Pre-hypertension, pre-diabetes or both: which is best at predicting cardiovascular events in the long term?

The present study aimed to assess the value of pre-diabetes and pre-hypertension in predicting cardiovascular events. A population-based, cross-sectional survey was conducted, representing a large sample of the general Iranian population aged 35 years and older from the Isfahan Province and determined using a random, multistage cluster-sampling 10-year cohort. The five end points considered as study outcome were unstable angina (UA), acute occurrence of myocardial infarction (MI), sudden cardiac death (SCD), brain stroke and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Of the 6323 subjects scheduled for assessment of diabetes state 617 were diabetics and 712 were pre-diabetic. In addition, of these subjects, 1754 had hypertension and 2500 had pre-hypertension. Analysing only pre-hypertension, pre-diabetes and its combination and adjusted for gender and age variables, pre-hypertension and pre-diabetes status together, could only effectively predict occurrence of MI (hazard ratio (HR) = 3.21, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.06–9.76, P = 0.04). In the same COX regression models, pre-hypertension status could predict UA and CVD occurrence (HR = 2.94, 95% CI: 1.68–5.14, Po0.001 and HR = 1.74, 95% CI: 1.23–2.47, P = 0.002, respectively). However, pre-diabetes status could not predict any of these events after adjustment for gender and age. Our data provide valuable evidence of the triggering role of pre-hypertension and pre-diabetes together, on appearance and progression of MI even in healthy individuals and the significant predicting value of pre-hypertension on the occurrence of UA and CVD. In this regard, the value of pre-hypertension and prediabetes together, and the pre-hypertension state alone, are clearly superior to pre-diabetes state alone in predicting cardiovascular event

Unruptured Aneurysm of Sinus of Valsalva Coexisting with the Large Ventricular Septal Defect and Severe Aortic Regurgitation in a Young Man

Introduction. Unruptured sinus of valsalva aneurysm (SVA) is a rare congenital anomaly, particularly, when it coexists with a ventricular septal defect (VSD) and aortic regurgitation due to the prolapse of the elongated aortic cusp into the VSD. In this report, we present the case of a 19-year-old young man with VSD challenging in spite of dyspnea and lower limb edema. Presentation of Case. Its diagnosis was made on the basis of transthoracic echocardiography results. Surgical management consisted of replacing the SVA with mechanical valve prosthesis. A Gore-Tex patch repaired the VSD. Discussion. In the follow-up periods, clinical and echocardiographic tests showed that the patient was in excellent status. Conclusion. SVA requires a surgical procedure due to its high risk of mortality in unoperated patients and a good safety of surgery

Antidepressants and cardiovascular adverse events: A narrative review

BACKGROUND: Major depression or deterioration of previous mood disorders is a common adverse consequence of coronary heart disease, heart failure, and cardiac revascularization procedures. Therefore, treatment of depression is expected to result in improvement of mood condition in these patients. Despite demonstrated effects of anti-depressive treatment in heart disease patients, the use of some antidepressants have shown to be associated with some adverse cardiac and non-cardiac events. In this narrative review, the authors aimed to first assess the findings of published studies on beneficial and also harmful effects of different types of antidepressants used in patients with heart diseases. Finally, a new categorization for selecting antidepressants according to their cardiovascular effects was described. METHODS: Using PubMed, Web of Science, SCOPUS, Index Copernicus, CINAHL, and Cochrane Database, we identified studies designed to evaluate the effects of depression and also using antidepressants on cardiovascular outcome. A 40 studies were finally assessed systematically. Among those eligible studies, 14 were cohort or historical cohort studies, 15 were randomized clinical trial, 4 were retrospective were case-control studies, 3 were meta-analyses and 2 animal studies, and 2 case studies. RESULTS: According to the current review, we recommend to divide antidepressants into three categories based on the severity of cardiovascular adverse consequences including (1) the safest drugs including those drugs with cardio-protective effects on ventricular function, as well as cardiac conductive system including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, (2) neutralized drugs with no evidenced effects on cardiovascular system including serotonin&ndash;norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, and (3) harmful drugs with adverse effects on cardiac function, hemodynamic stability, and heart rate variability including tricyclic antidepressants, serotonin antagonist and reuptake inhibitors, and noradrenergic and specific serotonergic antidepressants. CONCLUSION: The presented categorization of antidepressants can be clinically helpful to have the best selection for antidepressants to minimizing their cardiovascular harmful effects. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and cardiovascular events: A systematic review

Background: Given the importance of the role of depression in predicting the outcome of cardiovascular disorders, current medications for treating depression, particularly selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), are taken into consideration. This study aimed to systematically review the published findings in the use of SSRIs and the risk for cardiac events. Materials and Methods: An independent review of the Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane, CINAHL, index Copernicus, and Google Scholar, up to 2014, was performed. We identified studies evaluating the effect of SSRIs, on cardiovascular events. Articles in English with full text availability, review articles, and experimental studies were included in the study. Among 150 studies reviewed based on the included keywords, 17 met the study criteria and were finally reviewed. Results: The use of some types of SSRIs may prevent platelet adhesion and aggregation; control the cardiovascular risk profile including hypertension, insulin resistance, and body weight; and also inhibit inflammatory processes. The appearance of adverse cardiac events, including cardiac arrhythmias (torsade de pointes and QT prolongation), syncope, increased systolic and diastolic right ventricular volume, and the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines leading atherosclerosis development, has also been expected with the chronic use of some types of SSRIs. Conclusion: According to our systematic review, both beneficial and adverse cardiovascular events can be established following the chronic use of various types of SSRIs. Therefore, when taking SSRIs, the cardiovascular effect of each SSRI has to be carefully considered, based on patients′ cardiovascular risk profiles

Echocardiographic characteristics of isolated left ventricular noncompaction

BACKGROUND: Although isolated left ventricular noncompaction (ILVNC) has been described almost two decades ago, our knowledge about its diagnosis, presentation, echocardiographic features and clinical outcome is sparse. We aimed to assess the echocardiographic and clinical characteristics of ILVNC in a group of patients referred to our center. METHODS: Patients who were referred to a tertiary referral center, affiliated with Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, with primary diagnosis of dilated cardiomyopathy underwent comprehensive echocardiographic evaluation. The diagnosis of ILVNC was made based on the presence of two-structural layer in myocardium; ratio of noncompacted to compacted layers more than 2, and excessive trabeculation in the left ventricle. RESULTS: Final diagnoses of ILVNC were made in 42 patients. Mean age of patients was 32.9 &plusmn; 15.6 years (ranging from 9 to 70 years). Females comprised a higher proportion of patients (61.9%) and shortness of breath was the most reported symptom among patients (47.6%). Non-compacted layers were detected in inferior and lateral segments of apex in 97.6% of patients. A total of 26 (61.9%) patients had left ventricle (LV) dysfunction (defined as ejection fraction less than 50%). The only factor that showed significant association with LV dysfunction was the number of affected segments with noncompaction (P = 0.008). Reduced ejection fraction was not associated with either age or sex (P = 0.437 and P = 0.206, respectively). CONCLUSION: Based on the result of the current study, it can be suggested that apex of the heart is the most common site of noncompaction and increasing numbers of affected segments might be associated with LV dysfunction.&nbsp; </strong

Assessing Metabolic Syndrome Through Increased Heart Rate During Exercise

The present study aimed to assess changes in resting and maximum heart rates as primary indicators of cardiac autonomic function in metabolic syndrome (MetS) patients and to determine their value for discriminating MetS from non-MetS. 468 participants were enrolled in this cross-sectional study and assessed according to the updated adult treatment panel III (ATP-III) definition of MetS. Resting and maximum heart rates were recorded following the Bruce protocol during an exercise. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to identify the best cutoff point for discriminating MetS from the non-MetS state. 194 participants (41.5%) were diagnosed as MetS. The mean resting heart rate (RHR) was not statistically different between the two groups (P=0.078). However, the mean maximum heart (MHR) rate was considerably higher in participants with MetS (142.37±14.84 beats per min) compared to the non-MetS group (134.62±21.63 beats per min) (P<0.001). In the MetS group, the MHR was positively correlated with the serum triglyceride level (β=0.185, P=0.033) and was inversely associated with age (β=-0.469, P<0.001). The MHR had a moderate value for discriminating MetS from the non-MetS state (c=0.580, P=0.004) with the optimal cutoff point of 140 beats per min. In MetS patients, the MHR was significantly greater compared to non-MetS subjects and was directly correlated with serum triglyceride levels and inversely with advanced age. Moreover, MHR can be used as a suspicious indicator for identifying MetS

Prediction of the ischemic origin of functional mitral regurgitation in patients with systolic heart failure through posterior mitral leaflet angle

BACKGROUND: Differentiating ischemic from non-ischemic functional mitral regurgitation‎ (FMR) in patients with cardiomyopathy is important in terms of the therapeutic decision-making and prognosis, but might be clinically challenging. In this study, the deformation of mitral valve (MV) indices in the prediction of the etiology of FMR was assessed using 2D transthoracic and tissue Doppler echocardiography.METHODS: This case-control study was conducted from April 2015 to January 2016 in Imam Reza Hospital in Mashhad, Iran. The participants consisted of 40 patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM) and 22 with non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) who referred to the heart failure clinic. Transthoracic echocardiography was performed using the conventional 2D and tissue Doppler imaging (TDI). MV tenting area (TA), coaptation distance (CD), anterior and posterior mitral leaflet angles (AMLA and PMLA), and regional systolic myocardial velocity (Sm) were measured.RESULTS: There were no significant differences in echocardiographic indices between the two groups, besides Sm and PMLA which were significantly lower and higher, respectively, in ICM subjects in comparison with DCM patients (P = 0.002). PMLA ≥ 40 degrees and Sm ≤ 4 cm/second have a relatively high value for discriminating the ischemic from non-ischemic origin of functional MR in subjects with systolic heart failure (sensitivity: 80.0% and 70.0%, specificity: 73.0% and 77.3%; P = 0.001 and P &lt; 0.001; respectively). Multivariable logistic regression identified PMLA and anterior Sm as major determinants for ischemic MR {Odds ratio (OR) [95% confidence interval (CI)] = 0.89 (0.82-0.96), P = 0.003, OR (95% CI) = 0.29 (0.14-0.60), P = 0.001, respectively}.CONCLUSION: The present study showed that PMLA and Sm had an independent significant association with the mechanism of FMR. These findings are suggestive of the predictive role of mitral deformation echocardiographic indices in the determination of the etiology of FMR in systolic heart failure.</div

Congenital partial absence of the pericardium presenting with a rare concurrent abnormality of vascular ring diagnosed by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging

Congenital absence of the pericardium is a rare abnormality that can be diagnosed by cardiac imaging procedures. A 49-year-old male needed medical attention due to the appearance of palpitation with a systolic murmur, and a notable aortic arch deviation was seen in the chest X-ray. In the echocardiogram, a poor echo window was detected. A cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a rare concomitant anomaly of partial absence of the pericardium including a rare defect of the right-sided aortic arch. Using cardiac MRI, the pericardium can be easily visualized, and thus, its absence more easily detected, aiding appropriate clinical decision-making