Exercise intolerance in patients with chronic coronary syndrome: insights from exercise stress echocardiography.

Aims: This study applied exercise stress echocardiography (ESE) to identify risk factors associated with exercise intolerance in patients with chronic coronary syndrome (CCS).

Methods And Results: 90 CCS patients underwent a cardiopulmonary exercise test and ESE, assessing exercise capacity, left ventricular systolic and diastolic function, and systolic reserve. The patients were divided into two groups according to the percentage of predicted oxygen consumption (VO) at peak (≥85%, normal exercise tolerance group; <85%, exercise intolerant group).

Effects of right ventricular remodeling in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension on the outcomes of balloon pulmonary angioplasty: a 2D-speckle tracking echocardiography study.

Background: Balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) improves the prognosis of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). Right ventricle (RV) is an important predictor of prognosis in CTEPH patients. 2D-speckle tracking echocardiography (2D-STE) can evaluate RV function.

Efficacy of balloon pulmonary angioplasty in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension patients with pulmonary comorbidity.

Background: Balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) is an established treatment for inoperable chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH), but its efficacy in CTEPH patients with a pulmonary comorbidity has not been well-studied. Here, we compared post-BPA outcomes between CTEPH patients with and without chronic pulmonary disease at baseline and analyzed predictors of BPA success.

Methods: From August 2017 to October 2022, 62 patients with inoperable CTEPH who underwent BPA were consecutively enrolled and grouped based on the presence of a pulmonary comorbidity at baseline.

Association between Impaired Renal Function and Subclinical Myocardial Dysfunction in Patients with Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction: Assessment Using Noninvasive Pressure-Strain Loop.

Introduction: The objective of this study was to evaluate the abnormal myocardial function in HFpEF patients with renal dysfunction (RD) and investigate the relationship between renal function and myocardial mechanical characteristics in patients with HFpEF.

Methods: 134 patients with HFpEF and 32 control subjects were enrolled in our study. Clinical and echocardiography data were collected for offline analysis.

Application of laparoscopic ultrasound in retroperitoneal radical nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma with Type II inferior vena cava tumor thrombectomy.

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the application value of laparoscopic ultrasound (LU) in retroperitoneal radical nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma with Type II inferior vena cava tumor thrombectomy (RRN-RCC-TII-IVCTT).

Methods: The clinical data (operative time, length of tumor thrombus, tumor length, intraoperative bleeding, clinical stage, histological type, residual tumor tissue, and postoperative follow-up) of 6 patients who underwent LU-guided RRN-RCC-TII-IVCTT were retrospectively analyzed, and the intraoperative experience of LU was also summarized.

Results: All 6 patients recovered well with liver and kidney functions returning to normal, and no tumor recurrence, metastasis, or vena cava tumor thrombus.

Subclinical left ventricular myocardial dysfunction in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome: insights from noninvasive left ventricular myocardial work analysis.

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is associated with various cardiovascular diseases and has aroused public concern. Early detection for declining myocardial function is of great significance. This study was aimed at noninvasively evaluating the subclinical left ventricular (LV) myocardial dysfunction with LV pressure-strain loop (PSL) in patients with OSAS having normal LV ejection fraction.

Assessment of right ventricular remodeling in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension by 2D-speckle tracking echocardiography: A comparison with cardiac magnetic resonance.

Background: Right heart remodeling occurs in a substantial proportion of patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) and significantly affects their prognosis. Two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography (2D-STE) can be used to evaluate myocardial deformation under physiological and pathological conditions. This study aimed to assess the feasibility of 2D-STE for evaluating right ventricular (RV) remodeling in CTEPH patients.

Left atrial strain for predicting recurrence in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation after catheter ablation: a single-center two-dimensional speckle tracking retrospective study.

Background: Although catheter ablation (CA) is an effective treatment for non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF), a good many of patients still have a recurrence following post-operation. Prediction of AF recurrence by evaluating left atrial (LA) phase function with speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) may be helpful for risk stratification and clinical management for AF patients. Therefore, the current study aimed to assess the prognostic value of LA strains in non-valvular AF patients after CA.

Diagnostic value of miRNA expression and right ventricular echocardiographic functional parameters for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension with right ventricular dysfunction and injury.

Background: We aimed to establish the relationships between the expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) and echocardiographic right ventricular (RV) function parameters, and to explore the effectiveness and clinical value of miRNA expression in predicting RV injury and dysfunction in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH).

Methods: In this retrospective study, clinical data were collected from eight CTEPH patients and eight healthy individuals. RV parameters on echocardiography were analyzed, and the expression levels of specific miRNAs were measured by quantitative real-time PCR.

Comparison of fibrosing mediastinitis patients with vs. without markedly increased systolic pulmonary arterial pressure: a single-center retrospective study.

Introduction: Fibrosing mediastinitis (FM) complicated with pulmonary hypertension (PH) has been considered as an important cause of morbidity and mortality. This study was designed to observe the possible effects of abnormal hemodynamics on patients by conducting a between-group comparison according to the presence of markedly increased systolic pulmonary arterial pressure (SPAP), so as to provide more information for clinical management.

Materials And Methods: Fifty-one patients with clinically diagnosed FM were divided in two groups (SPAP < 50 mmHg group; SPAP ≥ 50 mmHg group) and retrospectively included in the study.

Right Ventricular Function Predicts Adverse Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension: A Three-Dimensional Echocardiographic Study.

Right ventricular (RV) function plays a vital role in the prognosis of patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). We used new machine learning (ML)-based fully automated software to quantify RV function using three-dimensional echocardiography (3DE) to predict adverse clinical outcomes in CTEPH patients. A total of 151 consecutive CTEPH patients were registered in this prospective study between April 2015 and July 2019.

Reduced mechanical function of the left atrial predicts adverse outcome in pregnant women with clustering of metabolic risk factors.

Introduction: The left atrial (LA) strain and strain rate are sensitive indicators of LA function. However, they are not widely used for the evaluation of pregnant women with metabolic diseases. The aim of this study was to assess the LA strain and strain rate of pregnant women with clustering of metabolic risk factors and to explore its prognostic effect on adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Value of territorial work efficiency estimation in non-ST-segment-elevation acute coronary syndrome: a study with non-invasive left ventricular pressure-strain loops.

Non-ST-segment-elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) patients with normal left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (LVEF) and wall motion require a non-invasive tool to detect LV risk areas. This study utilized non-invasive LV pressure-strain loops to evaluate territorial myocardial work efficiency (WE) for identifying obstructive coronary artery stenosis, in patients with non-obstructive or obstructive coronary artery stenosis NSTE-ACS, the latter with or without occlusion. Global and territorial longitudinal strain (LS) analyses were performed via speckle-tracking imaging before coronary angiography.

Speckle tracking for predicting outcomes of balloon pulmonary angioplasty in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.

Background: Right ventricular (RV) function is a prognostic marker of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). We used two-dimensional (2D) speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE) to evaluate the therapeutic effects of balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) in CTEPH patients.

Methods: A total of 46 CTEPH patients who underwent 2D STE before and after BPA were enrolled in this retrospective study.

Incidental finding of an asymptomatic pulmonary valve papillary fibroelastoma: A case report.

Primary cardiac tumors are rare, but papillary fibroelastoma (PFE) is reportedly the most common form, which usually occurs on the left-side valves of the heart. However, PFE involving the tricuspid and pulmonary valves has also been documented. Although PFE is benign and seldom associated with valvular dysfunction, the associated embolic complications may lead to serious consequences.

Decreased biventricular mechanics and functional reserve in nonobstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy patients: implications for exercise capacity.

The present study investigated the changes of biventricular mechanics at rest and during exercise and examined the association between exercise capacity and biventricular mechanics and functional reserve in nonobstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (NHCM) patients. A total of 50 NHCM patients and 25 controls were consecutively recruited for this study. Using echocardiography and two-dimensional speckle-tracking imaging, an experienced echocardiographer determined the following indices: RV free wall longitudinal strain (RVFWLS), LV global longitudinal strain (LVGLS), strain rate (SR), and functional reserve of strain values.

17β-estradiol preserves right ventricular function in rats with pulmonary arterial hypertension: an echocardiographic and histochemical study.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is more prevalent in females. Paradoxically, female patients have better right ventricular (RV) function and higher survival rates than males. However, the effects of 17β-estradiol (E2) on RV function in PAH has not been studied.