Transcoronary Gradients of Mechanosensitive MicroRNAs as Predictors of Collateral Development in Chronic Total Occlusion.

: In this present study, we investigated the impact of mechanosensitive microRNAs (mechano-miRs) on the collateral development in 126 chronic total occlusion (CTO) patients, selected from 810 undergoing angiography. : We quantified the collateral blood supply using the collateral flow index (CFI) and assessed the transcoronary mechano-miR gradients. The patients with favorable collaterals had higher CFI values (0.

Estimated plasma volume is not a robust indicator of the severity of congestion in patients with heart failure.

Background: Congestion is the main cause of morbidity and a prime determinant of survival in patients with heart failure (HF). However, the assessment of congestion is subjective and estimation of plasma volume (ePV) has been suggested as a more objective measure of congestion. This study aimed to explore the relationships and interactions between ePV, the severity of congestion and survival using a nationwide registry.

Snapshot evaluation of acute and chronic heart failure in real-life in Turkey: A follow-up data for mortality.

Objective: Heart failure (HF) is a progressive clinical syndrome. SELFIE-TR is a registry illustrating the overall HF patient profile of Turkey. Herein, all-cause mortality (ACM) data during follow-up were provided.

Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for Chronic Total Occlusion versus Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for Non-Complex Coronary Lesions: Is There a Different Impact on Thyroid Function?

Objective: This study assessed whether high levels of iodide administered during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for chronic total occlusion (CTO) differentially influenced thyroid function compared to PCI for non-complex coronary lesions.

Subjects And Methods: A total of 615 patients were enrolled in the study; 205 underwent elective PCI for CTO lesions (Group I) and 410 underwent elective PCI for non-complex lesions including non-CTO, non-bifurcation, non-calcified, and non-tortuous lesions (Group II). Patients were monitored for development of incidental thyroid dysfunction between 1 and 6 months after PCI.

Is trans-radial approach related to an increased risk of radiation exposure in patients who underwent diagnostic coronary angiography or percutaneous coronary intervention? (The SAKARYA study).

Objective: It is still debatable whether diagnostic coronary angiography (CA) or percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) increase radiation exposure when performed via radial approach as compared to femoral approach. This question was investigated in this study by comparison of dose-area product (DAP), reference air kerma (RAK), and fluoroscopy time (FT) among radial and femoral approaches.

Methods: All coronary procedures between November 2015 and November 2017 were assessed; and 4215 coronary procedures were enrolled in the study.

Effects of Iodixanol on Respiratory Functions during Coronary Angiography and the Role of Body Composition.

Purpose: The purposes of this study are to assess the acute effects of iodixanol, an iso-osmolar contrast media, on pulmonary functions and to evaluate the body composition in order to find out its role in causing this deterioration.

Methods: 35 male and 25 female patients undergoing diagnostic coronary angiography (CA) were enrolled in the study. Before CA, all patients' body compositions were evaluated by measuring their body mass indexes (BMIs) and waist-to-hip ratios (WHRs).

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome is associated with impaired pulmonary artery distensibility and right ventricular systolic dysfunction.

Background/aim: We investigated whether obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) has any impact on pulmonary artery distensibility (PAD) and right ventricular (RV) function. Materials and methods: Subjects were categorized according to apnea–hypopnea index (AHI) as follows: controls (n = 17 and AHI < 5), mild-to-moderate OSAS (n = 22 and AHI = 5–30), and severe OSAS (n = 29 and AHI > 30). All subjects underwent transthoracic echocardiography after polysomnography to assess PAD and RV function.

Left atrial remodelling may predict exercise capacity in obstructive sleep apnoea patients.

Background: Left atrial volume (LAV) and LA deformation has been proposed as a good marker of exercise performance in patients with diastolic dysfunction (DD). As DD is more prevalent in obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) we aimed to evaluate the influence of LAV and LA deformation parameters on exercise performance in varying severity of OSA.

Materials And Methods: OSA was diagnosed after polysomnography.

Cutaneous analgesia before transradial access for coronary intervention to prevent radial artery spasm.

Aim: Transradial access (TRA) for coronary intervention is increasingly used in current clinical practice. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the hypothesis that cutaneous analgesia before TRA for coronary intervention at a puncture site 30 minutes before puncture can reduce patient discomfort and the incidence of radial artery spasm (RAS).

Methods: Patients (n=104) undergoing planned coronary interventions using TRA were prospectively randomized to receive either 1 mL of 1% lidocaine subcutaneously (n=52) (control group) or subcutaneous lidocaine plus 5% lidocaine cream (n=52) cutaneously 30 minutes before puncture (treatment group).

Left ventricular torsion in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea before and after continuous positive airway pressure therapy: assessment by two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography.

Background: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate how obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) influences left ventricular (LV) torsion and whether nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy has any impact on LV torsion in OSA patients with established cardiovascular risk factors.

Methods: LV torsion was assessed by two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) in 162 participants without overt cardiovascular disease. The participants were categorized according to the apnoea-hypopnea index (AHI) as controls and mild, moderate and severe OSA patients.

Epicardial fat thickness regression with continuous positive airway pressure therapy in patients with obstructive sleep apnea: assessment by two-dimensional echocardiography.

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common syndrome in patients with metabolic syndrome (MetS). Epicardial fat thickness (EFT), an indicator of visceral adiposity, is a novel parameter for studying patients with OSA. Our aim was to investigate the effects of continuous positive airway pressure therapy (CPAP) therapy on EFT.

Incremental Value of Live/Real Time Three-Dimensional over Two-Dimensional Transesophageal Echocardiography in the Assessment of Atrial Septal Pouch.

An atrial septal pouch (ASP) results from partial fusion of the septum primum and the septum secundum, and depending on the site of fusion, the pouch can be left-sided (LASP) or right-sided (RASP). LASPs have been described in association with thrombi found in patients admitted with acute strokes, raising awareness of its potential cardioembolic role, especially in those with no other clearly identifiable embolic source. We retrospectively studied 39 patients in whom the presence of an ASP had been identified by three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography (3DTEE) and who had a two-dimensional transesophageal echocardiogram (2DTEE) performed during the same clinical encounter.

Assessment of left atrial appendage function during sinus rhythm in patients with obstructive sleep apnea.

Objective: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with thromboembolic events. Compromised left atrial appendage (LAA) function due to left ventricular (LV) performance abnormality, often present in patients with OSA, may play an important role. The purpose of this study is to evaluate LV and LAA mechanical functions during sinus rhythm (SR) in patients with OSA.

Relation between Left Atrial Remodeling in Young Patients with Cryptogenic Stroke and Normal Inter-atrial Anatomy.

Background And Purpose: To investigate an association between left atrial (LA) structural and P wave dispersion (PWD) during sinus rhythm, and electrical remodeling in cryptogenic stroke (CS) patients.

Methods: Forty CS patients and 40 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were enrolled. P wave calculations were based on 12-lead electrocardiography (ECG) at a 50-mm/s-paper speed with an amplitude of 10 mm/mV.

Effect of Long-Term TNF-α Inhibition with Infliximab on Left Ventricular Torsion in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Introduction: We evaluated the impact of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) inhibition on left ventricular torsion (LVtor) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) using speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE).

Methods: Thirty-eight RA patients without cardiovascular disease and 30 healthy subjects were enrolled in the study. Twenty patients received infliximab, a monoclonal antibody against TNF-α, and 18 patients received increasing doses of prednisolone for 180 days.

Chronic inhibition of tumor necrosis factor-α with infliximab improves myocardial deformation in parallel with aortic elasticity in rheumatoid arthritis.

Objectives: This study investigated the effects of infliximab, a monoclonal antibody against TNFα, on myocardial deformation and aortic elasticity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and the association of aortic elasticity with myocardial deformation.

Study Design: 38 female rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and 30 healthy controls were included in the study. Twenty patients received infliximab and 18 patients received prednisolone.

Impact of continuous positive airway pressure therapy on left atrial function in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea: assessment by conventional and two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography.

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate left atrial (LA) function in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) receiving continuous positive airway pressure therapy (CPAP), incorporating two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography (2D-STE).

Methods: Forty-five control and 117 OSA patients were enrolled in the study. They were categorized into mild, moderate and severe OSA groups according to the apnoea-hypopnoea index (AHI).

Subclinical atherosclerosis and hyperandrogenemia are independent risk factors for increased epicardial fat thickness in patients with PCOS and idiopathic hirsutism.

Objective: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrine disorders affecting reproductive-age women and is reported to be associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and early atherosclerosis. Epicardial fat thickness (EF) is clinically related to subclinical atherosclerosis and visceral fat changes. Therefore, the objective of this study is to compare the carotid artery intima-media thickness (CIMT), EF and cardiometabolic risk factors in patients with PCOS, patients with idiopathic hirsutism (IH) and healthy controls.

Serum levels of adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein are independently associated with left ventricular mass and myocardial performance index in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

Objective: To investigate the cross-sectional association between serum adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein (A-FABP) level and diagnosis or severity of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) and some echocardiographic indices related with cardiac dysfunction.

Methods: In this study, plasma A-FABP and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein concentrations were measured, and echocardiography was performed in subjects without any cardiac or pulmonary disease who were referred for evaluation of OSAS. According to the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), subjects were classified into 3 groups: control group (AHI <5; n = 33), mild to moderate OSAS (30 > AHI ≥ 5; n = 30), and severe OSAS (AHI ≥ 30; n = 31).

Tissue Doppler atrial conduction times and electrocardiogram interlead P-wave durations with varying severity of obstructive sleep apnea.

Objectives: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has been reported to be associated with an increased risk of atrial fibrillation. The aim of this study was to investigate atrial electromechanical couplings in patients with OSA and the relationship between these parameters and P-wave dispersion (Pd).

Methods: One hundred twenty-six patients were enrolled in this study.