Nocturnal blood pressure and nocturnal blood pressure fluctuations: the effect of short-term CPAP therapy and their association with the severity of obstructive sleep apnea.

Study Objectives: We determined the relationship of cardiovascular risk factors, cardiovascular diseases, nocturnal blood pressure (NBP), and NBP fluctuations (NBPFs) with the severity of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). We also investigated the effect of short-term continuous positive airway pressure therapy on NBP parameters.

Methods: This retrospective study included 548 patients from our cardiac clinic with suspected OSA.

Safe procedures despite ultra low radiation doses during catheter ablations of atrial and ventricular arrhythmias-A multicenter experience.

Introduction: Despite the development of non-fluoroscopic catheter visualization options, fluoroscopy is still used in most ablation procedures. The aim of this multicenter study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a new ultra-low dose radiation protocol for EP procedures in a large number of patients.

Methods And Results: A total of 3462 consecutive patients (male 1926 (55.

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance as a complementary method to transthoracic echocardiography for aortic valve area estimation in patients with aortic stenosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Aortic stenosis (AS) is the most common valvular heart disease. While two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography (2D-TTE) is the standard imaging modality for AS assessment, cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) offers a reliable and reproducible alternative. The aim of this study was to compare AVA measurements as determined by TTE and CMR in patients with AS.

Effect of CPAP therapy on nocturnal blood pressure fluctuations, nocturnal blood pressure, and arterial stiffness in patients with coexisting cardiovascular diseases and obstructive sleep apnea.

Purpose: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) can induce dramatic nocturnal blood pressure fluctuations (NBPFs) and can be associated with nocturnal hypertension and arterial stiffness. We investigated the effect of short- and long-term continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy on NBPFs, nocturnal blood pressure (BP), and arterial stiffness in patients with coexisting cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and OSA (CVD/OSA).

Methods: Of 86 patients with CVD, 58 also had OSA, while 28 without OSA served as controls.

Individual shear rate therapy (ISRT)-further development of external counterpulsation for decreasing blood pressure in patients with symptomatic coronary artery disease (CAD).

Individual shear rate therapy (ISRT) evolved from external counterpulsation with individual treatment pressures based on Doppler ultrasound measurements. In this study, we assessed the effect of ISRT on blood pressure (BP) in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Eighty-four patients with symptomatic CAD were included in the study.

[Autopneumonectomie. A Forgotten Disease].

History: An 80-year old female was referred to our hospital with left internal carotid artery stenosis and a childhood history of hemoptysis.

Investigations And Diagnosis: The ECG showed 2nd degree Mobitz atrio-ventricular block. The chest x-ray and computerized tomography identified a shift of the mediastinum and the heart to the left.

Usefulness of Individual Shear Rate Therapy, New Treatment Option for Patients With Symptomatic Coronary Artery Disease.

The aim of this study was to elucidate if patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), who fail to respond to revascularization procedures, can improve from individual shear rate therapy (ISRT). The ISRT is an adaptation of the external counterpulsation with lower individual treatment pressures based on Doppler-ultrasound measurements during counterpulsation. In contrast to the external counterpulsation therapy, the ISRT is based on the detection of the individual intra-arterial shear rate.

Assessment of aortic valve area combining echocardiography and magnetic resonance imaging.

Background: Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is routinely used to calculate aortic valve area (AVA) by continuity equation (CE). However, accurate measurement of the left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) can be difficult and flow acceleration in the LVOT may lead to miscalculation of the AVA.

Objective: The aim of our study was to compare AVA measurements by standard TTE, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and a hybrid approach combining both techniques.

Growth-differentiation factor-15: a novel biomarker in patients with diastolic dysfunction?

Background: Growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15), a stress-responsive transforming growth factor-ß-related cytokine, is elevated and independently related to an adverse prognosis in systolic heart failure.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate plasma levels of GDF-15 in patients with preclinical diastolic dysfunction or heart failure with normal ejection fraction (HFnEF).

Methods: We evaluated 119 patients with normal ejection fraction referred for an elective coronary angiography, 75 (63%) of whom had coronary artery disease.

Insulin resistance and glycemic abnormalities are associated with deterioration of left ventricular diastolic function: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) is considered a precursor of diabetic cardiomyopathy, while insulin resistance (IR) is a precursor of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and independently predicts heart failure (HF). We assessed whether IR and abnormalities of the glucose metabolism are related to LVDD.

Methods: We included 208 patients with normal ejection fraction, 57 (27%) of whom had T2DM before inclusion.

Stress Doppler echocardiography of the internal thoracic artery--a new non-invasive approach for functional assessment after minimally invasive coronary bypass grafting.

Minimally invasive surgery for coronary revascularization using the left internal thoracic artery (ITA) has gained increasing interest. For control of graft function the established transcutaneous color-Doppler echocardiography in combination with a stress-test was performed to test the ability of this novel technique. Twenty-one patients having received a single ITA-graft were evaluated early postoperatively at rest and during isometric stress test with a handgrip exercise.

Disturbed endothelial function of the internal thoracic artery in patients with coronary artery disease.

Objectives And Background: The internal thoracic artery is an established arterial graft for myocardial revascularization. It never had been investigated, whether there are functional differences in this vessel between patients with or without coronary artery disease.

Methods: We investigated the left internal thoracic artery of 28 patients (15 with and 13 without coronary artery disease) with a duplex-system at rest and with a handgrip exercise.

[Catheter ablation of ventricular outflow tract arrhythmias using an electroanatomic mapping system].

Background: In some patients with arrhythmias originating from the ventricular outflow tract, catheter ablation may be considered for curative treatment. The conventional ablation procedure may be limited particularly in cases with nonsustained arrhythmias. Only little information is available about three-dimensional electroanatomic mapping combined with the cooled radiofrequency (RF) catheter ablation technique in the treatment of such arrhythmias.

Circumferential pulmonary vein ablation for treatment of atrial fibrillation using an irrigated-tip catheter.

In this study, a series of 52 consecutive patients with atrial fibrillation from 1 institution underwent circumferential pulmonary vein ablation using an irrigated-tip catheter. The technique was safe, and 81% of the patients maintained sinus rhythm at 6 months. However, 1/3 of them required additional antiarrhythmic drug therapy.

Diminished coronary reserve in patients with biopsy-proven inflammatory infiltrates.

Objective: We tested the hypothesis that patients with biopsy-proven inflammatory infiltrates have an impaired vasodilator capacity of the coronary microvasculation.

Methods: In 80 patients with clinically suspected inflammatory heart disease, coronary regulation was assessed with the argon method (1) at rest and maximal coronary flow (V(cor)/V(max)) and (2) at rest and minimal coronary resistance (R(cor)/R(min)) both before and after dipyridamole (0.5 mg/kg body weight) treatment.

Detection of enteroviral RNA (poliovirus types 1 and 3) in endomyocardial biopsies from patients with ventricular tachycardia and survivors of sudden cardiac death.

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of enteroviral infection in the myocardium of consecutive patients with serious ventricular arrhythmias by using a reverse transcription nested PCR followed by direct DNA sequencing. After exclusion of coronary heart disease, right ventricular endomyocardial biopsies were obtained from 32 consecutive patients with a history of ventricular tachycardia or sudden cardiac death. Control biopsies were obtained from 36 subjects with no history of viral myocarditis, dilated cardiomyopathy, ventricular tachycardia or recent infection.

C/T polymorphism of the intercellular adhesion molecule-1 gene (exon 6, codon 469). A risk factor for coronary heart disease and myocardial infarction.

Background: The intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) mediates the interaction of activated endothelial cells with leukocytes and plays a fundamental role in the pathogenesis of coronary atherosclerosis. ICAM-1 single-base C/T polymorphism, which determines an amino acid substitution in the ICAM-1 protein in exon 6 codon 469, has been described. Our purpose was to determine whether this C/T polymorphism influences the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) and myocardial infarction (MI) in humans.