Evaluating the relationship of sleep quality and sleep duration with Framingham coronary heart disease risk score.

Sleep is an important modulator of cardiovascular function and is recognized to play an important role in the pathogenesis and progression of cardiovascular disease. However, results of the studies investigating the relationship between sleep complaints and cardiovascular outcomes are still controversial. This study aimed to investigate the associations of sleep duration and sleep quality with Framingham 10-year hard coronary heart disease (CHD) risk score in Turkish adults.

Increased exercise-related platelet activation assessed by impedance aggregometry in diabetic patients despite aspirin therapy.

Aspirin is widely used for the prevention of thromboembolic diseases, but inhibition of platelet aggregation (PA) is not uniform. Additionally, aspirin has been shown to be ineffective in blunting PA in response to exercise in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Limited data exists about platelet function following acute exercise in diabetics taking aspirin.

A new and simple method for clarifying the severity of tricuspid regurgitation.

Background: No gold standard exists for grading tricuspid regurgitation (TR) severity. We developed a simple parameter, the right ventricular (RV) early inflow-outflow (RVEIO) index, using the early diastolic filling velocity and RV outflow velocity integrated over the systolic ejection period. We hypothesized that this index would help identify severe TR in clinical practice.

Two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography-based left atrial strain parameters predict masked hypertension in patients with hypertensive response to exercise.

Objective: We aim to study left atrial (LA) strains in patients with hypertensive response to exercise (HRE) and determine their usefulness in predicting masked hypertension (HT).

Methods: Ninety-eight normotensive patients who had HRE were included and were divided into two groups after masked HT had been diagnosed by ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. Conventional echocardiographic parameters and two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography-based LA strain parameters were compared.

Association between the Gensini Score and Carotid Artery Stenosis.

Background And Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between the extent of coronary artery disease assessed by the Gensini score and/or the SYNTAX score and the significant carotid stenosis in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).

Subjects And Methods: A total of 225 patients who had carotid doppler ultrasonography prior to CABG were included retrospectively. Significant coronary artery disease was assumed as a lumen diameter stenosis of ≥50% in any of the major epicardial coronary arteries.

Left atrial strain in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.

Background: Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a syndrome in which patients have symptoms and signs of heart failure but preserved ejection fraction. Left atrial (LA) volume and function are known to be impaired in these patients. Two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography (2D-STE) has recently enabled the quantification of LA deformation dynamics.

Increased circulating soluble urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) levels in patients with slow coronary flow.

Introduction: Slow coronary flow (SCF) is an angiographic phenomenon characterized by delayed opacification of epicardial coronary arteries without an obstructive coronary disease. Serum soluble urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) levels seem closely related to atherosclerosis due to increased inflammation and prothrombotic state. We studied whether circulating suPAR is related to SCF.

Relation of Plasma Fibrinogen Level With the Presence, Severity, and Complexity of Coronary Artery Disease.

Background: Relation of plasma fibrinogen levels with extent, severity, and complexity of coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients with stable angina pectoris (SAP) has not been adequately investigated. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether plasma fibrinogen level is associated with coronary complexity, severity, and extent assessed by SYNTAX (Synergy between percutaneous coronary intervention with TAXUS and Cardiac Surgery) score (SS).

Methods: We enrolled 134 consecutive patients with SAP who underwent coronary angiography.

Relation of epicardial fat thickness to the severity of heart failure in patients with nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy.

Background: The aim of this study was to assess whether epicardial fat thickness (EFT) is associated with the severity of heart failure in patients with nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (NICMP).

Methods: The study group was composed of 93 patients with NICMP and38 age- and sex-matched healty individuals as the control group. The EFT was identified during end-systole at the point on the free wall of the right ventricle.

[The predictive value of plasma B-type natriuretic peptide levels on outcome in children with pulmonary hypertension undergoing congenital heart surgery].

Background And Objectives: In children undergoing congenital heart surgery, plasma brain natriuretic peptide levels may have a role in development of low cardiac output syndrome that is defined as a combination of clinical findings and interventions to augment cardiac output in children with pulmonary hypertension.

Methods: In a prospective observational study, fifty-one children undergoing congenital heart surgery with preoperative echocardiographic study showing pulmonary hypertension were enrolled. The plasma brain natriuretic peptide levels were collected before operation, 12, 24 and 48h after operation.

Neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio is related to the severity of idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess whether NLR levels are associated with echocardiographic parameters, New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class, or B- type natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels in patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM).

Design: Eighty-seven patients with idiopathic DCM were included prospectively from 2009 to 2014. Patients with acute decompensated heart failure and conditions that alter the total or differential white blood cell counts were excluded.

Assessment of atrial conduction time in patients with essential hypertension.

Background: We aimed to assess atrial conduction time in patients with essential hypertension.

Methods: A total of 80 patients with hypertension (51 males/29 females, 53 ± 12.5 years) and 80 controls (50 males/30 females, 50 ± 12 years) were included.

Is pseudoexfoliation syndrome associated with coronary artery disease?

Background: Pseudoexfoliation syndrome (PEX) is recognised by chronic deposition of abnormal pseudoexfoliation material on anterior segment structures of the eye, especially the anterior lens capsule. In recent years, several studies have shown the presence of vascular, cardiac and other organ pseudoexfoliative material in patients with ocular pseudoexfoliation.

Aims: The purpose of this study is to determine whether an association exists between ocular pseudoexfoliation and coronary artery disease, aortic aneurysms and peripheric vascular disease.

GGT levels in type II diabetic patients with acute coronary syndrome (does diabetes have any effect on GGT levels in acute coronary syndrome?).

Elevated gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) level is independently correlated with conditions associated with increased atherosclerosis, such as obesity, elevated serum cholesterol, high blood pressure and myocardial infarction. It is demonstrated that serum GGT activity is an independent risk factor for myocardial infarction and cardiac death in patients with coronary artery disease. Diabetes is also a well-known cardiovascular risk factor and an equivalent of coronary artery disease.

Gamma glutamyltransferase levels and its association with high sensitive C-reactive protein in patients with acute coronary syndromes.

Background: Elevated Gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) level is independently correlated with conditions associatedwith increased atherosclerosis, such as obesity, elevated serum cholesterol, high blood pressure and myocardial infarction. It is also demonstrated that serum gamma-glutamyltransferase activity is an independent risk factor for myocardial infarction and cardiac death in patients with coronary artery disease. Although the relationship between gamma-glutamyltransferase and coronary artery disease has been reported, not many studies have shown the relationship between changes ofgamma-glutamyltransferase in acute coronary syndromes and a well established coronary risk factor high sensitive C-reactive protein.

Severe right ventricular outflow obstruction by right sinus of valsalva aneurysm.

Aneurysms of the sinus of Valsalva are rarely diagnosed cardiac anomalies, occurring in 0.14%-0.96% of patients who have undergone open heart surgical procedures.