Impact of kidney transplantation vs. dialysis waiting for deceased donor on left ventricular diastolic dysfunction.

Background: Left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction is frequently observed in patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) and a significant risk factor for the development of cardiovascular events in those patients. We hypothesized that the ratio of early diastolic peak mitral flow velocity to early mitral annulus velocity (E/e' ratio), the widely used non-invasive LV diastolic dysfunction index, would show improvements following kidney transplantation (KT).

Materials And Methods: A total of 192 KT recipients who underwent echocardiography before KT and 2 years after KT were included this analysis.

Prognostic impact of beta-blocker use by N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide level in acute heart failure patients.

Aims: Both patients with heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and those with HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) present with elevated N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and have multiple comorbidities; consequently, the prognostic effect of NT-proBNP according to beta-blocker (BB) use is unknown.

Methods: This retrospective study evaluated patients admitted for acute HF between January 2012 and December 2017 at Ulsan University Hospital. Clinical, echocardiographic, laboratory and drug prescription data, including BB data, were collected from the hospital database.

Direct oral anticoagulants for oral anticoagulants-naïve Asian patients with atrial fibrillation and end-stage renal disease undergoing dialysis.

In Asian patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) undergoing dialysis, the use of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) remains debatable. From the national health insurance claims data in South Korea, we included 425 new users of OAC among patients with non-valvular AF and ESRD undergoing dialysis between 2013 and 2020. Patients were categorized into DOAC (n = 106) and warfarin group (n = 319).

Analysis of trend in the role of national and regional hubs in prostatectomy after prostate cancer diagnosis in the past 5 years: A nationwide population-based study.

Purpose: The regions where patients diagnosed with prostate cancer by biopsy receive prostatectomy are divided into national hub and regional hubs, and to confirm the change in the role of regional hubs compared to national hub.

Materials And Methods: Data from July 2013 to June 2017 encompassing 218,155 patients aged ≥18 years diagnosed with prostate cancer were analyzed using the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service database. The degree of patient outflow was assessed by dividing the regional diagnosis-to-surgery ratio with the national ratio for each year.

Depression and Subclinical Coronary Atherosclerosis in Adults Without Clinical Coronary Artery Disease.

Background: The relationship between depression and subclinical coronary atherosclerosis in asymptomatic individuals is not clear. We evaluated this relationship in a Korean population.

Methods And Results: We analyzed 3920 individuals (mean age 54.

Differential Impact of Degree of Hypertension on Subclinical Coronary Atherosclerosis in Asymptomatic Subjects With and Without Diabetes Mellitus.

This study sought to evaluate the association between the degree of hypertension and subclinical coronary atherosclerosis in asymptomatic subjects with and without diabetes mellitus (DM). We retrospectively analyzed 7,352 asymptomatic subjects (mean age 52.8 ± 7.

Impact of Trimetazidine on the Incident Heart Failure After Coronary Artery Revascularization.

Abnormal myocardial metabolism is a common pathophysiological process underlying ischemic heart disease and heart failure (HF). Trimetazidine is an antianginal agent with a unique mechanism of action that regulates myocardial energy metabolism and might have a beneficial effect in preventing HF in patients undergoing myocardial revascularization. We aimed to evaluate the potential benefit of trimetazidine in preventing incident hospitalization for HF after myocardial revascularization.

Comprehensive Prediction of Subclinical Coronary Atherosclerosis in Subjects Without Traditional Cardiovascular Risk Factors.

It is not uncommon for asymptomatic individuals without identified cardiovascular risk factors to present with atherosclerosis-related adverse events. We aimed to evaluate the predictors of subclinical coronary atherosclerosis in individuals without traditional cardiovascular risk factors. We analyzed 2,061 individuals without identified cardiovascular risk factors who voluntarily underwent coronary computed tomography angiography as part of a general health examination.

Prediction of the 10-year risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in the Korean population.

Objectives: Proper risk assessment is important for the primary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). However, no validated risk prediction tools are currently in use in Korea. This study sought to develop a 10-year risk prediction model for incident ASCVD.

Evidence-Based Optimal Medical Therapy and Mortality in Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

Background The secondary prevention with pharmacologic therapy is essential for preventing recurrent cardiovascular events in patients experiencing acute myocardial infarction. Guideline-based optimal medical therapy (OMT) for patients with acute myocardial infarction consists of antiplatelet therapy, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin II receptor blockers, β-blockers, and statins. We aimed to determine the prescription rate of OMT use at discharge and to evaluate the impact of OMT on long-term clinical outcomes in patients with acute myocardial infarction who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention in the drug-eluting stent era using nationwide cohort data.

Monitoring of plant-induced electrical signal of pepper plants (Capsicum annuum L.) according to urea fertilizer application.

Plant-induced electrical signals (PIES) can be non-destructively monitored by inserting electrodes into plant stems, which reflect plant nutrient and water uptake. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the growth of pepper plants with different urea applications (low fertilizer: N0, Control: N1, and high fertilizer: N2) in soil by monitoring PIES. The PIES value was found to be low in the low urea treatment group while the two times higher urea applied pepper had the highest PIES value.

Testosterone is associated with abdominal body composition derived from computed tomography: a large cross sectional study.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between serum testosterone and abdominal body composition based on abdominopelvic computed tomography (APCT) measurements after adjusting for individual metabolic syndrome components. We performed a cross-sectional study using male subjects (age range: 22-84 years) who underwent a general health examination with abdominopelvic computed tomography and testosterone measurements. Body composition was evaluated with APCT.

Monitoring of an electrically induced signal in melon in relation to different environmental conditions in a smart farm.

A smart farm that automatically regulates environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity and nutrient supply will maximize crop production per unit area by using ICT-based technology. To control the environment in a smart greenhouse, plant growth should be monitored in real time. The physiological activity of a plant was monitored by receiving an electrical signal from inside the plant stem which changed when the plant absorbed nutrients and water.

Relationship between sexual differences and cardiovascular risk factors in the prevalence of asymptomatic coronary disease.

Background: This study investigated the sexual differences of coronary artery disease (CAD) prevalence and its association with cardiovascular risk factors in the asymptomatic population.

Methods: In total 6434 asymptomatic participants without known CAD (1740 women and 4694 men) underwent coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA). The prevalence of significant CAD (diameter stenosis ≥50%) and other CCTA findings were compared by sex, and its influence on CAD was investigated in groups stratified by the number of cardiovascular risk factors, including age (>55 years), hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and current smoking.

Comparison of 6-Month and Prolonged Dual Antiplatelet Therapy after Percutaneous Coronary Intervention with Biodegradable Polymer Everolimus-Eluting Stent.

Background: The optimal duration of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) after biodegradable-polymer (BP) everolimus-eluting stent (EES) implantation remains uncertain.

Methods: This study analyzed 793 patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with BP-EES in 10 cardiovascular centers in Korea between July 2016 and January 2018. Using the prescription data at 6 months post-PCI, we divided these patients into two groups, namely, short-DAPT and prolonged-DAPT groups, which underwent DAPT for 6 and > 6 months of PCI, respectively.

Electronic Medical Record-Based Machine Learning Approach to Predict the Risk of 30-Day Adverse Cardiac Events After Invasive Coronary Treatment: Machine Learning Model Development and Validation.

Background: Although there is a growing interest in prediction models based on electronic medical records (EMRs) to identify patients at risk of adverse cardiac events following invasive coronary treatment, robust models fully utilizing EMR data are limited.

Objective: We aimed to develop and validate machine learning (ML) models by using diverse fields of EMR to predict the risk of 30-day adverse cardiac events after percutaneous intervention or bypass surgery.

Methods: EMR data of 5,184,565 records of 16,793 patients at a quaternary hospital between 2006 and 2016 were categorized into static basic (eg, demographics), dynamic time-series (eg, laboratory values), and cardiac-specific data (eg, coronary angiography).

Serum phosphorus and subclinical coronary atherosclerosis in asymptomatic subjects without kidney dysfunction.

Background And Aims: There is limited data on the association between serum phosphorus concentration (SPC) and subclinical coronary atherosclerosis in low-risk asymptomatic subjects without kidney dysfunction.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 1,636 Korean individuals (mean age 52.6 ± 7.

Edoxaban-based long-term antithrombotic therapy in patients with atrial fibrillation and stable coronary disease: Rationale and design of the randomized EPIC-CAD trial.

Background: Anticoagulants are the standard therapy for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and antiplatelet therapy for those with coronary artery disease (CAD). However, compelling clinical evidence is still lacking regarding the long-term maintenance strategy with the combination of anticoagulant and antiplatelet drugs in patients with AF and stable CAD.

Design: The EPIC-CAD trial is an investigator-initiated, multicenter, open-label randomized trial comparing the safety and efficacy of 2 antithrombotic strategies in patients with high-risk AF (CHADS-VASc score ≥ 2 points) and stable CAD (≥6 months after revascularization for stable angina or ≥12 months for acute coronary syndrome; or medical therapy alone).

Ticagrelor versus prasugrel in patients with acute myocardial infarction.

Background: Ticagrelor and prasugrel are the mainstay of antithrombotic therapy for patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI). However, direct comparative data on clinical outcomes of potent P2Y12 inhibitors are limited, especially in East Asian populations. We aimed to evaluate the effect of ticagrelor versus prasugrel on clinical outcomes in patients with acute MI.

Lipoprotein(a) and subclinical coronary atherosclerosis in asymptomatic individuals.

Background And Aims: There are limited data regarding the association between lipoprotein(a) (Lp[a]) and subclinical coronary atherosclerosis. This study investigated the association between Lp(a) and subclinical coronary atherosclerosis detected by coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) in an asymptomatic population.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 7201 asymptomatic individuals (mean age 54.

Abdominal Muscles and Metabolic Syndrome According to Patient Sex: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study.

Computed tomography (CT) is a reference method for measuring skeletal muscle mass, and the amount of fat in the skeletal muscle can be calculated based on CT attenuation. This study aimed to comprehensively investigate the effect of muscle quality and quantity on metabolic syndrome (MetS) according to sex. This retrospective cross-sectional study enrolled 8081 individuals aged ≥20 years who underwent self-referral abdominopelvic CT at our hospital.