Lower left atrial function in young individuals with type 1 diabetes mellitus compared to healthy controls: an echocardiographic study.

In adulthood, individuals with type 1 diabetes mellitus may develop a condition of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. However, subclinical changes to the heart in diabetes are likely to occur prior to the clinical presentation. This cross-sectional study aimed to compare left atrial function by echocardiography between 43 individuals with type 1 diabetes and 43 healthy controls, aged 10-30 years.

Mind body exercise improves cognitive function more than aerobic- and resistance exercise in healthy adults aged 55 years and older - an umbrella review.

Exercise is often cited as a major factor contributing to improved cognitive functioning. As a result, the relationship between exercise and cognition has received much attention in scholarly literature. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses present varying and sometimes conflicting results about the extent to which exercise can influence cognition.

No differences in FBN1 genotype between men with and without abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Background: Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is an aortic enlargement in which the transverse diameter reaches at least 30 mm. Certain risk factors, such as age, male gender, and smoking, are well known; however, less is known about the genetic factors involved. Fibrillin-1 (FBN1) is a protein that coordinates the deposition of elastin fibres in the extracellular matrix and is therefore likely to affect the elastic properties in the aortic wall.

Characterization of methylation patterns associated with lifestyle factors and vitamin D supplementation in a healthy elderly cohort from Southwest Sweden.

Numerous studies have shown that lifestyle factors, such as regular physical activity and vitamin D intake, may remarkably improve overall health and mental wellbeing. This is especially important in older adults whose vitamin D deficiency occurs with a high prevalence. This study aimed to examine the influence of lifestyle and vitamin D on global DNA methylation patterns in an elderly cohort in Southwest of Sweden.

Association of IL-10 and CRP with Pulse Wave Velocity in Patients with Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm.

Background: Markers of inflammation and arterial stiffness are predictors of cardiovascular morbidity and events, but their roles in the mechanisms and progression of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) in males have not been fully investigated. This study explored possible associations between inflammatory marker levels and arterial stiffness in males with AAA.

Methods: A total of 270 males (191 AAA and 79 controls) were included in the study.

Males with abdominal aortic aneurysm have reduced left ventricular systolic and diastolic function.

Background: Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) increases the risk of chronic heart failure and other major cardiovascular events. Knowledge about left ventricular function in patients with AAA is lacking. This echocardiographic study aimed to investigate whether AAA is associated with left ventricular systolic and diastolic dysfunction.

Increased arterial stiffness in males with abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Background: Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), a localized dilatation of the abdominal aorta, has a prevalence of about 1.5%-3% among 65- to 70-year-old males in Europe. AAA confers an increased risk of developing major cardiovascular events in addition to the risk of aneurysm rupture.

Assessing heart rate variability in type 1 diabetes mellitus-Psychosocial stress a possible confounder.

Background: Autonomic neuropathy (AN) commonly arises as a long-term complication in diabetes mellitus and can be diagnosed from heart rate variability (HRV), calculated from electrocardiogram recordings. Psychosocial stress also affects HRV and could be one of several confounders for cardiac AN. The present work investigated the impact of psychosocial stress on HRV in individuals with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and assessed the use of salivary cortisol as a biomarker for psychosocial stress in this context.

Higher blood pressure in elderly hypertensive females, with increased arterial stiffness and blood pressure in females with the Fibrillin-1 2/3 genotype.

Background: Elderly patients have a relatively high cardiovascular risk due to increased arterial stiffness, elevated blood pressure and decreased amounts of elastin in the arteries. The composition of the media layer in the arterial wall, comprising elastin, collagen, smooth muscle cells, proteoglycans, fibronectin and fibrillin-1, influences its mechanical properties. Mutations in the fibrillin-1 gene leads to increased aortic stiffness, elevated pulse pressure and aortic root dilatation.

Resting Level of Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 Is Not at Play in Cardiac Enlargement in Endurance-Trained Adolescents.

Purpose: The study aimed to investigate resting levels of several selected growth and metabolic hormones in a group of 24 endurance-trained adolescents (aged 13-19 years) compared with 24 untrained age- and sex-matched controls, and to investigate if increased cardiac dimensions were related to these hormones at rest with emphasis on insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1).

Methods: The hormones (cortisol, IGF-1, IGF-2, follicle-stimulating hormone, growth hormone, luteinizing hormone, prolactin, and thyroid-stimulating hormone) were analysed with chemiluminescence microparticle immunoassay (CMIA) or multiplex fluorochrome (Luminex) technique. Cardiac dimensions were assessed by echocardiographic examination at rest.

Overweight and obesity impair left ventricular systolic function as measured by left ventricular ejection fraction and global longitudinal strain.

Aims: Obesity is associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus, left ventricular diastolic dysfunction and heart failure but it is unclear to which extent it is related to left ventricular systolic dysfunction. The aim of the study was to explore the effects of overweight and obesity on left ventricular systolic function in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and a control group of non-diabetic persons.

Methods: We prospectively investigated 384 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, and 184 controls who participated in the CARDIPP and CAREFUL studies.

Left ventricular diastolic function is enhanced after peak exercise in endurance-trained adolescents as well as in their non-trained controls.

The aims of the study were to explore the temporal change of cardiac function after peak exercise in adolescents, and to investigate how these functional changes relate to maximal oxygen uptake (VO ). The cohort consisted of 27 endurance-trained adolescents aged 13-19 years, and 27 controls individually matched by age and gender. Standard echocardiography and colour tissue Doppler were performed at rest, and immediately after as well as 15 min after a maximal cardio pulmonary exercise test (CPET) on a treadmill.

Regular endurance training in adolescents impacts atrial and ventricular size and function.

Aims: The aims of the study were to explore the effects of long-term endurance exercise on atrial and ventricular size and function in adolescents and to examine whether these changes are related to maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max).

Methods And Results: Twenty-seven long-term endurance-trained adolescents aged 13-19 years were individually matched by age and gender with 27 controls. All participants, 22 girls and 32 boys, underwent an echocardiographic examination at rest, including standard and colour tissue Doppler investigation.

Left ventricular diastolic function, assessed by echocardiography and tissue Doppler imaging, is a strong predictor of cardiovascular events, superior to global left ventricular longitudinal strain, in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Aims: The aim of the study was to determine whether left ventricular systolic function, in terms of global left ventricular longitudinal strain (GLS), and diastolic function, expressed as the ratio between early diastolic transmitral flow and mitral annular motion velocities (E/e'), can predict cardiovascular events in patients with diabetes mellitus type 2.

Methods And Results: We prospectively investigated 406 consecutive patients, aged 55-65 years, with diabetes mellitus, who participated in the CARDIPP study. Echocardiography, pulse pressure (pp), and glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) were analysed.

Serum lysozyme - a surrogate marker of pulmonary microvascular injury in smokers?

Progression rate of disease processes in smoke-induced lung injuries varies greatly. Diverse pathophysiological mechanisms may trigger these divergences. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether circulating markers of monocytes/macrophages and/or neutrophil [i.

Bronchial responsiveness to dry air hyperventilation in smokers may predict decline in airway status using indirect methods.

Background: Disabling respiratory symptoms and rapid decline of lung function may occur in susceptible tobacco smokers. Bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) elicited by direct challenge methods predicts worse lung function outcomes. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether BHR to isocapnic hyperventilation of dry air (IHDA) was associated with rapid deterioration in airway status and respiratory symptoms.

Fibroblast growth factor 10 haploinsufficiency causes chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background: Genetic factors influencing lung function may predispose to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The fibroblast growth factor 10 (FGF10) signalling pathway is critical for lung development and lung epithelial renewal. The hypothesis behind this study was that constitutive FGF10 insufficiency may lead to pulmonary disorder.

Longitudinal peak strain detects a smaller risk area than visual assessment of wall motion in acute myocardial infarction.

Background: Opening of an occluded infarct related artery reduces infarct size and improves survival in acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). In this study we performed tissue Doppler analysis (peak strain, displacement, mitral annular movement (MAM)) and compared with visual assessment for the study of the correlation of measurements of global, regional and segmental function with final infarct size and transmurality. In addition, myocardial risk area was determined and a prediction sought for the development of infarct transmurality >or=50%.

Image quality and myocardial scar size determined with magnetic resonance imaging in patients with permanent atrial fibrillation: a comparison of two imaging protocols.

Background: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the heart generally requires breath holding and a regular rhythm. Single shot 2D steady-state free precession (SS_SSFP) is a fast sequence insensitive to arrhythmia as well as breath holding. Our purpose was to determine image quality, signal-to-noise (SNR) and contrast-to-noise (CNR) ratios and infarct size with a fast single shot and a standard segmented MRI sequence in patients with permanent atrial fibrillation and chronic myocardial infarction.

Late gadolinium uptake demonstrated with magnetic resonance in patients where automated PERFIT analysis of myocardial SPECT suggests irreversible perfusion defect.

Background: Myocardial perfusion single photon emission computed tomography (MPS) is frequently used as the reference method for the determination of myocardial infarct size. PERFIT(R) is a software utilizing a three-dimensional gender specific, averaged heart model for the automatic evaluation of myocardial perfusion. The purpose of this study was to compare the perfusion defect size on MPS, assessed with PERFIT, with the hyperenhanced volume assessed by late gadolinium enhancement magnetic resonance imaging (LGE) and to relate their effect on the wall motion score index (WMSI) assessed with cine magnetic resonance imaging (cine-MRI) and echocardiography (echo).

Computer-assisted calculation of myocardial infarct size shortens the evaluation time of contrast-enhanced cardiac MRI.

Background: Delayed enhancement magnetic resonance imaging depicts scar in the left ventricle which can be quantitatively measured. Manual segmentation and scar determination is time consuming. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a software for infarct quantification, to compare with manual scar determination, and to measure the time saved.

Pulsed tissue Doppler imaging for the detection of myocardial ischaemia, a comparison with myocardial perfusion SPECT.

In order to compare the diagnostic ability of pulsed tissue Doppler and myocardial perfusion Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) in patients with a history of unstable coronary artery disease, CAD, 26 patients, 22 men and four women, age 47-76 years, were investigated in a prospective study, 5-10 day after an episode of unstable angina. Tissue Doppler and two-dimensional echocardiography were performed during dobutamine stress testing and myocardial scintigraphy after bicycle exercise and at rest. Patients with a normal SPECT had higher peak systolic velocity during dobutamine infusion, 18.