The Role of Osteoprotegerin as a Cardioprotective Versus Reactive Inflammatory Marker: the Chicken or the Egg Paradox.

Cardiovascular disease is one of the most frequent causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Several variables have been identified as risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Recently, the role of receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B, receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B ligand, and the osteoprotegerin system has been recognized as more important in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease.

Assessment of left atrial function in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus with a disease duration of six months.

Introduction: Changes in left atrial (LA) size and function are associated with adverse clinical events. Recently, duration of diabetes mellitus (DM2) has been found to be positively associated with increased LA volume and impaired LA function. This study was performed, using two-dimensional echocardiograpy, to evaluate the changes in LA volume and function in patients with DM2 with a disease duration of six months, and to assess the parameters that affect LA volume and function.

Treating a Patient of Dysfibrinogenemia with Acute Thromboembolism by Rivaroxaban and Cilostazol.

Congenital dysfibrinogenemia is a rare autosomal recessive bleeding disorder, which is characterized by the absence of functional fibrinogen. Patients may have bleeding and paradoxical arterial and venous thrombotic problems from early childhood. The optimal antithrombotic therapy in these patients hasn't been determined yet.

Complicated left-sided infective endocarditis in chronic hemodialysis patients: a case report.

Infective endocarditis (IE) is a serious infectious condition with high morbidity and mortality in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). It has been particularly associated with recurrent bacteremia due to vascular access via lumen catheters. The most common pathogen is Staphylococcus (S.

Early Changes in Atrial Electromechanical Coupling in Patients with Hypertension: Assessment by Tissue Doppler Imaging.

Background: Hypertension (HT) is associated with atrial electrophysiological abnormalities. Echocardiographic pulsed wave tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) is one of the noninvasive methods for evaluation of atrial electromechanical properties. The aims of our study were to investigate the early changes in atrial electromechanical conduction in patients with HT and to assess the parameters that affect atrial electromechanical conduction.

Aortic flow propagation velocity, epicardial fat thickness, and osteoprotegerin level to predict subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Objective: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is the most common cause of liver dysfunction in Western countries and an independent risk factor for atherosclerotic heart disease. Appropriate noninvasive parameters are lacking for optimal risk stratification of cardiovascular disease in these patients. We evaluated several recently discovered noninvasive parameters for atherosclerosis in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: epicardial fat thickness, aortic flow propagation velocity, and osteoprotegerin level.

Cardiotoxicity following cyclophosphamidetherapy: a case report.

Introduction: Cardiac toxicity is one of the life-threatening complications of cancer therapy. Systemic anticancer treatments may exert their own toxic effects or can aggravate adverse effects of other drugs. We report a case of cyclophosphamide-induced cardiotoxicity in a patient with normal cardiac functions before chemotherapy.

Carotid Artery Intima Media Thickness and HsCRP; Predictors for Atherosclerosis in Prediabetic Patients?

Objective: We aimed to assess carotid intima media thickness (CIMT) and serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels as estimated markers of subclinical atherosclerosis and inflammation in prediabetic patients.

Methodology: One hundred and ten patients were defined as prediabetic and seventy-six subjects (age and sex matched) were assigned as control group in our cross sectional study. Bilateral CIMT measurements and hs-CRP levels were evaluated.

Platelet function analysis with two different doses of aspirin.

Objectives: We aimed to compare the level of platelet inhibition using the platelet function analyzer (PFA)-100 in patients receiving low and medium doses of aspirin.

Study Design: On a prospective basis, 159 cardiology outpatients (83 men, 76 women; mean age 60.9 ± 9.

The clinical significance of aspirin resistance in patients with chest pain.

Background: There are conflicting data in the literature about the clinical significance of aspirin resistance.

Hypothesis: We aimed to prospectively evaluate the prevalence of biochemical aspirin resistance in patients on aspirin therapy who were admitted to the emergency clinic with chest pain. We also aimed to evaluate the relation between acute coronary syndromes (ACS) and aspirin resistance.

Mitral valve aneurysm associated with aortic valve regurgitation.

Mitral valve aneurysm (MVA) is uncommon and occurs most commonly in association with infective endocarditis involving the aortic valve. A 66-year-old man with anterior MVA is presented. Two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography and transesophageal echocardiography revealed a saccular structure in the anterior mitral leaflet that bulged into the left atrium throughout the cardiac cycle, a localized aneurysmal lesion of the aortic valve, and severe mitral and aortic regurgitation.

The effects of short time right ventricular pacing on left atrial mechanical functions.

Objectives: Left atrium (LA) plays an important role in left ventricular filling. It is well known that right ventricular apical pacing has unfavorable effects on ventricular systolic and diastolic performance. The aim of this study is to evaluate the LA mechanical functions with 2D echocardiography in patients with a permanent pacemaker after short time ventricular pacing.

Tissue Doppler study of the right ventricle with a multisegmental approach: comparison with cardiac magnetic resonance imaging.

Objective: We investigated whether systolic right ventricular (RV) function and myocardial performance index (MPI) studied with a multisegmental approach improve the accuracy of RV function estimation based on tricuspid lateral annulus.

Methods: Systolic and isovolumic contraction velocities, isovolumic acceleration, regional MPI from the tricuspid lateral and septal annulus, and basal and apical RV free wall and blood pool MPI were obtained in 69 patients and compared with RV ejection fraction (EF) by cardiac magnetic resonance.

Results: Average systolic velocity from 2 annular sites had the highest correlation to the RVEF (r = 0.

Adenosine-induced ventricular arrhythmias in patients with supraventricular tachycardias.

Background: Adenosine is widely used for the diagnosis and the termination of supraventricular arrhythmias. There are many case reports and few series about the proarrhythmic potential of adenosine. We sought to evaluate the proarrhythmic potential of adenosine used to terminate the supraventricular arrhythmias.

Lipoma of the right atrium.

A 66-year-old asymptomatic woman was admitted to our hospital with the diagnosis of a right atrial mass detected on an outside transthoracic echocardiogram and confirmed on transesophageal echocardiography. Physical examination and basal electrocardiogram were normal. Transthoracic echocardiography revealed a 3.

The effects of prior calcium channel blocker therapy on creatine kinase-MB levels after percutaneous coronary interventions.

Background: Use of intracoronary calcium channel blockers (CCBs) during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has been shown to have favorable effects on coronary blood flow. We aimed to investigate the effects of CCBs administrated perorally on creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) levels in patients undergoing elective PCI.

Methods: A total of 570 patients who underwent PCI were evaluated for CK-MB elevation.

Comparison of C-reactive protein levels in patients who do and do not develop atrial fibrillation during electrophysiologic study.

C-reactive protein (CRP) was increased in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). The aim of this study was to evaluate CRP after inducing AF in 39 patients undergoing electrophysiologic study (EPS). After a diagnostic EPS, programmed atrial stimulation with 3 extra stimuli from the right atrium was performed in all patients.

C-reactive protein levels increase after exercise testing in patients with increased platelet reactivity.

Aspirin has the potential to influence C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, an inflammatory marker, by its anti-inflammatory activity. Persistently increased platelet reactivity, however, can be detected with different laboratory methods despite aspirin therapy in some patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of increased platelet reactivity on CRP levels at rest and after exercise in patients with documented or suspected coronary artery disease.

Effects of persistent platelet reactivity despite aspirin therapy on cardiac troponin I and creatine kinase-MB levels after elective percutaneous coronary interventions.

Background: Creatinine kinase-MB (CK-MB) and cardiac troponin I (cTnI) elevations are highly specific for myonecrosis after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Aspirin is used to prevent thrombotic complications. Several studies have shown that some individuals exhibit a reduced or completely missing antiplatelet response to aspirin.

Noninvasive estimation of right ventricular filling pressure by ratio of early tricuspid inflow to annular diastolic velocity in patients with and without recent cardiac surgery.

Background: Few data are available on the evaluation of right ventricular (RV) diastolic function and filling pressures by echocardiography. We aimed to determine whether the ratio of early tricuspid inflow to annular diastolic velocity (E/E') could be used to estimate RV filling pressure in patients with and without recent cardiac surgery.

Methods: In all, 101 data sets including invasive and echocardiographic measurements (42 after recent cardiac surgery) were simultaneously obtained from patients in the intensive care department.

Is it possible to increase the diagnostic value of exercise electrocardiography by post-exercise B-type natriuretic peptide levels?

Objective: Exercise electrocardiography is commonly available and a cost-effective test and therefore is widely used for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease. However, false positivity remains an important problem resulting in many unnecessary coronary angiographic examinations. In this study, we aimed to test the hypothesis that post-exercise B-type natriuretic peptides secreted in response to transient myocardial ischaemia induced by exercise, add any further information on positive test results.

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.

Effects of metoprolol therapy on cardiac troponin-I levels after elective percutaneous coronary interventions.

Aims: Beta-blockers (BBs) have been shown to improve survival and reduce the risk of re-infarction in patients following myocardial infarction. There are conflicting data about the effects of BB therapy on cardiac biomarkers after percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs). The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of BB use on cardiac troponin-I (cTnI) levels in patients who had undergone elective PCI.

Frequency of atrial fibrillation and factors related to its development in dialysis patients.

Background: The frequency of atrial fibrillation is increased in patients with end-stage renal disease. In this study, we sought to determine the incidence of persistent and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation in patients with end-stage renal disease and to identify the risk factors associated with this arrhythmia.

Methods: Two hundred seventy-five patients with end-stage renal disease who were in a hemodialysis program for at least 4 months were included in the study.

Effectiveness of triple-site triggered atrial pacing for prevention of atrial fibrillation after coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

Background: Recently, several temporary multisite pacing methods have been developed for prevention of postoperative atrial fibrillation (AF).

Hypothesis: In this study, we evaluated the effect of triple-site temporary triggered pacing in the AAT mode on the development of AF in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) at high risk for developing postoperative AF.

Methods: A total of 70 patients undergoing CABG were randomly assigned either to pacing group (study group, n = 35 patients) or to no pacing group (control group, n = 35 patients).