Long-Term Change in Flow Rates in Patients with Coronary Slow Flow.

Introduction: Coronary slow flow (CSF) is a condition characterized by impaired blood flow rates in the coronary arteries. It can result in severe cardiovascular outcomes. There is no sufficient evidence regarding the certain etiology and reversibility of slow flow patterns and changes in frame counts with long-term management.

Outcomes of Coronary Artery By-Pass Grafting Under Dual Antiplatelet Therapy in ST Elevated Myocardial Infarction.

Patients with recent myocardial infarction (MI) or percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) have a higher ischemic risk in addition to perioperative bleeding risk when undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Data regarding preoperative dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) failed to create a clear recommendation. In the present study, we assessed the relationship between preoperative DAPT use and adverse outcomes, particularly in ST-elevation MI (STEMI) patients.

Balloon Angioplasty Versus Stenting in Patients With ST-Elevated Myocardial Infarction Before Subsequent Coronary Artery By-Pass Grafting.

Decision of revascularization strategy in patients who require coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) following primary percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) is challenging due to the pros and cons of only-ballooning and stenting. In this study, we aimed to compare the outcomes of only-balloon-angioplasty to stenting in primary PCI in patients with ST elevated myocardial infarction (STEMI) who required a subsequent CABG. We retrospectively analyzed 350 consecutive STEMI patients who needed CABG in addition to primary balloon angioplasty (n = 160) and stenting strategy (n = 190).

MicroRNA Expression Levels in Patients with Hashimoto Thyroiditis: A Single Centre Study.

Objective: To determine the circulatory miRNA expression levels in patients with Hashimoto thyroiditis (HT) at the time of diagnosis and follow-up period compared with healthy controls.

Methods: We collected blood samples from 34 patients with HT (4 males and 30 females) at the time of first diagnosis (Group P) and euthyroid period (Group E). Thirty-three healthy controls (Group H) blood samples were also included in the study.

Association of Serum Cholesterol Levels with Short-term Mortality in Patients with Acute Pulmonary Embolism.

Background: Serum cholesterols play an important role in pathophysiology and prognosis of acute thrombotic diseases. The aim of the present study was to investigate the prognostic value of serum lipid parameters in acute pulmonary embolism (APE).

Methods: From January 2008 to January 2014 a total of 275 patients who were hospitalised with a diagnosis of APE were retrospectively screened.

The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio is associated with bare-metal stent restenosis in STEMI patients treated with primary PCI.

Background: The clinical importance of complete blood count (CBC) parameters such as the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been shown in cardiovascular diseases. Stent restenosis (SR) is a major adverse event after stent implantation. In this study, we aimed to investigate the correlation of CBC parameters with SR rates after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Metabolic syndrome is associated with atrial electrical and mechanical dysfunction.

Objective: In this study, we aimed to investigate the left atrial (LA) electrical and mechanical functions in patients with metabolic syndrome (MetS).

Subjects And Methods: The study population consisted of 87 patients with MetS and 67 controls. Intra-atrial and interatrial electromechanical delays (EDs) were measured with tissue Doppler imaging.

A Case of Anomalous Origin of Circumflex Artery from Right Sinus of Valsalva Recognized by Three-dimensional Transesophageal Echocardiography and Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography.

Anomalous origin of the circumflex coronary artery from the right sinus of Valsalva is the most common coronary anomaly. It is thought to be of no clinical relevance unless cardiac surgery is performed. We report a 53-year-old patient with aberrant circumflex coronary artery origin from the right aortic sinus of Valsalva which was first suspected from transthoracic 2D and transesophageal 3D echocardiographic views and confirmed by coronary CT angiography.

Severity of periodontitis in patients with isolated coronary artery ectasia.

The concept that coronary artery ectasia (CAE) is an inflammatory-related disease has been increasingly recognized. Periodontitis induced low-grade chronic systemic inflammation has been shown to be associated with cardiovascular diseases. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the association between periodontitis and CAE.

The presence of fragmented QRS on 12-lead ECG in patients with coronary slow flow.

Background: Coronary slow flow (CSF) is characterised by delayed opacification of coronary arteries in the absence of epicardial occlusive disease. It has been reported that CSF may cause angina, myocardial ischaemia, and infarction. Fragmentation of QRS complex (fQRS) is an easily evaluated non-invasive electrocardiographic parameter.

Aortic stiffness is increased in patients with premature coronary artery disease: a tissue Doppler imaging study.

Background: Atherosclerosis and arterial stiffening may coexist and the correlation of these parameters in patients with premature coronary artery disease (CAD) has not been well elucidated. Tissue Doppler imaging of the ascending aorta may be used in the assessment of elastic properties of the great arteries.

Objective: To investigate the correlation between aortic stiffness and premature CAD using parameters derived from two-dimensional and tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) echocardiography of the ascending aorta.

Electromechanical delay detected by tissue Doppler echocardiography is associated with the frequency of attacks in patients with lone atrial fibrillation.

Background: Our main purpose in this study is to compare atrial (inter-atrial, intra-left atrial, intra-right atrial) electromechanical delays of patients with lone atrial fibrillation (LAF) with healthy individuals and examine the relationship of annual LAF attack frequency.

Methods: 32 entirely healthy individuals and 32 patients who have presented with tachycardia and complying with LAF criteria have been included in the study. The time passing from the beginning of the P wave on electrocardiography to the A' wave on tissue Doppler trace was accepted as the atrial conduction time (PA').

Assessment of tenascin-C levels in ventricular noncompaction/hypertrabeculation patients: a cross-sectional study.

Purpose: Ventricular noncompaction/hypertrabeculation (NC/HT) is a rare form of congenital cardiomyopathy. We aimed to investigate the presence of serum tenascin-C (TN-C) in adult patients with NC/HT and evaluate its value.

Methods And Results: Serum TN-C levels were measured by ELISA in 50 NC/HT patients both with/without systolic dysfunction and in 23 normal controls.

Elevated levels of RDW is associated with non-valvular atrial fibrillation.

Red cell distribution width (RDW) and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) have been found to be associated with cardiovascular diseases. Only a few trials have investigated the correlation of these parameters with postoperative atrial fibrillation (AF). However, the correlation of these parameters in non-valvular AF is still unclear.

A case of primary cardiac rhabdomyosarcoma with surgical removal and mitral valve repair.

Primary cardiac tumors are rare. Nearly 25% of primary cardiac tumors are malignant, with rhabdomyosarcoma being the second most common primary sarcoma. Symptoms are variable, and the clinical presentation depends on the location and propagation of the tumor.

Assessment of interleukin-1 gene cluster polymorphisms in lone atrial fibrillation: new insight into the role of inflammation in atrial fibrillation.

Background: Systemic inflammation is accepted as one of the pathophysiological mechanisms of atrial fibrillation (AF). The role of inflammation has been shown previously. Interleukin (IL) system is the main modulator of the inflammatory responses and genetic polymorphisms of IL-1 cluster genes are associated with increased risk for inflammatory diseases.

Prognostic value of serum resistin levels in patients with acute myocardial infarction.

Background: Resistin is a novel adipokine that is suggested to be involved in inflammatory conditions and atherosclerosis.

Aim: To investigate the prognostic importance of resistin in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients.

Methods: Resistin levels were measured in a population of 132 patients with AMI, of whom 72 (54%) had a diagnosis of ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), and 60 (46%) had non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI).

Echocardiographic assessment of right ventricular function before and after surgery in patients with pectus excavatum and right ventricular compression.

Background: We aimed to evaluate the effect of surgical repair on right ventricular (RV) function in patients with pectus excavatum (PE) and RV compression by Doppler echocardiography.

Materials And Methods: Twenty-three patients who were admitted to our hospital for surgical correction of PE between 2009 and 2012 were included in the study. After transthoracic echocardiographic evaluation, 16 patients with RV compression were enrolled.

[CyberKnife can cause inappropriate shock].

Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICD) have been increasingly used to treat life-threatening ventricular tachyarrhythmias. Although they have life-saving capabilities, they are very sensitive to electromagnetic energy sources. It has been reported that many problems associated with the detection of tachyarrhythmias and termination of the mechanism of the ICDs occur due to electromagnetic interference (EMI).

Troponin and anti-troponin autoantibody levels in patients with ventricular noncompaction.

Ventricular hypertrabeculation/noncompaction is a morphologic and functional anomaly of myocardium characterized by prominent trabeculae accompanied by deep recessus. Dilated cardiomyopathy with left ventricular failure is observed in these patients, while the cause or pathophysiologic nature of this complication is not known. Anti-troponin antibodies are formed against circulating cardiac troponins after an acute coronary event or conditions associated with chronic myocyte necrosis, such as dilated cardiomyopathy.

Perforation of mitral-aortic intervalvular fibrosa secondary to bicuspid aortic valve endocarditis: Possible relation with diagnostic coronary angiography.

Infective endocarditis (IE) remains a serious and deadly disease despite recent advances in diagnosis and treatment. In all IE cases, the rate of healthcare-associated IE has been reported as 23%. Aortic valve endocarditis may extend to mitral-aortic intervalvular fibrosa (MAIVF), which may cause pseudoaneurysm formation and subsequent perforation.

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy resembling acute high lateral myocardial infarction.

A 65-year-old female patient admitted to the emergency department was diagnosed with acute high lateral myocardial infarction, but later Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TC) was discovered. She had squeezing chest pain that started shortly after an emotional stress. The electrocardiogram revealed a loss of R wave voltage in leads V1 to V4 and an ST-segment elevation in I and aVL.