Evaluation of right ventricular dyssynchrony in patients with acute inferior myocardial infarction and its relation with mortality.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate right ventricle (RV) dyssynchrony and its relation with mortality using speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE) in patients with acute inferior myocardial infarction (IMI). METHODS: One hundred and fifty-eight consecutive patients with acute IMI treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention, and 44 healthy subjects were included. RV myocardial involvement (RVMI) was defined as an elevation >1 mm in V1 or V4R and/or the presence of a culprit lesion at the proximal portion of the first RV marginal branch after reviewing coronary angiography. Patients were followed for 3 years to determine the cardiovascular mortality. RESULTS: Overall, 70 patients with IMI had RVMI. IMI patients had significantly higher RV peak systolic longitudinal strain dyssynchrony (PLSSD) index, lower peak longitudinal systolic strain (PLSS), longer time to PLSS, and time to PLSS differences compared to healthy controls while the patients with RVMI had significantly worse values compared to patients without RVMI and healthy controls. Twenty-seven patients (17.1%) died within 2 years. RVMI was more prevalent in mortality group, and they had significantly higher RV PSSD index, whereas they had lower RV free wall PLSS and longer time to PLSS differences. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis revealed that a RV PLSSD index > 65 ms predicted mortality with a sensitivity of 88.9% and specificity of 71.8% in IMI patients. CONCLUSIONS: Intra- and inter-ventricular dyssynhcrony may develop in patients with acute IMI, especially in those with RV involvement, which might have a negative effect on the prognosis of these patients.

Can ocular OCT findings be as a predictor for end-organ damage in systemic hypertension?

PURPOSE: Detection of end-organ damage (EOD) in systemic hypertension is essential for the management of systemic hypertension. We aimed to evaluate subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) and retinal layers' thicknesses by using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD­OCT) in patients with systemic hypertension and to assess the relationship between EOD and SD-OCT parameters. METHODS: A total of 189 consecutive patients with systemic hypertension and 100 controls were included. Patients were examined to detect EOD including hypertensive retinopathy (HTRP), left ventricular hypertrophy assessed by transthoracic echocardiography and microalbuminuria assessed by 24-h urine analysis. SFCT, inner plexiform-ganglion cell complex (IP-GCC), peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) and central macular thickness (CMT) were measured with SD-OCT. RESULTS: Patients with systemic hypertension had significantly lower SFCT and retinal layer thicknesses than controls (P˂0.001). In the dilated fundus photographic evaluation, 94 patients with systemic hypertension had HTRP and these patients had lower SFCT, CMT, IP-GCC and pRNFL thicknesses compared to hypertensive patients without HTRP and healthy controls. Patients with EOD had significantly lower SFCT, CMT, IP-GCC and pRNFL thicknesses and as the number of EOD increased, the SFCT decreased significantly. In the multivariate analysis, SFCT was found as an independent predictor of EOD (P˂0.001, odds ratio: 0.0605). CONCLUSION: Hypertensive patients, especially with EOD had significantly lower SD-OCT parameters compared to controls. It would be rational to add SD-OCT assessment to conventional hypertensive retinopathy evaluation in patients with systemic hypertension for early diagnosis of end-organ damage, burden of target organ involvement and monitoring anti-hypertensive treatment.

Evaluation of right atrial volumes and functions by real-time three-dimensional echocardiography in patients after acute inferior myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: Right ventricle (RV) involvement causes acute systolic and diastolic functional alterations in the RV in patients after inferior myocardial infarction (IMI), which may result in an increase in left ventricle (LV) end-diastolic and right atrial (RA) pressure. In our study, we sought to evaluate RA volumes and mechanical functions using real-time three-dimensional echocardiography (RT3DE) in IMI patients with or without RV involvement. METHODS: Ninety-six consecutive patients with IMI (mean age: 59.7 ± 10.2 years, 60 female) were included. RV myocardial involvement (RVMI) was defined as the presence of a culprit lesion at the proximal portion of the first RV marginal branch in coronary angiography. The study population was divided into two groups: IMI (58.3%) and IMI + RVMI (41.7%). Patients were evaluated using conventional two-dimensional echocardiography (2DE) and RT3DE. RESULTS: In RT3DE measurements, IMI + RVMI patients had significantly higher RA phasic volumes and worse conduit mechanical function. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis revealed that an RT3DE RA maximum volume (Vmax) index > 27.9 mL/m2 was an independent predictor of RV involvement in patients after acute IMI, with a sensitivity of 80.0% and a specificity of 89.3%. CONCLUSIONS: Right ventricle involvement may cause an increase in RA phasic volumes and deterioration of conduit function in patients with acute IMI.

Cardiac changes with subclinical hypothyroidism in obese women.

OBJECTIVES: Obesity has been linked to a spectrum of minor cardiovascular changes. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of obesity on cardiac functions and its relations with subclinical hypothyroidism in healthy women. STUDY DESIGN: Eighty-eight consecutive "healthy" females (mean age: 31.2±6.6 years) were included in the study. Thyroid function tests and echocardiography studies were performed in all patients. Height, weight, and waist and hip circumference were also measured. A body mass index (BMI) above 30 kg/m2 was considered obese. RESULTS: Left ventricular mass (LVM) was higher in obese subjects (p<0.001). Doppler-derived indices of LV diastolic filling showed clear abnormalities of myocardial relaxation in obese subjects with higher E/e' (p=0.001) and larger left atrial volume (LAV) (p<0.001). LV myocardial performance index was also significantly higher in obese subjects (p=0.033). Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels were significantly higher in obese subjects (p=0.011) and were positively correlated with BMI, waist circumference, LAV, and LVM. The prevalence of abnormal systolic and diastolic functions showed stepwise increases with higher TSH levels in obese subjects. Multiple regression analysis was used to evaluate the association of E/e' with anthromorphometric and biochemical parameters, and waist circumference was found to be the strongest independent variable correlated with the E/e' ratio. CONCLUSION: Cardiac structural and functional deteriorations may be related with subclinical hypothyroidism in obese subjects.

The Impact of Cystic Fibrosis- and Noncystic Fibrosis-Bronchiectasis on Pulmonary Artery Wall Thickness and Right Heart Functions Assessed by Speckle-Tracking Echocardiography.

BACKGROUND: Right heart functions are affected in patients with bronchiectasis as a result of pulmonary hypertension induced by chronic hypoxemia. Pulmonary artery wall thickness has recently been introduced as a sign of intensive and prolonged inflammation. The aim of this study was to analyze right ventricular and right atrial functions and to mea-sure pulmonary artery wall thickness in patients with cystic fibrosis-bronch iecta sis in comparison to those with noncystic fibrosis-bronchiectasis and healthy individuals. METHODS: We studied 36 patients with cystic fibrosis-bronchiectasis, 34 patients with noncystic fibrosis-bronchiectasis, and 32 age- and sex-matched control subjects. Lung function tests were performed. All subjects underwent comprehensive echocardiographic evaluation including conventional, tissue Doppler, speckle-tracking, and pulmonary artery wall thickness measurements. RESULTS: Right ventricular global longitudinal strain and global longitudinal right atrial strain during ventricular systole decreased in cystic fibrosis-bronchiectasis group compared with noncystic fibrosis-bronchiectasis and control groups (P <.001, both). Conversely, pulmonary artery wall thickness was increased in cystic fibrosis-bronchiectasis group in comparison to other groups (P <.001). Moreover, right ventricular global longitudinal strain was lower and pulmonary artery wall thickness was higher in patients with airflow obstruction (P <.001 and P =.025, respectively) than in those without. Only right ventricular global longitudinal strain was significantly correlated with pulmonary function test parameters. The negative effect of cystic fibrosis on right ventricular and right atrial functions was independent of age, gender, and disease duration. CONCLUSION: Our study showed that right ventricular and right atrial functions were deteriorated and pulmonary artery wall was thickened in cystic fibrosis-bronchiectasis patients more than noncystic fibrosis-bronchiectasis patients. Right ventricular global longitudinal strain detected subclinical right ventricular dysfunction and was associated with the severity of pulmonary disease.

Contemporary In-Hospital Outcomes of Chronic Total Occlusion Percutaneous Coronary Interventions: Insights from the MENATA (Middle East, North Africa, Turkey, and Asia) Chapter of the PROGRESS-CTO Registry.

Chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has been rapidly evolving in different parts of the world. We examined the clinical and angiographic characteristics and procedural outcomes of 1,079 consecutive CTO PCIs performed in 1,063 patients at 10 centers in the Middle East, North Africa, Turkey, and Asia regions between 2018 and 2022. The mean age was 61 ± 10 years and 82% of the patients were men. The prevalence of diabetes (49%) and previous PCI (50%) was high. The most common target vessel was the right coronary artery (51%), followed by the left anterior descending artery (33%) and the circumflex artery (15%). The mean Japanese CTO score was 2.1 ± 1.2 and mean PROGRESS-CTO (Prospective Global Registry for the Study of Chronic Total Occlusion Intervention) score was 1.2 ± 1.0. The technical and procedural success rates were high (91% and 90%, respectively) with a low incidence (1.6%) of in-hospital major adverse cardiac events. The incidence of perforation was 4.6% (n = 50): guidewire exit was the most common mechanism of perforation (48%) and 14 patients required pericardiocentesis (28%). Antegrade wire escalation was the most common crossing strategy used (91%), followed by retrograde approach (24%) and antegrade dissection and re-entry (12%). Median contrast volume, air kerma radiation dose, and fluoroscopy time were 300 (200 to 400) ml, 3.7 (2.0 to 6.3) Gy, and 40 (25 to 65) minutes, respectively. In conclusion, high success and acceptable complication rates are currently achieved at experienced centers in the Middle East, North Africa, Turkey, and Asia regions using a combination of crossing strategies.

Intra-aortic Balloon Occlusion for Refractory Cardiac Arrest in a Patient with Anterior Myocardial Infarction.

Despite recent advances in its management, the outcome of cardiac arrest is often poor despite appropriate cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The arteriovenous perfusion gradient achieved dur ing cardiopulmonary resuscitation is associated with the successful return of spontaneous cir culation. Continuous balloon occlusion of the descending aorta is an experimental method that can occlude the "unnecessary" part of the circulation, thus diverting generated pressure and blood flow to the heart and brain. In this study, we present a case report of a patient unre sponsive to standard cardiopulmonary resuscitation, in whom constant intra-aortic balloon occlusion achieved a return of spontaneous circulation and successful survival.

The role of isovolumic acceleration in predicting subclinical right and left ventricular systolic dysfunction in hypertensive obese patients.

OBJECTIVES: Isovolumic acceleration assessed by tissue Doppler imaging has been proposed as a preload-independent indicator of left ventricular contractility. We investigated the utility of isovolumic acceleration in the prediction of preclinical right and left ventricular systolic dysfunction in hypertensive and obese subjects. STUDY DESIGN: Seventy-eight obese subjects (BMI >30 kg/m2; 57 women, 21 men; mean age 51±8 years) were prospectively enrolled. Fifty patients (64.1%) had hypertension and 33 patients (42.3%) had diabetes mellitus. All the subjects were assessed by conventional and tissue Doppler echocardiography. Myocardial velocities of the left ventricular septal and lateral mitral annulus and lateral tricuspid annulus were determined. Isovolumic contraction wave was defined as the preceding wave of the systolic wave that began before the peak of the R wave on the electrocardiogram. Myocardial isovolumic acceleration was measured by dividing the peak velocity by the time passed from the onset of the wave (zero-crossing) during isovolumic contraction to the peak velocity of the wave. RESULTS: Waist circumference was in positive correlation with left ventricular end-systolic (r=0.22, p=0.047) and end-diastolic (r=0.384, p=0.001) diameters, and in negative correlation with the peak systolic velocity of the tricuspid annulus (r=-0.311, p=0.006). Although hypertensive and normotensive (n=28) obese subjects had similar myocardial velocities, lateral tricuspid annular isovolumic acceleration (p=0.027), septal isovolumic acceleration (p=0.026), and septal isovolumic contraction myocardial velocity (p=0.018) were significantly lower in hypertensive patients. CONCLUSION: Isovolumic acceleration and isovolumic contraction myocardial velocity analysis may be useful in the diagnosis of subclinical left and right ventricular dysfunction in hypertensive obese patients.

Bleeding risk with concomitant use of tirofiban and third-generation P2Y12 receptor antagonists in patients with acute myocardial infarction: A real-life data.

OBJECTIVE: Combination of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) with glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa inhibitors can increase bleeding risk. In this study, we aimed to investigate bleeding complications of different DAPTs with concomitant tirofiban use in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). METHODS: This retrospective study included 224 consecutive ACS patients (mean age 56.6±11.1 years, 193 men) who were given conventional dose of tirofiban (25 µg/kg per 3 minutes followed by an infusion of 0.15 µg/kg/min for 24 hours) in addition to DAPT (300 mg aspirin followed by 100 mg/day + 600 mg clopidogrel followed by 75 mg/day or 180 mg ticagrelor followed by 90 mg twice daily or 60 mg prasugrel followed by 10 mg/day). Any intra-hospital bleeding complications were noted. RESULTS: Of the 224 patients, 115 were given ticagrelor and 32 were given prasugrel. Mean hemoglobin fall was similar between the patients taking ticagrelor/prasugrel and those taking clopidogrel. Ten patients taking ticagrelor and one patient taking prasugrel had hemoglobin fall ≥3 g/dL versus two patients in clopidogrel group (p=0.228). Gastrointestinal bleeding (two patients taking ticagrelor), hematoma at access site (three patients taking ticagrelor), and cardiac tamponade (two patients taking ticagrelor) rates were also similar. Creatinine levels were associated with hemoglobin fall ≥3 g/dL (p=0.032, Odds ratio 2.189, 95% confidence interval 1.070-4.479). There was no relation between hemoglobin fall ≥3 g/dL and antiplatelet agent, age, sex, hypertension, or diabetes. CONCLUSION: Tirofiban may be given to patients receiving ticagrelor or prasugrel with a bleeding rate similar to clopidogrel. Close monitoring for bleeding risk is recommended, especially in patients with higher creatinine levels.

Time delays in each step from symptom onset to treatment in acute myocardial infarction: Results from a nation-wide TURKMI registry.

OBJECTIVE: In this study, we aimed to analyze the TURKMI registry to identify the factors associated with delays from symptom onset to treatment that would be the focus of improvement efforts in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in Turkey. METHODS: The TURKMI study is a nation-wide registry that was conducted in 50 centers capable of 24/7 primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). All consecutive patients (n=1930) with AMI admitted to coronary care units within 48 hours of symptom onset were prospectively enrolled during a predefined 2-week period between November 1, 2018, and November 16, 2018. All the patients were examined in detail with regard to the time elapsed at each step from symptom onset to initiation of treatment, including door-to-balloon time (D2B) and total ischemic time (TIT). RESULTS: After excluding patients who suffered an AMI within the hospital (2.6%), the analysis was conducted for 1879 patients. Most of the patients (49.5%) arrived by self-transport, 11.8% by emergency medical service (EMS) ambulance, and 38.6% were transferred from another EMS without PCI capability. The median time delay from symptom-onset to EMS call was 52.5 (15-180) min and from EMS call to EMS arrival 15 (10-20) min. In ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), the median D2B time was 36.5 (25-63) min, and median TIT was 195 (115-330) min. TIT was significantly prolonged from 151 (90-285) min to 250 (165-372) min in patients transferred from non-PCI centers. The major significant factors associated with time delay were patient-related delay and the mode of hospital arrival, both in STEMI and non-STEMI. CONCLUSION: The baseline evaluation of the TURKMI study revealed that an important proportion of patients presenting with AMI within 48 hours of symptom onset reach the PCI treatment center later than the time proposed in the guidelines, and the use of EMS for admission to hospital is extremely low in Turkey. Patient-related factors and the mode of hospital admission were the major factors associated with the time delay to treatment.

Androgen-deprivation therapy impairs left ventricle functions in prostate cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: Androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) is a treatment option for locally advanced and metastatic prostate cancer (PCA). The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of ADT on left ventricular (LV) functions assessed by speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE) in prostate cancer (PCA) patients. METHODS: Forty-nine consecutive PCA patients (mean age 71.5 ± 6.7 years) who would be treated with radiotherapy and ADT and 32 consecutive PCA patients (mean age 71.9 ± 7.0 years) who would be treated with radical or partial prostatectomy and 42 age-matched healthy men (mean age 70.5 ± 9.1 years) were included in our study. The left ventricular functions were assessed by both conventional echocardiography and STE at baseline and 6 months later. RESULTS: There were not any significant difference in characteristics of the patients and controls. There were not any significant differences in conventional echocardiographic measures at baseline and at 6th month among the PCA patients and controls. Although there were not any significant differences in STE measures at baseline among the PCA patients and controls, the strain measures of the PCA patients receiving ADT decreased significantly at the 6th month and were significantly lower compared to strain measures of PCA patients undergoing prostatectomy and controls. There was not any statistically significant difference in baseline and 6th-month strain measures of the PCA patients undergoing prostatectomy. CONCLUSIONS: ADT might be associated with decrease in LV longitudinal, circumferential, and radial strain measures in patients with PCA. STE might be useful for early identification of LV subclinical impairment in PCA patients treated with ADT.

Variations of QRS Morphology in Patients with Dilated Cardiomyopathy; Clinical and Prognostic Implications.

The QRS represents the simultaneous activation of the right and left ventricles, although most of the QRS waveform is derived from the larger left ventricular musculature. Although normal QRS duration is <100 millisecond (ms), its duration and shape are quite variable from patient to patient in idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDCM). Prolongation of QRS occurs in 14% to 47% of heart failure (HF) patients. Left bundle branch block (LBBB) is far more common than right bundle branch block (RBBB). Dyssynchronous left ventricular activation due to LBBB and other intraventricular conduction blocks provides the rationale for the use of cardiac resynchronization therapy with biventricular pacing in patients with IDCM. Fragmented QRS (fQRS) is a marker of depolarization abnormality and present in significant number of the patients with IDCM and narrow QRS complexes. It is associated with arrhythmic events and intraventricular dyssynchrony. The purpose of this manuscript is to present an overview on some clinical, echocardiographic and prognostic implications of various QRS morphologies in patients with IDCM.

Effects of diabetes mellitus on left atrial volume and functions in normotensive patients without symptomatic cardiovascular disease.

PURPOSE: Left atrial (LA) size has been shown to be a predictor of adverse cardiovascular outcomes. The aim of the study was to evaluate the direct effect of diabetes mellitus (DM) on left atrial volume and phasic functions by using real-time three-dimensional echocardiography (RT3DE) in a population of patients free of symptomatic cardiovascular disease and hypertension. METHODS: Comprehensive transthoracic echocardiographic examination was performed on 40 consecutive patients with DM (20 male, age: 50.5±7.3 years) and 40 healthy controls (20 male, age: 48.4±6.7 years). In addition to conventional 2D echocardiographic measurements RT3DE was performed to assess LA volumes and phasic functions. RESULTS: There were no significant difference between groups regarding parameters reflecting LV systolic function as LV diameters and ejection fraction. However, regarding parameters reflecting LV diastolic function; transmitral deceleration time and E/E' ratio values were significantly higher and majority of early diastolic tissue Doppler velocity values were significantly lower in diabetic patients compared with controls. RT3DE demonstrated significantly higher LA maximum and minimum volumes for diabetic patients compared with controls (40.9±11.9 vs 34.6±9.3 mL, p: 0.009 and 15.6±5.9 vs 11.9±4.6 mL, p: 0.002, consecutively). LA total emptying fraction (TEF), expansion index (EI) and active emptying fraction (AEF) were found to be significantly lower in diabetics reflecting depressed LA reservoir and pump functions. There was no significant difference between groups regarding passive emptying fraction (PEF) which is assumed to be a marker of left atrial conduit function. CONCLUSION: Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus were found to have increased LA volume and impaired atrial compliance and contractility. Evaluation of asymptomatic diabetic patients by using RT3DE atrial volume analysis may facilitate recognition of subtle myocardial alterations related with type 2 diabetes.

Anemia in heart failure.

Chronic heart failure is a common problem and a major cause of death, hospital admission, poor physical function and impaired quality of life. In addition to the direct effect of heart failure on prognosis, several modifiable and non-modifiable factors contribute to the worse prognosis in heart failure. Anemia, which is common in patients with heart failure, may represent a modifiable risk factor for adverse outcome. It is also a marker for co-morbidity burden and greater disease severity. If anemia is a marker, treatment may not obviate the increased risk associated with anemia, but if it is a mediator, treatment may be helpful to reduce morbidity and mortality in heart failure. As anemia has been identified as an independent prognostic factor of both morbidity and mortality for patients with congestive heart failure, there is an increased interest in the hypothesis that the correction of anemia with erythropoietin or iron supplementation might lead to an improvement on patients' symptoms and functional status. Large randomized trials are necessary to show the effect of anemia and the specific treatments on the outcome in these patients. This article reviews the mechanisms, impact on outcomes and therapy of anemia in patients with heart failure.