First experience with the jailed pressure wire technique in the provisional side branch stenting of coronary bifurcation lesions.

Aims: The provisional strategy (PS) is an accepted modality of treatment in coronary bifurcation interventions, though, after main vessel (MV) stenting, the assessment of the side branch (SB) becomes more difficult. In bifurcation interventions, the major advantage of fractional flow reserve (FFR) is the avoidance of the need for SB intervention. However, SB access with a pressure wire after MV stenting may be difficult, sometimes impossible.

Association between admission mean platelet volume and ST segment resolution after thrombolytic therapy for acute myocardial infarction.

Objective: Mean platelet volume (MPV), one of the indices of platelet reactivity has been shown to be related to impaired angiographic reperfusion in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients treated with primary angioplasty or thrombolytics. However data regarding MPV and its association with ST-segment resolution; an indicator of epicardial and tissue level reperfusion in the setting of STEMI are limited. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether MPV on admission is associated with ST-segment resolution in STEMI patients treated with thrombolytics.

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation with a CoreValve bioprosthesis in a 57-year-old man.

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is a promising new technology which is typically used to treat elderly patients with severe aortic stenosis who cannot undergo surgical aortic valve replacement due to high risk factors. This procedure may also be a therapeutic option in particular relatively young cases with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis who are unsuitable candidates for surgery. Clinical experience with TAVI in these patients is very limited due to concerns regarding long-term valve durability.

Successful percutaneous mitral valve repair with the MitraClip system of acute mitral regurgitation due to papillary muscle rupture as complication of acute myocardial infarction.

Percutaneous mitral valve repair with the MitraClip is a new promising therapeutic option for symptomatic severe mitral regurgitation (MR). Acute myocardial infarction (MI) is a well recognized cause of papillary muscle rupture (PMR). If PMR is untreated, the prognosis is poor and the mortality could be as high as 80% during the first week of post MI.

Impact of body mass index on left ventricular diastolic dysfunction.

Background: The prevalence of obesity is increasing in the developed and developing world. It is an independent risk factor for heart failure. Left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction has been demonstrated to be a strong predictor of heart failure.

Carbohydrate antigen-125 and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide levels: compared in heart-failure prognostication.

Carbohydrate antigen-125 (CA-125) is emerging as a prognostic biomarker of risk in heart failure. In a prospective study, we compared the prognostic values of CA-125 and amino-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in patients with stable heart failure.We enrolled 102 consecutive chronic, stable, systolic-heart-failure patients (68 men and 34 women; median age, 71 yr) from November 2008 through February 2010.

Cystatin C levels in patients with dipper and nondipper hypertension.

Objective: Subjects with nondipper hypertension carry a higher risk of cardiovascular events than their normotensive counterparts. The present study was designed to investigate cystatin C levels in patients with dipper and nondipper hypertension.

Methods: Eighty-eight consecutive patients who had been treated with antihypertensive drugs for at least 6 months were included in the study.

Carotid intima media thickness and cardiometabolic risk associates in Turkish adults.

Objective: Carotid intima media thickness (CIMT) is a strong predictor of future vascular events. However, data for Turkish individuals are limited and the association between cardiometabolic risk factors and CIMT has not been studied before.Therefore, we sought to investigate the CIMT and cardiometabolic risk associates in a large cohort of Turkish adults.

Performance of bioelectrical impedance analysis in the diagnosis of metabolic syndrome.

Objective: Central obesity is a prerequisite for the diagnosis of metabolic syndrome (MetS). Precise measurement of visceral fat by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) has been validated. The aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic performance of BIA in MetS and validate the best cutoff in a large adult cohort.

Efficacy of olmesartan therapy on fibrinolytic capacity in patients with hypertension.

The efficacy of olmesartan on fibrinolytic capacity has not been studied yet. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the efficacy of olmesartan on hemostatic/fibrinolytic status by measuring plasma level of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) and soluble thrombomodulin levels in patients with hypertension. Forty-two consecutive, newly diagnosed (25 women and 17 men with a mean age of 48 ± 8 years) patients with untreated essential hypertension were included in the study.

Pioglitazone improves ventricular diastolic function in patients with diabetes mellitus: a tissue Doppler study.

Objective: Pioglitazone treatment in type 2 diabetes mellitus produced significant improvements in glycaemic control, plasma lipids, blood pressure and inflammation. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of pioglitazone on systolic and diastolic function in diabetic patients.

Methods And Results: Forty-nine diabetic patients were included in the study.

The prognostic value of mean platelet volume in decompensated heart failure.

Background: Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a major public health problem that is related to substantial morbidity, impaired quality of life and diminished survival. Mean platelet volume (MPV) is an indicator of platelet activation.

Aim: To investigate whether there is a difference of MPV in patients with decompensated and stable heart failure (SHF), and test the prognostic value of MPV in decompensated heart failure (DHF).

Poor-quality sleep score is an independent predictor of nondipping hypertension.

Objective: We aimed to investigate whether there was any association between the nondipping status and sleep quality in relatively young patients with an initial diagnosis of hypertension.

Methods: One hundred and thirty-three consecutive patients, diagnosed to have stage 1 hypertension by their primary physicians, were referred to our study. Patients with a history of use of any antihypertensive medication were excluded.

Efficacy of short-term high-dose atorvastatin for prevention of contrast-induced nephropathy in patients undergoing coronary angiography.

Contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) is associated with increased morbidity, extended hospital stay, and higher costs. We compared an atorvastatin plus N-acetylcysteine (NAC) regimen with NAC alone in patients undergoing coronary angiography. A total of 130 patients (mean age 54 +/- 10; 77 men) undergoing coronary angiography were studied.

Mean platelet volume in patients with dipper and non-dipper hypertension.

Patients with non-dipper hypertension are known to carry a high risk of cardiovascular complications. In this study, we hypothesized that non-dippers may be associated with platelet dysfunction and it can be determined by mean platelet volume (MPV). A total of 216 outpatients treated with antihypertensive drugs for at least 6 months were enrolled.

Effect of olmesartan medoxomil on cystatin C level, left ventricular hypertrophy and diastolic function.

Serum cystatin C concentration is an alternative measure of kidney function that is less affected by age, sex or muscle mass, and is a more sensitive indicator of early renal dysfunction than creatinine-based estimations of glomerular filtration rate. Cardiovascular sequela increases progressively with the increase in left ventricular mass. Our goal was to evaluate the effect of olmesartan medoxomil on cystatin C levels and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in patients with hypertension.