Usefulness of left ventricular mass change to predict progression of renal dysfunction in Hispanics.

There is a strong relation between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and left ventricular (LV) mass in Hispanic patients. This population also tends to have a higher incidence of kidney disease, with progression to dialysis. We analyzed the change in LV mass in 982 Hispanic patients with MetS and used these data to anticipate the progression of renal dysfunction.

Entresto, a New Panacea for Heart Failure?

Heart Failure (HF) is one of the main healthcare burdens in the United States and in the world. Many drugs are approved and used in practice for management of this condition; including beta blockers, diuretics, aldosterone antagonists, Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibitors (ACEI's), and Angiotensin Receptor Blockers (ARBs). Recently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a drug with brand name Entresto (Sacubitril/Valsartan or LCZ696), an angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitor for the use in Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction (HFrEF) patients instead of ACEI's and ARBs.

Idarucizumab: Clinical Role of a Novel Reversal Agent for Dabigatran.

Atrial fibrillation (AF), a common cardiac arrhythmia associated with increased risk of heart failure, thromboembolic phenomena and death, is a leading cause of hospitalization of adults. A major complication of AF is an increased risk of ischemic stroke leading to long-term disability and in severe cases, death. Historically, Coumadin has been the drug of choice for chronic anticoagulation and stroke prevention in AF patients however, given the need for constant monitoring and multiple drug interactions, newer anticoagulants have been developed.

Interrelationships with Metabolic Syndrome, Obesity and Cardiovascular Risk.

Cardiovascular (CV) disease is the most common cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, particularly in the presence of the metabolic syndrome (MetS). Classifications and treatment of the MetS have recently been redefined. While the majority of the cardiac components such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus (DM) and dyslipidemia (DLD) are objectively measurable elements, a few disparities among the definitions have to be considered that can variably modify diagnosis, treatment and prevention.

Myxomatous Mitral Valve with Prolapse and Flail Scallop.

Background: Myxomatous mitral valve with prolapse are classically seen with abnormal leaflet apposition during contraction of the heart. Hemodynamic disorders can result from eccentric mitral regurgitation usually caused by chordae tendinae rupture or papillary muscle dysfunction. Echocardiography is the gold standard for evaluation of leaflet flail and prolapse due to high sensitivity and specificity.

Paclitaxel-Coated Balloons: Review of a Promising Interventional Approach to Preventing Restenosis in Femoropopliteal Arteries.

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD), a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, is characterized by intermittent claudication and is associated with chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension. The goal of treatment is to address the underlying cause and to modify risk factors. Although medical management is the first-line treatment of PAD, some individuals may have severe symptoms and require revascularization with percutaneous transluminal angioplasty with or without stent placement or surgery.

Congenital Absence of Left Circumflex Presenting After an Emotional Stressor.

Background: Absence of the left circumflex artery (LCX) is an extremely rare congenital anomaly of the coronary circulation. While some coronary circulation anomalies are associated with significant complications, including sudden cardiac death and premature atherosclerosis, absence of the LCX is largely considered benign, though it has been associated with exertional chest pain, which may mimic acute coronary syndrome. Diagnosis is made when heart catheterization is performed in the work up for acute coronary syndrome or when computed tomography coronary angiography is performed during evaluation of coronary artery disease.

A Review of Sodium Glucose Co-transporter 2 Inhibitors Canagliflozin, Dapagliflozin and Empagliflozin.

Sodium glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors are a new class of anti-diabetic medications. Canagliflozin was the first drug approved in this group in 2013 and subsequently dapagliflozin was approved in January 2014 and empagliflozin was approved in August 2014. Preclinical studies have demonstrated safety, tolerability, and efficacy in terms of glycemic control and HbA1c level in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients in comparison to other anti-diabetic drugs.

Environmental exposures, socioeconomics, disparities, and the kidneys.

Kidney disease disproportionately affects racial and ethnic minority populations, the poor, and the socially disadvantaged. The excess risk of kidney disease among minority and disadvantaged populations can only be partially explained by an excess of diabetes, hypertension, and poor access to preventive care. Disparities in the environmental exposure to nephrotoxicants have been documented in minority and disadvantaged populations and may explain some of the excess risk of kidney disease.

Reverse takotsubo cardiomyopathy with use of male enhancers.

Reverse takotsubo cardiomyopathy is a rare heart failure condition characterized by systolic dysfunction of the basal segments of the left ventricle in the absence of obstructive coronary artery disease. We present a case of a 54-year-old man with an overdose of Extenze (a male enhancer pill containing yohimbine) who was hospitalized with heart failure due to reverse takotsubo cardiomyopathy.

Recurrent Skin and Lung Infections in Autosomal Dominant Hyper IgE Syndrome with Transactivation Domain STAT3 Mutation.

Background. Hyper IgE is a rare systemic disease characterized by the clinical triad of high serum levels of IgE (>2000 IU/mL), eczema, and recurrent staphylococcal skin and lung infections. The presentation of hyper IgE syndrome is highly variable, which makes it easy to confuse the diagnosis with that of severe atopy or other rare immunodeficiency disorders.

Lessons from the profile of kidney diseases among Afghan refugees.

Background: Due to a paucity of research on the profile of kidney diseases among refugee populations, specifically Afghan refugees in Iran, this study aimed to illustrate the pattern of kidney disease among Afghan refugees in Iran and create a database for evaluating the performance of future health services.

Material And Methods: This was a retrospective cross sectional study, in which we collected the demographics and profile of kidney diseases among Afghan refugees between 2005 and 2010 from referrals to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) offices in Iran.

Results: The total number of referrals in this group of diseases was 3193 out of 23 152 with 41.

Rapid or normal gastric emptying as new supportive criteria for diagnosing cyclic vomiting syndrome in adults.

Background: Cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS) in adults is a disorder characterized by recurrent and stereotypic episodes of severe nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain separated by symptom-free intervals. Our goal was to investigate gastric emptying (GE) in CVS patients.

Material And Methods: This was a retrospective study of 30 adult patients who met Rome III diagnostic criteria for CVS.

The link between chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular disease.

Context: It is well known that patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have a strong risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, the excess risk of cardiovascular disease in patients with CKD is only partially explained by the presence of traditional risk factors, such as hypertension and diabetes mellitus.

Evidence Acquisitions: Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), Google Scholar, PubMed, EBSCO and Web of Science has been searched.

Primary central nervous system amelanotic melanoma in a Hispanic male: Case report.

Background: Primary melanotic neoplasms of the central nervous system (CNS) are uncommon; amelanotic melanomas in this region are extremely rare. Very few cases of amelanotic variation of primary melanoma in the CNS were reported on. General guidelines or recommendations to establish this diagnosis do not exist.

Alogliptin; a review of a new dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP-4 inhibitors) are effective and safe oral incretin-based antihyperglycemic drugs. In preclinical studies, DPP-4 inhibitors have demonstrated cardiovascular benefits, independent of glycemic control, in patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus. Since 2005, various DPP-4 inhibitors (sitagliptin, linagliptin and saxagliptin) have been clinically available in the United States.

Moyamoya in Hispanics: not Only in Japanese.

Moyamoya disease was first described in 1957 as hypoplasia of the bilateral internal carotid arteries, the characteristic appearance of the associated network of abnormally dilated collateral vessels on angiography was later likened to something hazy, like a puff of cigarette smoke, which, in Japanese, is moyamoya. This paper describes two cases of moyamoya presentations, including moyamoya disease and moyamoya syndrome. Moyamoya may rarely occur in North American Hispanic patients.

Clinical profiles and outcomes of acute aortic dissection in a predominantly Hispanic population.

Background: Acute aortic dissection (AAD) is a life-threatening cardiovascular condition with high morbidity and mortality. We sought to assess clinical profiles as well as outcomes of AAD in a predominantly Hispanic population and to explore the relationship between this condition and uncontrolled/untreated hypertension in this community.

Material And Methods: This was a single-center, retrospective, cross-sectional study of patients admitted with AAD over a 10 years period.

Hypertension, renal failure, and edema in a 38-year-old man: light chain deposition disease; a case report and review of the literature.

Background: Monoclonal immunoglobulin deposition disease (MIDD) is a rare disease, usually manifesting between the 5(th) and 6(th) decades of life but can also occur earlier. Characteristic feature of MIDD is a non-fibrillar, Congo red negative deposition of monoclonal immunoglobulins in various organs, including the kidneys. Depending on the composition of the deposits, MIDD is classified into 3 types; light chain deposition disease (LCDD), which is the most common form, heavy chain deposition disease (HCDD) and light and heavy chain deposition disease (LHCDD).

A complicated case of an immunocompetent patient with disseminated nocardiosis.

Nocardia species are aerobic, gram positive filamentous branching bacteria that have the potential to cause localized or disseminated infection. Nocardiosis is a rare disease that usually affects immunocompromised patients and presents as either pulmonary, cutaneous or disseminated nocardiosis. Forty-two year-old hispanic male presented to our care with bilateral lower extremity weakness, frontal headache, subjective fever, nausea, and vomiting.

Eisenmenger syndrome: recent advances in pharmacotherapy.

Over the last decade advanced therapies for the management of pulmonary arterial hypertension have been introduced. These agents have also been effective in reducing pulmonary vascular resistance in patients with Eisenmenger syndrome. Specific guidelines focusing on modern therapies for Eisenmenger syndrome however do not exist to date.

Myopericarditis as a complication of nonspecific colitis.

Patient: Male, 31 FINAL DIAGNOSIS: Myopericarditis Symptoms: Abdominal pain • diarrhea

Medication: - Clinical Procedure: - Specialty: Cardiology.

Objective: Unusual setting of medical care.

Background: Myopericarditis is a condition involving inflammation of the pericardium and myocardium.

Incidence of new onset atrial fibrillation in patients with permanent pacemakers and the relation to the pacing mode.

Background: Atrial fibrillation is a relatively common arrhythmia often seen in patients with permanent pacemakers. In this study we aimed to assess the incidence of atrial fibrillation in patients whose pacemakers were programmed to pace in the right ventricle (VVI) and compared it with patients whose pacemakers were programmed in non-VVI mode(i.e.