[Impact of red blood cell distribution width on risk for bleeding events in patients with non-ST elevation acute coronary syndromes].

Introduction: Higher values of red blood cell distribution width (RDW) have recently been associated with worse outcome in patients with cardiovascular disease. However, its relation to bleeding events in patients with non-ST elevation acute coronary syndromes has not been established.

Aim: To determine the prognostic value of RDW in patients with non-ST segment elevation acute coronary syndromes, particularly regarding the risk of major bleeding.

Chronic medical comorbidities in patients with acute coronary syndrome.

Background: Patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) frequently present chronic noncardiovascular medical comorbidities that can influence treatment and prognosis. Compliance with therapeutic guidelines in ACS is crucial to event reduction and the presence of these comorbidities may be a determining factor in guideline adherence.

Objective: To assess the prevalence of chronic noncardiovascular medical comorbidities in patients with ACS and their impact on guideline adherence.

Tissue Doppler echocardiography for evaluation of patients with ventricular resynchronization therapy.

Introduction And Objective: Ventricular resynchronization therapy optimizes cardiac function and induces reverse remodeling of the left ventricle (LV) in patients (pts) with dilated cardiomyopathy and intraventricular conduction disturbances. Improvement of LV mechanical synchrony seems to be the predominant mechanism. There is a growing interest in objective quantification of desynchronization.

Effects of cardiac resynchronization therapy on right ventricular function--evaluation with tissue Doppler echocardiography.

Introduction And Objective: Ventricular resynchronization therapy improves cardiac function in patients (pts) with dilated cardiomyopathy and intraventricular conduction disturbances. The effects of ventricular resynchronization on right ventricular function have been poorly studied. Tricuspid annular motion can be studied with tissue Doppler echocardiography, which enables quantitative assessment of right ventricular function.

Non invasive hemodynamic monitorization for AV interval optimization in patients with ventricular resynchronization therapy.

Introduction And Objective: In patients (pts) with dilated cardiomyopathy and intraventricular conduction disturbances, resynchronization therapy improves cardiac function and functional capacity. Determination of the optimal AV interval is essential to optimize the therapy results and various methods have been used in daily practice to obtain such an interval. The aim of this work is to assess optimal AV determined by impedance cardiography and compare it to the interval previously obtained by transmitral flow Doppler echocardiography.