Skin sympathetic nerve activity and ventricular arrhythmias in acute coronary syndrome.

Background: Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is major cause of ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) and sudden death. neuECG is a noninvasive method to simultaneously record skin sympathetic nerve activity (SKNA) and electrocardiogram.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to test the hypotheses that (1) ACS increases average SKNA (aSKNA), (2) the magnitude of aSKNA elevation is associated with VAs during ACS, and (3) there is a gender difference in aSKNA between patients without and with ACS.

Usefulness of Upstroke Time per Cardiac Cycle for Cardiovascular and All-Cause Mortality Prediction in Patients with Normal Ankle-Brachial Index.

Aim: Abnormal ankle-brachial index (ABI) is regarded as peripheral artery disease and can be used to predict cardiovascular (CV) outcomes. However, the usefulness of ABI for the prediction of CV outcome in patients with normal ABI is limited. Upstroke time per cardiac cycle (UTCC) is recently reported to be associated with mortality in patients with acute myocardial infarction and the elderly.

Using CHADS, RCHADS, CHADS-VASc score for mortality prediction in patients with abnormal low and high ankle-brachial index.

Abnormal low and high ankle brachial index (ABI) is regarded as peripheral artery disease (PAD) which has extremely high morbidity and mortality. How to identify high-risk PAD patients with increased mortality is very important to improve the outcome. CHADS, RCHADS, and CHADS-VASc score are clinically useful scores to evaluate the annual risk of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation.

Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of Electronegative Lipoproteins in Cardiovascular Diseases.

Dysregulation of glucose and lipid metabolism increases plasma levels of lipoproteins and triglycerides, resulting in vascular endothelial damage. Remarkably, the oxidation of lipid and lipoprotein particles generates electronegative lipoproteins that mediate cellular deterioration of atherosclerosis. In this review, we examined the core of atherosclerotic plaque, which is enriched by byproducts of lipid metabolism and lipoproteins, such as oxidized low-density lipoproteins (oxLDL) and electronegative subfraction of LDL (LDL(-)).

An Increased Plasma Level of ApoCIII-Rich Electronegative High-Density Lipoprotein May Contribute to Cognitive Impairment in Alzheimer's Disease.

High-density lipoprotein (HDL) plays a vital role in lipid metabolism and anti-inflammatory activities; a dysfunctional HDL impairs cholesterol efflux pathways. To understand HDL's role in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), we analyzed the chemical properties and function. HDL from AD patients (AD-HDL) was separated into five subfractions, H1-H5, using fast-protein liquid chromatography equipped with an anion-exchange column.

The Relationship between Brachial-Ankle Pulse Wave Velocity and Depressive Symptoms among Patients with Coronary Artery Disease.

Background: Noninvasive brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) is an index for arterial stiffness in coronary artery disease (CAD). Depression has been connected to increased adverse cardiac events and mortality among patients with CAD. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between arterial stiffness and depressive symptoms among patients with CAD.

The Association of Type D personality with Heart Rate Variability and Lipid Profiles Among Patients with Coronary Artery Disease.

Purpose: Characteristics of the distressed (Type D) personality include negative affectivity (NA) and social inhibition (SI), which are associated with an increased risk of major adverse cardiac events and mortality among patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). The aims of this study were to examine: (1) the correlation of NA and SI with psychological characteristics, heart rate variability (HRV) indices, and lipids profiles and (2) the differences in psychological characteristics, HRV indices, and lipid profiles between patients with CAD with Type D personality and those with non-Type D personality.

Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 168 patients with CAD.

Randomized controlled trial of heart rate variability biofeedback in cardiac autonomic and hostility among patients with coronary artery disease.

Hostility is a psychosocial risk factor that may decrease heart rate variability (HRV) in coronary artery disease (CAD) through cardiac autonomic imbalance. Heart rate variability biofeedback (HRV-BF) increases HRV indices and baroreflex gain. This study examines the effectiveness of HRV-BF in restoring cardiac autonomic balance and decreasing hostility among patients with CAD.

Two Consecutive Episodes of Acute Myocardial Infarction Occurring in Different Coronary Arteries of a Single Patient with Sepsis.

Unlabelled: Although recurrent ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in the same coronary artery due to acute stent thrombosis has been reported in the literature, there have been no reported cases discussing consecutive STEMI recurring in different coronary arteries in the same patient in one day. Herein, we report an elderly male patient initially suffering from STEMI over the inferior wall who subsequently had another episode of STEMI over the anterior wall within several hours. Despite primary percutaneous coronary intervention being performed over both the right coronary artery and the left anterior descending artery, the patient eventually expired notwithstanding intensive care.

Exploring the blood volume amplitude and pulse transit time during anger recall in patients with coronary artery disease.

Background And Purpose: One psychopathological mechanism that links anger to coronary artery disease (CAD) is cardiac autonomic imbalance. Blood volume amplitude (BVA) and pulse transit time (PTT) are related to peripheral arterial elasticity and cardiac conduction, which are used as indirect markers for autonomic activation. The purposes of this study were to examine the relationships between BVA and PTT, and the reactivity of BVA and PTT during the anger recall task in patients with CAD.

Effect of amphetamine on corrected-QT interval change during methadone maintenance treatment in Taiwan: a prospective cohort study.

Introduction And Aims: Previous studies have suggested that methadone is associated with prolonged corrected-QT (QTc) interval, but published prospective research studies in this area are relatively scarce. This study investigates QTc interval change among methadone maintenance patients and possible associated risk factors. One of the aims is to explore the effect of amphetamines.

Chewing areca nut increases the risk of coronary artery disease in Taiwanese men: a case-control study.

Background: Areca nut chewing has been reported to be associated with obesity, metabolic syndrome, hypertension, and cardiovascular mortality in previous studies. The aim of this study was to examine whether chewing areca nut increases the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) in Taiwanese men.

Methods: This study is a hospital-based case-control study.

Association of RS2200733 but not RS10033464 on 4q25 with atrial fibrillation based on the recessive model in a Taiwanese population.

Objectives: To determine the association between genetic variants on chromosome 4q25 and atrial fibrillation (AF) in a Taiwanese population.

Methods: We enrolled 200 patients with AF (mean age: 67 +/- 13 years) and 158 controls (mean age: 63 +/- 10 years). The genotypes of five SNPs, RS2634073, RS2200733, RS13143308, RS2220427 and RS10033464, were determined using multiplex single base extension methods.

Effect of short-term cardiac memory on ventricular electrical restitution and QT intervals in humans.

Cardiac memory (CM) can alter the configuration of action potentials and the transmural repolarization gradient in ventricular tissue. This study evaluated the effects of CM on ventricular arrhythmogenicity. A total of 20 patients (12 females, 8 males; mean age, 46 +/- 13 years) were enrolled.

Effects of atorvastatin on ventricular late potentials and repolarization dispersion in patients with hypercholesterolemia.

Emerging evidence suggests that statins have a favorable impact on the reduction of arrhythmia events and sudden cardiac death in patients with structural heart disease. We aimed to investigate the possibly and directly favorable effects of statins on ventricular late potentials, QT dispersion, and transmural dispersion of repolarization attained by analyzing clinical electrocardiography (ECG) risk stratification parameters in patients with hypercholesterolemia without structural heart disease. In total, 82 patients (45 females; mean age, 62 +/- 10 years) with hypercholesterolemia were enrolled in this prospective study to examine the effects of statin therapy (atorvastatin 10 mg/day for 3 months) on ECG risk stratification parameters.

Modulation of the expression of long-term cardiac memory by short-term cardiac memory in patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome after catheter ablation.

Background: The interaction between long-and short-term cardiac memory (CM) is unknown.

Methods And Results: The T-wave areas and QTc intervals in each ECG lead were analyzed in 11 patients with manifest Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome with posterior or septal accessory pathway (4 females; mean age: 47+/-12 years) in the following ECGs: (1) immediately after catheter ablation (post-ablation ECG); (2) immediately after 20 min of right ventricular outlet pacing (post-pacing ECG); and (3) 1 week after ablation (recovery ECG). Compared with the post-ablation ECGs, the T-wave areas of the recovery ECGs in leads II and aV(F) changed dramatically from negative to positive while that in lead III became less negative (p<0.

Effect of preload alterations by hemodialysis on the time interval between the onsets of early diastolic mitral inflow and annular waveforms.

Background: The T(Ea-E), which is defined as the time interval between the peak of the R-wave and the onset of early diastolic mitral annular waveform (T(Ea)) minus the time interval between the peak of the R-wave and the onset of early diastolic mitral inflow waveform (T(E)), is recently proposed as a useful index of left ventricular (LV) relaxation. The aim of this study is to determine whether the T(Ea-E) is preload-independent.

Methods: Twenty hemodialysis (HD) patients (9 men; age 64 +/- 9 years) underwent echocardiography 1 hour before and 1 hour after HD was studied.

Evaluating the prevalence of silent coronary artery disease in asymptomatic patients with spinal cord injury.

To evaluate the prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI), 47 clinically asymptomatic SCI patients received thallium-201 myocardial perfusion single photon emission computed tomography (Tl-201 SPECT) after dipyridamole administration for the diagnosis of CAD. There were 4 groups as follows; group 1: 13 patients with quadriplegia and complete SCI, group 2: 11 patients with quadriplegia and incomplete SCI, group 3: 11 patients with paraplegia and complete SCI, and group 4: 12 patients with paraplegia and incomplete SCI. There were no significant differences in sex distribution, ages, SCI duration, or CAD risk factors among the SCI patients in the 4 groups.

Vascular endothelial growth factor in coronary sinus: evidence for its association with coronary collaterals.

Objectives: To explore whether local growth factors concentration, including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and transforming growth factor beta one (TGF-beta(1)), influence the formation of coronary collaterals.

Design: Thirty-six patients scheduled for coronary angiography received a 6F Goodale-Lubin catheterization to collect blood from the coronary sinus (CS) and right atrium (RA).

Results: Patients with coronary collaterals had a higher number of diseased vessels (2.