Can the development of atrial fibrillation in patients with ischemic heart failure with low ejection fraction be predicted?

Objective: Our aim is to determine the triggering factors of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) in ischemic heart failure (HF) patients with low ejection fraction (EF).

Methods: Sixty patients were included in this study. Echocardiography and 24-hours Holter monitoring were performed after measurement of serum NT-pro BNP concentration.

Tools to improve the diagnostic accuracy of exercise electrocardiograms in patients with atypical angina pectoris.

Objective: Although frequently utilized, an exercise electrocardiogram (ECG) provides limited diagnostic accuracy in patients with atypical angina pectoris. The purpose of this study was to determine the possible incremental value of pretest probability (PTP) scores and exercise parameters in discriminating coronary artery disease (CAD) and to identify PTP cutoff values.

Methods: In a retrospective cohort of 207 patients with atypical angina (76 women, 131 men; mean age: 57.

The role of novel cytokines in inflammation: Defining peripheral artery disease among patients with coronary artery disease.

Coronary artery disease (CAD) patients with concomitant peripheral artery disease (PAD) experience more extensive and calcified atherosclerosis, greater lesion progression and more common coronary events compared to patients with CAD only. To characterize the distinct features of this aggressive atherosclerotic disease, we studied novel cytokines that code different stages of atherogenesis. One hundred and eighty consecutive subjects (60 patients into each group of CAD+PAD, CAD and controls) were recruited among patients with stable angina pectoris scheduled for coronary angiography.

Role of sympathetic cotransmitter galanin on autonomic balance in heart failure: an active player or a bystander?

Objective: Galanin, a cotransmitter similar to neuropeptide Y (NPY), aggravates autonomic imbalance in systolic heart failure (HF) by attenuating vagal tonus after burst sympathetic activity. In animal HF models, galanin antagonists have improved cardiac function. To determine whether galanin is a promising therapeutic target in HF, we studied its concentrations in HF patients and evaluated its correlation with NPY, markers of humoral activity such as pro-BNP and copeptin, and echocardiographic parameters of HF severity.

A Novel Deep Inspiration Maneuver for Difficult Transseptal Puncture.

Transseptal puncture (TSP) may not be possible in cases of an elastic, aneurysmal, or thickened interatrial septum (IAS). During deep inspiration (DI), the chest wall expands and the diaphragm descends. This makes intrapleural pressure to become more negative, which leads to movement of the IAS to the right side.

Relationship between red cell distribution width and contrast-induced nephropathy in patients who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

Objective: This study evaluated the relationship between contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) and red cell distribution width (RDW) in patients who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods: A total of 359 patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) who had undergone primary PCI were included in the study. An increase of 25% in serum creatinine value after 48 h, or an increase of >0.

Plasma urotensin II and neurokinin B levels in acute myocardial infarction and stable coronary artery disease.

Objective: This aim of the study is to investigate whether there are possible plasma urotensin-II (U-II) and neurokinin B (NKB) level changes in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) or not and plasma urotensin-II (U-II) and neurokinin B (NKB) level changes in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and stable coronary artery disease (CAD) and to evaluate whether there is any relationship between these changes and the pathogenesis of these diseases.

Methods: This is a prospective case-control study. Three groups were formed from randomly admitted patients with AMI, stable CAD, and controls.

Heart rate recovery may predict the presence of coronary artery disease.

Objective: We investigated whether post-exercise first minute abnormal heart rate recovery (HRR1) helps to predict the presence and severity of CAD, because of some confounding data.

Methods: A cross-sectional, retrospective study was performed. Two hundred individuals were included.

Maximal Exercise-Corrected QT as a Predictor of Coronary Artery Disease: Comparison of Simpler Heart Rate Corrections.

Background And Objectives: The relationship between QT prolongation and myocardial ischemia is widely known. Due to the limited value of ST depression, we aimed to evaluate, by using four simpler heart rate corrections (Bazett, Framingham, Fridericia and Hodges), the value of maximal exercise-QTc prolongation in the diagnosis of coronary artery disease (CAD) presence and severity.

Subjects And Methods: We enrolled 234 subjects (mean age 57.

A new approach to the measurement of heart rate in patients with chronic heart failure-heart rate performance index: an observational study.

Objective: In order to evaluate the utility of the heart rate performance index (HRPI), which is obtained by dividing HR mean by the difference of HR max and HR min in the context of Holter monitoring, we sought to determine whether there was any correlation or relationship between the HRPI and LVEF values as determined by echocardiography and to compare the HRPI between the study and control groups.

Methods: This study is a cross-sectional, controlled observational study. Thirty-two patients with symptomatic or asymptomatic left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVEF <45%) were included as study group and 32 subjects without chronic heart failure (CHF) were included as a control group.

Heart rate variability in patients with iron deficiency anemia.

Background: Heart rate variability (HRV) is associated with increased cardiac risk factor in several conditions. The iron status of an individual may play an important role in cardiovascular health.

Objective: To evaluate heart rate variability in patients with iron deficiency anemia.

Ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm after resection of an infected cardiac myxoma.

A 12-year-old girl with a high fever underwent echocardiography and was found to have a myxoma that arose from the atrial side of the anterior mitral valve leaflet. The tumor was successfully excised. Histologic examination of the tumor showed myxoma cells and an organized thrombus with bacterial colonization.

Do cardiac neuropeptides play a role in the occurrence of atrial fibrillation after coronary bypass surgery?

Background: One of the potential mechanisms to explain the occurrence of postoperative atrial fibrillation (AF) is imbalance of autonomic nervous system tone. The myocardium is innervated not only by cholinergic and adrenergic nerves but also by peptidergic nerves that synthesize and secrete neuropeptides. To investigate the possible role of cardiac neuropeptides in the development of AF after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), we analyzed the plasma levels of substance P (SubP), neuropeptide Y (NPY), and angiotensin II (Ang II) in patients who underwent elective on-pump CABG.

A case report of coronary subclavian steal syndrome in a young woman.

A 41-year-old woman presented with complaints of increasing angina pectoris and coldness of her left arm for 1 month. Six months ago, she had undergone triple coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) including left internal mammary artery (LIMA) to left anterior descending artery (LAD) and two saphenous vein grafts to the diagonal branch of LAD and obtuse marginal branch of the circumflex artery. Coronary angiography revealed that contrast media injected into the saphenous vein graft coursing down the diagonal branch flowed up to LAD and drained into the LIMA opacifying the left subclavian artery.

Relationship between slow coronary flow and left atrial appendage blood flow velocities.

Aims: This study was undertaken to assess whether slow coronary flow (SCF)is related to low left atrial appendage (LAA) blood flow velocities.

Methods: Study subjects consist of 44 patients with SCF and 11 volunteer subjects with normal coronary angiogram. The diagnosis of SCF was made using the TIMI frame count method.

A case report of surgical septal myectomy of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with concomitant left ventricular outflow tract and mid-ventricular obstructions.

A 27-year-old female presented with dyspnea, fatigue, and exertional angina is found to have hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with marked hypertrophy of the papillary muscles, apex, septum, and lateral wall of the left ventricle. Also, small left ventricular cavity and systolic anterior movement of anterior mitral leaflet were observed at the echocardiography. The Doppler echocardiography revealed severe peak gradients at the left ventricle outflow tract (105 mmHg) and mid-ventricle (80 mmHg).

Left ventricular outflow tract obstruction after bioprosthetic mitral valve replacement with posterior mitral leaflet preservation.

We present a case of transient left ventricular outflow tract obstruction after mitral valve replacement with a high-profile bioprosthesis; only the posterior native mitral valve leaflet was preserved. A 76-year-old woman was admitted to our institution with pulmonary edema. Two weeks earlier, she had undergone mitral valve replacement at our hospital due to severe mitral stenosis and 2+ mitral regurgitation complicated by cardiac failure and atrial fibrillation.

Current role of laser angioplasty of restenotic coronary stents.

Treatment of in-stent restenosis (ISR) with conventional percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) causes significant recurrent neointimal tissue growth in 30-85%. Therefore, laser ablation of intrastent neointimal hyperplasia before balloon dilation can be an attractive alternative. However, the long-term outcomes of such treatment have not been studied thoroughly enough.

Comparison of the effects of desflurane and sevoflurane on the QTc interval and QT dispersion.

Objective: The effects of desflurane and sevoflurane on QT interval and QT dispersion have been investigated in a prospective, double-blind, randomized study of patients undergoing noncardiac surgery.

Interventions: Sixty American Society of Anaesthesiologists physical status I-II adult patients were randomly assigned to two groups. Anaesthesia was induced with inhalation of desflurane (desflurane group) or sevoflurane (sevoflurane group) in increasing concentrations to 3 minimal alveolar concentration level.

Comparison of the short-term effects of salmeterol and formoterol on heart rate variability in adult asthmatic patients.

Study Objectives: We investigated the effects of beta2-adrenergic agonists salmeterol and formoterol on heart rate variability (HRV) in adult asthmatic patients using time-domain measures of HRV.

Patients: Thirty-nine adult patients with asthma were studied. All patients showed a mild-to-moderate decrease in baseline FEV1.

The effects of short term (3 weeks) testosterone treatment on serum inflammatory markers in men undergoing coronary artery stenting.

Objective: Inflammation markers can predict restenosis after successful intracoronary stenting. There is evidence that testosterone suppresses the expression of the inflammatory cytokines. We hypothesized that testosterone therapy after coronary stenting can reduce the inflammation markers.

Comparison of the effects of nitroglycerin and nitroprusside on transmitral Doppler flow parameters in patients with hypertensive urgency.

Background: Sodium nitroprusside (NIP) and nitroglycerin (NIT) are frequently selected agents for acutely reducing blood pressure. However, it is not clear which agent is more efficacious in improving left ventricular filling pressure in hypertensive crises.

Objective: To compare the acute effects of nitroglycerin (NIT) and nitroprusside (NIP) on transmitral Doppler filling parameters in patients with hypertensive urgency.

Recovery of left ventricular systolic function after left anterior descending coronary artery stenting.

Our objective was to determine the factors affecting recovery of left ventricular (LV) contractility and myocardial perfusion after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We selected 60 consecutive patients who underwent successful left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) stenting. The mean stent diameter and length were 3.