Systolic blood pressure on admission as a marker of fluid re-distribution in acute heart failure.

Background: The relation between systolic blood pressure (sBP) on admission and the extent of fluid re-distribution in patients with acute heart failure (AHF) remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate this relation.

Methods: We enrolled consecutive patients who were admitted for AHF in our cardiology department and divided them into three groups according to the tertiles of sBP on admission as follows: low, intermediate, and high sBP groups.

Axillofemoral Bypass Markedly Improved Acute Decompensated Heart Failure and Kidney Injury in a Patient with Severely Calcified Stenosis of Thoracoabdominal Aorta (Atypical Aortic Coarctation).

Atypical aortic coarctation (AAC) has been reported to occur anywhere along the aorta, except for the ascending aorta. The associated symptoms include hypotension in the lower half of the body, secondary hypertension in the upper half of the body, and heart failure. Here we present an 80-year-old Asian woman complaining of progressive exertional dyspnea.

Distribution of cardiac troponin I in the Japanese general population and factors influencing its concentrations.

Background: The 99th percentile of cardiac troponin I level in the general population is accepted as the cut-off for the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, it is not clear whether the cut-offs derived in racially and geographically different populations are applicable in Japan.

Methods: Troponin I was determined using the Abbott ARCHITECT STAT high-sensitive troponin I immunoassay in 698 apparently healthy individuals who visited the Japanese Red Cross Medical Center for a health checkup.

Bilateral Subclavian Vein Occlusion in a SAPHO Syndrome Patient Who Needed an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator.

A 79-year-old Asian man was hospitalized because of progressive exertional dyspnea with decreasing left ventricular ejection fraction and frequent non-sustained ventricular tachycardia. Pre-procedure venography for implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) implantation showed occlusion of the bilateral subclavian veins. In consideration of subcutaneous humps in the sterno-clavicular area and palmoplantar pustulosis, we diagnosed him as having synovitis, acne, pustulosis, hyperostosis, osteitis (SAPHO) syndrome and speculated that it induced peri-osteal chronic inflammation in the sterno-clavicular area, resulting in occlusion of the adjacent bilateral subclavian veins.

Acute Myocardial Infarction That Resulted From Poor Adherence to Medical Treatment for Giant Coronary Aneurysm.

Coronary arterial complications associated with Kawasaki disease (KD), such as a giant coronary aneurysm, determine the relative risk of future cardiac events and require lifelong medical treatment. Here, we describe a 24-year-old man who developed myocardial infarction due to poor adherence to medical treatment for a giant coronary aneurysm in the chronic phase of KD. He was hospitalized two hours after the onset of chest pain.

A Case of ST-elevated myocardial infarction resulting from obstructive intramural coronary amyloidosis.

A 49-year-old man presenting with ST-elevated myocardial infarction was brought to our emergency department with AL amyloidosis. Baseline coronary angiography showed no significant stenosis of the epicardial coronary arteries, however, coronary artery angiography in response to acetylcholine and coronary flow reserve in response to papaverine were abnormal, which suggested impairment of vascular endothelial function. Myocardial biopsy revealed amyloid deposition exclusively in intramural coronary arteries.

[Atrial wall hematoma after mitral valvuloplasty and maze procedure: a case report].

A 66-year-old male patient with mitral regurgitation and atrial fibrillation underwent mitral valvuloplasty with a modified maze procedure. Follow-up echocardiography performed on the 4th postoperative day revealed a high echoic mass of 6.7 x 3.

A case of transient left ventricular ballooning with pheochromocytoma, supporting pathogenetic role of catecholamines in stress-induced cardiomyopathy or takotsubo cardiomyopathy.

We experienced a case with severe acute heart failure showing "takotsubo"-like left ventricular asynergy. Subsequently, he was found to have pheochromocytoma, and underwent emergent adrenalectomy, which almost completely reversed his cardiac function and symptoms. His clinical course, supports the pathogenetic role of catecholamines in "takotsubo cardiomyopathy".

A case of transient 2:1 atrioventricular block, resolved by thyroxine supplementation for subclinical hypothyroidism.

A 42-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with palpitation attacks. Holter ECG showed 2:1 atrioventricular block and bradycardia with the minimum heart rate of 44 beats/min. There was a possible indication of electrophysiological study and cardiac pacemaker implantation.

["Chestnut-shaped" transient regional left ventricular hypokinesis with abnormal myocardial fatty acid metabolism, not corresponding to the coronary artery territories: a case report].

A 79-year-old female patient, who was initially suspected to have pneumonia, was admitted to the respiratory department of our hospital. She experienced chest pain on the second admission day. Electrocardiography showed ST-segment elevation in leads V3 through V6, and echocardiography revealed hypokinetic left ventricular wall motion.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma plays a critical role in inhibition of cardiac hypertrophy in vitro and in vivo.

Background: Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are transcription factors of the nuclear receptor superfamily. It has been reported that the thiazolidinediones, which are antidiabetic agents and high-affinity ligands for PPARgamma, regulate growth of vascular cells. In the present study, we examined the role of PPARgamma in angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced hypertrophy of neonatal rat cardiac myocytes and in pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy of mice.