Arterial Stiffness Is Associated With QTc Interval Prolongation in Patients With Heart Failure.

Background: A prolonged corrected QT (QTc) interval is a known risk factor for adverse cardiac events. Understanding the determinants and physiologic correlates of QTc is necessary for selecting proper strategies to reduce the risk of adverse events in high-risk patients. We sought to evaluate the role of arterial stiffness in heart failure as a determinant of QTc prolongation.

Impedance Cardiography-Guided Treatment of Hypertension: A Review of the Literature.

Background: Hypertension occurs when regulatory mechanisms fail, resulting in increased cardiac output (CO) and/or increased systemic vascular resistance (SVR). Impedance cardiography (ICG) is a non-invasive technology that measures CO and SVR.

Objective: To assess the literature related to the use of ICG in guiding the selection of anti-hypertensive medications in individuals with hypertension.

A prospective study of early ambulation 90 minutes post-left heart catheterization using a retrospective comparison group.

Background: Despite a trend toward a reduction in bedrest time after left heart catheterization (LHC) in many Canadian centres, an evidence-based standard of practice has not been established. Canadian bedrest times range from two to four hours post-LHC. Two recent prospective non-randomized studies (n = 1,000) indicate safety of ambulation at 60 and 90 minutes post-LHC.

Right ventricular myocardial infarction.

Right ventricular myocardial infarction (RVMI) rarely occurs in isolation. Guidelines recommend that practitioners should evaluate for the presence of an RVMI in a patient with an inferior infarction who is hemodynamically compromised. Diagnostic and treatment modalities for an RVMI can vary from treatments used to treat patients presenting with a left ventricular infarction.

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy.

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy is a cardiac disorder manifested by the replacement of the ventricular myocardium by fibro fatty tissue and has been known to cause sudden cardiac death in young adults. In 30% to 50% of cases, the disease has familial links, which can have implications for the patients and families involved. Achieving a diagnosis can be taxing on all involved, and for the patient, it can mean having to go through a battery of tests.