Oral anticoagulant prescribing in elderly patients above and below age 80 with atrial fibrillation .

Background: Oral anticoagulation is efficient to prevent ischemic stroke in atrial fibrillation (AF), but in very old patients, physicians always remain cautious to use anticoagulants concerning the bleeding risk. This research aims to investigate the current situation of oral anticoagulation therapy in very old (≥ 80 years) AF patients.

Materials And Methods: We carried out a cross-sectional study in an urban area in China from 2014 to 2016.

TLR4 Activation Promotes the Progression of Experimental Autoimmune Myocarditis to Dilated Cardiomyopathy by Inducing Mitochondrial Dynamic Imbalance.

Mitochondrial dynamic imbalance associates with several cardiovascular diseases. However, the role of mitochondrial dynamics in TLR4 activation-mediated dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) progress remains unknown. A model of experimental autoimmune myocarditis (EAM) was established in BALB/c mice on which TLR4 activation by LPS-EB or TLR4 inhibition by LPS-RS was performed to induce chronic inflammation for 5 weeks.

Tenascin C: A Potential Biomarker for Predicting the Severity of Coronary Atherosclerosis.

Aims: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide and one of the greatest threats to public health. Tenascin C (TNC) is an extracellular matrix glycoprotein that is found in low concentrations in normal tissues and is enhanced by a range of cardiovascular pathologies. This study aimed to evaluate the value of TNC in assessing the severity of atherosclerosis measured by the Gensini score.

Relation of Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol to Ischemic Stroke in Patients With Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation.

Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) has been demonstrated as an independent risk factor of ischemic stroke, but the association of LDL-C with ischemic stroke in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AF) remains uncertain. Our objective was to explore whether LDL-C could refine stroke stratification in patients with AF. A total of 424 nonvalvular patients with AF with ischemic stroke and 391 ones without ischemic stroke were enrolled.

Tissue Factor Pathway Inhibitor-2 Gene Polymorphisms Associate With Coronary Atherosclerosis in Chinese Population.

Tissue factor pathway inhibitor-2 (TFPI-2) may play critical roles in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. In this study, we aimed to investigate the association between TFPI-2 gene polymorphisms and coronary atherosclerosis.Four hundred and seven patients with coronary atherosclerosis and 306 individuals with normal coronary artery were enrolled in the present study.

Cardiac arrhythmias as the initial manifestation of adult primary Sjögren's syndrome: a case report and literature review.

Two middle-aged female patients presenting with heart palpitation and electrocardiogram revealed complex cardiac arrhythmias. A review of systems was positive for dry mouth and transient arthralgia, while laboratory and instrumental tests enabled us to make the diagnosis of primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS). Cardiac electrophysiology revealed atrioventricular node dysfunction and impaired intraventricular conduction.

[Relationship between post-stenting coronary thrombolysis in myocardial infarction flow and plasma von Willebrand factor and ADAMTS-13 levels in patients with ST segment elevation myocardial infarction].

Objective: To investigate the relationship between post-stenting coronary thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) flow and plasma von Willebrand factor (vWF) and its cleaving protease (ADAMTS-13) levels in patients with ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).

Methods: STEMI patients who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and stenting between September, 2007 and December, 2009 were enrolled. According to the post-stenting TIMI flow, patients were divided to TIMI ≤ 2 group (n = 43) and TIMI 3 group (n = 43).

A meta-analysis of HLA-DR polymorphism and genetic susceptibility to idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy.

Idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDC) has been hypothesized as a multifactorial disorder initiated by an environment trigger in individuals with predisposing human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles. Published data on the association between HLA-DR polymorphism and IDC risk are inconclusive. To derive a more precise estimation of the relationship, a meta-analysis was performed.

A meta-analysis of β1-adrenergic receptor gene polymorphisms in idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy.

Published data on the association between β1-adrenergic receptor gene polymorphisms and idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDCM) risk are inconclusive. To derive a more precise estimation of the relationship, a meta-analysis was performed. A total of 12 case-control studies including 2642 cases and 3136 controls provided data on the association between β1-adrenergic receptor gene polymorphisms and susceptibility to IDCM.

Varied association of prothrombin G20210A polymorphism with coronary artery disease susceptibility in different ethnic groups: evidence from 15,041 cases and 21,507 controls.

Published data on the association between prothrombin G20210A polymorphism and coronary artery disease (CAD) risk are inconclusive. To derive a more precise estimation of the relationship, a meta-analysis was performed. A total of 42 case-control studies including 15,041 cases and 21,507 controls were included in this meta-analysis.

Cytochrome P450 2C19 polymorphism is associated with poor clinical outcomes in coronary artery disease patients treated with clopidogrel.

Patients with lesser degrees of platelet inhibition in response to clopidogrel appear to be at increased risk for recurrent ischemic events. Cytochrome P450 (CYP) polymorphisms have been proposed as possible mechanisms for nonresponsiveness to clopidogrel. Published data on the association between CYP2C19*2 polymorphism and atherothrombotic events are inconclusive.

Phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors for high-altitude pulmonary hypertension: a meta-analysis.

Background: High-altitude pulmonary hypertension (HAPH) is a public health problem in mountainous areas of the world. Treatment options for this condition are unsatisfactory. Recent interest in use of selective phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors for pulmonary hypertension has suggested a possible role for these agents in the treatment of HAPH.

Cardiac matrix remodeling following intracoronary cell transplantation in dilated cardiomyopathic rabbits.

Cellular cardiomyoplasty has been proposed as a promising therapeutic strategy for chronic heart failure. Previous studies focused on structural changes in cardiomyocytes to explain the potential benefits for contractile function. However, limited information is available about the cardiac matrix remodeling following cell transplantation in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM).