A new risk factor for predicting stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation: morning blood pressure surge.

Background: Stroke, the most feared complication in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), is still an important cause of mortality and morbidity. In our study, we aimed to investigate the frequency of stroke and related parameters in patients with atrial fibrillation, for whom 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) was performed.

Method: A total of 282 patients with permanent AF were included in this study.

A CBCT Based Assessment of Canine Eruption and Development Following Alveolar Bone Grafting in Patients Born With Unilateral Cleft lip and/or Palate.

To three-dimensionally assess and visualize the eruption path and development of the maxillary canine following alveolar bone grafting in patients born with cleft lip and palate. A further objective of this analysis was to assess how the presence of the lateral incisor impacts the eruption path of the canine. Observational follow-up study.

The Relationship Between Contrast Associated Nephropathy and Coronary Collateral Circulation in very Old Patients.

The aim of this study was to investigate whether there is a relationship between coronary collateral circulation (CCC) and contrast associated nephropathy (CAN) in very elderly patients. Patients aged 90 years or older with at least one major occlusion of the coronary artery proximal or mid-section were included in the study. CCC was graded according to the Rentrop classification.

Using Soluble ST2 to Predict Adverse Postoperative Outcomes in Patients with Impaired Left Ventricular Function Undergoing Coronary Bypass Surgery.

The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic value of soluble ST2 (sST2) in predicting postoperative adverse events in patients with impaired left ventricular (LV) function undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. This study included 80 consecutive patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD) and impaired LV function (ejection fraction ≤ 45%) undergoing on-pump coronary artery bypass graft surgery. The patients were divided into the "high" or "low" group according to their ST2 levels (≥35 or <35 ng/mL).

Prognostic value of rising mean platelet volume during hospitalization in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

Background: The prognostic significance of changes in mean platelet volume (MPV) during hospitalization in ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) has not been previously evaluated. The aim of this study was to determine the association of in-hospital changes in MPV and mortality in these patients.

Methods: Four hundred eighty consecutive STEMI patients were enrolled in this retrospective study.

Morning blood pressure surge and its relation to insulin resistance in patients of reproductive age with polycystic ovary syndrome.

Background: Our aim in this study was to investigate morning blood pressure surge (MBPS) in patients of reproductive age with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and its relation to insulin resistance (IR).

Methods: Fifty-three patients with PCOS without additional illness were included in the study. Forty-two age-matched subjects without PCOS were selected as the control group.

The monocyte counts to HDL cholesterol ratio in obese and lean patients with polycystic ovary syndrome.

Background: Women with polycystic ovary syndrome are more likely to suffer from obesity, insulin resistance, and chronic low-grade inflammation. In fact, the excessive activation of monocytes exacerbates oxidative stress and inflammation. However, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol neutralizes the pro-inflammatory and pro-oxidant effects of monocytes.

Relationship between high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and the red cell distribution width in patients with coronary artery disease.

Background: The red cell distribution width (RDW) is a numerical measurement of variability in the size of red blood cells. Many studies have shown that high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), has an anti-inflammatory effect. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the serum HDL-C level and RDW in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD).

Contrast-Induced Nephropathy Is Less Common in Patients with Good Coronary Collateral Circulation.

Background/aims: Contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) is a typically reversible type of acute renal failure that develops after exposure to contrast agents; underlying endothelial dysfunction is thought to be an important risk factor for CIN. Although the mechanism of coronary collateral circulation (CCC) is not fully understood, a pivotal role of the endothelium has been reported in many studies. The aim of this study was to investigate whether there is a relationship between CCC and CIN.

Red cell distribution width is correlated with extensive coronary artery disease in patients with diabetes mellitus.

Introduction: Previous studies have predicted an independent relationship between red cell distribution width (RDW) and the risk of death and cardiovascular events in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between RDW and extensiveness of CAD in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM).

Methods: Two hundred and thirty-three diabetic patients who underwent coronary angiographies at our centre in 2010 were included in the study.

Effect of Weight Loss Induced by Intragastric Balloon Therapy on Cardiac Function in Morbidly Obese Individuals: A Pilot Study.

Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of intragastric balloon therapy on left ventricular function and left ventricular mass in a cohort of morbidly obese patients.

Subjects And Methods: A prospective trial was performed in a cohort of 17 class II and class III morbidly obese individuals. The intragastric balloon was retained in the stomach for an average of 6 months.

The protective effect of single dose tadalafil in contrast-induced nephropathy: an experimental study.

Objective: Contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) is one of the most common causes of acute renal failure in hospitalized patients. The direct toxic effect of contrast media; ischemic damage caused by reactive oxygen species; increased perivascular hydrostatic pressure; high viscosity and changes in the activity of vasoactive substances play important roles in the pathogenesis. Tadalafil inhibits the phosphodiesterase enzyme which destroys nitric oxide.

Association of fragmented QRS complexes on ECG with left ventricular diastolic function in hypertensive patients.

Objectives: Diastolic dysfunction occurs as a result of interstitial fibrosis in hypertensive patients. Fragmented QRS (fQRS) on ECG signifies myocardial fibrosis in various clinical situations. We investigated whether fQRS on ECG is related to diastolic dysfunction in patients with hypertension.

The association of plasma vitamin A and E levels with coronary collateral circulation.

Objective: To investigate if plasma levels of vitamin A and E have an association with coronary collateral development.

Methods: A total of 189 patients who underwent coronary angiography and had total occlusion in at least one major epicardial coronary artery were enrolled in the study. To classify coronary collateral circulation (CCC), the Rentrop scoring system was used.

Fragmented QRS complexes are associated with increased left ventricular mass in patients with essential hypertension.

Background: Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is an independent predictor of poor prognosis in patients with hypertension. In hypertensive hypertrophy, the pathophysiological mechanism is the accumulation of collagen in the myocardium. Fragmented QRS (fQRS) complexes are associated with myocardial fibrosis.

The effect of slow coronary flow on right and left ventricular performance.

Objective: To evaluate left and right ventricular functions using tissue Doppler echocardiography (TDE) and myocardial performance index (MPI) methods in patients with slow coronary flow (SCF) and to determine the relationship between these parameters and thrombolysis in myocardial infarction frame count in SCF patients.

Subjects And Methods: Thirty-five patients (20 males and 15 females) with SCF who underwent coronary angiography and 35 age- and sex-matched controls (14 males and 21 females) without SCF who underwent elective coronary angiography were enrolled in the study. Left ventricular (LV) and right ventricular (RV) functions were examined using conventional echocardiography and TDE.

Presence of angina pectoris is related to extensive coronary artery disease in diabetic patients.

Background: Due to sensorial autonomic neuropathy, the type and severity of angina pectoris in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) may be rather different from the type and severity of angina pectoris in patients without DM.

Hypothesis: The aim of the study was to understand if angina pectoris is related to extensive coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients with DM.

Methods: The study included 530 patients with DM who underwent coronary angiography at our center in 2009 and 2010.

Sodium bicarbonate versus isotonic saline for the prevention of contrast-induced nephropathy in patients with diabetes mellitus undergoing coronary angiography and/or intervention: a multicenter prospective randomized study.

Introduction: Contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) is a leading cause of acute renal failure and affects mortality and morbidity. Although the incidence of CIN is quite low in the general population, CIN incidence is significantly increased in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM).

Objectives: We compared the efficacy of prophylactic use consisting of a saline infusion or a sodium bicarbonate infusion for the prevention of CIN in patients with DM.

Evaluation of possible subclinical atherosclerosis in adolescents with a family history of premature atherosclerosis.

Objective: To evaluate possible subclinical atherosclerosis using biomarkers and ultrasound-guided methods in a group of adolescents having fathers with premature atherosclerosis.

Methods: Thirty-three subjects whose fathers had a history of premature coronary artery disease and 30 counterparts whose fathers had no history of coronary artery disease were included in the study.

Results: The homocysteine levels, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels, and cardiac chamber sizes and functions did not differ between the two groups.

The relationship between high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and coronary collateral circulation in patients with coronary artery disease.

Introduction: High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) promotes cholesterol efflux from macrophage foam cells in atheroma plaques. In addition, HDL-C has anti-inflammatory and endothelium-protective properties. Despite that the only prerequisite for collateral development is shown to be the degree of coronary artery stenosis, there are significant differences even among patients with a similar degree of coronary artery disease.

Relationship between red cell distribution width and echocardiographic parameters in patients with diastolic heart failure.

Red cell distribution width (RDW) was found to be a prognostic marker in heart failure patients. The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between RDW and echocardiographic parameters in diastolic heart failure (DHF). Seventy-one consecutive DHF patients (26 men) and 50 controls (21 men) were included in the study.

Inflammation is related to unbalanced cardiac autonomic functions in hypertension: an observational study.

Objective: Inflammation plays a role both in the mechanisms leading to hypertension alone and in the mechanisms leading to atherosclerosis with hypertension. Previous studies have shown the relationship between the autonomic functions and inflammatory system activation. The aim of the study was to evaluate the relationship between inflammation and cardiac autonomic functions in hypertensive patients.

Cardiotrophin-1 plasma levels are increased in patients with diastolic heart failure.

Background: Cardiotrophin-1 (CT-1) is a member of the interleukin (IL-6) family of cytokines and is increased in various cardiovascular diseases, including chronic heart failure. The aim of the study was to determine if plasma CT-1 is associated with diastolic heart failure (DHF) and to investigate the relationship between CT-1 and echocardiographic parameters.

Material/methods: Fifty-seven consecutive patients (mean age 57 ± 8 years, 24 males) diagnosed with DHF in our clinic and 33 controls (mean age 55 ± 7 years, 12 males) were included in the study.

Longitudinal left ventricular function in normotensive prediabetics: a tissue Doppler and strain/strain rate echocardiography study.

Background: Although diabetes mellitus is well known to result in systolic and diastolic left ventricular (LV) dysfunction at the subclinical level, even when it is not accompanied by hypertension and coronary artery disease, this situation has not been sufficiently investigated in prediabetes, which is the precursor of diabetes. The aims of the present study were to investigate LV systolic and diastolic function in normotensive and low-risk prediabetic and diabetic subjects for coronary disease using sensitive tissue Doppler echocardiographic parameters, to investigate early possible negative effects of glucose metabolism impairment on LV longitudinal function.

Methods: Two hundred subjects (92 with prediabetes, 48 with type 2 diabetes, and 60 age-matched healthy volunteers) were studied by conventional, tissue Doppler, and strain and strain rate echocardiography.