Increased Carotid Intima-media Thickness and Its Association with Carbohydrate Metabolism and Adipocytokines in Children Treated with Recombinant Growth Hormone.

Objective: Reports on the association between growth hormone (GH) therapy and cardiovascular risk factors in children are limited. This study aimed to evaluate carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) in children treated with recombinant human GH (rhGH) and assess the effects of rhGH therapy and changes in serum carbohydrate metabolism, lipid profile and adipocytokines on cIMT.

Methods: Seventy-one isolated idiopathic GH deficiency (GHD) children and 44 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were enrolled in this study.

Reducing Aortic Barotrauma and Vascular Extracellular Matrix Degradation by Pacemaker-Mediated QRS Widening.

Background The extent of pressure-related damage might be related to acceleration rate of the applied pressure (peak dP/dt) in the vascular system. In this study, we sought to determine whether dP/dt applied to the aortic wall (aortic dP/dt) and in turn vascular extracellular matrix degradation can be mitigated via modulation of left ventricular (LV) contractility (LV dP/dt) by pacemaker-mediated desynchronization. Methods and Results First, in 34 patients, changes in aortic dP/dt values in 3 aortic segments in response to pacemaker-mediated stepwise QRS widening leading to gradual desynchronization of the LV contraction by means of steadily changed atrioventricular delay (AVD) with temporary dual-chamber pacing was examined before and after beta-blocker (15 mg IV metoprolol) administration.

Impact of high serum Immunoglobulin E levels on the risk of atherosclerosis in humans.

Background: Epidemiological studies show that immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels were higher in subjects with acute coronary events. However, it is unknown if the increased IgE level is a marker of future coronary incidents and whether it may be regarded as a risk factor of an ischemic heart disease.

Objective: Our aim was to investigate the relationship between IgE levels and some atherosclerotic markers in patients without known atherosclerotic disease.

Coronary microvascular dysfunction equivalent to left main coronary artery disease.

Coronary microvascular dysfunction, also known as cardiac syndrome X, is a clinical syndrome presenting with typical angina and evidence of myocardial ischemia in the absence of flow-limiting stenosis on coronary angiography. Of patients undergoing coronary angiography due to suspected myocardial ischemia, 50% are found to have normal or near-normal coronary arteries. Described in this case report is a patient who developed hypotension and ST segment depressions during treadmill exercise test.

Bimodal Pattern of Coronary Microvascular Involvement in Diabetes Mellitus.

Background: The contribution of functionally disturbed coronary autoregulation and structurally impaired microvascular vasodilatory function to reduced coronary flow velocity reserve, reflecting impaired coronary microcirculation in diabetes mellitus (DM), has not been clearly elucidated. The objective of this study was to identify the mechanism of coronary microvascular impairment in DM in relation to duration of disease.

Methods And Results: Coronary flow velocities in the anterior descending coronary artery were assessed by transthoracic echocardiography following angiography revealing normal epicardial coronary arteries in 55 diabetic and 47 nondiabetic patients.

Endocan: a novel biomarker associated with well-developed coronary collateral circulation in patients with stable angina and chronic total occlusion.

Angiogenesis and arteriogenesis have a crucial role in the formation of coronary collateral vessels. It has been shown that endocan and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) are potential angiogenetic factors. We investigated the relationship between serum endocan levels and grade of coronary collaterals, and also the correlation of endocan levels with serum VCAM-1 levels.

An aortic dissection treated with left main coronary artery stent implantation.

Retrograde coronary aortic dissection is a rare but dangerous complication of coronary angioplasty. Mostly seen in right coronary artery procedures, especially in chronic total oclussion lesions, and rarely seen in left side procedures. This is a case report of an aortic dissection complicated by coronary angioplasty of the left circumflex artery.

Serum Endocan Level and the Severity of Coronary Artery Disease: A Pilot Study.

Endothelial-specific molecule 1 (endocan) is expressed in endothelial cells. We investigated the relationship between acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and serum endocan levels. We included 30 individuals as a control group and 53 patients diagnosed with ACS.

Doppler-derived strain imaging detects left ventricular systolic dysfunction in children with Turner syndrome.

Objectives: Children with Turner syndrome (TS) are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), but associations with subclinical CVD are not well-characterized. The purpose of this study was to assess myocardial function using strain imaging (SI) by echocardiography in children with TS and without known CVD.

Methods: The study included 48 children with TS aged 4-16 years and 20 healthy control children.