The effect of nebivolol on internal mammary artery blood flow during coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

Background: During coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), one of the most important complications related to the internal mammary artery (IMA) is perioperative spasm. Nebivolol causes endothelium-dependent vascular relaxation by increasing nitric oxide (NO) release and prevents endothelial dysfunction in long-term use. In our study, we measured the effect of a third generation beta blocker, nebivolol, on the flow dynamics of IMA grafts.

"Rescue administration" of intracoronary thrombolytic therapy for drug-eluting stent thrombosis.

Stent thrombosis is an example of device-induced, platelet-mediated arterial thrombosis with a potentially fatal adverse event that often leads to myocardial infarction and/or death. The optimal treatment of patients with drug-eluting stent thrombosis in whom mechanical thrombectomy has failed is not established. This case demonstrates the usefulness of intracoronary thrombolysis after failed mechanical thrombectomy in patients with stent thrombosis.

Unreported cardiac arrhythmias in aluminium worker.

Aluminium (Al) is the third most prevalent element, representing approximately 8% of total mineral components in the earth's crust (1). Chronic exposure to Al is mainly encountered at particular work places, for example, in foundries or in the Al powder industry, as an occupational exposure. In case of occupational Al exposure, inhalation is the main route of uptake.

Echocardiographic evaluation of right ventricular functions after successful percutaneous recanalization of right coronary artery chronic total occlusions.

Background: No data exist on regarding possible improvement will occur in right ventricular (RV) functions after successful recanalization of right coronary artery chronic total occlusions (RCA CTOs).

Aim: Our aim was to evaluate the revascularization induced changes in RV functions by novel echocardiographic techniques like tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) and two dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (2DSTE).

Patients And Methods: Forty-one consecutive successfully recanalized patients with RCA CTOs were included in our study.

Safety of balloon pre-dilatation in the treatment of severe carotid artery stenosis.

Aim: To assess early outcome of predilatation prior stenting of severe carotid artery stenosis and to evaluate early major adverse cardiovascular and cerebral events (MACCE).

Patients And Methods: The study group consisted of 265 consecutive patients (200 males, 65 female, mean age 66.7 ± 8.

Comparison of left atrial mechanical function in nondipper versus dipper hypertensive patients: a speckle tracking study.

Aim: Nondippers are known to carry a high risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of dipper and nondipper status of hypertension on longitudinal systolic and diastolic functions of left atrial (LA) myocardial tissue by means of two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography in treated hypertensive patients.

Methods: A total of 78 outpatients treated with antihypertensive drugs for at least 1 year were included in the study.

Acute sleep deprivation in healthy adults is associated with a reduction in left atrial early diastolic strain rate.

Background: Sleep deprivation (SD) is known to be associated with adverse cardiovascular events. Strain and strain rate measure the local deformation of the myocardium and have been used to evaluate atrial phasic function in various disease states. The aim of the study was to investigate whether strain rate imaging enables the identification of left atrial dysfunction in otherwise healthy young adults with acute SD which has not been studied previously.

Elevated uric acid and functional mitral regurgitation in dilated cardiomyopathy.

Background: Recent findings suggest that there is a close relationship between chronic heart failure and uric acid.

Aims: The aim of the study was to assess whether increased uric acid levels in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy might correlate with the degree of functional mitral regurgitation (MR).

Materials And Methods: Sixty two consecutive patients diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy were included in the study.

A new form of coronary subclavian steal syndrome: a saphenous vein graft-coronary-subclavian unidirectional steal syndrome.

Coronary subclavian steal syndrome refers to decreased or reversed internal mammary artery flow, which causes angina related to severe subclavian steno-occlusive disease in patients with in situ internal mammary-to-coronary artery graft. We present a 48-year-old man with cerebrovascular and peripheral artery disease and the first case in the literature of a saphenous vein graft-coronary-subclavian unidirectional steal syndrome.

Successful emergency double valve repair operation during acute aortic dissection type A.

Reconstructive valve surgery in acute aortic dissection type A (AADTA) remains challenging. We describe a case of successful combined repair of the aortic and mitral valves, and replacement of the ascending aorta after AADTA with aortic and mitral insufficiency. Mitral valve repair was achieved by quadrangular resection of the posterior leaflet, combined with ring annuloplasty.

Mitral regurgitation due to papillary muscle dyssynchrony during trastuzumab treatment.

Trastuzumab is a monoclonal antibody used for the treatment of metastatic breast carcinoma in women whose tumors overexpress the human epidermal growth factor receptor-2. Although trastuzumab is generally well tolerated, cardiac toxicity has occurred as a rare but potentially serious complication that limits its use in some patients. In this study, we detected new-onset mitral regurgitation in trastuzumab-treated patients.

Cardiogenic shock due to dynamic left ventricular outflow tract obstruction of acute myocardial infarction: an under-diagnosed complication.

We report on a patient who developed cardiogenic shock caused by dynamic left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) obstruction following percutaneous coronary intervention for anteroseptal acute myocardial infarction.

Snake-like thrombus in the right atrium causing pulmonary embolism.

In this report, we present a case of an 84-year-old woman treated with a low-dose prolonged infusion of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) for a free-floating thrombus in the right atrium.

Cardiogenic shock in an elderly man caused by left main coronary artery occlusion with spontaneous dissection of right coronary artery.

We present a case of an 85-year-old man with acute myocardial infarction and cardiogenic shock due to left main coronary artery occlusion, with spontaneous dissection of the right coronary artery.

The prognostic value of combined fractional flow reserve and TIMI frame count measurements in patients with stable angina pectoris and acute coronary syndrome.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of different fractional flow reserve (FFR) cutoff values and corrected thrombolysis in myocardial infarction frame (TIMI) count (CTFC) measurements in a series of consecutive patients with moderate coronary lesions, including patients with unstable angina, myocardial infarction, and/or positive noninvasive functional test findings.

Methods: We included 162 consecutive coronary patients in whom revascularization of a moderate coronary lesion was deferred based on a FFR value ≥0.75.

Dilatation of the ascending aorta is associated with low serum prolidase activity.

The pathogenesis of ascending aortic aneurysm (AAA) involves many factors; elastin degradation could lead to initial dilation, and changes in the collagen structure predispose the aneurysm to rupture. Prolidase is an enzyme that catalyzes the final step of collagen breakdown by liberating free proline for collagen recycling. The enzyme activity may be a step-limiting factor in the regulation of collagen biosynthesis.

Heart rate recovery and chronotropic incompetence in patients with subclinical hypothyroidism.

Background: Heart rate recovery (HRR) and chronotropic incompetence (CI) in patients with subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) has not been explored previously. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the HRR and CI in patients with SCH.

Methods: Twenty-five patients (11 men, 14 women with a mean age of 36 + or - 10 years) who were diagnosed SCH determined by an increased serum thyrothrophine (TSH) concentration (>4.