Comparison between primary angioplasty and thrombolytic therapy on erectile dysfunction after acute ST elevation myocardial infarction.

Acute ST elevation myocardial infarction has high mortality and morbidity rates. The majority of patients with this condition face erectile dysfunction in addition to other health problems. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of two different reperfusion strategies, primary angioplasty and thrombolytic therapy, on the prevalence of erectile dysfunction after acute myocardial infarction.

An invasive but simple and accurate method for ascending aorta-femoral artery pulse wave velocity measurement.

Introduction: Pulse wave velocity (PWV) is an emerging predictor in the assessment of cardiovascular risk in diseased and healthy populations. We suggest a novel method for the accurate measurement of PWV.

Method: PWV is calculated from pulse transit time using two separate pulse recordings over a known distance.

Thymosin beta4 levels after successful primary percutaneous coronary intervention for acute myocardial infarction.

Objectives: Thymosin beta4 (Tβ4) has been shown to have an important role in healing of damaged tissues and promoting cardiomyocyte survival in acute coronary syndromes. We evaluated endogenous Tβ4 levels in patients presenting with ST-elevation acute myocardial infarction (STEMI) before and after successful primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Study Design: The study included 24 consecutive patients (7 females, 17 males; mean age 55.

Relationship of brain natriuretic peptide with metabolic syndrome parameters: an observational study.

Objective: Metabolic syndrome (MS) was independently associated with increased risk of incident heart failure and coronary artery disease. In this study, we sought to identify whether there is an association between metabolic syndrome components and left ventricular diastolic functions and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels.

Methods: This study is a cross-sectional, observational study.

Impaired right ventricular functions in metabolic syndrome patients with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction.

Objectives: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) has been shown to be independently associated with increased risk for incident heart failure and coronary artery disease. We investigated whether there was deterioration in right ventricular functions in MetS patients with preserved left ventricular functions and its association with the number of MetS components.

Study Design: The study included 192 consecutive patients (148 women, 44 men; mean age 54.

Thymosin beta 4 is associated with collateral development in coronary artery disease.

Objectives: Thymosin beta 4 (Tβ4) plays an essential role in cardiac vessel development and is currently being developed as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of coronary artery disease (CAD) in some experimental studies. Thus, we aimed to investigate the association of serum Tβ4 levels and collateral formation in patients presenting with severely stenotic CAD.

Methods: Thirteen patients with poor collateral development and 16 age- and sex-matched patients with good collateral development who had ≥ 95% stenosis in at least one major coronary artery on coronary angiogram (CAG) were enrolled in the study.

Paraoxonase activity might be predictive of the severity of aortic valve stenosis.

Background And Aim Of The Study: Aortic valve stenosis (AS) is the most common valvular heart disease in the western world, and in adults is invariably caused by the calcification of a normal tricuspid or congenital bicuspid valve. Calcific AS, as an active disease process, is characterized by lipid accumulation, inflammation and calcification that mimic atherosclerosis. Paraoxonase-1 (PON-1) is a high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-bound enzyme that exerts antiatherogenic properties by protecting low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol from oxidative modification.

Association between plasma asymmetrical dimethylarginine activity and severity of aortic valve stenosis.

Objectives: Aortic valve stenosis is the most common valvular heart disease in the Western world. The most common cause of aortic valve stenosis in adults is calcification of a normal trileaflet or congenital bicuspid valve. Calcific aortic valve stenosis is an active disease process characterized by mechanical stress, endothelial damage, lipid accumulation, inflammation, synthesis of extracellular matrix proteins, and calcification, reminiscent of atherosclerosis in many aspects.

Effect of reperfusion therapy on index of myocardial performance in acute myocardial infarction: thrombolytics versus primary angioplasty.

It is known that primary angioplasty is more effective than thrombolytic therapy for the treatment of ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction. The aim of the present study is to compare the effects of the two strategies on the left ventricular functions using the Tei index (a combined myocardial performance index). Of 81 patients (11 female, mean age 52.

[Transient subclavian artery spasm observed during percutaneous coronary intervention for acute myocardial infarction].

A 68-year-old man with a history of two coronary artery bypass operations was admitted with acute inferior myocardial infarction (AMI) and cardiogenic shock. The electrocardiogram showed ST-segment elevation in leads D2, D3, and aVF. Coronary angiography demonstrated a 75% thrombotic stenosis in the right coronary artery (RCA), 90-99% stenosis in the intermediate coronary artery, and plaques in the circumflex artery.

Asymmetric dimethylarginine levels in patients with coronary artery ectasia.

Background: Endothelial dysfunction might be one of the pathophysiological mechanisms in the development of coronary artery ectasia (CAE) although the exact mechanisms have not yet been demonstrated. Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), an endogenous competitive inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase, is also related to endothelial and structural dysfunction.

Aim: To asses the relationship between CAE and ADMA plasma concentrations.

Association between paraoxonase activity and late saphenous vein graft occlusion in patients with coronary artery bypass grafting.

Background: Coronary vein graft disease is an important contributor to the morbidity after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Late occlusion of the graft is a serious complication that limits the use of the saphenous vein as a coronary bypass conduit. It is frequently encountered in old, degenerated vein grafts with advanced atherosclerotic plaque formation.

Association between plasma asymmetrical dimethylarginine activity and saphenous vein graft disease in patients with coronary bypass.

Background: Coronary vein graft disease is an important contributor to the morbidity after coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Graft occlusion is a serious complication, which limits the use of the saphenous vein as a coronary bypass conduit. Asymmetrical dimethylarginine (ADMA) is an endogenous inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase and it reduces the bioavailability of nitric oxide and begets endothelial dysfunction.

Influence of heavy cigarette smoking on heart rate variability and heart rate turbulence parameters.

Background: Cigarette smoking increases the risk of cardiovascular events related with several mechanisms. The most suggested mechanism is increased activity of sympathetic nervous system. Heart rate variability (HRV) and heart rate turbulence (HRT) has been shown to be independent and powerful predictors of mortality in a specific group of cardiac patients.

Resolution of late sirolimus-eluting stent thrombosis after tirofiban treatment.

A 40-year-old male patient was admitted to the hospital with acute chest pain. A sirolimus-eluting stent (SES) had been deployed to the circumflex artery (Cx) 3 years before. Now, inferior ST-segment elevations were observed and coronary angiography revealed stent thrombosis with distal TIMI 3 grade flow in the Cx.

Right ventricular function in ST elevation myocardial infarction: effect of reperfusion.

Purpose: To investigate right ventricle function in successfully reperfused ST elevated myocardial infarction (STEMI) and to compare reperfusion strategies.

Methods: From January 2007 to August 2008, 33 patients with anterior myocardial infarction (MI) and 48 patients with non-anterior myocardial infarction were enrolled in this study. Patients were treated with thrombolytic therapy (TT) or primary percutanaeous coronary intervention (PPCI) (Primary intervention: 16 and 25 patients (anterior and non-anterior consecutively), thrombolytic therapy: 17 and 23 patients (anterior and non-anterior consecutively)).

P-wave dispersion increases in prehypertension.

Background: Prolongation of P-wave durations and increased P-wave dispersion are independent predictors of atrial fibrillation (AF). AF is the most common arrhythmia of the general population. Prehypertension, including those with systolic blood pressure ranging from 120-139 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure ranging from 80-89 mmHg was described by JNC7.

Stent thrombosis: nightmare of the interventional cardiology era.

Coronary stents have marked an era in the interventional cardiology and have significantly decreased the rates of acute restenosis. Although diminished rates of restenosis have been observed with stents with respect to balloon angioplasty, restenosis is still a major problem of the interventional procedures. Stent thrombosis (ST) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is a rare and usually poor prognostic event that might result in myocardial infarction (MI) and sudden death.

Heart rate turbulence and heart rate variability in patients with atrial synchronous ventricular pacing.

Background: Heart rate turbulence (HRT) and heart rate variability (HRV) have been shown to be independent and powerful predictors of mortality in a specific group of cardiac patients. Pacing has unfavorable effects on autonomic function. Our aim is to investigate autonomic responses to atrial synchronous ventricular pacing (VDD) by evaluating HRT and HRV parameters.

Erythropoietin reduces lipopolysaccharide-induced cell Damage and midkine secretion in U937 human histiocytic lymphoma cells.

Introduction: Erythropoietin (EPO) is a haematopoietic stimulatory protein that is used to treat anaemia in patients on dialysis. In addition, EPO has been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties, which may be important as dialysis patients tend to exist within a chronic, low-grade inflammatory state, and tend to be more susceptible to infections. It has been suggested that EPO has direct immunomodulatory potency on monocytes/macrophages.