Negative capsule endoscopy without subsequent enteroscopy does not predict lower long-term rebleeding rates in patients with obscure GI bleeding.

Background: Capsule endoscopy (CE) is now widely accepted as a first-line diagnostic modality for obscure GI bleeding (OGIB). However, the clinical implications of negative results of CE studies remain unclear.

Objective: To investigate long-term (>1 year) outcomes for patients undergoing CE for OGIB and to identify risk factors associated with rebleeding.

Age- and sex-related differences in the tissue Doppler imaging parameters of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction.

Background: The effect of age and gender on tissue Doppler imaging measurements comparing the septal and mitral annulus needs to be investigated.

Methods: We investigated in 276 outpatients in a university cardiology practice the relationship of age and gender to left atrial (LA) size, LA volume, mitral pulse-wave Doppler E/A ratio, E/Ea ratios by tissue Doppler image of mitral annular velocity (TDI), and left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) by TDI.

Results: Mitral E/A inflow was statistically decreased with age.

Differences of lateral and septal mitral annulus velocity by tissue Doppler imaging in the evaluation of left ventricular diastolic function.

Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) was investigated in 276 outpatients at a university cardiology practice by tissue Doppler imaging of mitral valve annular velocity. The well-investigated parameters of mitral inflow were used as the standard. Using septal E/Ea ratios, 62 patients (22%) had no LVDD, 44 patients (16%) had mild LVDD, 126 patients (46%) had moderate LVDD, 25 patients (9%) had severe LVDD, and 19 patients (7%) had indeterminate LVDD.