A novel method for the evaluation of right ventricular dysfunction in acute pulmonary embolism: Myocardial work indices.

PURPOSE: The presence of right ventricular dysfunction indicates a higher risk status in patients with pulmonary embolism (PE). The RV strain evaluated by speckle-tracking echocardiography seems to be more reliable method in the evaluation of RV dysfunction as compared to standard echocardiographic measures. In this study, we aimed to determine the value of myocardial-work indices in evaluating serial changes of RV function in acute PE. METHODS: Our study comprised 83 consecutive acute PE patients who admitted to our tertiary cardiovascular hospital. Echocardiography was performed within the first 24-hours of hospitalization, and RV and LV myocardial-work parameters were obtained along with standard echocardiographic parameters. The change in the RV/LVr detected on tomography was selected as the primary outcome measure, and its' predictors were analyzed with classical linear regression and a generalized additive model (GAM). RESULTS: Among the LV-RV strain and myocardial work parameters, the RV global longitudinal strain (GLS) has borderline statistical significance in predicting the RV/LVr change whereas the RV global work efficiency (RV-GWE) strongly predicted RV/LVr change (p: 0.049 and <0.001, respectively). CONCLUSION: In this study, classical linear regression and GAM analyses showed that RV-GWE seems to offer a better prediction of RV/LVr change in patients with acute PE.

Efficacy of human experts and an automated segmentation algorithm in quantifying disease pathology in coronary computed tomography angiography: A head-to-head comparison with intravascular ultrasound imaging.

BACKGROUND: Coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) analysis is currently performed by experts and is a laborious process. Fully automated edge-detection methods have been developed to expedite CCTA segmentation however their use is limited as there are concerns about their accuracy. This study aims to compare the performance of an automated CCTA analysis software and the experts using near-infrared spectroscopy-intravascular ultrasound imaging (NIRS-IVUS) as a reference standard. METHODS: Fifty-one participants (150 vessels) with chronic coronary syndrome who underwent CCTA and 3-vessel NIRS-IVUS were included. CCTA analysis was performed by an expert and an automated edge detection method and their estimations were compared to NIRS-IVUS at a segment-, lesion-, and frame-level. RESULTS: Segment-level analysis demonstrated a similar performance of the two CCTA analyses (conventional and automatic) with large biases and limits of agreement compared to NIRS-IVUS estimations for the total atheroma (ICC: 0.55 vs 0.25, mean difference:192 (-102-487) vs 243 (-132-617) and percent atheroma volume (ICC: 0.30 vs 0.12, mean difference: 12.8 (-5.91-31.6) vs 20.0 (0.79-39.2). Lesion-level analysis showed that the experts were able to detect more accurately lesions than the automated method (68.2 â€‹% and 60.7 â€‹%) however both analyses had poor reliability in assessing the minimal lumen area (ICC 0.44 vs 0.36) and the maximum plaque burden (ICC 0.33 vs 0.33) when NIRS-IVUS was used as the reference standard. CONCLUSIONS: Conventional and automated CCTA analyses had similar performance in assessing coronary artery pathology using NIRS-IVUS as a reference standard. Therefore, automated segmentation can be used to expedite CCTA analysis and enhance its applications in clinical practice.

Prognostic impact of cardiohepatic syndrome in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

Background: Cardiohepatic syndrome (CHS) indicates a bidirectional interaction between the heart and liver. This study was designed to evaluate the impact of CHS on in-hospital and long-term mortality in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention. Materials & methods: 1541 consecutive STEMI patients were examined. CHS was defined as the elevation of at least two of three cholestatic liver enzymes: total bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase and gamma-glutamyl transferase. Results: CHS was present in 144 (9.34%) patients. Multivariate analyses revealed CHS as an independent predictor of in-hospital (odds ratio: 2.48; 95% CI: 1.42-4.34; p = 0.001) and long-term mortality (hazard ratio: 2.4; 95% CI: 1.79-3.22; p < 0.001). Conclusion: The presence of CHS is a predictor of poor prognosis in patients with STEMI and should be evaluated during the risk stratification of these patients.

Predictive Value of the Naples Prognostic Score for Acute Kidney Injury in ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction Patients Undergoing Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

The purpose of this investigation was to investigate whether there was an association between the Naples prognostic score and the development of acute kidney injury (AKI) in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients following primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI). The study comprised 2901 consecutive STEMI patients who had pPCI. For each patient, the Naples prognostic score was determined. To evaluate the predictive performance of the Naples score (which included either continuous and categorical variables), we developed a Nested model and a nested model combined with the Naples score. The Naples prognostic score was the most significant predictor of AKI occurrence after admission creatinine, age, and contrast volume. The continuous Naples prognostic score model provided the best prediction performance and discriminative ability. The C-index of the Nested and full models with continuous Naples prognostic score were significantly higher than that of the Nested model. The decision curve analysis found that the overall model had a higher full range of probability of clinical net benefit than the baseline model, with a 10% AKI likelihood. The present study found that the Naples prognostic score may be useful to predict the risk of AKI in STEMI patients undergoing pPCI.

Relationship between in-hospital mortality and creatinine/albumin in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction without standard modifiable risk factors.

Background: Diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia and smoking are associated with coronary artery disease and ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). However, patients without any classic risk factors have a higher mortality rate in the post-STEMI period. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between in-hospital mortality and creatinine/albumin ratio in patients with STEMI without modifiable risk factors. Materials & methods: All patients included in this study with a diagnosis of STEMI and who underwent primary percutaneous intervention between 2016 and 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were included in the standard modifiable cardiovascular risk factor (SMuRF) group if at least diabetes, hypertension, smoking or hyperlipidemia was present according to risk factors. Patients without these risk factors were considered the non-SMuRF group. Results: Creatinine/albumin ratio was found to be higher in non-SMuRF patients with mortality (p < 0.001). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, ejection fraction, hemoglobin and SMuRF were found to be inversely associated with in-hospital mortality (odds ratio [OR]: 0.48, 95% CI: 0.35-0.66, p < 0.001; OR: 0.70, 95% CI: 0.56-0.88, p = 0.002; OR: 0.57, 95% CI: 0.34-0.95, p = 0.03, respectively). Conclusion: The creatinine/albumin ratio can be used as a predictor of mortality in these patients; it can help identify high-risk patients beforehand.

Serum Albumin to Creatinine Ratio and Short-Term Clinical Outcomes in Patients With ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction.

There is a lack of evidence regarding the short-term predictive value of serum albumin to creatinine ratio (sACR) in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). This study aims to investigate the relationship between sACR and short-term outcomes in these patients. We retrospectively enrolled 3057 patients with STEMI who underwent primary percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) (median age was 58 years, and 74.3% were male). In-hospital mortality occurred in 114 (3.7%) patients. Contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) was reported in 381 (12.4%) patients. During a 30-day follow-up, stent thrombosis (ST) occurred in 28 (.9%) patients and 30-day death in 147 (4.8%) patients. Multivariable logistic regression analysis reported that sACR was inversely associated with 30-day mortality (adjusted odds ratio (aOR): .51, 95% confidence interval (CI) .31-.82, P < .001). The sACR was also inversely associated with in-hospital mortality (aOR: .71, 95% CI .56-.90, P = .009), CIN (aOR: .60, 95% CI .52-.68, P < .001), congestive heart failure (CHF) (aOR: .64, 95% CI .47-.87, P = .007), and ST (aOR .61, 95% CI .41-.92, P = .001) at 30 days. Our findings suggest that sACR is inversely associated with short-term clinical outcomes in patients with STEMI after PCI.

Prognostic value of triglyceride/glucose index in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

Aim: New parameters are emerging to predict prognosis in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). In this study we aimed to determine and compare the prognostic values of some metabolic indices in terms of predicting long-term mortality in patients with STEMI. Method: A total of 1900 nondiabetic patients who presented with STEMI and underwent percutaneous coronary intervention were included in the study. Multivariable Cox proportional regression analysis was used to determine and compare the predictive performance of triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index, triglyceride-high-density lipoprotein ratio (Ty/HDL) and admission glucose. Results: In multivariable Cox regression analysis, the model based on TyG index had better predictive performance than the Ty/HDL and admission blood glucose. Conclusion: The TyG index is more informative than Ty/HDL and admission glucose level to predict long-term all-cause mortality.

Relationship Between Blood Lipid Levels and Mortality in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients.

People with comorbid conditions are at increased risk of developing severe/fatal coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We aimed to investigate the relationship between lipid levels and mortality in patients hospitalized for COVID-19 infection. In this retrospective study, we collected the details of 5274 COVID-19 patients who were diagnosed using the polymerase chain reaction and/or computed tomography and were hospitalized between March and November 2020. Patients (n = 4118) whose blood lipid levels were checked within the first 24 h after hospitalization were included in the study. Multivariable cox proportional hazards regression was used to assess the relationship between lipid variables such as low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and triglycerides (TG) and death. There was a statistically significant association between LDL-C, HDL-C, and TG levels and the risk of death (P =.002, <.001, and .035, respectively). Low and high LDL-C, low HDL-C, and high TG levels were negatively associated with COVID-19-related mortality. Blood lipid levels may be useful predictors of mortality in COVID-19 patients.

QTc shortening effect of ganglionated plexi ablation.

BACKGROUND: In previous studies, patients undergoing ablation of ganglionated plexi (GPA) for vagally mediated bradyarrhythmias were noted to have shortening of their corrected QT interval (QTc). AIMS: To compare the effects of GPA (group 1) to pulmonary vein isolation + GPA (group 2) on QTc. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We enrolled 39 patients, n = 25 in group 1 and n = 14 in group 2. QTc was calculated at baseline, at 24 h after ablation, and at 9-12 months in the follow-up. Recurrent syncope, asystole >2 s, and/or second- or third-degree AVB episodes were carefully documented as the primary outcome in group 1. Any atrial arrhythmia ≥30 seconds documented on 24-h Holter monitoring was defined as the primary outcome in group 2. RESULTS: The mean follow-up time was 14.9 ± 4 months. Acute success was achieved in all cases. In whole cohort, a significant shortening on QTcBazett, QTcFramingham, QTcFredericia, and QTcHodges was observed [416 vs 398ms (p = .002), 411vs 378 ms (p < .001), 412 vs 379ms (p < .001), and 420 vs 383ms (p < .001), respectively]. In the linear mixed model analysis, the longitudinal reduction tendency in the QTc level was more pronounced in group 1. Event-free survival was detected in 90.7% (59/65) of cases. DISCUSSION: Our results demonstrate a significant shortening of QTc in addition to high medium-term success rates after GPA. Pulmonary vein isolation + GPA was associated with lower QTc shortening effect which implies structural disease may change electrophysiological response to ablation. The most likely mechanism is the effect of GPA on the sympathetic system.

The association of acute--to--chronic glycemic ratio with no-reflow in patients with ST--segment elevation myocardial infarction undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

BACKGROUND: No­reflow (NR) is a strong and independent predictor of poor cardiovascular outcomes among patients with ST­segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). AIMS: The aim of the study was to investigate the association of the acute­to­chronic (A/C) glycemic ratio with no­reflow (NR) in STEMI patients following primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS: This retrospective study included 905 patients with STEMI. The A/C glycemic ratio was determined as admission blood glucose (ABG) divided by the estimated average glucose (eAG). We evaluated 2 primary models (full model and reduced model). The primary outcome was the presence of NR. RESULTS: The incidence of NR was 22.7% (206 cases) in the present study. We divided the study population into 3 tertiles (T1, T2, and T3) based on the ABG/eAG ratio. There was a stepwise increase of the frequency of NR from the T1 to T3 group (36 patients [12%] vs 70 patients [23%] vs 100 patients [33%]; respectively [P <0.001, for each group comparison]). In a full model, the ABG/eAG ratio (OR, 2.274; 95% CI, 1.587-3.26; P <0.001) was associated with NR. After the performance of a step-down backward variable selection method, the thrombus grade, the ABG/eAG ratio, the infarct­related artery diameter, and age remained in the reduced model. The ABG/eAG ratio (contributing 25.3% of the explainable outcome in the model) was one of the strong predictors of NR in the reduced model. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this might be the first study showing a significant relationship between the ABG/eAG ratios with NR in patients with STEMI after primary PCI.

Impact of the updated hemodynamic definitions on diagnosis rates of pulmonary hypertension.

We evaluated whether updated pulmonary hypertension definitive criteria proposed in sixth World Symposium on Pulmonary Hypertension had an impact on diagnosis of overall pulmonary hypertension and pre-capillary and combined pre- and post-capillary phenotypes as compared to those in European Society of Cardiology/European Respiratory Society 2015 pulmonary hypertension Guidelines. Study group comprised the retrospectively evaluated 1300 patients (age 53.1 ± 18.8 years, female 807, 62.1%) who underwent right heart catheterization with different indications between 2006 and 2018. Mean pulmonary arterial pressure ≥25 mmHg (European Society of Cardiology) and PAMP (mean pulmonary arterial pressure) >20 mmHg (World Symposium on Pulmonary Hypertension) right heart catheterization definitions criteria were used, respectively. For pre-capillary pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary artery wedge pressure ≤15 mmHg and pulmonary vascular resistance ≥3 Wood units criteria were included in the both definitions. Normal mean pulmonary arterial pressure (<21 mmHg), borderline mean pulmonary arterial pressure elevation (21-24 mmHg), and overt pulmonary hypertension (≥25 mmHg) were documented in 21.1, 9.8, and 69.1% of the patients, respectively. The pre-capillary and combined pre- and post-capillary pulmonary hypertension were noted in 2.9 and 1.1%, 8.7 and 2.5%, and 34.6 and 36.6% of the patients with normal mean pulmonary arterial pressure, borderline, and overt pulmonary hypertension subgroups, respectively. The World Symposium on Pulmonary Hypertension versus European Society of Cardiology/European Respiratory Society definitions resulted in a net 9.8% increase in the diagnosis of overall pulmonary hypertension whereas increases in the pre-capillary pulmonary hypertension and combined pre- and post-capillary pulmonary hypertension diagnosis were only 0.8 and 0.3%, respectively. The re-definition of mean pulmonary arterial pressure threshold seems to increase the frequency of the overall pulmonary hypertension diagnosis. However, this increase was mainly originated from those in post-capillary pulmonary hypertension subgroup whereas its impact on pre-capillary and combined pre- and post-capillary pulmonary hypertension was negligible. Moreover, criteria of pre-capillary pulmonary vascular disease and combined pre- and post-capillary phenotypes were still detectable even in the presence of normal mean pulmonary arterial pressure. The obligatory criteria of pulmonary vascular resistance ≥3 Wood units seems to keep specificity for discrimination between pre-capillary versus post-C pulmonary hypertension after lowering the definitive mean pulmonary arterial pressure threshold to 20 mmHg.

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.

Association of the SYNTAX Score II with cardiac rupture in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction undergoing a primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

BACKGROUND: Despite advances in reperfusion strategies, medical therapy, and emergent surgery, cardiac rupture (CR) is still a major lethal complication. Numerous parameters have been found to be associated with CR development after a primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI). SYNTAX Score (SS) and SYNTAX Score II (SSII) have been studied in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients, and higher scores have been associated with higher mortality. However, the relationship between CR and SSII is unclear. This study investigates the possible relationship between CR and SS, SSII in STEMI patients treated with pPCI. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We enrolled 1663 consecutive STEMI patients treated with pPCI, who were divided into two groups according to CR development and compared with each other. Patients were further stratified into the three groups according to their SSII values. RESULTS: In this study, 33 (1.98%) patients developed CR. Both SS and SSII of those with CR were significantly higher than those without (19.27±4.0 vs. 16.40±4.55; P<0.001 and 49.40±16.54 vs. 30.92±11.80; P<0.001, respectively). It was also observed that CR increased gradually according to increasing SSII tertiles. SSII was found to be an independent predictor for CR (odds ratio=1.043, 95% confidence interval: 1.012-1.074; P=0.006). In the long-term follow-up, all-cause mortality was significantly higher in patients with CR than those without (60.6 vs. 8.8%; P<0.001). CONCLUSION: This study shows that SSII is an independent predictor for CR. Furthermore, patients with CR were associated with a poor prognosis. Closer follow-up of patients with high SSII may be useful in the early detection and treatment of this fatal complication.

Propensity score matching analysis of the impact of Syntax score and Syntax score II on new onset atrial fibrillation development in patients with ST segment elevation myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: New-onset atrial fibrillation (NOAF) is a common complication in the setting of ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), and worsened short/long-term prognosis. Several clinical parameters have already been associated with NOAF development. However, relationship between NOAF and coronary artery disease (CAD) severity in STEMI patients is unclear. This study evaluates the relationship between NOAF and CAD severity using Syntax score (SS) and Syntax score II (SSII) in STEMI patients who were treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI). METHOD: We enrolled 1,565 consecutive STEMI patients who were treated with pPCI. Patients with NOAF were compared to patients without NOAF in the entire study population and in a matched population defined by propensity score matching. RESULTS: Patients with NOAF had significantly higher SS and SSII than those without, both in the matched population (18.6 ± 4 vs 16.75 ± 3.6; p < .001 and 42 ± 13.4 vs 35.1 ± 13.1; p < .001, respectively), and in all study population (18.6 ± 4 vs 16.5 ± 4.6; p < .001 and 42 ± 13.3 vs 31.5 ± 11.9; p < .001 respectively). SSII, compared to its components, was the only independent predictor of NOAF (OR: 1,041 95% CI: 1.015-1.068; p = .002). In the long-term follow-up, all-cause long-term mortality was significantly higher in patients with NOAF than those without NOAF (23.3% vs. 11%; p = .032). CONCLUSION: This is the first study to comprehensively examine the relationship between NOAF development and CAD severity using SS and SSII. We demonstrated that, in STEMI patients, high SSII was significantly related to NOAF and was an independent predictor of NOAF. Furthermore, patients with NOAF were associated with poor prognosis.

Successful radiofrequency ablation of atrial flutter causing hemodynamic instability in a patient with recent myocardial infarction.

Atrial flutter (AFL) is a common arrhythmia which may decrease cardiac output and may cause embolic events. Direct current (DC) cardioversion, medical cardioversion and radiofrequency (RF) ablation are therapeutic options, but over all RF ablation therapy has the longest event free period. Although development of AFL after myocardial infarction is quite common it may spontaneously recover or results in atrial fibrillation. Herein we report a patient with medical and electrical cardioversion resistant AFL which developed in the early post-myocardial infarction period causing hemodynamic instability, who was successfully treated with RF catheter ablation.

Menopausal cardiomyopathy: does it really exist? A case-control deformation imaging study.

AIM: We aimed to evaluate and compare the left ventricular (LV) functions of pre- and postmenopausal women at similar ages with none of the known cardiovascular risk factors, by both conventional and advanced echocardiographic methods such as 2-D strain imaging via speckle tracking echocardiography. METHODS: The study population consisted of 40 healthy postmenopausal women aged 45-50 years and 40 healthy premenopausal women of the same age group. None of the subjects had any cardiovascular risk factors and were on hormone replacement therapy. LV strain and strain rate parameters were measured by 2-D strain imaging. The main outcome measure was effect of menopause on LV function. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the pre- and postmenopausal groups with regard to conventional echocardiographic parameters. LV longitudinal strain and LV early diastolic strain rate values were significantly lower in the postmenopausal group when compared to the premenopausal group. Also, there was a significant negative correlation between LV global strain and serum follicle-stimulating hormone (r = -0.349, P = 0.002). CONCLUSION: Our study results demonstrated that healthy postmenopausal women had lower LV longitudinal strain values when compared to the healthy premenopausal women of the same age group by speckle tracking echocardiography.

SYNTAX score is a predictor of angiographic no-reflow in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction treated with a primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

OBJECTIVES: The no-reflow phenomenon has a negative prognostic value in patients with acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). The SYNTAX score (SS) quantifies the extent and complexity of angiographic disease and predicts long-term mortality and morbidity in STEMI. We aimed to assess the no-reflow and its possible relationships with SS and clinical characteristics in patients with STEMI treated with a primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, 880 patients with STEMI treated with PPCI were included prospectively (646 men and 234 women, mean age 58.5±12.4 years). The SS, thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) flow grade score, and TIMI myocardial blush grade score were determined in all patients. No-reflow was defined as TIMI grade 0, 1 and 2 flows or TIMI grade 3 with myocardial blush grade 0 and 1. The patients were divided into two groups: a normal flow group and a no-reflow group. RESULTS: No-reflow was observed in 32.8% of patients. The mean SS of the no-reflow group was higher than that of the normal flow group (19.2±6.8/12.9±6.1, P<0.001). On multivariate logistic regression analysis, SS [ß=0.872, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.845-0.899, P<0.001], diabetes (ß=0.767, 95% CI=0.128-4.597, P=0.004), anterior myocardial infarction (ß=5.421, 95% CI=1.369-21.469, P=0.025), and thrombus grade after wiring (ß=2.537, 95% CI=1.506-4.273, P<0.001) were found to be independent predictors of no-reflow. The cutoff value of SS obtained by the receiver-operator characteristic curve analysis was 19.75 for the prediction of no-reflow (sensitivity: 70.6%, specificity: 69.4%). CONCLUSION: The SS is a predictor of no-reflow in patients with STEMI treated with PPCI.

Aortic elastic properties and left ventricular diastolic function in patients with isolated bicuspid aortic valve.

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE STUDY: Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) is one of the most common congenital heart defects. BAV disease is not only a disorder of valvulogenesis, but also represents a genetic disorder of aorta and cardiac development. Recent studies have shown that BAV is associated with abnormal aortic elasticity, and that a reduced distensibility of the aortic root may have a negative impact on left ventricular function. Hence, the study aim was to investigate left ventricular diastolic function and its relationship to aortic elasticity in this patient group. METHODS: Thirty-nine patients with isolated BAV with a normal left ventricular ejection fraction, and 29 age- and gender-matched healthy (control) subjects, were studied prospectively. In none of the patients with BAV was the aortic velocity >2m/s, and no aortic regurgitation (other than mild) was present. Parameters of aortic elasticity (aortic strain, distensibility index, stiffness index and elastic modulus), left ventricular diastolic parameters (E, A, E/a, deceleration time, E', ratio of E/E', left atrial volume index) and valvulo-arterial impedance were calculated in all patients. RESULTS: Aortic strain and distensibility were lower, and aortic stiffness index and aortic modulus higher, in patients with BAV than in controls. Compared to controls, the E/E' ratio and left atrial volume index were significantly higher in BAV patients (E/E' ratio 8.26 +/- 2.56 versus 6.85 +/- 1.45, p = 0.01; left atrium volume index 24.23 +/- 5.78 versus 21.68 +/- 4.11 ml/m2, p = 0.04). However, no significant correlations were identified between the aortic elasticity parameters, valvulo-arterial impedance, and left ventricular diastolic parameters. CONCLUSION: These findings indicated that BAV is associated with an increased left atrial volume and a decreased E/E' ratio. In addition, these parameters did not correlate with any parameters of aortic elasticity, nor valvulo-arterial impedance. These data suggest that BAV disease might have subclinical cardiac dysfunction, and further studies are required to confirm these findings and any causal relationship.

Relation of the metabolic syndrome with proarrhythmogenic electrocardiographic parameters in patients without overt diabetes.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to observe the relationship of the metabolic syndrome and proarrythmogenic ECG parameters and to evaluate a possible correlation of these parameters to the metabolic syndrome score in patients without overt diabetes mellitus. METHODS: The study population consisted of 142 patients with the metabolic syndrome and 170 age- and gender-matched control subjects. In the ECG recordings, resting heart rate, QRS duration, corrected QT duration and corrected QT dispersion were measured. Patients were classified into three groups based on number of fulfilled metabolic syndrome criteria: group 1 (three metabolic syndrome criteria), group 2 (four metabolic syndrome criteria) and group 3 (five metabolic syndrome criteria). RESULTS: Patients with the metabolic syndrome had a higher increased resting heart rate, QTcd, prolonged QRS and QTc duration. Resting heart rate increases significantly parallel to the increase in the metabolic syndrome score across the groups, whilst QRS duration remained unchanged. QTc duration and QTc dispersion were significantly higher in groups 2 and 3 when compared to group 1. However, no significant differences were observed between groups 2 and 3. CONCLUSION: We demonstrated that the metabolic syndrome and its score related with increased resting heart rate and prolonged repolarization durations in patiens without overt diabetes mellitus. These pro arrhythmogenic parameters could be used in the development of risk stratification schemes for sudden cardiac death in patients with the metabolic syndrome.

Relationship between oxidative stress and cardiomyopathic changes in ovariectomized rats.

OBJECTIVES: Menopause has a negative effect on cardiovascular functions. However, very little is known of the overall effect of menopause on the cardiac ultrastructure or the pathophysiological basis of this. METHODS: A group of 12-week-old female Sprague Dawley rats were randomly allocated to healthy control (n = 6) and ovariectomy groups (n = 6). Twelve weeks after ovariectomy, the rats' cardiac tissues were histopathologically analyzed for determination of oxidant and antioxidant enzymes [activities of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and myeloperoxidase (MPO) and amount of glutathione (GSH) and lipid peroxidation (LPO)]. RESULTS: When compared to the control group, the ovariectomy group showed cardiomyopathic changes. In tissue, activities of CAT (185 ± 2.4 vs. 112 ± 1.4 mmol/min/mg tissue; p < 0.05), SOD (153 ± 1.0 vs. 146 ± 0.7 mmol/min/mg tissue; p < 0.05) and MPO (19 ± 0.8 vs. 8.6 ± 0.11 µmol/min/mg tissue; p < 0.05) and LPO levels (32.1 ± 0.77 vs. 14.4 ± 0.20 nmol/g tissue; p < 0.05) were significantly increased in the ovariectomy group when compared to the control group. However, GSH levels (3.43 ± 0.02 vs. 3.73 ± 0.01 nmol/g tissue; p < 0.05) were significantly lower in the ovariectomy group when compared to the control group. CONCLUSION: Using an experimental animal model, we were able to demonstrate that menopause causes cardiomyopathic changes, and we propose that these changes could be mediated by oxidative stress.