Impaired coronary microcirculation is associated with left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in end-stage chronic kidney disease patients.

Introduction: Coronary vascular dysfunction, as assessed by coronary flow reserve (CFR) in the left anterior descending coronary artery, is found in various conditions including end-stage chronic kidney disease (CKD). Currently, we investigated the associations of CFR with echocardiographic indices of systolic and diastolic cardiac function and identified independent predictors of CFR in hemodialysis patients.

Methods: End-stage CKD patients treated with hemodialysis (n = 29) without known cardiovascular disease were recruited from a Hemodialysis Unit in Northwestern Greece.

6-minute walking test: a useful tool in the management of heart failure patients.

Reduced functional ability and exercise tolerance in patients with heart failure (HF) are associated with poor quality of life and a worse prognosis. The 6-minute walking test (6MWT) is a widely available and well-tolerated test for the assessment of the functional capacity of patients with HF. Although the cardiopulmonary exercise test (a maximal exercise test) remains the gold standard for the evaluation of exercise capacity in patients with HF, the 6MWT (submaximal exercise test) may provide reliable information about the patient's daily activity.

The importance of characteristics of angina symptoms for the prediction of coronary artery disease in a cohort of stable patients in the modern era.

Objective: Angina is an important clinical symptom indicating underlying coronary artery disease (CAD). Its characteristics are important for the diagnosis and risk stratification of patients with CAD. Currently, we aimed to investigate the association of chest pain characteristics with the presence of obstructive CAD in a contemporary cohort of patients undergoing coronary angiography for suspected stable CAD.

Extent of coronary artery disease in patients undergoing angiography for stable or acute coronary syndromes.

Background: We aimed to investigate whether the angiographic extent of coronary artery disease (CAD) differs in patients undergoing coronary angiography for stable CAD or acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and identify predictors of CAD extent in these patients.

Methods: We enrolled 584 consecutive patients (463 with stable CAD, 121 with ACS) with angiographically established CAD (≥1 stenosis >25%). The Gensini score was used to assess the extent of coronary atherosclerosis.