Comparison of the effects of resistance, aerobic and mixed exercise on athlete's heart.

BACKGROUND: There are various changes in cardiac physiology in athletes compared to the normal population. These physiological changes may differ according to the exercise content. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of different exercise methods on the heart. METHODS: A total of 122 male athletes from various sports were evaluated. Depending on the sorts of sports, these participants were split into aerobic, mixed, and resistance groups. Each athlete had to meet the inclusion criteria of having participated in the present sport for at least a year and having trained for at least 600 minutes per week over the previous three months. Transthoracic echocardiography was used to investigate the effects of different exercise types. RESULTS: The aerobic group's heart rate and ejection fraction were found to be lower than those of the resistance and mixed groups (F(2.105)=23.487, P=0.001). The end-diastolic thicknesses of the interventricular septum (8.7 SD 0.8 vs. 10.0 SD 0.7), interventricular septum (11.3 SD 0.9 vs. 13.0 SD 0.9), left ventricular posterior wall (8.6 SD 0.7 vs. 9.9 SD 0.8), and interventricular septum (11.1 SD 0.9 vs. 13.3 SD 0.9) were all found to be lower in the aerobic group than in the resistance group (P=0.0001). The effect of resistance exercise on heart rate was not observed as clearly as other groups. CONCLUSIONS: Resistance exercise has a more dominant effect on ventricular thickness than aerobic exercise. In mixed exercise groups, this increase in thickness is similar to resistance exercise. The content of the training should be considered in the evaluation of the athlete's heart. Identifying the subgroups of the athlete's heart will be useful in the differentiation of pathologies and also in the follow-up of the athletes.

Effect of the number of parity on right heart chamber quantification.

INTRODUCTION: Pregnancy is a process that can cause several physiologic changes to the cardiovascular system such as ventricular hypertrophy and dilation of cardiac chambers. Although there are studies about pregnancy-related changes in echocardiographic examination; there is no data about the long-term effects of parity on these alterations. Therefore, we evaluated the long-term effect of pregnancy on right ventricular (RV) dilation and RV hypertrophy and their relation to the parity number. METHODS: This prospective study included a total of 600 women (200 consecutive women who had no parity, 200 women who had a parity number of 1 to 4 and 200 women who had a parity number of more than 4). Right chambers' measurements were compared between the groups. RESULTS: In echocardiographic analysis, RV and right atrial dimensions and areas and RV wall thickness were higher in parous women. On the other hand, RV systolic function parameters were significantly lower in parous women. These significant changes showed a gradual increase or decrease by increasing parity number. By multivariate hierarchical logistic regression analysis, the four independent factors that increased the risk of RV dilation were age (OR: 1.16 CI: 1.10-1.20), body mass index (OR: 1.05, CI: 1.02-1.08), smoking (OR: 1.87, CI: 1.28-4.02), and giving a birth (OR: 3.94 CI: 1.82-8.81). There was also independent relationship between the number of parity and RV hypertrophy even after adjustment for several confounders. CONCLUSION: Pregnancy-related physiological changes mostly resolve after delivery. This study about long-term effects of pregnancy on RV has demonstrated that there is a significant relation between the number of parity and either RV dilation or RV hypertrophy. Each parity had also additive effect on these changes.

The prognostic value of time from symptom onset to thrombolysis in patients with pulmonary embolism.

BACKGROUND: According to clinical practice guidelines, thrombolysis can be administered during the 14 days after the beginning of symptoms in PE. However, the role of the early thrombolysis in PE has not been comprehensively investigated. In this study we evaluated the effect of short symptom-to-thrombolysis time (STT) in these patients who received the thrombolytic therapy within the 48-h. METHOD: A total of 456 patients with pulmonary embolism who underwent thrombolytic therapy in a tertiary center were included in the current study. The patients were stratified into three groups according to STT as: <12 h (Group 1), 12 to 24 h (Group 2) and > 24 to 48 h (Group 3). In-hospital events and long-term mortality were compared between the groups. RESULTS: Group 3 had higher in-hospital mortality, acute kidney injury, cardiogenic shock, asystole, and the use mechanical ventilation and 3-year mortality compared to the other two groups. The 3-year overall survival for Group 1, 2 and 3 were 82.1%, 77.7% and 25.9% respectively. According to regression analysis, a STT > 24 h was independently associated with in-hospital and long-term mortality. Group 1 and 2 had similar in-hospital outcomes and long-term mortality. CONCLUSION: A short STT has a great importance in patients with PE who treated with thrombolytic therapy. The efficacy of systemic thrombolysis significantly drops after 24 h. Because of this situation, the period between the symptom onset and thrombolytic therapy should be kept short as much as possible.

Predictive Value of Systemic Immune Inflammation Index for Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation in Patients Undergoing Isolated Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting.

OBJECTIVE: Inflammation plays an important role in the initiation of postoperative atrial fibrillation (PoAF) in individuals undergoing cardiac surgery, Thus, this study aimed to investigate the predictive value of the systemic immune inflammation index (SII) to develop PoAF in such patients. METHODS: In total, 391 consecutive patients undergoing an isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) were retrospectively analyzed. PoAF was defined according to the current guideline. The SII is determined using the following equation: neutrophil (N) × platelet (P) ÷ lymphocyte (L). RESULTS: The incidence of PoAF in the present study was 24% (n=97 cases). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the SII was an independent predictor of PoAF (Odds ratio: 1.002 95% confidence interval: (1.001-1.002), p<0.01). The optimal value of the SII in detecting PoAF was established by a receiver operating characteristic curve assessment, and it was >807.8 with 60.8% sensitivity and 80.9% specificity [area under the curve (AUC): 0.7107]. The AUC value of SII in detecting PoAF was much greater than the AUC values of both the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and the platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) (AUC: 0.6740 and AUC: 0.6426, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed that SII was an independent predictor of PoAF in patients who were operated on for isolated CABG. Additionally, SII had a better discriminative ability for PoAF compared to either NLR or PLR among these cases.

Prognostic significance of N-Terminal Pro-BNP in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia without previous history of heart failure.

Introduction: The objective of the present research was to evaluate the possible association between the N-terminal pro-brain type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels and in-hospital mortality in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia patients who did not have pre-existing heart failure (HF). Methods: A total of 137 consecutive patients without pre-existing HF and hospitalized due to COVID-19 pneumonia were enrolled into the current research. The main outcome of the research was the in-hospital death. The independent parameters linked with the in-hospital death were determined by multivariable analysis. Results: A total of 26 deaths with an in-hospital mortality rate of 18.9% was noted. Those who died were older with an increased frequency of co-morbidities such as hypertension, chronic kidney disease, coronary artery disease, stroke and dementia. They had also increased white blood cell (WBC) counts and had elevated glucose, creatinine, troponin I, and NT-pro-BNP levels but had decreased levels of hemoglobin. By multivariable analysis; age, NT-pro-BNP, WBC, troponin I, and creatinine levels were independently linked with the in-hospital mortality. After ROC evaluation, the ideal value of the NT-pro-BNP to predict the in-hospital mortality was found as 260 ng/L reflecting a sensitivity of 82% and a specificity of 93% (AUC:0.86; 95%CI:0.76-0.97). Conclusion: The current research clearly shows that the NT-proBNP levels are independently linked with the in-hospital mortality rates in subjects with COVID-19 pneumonia and without HF. Thus, we believe that this biomarker can be used as a valuable prognostic parameter in such cases.

Comparison of D-dimer Level Measured on the Third Day of Hospitalization with Admission D-dimer Level in Predicting In-hospital Mortality in COVID-19 Patients.

OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to compare the value of D-dimer measured on the 3rd day of hospitalization with admission D-dimer level in predicting in-hospital mortality in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases. METHOD: In total, 231 patients with COVID-19 disease were included in the study. D-dimer levels were estimated using immunoturbidimetric assay with normal range of 0-500 µg/mL. In the current research, the primary outcome was the in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: In the present research, 39 (16.8%) COVID-19 cases died during the index hospitalization. In a multivariable analysis; age, D-dimer (3rd day) (OR: 1.00, 95% CI: 1.00-1.00, p<0.001), WBC count, and creatinine were independent predictors of the in-hospital death for COVID-19 cases. The ideal value of D-dimer level on the 3rd day of hospitalization was 774 µq/mL (area under curve (AUC): 0.903, 95% CI: 0.836-0.968; p<0.01) with sensitivity of 83.2% and specificity of 83.6%. It was noted that D-dimer level on the 3rd day of hospitalization had a higher sensitivity (83.2% vs 67.6%, respectively) and AUC value than that of D-dimer level on admission (0.903 vs 0.799, respectively). CONCLUSION: The main finding in this investigation was that D-dimer elevation on the 3rd of hospitalization is more sensitive predictor of in-hospital mortality than D-dimer elevation on admission in COVID-19 patients. Even though further investigations are needed to forecast precise prognosis in patients with COVID-19 disease in terms of D-dimer levels, we believe that D-dimer levels on the 3rd day of hospitalization have an enhanced potential to be used as a prognostic marker in routine clinical practice.

The effects of percutaneous coronary intervention on mortality in elderly patients with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction undergoing coronary angiography.

INTRODUCTION: Although it is recommended that elderly patients with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) should undergo an assessment for invasive revascularization, these patients undergo fewer coronary interventions despite the current guidelines. The aim of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of percutaneous coronary intervention on all-cause mortalities monthly and annually in the population. METHODS: Three hundred and twenty-four patients with NSTEMI aged 65 years or older who underwent coronary angiography and treated with conservative strategy or percutaneous coronary intervention were included in the study. All demographic and clinical characteristics of the patients were recorded and one-month and one-year follow-up results were analysed. RESULTS: Two hundred eight cases (64.19%) were treated with percutaneous coronary intervention and 116 cases (35.81%) of the participant were treated with conservative methods. The mean age of the participants was 75.41 ± 6.65 years. The treatment strategy was an independent predictor for the mortality of one-year (HR: 1.965). Furthermore, Killip class ≥2 (HR:2.392), Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction (HR:2.637) and renal failure (HR: 3.471) were independent predictors for one-year mortality. CONCLUSION: The present study has revealed that percutaneous coronary intervention was effective on one-year mortality in NSTEMI patients over the age of 65. It is considered that percutaneous coronary intervention would decrease mortality in these patients but it should be addressed in larger population studies.

The effect of the age on outcomes at a cardiac rehabilitation center in Turkey.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a 12-week phase II cardiac rehabilitation (CR) program in Turkish patients aged between ≤65 years and >65 years using psychical parameters, echocardiography measurements, lipid profiles, and psychological parameters. METHODS: A total of 68 patients who completed a phase II CR program were enrolled in this retrospective study. The echocardiography measurements, as well as assessment of physical parameters, psychological state, and serum lipid level of the patients were evaluated before the entry into the program and just after the completion. Patients were divided into 2 groups: those aged 65 years and under and those over the age of 65, and the effects of the CR program were compared. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant difference in the average heart rate (HR), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) score, and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) I-II scores of young patients before and after cardiac rehabilitation. The LVEF, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), BDI, STAI-I, and STAI-II parameters of older patients were statistically significant. In the comparison between those who were 65 years and under and those over the age of 65, the change in the mean HR (+11.24±12.62 bpm vs. +3.96±12.50 bpm; p=0.039), LVEF (+21.31±21.37% vs. +9.55±13.50%; p=0.035) and STAI I scores (-11.33±11.51 points vs. -23.25±14.08 points; p=0.025) were significantly different. CONCLUSION: The results of the present study revealed that patients in a Turkish population aged 65 and over benefited from CR as much as younger patients did in terms of physical parameters, echocardiography measurements, lipid profiles, and psychological parameters.

Coexistent Brugada syndrome and Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome: what is the first clinical presentation?

The coexistence of Brugada syndrome and Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome is a very rare phenomenon. We describe a 31-year-old patient without any previous cardiac disorder admitted to our hospital due to palpitations and concomitantly diagnosed as WPW syndrome and treated with radiofrequency catheter ablation. He was later diagnosed with Brugada syndrome and followed-up 2 years without any symptoms. We discuss other previously reported cases in literature, in which these two conditions exist simultaneously.

Effects of isolated obesity on left and right ventricular function: a tissue Doppler and strain rate imaging study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the subclinical effects of isolated obesity and its duration on cardiac function by using routine echocardiography and tissue Doppler myocardial strain rate. METHODS: Forty-nine subjects were enrolled in this study; 29 with isolated obesity defined as a body mass index > or = 30 kg/m(2) with no other cardiovascular comorbidities, and 20 nonobese controls. All subjects underwent two-dimensional and Doppler echocardiography including tissue Doppler imaging and myocardial strain rate. RESULTS: The average duration of obesity was 12.1 years (4-18 years). Abnormalities of left ventricular (LV) wall thickness, mass, diastolic function, and left atrial size were detected in obese individuals, despite having preserved ejection fractions. The LV global longitudinal peak strain rate was significantly lower in obese subjects compared to nonobese control subjects (1.07 +/- 0.14 vs. 1.38 +/- 0.12, P < 0.001). Using multivariate analysis, the duration of obesity (ss=-0.76, P < 0.001), body mass index (ss=-0.35, P = 0.023), and age (ss=-0.29, P = 0.009) were independent predictors of the decreased LV global longitudinal peak strain rate, while the duration of obesity (ss=-0.66, P < 0.001) and body mass index (ss=-0.28, P = 0.037) were independent predictors of the decreased right ventricular (RV) peak strain rate. CONCLUSION: The presence and the duration of obesity were associated with impairment of subclinical biventricular systolic and diastolic function. These findings have the potential to increase awareness of subclinical cardiac manifestations in patients with isolated obesity and influence their early management.

Early stent thrombosis in patients undergoing primary coronary stenting for acute myocardial infarction: incidence, a simple risk score, and prognosis.

BACKGROUND: One of the major concerns remaining in the treatment with stenting of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is the occurrence of stent thrombosis (ST). The aim of the current study is to investigate the incidence, predictors, and long-term outcomes of early ST after primary coronary stenting for AMI in a large population. METHODS: We reviewed 1960 consecutive patients (mean age 56 +/- 11.6 years, 1658 males) treated with primary coronary stenting for AMI between 2003 and 2008. All clinical, angiographic, and follow-up data were retrospectively collected. Early ST was defined as thrombosis that occurred in the first 30 days after primary coronary stenting. RESULTS: Early ST was observed in 89 (4.5%) patients. Five variables, selected from the multivariate analysis, were weighted proportionally to their respective odds ratio (OR) for early ST (premature clopidogrel therapy discontinuation [10 points], stent diameter < or =3 mm [5 points], current smoker [4 points], diabetes mellitus [DM; 3 points], and age >65 years [2 points]). Three strata of risks were defined (low risk, score 0-4; intermediate risk, score 5-12; and high risk, score 13-24) and had a strong association with early ST and long-term cardiovascular mortality. Long-term cardiovascular mortality was 5-fold more in patients with early ST than that without ST (24.1% vs 4.7%, respectively, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Early ST after primary coronary stenting in AMI is strongly related with increased long-term cardiovascular mortality. Premature clopidogrel therapy discontinuation is the most powerful predictor of early ST.

Management of acute coronary syndrome in a case of Behçet's disease.

Behcet's disease is a multisystemic, rheumatic disorder characterized by oral and genital ulceration and ocular inflammation. Although cardiac involvement is not rare as a manifestation of Behcet's disease, coronary arteritis is reported seldom. We present the first case of left main coronary artery thrombosis in literature leading to acute myocardial infarction that was successfully treated with thrombolytic therapy and glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor inhibitors in Behcet's disease.

Assessment of autonomic dysfunction and anxiety levels in patients with mitral valve prolapse.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to assess autonomic dysfunction parameters and anxiety levels in patients with mitral valve prolapse (MVP). STUDY DESIGN: We evaluated 33 patients (mean age 25+/-5 years) with MVP and 14 healthy subjects (mean age 25+/-4 years). The patients were divided into two groups according to the presence (anatomical MVP, n=11) or absence (MVP syndrome, n=22) of abnormal leaflet thickening (>5 mm). Spielberger's Situational Anxiety Scale (SSAS) and Continuous Anxiety Scale (SCAS) were administered to all the subjects, and heart rates (HR) and arterial blood pressures (BP) were measured in the supine and standing positions. RESULTS: Mid-systolic click and late systolic murmur were significantly more frequent in patients with anatomical MVP, while nonspecific symptoms such as dyspnea, vertigo, and atypical chest pain were more frequent in patients with MVP syndrome (p<0.05). Mitral insufficiency (mild) was significantly more frequent in patients with anatomical MVP (72.7% vs. 22.7%; p<0.009). Patients with MVP syndrome had significantly higher SSAS and SCAS scores (41.0+/-15.6 and 38.5+/-15.5) compared to patients with anatomical MVP (15.8+/-7.5 and 17.0+/-9.1) and controls (14.9+/-7.4 and 16.9+/-8.7, respectively; for both p<0.001). Orthostatic differences in BP and HR were significantly greater in patients with MVP syndrome than those having anatomical MVP (p<0.001 and p=0.032, respectively). Orthostatic HR differences showed a significant correlation with SSAS in both MVP groups (r=0.536, p=0.001) and a significant correlation with SCAS in patients with MVP syndrome (r=0.523, p=0.002). There was an inverse correlation between orthostatic BP differences and anxiety parameters in all MVP patients (r=-0.391, p=0.025 for SSAS, and r=-0.320, p=0.048 for SCAS). CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that patients with MVP syndrome have increased autonomic dysfunction and anxiety scores compared to patients with anatomical MVP.

Plasma homocysteine level and left ventricular thrombus formation in acute anterior myocardial infarction patients following thrombolytic therapy with t-PA.

AIMS: The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between homocysteine levels and the development of left ventricular thrombus in acute anterior myocardial infarction patients directed to thrombolytic therapy. METHODS AND RESULTS: Seventy-nine patients presenting with ST elevated acute anterior myocardial infarction and treated with thrombolytic agent, t-PA, were included in the study. Two-dimensional echocardiography was used to divide patients into 2 groups according to the presence (n = 14) or absence (n = 65) of thrombus in the left ventricle following myocardial infarction. The levels of fasting plasma total homocysteine, total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, vitamin B12 and folic acid were assessed. There were no significant differences between two groups in terms of age, gender, hyperlipidemia and smoking. History of diabetes mellitus (28.57% versus 6.15%, p = 0.04), peak creatine phosphokinase levels (4153.54 +/- 1228.41 U/L versus 2456.92 +/- 1421.36 U/L, p < 0.001), mean left ventricular wall motion score index (2.21 +/- 0.18 versus 1.83 +/- 0.23, p < 0.001) and total fasting homocysteine levels (18.24 +/- 5.67 mmol/L versus 12.31 +/- 3.52 mmol/L, p < 0.001) were significantly higher in patients with left ventricular thrombus. In multivariate analysis; only diabetes mellitus (p = 0.03), higher wall motion score index (p = 0.001) and higher homocysteine levels (p = 0.04) were independent predictors of left ventricular thrombus formation. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that; diabetes mellitus, higher wall motion score index and hyperhomocysteinemia independently increases the risk for the development of left ventricular thrombus formation in patients with acute anterior myocardial infarction following thrombolytic therapy.

Longitudinal left ventricular systolic function is impaired in patients with coronary slow flow.

Slow coronary flow (SCF) is a well recognized clinical entity, characterized by delayed opacification of coronary arteries in the presence of normal coronary angiogram. There is currently no data evaluating myocardial systolic function in SCF phenomenon. This study was performed to evaluate regional and global systolic function using tissue Doppler imaging (TDI), strain (S) and strain rate imaging (SRI) in patients with slow coronary flow. A total of 35 patients with slow coronary flow and otherwise normal coronary arteries (mean age 48 +/- 7 years) (SCF group) and 21 patients with normal coronary angiograms (mean age 50 +/- 12 years) (control group) were included in the study. These patients were prospectively assessed for evaluation of regional and global left ventricular function by conventional echocardiography, systolic TDI, peak S, and peak systolic strain rates (SRs) There was a significant difference in peak SRs (-1.1 +/- 0.2 vs. -1.8 +/- 0.2 1/s, P < or = 0.0001) but similar in systolic TDI (42 +/- 20 vs. 44 +/- 21 mm/s, P = 0.77) and S (20.7 +/- 7.7 vs. 23.7 +/- 8.8, P = 0.14) between groups. SRs showed a good correlation with mean TIMI frame count (r = -0.80, P < or = 0.0001). As the number of coronary artery with SCF increased global strain rate decreased further. In case of one or two or three coronary artery with SCF global strain rates were 1.4 +/- 0.2; 1.1 +/- 0.3; 0.9 +/- 0.2 1/s, respectively, P < or = 0.0001. Although ejection fraction was preserved, global and regional strain rate were decreased in SCF. In brief, there is an impairment in longitudinal left ventricular systolic function in patients with SCF.

Papillary muscle rupture secondary to infective endocarditis.

Rupture of the mitral papillary muscle due to infective endocarditis is a very rare complication. There is no report regarding anterolateral papillary muscle rupture as a complication of infective endocarditis in the literature. We decided to report a case of anterolateral papillary muscle rupture due to infective endocarditis. Our case, which will be discussed later on, differs also in many ways from that in the literature.

Effect of glucometabolic disorders on the formation of coronary collaterals in occlusive coronary artery disease.

OBJECTIVE: The primary aim of this study was to assess the effect of glucometabolic disorders on coronary collateral vessels in patients with occlusive coronary artery disease. METHODS AND RESULTS: Hundred and ninety-five consecutive patients with at least single-vessel occlusion were enrolled in this study prospectively. The standard oral glucose tolerance test was performed according to the criteria of the World Health Organization. Collateral circulation was graded according to the Rentrop classification. The mean Rentrop scores in normal glucose tolerance (NGT), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), and diabetes were 1.40 +/- 1.02, 1.05 +/- 0.84, 1.00 +/- 0.98, respectively (P = 0.043). The percentage of patients without collateral circulation (Rentrop-0) was greatest in the diabetic group (44.4%), while the percentage was 21.8% in the IGT group and 22.0% in the NGT group. Ninety-five patients with at least one totally occluded coronary artery were analysed as a subgroup. In the totally occluded artery subgroup postprandial glycaemia was the only parameter that was associated with the Rentrop score in the univariate analysis (r = -0.34, P = 0.002) CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, our study results, which are in agreement with previous results, indicate that not only diabetic glucose tolerance but also impaired glucose tolerance has an adverse impact on the development of coronary collaterals.