Effects of Three Month Nasal Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Treatment on Electrocardiographic, Echocardiographic and Overnight Polysomnographic Parameters in Newly Diagnosed Moderate/Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea Patients

The objective of the study was to determine the effects of nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) therapy on left ventricular (LV) function and electrocardiographic parameters in newly diagnosed moderate/severe obstructive sleep apnea (USA) patients without cardiovascular comorbidities and medical treatments. We examined 44 patients who underwent overnight polysomnography together with 24-hour Ho lter electrocardiography, cardiopulmonary exercise testing including heart rate recovery at 1 minute (HRR-1), echocardiography, surface electrocardiography, and those who were diagnosed with moderate/severe USA apnea-hypopnea index >= 15. After 3 months of nCPAP treatment, the above-mentioned examinations were repeated. Forty-four patients completed the treatment period. Twelve weeks on effective nCPAP induced a significant increase in the mitral E/A ratio (P = 0.001), as well as reductions in isovolumic relaxation time (P = 0.001) and mitral deceleration time (DT) (P = 0.002). There were no significant differences in LV ejection fraction, LV mass index, and pulsed wave Doppler parameters. Mean heart rate was 79.2 +/- 12.5 pulses/minute, maximum P-wave duration 117.5 +/- 8.6 msec, P-wave dispersion (PWd) 54.6 +/- 10.2 msec, corrected QT interval (QTc) 436.5 +/- 40.5 msec, and QT dispersion (QTd) 46.3 +/- 7.1 msec, which significantly decreased to 70.4 +/- 9.6 pulses/minute (P <0.001), 111.5 +/- 8.7 msec (P <0.001), 51.6 +/- 8.9 msec (P <0.001), 418.4 +/- 31.2 msec (P <0.001), and 33.8 +/- 3.4 msec (P < 0.001), respectively. Exercise capacity at baseline determined as 10.5 +/- 2.2 metabolic equivalents (METS) and HRR-1 (20.6 +/- 11.7 bpm) significantly increased (12.1 +/- 1.5 METS and 27.4 +/- 8.6 bpm). There was no significant difference in aortic root parameters. Three-month nCPAP therapy significantly increased LV shortening fraction, with no effect on systolic function or aortic root diameters and a positive effect on heart rate, PWd, HRR-1, QTc and QTd time following nCPAP therapy

Significant stenoses of twin circumflex arteries accompanied by heart failure: a rare coronary artery anomaly

Although coronary artery anomalies may cause some clinical symptoms, most are incidentally discovered as benign findings on coronary angiograms. A circumflex coronary artery anomalously originating from the right sinus of Valsalva is the most common coronary anomaly. However, a double circumflex coronary artery, both stenotic in their mid portions, resulting in symptomatic heart failure is a rare clinical and angiographic condition. In this case, we present a 71-year-old male patient admitted to our clinic with the diagnosis of acute heart failure. Angiography revealed stenotic double circumflex arteries, arising from the left and right sinus of Valsalva, and the patient was treated by percutaneous coronary intervention

Successful treatment of massive pulmonary embolism with reteplase

Unexpected and unexplained out-of-hospital cardiac arrests have a poor prognosis. Difficulties encountered during the differential diagnosis phase may delay the administration of specific treatment for treatable and reversible causes of cardiac arrest. Massive pulmonary embolism is a reversible cause of cardiac arrest, but without proper management it has a high mortality rate. Presently described is the case of a 53-year-old female patient with a massive pulmonary embolism

Interventricular septal rupture after myocardial infarction despite early percutaneous coronary intervention

Ventricular septal rupture (VSR) complicating acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a serious clinical problem with high mortality rate due to cardiogenic shock or prolonged hemodynamic compromise. Despite multiple improvements in medical, interventional and surgical techniques, early and long-term prognosis after AMI related VSR still remain unpromising. We report a patient in whom an acute VSR was diagnosed 7 days after an anterior myocardial infarction treated with early primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI)

Mid-term clinical outcomes of new generation drug-eluting stents for treatment of diffuse coronary artery disease

Objective: Diffuse coronary artery disease (CAD) is a challenging issue in clinical cardiology practice. There are limited data about percutaneous revascularization in these patients. Methods: This study was an observational clinical evaluation. The records of patients with diffuse CAD revascularized with new-generation drug-eluting stents (DES) were researched retrospectively. Patients treated with multiple, overlapping new-generation DES (at least 60mm in length per vessel) were included. The incidence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE), defined as cardiac death, stent thrombosis, non-fatal myocardial infarction, and target lesion revascularization (TLR), at the end of the first year following the index procedure was recorded. Results: A total of 71 patients (with 75 coronary vessels) treated with new-generation DES for diffuse CAD were enrolled in the study. Zotarolimus-eluting stents were used in 48 vessels and biolimus A9-eluting stents were used in 27 vessels. The median total stent length per vessel was 75.0 mm (60.0-106.0) and the median number of stents implanted was 3 (2-4) for each vessel. The cumulative incidence of MACE at the end of the first year was 11.2% (8 patients). The presence of diabetes mellitus (DM) and ST-segment elevated myocardial infarction (STEMI) were defined as independent clinical risk factors related to MACE development. Conclusion: Coronary artery revascularization with new-generation drug-eluting stents can be a good choice in the treatment of selected patients with diffuse CAD. DM and STEMI were found to be related to poorer clinical outcomes with this treatment option in our study