PRE-OPerative ECHOcardiograhy for prevention of cardiovascular events after non-cardiac surgery in intermediate- and high-risk patients: protocol for a low-interventional, mixed-cohort prospective study design (PREOP-ECHO).

Background: Cardiac evaluation using transthoracic echocardiography before noncardiac surgery is common in real-world practice. However, evidence supporting preoperative echocardiography is lacking. This study aims to evaluate the additional benefit of preoperative echocardiography in predicting postoperative cardiovascular events (CVE) in noncardiac surgery.

Predictors of paravalvular aortic regurgitation after surgery for Behcet's disease-related severe aortic regurgitation.

Background: Behcet's disease (BD)-related aortic regurgitation (AR) is known to be associated with paravalvular leakage (PVL) after successful aortic valve (AV) surgery. This study aimed to determine predictors of PVL after successful AV surgery in BD patients. We retrospectively collected data of 35 patients (42.

Additive Role of Coronary Magnetic Resonance Angiography for the Evaluation of Coronary Artery Disease.

Coronary magnetic resonance angiography (CMRA) allows a noninvasive assessment of the coronary anatomy without exposing the patients to radiation. It is also superior to coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) for the evaluation of luminal narrowing in heavily calcified coronary segments. We report a case with triple-vessel disease, but it could not be accurately assessed by CCTA because of calcification and lack of a significant perfusion defect or myocardial scarring on cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Echocardiographic diagnosis of total or left congenital pericardial absence with positional change.

Objectives: Congenital absence of the pericardium (CAP) is often confused with other conditions presenting with right ventricular dilatation and usually warrants CT or cardiac MR (CMR) to confirm. It would be desirable to have more specific echocardiographic criteria to provide a conclusive diagnosis.

Methods: 11 patients who were diagnosed with CAP (four patients with total CAP) based on CT/CMR were consecutively enrolled.

Long-Term Prognostic Value of Late Gadolinium-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Patients With and Without Left Ventricular Dysfunction Undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting.

The value of late gadolinium-enhanced (LGE) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the prediction of functional recovery after surgical revascularization has been previously established. However, the impact of LGE-MRI on the long-term prognosis after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) remains incompletely understood. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the long-term prognostic value of LGE-MRI, based on the presence or absence of left ventricular (LV) dysfunction, in patients with coronary artery disease undergoing CABG.

Effects of the novel angiotensin II receptor type I antagonist, fimasartan on myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury.

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the cardioprotective effect of fimasartan, a newly developed angiotensin II receptor type I blocker (ARB), against myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury and to identify the mechanism by which it reduces mitochondrial damage.

Methods: Fimasartan was administered intravenously to Sprague-Dawley rats (3mg/kg), cardiomyocytes (50 μM), and H9c2 cells (50 μM) before ischemia or hypoxia. Myocardial infarction (MI), echocardiograms, DNA fragmentation, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP in situ nick-end labeling, immunoblotting, oxygen consumption, confocal microscopic appearance, and L-type Ca(2+) current (ICa,L) were then assessed.

Low serum total cholesterol level is a surrogate marker, but not a risk factor, for poor outcome in patients hospitalized with acute heart failure: a report from the Korean Heart Failure Registry.

Background: Hypercholesterolemia is a major risk factor for incident coronary artery disease and the prevalence of heart failure (HF). The causal relationship between low total cholesterol (TC) levels and poor clinical outcome in patients with acute HF has not been investigated. This study evaluated the effect of cholesterol levels on the long-term outcome in patients hospitalized due to acute HF.