Effect of sex on the diagnostic efficacy of dobutamine stress echocardiography with early atropine administration in the detection of coronary artery disease.

Introduction: Considering a poorer diagnostic accuracy of exercise stress test in women, echocardiographic stress tests are often recommended for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease (CAD) in this patient group.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to compare the diagnostic value of a modified protocol of dobutamine-atropine stress echocardiography between men and women.

Patients And Methods: This was a prospective study including 250 patients with symptoms suggesting CAD.

Feasibility and correlation of standard 2D speckle tracking echocardiography and automated function imaging derived parameters of left ventricular function during dobutamine stress test.

Speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) is a method of quantitative assessment of myocardial function complementary to ejection fraction and visual evaluation. Standard STE analysis, demands manual tracing of the myocardium whereas automated function imaging (AFI) offers more convenient (based on selection of three points) assessment of longitudinal strain. Nevertheless, feasibility and correlation between both methods were not thoroughly examined, especially during tachycardia at peak stage of dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE).

[Critical stenosis left main coronary artery in 39-year-old woman treated with percutaneous angioplasty].

Isolated critical stenosis of left main coronary artery (LMCA) due to atherosclerosis is very rare and affects about 0.2% of patients. We present the case of a 39-year-old, non-smoker women with risk factors for diseases of the cardiovascular system in the form of hypercholesterolaemia and hypertension, in addition to positive family history and chronic oral contraception.

[Severe coronary artery disease in premenopausal woman with familial hypercholesterolaemia].

We present a case of a 51 year-old, premenopausal, non-smoker for many years woman with severe, two-coronary artery disease in the form of acute coronary syndrome (ACS), and severe hypercholesterolaemia as the predominant risk factor. The first clinical diagnosis of familial hypercholesterolaemia has been established at the time of diagnosis of ACS. Satisfactory effect of pharmacological treatment is achieved by a complex lipid-lowering therapy.

[Is prevalence of the "white coat effect" correlated with a high risk of late diabetic complications in type 2 diabetic patients?].

Background: On the ground of existing hitherto reports it is suggested that the "white coat effect" is not correlated with a high risk of cardiovascular diseases. Conducted studies did not ascertain a correlation between the value of the "white coat effect" and late diabetic complications. The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk of late diabetic complications: polyneuropathy, retinopathy and nephropathy in type 2 diabetic, hypertensive patients, in which the "white coat effect" was detected.

[Glycosylated hemoglobin and left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus].

Unlabelled: Glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) is a confirmed prognostic factor of cardiovascular complications in diabetic patients. The relative odds of cardiovascular disease (CD) increase by 20% for 1% increase of HbA1c above HbA1c 5%. The aim of the study was to assess relationship between diastolic dysfunction and HbA1c in patients with diabetes mellitus 2 (DM 2) without critical coronary stenosis in coronarography.