N-Terminal proBNP Levels and Tissue Doppler Echocardiography in Acute Rheumatic Carditis.

Background. Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is a leading cause of heart failure in children and young adults worldwide. B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a useful marker of critical pediatric heart disease, and its N-terminal peptide, NT-proBNP, is elevated in congenital and acquired heart disease in children.

Early hemodynamic and neurohormonal response after transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

Background: The conventional surgical aortic bioprostheses used for treatment of aortic stenosis (AS) are inherently stenotic in nature. The more favorable mechanical profile of the Medtronic CoreValve bioprosthesis may translate into a better hemodynamic and neurohormonal response.

Patients And Methods: The early hemodynamic and neurohormonal responses of 56 patients who underwent successful transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) using the Medtronic CoreValve bioprosthesis for severe symptomatic AS were compared with those of 36 patients who underwent surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) using tissue valves in the same period.

Cardiovascular autonomic function assessed by autonomic function tests and serum autonomic neuropeptides in Egyptian children and adolescents with rheumatic diseases.

Objective: Cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy (CAN) in patients with rheumatic diseases may result in sudden death, possibly from arrhythmia and myocardial infarction due to its frequent association with microvascular disease. Autonomic dysfunction may contribute to initiation and perpetuation of rheumatic diseases. Thus, we aimed to assess cardiovascular autonomic function in lupus and juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) patients.

Relationship between systolic pulsed wave tissue Doppler parameters and both invasive and noninvasive reperfusion criteria in patients with acute anterior myocardial infarction undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

Background: Despite normal flow in the infarct-related artery after primary percutaneous coronary intervention, patients may not achieve adequate perfusion at the tissue level. We examined the applicability of pulsed wave tissue Doppler (PTD) in detection of successful myocardial reperfusion.

Methods: In all, 24 patients with anterior infarction were enrolled.