Publications by authors named "Kyra K Peczkowski"
Article Synopsis
- Pregnant individuals with obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m) face longer labor times and have double the likelihood of needing a cesarean section compared to those with normal weight (BMI < 25 kg/m).
- A study aimed to determine if obesity affects myometrial contractility during labor by comparing samples from obese and normal-weight individuals after cesarean deliveries, involving 73 participants.
- Results showed no significant differences in contraction activity or oxytocin receptor expression between the two groups, although there was a noted reduction in prostaglandin receptor gene expression in the obese group, shedding light on the biological mechanisms linking maternal obesity to labor complications.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates differences in contractile properties and mechanical synchrony between the left and right ventricles of healthy and failing human hearts.
- In nonfailing hearts, a strong correlation exists between the contractile performance of both ventricles, but this correlation weakens significantly in cases of end-stage heart failure.
- Findings indicate that the failing right ventricle shows altered contractile characteristics, leading to mechanical dyssynchrony compared to the left ventricle.
Background Because body mass index (BMI) is generally used clinically to define obesity and to estimate body adiposity, BMI likely is positively correlated with epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) level. Based on echocardiography, previous outcomes on this matter have varied from almost absent to rather strong correlations between BMI and EAT. The purpose of our study was to unambiguously examine EAT content and determine if correlations exist between EAT content and BMI, cause of heart failure, or contractile force.
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- Recent research has highlighted a growing interest in the link between hypothyroidism and heart failure (HF), particularly regarding how low T3 levels can predict mortality in HF patients.
- The study investigated the effect of hypothyroidism on the contractile properties of heart muscle by comparing samples from non-failing hearts and failing hearts with and without hypothyroidism.
- Results indicated that hypothyroidism did not significantly alter contractile properties in failing hearts, suggesting that advanced heart failure might overshadow any differences, warranting further investigation into hormone supplementation effects on heart performance.
Article Synopsis
- The text mentions a correction to a previously published article, indicated by its DOI.
- The correction may involve errors in data or conclusions that needed clarification to maintain scientific accuracy.
- It highlights the importance of ensuring research findings are accurate and reliable for the academic community.
Article Synopsis
- - Heart failure (HF) leads to serious health issues and high costs, yet even with advancements in treatment, outcomes remain poor; understanding cardiac muscle function during end-stage HF is essential for developing better therapies.
- - The study aimed to explore how different causes of HF (ischemic and non-ischemic) affect the force and contraction/relaxation kinetics in heart muscle, comparing both end-stage HF patients and those with non-failing hearts.
- - Results showed no major differences in baseline contractile force among groups, but the kinetics of relaxation were significantly slower in non-ischemic failing hearts compared to non-failing hearts, and both HF types showed impaired responses to frequency changes and β-adrenergic stimulation.
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked disorder caused by the lack of functional dystrophin protein. In muscular dystrophy preclinical research, it is pertinent to analyze the force of the muscles affected by the disease to assess pathology and potential effectiveness of therapeutic interventions. Although muscles function at sub-maximal levels , maximal tetanic contractions are most commonly used to assess and report muscle function in muscular dystrophy studies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAims: Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked inherited disease due to dystrophin deficiency causing skeletal and cardiac muscle dysfunction. Affected patients lose ambulation by age 12 and usually die in the second to third decades of life from cardiac and respiratory failure. Symptomatic treatment includes the use of anti-inflammatory corticosteroids, which are associated with side effects including weight gain, osteoporosis, and increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMineralocorticoid receptor (MR) drugs have been used clinically for decades to treat cardiovascular diseases. MR antagonists not only show preclinical efficacy for heart in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) models but also improve skeletal muscle force and muscle membrane integrity. The mechanisms of action of MR antagonists in skeletal muscles are entirely unknown.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists added to angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors have shown preclinical efficacy for both skeletal and cardiac muscle outcomes in young sedentary dystrophin-deficient mdx mice also haploinsufficient for utrophin, a Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) model. The mdx genotypic DMD model has mild pathology, making non-curative therapeutic effects difficult to distinguish at baseline. Since the cardiac benefit of mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists has been translated to DMD patients, it is important to optimize potential advantages for skeletal muscle by further defining efficacy parameters.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: In patients with end-stage heart failure, the primary etiology often originates in the left ventricle, and eventually the contractile function of the right ventricle (RV) also becomes compromised. RV tissue-level deficits in contractile force and/or kinetics need quantification to understand involvement in ischemic and non-ischemic failing human myocardium.
Methods And Results: The human population suffering from heart failure is diverse, requiring many subjects to be studied in order to perform an adequately powered statistical analysis.