Thrombolysis in patients with pulmonary embolism and elevated heart-type fatty acid-binding protein levels.

Recent studies have reported that a novel cardiac biomarker, heart-type fatty acid-binding protein (h-FABP), significantly predicts mortality inpatients with pulmonary embolism (PE) at intermediate risk. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of thrombolytic therapy on prognosis of the intermediate risk acute PE patients with elevated levels of h-FABP. This is non-interventional, prospective, and single-center cohort study where 80 patients (mean age 62 ± 17 years, 32 men) with confirmed acute PE were included.

Right ventricular involvement in anterior myocardial infarction: a tissue Doppler-derived strain and strain rate study.

Objective: Strain and strain rate imaging is currently the most popular echocardiographic technique that reveals subclinical myocardial damage. There are currently no available data on this imaging method with regard to assessing right ventricular involvement in anterior myocardial infarction. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate right ventricular regional functions using a derived strain and strain rate imaging tissue Doppler method in patients who were successfully treated for their first anterior myocardial infarction.

Investigation of oxidative stress markers in essential hypertension.

Background: The main goal of this study was to evaluate ischemia modified albumin (IMA), total antioxidant status (TAS), and total oxidant status (TOS) levels in treated essential hypertensive patients and to compare them with levels of normotensive subjects.

Methods: In 45 hypertensive and 30 control subjects, serum levels of IMA were determined manually using a spectrophotometric Co(II)-albumin binding assay. TAS and TOS levels were evaluated spectrophotometrically.

Can neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio predict recurrence of non-valvular atrial fibrillation after cardioversion?

Objective: High neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been associated with post-operative AF development in patients who underwent cardiac surgery. In this study, effectiveness of NLR for prediction of recurrence after electrical cardioversion (CV) in non-valvular AF was investigated.

Methods: A total of 149 patients who underwent a successful CV were included in this prospective cohort study.

Relationship between myocardial bridges and arrhythmic complications.

Myocardial bridge (MB) is defined as compression of coronary artery during systole while it is normal in diastole. In angiographic series, the prevalence of this anomaly was reported between 0.5% and 2.

Blunted heart rate recovery is associated with exaggerated blood pressure response during exercise testing.

Increased sympathetic activity and endothelial dysfunction are the proposed mechanisms underlying exaggerated blood pressure response to exercise (EBPR). However, data regarding heart rate behavior in patients with EBPR are lacking. We hypothesized that heart rate recovery (HRR) could be impaired in patients with EBPR.

Association of pulmonary artery obstruction index with elevated heart-type fatty acid binding protein and short-term mortality in patients with pulmonary embolism at intermediate risk.

Purpose: Heart-type fatty acid binding protein (H-FABP) is a sensitive marker of myocardial injury and predictor of worse prognosis in patients with pulmonary embolism (PE). Assessment of right ventricular dysfunction and pulmonary artery obstruction index (PAOI) with computed tomography (CT) has been reported as a predictor of mortality in PE. Therefore, we aimed to assess the correlation between H-FABP and CT angiographic PAOI in PE patients at intermediate risk.

The evaluation of doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity: comparison of Doppler and tissue Doppler-derived myocardial performance index.

Background: Doxorubicin is a chemotherapeutic agent used in a wide spectrum of cancers. However, cardiotoxic effects have limited its clinical use. The early detection of doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity is crucial.

Effect of termination of the left anterior descending coronary artery (wrapped or non-wrapped property) on tissue Doppler echocardiography findings in patients with anterior myocardial infarction: an observational study.

Objective: We aimed to evaluate effect of termination property of left anterior descending (LAD) on tissue Doppler echocardiography (TDE) parameters in patients experiencing their first anterior myocardial infarction (AMI) who had undergone successful primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods: A prospective, cross-sectional observational study was performed. Eighty-four patients were enrolled in the study.

Secondary chordae rupture due to low-tension electricity trauma.

The most frequent cardiac pathologies caused by electric shock are arrhythmias with a wide clinical picture ranging from sinus tachycardia to asystole. Cardiac mechanical complications secondary to electric shock have rarely been reported. Despite the use of electrocardiography and cardiac monitorization in evaluating dysrhythmias and in the patients' follow-up, there is still no consensus on how to assess patients against probable mechanical complications and how to follow up these patients.

Therapy-resistant ventricular tachycardia caused by amiodarone-induced thyrotoxicosis: a case report of electrical storm.

Electrical storm is a challenging diagnosis for the clinician and requires detailed evaluation of the patient. Amiodarone is frequently used for the cessation of ventricular tachycardia attacks. Within antiarrhythmic effects of amiodarone, there are some harmful effects of the recent drug.

[Evaluation of clinical and demographic characteristics and their association with length of hospital stay in patients admitted to cardiac intensive care unit with the diagnosis of acute heart failure].

Objective: Despite increasing incidence, data regarding clinical and demographic characteristics of patients with acute heart failure (AHF) admitted to cardiac intensive care unit (ICU) are inconclusive. The aim of this study was to assess the presentation characteristics and factors determining the length of hospital stay in this particular patient population.

Methods: We conducted a single-center, prospective study involving 150 patients hospitalized to cardiac ICU with the primary diagnosis of AHF.

P-wave dispersion for predicting paroxysmal atrial fibrillation in acute ischemic stroke.

Background: Detection of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) in acute ischemic stroke patients poses diagnostic challenge. The aim of this study was to predict the presence of PAF by means of 12-lead ECG in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Our hypothesis was that P-wave dispersion (P(d)) might be a useful marker in predicting PAF in patients with acute ischemic stroke.

Relationship between heart-type fatty acid-binding protein levels and coronary artery disease in exercise stress testing: an observational study.

Objective: Although, there has been great improvement on the diagnosis and early treatment of acute coronary syndromes, especially in terms of myocardial damage biochemical markers, we do not have a specific marker yet, for using the diagnosis of stable coronary artery disease (CAD). This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between CAD and the changes of heart-type fatty acid binding protein (H-FABP) levels before and after exercise stress testing (EST).

Methods: A total of 47 patients were enrolled in this observational study.

Exaggerated blood pressure response to exercise--a new portent of masked hypertension.

Masked hypertension (MHT) is a popular entity with increased risk of developing sustained hypertension, heart attack, stroke, and death. Subjects have normal blood pressure (BP) at office but elevated values at night so it is difficult to diagnose. Exaggerated blood pressure response to exercise (EBPR) is also a predictor of future hypertension.

Evaluation of cardiac repolarization indices in well-controlled partial epilepsy: 12-Lead ECG findings.

Purpose: To evaluate the cardiac repolarization indices in terms of QT intervals in patients with well-controlled partial epilepsy.

Methods: Seventy-six adult patients with well-controlled partial epilepsy and 66 healthy controls were enrolled into the study. 12-Lead ECGs were obtained from all participants.

[The effect of nondipper blood pressure pattern on target organ damage in patients with metabolic syndrome].

Objectives: Both metabolic syndrome (MetS) and nondipping status (insufficient reduction in nocturnal blood pressure) have been linked with target organ damage. We evaluated the effect of nondipping status on target organ damage in subjects with MetS.

Study Design: Eighty-two patients diagnosed as having MetS were divided into two groups according to the findings of 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring as dipper (n=35, 19 women, 16 men; mean age 48.

The association of glomerular filtration rate and erectile dysfunction with severity of coronary artery disease in patients presenting with chest pain.

Background: The most common cause of death in patients with chronic kidney disease is cardiovascular. Coexistence of reduced estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and erectile dysfunction (ED) may predate severe underlying coronary artery disease (CAD). The aim of this study was to evaluate the predictive value of presence and severity of ED and reduced estimated eGFR in the risk stratification of CAD in patients with chest pain.

Relation between abnormalities in circadian blood pressure rhythm and target organ damage in normotensives.

Background: To determine the individual effect of abnormalities in blood pressure (BP) circadian rhythm (non-dipping status (NDS), increased morning BP (MBP) or increased MBP surge (MBPS)) on target organ damage (TOD) and which of these is more closely related to TOD in normotensives.

Methods And Results: The 24-h ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM) and echocardiography were performed and urinary albumin excretion (UAE) was measured in 47 dipper (28 women, mean age 45.8 +/- 9.

Comparison of myocardial performance index obtained either by conventional echocardiography or tissue Doppler echocardiography in healthy subjects and patients with heart failure.

This study was planned to investigate the normal reference values of myocardial performance index (MPI) obtained by tissue Doppler echocardiography (TDE) and the agreement between MPI measured by TDE and conventional MPI measured by pulsed-wave Doppler (PWD) in healthy subjects and patients with heart failure (HF). Two hundred and three patients with HF and 190 healthy subjects were enrolled in this study. Isovolumic contraction and relaxation time (ICT and IRT) and ejection time (ET) were measured from mitral inflow and left ventricular (LV) outflow.

The effect of nondipping blood pressure patterns on cardiac structural changes and left ventricular diastolic functions in normotensives.

Background: Cardiac structural changes have been reported to be more prominent in nondipper normotensives than the dipper ones. But the influence of nondipping status on cardiac diastolic functions of normotensives has not been studied yet. In this study, we investigated the effect of nondipping status on both cardiac structural changes and left ventricular (LV) diastolic functions in normotensives.

[The role of tissue Doppler echocardiography in the evaluation of functional capacity of patients with heart failure].

Objectives: We investigated correlations between the New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional classification system, which is commonly used to assess functional capacity, and conventional echocardiographic and tissue Doppler echocardiographic (TDE) parameters in patients with heart failure (HF).

Study Design: The study included 122 patients (31 females, 91 males; mean age 59+/-11 years) with HF, whose left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF) was less than 50%. The patients were evaluated in two groups based on the NYHA class I-II (n=79; mean age 58 years) and class III-IV (n=43; mean age 61 years).