Assessment of biochemical aspirin resistance at rest and immediately after exercise testing.

Some aspirin-treated patients experience thromboembolic events, a phenomenon termed 'aspirin resistance', which may be clinical or biochemical by definition. Physical exercise is known to enhance platelet secretion and aggregability. To evaluate the presence of biochemical aspirin resistance at rest and immediately after exercise in individuals with stable coronary artery disease or coronary artery disease risk factors.

Recombinant human-activated protein C inhibits cardiomyocyte apoptosis in a rat model of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion.

Objectives: Myocardial apoptosis is recognized as a major mechanism of cell death during ischemia-reperfusion. In this study, we assessed the hypothesis that activated protein C may have a cardioprotective effect via preventing apoptosis in a rat model of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion.

Methods: Thirty male Sprague-Dawley rats were anesthetized, instrumented for hemodynamic measurements and ventilated mechanically.

Elevated serum uric acid levels impair coronary microvascular function in patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy.

In patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDC), attenuated coronary flow reserve (CFR) and elevated serum uric acid levels have been reported. In this study, we investigated whether increased uric acid levels correlate with the degree of coronary microvascular dysfunction. Serum uric acid levels were measured in 29 patients with IDC (mean age: 57.

Impaired coronary microvascular and left ventricular diastolic functions in patients with ankylosing spondylitis.

Background: It has been shown that the patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis have an increased risk of developing atherosclerosis. However, the association of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) to atherosclerosis and related diseases is still controversial. Accordingly, we investigated coronary flow reserve (CFR) and left ventricular (LV) diastolic function in patients with AS using transthoracic Doppler echocardiography.

Value of prolonged QRS duration as a predictor of low cardiac output syndrome in patients with impaired left ventricular systolic function who undergo isolated coronary artery bypass grafting.

This study determined whether prolonged QRS duration (QRSd; > or =120 ms) is an independent predictor of low cardiac output syndrome (LCOS) in patients with low left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF) who underwent isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Abnormal LV systolic function places patients at greater risk for developing LCOS after isolated CABG. In patients with this form of ventricular function impairment, prolonged QRSd is associated with adverse hemodynamic effects.

Endothelial functions are more severely impaired during active disease period in patients with Behcet's disease.

Oral apthous ulcers and skin lesions are the primary symptoms of Behcet's disease (BD). To date, there is no study to investigate possible associations between these lesions and endothelial functions. We have hypothesized that active BD period with oral and skin lesions might have more deteriorating effect on endothelial functions.

Serum gamma-glutamyl transferase activity: a new marker for stent restenosis?

Stent restenosis remains the main limitation of percutaneous coronary intervention. Elevated serum gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) level is associated with an inflammatory response. We aimed to determine the correlation of stent restenosis with the serums level of GGT.

Interrelationship between noninvasive predictors of atherosclerosis: transthoracic coronary flow reserve, flow-mediated dilation, carotid intima-media thickness, aortic stiffness, aortic distensibility, elastic modulus, and brachial artery diameter.

Background: In this study, we searched for a correlation between transthoracic coronary flow reserve (CFR) and well-established surrogates of coronary atherosclerosis.

Methods: The study was conducted on 136 healthy subjects (mean age: 39.9 +/- 7.

Nebivolol improves coronary flow reserve in patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy.

Background: Impaired coronary flow reserve (CFR) is a significant predictor of poor prognosis in patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDC). Nebivolol reduces mortality and morbidity in patients with heart failure and left ventricular dysfunction, including cases caused by IDC.

Objective: To assess the effects of nebivolol on CFR in patients with IDC.

Simvastatin improves the attenuated heart rate recovery of type 2 diabetics.

Heart rate recovery at 1min (HRR1) is a strong predictor of all-cause mortality. The effects of statins on the autonomic nervous system may account for their beneficial effects in survival. Our aim was to determine if statin therapy improves heart rate recovery in hypercholesterolemic patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Interesting electrophysiological findings in a patient with coincidental right ventricular outflow tract and atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia.

Tachycardia induced tachycardias are not common in clinical practice, and it is believed that most cases of double tachycardia are coincidental. The existence of two different tachycardias in the same patient almost always poses problems in the electrophysiology laboratory. However, in rare instances, the emergence of a second tachycardia can actually provide invaluable information about the first one.

An experience on radial versus femoral approach for diagnostic coronary angiography in Turkey.

Objective: The radial approach has been increasingly used as an alternative to femoral access. The purpose of the present study was to assess the feasibility, success, and safety of the transradial approach (TRA) for diagnostic coronary angiography, and to describe the difficulties associated with the technique as compared with transfemoral approach (TRF).

Methods: A series of 180 consecutive patients were divided to TRA or TFA groups by two operators.

Metformin therapy improves coronary microvascular function in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome and insulin resistance.

Background: Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are thought to have increased cardiovascular risk. Metformin therapy reduces whole-body insulin resistance (IR) in patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus (DM).

Objective: As insulin resistance accompanying PCOS may be reversed by metformin therapy, we hypothesized that metformin therapy might improve coronary microvascular functions in women with PCOS and IR.

Aortic elastic properties and left ventricular diastolic function in white-coat hypertensive individuals.

Objectives: Although white-coat hypertension may be present in 25% or more of hypertensive individuals, its prognostic significance and predisposition to end organ damage is unknown. To evaluate whether white-coat hypertension is associated with end organ damage, we compared prognostically relevant measures of target-organ damage among 35 individuals with white-coat hypertension and age and sex-matched groups of sustained hypertension and normotensive individuals classified by clinical and 24-h ambulatory blood pressures.

Methods: We evaluated left ventricular diastolic function and aortic elastic properties of 35 individuals with white-coat hypertension, 50 patients with sustained hypertension, and 35 normotensive healthy volunteers using transthoracic Doppler echocardiography.

Digital panoramic radiography: a reliable method to diagnose carotid artery atheromas?

Objectives: The aim of the present study is to evaluate the panoramic radiographs of 4106 patients for carotid artery atheromas (CAAs) and to correlate our findings with the literature.

Materials And Methods: The digital panoramic radiographs of 4106 dental patients (2428 female, 1678 male) were evaluated. Radiographs of patients 40 years of age or older were randomly chosen from a computer database.

Effect of dobutamine stress on basal septal tissue dynamics in hypertensive patients with basal septal hypertrophy.

Left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) obstruction has been classically observed in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in which the LVOT obstruction is associated with asymmetric septal hypertrophy producing a systolic pressure gradient across the LVOT. Basal septal hypertrophy (BSH) with hypertension may result in dynamic LVOT obstruction as well. It was suggested that regional hypertrophy may be related to enhanced ventricular dynamics.

Comparison of the non-invasive methods estimating dry weight in hemodialysis patients.

Background: The treatment of deranged water homeostasis of hemodialysis (HD) patients needs focusing on an accurate assessment of dry weight (DW). However, the correct estimation of post-dialysis DW is still a problem. Echocardiography of inferior caval vein diameter (ICVD) was recently considered as a reliable technique to estimate DWs of HD patients, whereas conductivity measurements and biochemical parameters remain controversial.

Do women with polycystic ovary syndrome really have predisposition to atherosclerosis?

The elastic properties of the aorta were studied in 28 women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and in 26 regularly menstruating healthy women. In PCOS and control groups, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, aortic systolic diameter, aortic diastolic diameter, aortic distensibility, aortic stiffness index, and aortic elastic modulus were similar. It is likely that PCOS does not have any innate adverse effects on the cardiovascular system if its undesirable metabolic consequences are successfully controlled.

Slow coronary flow is associated with carotid artery dilatation.

Slow coronary flow (SCF) in a normal coronary angiogram is a well-recognized clinical entity, but its etiopathogenesis remains unclear. Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) is a noninvasive marker of atherosclerosis. The aim of this study was to investigate the CIMT and diameter of carotid and coronary artery in relation to SCF.

Coronary flow reserve is impaired in patients with slow coronary flow.

Background: Slow coronary flow (SCF) in a normal coronary angiogram is a well-recognized clinical entity, but its etiopathogenesis remains unclear. However, previous studies have suggested that microvascular abnormalities and endothelial dysfunction responsible for SCF. Accordingly, we hypothesized that SCF phenomenon may be a form, at least early phase, of atherosclerosis that involve both small vessels and epicardial coronary arteries, and therefore we investigated coronary flow reserve (CFR) reflecting coronary microvascular function in patients with SCF.

Cardiac enzymes, renal failure and renal transplantation.

Diagnostic accuracy of the currently available serum markers of cardiac injury, such as myoglobin, creatine kinase and its myocardial isoform, are altered in patients with renal failure. It is shown that cardiac troponins have decreased diagnostic sensitivity and specificity in patients receiving renal replacement therapy. Data regarding serum levels of these cardiac biomarkers, especially those of the cardiac troponins, in patients with a transplanted kidney are limited.