Impact of stent implantation on endothelial shear stress.

Background: Endothelial shear stress (ESS) may play a key role in the pathobiology of stent restenosis (SR). Nevertheless, limited data are available about ESS and its relation to SR.

Patients And Methods: We enrolled 14 patients who underwent successful percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in this study.

Differences in Clinical Presentation and Findings between Idiopathic Dilated and Ischaemic Cardiomyopathy in an Unselected Population of Heart Failure Patients.

We explored the differences in epidemiologic, clinical, laboratory and echocardiographic characteristics between idiopathic dilated (IDCM) and ischaemic cardiomyopathy (ICM).Consecutive patients with stable chronic heart failure evaluated at a tertiary cardiac centre were enrolled. Clinical examination, blood tests and echocardiographic study were performed.

Serial measurements of acute phase proteins in patients with acute coronary syndrome.

Introduction: Levels of inflammatory markers increase in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) and the magnitude of the inflammatory response has been related to clinical outcomes. The release patterns and, thereby, the time point of maximal increase for multiple inflammatory markers following an ACS are not fully defined. Our purpose was to serially measure three acute phase proteins (APPs) in patients with ACS.

Digit ratios and relation to myocardial infarction in Greek men and women.

Background: Digit ratios, such as the second to fourth digit ratio (2D:4D), are biometric markers that are influenced by estrogen and testosterone concentrations in utero and are determined genetically by HOX genes (homeodomain-containing homeotic genes). Sex steroids also play a crucial role in the occurrence of myocardial infarction (MI), which is considered to be gender dependent and related to testosterone. Additionally, first-trimester exposure to excess levels of estrogens and progesterone has been linked to cardiovascular anomalies.

Kinetics and prognostic value of inflammatory-sensitive protein, IL-6, and white blood cell levels in patients undergoing coronary stent implantation.

Background: The levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), white blood cells (WBCs), and some inflammatory-sensitive proteins (ISPs), such as fibrinogen (FIB) and C-reactive protein (CRP), have been related to coronary stent restenosis. The aim was to investigate the time course of the levels of IL-6, WBC, and several ISPs, i.e.

Prevalence of systolic impairment in an unselected regional population with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HC) may transition to a phase characterized by systolic impairment resembling dilated cardiomyopathy. This study retrospectively assessed the incidence of left ventricular (LV) systolic impairment at initial clinical evaluation in 248 consecutive patients with HC (mean age 53 +/- 16 years). HC with systolic impairment was diagnosed if the LV ejection fraction was <50%, calculated by echocardiography.

In-hospital and long-term prognostic value of fibrinogen, CRP, and IL-6 levels in patients with acute myocardial infarction treated with thrombolysis.

Plasma fibrinogen, C-reactive protein (CRP), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) receiving thrombolysis have been related to prognosis. The aim of this study was to investigate the time course of plasma fibrinogen, CRP, and IL-6 levels during the in-hospital phase in patients with AMI receiving thrombolysis, and their relationship to in-hospital and prognosis after 12-months follow-up. In 40 patients presenting with AMI within 6 hours of symptom onset and treated with thrombolysis, plasma fibrinogen, CRP, and IL-6 levels were measured on admission and after 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 hours; 7 days; and 6 months.

Left ventricular Doppler characteristics in first-degree relatives of patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Left ventricular (LV) diastolic function may be affected early in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), regardless of the phenotypic expression of the disease. The aim of the present study was to detect whether LV diastolic performance, evaluated by conventional Doppler echocardiography, is impaired in first-degree relatives of patients with phenotypically expressed HCM, who had no clinical, electrocardiographic, or echocardiographic signs of the disease. Twenty-two young adults having the previously described characteristics comprised the study population and 22 sex- and age-matched healthy individuals served as controls.

Evidence of left ventricular dysfunction in asymptomatic elderly patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

Diabetic cardiomyopathy is a distinct entity in diabetic patients with congestive heart failure, who have no angiographic evidence of significant coronary artery stenosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate left ventricular (LV) function in 24 elderly patients (mean age 67 +/- 2 years) with type 2 diabetes, who were asymptomatic and had no history of hypertension, or coronary or valvular heart disease. LV systolic indices (ejection fraction [EF] and fractional shortening [FS]), diastolic indices (E wave, A wave, E/A ratio, isovolumic relaxation time [IVRT] and deceleration time [DT]) and the myocardial performance index (MPI) were evaluated with echocardiography.

Doppler echocardiographic evaluation of right ventricular diastolic function in patients with mitral regurgitation.

Background And Aim Of The Study: The effect of left ventricular (LV) pressure overload on right ventricular (RV) diastolic function has been extensively studied. In contrast, no data are available concerning the influence of LV volume overload on RV diastolic function. Accordingly, RV diastolic function was studied in patients with mitral regurgitation (MR) using Doppler echocardiography.

Right ventricular diastolic function in patients with chronic aortic regurgitation.

Right ventricular diastolic function was evaluated using Doppler echocardiography in 40 patients with aortic regurgitation. Abnormal right ventricular relaxation and filling were the main findings of our study.

Doppler echocardiographic evaluation of right ventricular diastolic function in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Aims: Left ventricular diastolic function in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy has been adequately studied. In contrast there are few studies concerning right ventricular diastolic function in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. We studied right ventricular diastolic function in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy using Doppler echocardiography.

An angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor improves left ventricular systolic and diastolic function in transfusion-dependent patients with beta-thalassemia major.

Background: Cardiac complications are the major cause of death in patients with beta-thalassemia major. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of long-term treatment with the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor enalapril on left ventricular (LV) performance, with an emphasis on diastolic LV function because diastolic dysfunction has been found to be an early event in an asymptomatic thalassemic population with only mild impairment of LV systolic function.

Methods: We used echocardiography to study the impact of treatment with oral enalapril on the evolution of standard M-mode and Doppler indices, along with a recently introduced Doppler index of combined systolic and diastolic LV performance.

Doppler echocardiographic evaluation of right ventricular diastolic function in isolated valvular aortic stenosis.

Background And Aim Of The Study: Left ventricular diastolic function (LVDF) in patients with aortic stenosis (AS) has been adequately studied, in contrast to right ventricular diastolic function (RVDF). In this study, RVDF in patients with AS was evaluated using pulsed-wave Doppler echocardiography.

Methods: The study population comprised 20 patients with isolated AS (mean age 53.

Complete left bundle branch block with left QRS axis deviation: defining its clinical importance.

Aim of this study was to elucidate the diagnostic significance of left axis deviation (LAD) in patients (pts) with chronic (> 6 months) left bundle branch block (LBBB). We retrospectively studied 2094 consecutive pts who underwent cardiac catheterization. All pts had left heart catheterization and coronary angiography, whereas right heart catheterization or endomyocardial biopsy were performed on indication.

Correlation study of arterial blood pressure level to the amplitude of the pressure pulse waveform.

Automated blood pressure measurements are usually characterized by poor operational reliability and a considerable degree of complexity in performing the measurement. This paper introduces a new technique for the indirect measurement of the systolic and diastolic blood pressure of an individual. The technique is based upon a statistically consistent relationship between the amplitude of the pulsative pressure waveform at the systolic and diastolic points, and the amplitude of pulse signals detected when the artery is fully occluded.