Coronary calcifications, the Achilles heel in coronary interventions.

Percutaneous coronary intervention in severely calcified coronaries has been associated with higher rates of procedural complications, including myocardial infarction and death in addition to increased frequency of coronary revascularization on an intermediate and long-term basis. The SYNTAX score, which is designed to assess the complexity of coronary artery disease and aids in choosing a revascularization method, allocates two points per lesion when there is heavy calcification present on fluoroscopy. With the advent of novel multimodality imaging technologies, the detection and evaluation of coronary calcifications improved significantly over the last decade.

Right Ventricular Response to Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy: A Three-Dimensional and Speckle Tracking Echocardiographic Study.

Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) induces left ventricle reverse remodeling; however, its effects on right ventricular (RV) volumes and function were not well described. This study aimed to assess the effects of CRT on RV. Of 112 patients, 63 enrolled with a mean age of 62.

The effects of clinical and angiographic aspects of coronary artery disease on the cardiac autonomic function: a single-center prospective cohort study.

Background: Autonomic malfunction is linked to elevated cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Various patient characteristics can alter the cardiac autonomic function therefore, using a prospective observational study, we aimed to assess the effects of different clinical and angiographic factors of coronary artery disease (CAD) patients on the cardiac autonomic function evaluated by heart rate variability (HRV) measurement.

Methods And Patients: 100 patients undergoing coronary angiography when clinically indicated were enrolled.

Effects of coronary revascularization by elective percutaneous coronary intervention on cardiac autonomic modulation assessed by heart rate variability: a single-center prospective cohort study.

Objective: To study the effects of coronary revascularization using elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) on autonomic modulation assessed by heart rate variability measurement (HRV) in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients.

Methods: A single-center prospective cohort study included 100 patients were included undergoing elective PCI excluding those with contraindication to contrast or dual antiplatelet therapy, atrial fibrillation or multiple premature beats, receiving anti-arrhythmic drugs and those who underwent previous PCI or coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). Short-term measurement of time domain parameters (mean, SDNN, RMSSD) and frequency domain parameters (LF component, HF component, LF/HF ratio) of HRV was performed at the same time of the day, pre-PCI, 24 hours and 6 months post-PCI by CheckMyheart™ handheld HRV device.

Effects of cardiac pacemakers on left ventricular volumes and function assessed by 3D echocardiography, Doppler method, and global longitudinal strain.

Background: Many previous studies reported the negative effects of right ventricular (RV) pacing on the left ventricular (LV) structure and ejection fraction. Studying pacing hemodynamics is essential to understand these detrimental effects. In this study, we tried to understand RV pacing effects on LV volumes and function using advanced tools like 3D echo and global longitudinal strain (GLS).

Predictors of pacing induced left ventricular dysfunction and cardiomyopathy assessed by three-dimensional echocardiography and speckle tracking strain.

Background: Long-term RV pacing leads to ventricular dyssynchrony, in the form of LBBB-like morphology, with subsequent detrimental effects on LV structure and function. Three-dimensional echocardiography allowed early detection of volumetric changes associated with PICMP and provided more accurate assessment of mechanical dyssynchrony. Speckle tracking strain is able to identify LV dysfunction even before any reduction in LVEF.

Physician assessment of stroke risk in hypertensive patients in the Middle East and Africa: results of the action survey.

Objectives: In the absence of reliable, contemporary national data, the ACTION survey was designed to: a) provide preliminary data on stroke risk in the MEA (Middle East and Africa); b) describe the contribution of specific cardiovascular risk factors; 3) assess blood pressure (BP) control.

Design And Patients: This was a multi-center observational study in nine countries in the MEA region. From 2003 to 2005, 562 physicians from a variety of specialties recorded observations of cardiovascular risk factors in 4,747 hypertensive patients, aged 54-80 years.