Cardiology Research and Practice

Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) describes any condition characterized by myocardial ischaemia and reduction in blood flow. The physiopathological process of ACS is the atherosclerosis where MIF operates as a major regulator of inflammation. The aim of this study was to assess the mRNA expression of MIF gene and its serum levels in the clinical manifestations of ACS and unrelated individuals age- and sex-matched with patients as the control group (CG). All samples were run using the conditions indicated in TaqMan Gene Expression Assay protocol...

Background: Postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) is the most common complication among patients undergoing cardiac surgery. However, data on the economic burden and resource utilization associated with POAF in Asian population are limited. The present study aimed at estimating medical costs attributable to POAF after cardiac surgery in Thai population. Methods: We analysed data from claims database of patients who underwent valve replacement, coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), or a combination of both procedures at a tertiary-care, academic hospital in Thailand...

Introduction: Soluble ST2 (sST2) is increased during acute myocardial infarction. The point of care test (POCT) for sST2 is currently available. The aim of this study was to investigate the utility of the sST2 POCT measurement for predicting adverse cardiac events during acute care of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Patients and Methods: This research used a cohort study design. Consecutive patients with STEMI were enrolled. Soluble ST2 level was measured from peripheral blood taken on admission with POCT...

Purpose: The purposes of this study are to assess the acute effects of iodixanol, an iso-osmolar contrast media, on pulmonary functions and to evaluate the body composition in order to find out its role in causing this deterioration. Methods: 35 male and 25 female patients undergoing diagnostic coronary angiography (CA) were enrolled in the study. Before CA, all patients' body compositions were evaluated by measuring their body mass indexes (BMIs) and waist-to-hip ratios (WHRs)...

Objective: Herein, we investigated the balance of thiol/disulfide, with the hypothesis that the balance between disulfides and thiols, which are natural antioxidants, might be disrupted in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia, which eventually leads to endothelial damage. Methods: In this study, we evaluated 51 patients diagnosed with familial hypercholesterolemia and 81 healthy subjects. Blood samples were taken from the patients after a minimum of 12 hours of fasting; samples were immediately centrifuged, stored in Eppendorf tubes, and preserved at -80°C...

Background: Sudden cardiac arrest is a major public health problem in the world. Immediate initiation of high-quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) significantly increased patient survival rate. Therefore, it is very important to train young people and increase public awareness of CPR for the long-term benefit of the community. Objective: We aimed at estimating the level of knowledge and attitude towards cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) among the university students in the northern region of Saudi Arabia...

Background: Australian guidelines advocate primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) as the reperfusion strategy of choice for ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in patients in whom it can be performed within 90 minutes of first medical contact; otherwise, fibrinolytic therapy is preferred. In a large health district, the reperfusion strategy is often chosen in the prehospital setting. We sought to identify a distance from a PCI centre, which made it unlikely first medical contact to balloon time (FMCTB) of less than 90 minutes could be achieved in the Hunter New England health district and to identify causes of delay in patients who were triaged to a PPCI strategy...

Aim: This study sought to compare short- and long-term outcomes of drug-eluting stents (DESs) versus bare-metal stents (BMSs) implantation in patients with end-stage renal disease on hemodialysis (ESRD-HD) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods: Adult patients with ESRD-HD who underwent PCI at all nonfederal hospitals in Massachusetts between July 1, 2003, and September 30, 2007, were stratified based on the stent type placed at index hospitalization: DES or BMS...

Syncope is difficult to definitively diagnose, even with tilt-table testing and beat-to-beat blood pressure measurements, the gold-standard. Both are qualitative, subjective assessments. There are subtypes of syncope associated with autonomic conditions for which tilt-table testing is not useful. Heart rate variability analyses also include too much ambiguity. Three subtypes of syncope are differentiated: vasovagal syncope (VVS) due to parasympathetic excess (VVS-PE), VVS with abnormal heart rate response (VVS-HR), and VVS without PE (VVS-PN)...

Aims: Cardiovascular diseases are the primary cause of premature morbidity and mortality in early breast cancer patients after treatment with cardiotoxic chemotherapeutic agents. Arterial stiffness is an independent risk factor for future cardiovascular diseases and can be used as a predictive marker of subclinical cardiac damage. The aim of this study is to analyze the arterial stiffness in breast cancer patients who are in the follow-up period after receiving anthracycline-based chemotherapy regimens with trastuzumab...

Objective: Donepezil, a widely used cholinesterase inhibitor for treating Alzheimer's disease, has been reported to induce bradyarrhythmias and torsade de pointes. In this study, we aimed at determining electrocardiogram changes of donepezil administration in elderly patients with ischemic heart disease, who tend to suffer from cognitive disorders. Methods: Sixty patients with ischemic heart disease and mild cognitive impairment were treated with donepezil (5 mg/day) and followed up for at least four weeks...

Background: Indexed left atrial volume (LAVi) is a robust predictor of adverse cardiovascular events. A minority of patients with moderate-to-severe left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction maintain normal LAVi. We followed clinical and echocardiographic parameters for at least 6 months to understand how this population is different from patients with similar systolic dysfunction and dilated left atria. Methods and Results: We searched our electronic medical records for "normal" ( n =817) and "severely dilated" ( n =1094) LA size and LV ejection fraction (EF) ≤ 35% on echocardiogram reports from 2009 to 2015...

Radiological interventions play an increasingly relevant role in cardiology. Due to the inherent risks of ionizing radiation, proper care must be taken with monitoring and optimizing the dose delivered in angiograms to pose as low risk as possible to staff and patients. Dose optimization is particularly pertinent in teaching hospitals, where longer procedure times are at times necessary to accommodate the teaching needs of junior staff, and thus impart a more significant radiation dose. This study aims to analyze the effects of different protocol settings in routine coronary angiograms, from the perspective of a large tertiary center implementing a rapid dose reduction program...

Aim: Aortic valve replacement (AVR) in patients with prior cardiac surgery might be challenging. Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) offers a promising alternative in such patients. We therefore aimed at comparing the outcomes of patients with aortic valve diseases undergoing TAVR versus those undergoing surgical AVR (SAVR) after previous cardiac surgery. Methods and Results: MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register were searched. Seven relevant studies were identified, published between 01/2011 and 12/2015, enrolling a total of 1148 patients with prior cardiac surgery (97...

We have analysed the database of 1,595 consecutive patients visiting our department of cardiology and internal medicine clinic in 2005-2014. The analysis included 13,990 visit records, and the average number of visits per patient was 8.5 ± 7.0. Our goals were to evaluate the effectivity of hypertension treatment as for drug choice, decrease of sBP and dBP associated with a certain drug, a drug combination, and therapeutic inertia in patients with metabolic syndrome and/or diabetes mellitus. The final number of patients for analysis who fulfilled the inclusion criteria for interpenetration of both diagnostic circles was 570...

Background: Pulmonary vein isolation is commonly performed using radiofrequency energy with cryoablation gaining acceptance. We performed a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials which compared radiofrequency versus cryoablation for patients with atrial fibrillation. Methods: A systematic search strategy identified both published and unpublished articles from inception to November 10, 2016, in multiple databases. The primary outcomes for this meta-analysis were long-term freedom from atrial fibrillation at 12-month follow-up and overall postoperative complication rates...

Background: Hospital inpatient readmissions for patients admitted initially with the primary diagnosis of heart failure (HF) can be as high as 20-25% within 30 days of discharge. This, however, does not include admissions for observations or emergency department (ED) visits within the same time frame and does not show a time-dependent hospital encounter following discharge after an index admission. We present data on time-dependent hospital encounter of HF patients discharged after an index admission for a primary diagnosis of HF...

Background: The mean platelet volume (MPV), the most commonly used measure of the platelet size, is a cheap and easy-to-use marker of the platelet activation. We aimed to evaluate the relationship between preprocedural MPV and other hematologic blood count parameters and in-stent restenosis in patients with superficial femoral artery (SFA) stenting. Methods and Results: The consecutive 118 patients who successfully underwent endovascular stenting of the SFA were enrolled retrospectively in the study...

Aims: To determine whether a new QTc calculation based on a Spline fit model derived and validated from a large population remained stable in the same individual across a range of heart rates (HRs). Second, to determine whether this formula incorporating QRS duration can be of value in QT measurement, compared to direct measurement of the JT interval, during ventricular pacing. Methods: Individuals ( N =30; 14 males) aged 51.9 ± 14.3 years were paced with decremental atrial followed by decremental ventricular pacing...

Thymoquinone is the active constituent of Nigella sativa , having antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions. In present study, we have analyzed the effects of thymoquinone on doxorubicin (DOX) induced cardiotoxicity in mice. In this experiment, thirty mice (25-35 gm) were divided into five groups (Groups A, B, C, D, and E) each containing six animals. Normal saline was given to a control group (Group A) for 14 days. Cardiotoxicity was induced by DOX (15 mg/kg, i.p.) in Group B, once on the 13th day of the study, and Groups C and D also received DOX (15 mg/kg, i...