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Background: This study was conducted with the aim to investigate the effectiveness of a psychological bioenergy economy intervention on the cardiac function and inflammatory factors in patients with myocardial infarction (MI). Methods: This randomized controlled trial (RCT) was performed on 60 post-MI patients who referred to the Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan, Iran, in 2019. The intervention group received an energy-based bioenergetics intervention that consisted of rehabilitation training and nutrition patterns training. In the control group, only rehabilitation training and nutrition pattern training was provided in 8 sessions. Quantitative data were expressed as mean ± standard deviation (SD). Between-group differences of data departing from normal distribution were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test. All statistical analyses were performed in SPSS software. Results: The enrolled patients included 60 post-MI patients (27.3% women in the intervention group, and 18.2% in the control group). We lost 16 patients during the study. Fasting blood sugar was higher in the control group before the intervention (106.7 ± 14.1 vs. 96.3 ± 11.0; P < 0.001). Systolic blood pressure was significantly higher in the control group before the intervention (P = 0.04). There was no significant difference in total cholesterol, TG, HDL, and LDL after the intervention compared to before the intervention in either groups. Intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) and vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1) did not change during the intervention in either groups (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Our results displayed that the psychological intervention based on bioenergy economy has no significant effect on cardiac function and inflammatory factors in patients with MI. However, it is suggested that this study be repeated on a larger population.

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common tachyarrhythmia in patients with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and may have significant complications such as stroke. The present study aims to evaluate endothelial dysfunction in patients with lone atrial fibrillation (LAF) through flow-mediated dilation (FMD) in the brachial artery, as a non-invasive method for evaluating functional and structural markers of endothelial dysfunction.METHODS: In this case-control study, 43 patients with LAF were selected. 51 age and sex-matched healthy individuals were selected as the control group. The brachial artery diameter of the subjects in both groups was measured through FMD. The obtained data were analyzed by SPSS software.RESULTS: Patients with LAF and healthy subjects did not have any difference in terms of gender, heart rate (HR), and systolic blood pressure (SBP) (P > 0.05 for all). FMD of the patients with AF was significantly lower (P = 0.04) than FMD of the healthy controls.CONCLUSION: Our findings showed that LAF was associated with systemic endothelial dysfunction. AF plays an important and independent role in reducing FMD.

Background: The finding of bundle branch block (BBB) in patients with syncope suggests that paroxysmal atrioventricular block (AVB) or ventricular tachyarrhythmia (VT) may be the cause of syncope. Guidelines for cardiac pacing and cardiac resynchronization therapy have been recommended to perform electrophysiological study (EPS) for confirming main cause of syncope. Therefore, the aim of our study was to evaluate the role of EPS in patients with syncope and BBB. Materials and Methods: We evaluated 133 patients (mean age 63 ± 13.8 years) with past history of syncope and BBB from April 2002 to December 2010 who referred to Arrhythmia clinic in two tertiary care centers. All patients underwent EPS on admission time. The frequency distributions of AVB and VT in patients were determined. Results: Left bundle branch block was diagnosed in 184 (82.1%) patients. 133 of them had preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF ≥45%) that in 91 (68.4%) of those, EPS finding was normal. In 41 (30.8%) patients AVB was reported. In 2 (1.5%) patients VT and atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia were seen. Coronary artery disease was more common in patients with AVB and abnormal EPS finding (P = 0.02). Conclusion: Ventricular tachyarrhythmia was a rare electrophysiological finding in those with syncope, bifascicular block, and preserved LVEF. Considering cost-effect benefit, pacemaker or implantable loop recorder implantation is suggested; however, EPS may not be necessary to perform before permanent pacemaker implantation.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular diseases are the major causes of mortality worldwide and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is the leading cause of mortality among cardiovascular diseases. Thrombolytic therapies, especially during the first few hours after the disease onset, can significantly reduce AMI-related mortality. METHODS: The current study aimed to determine the prevalence and causes of non-administration of thrombolytic therapy for AMI patients admitted to Hajar Hospital, Shahrekord, Iran, from May until November 2000. Non-probability convenient sampling method was used to select 106 subjects with Q-wave AMI. Data was collected by completing a questionnaire, reviewing medical records, and interviewing with patients. SPSS7.5 was for data analysis. RESULTS: A total number of 106 AMI patients were studied among whom 62 (59%) individuals received thrombolytic therapy. Delayed referral to the hospital was the major cause of failure to provide thrombolytic therapy. The cause of non-treatment could not be identified in 15 (19.5%) subjects eligible to receive therapy. CONCLUSION: Training general practitioners and individuals involved in this regard along with accelerating the process of patient referral to hospitals can reduce AMI-related mortality. Keywords: Acute Myocardial Infarction, Thrombolytic, Therapy

Background: Indications for the use of the Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator (ICD) have been greatly expanded in recent years, but the influence of sex on the efficacy of the ICD in eligible patients has still been remained unknown. Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the impact of sex on the effectiveness of the ICD intervention for mortality and appropriate events. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study was conducted on the outcome of the ICD therapy in 443 patients, including 341 men with a mean age of 55 ± 16 years and 102 women with a mean age of 54 ± 17 years, in our center between April 2001 and February 2007. Sex-specific cumulative probabilities of outcomes concerning mortality and appropriate ICD intervention were evaluated for the patients. Results: Among the 443 patients, enrolled in this study, the women and men had a mean left ventricular ejection fraction of 35 ± 14.8% and 30 ± 13.5%, respectively (P = 0.03). Ischemic heart disease was more frequent in the men than the women (P = 0.0001).The average follow-up period was 3 years. Test for an interaction between sex and the ICD treatment regarding total mortality was not significant (23 men and 6 women). Additionally, there was no significant difference in appropriate events between the women and men (129 men and 33 women). Conclusions: While women were significantly less likely than the men to receive the ICD therapy, no conclusive evidence could be found for the impact of sex factor on the effectiveness of the ICD intervention with respect to mortality and appropriate events.