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Aim: To assess the relationship between serum bilirubin levels and fragmented QRS (fQRS), and their association with adverse events in patients with acute coronary syndrome. Methods: This study included a total of 736 patients. Laboratory results such as bilirubin levels, renal and liver function tests were obtained from the first available blood sample. Results: Left ventricular ejection fraction, end-diastolic diameter and total bilirubin level were significantly lower in fQRS (+) group than in the control group (45.0 [40.0–55.0] vs 50.0 [45.0–60.0]%; p < 0.001; 4.7 [4.6–5.1] vs 4.7 [4.5–4.9] cm; p < 0.001; 0.66 [0.49–5.1] vs 0.72 [0.53–0.97] md/dl; p = 0.017); respectively. Occurrence of adverse events was significantly higher in fQRS (+) group (32.5 vs 20.5 %; p = 0.013) during mean 1-year follow-up period. Conclusion: Total bilirubin level is an independent predictor of fQRS formation, which is associated with the presence of adverse events in patients with acute coronary syndrome.

Introduction: Lower-extremity peripheral artery disease (PAD) can lead to a wide spectrum of symptoms that can progress from claudication to amputation. The prognostic nutritional index (PNI), which is calculated using the levels of albumin and lymphocyte, is an accepted indicator of immunological and nutritional status. In this study, the association between nutritional status determined using the PNI, and extremity amputation in patients with lower-extremity PAD was investigated. Methods: Lower-extremity PAD patients who had been admitted to the cardiology clinic of the Dışkapı Yıldırım Beyazıt Training & Research Hospital with stage 2b or higher claudication, and who were technically unsuitable for revascularization or underwent unsuccessful revascularization procedure were enrolled in this retrospective study. Patients were grouped according to whether or not limb amputation had been performed previously. Potential factors were tested to detect independent predictors for amputation with logistic regression analysis. Results: A study group was formed with 266 peripheral artery patients. The amputated group (39 patients) had a higher number of hypertensive (76.9% vs 57.7%; P = 0.032) and diabetic (92.3% vs 54.2%; P

The heterogeneity in myocardial repolarization increases the risk of ventricular arrhythmias and sudden death in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). The Tp-e interval and Tp-e/QTc ratio are found to be useful in the prediction of ventricular arrhythmias. In this study, we aimed to investigate the Tp-e interval and Tp-e/QTc ratio in diabetic patients with and without microvascular complications.This cross-sectional observational study included patients with type 2 DM who presented to the endocrinology outpatient clinic. Diabetic microvascular complications were evaluated. The Tp-e interval, Tp-e/QT ratio, and Tp-e/QTc ratio were also calculated.A total of 240 patients with type 2 DM (148 patients had microvascular complications) were included in the study. Diabetic neuropathy rate was 30.4%, diabetic nephropathy rate was 38.4%, and diabetic retinopathy rate was 21.7%. Upon comparing patients according to Tp-e/QTc ratio, the median Tp-e/QTc interval of the group of patients with complications was 0.21 (0.19-0.23) and the median Tp-e/QTc ratio of the group of patients without complications was 0.19 (0.18-0.20) (p 0.001). When patients were grouped according to the presence and severity of retinopathy, the Tp-e/QTc ratio was more prolonged in the proliferative retinopathy group [0.27 (0.23-0.30)] than the non-proliferative retinopathy group [0.20 (0.19-0.22), p 0.001]. When patients were grouped according to the presence and severity of nephropathy, the Tp-e/QTc ratio was more prolonged in the macroalbuminuria and microalbuminuria group than the normoalbuminuric group [0.25 (0.21-0.30), 0.23 (0.19-0.24), and 0.19 (0.20-0.22), respectively, p = 0.002].Our study is the first to demonstrate the association of the Tp-e interval and Tp-e/QTc ratio with the presence and severity of microvascular complications in patients with type 2 DM.

Objectives: Elevated red blood cell distribution width (RDW) is an independent prognostic factor for cardiovascular events that are major causes of mortality in patients with carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. Due to the limited number of studies, we aimed to investigate the relationship between RDW levels and long-term mortality for these patients. Method: This retrospective study included patients with CO poisoning, who presented to the emergency department. Baseline characteristics, laboratory results and survival status were retrieved from patients' hospital records. The severity of poisoning was determined according to COHb level and/or clinical signs and symptoms. Results: The study included 571 patients (median age was 37.0 years) and less than half of these patients were male (n = 206, 36.1%). There were mild-moderate CO poisoning in 389 (68.1%) patients and severe poisoning in 182 (31.9%). At a median follow-up of 6.2 years, there were 33 deaths (5.8%). Univariate cox-regression analysis demonstrated that age, gender, presence of hypertension or diabetes mellitus, levels of hemoglobin, RDW, creatinine and alanine-aminotransferase, and white-blood-cell count were potential covariates of long-term all-cause mortality. In the multivariate analysis, the median age and RDW level remained independent predictors of mortality (age, Odds ratio [OR]: 1.070 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.030–1.110, p = 0.001; RDW, OR: 1.221 95% CI: 1.042–1.431, p = 0.013). Patients with higher RDW levels had a significantly worse prognosis in terms of mortality than with lower RDW levels (log-rank test, p = 0.003). Conclusion: This study demonstrated that RDW level is an independent predictor of long-term mortality in patients with CO poisoning. Keywords: Carbon monoxide poisoning, Red blood cell distribution width, Long-term mortality

Objective: Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) induces structural and electrical reverse remodeling of the failing heart. However, the association between native QRS narrowing and cardiac fibrosis markers has not been investigated in patients with an implanted CRT device. Methods: A total of 41 symptomatic patients diagnosed with systolic heart failure who underwent CRT implantation were included in this study. Electrocardiogram findings and cardiac fibrosis marker levels [galectin-3, growth-differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15) and procollagen III N-terminal propeptide (P3TD)] were collected before and 12 months after initiation of biventricular pacing. Reverse electrical remodeling was defined as a decrease in 12-month intrinsic QRS (iQRS) duration by ≥20 milliseconds after CRT implantation. Results: The median QRS duration decreased from 155 milliseconds (interquartile range [IQR]: 142–178 milliseconds) before CRT to 142 milliseconds (IQR: 130–161 milliseconds) (p=0.001) after 12 months of CRT. According to the predefined criteria, electrical remodeling was detected in 16 (39.0%) patients. The median galectin-3, GDF-15, and P3TD levels were significantly decreased after CRT implantation in patients with electrical remodeling [27.65 ng/mL (IQR: 24.4–35.2 ng/mL) vs 23.00 ng/mL (IQR: 16.0-36.7 ng/mL), p=0.017; 3104 pg/mL (IQR: 2923–4825 pg/mL) vs 2276 pg/mL (IQR: 1294–3209 pg/mL), p=0.002; 0.43 ng/mL (IQR: 0.23–0.64) vs 0.15 ng/mL (IQR: 0.04–0.29 ng/mL), p=0.034, respectively]. The galectin-3, GDF-15, and P3TD levels were not significantly changed in patients without electrical remodeling [26.80 ng/mL (IQR: 23.9–31.5 ng/mL) vs 28.80 ng/mL (IQR: 23.0–34.8 ng/mL), p=0.211; 4221 pg/mL (IQR: 2709–4995 pg/mL) vs 3035 pg/mL (IQR: 2038–4872 pg/mL), p=0.143; and 0.34 ng/mL (IQR: 0.11–0.68 ng/mL) vs 0.21 ng/mL (IQR: 0.09–0.37 ng/mL), p=0.112, respectively]. Conclusion: The results from the small sample used in this study indicated that electrical reverse remodeling after CRT was associated with a decrease in cardiac fibrosis.

The right atrial appendage (RAA) is a rare site of focal atrial tachycardia (AT). Sometimes, catheter ablation cannot successfully be accomplished at this location due to the difficulty in reaching the exact ablation site as well as the associated possible life-threatening complications like pericardial tamponade or perforation. Although radiofrequency (RF) ablation is preferred for the treatment of RAA tachycardias, alternative tools may be required in rare instances. This report presents a case of RAA tachycardia that was not terminated by RF ablation, instead, has been successfully ablated using cryoballoon. In addition, an overview of the literature and therapeutic options for the AT originating from RAA have also been included. Keywords: Atrial tachycardia, Cryoballoon, Right atrial appendage, Tachycardiomyopathy

Introduction and Objective: The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is established as a reliable marker of systemic inflammation. Low-grade inflammation has a key role in the pathogenesis and progression of hypertension (HTN). Blood pressure (BP) load, defined as the percentage of abnormally elevated BP readings, is a good marker of HTN severity. We aimed to evaluate the relationship between HTN severity and NLR using averaged ambulatory BP readings and BP load. Methods: A total of 300 patients with untreated essential HTN were included in this cross-sectional study. Patients were divided into quartiles according to NLR values (first: 2.48). Averaged ambulatory BP values and BP load were assessed for each quartile. Results: In the interquartile evaluation there were no differences between quartiles in terms of baseline demographic, clinical and echocardiographic characteristics (p>0.05). Daytime systolic BP (SBP), 24-hour diastolic BP (DBP), daytime DBP, daytime SBP load, 24-hour DBP load and daytime DBP load were found to be significantly higher in the upper two quartiles (p 2,48). Os valores médios da PA em ambulatório e a carga da PA foram avaliados para cada quartil. Resultados: Na avaliação interquartis, não houve diferença entre quartis nas características demográficas, clínicas e ecocardiográficas basais (p > 0,05). A PA sistólica diurna (PAS), a PA diastólica (PAD) a 24 horas, a PAD diurna, a carga da PAS diurna, a PAD a 24 horas e a PAD diurna foram significativamente mais elevadas nos dois quartis superiores (p < 0,05 para todos). Na análise de correlação, os valores do logaritmo de RNL foram positivamente correlacionados com a PAS a 24 horas, com a PAD, com a PAS carga e com a PAD carga (coeficientes de Pearson de 0,194, 0,197, 0,157 e 0,181, respetivamente; p

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between vitamin D levels in patients with heart failure (HF) and response to cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). Methods: We studied 57 patients (mean age: 60.47+-13.09 years) with New York Heart Association Class II or III heart failure, QRS duration ≥120 milliseconds, and ejection fraction 15% decrease in left ventricular end-systolic volume at 6 months compared with baseline measurements. Vitamin D levels were evaluated before CRT implantation with ELISA. Results: Of the 57 patients, 34 patients (59.6%) were classified as responders and 23 patients (40.4%) were classified as non-responders. Baseline features, laboratory findings, and echocardiographic characteristics were nearly the same in both groups. High vitamin D level was detected in responder group compared to non-responder group (26.17+-7.5 vs 21.15+-5.9; p=0.009). Age, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, ischemic cardiomyopathy, QRS morphology and duration, and levels of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and vitamin D were associated with CRT response in our study population. In multivariate regression analysis, preimplantation QRS duration, and BNP and vitamin D levels remained independent predictors (QRS duration Odds ratio [OR]: 1.047, CI: 1.019–1.417, p=0.006; BNP OR: 0.997, 95% CI: 0.994–0.999, p=0.029; vitamin D OR: 1.121, 95% CI: 1.011–1.242, p=0.030). Conclusion: In the present study, preimplantation level of vitamin D was found to be predictor of response to CRT, independent of BNP.

Objective: It is thought that abnormal cardiac impulses of the autonomic nervous system during sleep are responsible for sleep-related bradyarrhythmias. Despite a proposed common etiopathogenesis and having common name of “sleep-related bradyarrhythmias,” precise importance of sinoatrial or atrioventricular (AV) node involvement remains elusive. This study aimed to determine whether there is a difference in sleep-related bradyarrhythmias from the point of view of heart rate variability (HRV). Methods: Patients were evaluated using 24-hour Holter electrocardiogram monitor. After careful medical evaluation, apparently healthy individuals with sleep-related sinus pauses ≥2 seconds on at least 1 occasion or those in whom Mobitz type I AV block occurred were included. Frequency and time domain analyses were conducted for daytime, nighttime, and 24-hour period. Results: Total of 37 patients with sinus pause(s), 40 patients with Mobitz type I AV block(s), and 40 healthy controls were included. On HRV analyses, all time and frequency domain parameters were better in sinus pause group for daytime, nighttime, and 24-hour average (p

WOS: 000469269200010 Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the right ventricular (RV) and left ventricular (LV) systolic and diastolic functions with speckle tracking echocardiography in addition to routine echocardiographic measurements in adult familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) patients in order to detect cardiac functions. Patients and methods: Sixty FMF patients (23 males, 37 females; median age 35 years; interquartile range, 26 to 38 years) and 20 healthy subjects (10 males, 10 females; median age 31 years; interquartile range, 25 to 35 years) were included in the study. The diagnosis was established according to the Tel-Hashomer criteria. All patients were using regular colchicine and they were in the attack-free period. Laboratory examinations included complete blood count, creatinine, and inflammatory markers. In addition to routine echocardiographic examination, RV and LV global longitudinal strains were measured and compared. Results: Erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein values were higher in FMF group. LV global longitudinal strain was similar among the groups. FMF patients had slightly lower early diastolic trans-mitral flow (E) values than controls. As similar as the mitral E flow, tricuspid E flow was slightly lower in FMF groups than controls. RV ejection fraction was similar and in normal ranges among the groups. RV global longitudinal strain was lower in FMF group than controls. RV Myocardial Performance Index (or Tei index) was higher in FMF group. Conclusion: The present study indicates low values of mean RV global longitudinal strain and higher Tei index in FMF patients. These results suggest that FMF may cause subclinical RV deterioration.

Purpose: Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) is the most common congenital cardiac anomaly in adults. Although there is some publication about the frequency of BAV, there is limited data about BAV in adult patients in our country. The aim of our study was to determine the prevalence and echocardiographic characteristics of BAV patients who underwent echocardiography. Materials and Methods: To determine patients with BAV, three and half year echocardiographic data in our adult cardiology clinic was retrospectively examined in this retrospective study. Demographic features and laboratory findings were also obtained from hospital record. Student t-test, chisquare test and multivariate linear regression analyses were used for the statistical analysis. Results: Among 52742 patients, BAV prevalence was found to be 4.4 (n=235) in 1000 patients. The median age of BAV patients was 46.4±17.6 years and 159 (67.7%) patients were male. Ascending aorta dilatation was found in 117 (51%) patients with BAV. BAV patients with aortic dilatation were significantly older (53.9±14.9 vs. 39.3±17.1, p=

Background Atrial fibrillation (AF) commonly observed in patients with heart failure and cardioversion was often needed to restore the sinus rhythm. Previously, there is no study evaluating usefulness of internal cardioversion with implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) device. In this study, we aimed to compare the efficacy and long-term effects of internal cardioversion with ICD devices compared to conventional external cardioversion in patients with AF and heart failure. Methods Seventy patients with AF and heart failure who underwent electrical cardioversion were enrolled in the study. Forty patients (mean age 65.36 ± 10.37, 35 male) were assigned to undergo internal cardioversion with approximately 35 J shocks delivered through the ICD electrode. Standard external cardioversion was performed for the remaining patients (30 patients; mean age 66.20 ± 11.89; 24 male) that were similar with regard to baseline, and electrocardiographic characteristics. Results Sinus rhythm was restored in 32 of 40 patients (80.0%) assigned to internal cardioversion compared with 25 of 30 patients (83.3%) assigned to external cardioversion (P = 0.725). We did not witness any serious complication during the procedure and hospitalization. On the follow-up, there was no statistically significant difference in recurrence of AF and incidence of major cardiovascular events between the internal and external cardioversion groups. Conclusions Internal cardioversion with ICD device is an effective and safe method to restore sinus rhythm in heart failure patients with AF.

Background: Several studies have investigated the effects of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) on heart failure (HF), but none have evaluated the pathophysiological pathways involved in a single group of patients. Therefore, this study aims to assess the long-term effects of CRT on six different patho­physiological pathways involved in the process of HF by the use of surrogate biomarkers. Methods: In a group 44 patients with HF, six groups of biomarkers were measured, both at baseline and 1 year after CRT implantation: inflammation (interleukin [IL]-4, IL-6, tumor necrosis fac­tor [TNF]-a, high sensitive C-reactive protein [hsCRP]); oxidative stress (myeloperoxidase [MPO], oxidized low-density lipoprotein [oxLDL], uric acid); extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling (matrix metalloproteinase [MMP]-2 and -9, galectin-3, procollagen III N-terminal propeptide [prokol-3NT]); neurohormonal pathways (endothelin-1, chromogranin-A); myocyte injury (troponin T, creatine kinase MB fraction [CK-MB]), myocyte stress (B-type natriuretic peptide [BNP]). CRT responders were de­fined as patients with ≥ 15% reduction in left ventricular end-systolic volume at 12 months post-CRT. Results: At 1-year follow-up, 72.7% (n = 32) of the patients were categorized as CRT responders. In these patients, the levels of IL-6, MPO, oxLDL, MMP-2, galectin-3, troponin T, and BNP were significantly reduced as compared to baseline values. While the biomarkers for myocyte stress (effect size = 0.357; p = 0.001), ECM remodeling (effect size = 0.343; p = 0.015) and oxidative stress (effect size = 0.247; p = 0.039) showed a significant change in the CRT responders during follow-up, the biomarkers for other pathophysiological pathways did not show a significant alteration. Conclusions: In the present study, a significant reduction was only observed in the biomarkers of myo­cardial stress, ECM remodeling, and oxidative stress among all the CRT responder subjects. (Cardiol J 2018; 25, 1: 42–51)

TGF-β1-Mediated FACM and Impact on AF AblationBackground Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 mediated atrial fibrosis plays a major role in the development of vulnerable atrial substrate for atrial fibrillation (AF). Although cryoablation effectively eliminates the triggers for AF, the impact of atrial substrate on the success of cryoablation remains unclear. Objective We aimed to investigate the association of plasma TGF-β1 level with extent of left atrium (LA) fibrosis using delayed-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DE-MRI) and also effects of LA fibrosis on the success of cryoablation. Methods A total of 41 symptomatic lone paroxysmal AF patients (58.5% male; age: 49.2 ± 7.6 years) underwent initial cryoablation. Cardiac DE-MRI at 1.5-Tesla scanner to quantify atrial fibrosis, plasma TGF-β1, clinical and echocardiographic data were collected before cryoablation. Postablation blanking period was observed for 3 months. Results DE-MRI revealed LA fibrosis in 27 (65.9%) patients with a median enhancement of 5% of the LA surface area. A total of 179 pulmonary veins (PV) were successfully isolated without any major complication. At median 18 months follow-up, 32 patients (78.1%) remained free of AF recurrence. Only plasma TGF-β1 level (P = 0.001) was found to be the predictor of the extent of LA fibrosis. Multivariate Cox regression analysis pointed out that the extent of LA fibrosis (HR: 1.127, P = 0.007) and early AF recurrence (HR: 1.442, P = 0.011) were the independent predictors of AF recurrence in late follow-up. Conclusion Higher levels of TGF-β1 are associated with more extensive LA fibrosis and extent of LA fibrosis predict recurrences in patients undergoing cryoablation for lone AF.

Wepresent a case of a 72-year-old female with symptomatic heart failure andischaemic functional mitral regurgitation (FMR), who underwent a successfulpercutaneous trans-coronary venous mitral annuloplasty with the Carillon™system. The procedure resulted in some clinical improvement but patient wasstill very symptomatic. Six months later, the patient underwent cardiacresynchronisation (CRT) device implantation, resulting in a further improvementin clinical and echo­cardiographic measures of FMR. This case suggests apossible synergistic effect between CRT and percutaneous trans-coronary-venousmitral annuloplasty., Buolgu sunumunda kalp yetersizliği semptomları ve iskemik fonksiyonel mitralyetersizliği (FMR) sebebiyle Carillon™ sistemiyle başarılı olarak koroner venözmitral annüloplasti yapılan 72 yaşındaki kadın hasta anlatılmaktadır. İşlemsonrası bir miktar klinik iyileşme olan hastanın semptomları devam etmekteydi.Altı ay sonra hastaya kardiyak resenkronizasyon tedavisi (CRT) uygulandı ve hastanınklinik bulgularında ve ekokardiyografik olarak FMR’sinde olumlu ek iyileşmesağlandı. Bu olgu CRT ile perkütan trans-koroner-venöz mitral annüloplastininolası sinerjistik etkisinden söz etmektedir.

Objectives: In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and infarct-related artery (IRA) patency in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Methods: A total of 349 patients with STEMI were recruited to this retrospective study. Baseline characteristics were reviewed. Patency of IRA was evaluated by thrombolysis in myocardial infarction flow grade. Results: Of all patients, 293 patients formed the occluded IRA group and 56 patients formed the patent IRA group. The NLR was significantly higher in occluded IRA group (4.4 ± 4.1 vs 1.9 ± 1.1, P < .001). Glucose levels were also higher in occluded IRA group (171.3 ± 78.0 vs 144.7 ± 49.7, P = .022). Regression analysis demonstrated admission NLR and plasma glucose levels as independent predictors of IRA patency. Conclusion: In this study, we found that admission NLR and glucose levels were higher in patients with occluded IRA than in patients with STEMI. We also found that NLR and glucose levels were independent predictors of IRA patency. Because hemogram is a cheap, fast, and widely available test, it can be used in daily practice as a predictor of IRA patency.

Pulmonary vein (PV) isolation with cryoballoon is a recently developed technique for the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF) with acceptable mid-term results in terms of the success and safety. The purpose of our study is to identify the periprocedural complications, mid-term success rates and predictors of recurrence after AF ablation with cryoballoon.A total of 236 patients (54% male, mean age 54.6 ± 10.45 years and 79.6% paroxysmal AF) with symptomatic AF underwent PV isolation with cryoballoon due to failure with ≥1 antiarrhythmic drug previously. Procedural success, complications and follow-up data were defined according to recent guidelines.Acute procedural success rate was 99.5%. Mean procedural and fluoroscopy times were 72.5 ± 5.3 and 14 ± 3.5 min. At a median of 18 (6-27) months follow-up, 80.8% of paroxysmal AF patients and 50.0% of persistent AF patients were free from AF recurrence. In multivariate regression analysis, body mass index (BMI) (hazard ratio (HR), 1.35; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.18-2.93, p = 0.001), smoking (HR, 2.12; 95% CI, 1.36-6.67, p 0.001), non-paroxysmal AF (HR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.12-2.56, p = 0.024), duration of AF (HR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.18-2.61, p = 0.015), left atrium (LA) diameter (HR, 2.42; 95% CI, 1.64-5.88, p 0.001) and early AF recurrence (HR, 4.88; 95% CI, 2.86-35.6, p 0.001) were independent predictors of AF recurrence following cryoablation.Our results showed that AF ablation with cryoballoon is effective and safe. Non-paroxysmal AF, duration of AF, smoking, BMI, LA diameter and early recurrence were found to be the most powerful predictors and could be helpful to select patients for appropriate therapeutic strategy.

In addition to the diagnostic performance, coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) can give important data regarding the prognosis of coronary artery disease (CAD). In this study we aimed to evaluate the prognostic role of coronary CTA in patients with suspected CAD and mild-moderate coronary stenosis.A total of 1115 patients (602 male, 54%; age 58.4 ± 11.4) without previous CAD were enrolled. Patients underwent coronary CTA imaging using dual-source 64-slice CT scanner. For categorization of the coronary atherosclerotic plaques (CAP), the coronary system was divided into 16 separate segments. For each segment, CAPs were categorized as: calcified, noncalcified and mixed.During follow-up of 29.7 ± 13.2 months, cardiovascular events defined as ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (4 patients), non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (5 patients) and unstable angina pectoris (20 patients) requiring revascularization or hospital admission were recorded. Cox hazard regression analysis revealed an association between the severity of luminal stenosis (HR: 4.73, 95% CI: 1.36-16.47, p0.05) and extent (HR: 1.10, 95% CI: 1.00-1.22, p=0.051) and the adverse coronary events in the follow-up. Multivariate Cox hazard regression analysis revealed that nonobstructive (≤ 50%) lesions were the only factor causing increased probability of coronary events in the follow-up (HR: 4.77, 95% CI: 1.36-16.74, p0.05).The presence and severity of luminal stenosis shown by coronary CTA were associated with prognosis of coronary events in the follow-up. These results may improve the risk stratification in patients evaluated by coronary CTA and provide strategies for the individualized prevention programs.

Objectives: We evaluated the relationship between neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and slow coronary flow (SCF). Methods: A total of 180 participants were recruited to the present study. Of all the participants, 82 patients were with SCF and 98 participants were with normal coronary arteries. Basal characteristics were recorded. Coronary flow was quantified by thrombolysis in myocardial infarction frame count. Results: Basal characteristics were similar between the 2 groups. The NLR was significantly higher in the SCF group when compared to the control group (2.3 ± 0.8 and 1.5 ± 0.4 respectively, P < .001). In multiple logistic regression analysis, NLR remained as the independent predictor of SCF ( P < 0.001). Conclusions: Our findings showed that NLR was significantly higher in the SCF group when compared to the control group with normal coronary arteries. We also showed that NLR was related to the presence of SCF rather than the extent of SCF. Besides these findings, we also showed the NLR as an independent predictor of SCF.

frQRS and Outcomes in ARVC/D Background Fragmented QRS (frQRS) complex, with various morphology, has been recently described as a diagnostic criterion of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy/dysplasia (ARVC/D). However, there are little data regarding the prognostic role of frQRS in these patients. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the association of frQRS with arrhythmic events in patients with ARVC/D. Methods Seventy-eight patients (51 men, 65.4%; mean age: 31.25 ± 11.5 years) with the diagnosis of ARVC/D according to 2010 modified Task Force Criteria were analyzed retrospectively. Baseline ECG evaluation revealed frQRS complex in 46 patients (59%). Eleven patients with complete/incomplete right bundle branch block were excluded from the study. The phenomenon of frQRS was defined as deflections at the beginning of the QRS complex, on top of the R-wave, or in the nadir of the S-wave similar to the definition in CAD in either one right precordial lead or in more than one lead including all standard ECG leads. Results During 38 ± 14 months follow-up period, 3 patients (3.8%) died suddenly, 36 patients (46.1%) experienced arrhythmic events (32 ventricular tachycardias [VTs] and 4 ventricular fibrillation [VF], 30 in the ICD group). The frQRS was significantly associated with arrhythmic events (P < 0.001). Also, the number of ECG leads with frQRS complex was higher in patients with arrhythmic events (5.08 ± 2.5 vs 1.14 ± 1.7, P < 0.001, respectively). Conclusion The frQRS complex on standard 12-lead ECG predicts fatal and nonfatal arrhythmic events in patients with ARVC/D. Therefore, large scale and prospective studies are needed to confirm those findings.

We aim to evaluate the prognostic value of dual-source 64-slice multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) in patients with coronary stents. The study included 173 patients [mean age 59.9 ± 10.1 years, 76.7 % male] with previous stent implantation who underwent MDCT for evaluation of CAD and stent patency. Coronary imaging was performed via dual-source MDCT scanner. Stented vessel segment was evaluated as patent without neointimal hyperplasia (NIH), nonobstructive NIH (50 % luminal narrowing), or obstructive NIH (50 % luminal narrowing). Patients were evaluated for major cardiovascular events (MACEs) to demonstrate association between stent patency and clinical outcome. MACEs that were originating from non-stented segments were excluded. A total of 213 coronary stents were evaluated in our study. During mean of 21.2 ± 13.6 months' follow-up, 25 patients experienced MACEs [1 (4.0 %) cardiac death, 5 (20.0 %) nonfatal MI, and 19 (76.0 %) unstable angina pectoris requiring hospitalization and target vessel revascularization] associated with stented segment of coronary arteries. One hundred of 105 patients (95.2 %) with a patent stent without NIH detected by MDCT had no cardiac event associated with stented segments during mean 2 years' follow-up period. These data indicate that patients with a patent stent without NIH as determined by MDCT have a good prognosis as opposed to an increased rate of events among patients with either nonobstructive or obstructive NIH as determined with MDCT, supporting MDCT as a reliable tool to evaluate patients after coronary stenting.

In this study, we aimed to evaluate whether serum total bilirubin was associated with the severity and morphology of coronary atherosclerotic plaques detected by computed tomography angiography (CTA). The study population consisted of 1,115 patients (55.2 % men) who underwent dual-source 64-slice CTA for the assessment of coronary artery disease (CAD). Coronary arteries were evaluated on 16 segment basis and critical coronary plaque was described as luminal narrowing >50 %, whereas plaque morphology was assessed on per segment basis. Serum bilirubin levels were determined using commercially available assay kits. The critical atherosclerotic lesions were detected in 431/1,115 (38.6 %) subjects by CTA. Serum total bilirubin levels were found to be lower in patients with any coronary plaque (0.62 ± 0.21 vs. 0.70 ± 0.25 mg/dL, p = 0.002). Also bilirubin level was lower in patients with critical stenosis compared to non-critical stenosis (0.57 ± 0.18 vs. 0.70 ± 0.24 mg/dL, p < 0.001). Subjects having primarily noncalcified plaque (NCP) and mixed plaque (MP) have lower bilirubin levels compared to calcified plaque (CP) and normal subjects (0.62 ± 0.20 for NCP and 0.60 ± 0.19 for MP, 0.65 ± 0.26 for CP and 0.71 ± 0.25 for normal subjects, p < 0.001). This independent association was remained for NCP after multinominal regression analysis (OR: 0.76; 95 % CI 0.58–0.88; p < 0.001). Our study demonstrated that serum bilirubin level was significantly associated with the presence, severity and the noncalcified morphology of atherosclerotic plaques detected by CTA. Further prospective clinical studies are needed to clarify the exact physiopathologic and prognostic role of bilirubin in CAD.

There is controversy regarding the role of family history (FH) of premature coronary artery disease (CAD) as an independent risk factor for CAD. Herein, we aimed to assess the role of FH of premature CAD in prediction of coronary atherosclerosis shown by multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) coronary angiography.We analyzed consecutive subset of 349 patients in whom MDCT coronary angiography was performed for suspected CAD. All patients underwent coronary MDCT imaging using dual-source MDCT scanner. Coronary arteries were evaluated on 16-segment basis, critical CAP was described as luminal narrowing50%, whereas plaque morphology was assessed on per segment basis.Study population consisted of 202 (57.9%) male and 147 (42.1%) female patients with mean age of 57.8 ± 10.8 years. The presence of CAP was higher in patients with FH of premature CAD in LAD and Cx compared to patients without FH of premature CAD (70.8% vs 58.0%, p=0.013 for LAD; 42.3% vs 30.4%, p=0.021 for Cx; 34.5% vs 29.8%, p=0.348 for RCA).In multinominal logistic regression analysis age, male gender, dyslipidemia and FH of premature CAD seemed significant predictors of primarily noncalcified CAP(OR:1.17, 95% CI:1.07-1.15, p0.001; OR:0.19, 95% CI:0.09-0.38, p0.001; OR:2.26, 95% CI:1.21-4.24, p=0.01; OR:3.32, 95% CI:1.74-6.34, p0.001 respectively) after adjustment for other risk factors.Our study results indicate that FH of premature CAD is associated with severity, extent and noncalcified CAP shown by MDCT. Further investigation is needed to clarify the exact diagnostic and prognostic role of MDCT coronary angiography in subjects with positive FH and suspected CAD.

Objective: Effects of various conditions on coronary artery dimensions is an important research topic, and data regarding effect of aortic valvular diseases are limited. Aim of the present study was to investigate effects of aortic regurgitation (AR) and aortic stenosis (AS) on coronary artery dimensions. Methods: Coronary dimensions of 95 patients (35 with isolated AR, 30 with isolated AS, and 30 without any valvular disease) were calculated. Patients with severe coronary artery disease and concurrent moderate to severe additional valvular disease were excluded. Mean diameter of major coronary arteries was determined using quantitative coronary angiography. Results: The 3 study groups were similar in terms of baseline characteristics. Diameter of left main coronary artery was found to be greater in AR group than AS group (2.66+-0.57 mm/m2 vs 2.36+-0.49 mm/m2; p=0.015). Mean diameter of left anterior descending and left circumflex arteries were found to be similar in AR and AS groups, and greater than control group. Mean diameter of right coronary artery was found to be greater in AR group compared with controls; however, no significant difference was found in same measurement between AS group and controls. Conclusion: Present study findings indicate that coronary dimensions in AR group tend to be greater than AS group. Further studies investigating factors that affect coronary dimensions would be beneficial in order to demonstrate mechanisms and differences in AR and AS groups.

We report the case of a 61-year-old female who was admitted to our department with progressive dyspnea and palpitation. Transthoracic echocardiography and transesophageal echocardiography showed a small atrial septal defect (ASD, 8x7 mm). Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) was detected in Holter monitoring. As repair of ASD does not significantly reduce the risk of arrhythmias, cryoablation of AF was performed prior to ASD closure. On cardiac examination at one year, this combined intervention improved right ventricular function and prevented AF episodes.

Objective: Pulse pressure (PP) is the difference between systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and is an independent predictor of atrial fibrillation (AF). In this study we investigated the relationship between PP and atrial conduction times. Methods: The study included 157 patients with essential hypertension. PP of 60 mmHg or more was regarded as elevated (n=56). Atrial electromechanical delay (EMD) was assessed with tissue Doppler echocardiography and P-wave dispersion (Pd) was calculated from the electrocardiogram. Results: Left atrial volume index (23.6±4.9 ml/m2 vs. 25.2±6.5 ml/m2, p=0.141), left ventricular mass index (77.3±13.5 g/m2 vs. 80.9±19.6 g/m2, p=0.180) and grade I diastolic dysfunction (42% vs. 53%, p=0.242) were similar between groups. Inter-atrial (33.6±9.2 ms vs. 41.5±11.3 ms, p

Background There is much evidence linking inflammation to the initiation and continuation of atrial fibrillation (AF). Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), including ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD), are chronic systemic inflammatory disorders. Atrial electromechanical delay (EMD) has been known as an early marker of AF. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the atrial electromechanical properties in patients with IBD. Methods Fifty-two patients with IBD and 26 healthy controls were recruited in the study. Twenty-five of patients with IBD were on active period, and the remaining 27 were on remission period. Atrial electromechanical properties were measured by using transthoracic echocardiography and tissue Doppler imaging and simultaneous surface ECG recording. Interatrial EMD, left intraatrial EMD, and right intraatrial EMD were calculated. Results Patients on activation with IBD had significantly prolonged left and right intraatrial EMDs and interatrial EMD compared to patients on remission (P = 0.048, P = 0.036, P < 0.001, respectively) and healthy controls (P < 0.001, for all comparisons). Left and right intraatrial EMDs and interatrial EMD were also found to be higher when patients on remission with IBD compared with healthy controls. No statistical difference was observed between UC and CD in terms of inter- and intraatrial EMDs. Conclusions Atrial electromechanical conduction is prolonged in IBD, and exposure to chronic inflammation may lead to structural and electrophysiological changes in the atrial tissue that causes slow conduction. Measurement of atrial EMD parameters might be used to predict the risk for the development of AF in patients with IBD.

BACKGROUND Although many patients with valvular heart disease have concomitant coronary artery disease (CAD), there are limited data on the association between rheumatic valvular disease (RVD) and CAD. In this study, we aimed to investigate the prevalence of CAD in a group of patients with RVD and undergoing coronary angiography before valvular surgery. METHODS In this retrospective analysis, we enrolled a total of 1075 patients (658 women, 61.2%; mean age: 53.2 ± 9.9 years) who underwent coronary angiography for the evaluation of CAD before valvular surgery between January 2003 and May 2010. RESULTS The overall prevalence of significant CAD was 11.1%. Patients with significant CAD were older than patients without significant CAD (55.16 ± 10.4 vs. 51.45 ± 9.1; P

AIMS Diabetes mellitus (DM) is strongly associated with increased risk of coronary artery disease (CAD). The aim of this study was to determine differences in presence, extent and morphology of coronary atherosclerotic plaques (CAP) detected by multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) between symptomatic patients with and without diabetes. METHODS The CAPs (calcified, non-calcified, mixed) were compared between patients with/without diabetes (104/257 DM; mean age 58.6 +/- 11 y; 46.3% male) who underwent dual-source 64-slice MDCT for evaluation of CAD. Severity, extent and morphology of CAPs were determined per each segment. RESULTS Critical coronary stenosis was higher in patients with diabetes (33.7% vs. 19.6%) after adjustment for all risk factors (P = 0.022). Patients with DM had a higher prevalence and extent of CAP compared to non-diabetic subjects (87.5% vs. 43.8%, 4.8 +/- 3.5 vs. 1.9 +/- 2.7, respectively; P < 0.001). Noncalcified and mixed CAP were more prevalent in patients with diabetes as compared to those without diabetes (2.61 +/- 2.63 vs. 0.86 +/- 1.69, 0.81 +/- 1.6 vs. 0.35 +/- 0.96, respectively, P < 0.001). Patients with DM tended to have higher prevalence of significant 1-, 2- and 3-vessel disease (P = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS Among individuals referred for the evaluation of CAD, those with DM had a higher risk of coronary stenosis and overall increased CAP burden independent from other cardiovascular risk factors shown by MDCT. Further studies are needed to evaluate the prognostic value of different plaque compositions observed in patients with diabetes.

Objectives We evaluated our paclitaxel-eluting stent (Genius TAXCOR I) implantations and follow-up results in patients with coronary artery disease. Study design The study included 101 patients (75 men, 26 women; mean age 60±10 years) who underwent elective paclitaxel-eluting stent deployment for de novo native coronary artery lesions. Sixteen patients received two stents. Lesion types were as follows: type A (23.9%), type B1 (29.1%), type B2 (32.5%), and type C (14.5%). Twelve lesions (10.3%) exhibited mild tortuosity, 32 (27.4%) had mild calcification, 12 had (10.3%) an angulation of more than 45 degrees, while eight (7.7%) had thrombus. Following stent implantation, the patients were examined at 1, 6, and 12 months, and annually thereafter. The mean follow-up period was 48.9±5.7 months (range 35 to 60 months). Results Stent implantation was successful in all the patients. The mean diameter stenosis was 82.8±9.9%, the mean stent diameter was 3.1±0.6 mm, and the mean stent length was 16.0±5.2 mm. During the follow-up period, 46 patients (45.5%) required coronary angiography, of which eight (17.4%) received target vessel revascularization, and four (8.7%) received target lesion revascularization. One patient (1.0%) died from sudden cardiac death. Conclusion The clinical and angiographic follow-up results of this study involving relatively low- and intermediate-risk patients indicate that the use of the Genius TAXCOR I stents is effective and beneficial for the prevention of stent thrombosis and restenosis.

In this study, we aimed to evaluate whether serum uric acid (UA) was associated with the severity and morphology of coronary atherosclerotic plaques (CAP) shown by multidetector computed tomography (MDCT). The study population consisted of 982 patients (58% men) who underwent dual-source 64 slice MDCT for the assessment of coronary artery disease (CAD). Coronary arteries were evaluated on 16 segment basis and critical coronary plaque was described as luminal narrowing >50%, whereas plaque morphology was assessed on per segment basis. Serum UA levels were determined using commercially available assay kits. The critical atherosclerotic lesions were detected in 454/982 (46.2%) subjects by MDCT. Serum UA levels were found to be higher in patients with any coronary plaque (6.9 ± 1.5mg/dL vs. 5.1 ± 1.3mg/dL, p

We investigated the association between atherosclerosis of the thoracic aorta and the severity and extent of coronary atherosclerosis detected by multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) coronary angiography. In 122 patients, atherosclerotic plaque was scored from 0 to 4 points by the percentage of the luminal surface at the cross-sectional area of proximal, mid, and distal segments of the descending aorta. Critical coronary atherosclerosis was defined as lesions causing >50% luminal narrowing. Atherosclerotic plaque score of the descending aorta was associated with the severity (noncritical: 2.95 ± 1.45 vs critical: 4.09 ± 2.25, P < .001) and extent of coronary atherosclerosis (Kruskal-Wallis test, P < .005). Logistic regression revealed that aortic plaque score was as an independent risk factor associated with the severity of coronary artery disease (OR 1.32, 95% CI 1.01-1.73, P

Endothelial cell-specific molecule-1 (endocan) is an immunoinflammatory marker linked to endothelial activation and dysfunction. We investigated the relationship between obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD), microvascular angina (MVA), and plasma levels of endocan. We included 53 healthy individuals as controls, 40 MVA patients, and 120 patients with obstructive CAD. The severity of CAD was assessed by the Gensini and SYNergy between percutaneous coronary intervention with TAXUS and Cardiac Surgery (SYNTAX) scores. Endocan levels were 382.7 (313.8-470.2) pg/mL in patients with obstructive CAD; 324.3 (277.1-460.7) pg/mL in MVA group, and 268.0 (226.4-336.5) pg/mL ( P < .001) in controls. Endocan levels in obstructive CAD and MVA groups were similar but both were significantly higher than for the control group ( P < .001 and P = .002, respectively). In subgroup analysis, similar to the hypertensive subgroup results, endocan was still an independent predictor of presence of obstructive CAD in normotensives (odds ratio = 1.005, 95% confidence interval = 1.001-1.010, P = .024). There was also an independent positive correlation between endocan levels and SYNTAX score both in the hypertensives (β = 0.414, t = 3.21, P = .002) and in the normotensives (β = .301, t = 2.23, P = .031). In conclusion, endocan could be a common predictor of the endothelium-dependent inflammatory processes, rather than related with specific risk factors.

Mitral-aortic intervalvular fibrosa (MAIVF) pseudoaneurysm is detected by echocardiography as a pulsatile structure at the mitral-aortic junction near the left ventricular outflow tract. Depending upon the severity of fistulization into the left atrium, acute mitral deficiency like clinical conditions may develop (1). Aortic valve endocarditis is the most commonly known etiological condition (2). Although both transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) have proven to be valuable in diagnosis and management of the condition, the three-dimensional (3-D) TEE approach has the potential to provide important clues that may prove crucial for the management of MAIVF pseudoaneurysm.

Objective: Cigarette smoking increases the risk of cardiovascular events. The heart rate recovery index (HRRI) is an indicator of autonomous nervous system function and is an independent prognostic risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. In this study, we aimed to evaluate HRRI in heavy smokers. Methods: A total of 179 apparently healthy subjects (67 non-smokers as the control group and 112 heavy smokers) were enrolled into this prospective cross-sectional study. The presence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and known cardiac or non-cardiac diseases was specified as the exclusion criteria. Heavy cigarette smoking was defined as the consumption of more than one packet of cigarette per day. All subjects underwent the maximal Bruce treadmill test. HRRIs of the heavy cigarette smoker group at 1, 2, 3, and 5 min after maximal exercise were calculated and compared to those of the control group. Student t-test, chi-square test, and analysis of covariance were used for statistical analysis. Results: The baseline characteristics of the two groups were similar, except for body mass index and high-density lipoprotein level. HRRIs at 1, 2, 3, and 5 min after maximal exercise were found to be significantly lower in the heavy smoker group (HRRI1: 26.78±8.81 vs. 32.82±10.34, p