Angiographic and clinical outcomes in patients with versus without diabetes mellitus after revascularization with BioMime sirolimus-eluting stent.

Introduction: Drug-eluting stents (DES) significantly improved angiographic and clinical outcomes compared with bare-metal stents in patients with diabetes. The clinical effects of BioMime sirolimus-eluting stent (SES) in patients with diabetes have not been evaluated. Therefore, we compared the efficacy of BioMime DES in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients with versus without diabetes.

Subclinical cardiac perforation by cardiac implantable electronic device leads detected by cardiac computed tomography.

Background: The relationship between the characteristics of cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) leads and subclinical cardiac perforations remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the incidence of subclinical cardiac perforation among various CIED leads using cardiac computed tomography (CT).

Methods: A total of 271 consecutive patients with 463 CIED leads, who underwent cardiac CT after CIED implantation, were included in this retrospective observational study.

A wafer-like apparatus for two-dimensional measurement of plasma parameters and temperature distribution in low-temperature plasmas.

A wafer-type monitoring apparatus that can simultaneously measure the two-dimensional (2D) distributions of substrate temperature and plasma parameters is developed. To measure the temperature of the substrate, a platinum resistance temperature detector is used. The plasma density and electron temperature are obtained using the floating harmonics method, and incoming heat fluxes from the plasma to the substrate are obtained from the plasma density and electron temperature.

High Level of Real Urban Air Pollution Promotes Cardiac Arrhythmia in Healthy Mice.

Background And Objectives: Ambient particulate matter (PM) in real urban air pollution (RUA) is an environmental health risk factor associated with increased cardiac events. This study investigated the threshold level to induce arrhythmia, as well as arrhythmogenic mechanism of RUA that mainly consisted of PM <2.5 μm in aerodynamic diameter close to ultrafine particles.

Body Mass Index Variability and Long-term Risk of New-Onset Atrial Fibrillation in the General Population: A Korean Nationwide Cohort Study.

Objective: To assess the effects of body mass index (BMI) variability on the incidence of new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF), stroke, cardiovascular (CV) risk factors, and CV outcomes in a general Asian population.

Patients And Methods: Data from the National Health Insurance Service-Health Screening cohort in Korea were used: 171,324 patients without AF were included, and BMI measurements occurred biennially from January 1, 2002, through December 31, 2009. Patient outcomes were followed through 2013.

Serial measurements of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin: prognostic value in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction treated with a primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

Background: There are no previous data on serial changes in neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) levels in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients before and after a primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI). The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prognostic value of serial NGAL measurements in patients with STEMI treated by pPCI.

Materials And Methods: We identified 169 STEMI patients who underwent pPCI within 12 h of symptom onset and had plasma NGAL measurements before (pre-NGAL) and 6 h after (post-NGAL) pPCI.

Clinical implication of an impaired fasting glucose and prehypertension related to new onset atrial fibrillation in a healthy Asian population without underlying disease: a nationwide cohort study in Korea.

Aims: For healthy populations without comorbidities, whether prehypertension and impaired fasting glucose (IFG) are associated with new onset atrial fibrillation (AF) is not well known.

Methods And Results: We included 366 507 subjects (age ≥20 years) not diagnosed with non-valvular AF from the Korean National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort (NHIS-NSC) from 2003 to 2008. In total, 139 306 subjects diagnosed with AF-related comorbidities were excluded, and a 227 102 healthy population was followed up until 2013.

Delayed left atrial appendage contrast filling in computed tomograms after percutaneous left atrial appendage occlusion.

Background: The gold standard for the follow-up of left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) is performing transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) at 45 days after LAAO; however, the duration for complete LAA seal-off after percutaneous LAAO is unknown in humans. We retrospectively evaluated the LAA contrast-filling (CF) rate in follow-up cardiac computed tomography (CT) scans after LAAO.

Methods: We included 35 patients (age 67.

Focal Atrial Tachycardia Arising from the Inferior Vena Cava.

The inferior vena cava (IVC) is a rare site of focal atrial tachycardia (AT). Here, we report a 20-year-old woman who underwent catheter ablation for anti-arrhythmic drug-resistant AT originating from the IVC. She had undergone open-heart surgery for patch closure of an atrial septal defect 17 years previously and permanent pacemaker implantation for sinus node dysfunction 6 years previously.

Long-Term Prognosis of Patients with an Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator in Korea.

Purpose: The objective of this study was to elucidate the long-term prognosis of patients with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) in Korea.

Materials And Methods: We enrolled 405 patients (age, 57.7±16.

Prognostic value of preoperative N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide in non-cardiac surgery of elderly patients with normal left ventricular systolic function.

Aim: We investigated the prognostic value of preoperative N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in non-cardiac surgery in elderly patients who showed normal left ventricular function on preoperative echocardiography.

Methods: We analyzed 1459 patients aged older than 70 years who had consulted a cardiologist for the evaluation of cardiovascular risk for non-cardiac surgery. Of the 721 patients who simultaneously underwent echocardiography and NT-proBNP assessments, 506 who showed normal left ventricular systolic function were included.

Association of insulin resistance and coronary artery remodeling: an intravascular ultrasound study.

Background: There are few studies that investigated the correlation between insulin resistance (IR) and the coronary artery remodeling. The aim of the study is to investigate the association of IR measured by homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and coronary artery remodeling evaluated by intravascular ultrasound (IVUS).

Methods: A total of 298 consecutive patients who received percutaneous coronary interventions under IVUS guidance were retrospectively enrolled.

Delayed embolisation of amplatzer ASD closure device caused partial obstruction of left ventricular outflow tract.

A 54-year-old male presented with symptoms of dyspnoea, and oedema of the lower extremities. Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) revealed secondum-type atrial septal defect (ASD). He successfully received a 30-mm Amplatzer ASD closure device percutaneously.