Relationship between parathyroid hormone and depression in heart failure.

Background: Depression has been found to be a predictor of rehospitalization and mortality in heart failure (HF). Parathyroid hormone (PTH) is a novel promising biomarker that can predict hospitalization, functional status and mortality in HF.

Objective: We aimed to investigate the association of depression with serum PTH levels in patients with systolic HF.

ST elevation in the lead aVR during exercise treadmill testing may indicate left main coronary artery disease.

Background: exercise treadmill testing (ETT) is the most widely used method for evaluating patients with coronary artery disease. Predicting the left main coronary artery (LMCA) disease before invasive procedures is very important in risk assessment because of its severe clinical outcome.

Aim: To examine whether ST elevation in lead aVR during ETT may suggest LMCA disease since the lead aVR is the reciprocal lead of LMCA.

Relationship between angiotensin-converting enzyme gene polymorphism and severity of aortic valve calcification.

Objective: To investigate the role of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene polymorphism in patients with degenerative aortic valve calcification (AVC).

Patients And Methods: Our study consisted of 305 Turkish patients of European descent (139 male, 166 female; mean plus or minus age, 68 plus or minus 9 years) referred to our echocardiography laboratory for aortic valve evaluation between June 2, 2003, and April 29, 2005. The severity of AVC was graded from 1 to 6 by echocardiography.