Intracoronary epinephrine versus adenosine in the management of refractory no-reflow phenomenon: a single-center retrospective cohort study.

Background: The no-reflow phenomenon is associated with a considerable reduction in myocardial salvage in patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated by primary percutaneous intervention (PCI). There has been no head-to-head comparison of intra-coronary epinephrine to adenosine in the management of no-reflow phenomenon.

Objectives: Evaluate the short- and long-term efficacy and safety of using intracoronary epinephrine versus adenosine for management of the catastrophic no-reflow phenomenon that may occur during primary PCI.

Relation between left atrial strain and exercise tolerance in patients with mild mitral stenosis: An insight from 2D speckle-tracking echocardiography.

Background: Mild mitral stenosis (MS) is a progressive disease but unfortunately, its clinical course is still unclearly studied. We aimed to study the left atrial (LA) deformation in such patients and how it is related to exercise intolerance.

Methods: Seventy-five patients with mitral valve area of 1.

Relation of microvascular dysfunction and exercise tolerance in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.

Purpose: We aimed to investigate the association of coronary flow reserve (CFR) with exercise tolerance (ET) in subjects with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF).

Materials And Methods: Seventy-seven patients with HFpEF were recruited for the study and compared with 30 healthy matched age and sex controls. All subjects underwent comprehensive echocardiographic evaluation.

Right ventricular mechanics and exercise capacity in patients with microvascular angina: The impact of microvascular function.

Objectives: We planned to assess the right ventricular mechanics in subjects with typical chest pain and angiographically normal coronary arteries (microvascular angina [MVA]) and to search for an association between right ventricular mechanics, coronary flow reserve, and exercise tolerance.

Methods: Seventy-one patients with MVA (mean age of 48.5 ± 7.

Mean platelet volume as a predictor of pulmonary hypertension in patients with stable COPD.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is one of the most common complications developed during the course of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Platelet activation plays an important role in its pathophysiology, and mean platelet volume (MPV) is considered a respectable index of platelet activation. The aim of this work is to assess the ability of MPV in predicting PH secondary to COPD as well as its severity.

Association between fragmented QRS and exercise intolerance in hypertensive patients: the relation with coronary flow.

Objective: We aimed to investigate the relation between the presence of fragmented QRS (FQRS) and exercise intolerance as assessed by 6 minute walking test (6MWT) and its association with coronary flow reserve (CFR).

Methods: One hundred and twenty patients with hypertension (age: 47.3 + 6.

Determinants and impact of masked hypertension in offspring of patients with diabetes: relation with coronary flow and cardiac function.

Objective: We aimed to evaluate the prevalence, determinants and clinical impact of masked hypertension in offspring of patients with diabetes. Masked hypertension was defined according to guidelines as daytime ambulatory blood pressure monitoring "ABPM" ≥135/85 mmHg and clinic BP <140/90 mmHg.

Methods: 100 nondiabetic offspring of patients with diabetes and 60 offspring of healthy people were enrolled; 24-h ABPM was applied to evaluate mean 24-h systolic/diastolic blood pressure "BP", daytime, nighttime and night dipping readings.

Interatrial septal fat thickness and left atrial stiffness are mechanistic links between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and incident atrial fibrillation.

Background And Aim: Recently, a clear evidence suggests that nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with an increased risk of incident atrial fibrillation (AF). Yet, the underlying pathogenesis is speculative. Thereby, we aimed to investigate the hypothesis that, interatrial thickness (IAST) and left atrial stiffness (LASt) might have mechanistic links between NAFLD and AF.

Coronary flow reserve in mitral stenosis before and after percutaneous balloon mitral valvuloplasty.

We aimed to evaluate the coronary flow reserve (CFR) before and after percutaneous balloon mitral valvuloplasty (PBMV) in patients with mitral stenosis (MS) and its association to clinical events. A prospective study included 45 patients with mitral stenosis candidate for PBMV (age 38 ± 19 years, 27 were females) and 20 with matched age and sex, healthy controls were included in the study. Noninvasive CFR was measured using transthoracic echocardiography and utilizing adenosine stress echocardiography (0.

Longitudinal function and ventricular dyssynchrony are restored in children with pulmonary stenosis after percutaneous balloon pulmonary valvuloplasty.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of balloon pulmonary valvuloplasty on longitudinal ventricular dysfunction and cardiac dyssynchrony in children with congenital moderately severe pulmonary stenosis (PS). Forty-eight children with congenital moderately severe valvular pulmonary stenosis and 36 age-matched normal children were included. Successful percutaneous balloon pulmonary valvuloplasty was performed for children with PS.

The relation between coronary tortuosity and calcium score in patients with chronic stable angina and normal coronaries by CT angiography.

Purpose: Coronary tortuosity (CorT) is a phenomenon often noticed by cardiologists and may be associated with stable angina even without significant lesion. We aim to determine the relationship between CorT and coronary artery calcium (CAC) scoring in patients with chronic stable angina and normal or near normal coronaries detected by computed tomography (CT) angiography.

Methods: This is a cross sectional retrospective study included all patients with stable angina underwent CT coronary angiography and calcium scoring that reveals normal or non-significant coronary artery lesion.

Can we predict the presence of coronary lesions from blood pressure measurement? A new clinical method.

The roles of arterial function and structure in cardiovascular physiology have expanded with the development of a variety of parameters that evaluate arterial stiffness. Markers of arterial stiffness have been correlated with cardiovascular outcomes. We aimed to find a simple, clinical, noninvasive method to predict atherosclerosis that leads to the development of coronary artery disease (CAD).

Is it ever possible to treat left ventricular free wall rupture conservatively?

A best evidence topic was written according to a structured protocol. The question addressed was whether conservative or surgical management would result in better outcomes in patients presenting with left ventricular free wall rupture (LVFWR) following acute myocardial infarction. Surgical techniques involved were infarctectomy + patch repair, suturing of an overlay patch to the defect, patch-and-glue repair and so on, on or off cardiopulmonary bypass.