Myocardial deformation imaging unmasks subtle left ventricular systolic dysfunction in asymptomatic and treatment-naïve HIV patients.

Background: Patients infected by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy have a higher incidence of cardiovascular disease than healthy subjects, but little is known about cardiac function in asymptomatic and treatment-naïve patients. We sought to study cardiac function in asymptomatic HIV-infected, treatment-naïve patients.

Methods: We studied 41 HIV-infected and treatment-naïve patients and 20 age- and sex-matched healthy controls.

Efficacy and safety of functional electrical stimulation of lower limb muscles in elderly patients with chronic heart failure: A pilot study.

Background: Exercise training is an established modality in chronic heart failure. Functional electrical stimulation (FES) is an effective alternative mode of training in patients unwilling or unable to exercise; however, it has not been investigated in elderly patients. We sought to investigate the effects of FES on functional status, quality of life, emotional status and endothelial function in chronic heart failure patients aged 70 years or higher.

Doppler tissue imaging unmasks right ventricular function abnormalities in HIV-infected patients.

Background: We sought to investigate right ventricular (RV) function with Doppler tissue imaging (DTI) in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients receiving highly-active antiretroviral treatment, without any heart-related symptoms.

Methods: We studied 38 asymptomatic HIV patients (aged 44.5 ± 9.

The impact of positive airway pressure on cardiac status and clinical outcomes in patients with advanced heart failure and sleep-disordered breathing: a preliminary report.

Introduction: Heart failure (HF) is a major public health problem associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality. Patients with HF exhibit a high prevalence of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). We have investigated the long-term impact of positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy on heart function and clinical outcomes in patients with advanced HF and concomitant SDB.

Functional electrical stimulation is more effective in severe symptomatic heart failure patients and improves their adherence to rehabilitation programs.

Background: Functional electrical stimulation (FES) improves exercise capacity and quality of life in chronic heart failure (CHF) patients. However, there is no evidence regarding the effectiveness of this treatment modality according to the severity of CHF. This study compares the effectiveness of FES on exercise capacity, endothelial function, neurohormonal status, and emotional stress in New York Heart Association (NYHA) III-IV versus NYHA II patients.

Evaluation of serum procalcitonin and interleukin-6 levels as markers of liver metastasis.

Objectives: Procalcitonin (PCT) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) are established markers of tissue inflammation and injury. The aim of the present study was to investigate the possible correlation of PCT and IL-6 with liver metastasis.

Design And Methods: The study consisted of fifteen healthy controls (group A), twenty-one patients with solid tumors without metastases (group B), eleven patients with liver metastasis only (group C) and eleven patients with generalized metastatic disease (group D).