Serum testosterone and short-term mortality in men with acute myocardial infarction

Background: A significant and independent association between testosterone levels and coronary events in men and women has not been confirmed in large prospective studies, although some reports have shown that endogenous testosterone concentrations in men are inversely related to cardiovascular and general mortality. Methods: We aimed to assess the relationship between serum testosterone level and short-time (30-day) mortality in men with acute myocardial infarction. Results: We included 126 consecutive male patients admitted with acute myocardial infarction. The mean age was 62 ± 13 years. We determined, at admission, serum free testosterone (T) level (using a chemoluminiscence assay), high sensitivity C-reactive protein, N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide, and glycated hemoglobin level. We analyzed the 30-day mortality. Conclusions: The mean level of serum T was 4.1 ± 2.9 ng/mL. All non-survivors had T level ≤ 3 ng/mL. A low level of T was independently related to total short-term mortality. (Cardiol J 2010; 17, 3: 249-253

Echocardiography Assessment of Cardiac Function in Adults Living with HIV: A Speckle Tracking Study in the Era of Antiretroviral Therapy

Adults living with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) infection (ALHIV) have high rates of cardiovascular events. New approaches are needed to detect subclinical cardiac dysfunction. We used conventional and speckle tracking echocardiography to investigate whether ALHIV display latent cardiac dysfunction. We analyzed 85 young subjects with HIV infection and free from cardiovascular risk factors (31 ± 4 years) and 80 matched healthy volunteers. We measured left ventricular (LV) layered global longitudinal strain, circumferential strain, peak longitudinal strain in the reservoir and contraction phases of the left atrium (LASr respectively LASct). In the HIV group, LV ejection fraction and s’ TDI (tissue doppler imaging) were slightly lower but still in the normal ranges. Layered longitudinal strain showed no significant difference, whereas circumferential global strain was significantly lower in the HIV group (−20.3 ± 3.9 vs. −22.3 ± 3.0, p < 0.001). LASr (34.3% ± 7.3% vs. 38.0% ± 6.9%, p < 0.001) was also lower in ALHIV and multivariate analysis showed that age (β = −0.737, p = 0.01) and infection duration (β = −0.221, p = 0.02) were independently associated with LASr. In the absence of cardiovascular risk factors, adults living with HIV display normal LV systolic function. Left atrial reservoir strain, is, however, decreased and suggests early diastolic dysfunction