The influence of the resolution of reciprocal ST segment changes on in-hospital complications of acute myocardial infarction after percutaneous coronary angioplasty

We studied 120 patients (M:F 105:15, mean age 57.5 +/- 10.1 years) with acute myocardial infarction (MI) successfully treated with percutaneous coronary angioplasty (PTCA) to analyze the influence of the resolution of the ST segment elevation and depression after intervention to 1 month composite endpoints of reinfarction or reocclusion, development of congestive heart failure (CF) and death. Sum of preintervention and postintervention ST segment elevation and depression and the rate of resolution of these ST segment elevations and depressions were recorded for every patient. A total of 17 (14.2 %) composite endpoint events (events group) were recorded (7 reocclusion or recurrent MI, 9 CF, and 1 death). On univariate analysis, events group patients were older (53.3 +/- 9.9 vs. 58.8 +/- 9.1 years, P = 0.032), had lesser resolution of ST segment elevations (85 +/- 24 % vs. 44 +/- 55%, P = 0.017) and depression (72 +/- 26% vs. 52 +/- 30%, P = 0.009), had greater preintervention ST segment elevation (17.49 +/- 12.95 mm vs. 28.38 +/- 20.41 mm, P = 0.045), had lower ejection fraction (59.3 +/- 10.2% vs. 43.6 +/- 9.4%, P < 0.001), and had more frequent multivessel disease (71% vs. 47%, P = 0.048) compared to the nonevents group. Time from angina to reperfusion, residual stenosis, sex, infarct location and infarct-related vessel distribution were similar. On multivariate analysis (logistic regression with backward likelihood ratio) only older age (P = 0.0752), lesser rate of resolution of ST segment depression (P = 0.0262) and lower ejection fractions (P = 0.0014) were retained as predictors of the composite endpoints. Relative risk conferred by less than 50% resolution of ST segment depressions for composite endpoints were 3.78 (95% CI 1.63-8.73). We conclude that the lack of resolution of the sum of reciprocal ST segment depressions identifies a subgroup of acute MI patients with greater morbidity after primary PTCA. Cathet Cardiovasc. Diagn. 45:240-245, 1998. (C) 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc

The feasibility of using patent foramen ovale during mitral balloon valvuloplasty

This study was undertaken to examine the feasibility of searching and finding probe patency during mitral balloon valvuloplasty and whether the duration of procedure and/or the incidence and severity of iatrogenic atrial septal defect decreased in this patient population. Sixty consecutive patients treated with mitral balloon valvuloplasty (MBV) were studied; data from 55 patients were analyzed

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HEIGHT MEASUREMENT AND METABOLIC RISK MARKERS IN OVERWEIGHT AND OBESE WOMEN

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between height and cardiovascular risk markers in overweight and obese women

THE PREVALANCE OF EXERCISE INDUCED BRONCHOCONSTRICTION IN ELITE ATHLETES

For years exercise induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) has been considered as a form of asthma which can be provoked by exercise and air pollution. However, further studies indicated that EIB was not only restricted to asthmatic patients, but could also be seen in healthy individuals. EIB was described as an acute and reversible bronchoconstriction induced 5 to 15 minutes after exercise in certain susceptible individual

Volume status and arterial blood pressures are associated with arterial stiffness in hemodialysis patients

Background: Arterial stiffness is a strong predictor of mortality in hemodialysis patients. In this study, we aimed to investigate possible relations of arterial stiffness with volume status determined by bioimpedance analysis and aortic blood pressure parameters. Also, effects of a single hemodialysis session on these parameters were studied

Diagnostic and prognostic significance of survivin levels in malignant pleural effusion

We aimed to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic value of measuring survivin levels, which is an inhibitor of apoptosis in pleural effusions. Methods: Group I, malignant (MPE) (n = 51); Group II, tuberculosis (TPE) (n = 18); Group III transudative (TE) (n = 9) effusions were enrolled prospectively. We used ELISA to analyze 78 effusions. The value for the differential diagnosis and the correlation between survivin and survival in MPE were analyzed. Results: Survivin level was 41.75 +/- 76.20 in MPE, 15.83 +/- 10.92 in TPE and 8.33 +/- 8.67 in TE. When the patients divided two groups as malignant and non-malignant pleural effusion (non-MPE), survivin level was significantly higher in MPE (41.75 +/- 76.20) than in non-MPE (13.33 +/- 2.05) (p = 0.012). The cutoff value for survivin levels detected by ROC curve analysis was 7.5 pg/ml, with sensitivity and specificity values of 72%, 44%, respectively. Survivin had no discriminative power in differentiating exudative effusions of MPE from TPE (p = 0.405). There was no correlation between survivin level and age, sex, location, fluid pH, glucose, protein, albumine and ADA level while there was significant moderate correlation with fluid LDH (r = 0.49; p < 0.001). Survivin levels can distinguish patients who had poor prognosis (median survival 75 days, n = 24) and those who had good prognosis (median survival 219 days, n = 27, p = 0.03) in MPE