Distolic dysfunction

OBJECTIVE: Cardiovascular complications such as cardiomyopathy and endothelial dysfunction, which are frequently seen in patients with acromegaly, are among the most important causes of morbidity and mortality. In this study, we aimed to investigate arterial stiffness, carotid intima-media thickness, endocan and A disintegrin-like and metalloprotease with thrombospondin type I motif 9 (ADAMTS9) levels and their relationship with disease activity in acromegaly patients with and without cardiovascular risk factors...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Non-dipper hypertension is frequently accompanied by endothelial dysfunction and activation. Previous studies suggested that endocan may be a novel endothelial dysfunction marker. This study aims to investigate the association between circadian blood pressure (BP) pattern and plasma endocan levels together with high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) in patients with newly diagnosed untreated hypertension. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Twenty-four hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring was recorded in 35 dipper, 35 non-dipper hypertensives and 35 healthy controls...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Cardiac amyloidosis (AL) is characterized by early impairment of diastolic function with preservation of systolic function, as assessed by standard measures, until very late in the disease process> Role of diastolic color Doppler myocardial imaging (cDMI), that is diastolic color Doppler myocardial velocity imaging (MVI) and strain rate imaging (SRI), to assess distolic dysfunction in this population remains unclear. METHODS: 238 patients with biopsy proven systemic primary (AL) amyloidosis and 39 age and sex-matched controls have been enrolled...

Cardiovascular and Renal function were examined in two populations of long-term insulin-dependent diabetics, those with microalbuminuria, a sign of early, subclinical nephropathy and those with clinically manifest diabetic nephropathy. In addition, clinical variables of possible importance for the occurrence and prognosis of diabetic nephropathy were analyzed. Microalbuminuria - a mean of three over-night urinary albumin excretion rates greater than 20 micrograms/min - was found in 16% of Albustix-negative, normotensive, insulin-dependent diabetics...

A technique using soft, flexible catheter stents in performing coronary vein bypass surgery is presented which makes small vessel anastomoses easy and assures accuracy of suture placement with clear identification of the vessel lumen and an anastomosis without stenosis. It provides an essentially bloodless field without having to cross-clamp the aorta. The technique has been used to our complete satisfaction in all patients since we first started vein bypass operations in 1970. A review of the last 205 elective aortocoronary bypass grafts in 100 consecutive patients using this technique reveals a mortality of only 1% and an operative and postoperative myocardial infarction rate of 5%...