The protective effect of topical rifamycin treatment against sternal wound infection in diabetic patients undergoing on-pump coronary artery bypass graft surgery

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effect of topical rifamycin SV treatment against sternal wound infection (SWI) in diabetic patients undergoing on-pump coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery

Effects of Ivabradine on 6-Minute Walk Test and Quality of Life in Patients With Previously Implanted CRT-D

Background: We aimed to evaluate clinical effects of additional heart rate control by ivabradine on life quality score and 6-minute walking test in patients with previously implanted biventricular cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator (CRT-D) with ischemic heart failure under regular treatment. Background: &nbsp; We aimed to evaluate clinical effects of additional heart rate control by ivabradine on life quality score and 6-minute walking test in patients with previously implanted biventricular cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator (CRT-D) with ischemic heart failure under regular treatment. Methods: &nbsp; Fifteen men and 14 women with a median age of 63 years (range, 48 &nbsp; Y79 years) were studied. Twenty-one patients were in New York Heart Association class II (8 patients were in class III), CRT-D implanted previously, and with resting heart rates greater than 70 beats per minute with sinus rhythm despite conventional medication. Patients were given 2.5- to 7.5-mg ivabradine orally twice a day, and drug dosage was titrated to decrease the patients&rsquo; average heart rate to 70 beats per minute. Before and 3 months after ivabradine treatment, all patients underwent extensive clinical, echocardiographic, and laboratory evaluation. Results: &nbsp; Ivabradine treatment produced dose-dependent reductions in heart rate at rest and at peak exercise (91.9 &nbsp; T 6.3 to 71.7 T 4.8 and 114.4 T 7.6 to 96.8 &nbsp; T 4.8; P = 0.001 and P = 0.001, respectively). There were also significant improvements in life quality score (52.4 &nbsp; T 9.5 to 37.9T7.8; P &nbsp; = 0.001) and 6-minute walking distance (278.7 T 85.8 to 373.3 T 94.0; P &nbsp; = 0.001) of patients. All patients with New York Heart Association class III became class II after 3 months of ivabradine treatment. Conclusion: &nbsp; Heart rate reduction in a short-term period by ivabradine produced significant improvements in exercise capacity and life quality in patients with CRT-D and conventional therapy.</p

Prognostic value of neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio in patients with ST-elevated myocardial infarction undergoing primary coronary intervention: A prospective, multicenter study

Objective: The pre-procedural neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (N/L) is associated with adverse outcomes among patients with coronary artery disease but its prognostic value in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) has not been fully investigated. This study evaluated the relations between pre-procedural N/L ratio and the in-hospital and long-term outcomes in STEMI patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Objective: &nbsp; The pre-procedural neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (N/L) is associated with adverse outcomes among patients with coronary artery disease but its prognostic value in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) has not been fully investigated. This study evaluated the relations between pre-procedural N/L ratio and the in-hospital and long-termoutcomes in STEMI patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods: &nbsp; A total of 682 STEMI patients presentedwithin the first 6 h of symptom onsetwere enrolled and stratified according to tertiles of N/L ratio based on the blood samples obtained in the emergency room upon admission. Results: &nbsp; The mean follow-up period was 43.3 months (1&ndash;131 months). In-hospital in-stent thrombosis, non-fatal myocardial infarction, and cardiovascular mortality increased as the N/L tertile ratio increased (p &nbsp; b0.001, pb0.001, p=0.003, respectively). Long-term in-stent thrombosis, non-fatalmyocardial infarction and cardiovascular mortality also increased as the N/L ratio increased (p &nbsp; b0.001, pb0.001, p=0.002, respectively). On multivariate analysis, N/L ratio remained an independent predictor for both in-hospital (OR 1.189, 95% CI 1.000 &nbsp; &ndash;1.339; pb0.001) and long-term major (OR 1.228, 95% CI 1.136 &nbsp; &ndash;1.328; pb0.001) adverse cardiac events. Conclusion: &nbsp; The N/L ratio was an independent predictor of both in-hospital and long-term adverse outcomes among STEMI patients undergoing primary PCI. Our &nbsp; findings suggest that this inexpensive, universally available hematological marker may be incorporated into the current established risk assessment model for STEMI.</p

Demographics of patients with heart failure who were over 80 years old and were admitted to the cardiology clinics in Turkey

WOS: 000468584300005PubMed ID: 30930455Objective: Heart failure (HF) has a high prevalence and mortality rate in elderly patients; however, there are few studies that have focused on patients older than 80 years. The aim of this study is to describe and compare the age-specific demographics and clinical features of Turkish elderly patients with HF who were admitted to cardiology clinics. Methods: The Epidemiology of Cardiovascular Disease in Elderly Turkish population (ELDER-TURK) study was conducted in 73 centers in Turkey, and it recruited a total of 5694 patients aged 65 years or older. In this study, the clinical profile of the patients who were aged 80 years or older and those between 65 and 79 years with HF were described and compared based on the ejection fraction (EF)-related classification: HFrEF and HFpEF (is considered as EF: >= 50%). Results: A total of 1098 patients (male, 47.5%; mean age, 83.5 +/- 3.1 years) aged 80 years and 4596 patients (male, 50.2 %; mean age, 71.1 +/- 4.31 years) aged 65-79 years were enrolled in this study. The prevalence of HF was 39.8% for patients who were >= 80 years and 27.1% for patients 65-79 years old. For patients aged >= 80 years with HF, the prevalence rate was 67% for hypertension (HT), 25.6% for diabetes mellitus (DM), 54.3% for coronary artery disease (CAD), and 42.3% for atrial fibrilation. Female proportion was lower in the HFrEF group (p=0.019). The prevalence of HT and DM was higher in the HFpEF group (p= 80 years with HFrEF (p<0.01). Conclusion: HF is common in elderly Turkish population, and its frequency increases significantly with age. Females, diabetics, and hypertensives are more likely to have HFpEF, whereas CAD patients are more likely to have HFrEF.Turkish Society of CardiologyThis study was supported by Turkish Society of Cardiology

Demographics of patients with heart failure who were over 80 years old and were admitted to the cardiology clinics in Turkey

Objective: Heart failure (HF) has a high prevalence and mortality rate in elderly patients; however, there are few studies that have focused on patients older than 80 years. The aim of this study is to describe and compare the age-specific demographics and clinical features of Turkish elderly patients with HF who were admitted to cardiology clinics. Methods: The Epidemiology of Cardiovascular Disease in Elderly Turkish population (ELDER-TURK) study was conducted in 73 centers in Turkey, and it recruited a total of 5694 patients aged 65 years or older. In this study, the clinical profile of the patients who were aged 80 years or older and those between 65 and 79 years with HF were described and compared based on the ejection fraction (EF)-related classification: HFrEF and HFpEF (is considered as EF: >= 50\%). Results: A total of 1098 patients (male, 47.5\%; mean age, 83.5 +/- 3.1 years) aged 80 years and 4596 patients (male, 50.2 \%; mean age, 71.1 +/- 4.31 years) aged 65-79 years were enrolled in this study. The prevalence of HF was 39.8\% for patients who were >= 80 years and 27.1\% for patients 65-79 years old. For patients aged >= 80 years with HF, the prevalence rate was 67\% for hypertension (HT), 25.6\% for diabetes mellitus (DM), 54.3\% for coronary artery disease (CAD), and 42.3\% for atrial fibrilation. Female proportion was lower in the HFrEF group (p=0.019). The prevalence of HT and DM was higher in the HFpEF group (p<0.01), whereas CAD had a higher prevalence in the HFrEF group (p=0.02). Among patients aged 65-79 years, 43.9\% (548) had HFpEF, and 56.1\% (700) had HFrEF. In this group of patients aged 65-79 years with HFrEF, the prevalence of DM was significantly higher than in patients aged >= 80 years with HFrEF (p<0.01). Conclusion: HF is common in elderly Turkish population, and its frequency increases significantly with age. Females, diabetics, and hypertensives are more likely to have HFpEF, whereas CAD patients are more likely to have HFrEF