of the auscultatory method. The accuracy of automated blood pressure monitors in atrial fibrillation remains controversial.

Method: A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed of studies comparing automated (oscillometric or automated Korotkov) versus manual auscultatory blood pressure measurements (mercury or aneroid sphygmomanometer) in patients with sustained atrial fibrillation.