Assessment of treatment patterns and patient awareness in atrial fibrillation patients using non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (ASPECT-NOAC).

Background And Aim: Despite the advances in oral anticoagulation with NOACs, careful patient and dose selection is required with NOAC therapy. Our study aimed to assess treatment patterns of NOACs in AF along with patients' continuity to NOAC treatments in first year, and their knowledge level of AF and NOAC treatment.

Methods: ASPECT-NOAC was designed as an observational, prospective, and multicenter study.

Serum Endocan Levels Predict Drug-Eluting Stent Restenosis in Patients with Stable Angina Pectoris.

Background: Endothelial cell-specific molecule 1 (ESM-1 or endocan) is an immunoinflammatory marker strongly associated with inflammation, vascular endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis. We explored the relationship between serum endocan concentrations and coronary in-stent restenosis (ISR).

Methods: Fifty consecutive patients with ISR and 50 control subjects were included in this study.

Sedation for transesophageal echocardiography: comparison of propofol, midazolam and midazolam-alfentanil combination.

Aim: The administration of trans esophageal echocardiography (TEE) may cause nausea, shortness of breath, agitation, emotional distress and pain in patients due to pharyngo-esophageal intubation, which may be partially relieved by sedoanalgesia. The aim of this study was to compare clinical effects of midazolam, midazolam-alfentanil combination and propofol sedation given for sedation and sedoanalgesia to patients with planned diagnostic TEE interventions.

Methods: This study was prospectively completed with 90 randomized adult patients in ASA risk groups I-II-III.

Thrombus aspiration during primary percutaneous coronary intervention associated with reduced platelet activation.

Objectives: To determine the effect of thrombectomy on platelet function in patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) for ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).

Methods: This retrospective study included 413 consecutive STEMI patients who underwent PPCI between March 2012 and September 2013 at Kartal Kosuyolu High Specialty Education and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey that were assigned to the thrombus aspiration (TA) group or the non-TA group. Platelet count and mean platelet volume (MPV) were obtained at baseline and 24 hours (h), 48 h, and 72 h post PPCI.

The Effect of Chronic Anabolic-Androgenic Steroid Use on Tp-E Interval, Tp-E/Qt Ratio, and Tp-E/Qtc Ratio in Male Bodybuilders.

Background: The chronic consumption of androgenic anabolic steroids has shown to cause atrial arrhythmias. Several studies have suggested that the interval from the peak to the end of the electrocardiographic T wave (Tp-e) may correspond to the transmural dispersion of repolarization and that increased Tp-e interval and Tp-e/QT ratio are associated with malignant ventricular arrhythmias. The aim of this study was to evaluate repolarization dispersion measured from the 12-lead surface electrocardiogram (including Tp-e interval, Tp-e/QT ratio, and Tp-e/cQT ratio) in bodybuilders who are using anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS).

The Predictive Value of Admission Fragmented QRS Complex for In-Hospital Cardiovascular Mortality of Patients with Type 1 Acute Aortic Dissection.

Background: Fragmented QRS (fQRS) arises from impaired ventricular depolarization due to heterogeneous electrical activation of ischemic and/or infarcted ventricular myocardium. The short- and long-term prognostic values of fQRS have been reported for myocardial infarction, heart failure, fatal cardiac arrhythmias, and sudden cardiac death. The aim of this study was to investigate the predictive value of admission fQRS complex for in-hospital cardiovascular mortality of patients with type 1 acute aortic dissection (AAD).

International study on microcirculatory shock occurrence in acutely ill patients.

Objectives: Microcirculatory alterations are associated with adverse outcome in subsets of critically ill patients. The prevalence and significance of microcirculatory alterations in the general ICU population are unknown. We studied the prevalence of microcirculatory alterations in a heterogeneous ICU population and its predictive value in an integrative model of macro- and microcirculatory variables.

A cockscomb-like aneurysm of the right coronary artery after bare metal stent implantation.

Coronary artery aneurysm (CAA) formation is an uncommon but potentially life-threatening event after coronary balloon angioplasty or stent implantation. In this report, we present a case of a patient who had a cockscomb-like aneurysm after bare metal stent implantation which was successfully treated with a coronary graft stent.

Relationship of neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio with the presence, severity, and extent of coronary atherosclerosis detected by coronary computed tomography angiography.

We evaluated whether the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) was associated with the presence, severity, and extent of coronary atherosclerotic plaques detected by computed tomography angiography (CTA). We studied 238 patients who underwent dual-source 64-slice CTA for the assessment of coronary artery disease. Coronary arteries were evaluated on 16-segment basis and critical plaque was described as luminal narrowing >50%.

The relationship between the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio and the coronary collateral circulation in patients with chronic total occlusion.

Objectives: Previous studies showed the association between the major adverse cardiovascular outcomes and both higher neutrophil and lower lymphocyte counts. We aimed to investigate whether there is an association between the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) value and the development of coronary collateral circulation (CCC) in patients with coronary chronic total occlusion (CTO).

Methods: A total of 274 patients with CTO were included in this study.

Effect of blood donation-mediated volume reduction on regional right ventricular deformation in healthy subjects.

Strain (S) and strain rate (SR) are known to be altered in diseases associated with right ventricular (RV) pressure/volume overload and RV myocardial dysfunction; however determinants of S/SR are incompletely understood. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of blood donation-mediated volume reduction on regional RV deformation in healthy young adults. Study population was composed of 61 consecutive healthy subjects who were volunteers for blood donation.

Retrieval of a malpositioned left subclavian artery stent from the ascending aorta: combined percutaneous and surgical management.

Chronic upper limb ischemia is an uncommon clinical condition and is most often caused by subclavian artery stenosis. Surgical and percutaneous treatment modalities have been shown to be effective for the management of subclavian artery occlusion. Because of lower mortality and morbidity rates, percutaneous interventions for subclavian arterial occlusions are more acceptable than surgery.

Mean platelet volume levels in patients with cardiac myxoma.

Thromboembolic events such as cerebrovascular stroke are common and serious complications in patients with cardiac myxomas (CMs). Previous studies have reported that a high mean platelet volume (MPV) level reflects an activated platelet function and has been proven to be an independent risk factor for thromboembolic events. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relation between MPV level and CM.

The relation of platelet-lymphocyte ratio and coronary collateral circulation in patients with stable angina pectoris and chronic total occlusion.

Objectives: We aimed to investigate the relationship between the platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and coronary collateral circulation (CCC) in patients with stable angina pectoris (SAP) and chronic total occlusion (CTO).

Methods: A total of 294 patients with both SAP and CTO were classified according to their Rentrop collateral grades as either poor (Rentrop grades/0-1) or good (Rentrop grades/2-3).

Results: The PLR values were significantly higher in patients with poor CCC than in those with good CCC (156.