Apical Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: Case Report and Literature Review.

BACKGROUND Apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (ApHCM) is a relatively rare form of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy that predominantly affects the apex of the left ventricle and typically has a nonobstructive physiology. Its variable presentation and clinical course render ApHCM a commonly delayed or missed diagnosis. CASE REPORT A 53-year-old Caucasian woman presented with chronic progressive chest pain.

Percutaneous management of late leak after lariat transcatheter ligation of the left atrial appendage in patients with atrial fibrillation at high risk for stroke.

Left atrial appendage (LAA) occlusion or ligation is a novel approach to stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation that may obviate the need for long-term anticoagulation. The Lariat device has received Food and Drug Administration 510K clearance for the approximation of soft tissue and has been applied to transcatheter LAA ligation using a combined trans-pericardial and transseptal approach. The occurrence of late leak after transcatheter LAA ligation and its percutaneous management has not been previously reported.

Performance of electrocardiographic criteria to differentiate Takotsubo cardiomyopathy from acute anterior ST elevation myocardial infarction.

Background: The initial electrocardiogram (ECG) in Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TC) can mimic an acute, anterior ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Given the profound and immediate treatment differences between TC and STEMI, it would be clinically valuable to distinguish them using ECG criteria.

Methods: Presenting ECGs for proven cases of TC and acute, anterior STEMI were retrospectively collected.

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy induced by dobutamine infusion: a new phenomenon or an old disease with a new name.

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy mimics acute myocardial infarction but is a separate clinical entity characterized by distinct wall motion abnormalities in the absence of obstructive coronary lesions. The prevalence of this condition is relatively uncommon yet has gained increasing recognition in recent years. It has rarely been associated with the use of dobutamine infusion during cardiac stress testing.

Viral-induced human carcinogenesis: an oxidative stress perspective.

Oncogenic transformation occurs via many different mechanisms. Alterations in the expression of certain key genes (oncogenes and/or tumor suppressor genes) contribute to the development of the tumorigenic state of uncontrolled cell proliferation. Tumor viruses' studies have contributed over the last 2 decades significantly in cancer etiology, first by providing valuable information on the mechanisms and dissection of cell signaling and growth control pathways and second by being causative agents of human neoplasia.

Epidemiology of hypertension in the elderly.

Hypertension is clearly associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and death. With age, the incidence of hypertension increases, making it imperative that we understand the pathophysiology and treatment of hypertension, especially in the elderly. Data regarding individuals older than 80 years are emerging, with more attention being given to patterns and treatment of hypertension in the elderly.

Does service accessibility reduce socioeconomic differentials in maternity care seeking? Evidence from rural Bangladesh.

Maternal mortality is a serious public health concern in Bangladesh. However, most deaths could be prevented through proper and timely care seeking and adequate management. Unfortunately, fewer than half of pregnant women in Bangladesh seek antenatal care, and only one in eight receive delivery care from medically trained providers.

Predictive utility of pulse pressure and other blood pressure measures for cardiovascular outcomes.

Data are sparse regarding the actual predictive utility of pulse pressure and other blood pressure measures for cardiovascular events. We included all of the participants from the Chicago Heart Association Detection Project in Industry who were free of cardiovascular disease and not receiving antihypertensive treatment at baseline (1967-1973). Baseline blood pressure measures were assessed for predictive utility for fatal and nonfatal events over 33 years.

RGD and YIGSR synthetic peptides facilitate cellular adhesion identical to that of laminin and fibronectin but alter the physiology of neonatal cardiac myocytes.

In the mammalian heart, the extracellular matrix plays an important role in regulating cell behavior and adaptation to mechanical stress. In cell culture, a significant number of cells detach in response to mechanical stimulation, limiting the scope of such studies. We describe a method to adhere the synthetic peptides RGD (fibronectin) and YIGSR (laminin) onto silicone for culturing primary cardiac cells and studying responses to mechanical stimulation.

Simultaneity in the use of maternal-child health care and contraceptives: evidence from developing countries.

This study examined the relationship between the use of maternal-child health (MCH) care and the use of contraceptives. The high correlation between the two may be due to the independent effect of one on the other or to an association of both with the same or similar background factors. We used structural equation models to examine the relationship between these two interventions.

Focused medical surveillance: a search for subclinical movement disorders in a cohort of U.S. workers exposed to low levels of manganese dust.

Seventy-five workers with recent and/or historical exposure to manganese (Mn) at a metal producing plant in northern Mississippi were closely matched with 75 control workers who had no known history of occupational exposure to Mn. Both plants are OSHA STAR work sites and share common medical, safety, and industrial hygiene services. Airborne Mn levels were assessed for each of twelve job categories at the Mn facility by collecting 63 side-by-side full-shift personal samples of both total and respirable Mn dust.

Population change, health planning and human resource development in the health sector.

As a result of the demographic and epidemiological transitions now occurring rapidly in many developed countries, a dramatic shift in the age structures of populations and the burden of disease towards the middle-aged and elderly is expected to take place over the next several decades. In the 1990s, however, there remains great diversity across countries in fertility levels and mortality patterns. The World Bank's 1993 World Development Report assessed the global burden of disease in order to define the minimum packages of public health measures and clinical interventions that would improve health conditions in low-income countries in a cost-effective and affordable way.

Disease control priorities in developing countries: health policy responses to epidemiological change.

Health systems in developing countries are facing major challenges in the 1990s and beyond because of a growing epidemiological diversity as a consequence of rapid economic development and declining fertility. The infectious and parasitic diseases of childhood must remain a priority at the same time the chronic diseases among adults are emerging as a serious problem. Health policymakers must engage in undertaking an epidemiological and economic analysis of the major disease problems, evaluating the cost-effectiveness of alternative intervention strategies; designing health care delivery systems; and, choosing what governments can do through persuasion, taxation, regulation, and provision of services.

Arginine vasotocin binding to isolated branchial cells of the eel: effect of salinity.

Binding of 125I-labelled arginine vasotocin (AVT) was studied in isolated intact gill cells obtained from eels (Anguilla anguilla) adapted to fresh water (FW) or to sea water (SW). Experiments carried out at 20 degrees C showed maximum and stable binding beyond 10 min of incubation. Specific binding, determined by using labelled peptide in the presence or absence of an excess of unlabelled hormone, represented 30-50% of total and was reversible, with a half-time of less than 5 min.