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BACKGROUND: Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is a common diagnosis in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD). The prevalence of LVH among patients with Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM), high blood pressure and aging is higher than the healthy population and has been independently associated with an increased risk for future cardiac event, including stroke. The aim of this study is to identify the prevalence of LVH among T2DM subjects and evaluate its association with related risk factors of CVD patients in the metropolis of Shiraz, Iran. The novelty of this study is that there has been no known published epidemiological study related to the relationship of LVH and T2DM on this unique population. MATERIALS AND METHOD: This cross-sectional study was designed based on collected data of 7715 free dwelling subjects in the community-based Shiraz Cohort Heart Study (SCHS) from 2015 to 2021, ages 40-70 years. Overall, 1118 subjects with T2DM were identified in the SCHS and after exclusion criteria, 595 subjects remained eligible for study. Subjects with electrocardiography (ECG) results, which are appropriate and diagnostics tools, were evaluated for the presence of LVH. Thus, the variables related to LVH and non-LVH in subjects with diabetes were analyzed using version-22 statistical package for social sciences software program to ensure consistency, accuracy, reliability, and validity for final analysis. Based upon related variables and identifying LVH and non-LVH subjects, the relevant statistical analysis was implemented to ensure its consistency, accuracy, reliability, and validity for final analysis. RESULTS: Overall, the prevalence of diabetic subjects was 14.5% in the SCHS study. Furthermore, the prevalence of hypertension in the study subjects aged 40-70 years was 37.8%. The prevalence of hypertension history in T2DM study subjects for LVH compared to non-LVH was (53.7% vs. 33.7%). The prevalence of LVH among patients with T2DM as the primary target of this study was 20.7%. Analytical findings comparing both LVH and non-LVH subjects who have T2DM identified significance for variables in the older (≥ 60) mean and categorical age group (P < 0.0001), history of hypertension (P < 0.0001), mean and categorical duration of hypertension in years (P < 0.0160), status of controlled versus uncontrolled hypertension level (P < 0.0120), the mean systolic blood pressure (P < 0.0001) as well as mean duration years of T2DM and categorical duration of diabetes in years (< 0.0001 and P < 0.0060), mean fasting blood sugar (< 0.0307) and categorical status of FBS Level (mg/dl): controlled and uncontrolled FBS status of controlled vs. uncontrolled FBS levels P < 0.0020). However, there were no significant findings for gender (P = 0.3112), diastolic blood pressure mean (P = 0.7722) and body mass index (BMI) mean and categorical BMI (P = 0.2888 and P = 0.4080, respectively). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of LVH in the study increases significantly among T2DM patients with hypertension, older age, years of hypertension, years of diabetes, and higher FBS. Thus, given the significant risk of diabetes and CVD, evaluation of LVH through reasonable diagnostic testing with ECG can help reduce the risk of future complications through the development of risk factor modifications and treatments guidelines.
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Doenças Cardiovasculares , Diabetes Mellitus Tipo 2 , Hipertensão , Humanos , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Hipertrofia Ventricular Esquerda/diagnóstico por imagem , Hipertrofia Ventricular Esquerda/epidemiologia , Estudos Transversais , Prevalência , Irã (Geográfico)/epidemiologia , Reprodutibilidade dos Testes , Hipertensão/diagnóstico , Hipertensão/epidemiologia , Hipertensão/complicações , Diabetes Mellitus Tipo 2/diagnóstico , Diabetes Mellitus Tipo 2/epidemiologia , Diabetes Mellitus Tipo 2/complicações , Doenças Cardiovasculares/epidemiologia , Eletrocardiografia , Fatores de RiscoRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is still a concerning issue in developing countries. Among delayed RHD presentations, rheumatic mitral valve stenosis (MS) remains a prevalent finding. Percutaneous transvenous mitral commissurotomy (PTMC) is the intervention of choice for severe mitral stenosis (MS). We aimed to assess the mid-term outcome of PTMC in patients with immediate success. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, out of 220 patients who had undergone successful PTMC between 2006 and 2018, the clinical course of 186 patients could be successfully followed. Cardiac-related death, undergoing a second PTMC or mitral valve replacement (MVR) were considered adverse cardiac events for the purpose of this study. In order to find significant factors related to adverse cardiac outcomes, peri-procedural data for the studied patients were collected.The patients were also contacted to find out their current clinical status and whether they had continued secondary antibiotic prophylaxis regimen or not. Those who had not suffered from the adverse cardiac events were additionally asked to undergo echocardiographic imaging, in order to assess the prevalence of mitral valve restenosis, defined as mitral valve area (MVA) < 1.5 cm2 and loss of ≥ 50% of initial area gain. RESULTS: During the mean follow-up time of 5.69 ± 3.24 years, 31 patients (16.6% of patients) had suffered from adverse cardiac events. Atrial fibrillation rhythm (p = 0.003, HR = 3.659), Wilkins echocardiographic score > 8 (p = 0.028, HR = 2.320) and higher pre-procedural systolic pulmonary arterial pressure (p = 0.021, HR = 1.031) were three independent predictors of adverse events and immediate post-PTMC mitral valve area (IMVA) ≥ 2 cm2 (p < 0.001, HR = 0.06) was the significant predictor of event-free outcome. Additionally, follow-up echocardiographic imaging detected mitral restenosis in 44 patients (23.6% of all patients). The only statistically significant protective factor against restenosis was again IMVA ≥ 2 cm2 (p = 0.001, OR = 0.240). CONCLUSION: The mid-term results of PTMC are multifactorial and may be influenced by heterogeneous peri-procedural determinants. IMVA had a great impact on the long-term success of this procedure. Continuing secondary antibiotic prophylaxis was not a protective factor against adverse cardiac events in this study. (clinicaltrial.gov registration: NCT04112108).
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Valvuloplastia com Balão , Cateterismo Cardíaco , Ecocardiografia Doppler em Cores , Ecocardiografia Transesofagiana , Estenose da Valva Mitral/terapia , Valva Mitral/diagnóstico por imagem , Cardiopatia Reumática/terapia , Adulto , Valvuloplastia com Balão/efeitos adversos , Cateterismo Cardíaco/efeitos adversos , Feminino , Humanos , Irã (Geográfico) , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Valva Mitral/fisiopatologia , Estenose da Valva Mitral/diagnóstico por imagem , Estenose da Valva Mitral/fisiopatologia , Valor Preditivo dos Testes , Intervalo Livre de Progressão , Recuperação de Função Fisiológica , Recidiva , Estudos Retrospectivos , Cardiopatia Reumática/diagnóstico por imagem , Cardiopatia Reumática/fisiopatologia , Índice de Gravidade de Doença , Fatores de TempoRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Considering the association between cardiac abnormalities and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), the present study aimed to evaluate the relationship between biopsy-proven NAFLD and functional echocardiographic parameters, including left ventricular (LV) global longitudinal strain (GLS) in asymptomatic individuals. METHODS: Thirty asymptomatic patients with liver biopsy-proven NAFLD and the same number with no evidence of fatty liver in ultrasonography were enrolled in the study as cases and controls, respectively. The measured echocardiographic parameters included LV ejection fraction (LVEF), LV end-systolic and end-diastolic dimensions (ESD, EDD), LV end-systolic and end-diastolic volumes (ESV, EDV), E/e' ratio (early-diastolic mitral inflow velocity/early-diastolic myocardial velocity), E/A ratio (early-diastolic mitral inflow velocity/late-diastolic mitral inflow velocity), and GLS. Data were analyzed using the SPSS statistical software (version 18.0) by performing the independent t test, Chi-square, and non-parametric Mann-Whitney U tests. P values <0.05 were considered statistically significant. RESULTS: A significant difference in ESD (32.1±1.4 mm vs. 34±1.8 mm), EDD (41.9±1.7 mm vs. 45.2±3.1 mm), and E/e' ratio (8.4±0.8 vs. 7.4±1.2) was detected among individuals with NAFLD compared with those without NAFLD (P<0.001 for the first two parameters and P=0.002 for the last one). GLS was also significantly lower in NAFLD patients than in controls, but within normal levels (19.3%±2.0 vs. 21.2%±1.4, P<0.001). CONCLUSION: The findings support the presence of subclinical cardiovascular structural and functional changes in patients affected by NAFLD. It also indicates that the use of GLS is more sensitive than LVEF for the detection of LV systolic dysfunction in NAFLD patients.
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Key Clinical Message: After a Bentall surgery, there is a small chance of developing a serious complication called vascular graft infection. 18F-FDG PET/CT, a new and accurate diagnostic tool, can help detect it early, especially if the symptoms are unusual. Abstract: A 14-year-old boy who had undergone Bentall surgery 1 year prior presented with symptoms of fever, chills, loss of appetite, and weight loss over the course of a month. The initial Bentall surgery was performed due to an aneurysm of the thoracic aorta, along with severe aortic valve insufficiency and moderate aortic valve stenosis. The patient was referred to the PET/CT department for evaluation of possible endarteritis or infection of Dacron graft, which had been reported in trans-esophageal echocardiography as suspicious findings. Despite normal blood tests, blood cultures, and other imaging modalities, the 18F-FDG PET/CT confirmed the diagnosis of vascular graft infection. This diagnostic tool allowed for timely and appropriate treatment and prevention of possible complications.
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INTRODUCTION: To achieve optimal blood pressure control in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients, identifying methods of volume assessment with the strongest correlation with blood pressure is essential. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 52 CAPD patients were assigned to automated office blood pressure (AOBP) measurement, assessment of pedal pitting edema, bioimpedance analysis (BIA), and inferior vena cava collapsibility index (IVCCI%) measurement. Data were analyzed using STATA ver.17, and the significance level was p < 0.05. RESULTS: Fifty-two patients were divided based on their AOBP readings. 29 (55.8%) of patients had uncontrolled AOBP. Overhydration (OH) and the grade of pitting edema were significantly higher in the uncontrolled AOBP group. OH was identified as the best variable for predicting blood pressure (p ≤ 0.001) and detecting uncontrolled blood pressure (AUC = 0.832) using multivariate linear regression and ROC analysis, respectively. CONCLUSION: BIA-derived OH was the best variable for predicting systolic and diastolic AOBP, outperforming IVCCI% and pitting edema.
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Hipertensão , Diálise Peritoneal Ambulatorial Contínua , Humanos , Pressão Sanguínea/fisiologia , Hipertensão/diagnóstico , Estudos Transversais , Determinação da Pressão Arterial/métodos , Edema/diagnóstico por imagem , Edema/etiologia , EcocardiografiaRESUMO
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) significantly contributes to an elevated risk of sudden cardiac death. Primary prevention is implemented by using an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). However, all of the HCM patients do not really need ICD therapy. Providing a superior index for ICD indication compared with the current indices like ejection fraction is essential to differentiate high-risk patients efficiently. The present study assessed the potential of global longitudinal strain (GLS) for the differentiation of HCM patients based on their need for ICD shocks. Patients with HCM were considered in four defined centers between March and June 2021. Those with previous ICD implantation or current candidates for ICD therapy were included in the study. Participants were subjected to speckle-tracking echocardiography, and GLS as well as some other echocardiographic parameters were recorded. Afterwards, data from implanted ICDs were extracted. Patients who received ICD shocks (appropriate) due to ventricular tachycardia (VT)/ventricular fibrillation (VF) were categorized in group A. The remaining patients were constituted group B who received inappropriate shocks, i.e., other than VT/VF. Overall, 34 patients were found eligible to participate with a mean age of 62 ± 16.1 years including 64.7% of males. Among a variety of echocardiographic parameters, GLS was the sole one that was significantly higher in group A compared with that in group B. Our findings revealed that only GLS could predict fatal arrhythmias. To substantiate, the odds of VT were raised by 43% with a single increase in GLS unit. GLS showed the highest accuracy for ICD indication among HCM patients and, therefore, could be a solid and early criterion to predict the incidence of life-threatening arrhythmias. In this regard, identifying appropriate HCM patients with respect to their need for ICD therapy is feasible.
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INTRODUCTION: The underlying pathophysiology of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is multifactorial; however, the significance of chronic volume overload and its subsequent effects on cardiac function must be studied thoroughly. The main objective of this study was to determine the predictive parameters of PAH in patients undergoing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) using transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and bioimpedance analysis (BIA). METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 43 eligible CAPD patients were chosen. The patients were examined by TTE and BIA before the morning dialysis session, and baseline patient characteristics, echocardiography, and BIA parameters were recorded. RESULTS: Sixteen (37.2%) patients were diagnosed with PAH. Patients with PAH had significantly greater left atrial diameter (LAD), left ventricular mass index (LVMI), and higher grades of diastolic dysfunction (DDF). Systolic pulmonary artery pressure (sPAP) correlated with LAD (p < 0.001, r = 0.566), interventricular septal diameter (IVSD) (p = 0.004, r = 0.425), LVMI (p = 0.030, r = 0.323), and extracellular water/total body water (ECW/TBW) ratio (p = 0.002, r = 0.458). CONCLUSION: Two volume status-related parameters including ECW/TBW ratio and inferior vena cava (IVC) expiratory diameter, and cardiac-related TTE findings such as LAD and DDF were predictors of sPAP in CAPD patients.
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Diálise Peritoneal Ambulatorial Contínua , Hipertensão Arterial Pulmonar , Humanos , Diálise Peritoneal Ambulatorial Contínua/efeitos adversos , Estudos Transversais , Diálise Renal , EcocardiografiaRESUMO
Context: Various techniques have been proposed for suturing following prosthetic aortic valve implantation, but each has its potential side effects such as patient-prosthesis mismatch (PPM) and paravalvular leak (PVL). Aims: In the present study, we aimed to compare the postoperative sequels of aortic valve replacement (AVR) following the use of two suturing techniques including from the inside of the aorta as the common and classic suturing techniques as compared to new approach including from the outside of the aorta. Settings and Design: This cross-sectional study was performed on patients suffering from symptomatic severe aortic valve disease and candidates for AVR in one of three referral hospitals for cardiovascular disease patients in Shiraz from 2019-2021. Subjects and Methods: The patients underwent one of the two considered surgical techniques for AVR including traditional approach (n = 60) or the tested approach (suturing from the outside of the aorta) (n = 30). Statistical Analysis Used: For statistical analysis, results were presented as mean ± standard deviation for quantitative variables and were summarized by frequency (percentage) for categorical variables. Results: PVL and PPM were revealed in none of the participants undergoing the tested approach, while the pointed complications were found in 41.7% and 25.0% of patients underwent traditional approach, respectively, indicating a significant difference. There was no evidence of abnormal dimensionless valve index (DVI) in the patients undergoing sutures from outside the aorta, whereas the rate of DVI abnormality in the patients undergoing traditional procedures was shown to be 18.3%. The mean aortic valve gradient was significantly higher in the group scheduling for the traditional surgical method. Conclusions: Applying new suturing method as suturing from the outside of the aorta, due to the selection of appropriate valve size, the risk for adverse consequences including PPM, PVL, or DVI can be significantly reduced.
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Aside from typical pneumonia, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has shown several extra-pulmonary manifestations. This study was done on a 66-year-old male patient who concomitantly had endogenous endophthalmitis and left ventricular thrombosis one month after being hospitalized due to COVID-19.
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AIMS: Currently, the ejection fraction [left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF)] is the main criterion used for implanting implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) for primary prevention. However, many of ICD receivers would not have an event and do not have any gains from the device. Consequently, improving the discrimination strategies is needed. Here, we aimed at assessing the role of global longitudinal strain (GLS) for such purpose. METHODS AND RESULTS: Seventy ischaemic or dilated cardiomyopathy cases characterized by LVEF ≤ 40% with a previously implanted ICD were enrolled. LVEF and GLS amounts were evaluated using 3D echocardiography. The occurrence of ventricular arrhythmias was checked by analysing the ICD history. Mean follow-up period of patients was 1.8 ± 0.6 years. There was a significant difference in the amount of GLS in arrhythmic cases compared with non-arrhythmic ones (-6.97 ± 3.06 vs -11.82 ± 4.25; P < 0.001). This difference was found in both ischaemic and dilated cardiomyopathy groups. A GLS below -10 cm/s could predict the occurrence of a ventricular event by 90% specificity and 72.2% sensitivity (area under the curve = 0.84, P < 0.001). While 27.39 (69.2%) patients with GLS below -10 cm/s had a ventricular event, only 3.31 (9.6%) of the patients with GLS above -10 had an event) P < 0.001). Those patients with a GLS ≥ 17 cm/s never experienced a ventricular arrhythmia. CONCLUSIONS: Global longitudinal strain is a more accurate predictor of ventricular arrhythmias in patients with reduced LVEF. Whether it may help in selecting more appropriate patients for ICD implantation or not should be evaluated within a randomized trial in the future.
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Insuficiência Cardíaca , Função Ventricular Esquerda , Arritmias Cardíacas/diagnóstico , Arritmias Cardíacas/epidemiologia , Arritmias Cardíacas/etiologia , Insuficiência Cardíaca/complicações , Insuficiência Cardíaca/diagnóstico , Humanos , Fatores de Risco , Volume SistólicoRESUMO
A 26-year-old man presented to emergency department with fever associated with night sweating and weight loss since 2 months prior to admission. He was an intravenous heroin user admitted for infective endocarditis of aortic valve 1 year ago. Transthoracic echocardiography followed by the transesophageal study showed bileaflet aortic prosthesis with normal transvalvular gradient and severe paravalvular aortic insufficiency. A pseudoaneurysm of intervalvular fibrosa connecting left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) to noncoronary sinus of valsalva was detected.
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Aneurisma Infectado/complicações , Insuficiência da Valva Aórtica/etiologia , Ecocardiografia , Medicina de Emergência , Endocardite/complicações , Adulto , Humanos , MasculinoRESUMO
Introduction: Despite the normal systolic function at rest, cirrhotic patients often suffer from volume overload and symptoms of heart failure as they face stressful situations. This study investigated the myocardial reserve in cirrhotic patients at resting condition and peak stress by dobutamine speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) and tissue Doppler imaging (TDI). Methods: Twenty cirrhotic patients and 10 normal individuals aged 30-50 were selected randomly. For all of the participants, complete echocardiographic study of 2D, STE and TDI was done at rest and peak stress status with dobutamine. The following parameters were assessed: ejection fraction (EF), global longitudinal LV strain (GLS), strain rate in the septal basal segment and lateral wall and E' in the septal basal segment by color-coded method. Results: At baseline, EF was higher than 55% in both groups. GLS was higher (-22.6±2.4%) in the case group than the control group (-19.2±1.9%) at resting condition. After stress, it showed a greater increase (-22.5±1.7%) in the controls compared to cirrhotic patients (-22.6±3.3%; mean difference = 2.6 ± 2.03, P = 0.02). In cirrhotic patients, the average strain rate in the basal septal segment decreased after stress (-1.2 ± 0.3/s to-1.1 ± 0.3/s), but it increased in the control group (-1.1 ± 0.2/s to -1.8 ± 0.2/s). Conclusion: Despite the presence of normal resting systolic function in cirrhotic patients, there was insufficient increase or even a decrease in myocardial function with stress; this may indicate the absence of sufficient myocardial reserve in cirrhotic patients. These findings would help to explain the reason for occurrence of heart failure or hemodynamic changes in cirrhotic patients.
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Introduction: Cirrhotic cardiomyopathy (CCM) develops in about half of all cirrhotic patients, affecting the long-term morbidity and mortality. Although some studies have shown an increased QT-interval in cirrhotic patients, no evidences of myocardial contractile and QT dispersion (QTd) changes are available. This study aimed to compare myocardial contractile dispersion (MCd), using tissue Doppler imaging (TDI), as well as QTd between cirrhotic patients and healthy individuals, investigating their associations with cirrhosis severity. Methods: This prospective cross-sectional study was conducted on patients with confirmed liver cirrhosis and healthy individuals. Participants with structural heart disease, heart ventricular pacing, electrolyte abnormalities, using drugs affecting QT interval were excluded. All individuals underwent 2D echocardiography, and TDI by vivid E9 echo machine. MCd and QTd were considered as main outcomes. Chi-square, independent-sample t test, and Pearson correlation test, were used for statistical analyses by SPPS version 17.0. P value <0:05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Sixty participants (40 male/20 female) with a mean age of 40.1 ± 7.1 years in two groups of cirrhotic patients (n=30) and healthy individuals (n=30) were studied. Both groups were statistically similar in terms of age (P = 0.31) and gender (P = 0.39). MCd and QTd of cirrhotic patients were significantly higher than healthy individuals (MCd: 41.0 ± 26.8 versus 27.6±18.1; P = 0.028; and QTd: 37.0 ± 22.1 versus 25.3 ± 8.9; P = 0.010). Cirrhotic patients with MELD score <15 had a lower MCd in comparison to score ≥15 (29.2 ± 13.8 versus 50.0 ± 31.1, P = 0.034). Conclusion: Cirrhosis was associated with increased MCd, assessed by TDI. Also, MCd and QTd were associated with a higher MELD score. According to the results, it seems that MCd and QTd might be useful predictor of ventricular arrhythmia and negative prognostic factor in cirrhotic patients.
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BACKGROUND Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a systemic disease with various cardiac and non-cardiac presentations. We present the case of a young woman with odd presentation of SLE mistakenly identified as a valve abscess that was scheduled for surgery. CASE REPORT This 35-year-old woman presented with rapid progression of aortic stenosis, and the transesophageal echocardiography report showed a misdiagnosed aortic web (congenital) and aortic wall abscess. She was scheduled for surgery as a case of subacute bacterial endocarditis (SBE) and aortic abscess, despite lack of fever. CONCLUSIONS Cardiovascular involvement should be considered in any SLE patient, especially those with high SLE scores, even with negative antiphospholipid antibody. Cardiovascular involvement may be odd and misleading in some cases, which may warrant especial attention and experienced caregivers for clinical reasoning and proper management.
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Doenças das Valvas Cardíacas/etiologia , Doenças das Valvas Cardíacas/cirurgia , Lúpus Eritematoso Sistêmico/complicações , Adulto , Diagnóstico Diferencial , Erros de Diagnóstico , Ecocardiografia Transesofagiana , Feminino , Doenças das Valvas Cardíacas/diagnóstico por imagem , HumanosRESUMO
A large pericardial mass, which was found to be a perivascular epithelioid cell tumor, was excised from a 20-year-old man. To our knowledge, this is the first report of this distinctive neoplasm as a pericardial mass.
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Carcinoma/patologia , Células Epitelioides/patologia , Neoplasias Cardíacas/patologia , Pericárdio/patologia , Adulto , Antígenos de Neoplasias/biossíntese , Carcinoma/metabolismo , Carcinoma/cirurgia , Desmina/biossíntese , Neoplasias Cardíacas/metabolismo , Neoplasias Cardíacas/cirurgia , Humanos , Imuno-Histoquímica , Masculino , Antígenos Específicos de Melanoma , Proteínas de Neoplasias/biossíntese , Pericárdio/cirurgia , Tomografia Computadorizada por Raios X , Vimentina/biossínteseRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Currently, it is not clear whether recurrent traumatic events lead to progression of rheumatic heart disease (RHD) after the incident of acute rheumatic fever or a persistent inflammatory state at the site of the valves. The aim of this study was to assess the possible association between plasma high sensitive C Reactive Protein (hs-CRP) level as an indicator of inflammation and RHD. MATERIALS & METHODS: Ninety patients with RHD and 90 healthy controls who had undergone complete echocardiographic examination were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. A score was given to each patient according to the severity of valvular involvement. Plasma hs-CRP level was checked for each patient by ELISA method twice with two-week interval, and the mean hs-CRP was calculated. RESULTS: The mean plasma hs-CRP level in the case group was significantly higher compared to its level in the control group (2.59±4.82 and 0.55±0.43 in the case and control groups respectively, p<0.001). There was also a strong association between the level of plasma hs-CRP and the severity of rheumatic valvular involvement (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: The mean plasma hs-CRP level seems to have a significant association with RHD and its severity. Further studies are needed to determine the cause and effect relationship.
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Proteína C-Reativa/metabolismo , Inflamação/sangue , Cardiopatia Reumática/sangue , Adulto , Biomarcadores/sangue , Estudos Transversais , Progressão da Doença , Ecocardiografia , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Estudos Retrospectivos , Cardiopatia Reumática/diagnóstico , Índice de Gravidade de DoençaRESUMO
Introduction: Cardiac dysfunction is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Previous studies have shown that kidney transplantation can reverse some of the gross changes in the myocardial structure such as left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and volumes. Whether kidney transplantation can reverse the subtle and early myocardial changes in ESRD patients who do not suffer from gross alternations in myocardial function is not yet studied. The aim of this study was to answer this question. Methods: We followed 25 patients with ESRD at baseline that all of them had a kidney transplant and were reassessed 1 month after the transplantation. Conventional and speckle tracking echocardiography (STE)was done at baseline and 1 month after kidney transplantation in patients. Results: LV hypertrophy was the most prevalent finding at baseline (58%), followed by diastolic dysfunction (53%). Kidney transplantation significantly improved the ejection fraction (EF) (treatment effect = 4.23 ± 2.06%; P = 0.046) and apical 4-chamber strain (treatment effect = -0.89 ± 0.37%; P = 0.021) in the patients. It also reduced the LV mass index (treatment effect = -73.82 ± 11.6; P < 0.001) and relative wall thickness (treatment effect = -0.056±0.023; P = 0.021). Other variables including global longitudinal strain and diastolic dysfunction were not improved significantly. Conclusion: STE may show early improvements in myocardial function 1 month after renal transplantation.
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BACKGROUND: The dramatic increase in the prevalence of metabolic syndrome is associated with more increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in this group. Some recent studies suggested that metabolic syndrome is associated with increased risk of subclinical left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction. In the present cross-sectional case-control study, the utility of two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) was examined to detect early LV systolic dysfunction in this population. METHODS: A total of 75 clinically asymptomatic subjects with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≥ 55%, 39 without metabolic syndrome and 36 with metabolic syndrome, matched for gender and age, were enrolled in this case-control study. Metabolic syndrome was diagnosed using the National Cholesterol Education Program/Adult Treatment Panel III criteria. LV systolic function was assessed by STE-derived global and segmental longitudinal strain (εLL). RESULTS: Global εLL was significantly lower in patients with metabolic syndrome compared with normal population (-18.41 ± 2.20% vs. -21.2 ± 2.1%, P < 0.001). Segmental εLL was significantly lower in patients with metabolic syndrome in comparison to control group except for basal anteroseptal (-19.95 ± 2.90% vs. -21.15 ± 3.30%, P = 0.106), basal anterolateral (-17.5 ± 5.0% vs. -18.3 ± 4.1%, P = 0.437), and basal inferolateral segments (-18.1 ± 6.3% vs. -18.9 ± 4.1%, P = 0.526). CONCLUSION: STE-derived longitudinal LV strain (εLL), a marker of subclinical cardiovascular disease, is impaired in asymptomatic individuals with metabolic syndrome and normal LVEF.
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BACKGROUND: Chest radiography after central venous catheter (CVC) insertion is the main method of verifying the catheter location. Despite the widespread use of radiography for detecting catheter position, x-ray may not always be readily available, especially in the operating room. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to compare contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) and chest radiography for detecting the correct location of CVCs. METHODS: One hundred sixteen consecutive patients with indications for CVC before cardiac surgery were enrolled in this observational study. After catheter insertion, CEUS was performed. Portable radiography was obtained postoperatively in the intensive care unit. Sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values were determined by comparing the ultrasonography results with radiographic findings as a reference standard. RESULTS: Chest radiography revealed 16 CVC misplacements: two cases of intravascular and 14 cases of right atrium (RA) misplacement. CEUS detected 11 true catheter malpositionings in the RA, while it could not recognize seven catheter placements correctly. CEUS showed two false RA misplacements and five falsely correct CVC positions. A sensitivity of 98% and specificity of 69% were achieved for CEUS in detecting CVC misplacements. Positive and negative predictive values were 95% and 85%, respectively. The interrater agreement (kappa) between CEUS and radiography was 0.72 (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Despite close concordance between ultrasonography and chest radiography, CEUS is not a suitable alternative for standard chest radiography in detecting CVC location; however, considering its high sensitivity and acceptable specificity in our study, its usefulness as a triage method for detecting CVC location on a real-time basis in the operating room cannot be ignored.
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BACKGROUND: Hemoglobin levels measured after hemodialysis, as compared to hemoglobin levels measured before hemodialysis, are suggested to be a more accurate reflection of the hemoglobin levels between hemodialysis sessions, and to be a better reference point for adjusting erythropoietin dosing. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to compare the hemoglobin levels before and after hemodialysis, to calculate the required erythropoietin doses based on these levels, and to develop a model to predict effective erythropoietin dosing. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, the hemoglobin levels of 52 patients with end-stage renal disease were measured before and after hemodialysis. The required erythropoietin doses and the differences in cost were calculated based on the hemoglobin levels before and after hemodialysis. A model to predict the adjusted erythropoietin dosages based on post-hemodialysis hemoglobin levels was proposed. RESULTS: Hemoglobin levels measured after hemodialysis were significantly higher than the hemoglobin levels before hemodialysis (11.1 ± 1.1 vs. 11.9 ± 1.2 g/dL, P < 0.001, 7% increase). The mean required erythropoietin dose based on post-hemodialysis hemoglobin levels was significantly lower than the corresponding erythropoietin dose based on pre-hemodialysis hemoglobin levels (10947 ± 6820 vs. 12047 ± 7542 U/week, P < 0.001, 9% decrease). The cost of erythropoietin was also significantly lower when post-hemodialysis levels were used (15.96 ± 9.85 vs. 17.57 ± 11.00 dollars/patient/week, P < 0.001). This translated into 83.72 dollars/patient/year in cost reduction. The developed model for predicting the required dosage is: Erythropoietin (U/week) = 43540.8 + (-2734.8) × Post-hemodialysis Hb* (g/dL). [(R2) = 0.221; *P < 0.001]. CONCLUSIONS: Using post-hemodialysis hemoglobin levels as a reference point for erythropoietin dosing can result in significant dose and cost reduction, and can protect hemodialysis patients from hemoconcentration. The prediction of the erythropoietin adjusted dosage based on post-hemodialysis Hb may also help in avoiding overdosage.