High iliac calcium score is associated with increased severity and complexity of peripheral arterial disease and predicts global atherosclerotic burden.

Background: The role of vascular calcifications in iliac arteries for predicting global atherosclerotic burden in still unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate whether iliac calcium score (ICS), a new computed tomographic angiography (CTA) derived biomarker of vascular calcification, can predict the severity and complexity of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) as well as the global atherosclerotic burden.

Patients And Methods: This was a single centre, non-randomized, observational prospective study on 84 consecutive patients with symptomatic peripheral arterial disease, undergoing peripheral CTA examination of the lower limbs, divided into high (n = 42) and low ICS (n = 42) groups with a median value for ICS of 3934 HU.

Echocardiographic evaluation of mechanical dyssynchrony in heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction.

The aim of this study is to observe the differences between mechanical and electrical dyssynchrony in patients with impaired systolic ventricular function and symptomatic heart failure and to highlight the importance of mechanical dyssynchrony besides electrical dyssynchrony in clinical guidelines and clinical practice. Fifty-eight patients with heart failure, who are with the New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class II-IV and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) under 35%, were enrolled. Patients were divided into two groups, according to the duration of QRS complex (> 120 ms and ≤ 120 ms respectively).