Study of atrial function using echocardiographic automatic boundary detection following external or internal cardioversion for idiopathic atrial fibrillation.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to evaluate the validity of an echocardiographic method of automatic boundary detection (ABD) in the assessment of the degree of atrial dysfunction in patients who had undergone external or internal cardioversion for idiopathic atrial fibrillation.

Methods: The study population included 31 patients (mean age 48 +/- 6.5 years) with idiopathic atrial fibrillation.

Prognostic significance of microalbuminuria in non-diabetic patients with acute myocardial infarction.

Background: The aim of this study was to examine whether the presence of microalbuminuria (20-200 microg/min) can predict in-hospital morbidity and mortality in non-diabetic patients with acute myocardial infarction.

Methods: Two hundred twenty-three (172 men and 51 women) non-diabetic patients with acute myocardial infarction were studied prospectively. The main outcome measures of the study were based on a comparison of in-hospital mortality and major non-fatal in-hospital events (pulmonary edema, post-infarction angina, infarct extension, mechanical complications, conduction disturbances and ventricular arrhythmias) between microalbuminuric and normoalbuminuric patients.

Microalbuminuria: a strong predictor of 3-year adverse prognosis in nondiabetic patients with acute myocardial infarction.

Background: The aim of this study is to evaluate the significance of microalbuminuria (MA) as a 3-year prognostic index in nondiabetic patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

Methods: One hundred seventy-five patients with AMI were followed prospectively for 3 years. The study end point was cardiac death or rehospitalization for an acute coronary event.

Comparison of the extent and severity of coronary artery disease in patients with acute myocardial infarction with and without microalbuminuria.

The extent and severity of coronary atherosclerosis were compared between 43 microalbuminuric and 87 normoalbuminuric nondiabetic patients with acute myocardial infarction. Patients with microalbuminuria had significantly greater scores of the severity (Gensini score) and extent (Hamsten score) of coronary artery disease (p <0.001).