Clinical usefulness of assessment of ankle-brachial index and carotid stenosis in type 2 diabetic population--three-year cohort follow-up of mortality.

We evaluated the clinical usefulness of assessing the ankle-brachial index (ABI) and carotid stenosis (CS) in a type 2 diabetic population. Patients with type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease (n = 265) were enrolled in a prospective 3-year cohort study. The cardiovascular mortality rate was 8.

Non-invasive imaging of diabetic vascular disease.

A high proportion of diabetic subjects are referred with atherosclerotic disease and higher risk for cardiovascular events. Rapid expansion of the use of non-invasive coronary and peripheral arteries imaging, facilitated by technological advances, have found diagnostic and prognostic roles in this population. This review, which includes important and actual works, guidelines, and algorithms on cardiovascular disease in the diabetic population, indicates mandatory screening for arterial disease in these patients in light of their appropriate management.

Recurrent myocardial infarction in a young football player with antithrombin III deficiency.

Acute myocardial infarction is a rare condition in young athletes. One of the causes could be a hypercoagulable state due to congenital antithrombin III deficiency, together with a prothrombotic state soon after strenuous physical training. We present the case of myocardial reinfarction in young football player with antithrombin III deficiency, treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention and drug eluting stent, as well as the functional repercussions of continuous intensive physical activity.

N-terminal-proB natriuretic peptide in patients with stable coronary artery disease evaluated for ischemia with myocardial perfusion imaging.

Background: Natriuretic peptides have emerged in the last years as useful diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in patients with stable CAD. Myocardial ischemia per se might increase NT-proBNP levels.

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to determine whether NT-proBNP levels in patients with stable CAD and preserved left ventricular function are elevated and second, to compare NT-proBNP in patients with verified ischemia on myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) to non-ischemic subjects with known CAD.

C-reactive protein in patients with normal perfusion and mild to moderate perfusion defects who have undergone myocardial perfusion imaging with 99m-Tc sestamibi gated spect.

High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP) has been extensively used in recent years to assess cardiovascular risk more thoroughly. A significant association between elevated CRP, a prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD) and adverse cardiac events has been found. Stress myocardial SPECT perfusion imaging (MPI) is an accurate noninvasive technique for detecting CAD.

Predictors for peripheral and carotid revascularization in a population-based cohort with type 2 diabetes.

The study was aimed to define the predictors for peripheral and carotid revascularization in type 2 diabetic population. In all, 279 patients with type 2 diabetes and peripheral arterial disease were enrolled in a cohort longitudinal study. Study population was followed up for 24 months for the need and performance of peripheral or carotid revascularization.

Functional outcome and quality of life after coronary artery bypass surgery in patients with severe heart failure and hibernated myocardium.

Background: Myocardial viability is an important parameter, predictive of improvement in left ventricular function after coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG). We wanted to define the relationship between the extent of hibernated myocardium and improvement in ejection fraction function and quality of life after CABG.

Methods: Sixty-five consecutive patients with ischaemic cardiomyopathy (mean LVEF <40%) undergoing surgical revascularization were studied with (99m)Tc-sestamibi myocardial perfusion Gated SPECT imaging (MPI) to assess preoperative myocardial viability.

Arterial hypertension in patients with coronary artery disease treated with surgical myocardial revascularization.

Objectives: To evaluate the incidence and prognostic power of arterial hypertension in patients with coronary artery disease treated with surgical myocardial revascularisation, before and after the operation.

Background: Arterial hypertension is one of the leading modifiable risk factors in CAD patients who underwent CABG surgery with the major impact on clinical outcome in these patients.

Methods: 749 patients with mean age of 55 +/- 8 years, (639 male/119 female) were analyzed for their preoperative: demographic, clinical, left ventricular morphologic and functional and angiographic, perioperative: type of operation, type and number of applied conduits, in-hospital morbidity and mortality, and post-operative: demographic, clinical, left ventricular morphologic and functional and angiographic characteristics.

Endothelial dysfunction correlates with plasma fibrinogen and HDL cholesterol in type 2 diabetic patients with coronary artery disease.

Objective: Assessment of endothelial dysfunction (ED) in type 2 diabetic patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and estimation of correlation of ED with metabolic parameters: low HDL, hypertriglyceridemia, obesity, systolic blood pressure and with inflammatory-hemostatic parameters: CRP and fibrinogen.

Patients And Methods: 42 patients (age 60.0 +/- 8.

Relationship between myocardial viability and improvement in left ventricular function and heart failure symptoms after coronary artery bypass surgery.

Background: The evaluation of myocardial viability is an important preoperative parameter, predictive of improvement in regional and global left ventricular (LV) function after coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG). However, whether the presence of viability is also associated with relief of heart failure symptoms after revascularization is not always certain. The aims of the study were to define the relationship between extent of viable myocardium and improvement in LV function after CABG and to determine whether preoperative viability testing can predict improvement in heart failure symptoms.

Risk factors for development of critical limb ischemia -- a survey of diabetic vs. nondiabetic population.

The aim of this study is to identify the risk factors for development of chronic critical limb ischemia (CLI) in diabetic and nondiabetic patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD). 127 patients (pts) with PAD (63 with type 2 diabetes and 64 nondiabetic) were randomly included in a cross sectional study. Out of them 17 were with CLI.

Prognostic utility of carotid ultrasound and cardiac SPECT imaging in coronary artery bypass patients.

Background: The aim of our study was to evaluate the role of myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) and common carotid artery intima-media thickness (CCA IMT) in the prognosis of patients with coronary artery disease referred for coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG) in a newly made prognostic model.

Material And Methods: 63 patients (age 60.36 +/- 8.

Gender differences in detecting coronary artery disease with dipyridamole stress myocardial perfusion imaging using 99m-Tc sestamibi gated SPECT.

There are some specifics in the presentation of coronary artery disease (CAD) in women compared with men that may cause diagnostic pitfalls. The accuracy of noninvasive diagnostic testing in women tends to be lower than that in men. Stress myocardial perfusion imaging with 99m-Tc sestamibi gated SPECT is an accurate technique for detecting CAD.