Outlet Ventricular Septal Defect in an Elderly Male.

Ventricular septal defect (VSD) is the most common congenital cardiac anomaly in children and the second most common congenital cardiac anomaly in adults. The hemodynamic compromise associated with VSD is due to the shunt formation created by the abnormal communication between the right and left ventricles. While 85%-90% of small VSDs close spontaneously during the first year of life, some do not close spontaneously.

Impact of Physical Inactivity on Mortality in Patients With Heart Failure.

The impact of physical inactivity on heart failure (HF) mortality is unclear. We analyzed data from the HF Adherence and Retention Trial (HART) which enrolled 902 patients with New York Heart Association class II/III HF, with preserved or reduced ejection fraction, who were followed for 36 months. On the basis of mean self-reported weekly exercise duration, patients were classified into inactive (0 min/week) and active (≥1 min/week) groups and then propensity score matched according to 34 baseline covariates in 1:2 ratio.

Impact of Dietary Sodium Restriction on Heart Failure Outcomes.

Objectives: This study sought to evaluate the impact of sodium restriction on heart failure (HF) outcomes.

Background: Although sodium restriction is advised for patients with HF, data on sodium restriction and HF outcomes are inconsistent.

Methods: We analyzed data from the multihospital HF Adherence and Retention Trial, which enrolled 902 New York Heart Association functional class II/III HF patients and followed them up for a median of 36 months.

Plasma myeloperoxidase concentration predicts the presence and severity of coronary disease in patients with chest pain and negative troponin-T.

Background: A non-negligible proportion of patients with chest pain with negative cardiac troponin may harbor a disrupted coronary plaque. A marker of plaque rupture upstream from myocardial necrosis may help identify high-risk patients among this patient population. The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation of plasma myeloperoxidase (MPO) concentration and angiographic coronary disease among patients with suspected troponin-negative coronary syndromes.