Right ventricle and outcome in left ventricular non-compaction cardiomyopathy.

Background: The risk of adverse events in patients with left ventricular non-compaction cardiomyopathy (LVNC) is substantial. Information on prognostic factors, however, is limited. This study was designed to assess the prognostic value of right ventricular (RV) size and function in LVNC patients.

Long-term durability and haemodynamic performance of a self-expanding transcatheter heart valve beyond five years after implantation: a prospective observational study applying the standardised definitions of structural deterioration and valve failure.

Aims: Long-term results of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), in particular the incidence of bioprosthetic valve failure (BVF), are uncertain. This study presents data derived from a long-term, structured follow-up programme of the self-expanding CoreValve device utilising standardised definitions and core lab adjudication of valve performance.

Methods And Results: The study prospectively included all 152 patients who had undergone TAVI with the self-expanding CoreValve up to December 2011 at the Heart Center, Bad Segeberg, Germany.

Tissue Factor Expression Does Not Predict Mortality in Breast Cancer Patients.

Background: Tissue factor (TF), the trigger of coagulation, not only initiates thrombus formation, but also elicits tumor growth and invasion in breast cancer. However, the characterization of TF expression in breast cancer tissue and its prognostic value remain unclear.

Materials And Methods: Three hundred and three primary breast cancer specimens from the local tumor tissue database were immunostained for TF expression and evaluated semiquantitatively.

Accuracy of smartphone apps for heart rate measurement.

Background Smartphone manufacturers offer mobile health monitoring technology to their customers, including apps using the built-in camera for heart rate assessment. This study aimed to test the diagnostic accuracy of such heart rate measuring apps in clinical practice. Methods The feasibility and accuracy of measuring heart rate was tested on four commercially available apps using both iPhone 4 and iPhone 5.

Reduction of falls and fractures after permanent pacemaker implantation in elderly patients with sinus node dysfunction.

Aims: Elderly patients with sinus node dysfunction (SND) are at increased risk of falls with possible injuries. However, the incidence of these adverse events and its reduction after permanent pacemaker (PPM) implantation are not known.

Methods And Results: Eighty-seven patients (mean [SD] age 75.

Clinical Features and Outcomes of Takotsubo (Stress) Cardiomyopathy.

Background: The natural history, management, and outcome of takotsubo (stress) cardiomyopathy are incompletely understood.

Methods: The International Takotsubo Registry, a consortium of 26 centers in Europe and the United States, was established to investigate clinical features, prognostic predictors, and outcome of takotsubo cardiomyopathy. Patients were compared with age- and sex-matched patients who had an acute coronary syndrome.

Gender disparities in acute coronary syndrome: a closing gap in the short-term outcome.

Aims: The aim of the present study was to analyze gender disparities in a large cohort of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients from the Zurich Acute Coronary Syndrome (Z-ACS) Registry.

Methods: Gender disparities in ACS were examined. The primary endpoint included in-hospital death rate, and the secondary endpoint major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs) at 30-day follow-up.

Acute coronary syndromes in octogenarians referred for invasive evaluation: treatment profile and outcomes.

Background: With increasing life expectancy in the western world, the aging population will compose a significant portion of the demographic. Notably, cardiovascular disease is particularly prevalent in the elderly population. The aim of the present study is to investigate the outcomes of octogenarians referred for urgent coronary angiography in the setting of acute coronary syndromes (ACS).

Vascular lesions induced by renal nerve ablation as assessed by optical coherence tomography: pre- and post-procedural comparison with the Simplicity catheter system and the EnligHTN multi-electrode renal denervation catheter.

Aims: Catheter-based renal nerve ablation (RNA) using radiofrequency energy is a novel treatment for drug-resistant essential hypertension. However, the local endothelial and vascular injury induced by RNA has not been characterized, although this importantly determines the long-term safety of the procedure. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) enables in vivo visualization of morphologic features with a high resolution of 10-15 µm.

Electrical activation in the coronary sinus branches as a guide to cardiac resynchronisation therapy: rationale for a coordinate system.

Background: For successful cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT) a spatial and electrical separation of right and left ventricular electrodes is essential. The spatial distribution of electrical delays within the coronary sinus (CS) tributaries has not yet been identified.

Objective: Electrical delays within the CS are described during sinus rhythm (SR) and right ventricular pacing (RVP).

Predictors of appropriate implantable cardioverter-defibrillator therapy during long-term follow-up of patients with coronary artery disease.

Indications for implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) are expanding. Defining long-term predictors of ICD therapies might help to identify those patients who will benefit most from implantation of an ICD. The objective of this study was to examine long-term predictors of appropriate ICD therapy among patients with coronary disease at high risk of sudden cardiac death.

Upregulation of alpha-skeletal muscle actin and myosin heavy polypeptide gene products in degenerating rotator cuff muscles.

Impaired function of shoulder muscles, resulting from rotator cuff tears, is associated with abnormal deposition of fat in muscle tissue, but corresponding cellular and molecular mechanisms, likely reflected by altered gene expression profiles, are largely unknown. Here, an analysis of muscle gene expression was carried out by semiquantitative RT-PCR in total RNA extracts of supraspinatus biopsies collected from 60 patients prior to shoulder surgery. A significant increase of alpha-skeletal muscle actin (p = 0.

Electrocardiographic artifacts due to electrode misplacement and their frequency in different clinical settings.

Misplacement of electrodes can change the morphology of an electrocardiogram (ECG) in clinical important ways. To assess the frequency of these errors in different clinical settings, we collected ECGs routinely performed at the cardiology outpatient clinic and the intensive care unit. Lead misplacement was suspected when one of the following morphological changes occurred: QRS axis between 180 degrees and -90 degrees , positive P wave in lead aVR, negative P waves in lead I and/or II, very low (<0.

Time trends in the epidemiology of renal transplant patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus over the last four decades.

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) type 1 is an important contributor to end-stage renal disease (ESRD) among younger transplant recipients. However, little is known about the changes in epidemiological characteristics of this population. Especially, time to reach ESRD may have changed in type 1 diabetic patients referred for transplantation, resulting in higher age at time of grafting.

Heart failure after myocardial infarction: clinical presentation and survival.

Objectives: To characterize the presentation and outcome of patients with heart failure (HF) after myocardial infarction (MI) according to left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and test the hypothesis that the outcome of HF did not change over time.

Background: Little is known about the presentation and outcome of HF post-MI and how these may have changed over time.

Methods: Using the Rochester Epidemiology Project, all residents of Olmsted County, Minnesota who experienced an incident MI between 1979 and 1998 were identified; MI and HF were validated using standardized criteria.

Advantages of subclavian artery perfusion for repair of acute type A dissection.

Objective: Arterial perfusion through the right subclavian artery is proposed to avoid intraoperative malperfusion during repair of acute type A dissection. This study evaluated the clinical and neurological outcome of patients undergoing surgery of acute aortic type A dissection following subclavian arterial cannulation compared to femoral artery approach.

Methods: From 1/97 to 1/03, 122 consecutive patients underwent surgery for acute type A aortic dissection.

Measurement of ejection fraction after myocardial infarction in the population.

Objectives: To assess the secular trends in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) assessment after myocardial infarction (MI) and to identify the determinants of testing.

Design: A population-based MI incidence cohort.

Methods: The use of tests measuring LVEF (echocardiography, radionuclide, and left ventricular [LV] angiography) was examined among all consecutive residents of Olmsted County, MN, hospitalized for a validated incident MI between 1979 and 1998.

Differential effects of selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors on endothelial function in salt-induced hypertension.

Background: In view of the ongoing controversy about potential differences in cardiovascular safety of selective cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 inhibitors (coxibs), we compared the effects of 2 different coxibs and a traditional NSAID on endothelial dysfunction, a well-established surrogate of cardiovascular disease, in salt-induced hypertension.

Methods And Results: Salt-sensitive (DS) and salt-resistant (DR) Dahl rats were fed a high-sodium diet (4% NaCl) for 56 days. From days 35 to 56, diclofenac (6 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1); DS-diclofenac), rofecoxib (2 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1); DS-rofecoxib), celecoxib (25 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1); DS-celecoxib) or placebo (DS-placebo) was added to the chow.

Incidence of heart failure after myocardial infarction: is it changing over time?

Improved survival after myocardial infarction (MI) could result in MI survivors' contributing to the US heart failure epidemic. Conversely, since the severity of MI is declining over time, a decline in post-MI heart failure might also be anticipated. This study tested the hypothesis that the incidence of post-MI heart failure was declining over time in a geographically defined MI incidence cohort.

Heart failure after myocardial infarction: prevalence of preserved left ventricular systolic function in the community.

Background: Studies have reported that a large proportion of the cases of congestive heart failure (CHF) with mixed etiologies have preserved left ventricular systolic function. Whether this is the case in subjects with CHF after myocardial infarction (MI) is not known. This study was undertaken to examine the prevalence and characteristics associated with CHF in patients who had preserved ejection fraction (LVEF) after MI.

Heart failure after myocardial infarction: a review.

Purpose: The effects of survival after myocardial infarction on the prevalence of chronic heart failure have not been well characterized. We reviewed studies of the incidence, mortality, and predictors of heart failure after myocardial infarction, and suggest directions for further research.

Methods And Results: We conducted a review of the literature from 1978 to 2000.

Longitudinal trends in the severity of acute myocardial infarction: a population study in Olmsted County, Minnesota.

The mechanisms of the decline in coronary heart disease mortality are not fully elucidated. In particular, little is known about the trends in severity of myocardial infarction, which may have contributed to the mortality decline. This study examines indicators of myocardial infarction severity including Killip class, electrocardiogram descriptors, and peak creatine kinase values in a population-based, myocardial infarction incidence cohort to test the hypothesis that the severity of myocardial infarction declined over time.