Impact of stent implantation on endothelial shear stress.

Background: Endothelial shear stress (ESS) may play a key role in the pathobiology of stent restenosis (SR). Nevertheless, limited data are available about ESS and its relation to SR.

Patients And Methods: We enrolled 14 patients who underwent successful percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in this study.

Differences in Clinical Presentation and Findings between Idiopathic Dilated and Ischaemic Cardiomyopathy in an Unselected Population of Heart Failure Patients.

We explored the differences in epidemiologic, clinical, laboratory and echocardiographic characteristics between idiopathic dilated (IDCM) and ischaemic cardiomyopathy (ICM).Consecutive patients with stable chronic heart failure evaluated at a tertiary cardiac centre were enrolled. Clinical examination, blood tests and echocardiographic study were performed.

Serial measurements of acute phase proteins in patients with acute coronary syndrome.

Introduction: Levels of inflammatory markers increase in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) and the magnitude of the inflammatory response has been related to clinical outcomes. The release patterns and, thereby, the time point of maximal increase for multiple inflammatory markers following an ACS are not fully defined. Our purpose was to serially measure three acute phase proteins (APPs) in patients with ACS.

Digit ratios and relation to myocardial infarction in Greek men and women.

Background: Digit ratios, such as the second to fourth digit ratio (2D:4D), are biometric markers that are influenced by estrogen and testosterone concentrations in utero and are determined genetically by HOX genes (homeodomain-containing homeotic genes). Sex steroids also play a crucial role in the occurrence of myocardial infarction (MI), which is considered to be gender dependent and related to testosterone. Additionally, first-trimester exposure to excess levels of estrogens and progesterone has been linked to cardiovascular anomalies.