The Comparison of the Initial TIMI Flow Grade in Acute ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction Patients Receiving Ticagrelor vs. Clopidogrel before Undergoing Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Objective: Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is the best treatment for acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Evidence is in favor of ticagrelor over clopidegrel in STEMI patients regarding the reduction of stent thrombosis risk during and after PCI. We compared initial thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) flow in STEMI patients on ticagrelor vs. clopidogrel. Methods: This prospective cohort recruited 160 patients with acute STEMI, referred to the emergency department of Farshchian Heart Center, during March 2018-2019. Before angiography, the patients received clopidogrel (600 mg) or ticagrelor (180 mg) on top of aspirin. Initial TIMI flow was compared between the two groups as the primary outcome. A logistic regression was performed to calculate the predictors of initial TIMI flow. Analyses were performed using R, version 4.2.1. Results: In ticagrelor and clopidogrel groups, the mean ± standard deviation age of the patients was 59.46 ± 13.11 and 61.34 ± 11.08 years (p value = 0.33), respectively. In the ticagrelor and clopidogrel groups, initial TIMI flow grades were as follows: 0 : 50% and 71.2%, I: 26.2% and 16.2%, II: 12.5% and 10%, and III: 12.9% and 2.5%, respectively (p value = 0.005). Final TIMI flow grades were as follows: I: 26.2% and 16.2%, II: 7.5% and 13.8%, and III: 66.3% and 70%, respectively (p value = 0.41). Ticagrelor was associated with significantly higher initial TIMI flow grade compared to the clopidogrel group (adjusted odds ratio: 2.90 (95% CI: 1.51-5.72)). Conclusion: In STEMI patients who were candidates for primary PCI, ticagrelor administration led to a better initial TIMI flow grade compared to clopidogrel.

Safety of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors drugs among heart failure patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) reduce morbidity and mortality for heart failure (HF) patients and are recommended as cornerstones for their medical therapy. Utilization in clinical practice remains low for multiple reasons, one of which may be adverse events. We investigated the incidence of these events to see if they are associated with SGLT2i use. A systematic search was performed in databases, including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Clinicaltrials.gov, and WHO's International Clinical Trials Registry Platform. Relevant randomized controlled trial studies assessing the safety outcomes of SGLT2i in HF patients were included in this study. We conducted the common-effect meta-analysis to estimate the relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of safety outcomes in SGLT2i compared with placebo. Eighteen studies were included in the meta-analysis composed of 12 925 HF patients taking an SGLT2i and 12 747 taking a placebo. The meta-analysis indicated that the all-cause mortality and serious adverse events (SAEs) were lower in the SGLT2i group (RR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.85-0.97; P = 0.005, I2 = 0%; and RR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.90-0.95; P < 0.001, I2 = 43%, respectively). Volume depletion and genitourinary infections were more prevalent in the SGLT2i group (RR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.06-1.28; P = 0.001, I2 = 0%; and RR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.13-1.43; P < 0.001, I2 = 17%, respectively). Our meta-analysis demonstrated that using SGLT2is in HF patients was correlated with reduced mortality and SAEs, with a more prominent effect in HF with reduced ejection fraction patients and those taking dapagliflozin.

Increased prevalence of thyroid dysfunction in Tehran - HAMRAH study.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the current study is to assess the prevalence of different categories of thyroid dysfunction and their associated risk factors among the modern urban population of Tehran, the capital of Iran. METHODS: The present investigation is a sub-study of the HAMRAH study, a population-based prospective study designed to assess the prevalence of traditional cardiovascular risk factors and their changes through a 10-year follow-up. 2228 (61% female) adults aged between 30 and 75 years old and with no overt cardiovascular diseases were selected through a multistage cluster randomized sampling. Blood levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), thyroxin (T4), and triiodothyronine (T3) were measured with the aim of assessing the prevalence of abnormal thyroid function status among the modern urban Iranian population, and in order to report the total prevalence of participants with clinical hypo- or hyperthyroidism, the number of individuals taking thyroid-related drugs were added to the ones with overt thyroid dysfunction. A subgroup analysis was also performed to determine the associated risk factors of thyroid dysfunction. RESULTS: The prevalence of thyroid dysfunction among the total population was 7% (95%CI: 5.9 - 8%) and 0.4% (95% CI: 0.1 - 0.6%) for subclinical and overt hypothyroidism, and 1.6% (95% CI: 1 - 2%) and 0.2% (95% CI: 0 - 0.3%) for subclinical and overt hyperthyroidism, respectively. Clinical thyroid dysfunction was detected in 10.3% of the study population (9.4% had clinical hypo- and 0.9% had clinical hyperthyroidism). In the subgroup analysis, thyroid dysfunction was significantly more prevalent among the female participants (P-value = 0.029). CONCLUSIONS: In the current study, the prevalence of different categories of abnormal thyroid status, and also the rate of clinical hypo- and hyperthyroidism was assessed using the data collected from the first phase of the HAMRAH Study. In this study, we detected a higher prevalence of clinical and subclinical hypothyroidism among the Iranian population compared to the previous studies.

Electrocardiographic manifestations of pulmonary stenosis versus pulmonary hypertension.

BACKGROUND: Right ventricular hypertrophy can be caused by conditions such as pulmonary stenosis and pulmonary hypertension. ECG is a readily available and affordable test, the aim of this study was the evaluation of the electrocardiographic aspects of pulmonary stenosis, and pulmonary hypertension. METHODS: A list of patients diagnosed with isolated pulmonary stenosis and pulmonary hypertension patients hospitalized and treated between 2019 and 2021 were extracted from the hospital archives. Furthermore, the ECG of the patients was analyzed in terms of the prevalence of the variables in the study using FECG Caliper software. Finally, the data of 93 patients (in both groups) were analyzed. RESULTS: In this study, 46 patients were in the severe pulmonary stenosis group, and 49 were in the severe or moderate-to-severe pulmonary hypertension group. The heart rate in the pulmonary hypertension group was significantly higher. R/S > 1 in precordial leads differs between the two groups and higher amplitude R wave in V1(p-value = 0.05). in the pulmonary stenosis group. While in the pulmonary hypertension group, R wave growth occurs later, and this ratio is greater than one after V4. Bundle block in the form of RBBB(p-value <0.001) and maximum QRS duration is more in the pulmonary stenosis group(p-value = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Our findings show the different strains of the right ventricle in two groups. It can be concluded that the effects of severe pulmonary stenosis on the ECG are more on the QRS wave and in the form of a block, while severe pulmonary hypertension affects the ST segment and T wave.

Prevalence and associated factors of chronic venous disease among the modern Iranian urban population.

OBJECTIVES: Chronic venous disease (CVD) of the lower extremities is one of the common venous diseases in different populations, with a wide range of clinical manifestations and undetermined exact prevalence owing to different population characteristics and measurement methods. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of CVD among the modern Iranian urban population and determine its associated risk factors. METHODS: The Heart Assessment and Monitoring in Rajaie Hospital study, a longitudinal population-based cohort, aims to investigate the baseline prevalence and the 10-year incidence of cardiovascular diseases and associated risk factors in the adult population aged 30 to 75 years with no overt cardiovascular diseases in Tehran. Two instructed interventional cardiologists performed CVD evaluation using the Clinical-Etiology-Anatomy-Pathophysiology classification. CVD was graded as C1 to C6, and chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) as C3 to C6. A multivariable regression model was used to analyze the association between CVD and prespecified covariates of age, sex, body mass index (≥30 kg/m2), smoking, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, physical activity, dyslipidemia, and delivery method. RESULTS: CVD prevalence among 1176 participants was 36.5% (95% confidence interval [CI], 33.8-39.3) and was higher in women than men (44.2% vs 23.5%). CVI prevalence was only 0.7% (95% CI, 0.3-1.3). Multivariable analysis showed that advanced age (odds ratio [OR], 1.06; 95% CI, 1.04-1.08), female sex (OR, 2.98; 95% CI, 2.14-4.14), and body mass index of ≥30 (OR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.03-1.81) were independently associated with CVD. Physical activity (OR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.58-1.02) was nearly protective, whereas other factors, including traditional cardiovascular risk factors, had no meaningful association with CVD. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings showed that CVD was prevalent in the modern Iranian urban population. However, considering the very low prevalence of the higher stages of the disease, the benefit of mass screening is debatable, and better risk discriminators should be investigated.

Association of seizure with COVID-19 vaccines in persons with epilepsy: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Seizure aggravation following coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines is a major cause behind vaccine hesitancy among persons with epilepsy (PwE), resulting in lower immunization rates. We systematically reviewed seizure-activity-related events in PwE following COVID-19 vaccination. We systematically searched PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane Library, until January 31, 2023, and included articles reporting seizure activity-related events in PwE receiving COVID-19 vaccination. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses were followed. The protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42022312475). Outcomes included pooled incidence proportions of (a) increased seizure frequency, (b) status epilepticus (SE), and (c) change in seizure type. Of the 2207 studies, 16 entered the meta-analysis. The pooled incidence proportion of increased seizure frequency (16 studies-3245 PwE) was 5% (95% CI: 3%-7%, I2 = 52%). Regarding increased seizure frequency, no significant difference was observed between mRNA and viral vector (OR: 1.11, 95% CI: 0.49-2.52, I2 = 0%), and between mRNA and inactivated virus (OR: 1.60, 95% CI: 0.27-9.37; I2 = 0%). The pooled incidence proportion of SE (15 studies-2387 PwE) was 0.08% (95% CI: 0.02%-0.33%, I2 = 0%). Ultimately, the pooled incidence proportion of change in seizure type (7 studies-1172 PwE) was 1% (95% CI: 1%-2%, I2 = 0%). The meta-analysis revealed post-COVID-19-vaccination increased seizure frequency in 5% of PwE, with no difference between mRNA and viral vector or inactivated virus vaccines. Furthermore, we found 0.08% and 1% incidence proportions for postvaccination SE and change in seizure type, respectively. While noteworthy, these values are far less than reports for COVID-19 infection, emphasizing vaccination importance in preventing COVID-19 consequences in PwE.

Association of SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination or Infection With Bell Palsy: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Importance: Bell palsy (BP) has been reported as an adverse event following the SARS-CoV-2 vaccination, but neither a causative relationship nor a higher prevalence than in the general population has been established. Objective: To compare the incidence of BP in SARS-CoV-2 vaccine recipients vs unvaccinated individuals or placebo recipients. Data Sources: A systematic search of MEDLINE (via PubMed), Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar from the inception of the COVID-19 report (December 2019) to August 15, 2022. Study Selection: Articles reporting BP incidence with SARS-CoV-2 vaccination were included. Data Extraction and Synthesis: This study followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guideline and was conducted with the random- and fixed-effect models using the Mantel-Haenszel method. The quality of the studies was evaluated by the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Main Outcomes and Measures: The outcomes of interest were to compare BP incidence among (1) SARS-CoV-2 vaccine recipients, (2) nonrecipients in the placebo or unvaccinated cohorts, (3) different types of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, and (4) SARS-CoV-2-infected vs SARS-CoV-2-vaccinated individuals. Results: Fifty studies were included, of which 17 entered the quantitative synthesis. Pooling 4 phase 3 randomized clinical trials showed significantly higher BP in recipients of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines (77 525 vaccine recipients vs 66 682 placebo recipients; odds ratio [OR], 3.00; 95% CI, 1.10-8.18; I2 = 0%). There was, however, no significant increase in BP after administration of the messenger RNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in pooling 8 observational studies (13 518 026 doses vs 13 510 701 unvaccinated; OR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.42-1.16; I2 = 94%). No significant difference was found in BP among 22 978 880 first-dose recipients of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine compared with 22 978 880 first-dose recipients of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine (OR, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.82-1.15; I2 = 0%). Bell palsy was significantly more common after SARS-CoV-2 infection (n = 2 822 072) than after SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations (n = 37 912 410) (relative risk, 3.23; 95% CI, 1.57-6.62; I2 = 95%). Conclusions and Relevance: This systematic review and meta-analysis suggests a higher incidence of BP among SARS-CoV-2-vaccinated vs placebo groups. The occurrence of BP did not differ significantly between recipients of the Pfizer/BioNTech vs Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccines. SARS-CoV-2 infection posed a significantly greater risk for BP than SARS-CoV-2 vaccination.

A Comprehensive Review of Left Ventricular Summit Ventricular Arrhythmias.

The catheter ablation of idiopathic ventricular arrhythmias is accepted as a first-line treatment as it successfully eliminates about 90.0% of such arrhythmias. One of the most challenging ventricular arrhythmias originates from the left ventricular summit (LVS), a triangular epicardial space with the left main bifurcation as its apex. This area accounts for about 14.0% of LV arrhythmias. The complex anatomy of this region, accompanied by proximity to the major epicardial coronary arteries and the presence of a thick fat pad in this region, renders it a challenging area for catheter ablation. This article presents a review of the anatomy of the LVS and relevant regions and discusses novel mapping and ablation techniques for eliminating LVS ventricular arrhythmias. Additionally, we elaborate on the electrocardiographic (ECG) manifestations of arrhythmias from the LVS and their successful ablation via the direct approach and the adjacent structures.

Evaluation of psychometric properties of the Persian version of the predicaments questionnaire, exploring social attitudes to suicide.

Background: Due to the growing prevalence of suicide, assessing people's attitudes toward suicide is necessary. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the Predicaments Questionnaire (PQ), measuring social attitudes toward suicide. Methods: This psychometrics study evaluated face validity, content validity, temporal stability, internal consistency, and construct validity. First, the questionnaire was translated into Persian by the translate-back-translate method. The Persian version was provided to 10 experts in psychiatry for further revision. Two indicators, CVR and CVI, were calculated to evaluate the content validity. To check the face validity, we prepared a form and gave it to 10 people outside the campus to submit their opinions. Temporal stability was investigated by the test-retest method, reporting Intraclass correlation (ICC). Internal consistency was assessed by reporting Cronbach's alpha and McDonald's Omega coefficients. Construct validity was assessed using the confirmatory factor analysis to determine the number of dimensions of the questionnaire. Results: A total of 151 students were enrolled with a mean age of 25 (SD = 0.32). The Persian PQ was valid in terms of content validity and face validity. Furthermore, it was reliable as Cronbach's alpha, McDonald's Omega, and the ICC were 0.94, 0.943, and 0.998, respectively. In addition, the confirmatory factor analysis yielded one dimension. Finally, after reviewing the experts' comments, the final amendments were made, and only question 29 was removed from the final version. Conclusion: Consequently, the Persian version of the PQ is acceptable in terms of content validity, face validity, temporal stability, and internal consistency.

Pulmonary arterial pressure detects functional mitral stenosis after annuloplasty for primary mitral regurgitation: An exercise stress echocardiographic study.

INTRODUCTION: The restrictive mitral valve annuloplasty (RMA) is the treatment of choice for degenerative mitral regurgitation (MR), but postoperative functional mitral stenosis remains a matter of debate. In this study, we sought to determine the impact of mitral stenosis on the functional capacity of patients. METHODS: In a cross-sectional study, 32 patients with degenerative MR who underwent RMA using a complete ring were evaluated. All participants performed treadmill exercise test and underwent echocardiographic examinations before and after exercise. RESULTS: The patients' mean age was 50.1 ± 12.5 years. After a mean follow-up of 14.1 ± 5.9 months (6-32 months), the number of patients with a mitral valve peak gradient >7.5 mm Hg, a mitral valve mean gradient >3 mm Hg, and a pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) ≥25 mm Hg at rest were 50%, 40.6%, and 62.5%, respectively. 13 patients (40.6%) had incomplete treadmill exercise test. All hemodynamic parameters were higher at peak exercise compared with at rest levels (all P < .05). The PAP at rest and at peak exercise as well as peak transmitral gradient at peak exercise were higher in patients with incomplete exercise compared with complete exercise test (all P < .05). The PAP at rest (a sensitivity and a specificity of 84.6% and 52.6%, respectively; area under the curve [AUC] = .755) and at peak exercise (a sensitivity and a specificity of 100% and 47.4%, respectively; AUC = .755) discriminated incomplete exercise test. CONCLUSION: The RMA for degenerative MR was associated with a functional stenosis and the PAP at rest and at peak exercise discriminated low exercise capacity.