Relation of Epicardial Fat Thickness with Carotid Intima-Media Thickness in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Aims. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship of echocardiographic epicardial fat thickness (EFT) with carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods and Results. A total of 139 patients with T2DM (mean age 54.3 ± 9.2 and 49.6% male) and 40 age and sex-matched control subjects were evaluated. Echocardiographic EFT and ultrasonographic CIMT were measured in all subjects. Patients with T2DM had significantly increased EFT and CIMT than those of the controls (6.0 ± 1.5 mm versus 4.42 ± 1.0 mm, P<0.001 and 0.76 ± 0.17 mm versus 0.57 ± 0.14 mm, P<0.001, resp.). EFT was correlated with CIMT, waist circumference, BMI, age, duration of T2DM, HbA1c in the type 2 diabetic patients. Linear regression analysis showed that CIMT (β=3.52, t=3.72, P<0.001) and waist circumference (β=0.36, t=2.26, P=0.03) were found to be independent predictors of EFT. A cutoff high risk EFT value of 6.3 mm showed a sensitivity and specificity of 72.5% and 71.7%, respectively, for the prediction of subclinical atherosclerosis. Conclusion. We found that echocardiographic EFT was significantly higher in patients with T2DM. Our study also showed that EFT was strongly correlated with waist circumference and CIMT as being independent of sex

Removal of the broken part of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator's electrode causing pulmonary embolism via femoral vein

AbstractA 66-year-old patient with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy underwent transvenous extraction of an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator. The distal part of the electrode was broken during manual traction through the left subclavian vein. In the present case, we showed a rare complication of transvenous lead extraction and its management

İdiyopatik Perikardiyal Efüzyon ile İnflamatuvar Belirteçler Arasındaki İlişki

Introduction: With the growing evidence about the role of inflammation on cardiovascular disorders, studies have been focused on inflammatory markers for risk evaluation and disease activity monitoring. The aim of this study was to investigate whether inflammation has a role in idiopathic pericardial effusion (PE) and to reveal its correlation with the disease activity. Patients and Methods: The study population consisted of 107 patients with PE and 35 age-matched and sex-matched healthy volunteers. Each patient underwent a comprehensive clinical evaluation to identify the probable underlying systemic diseases or other potential causes for PE. Results: High-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels (hs-CRP), neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR) (p< 0.001 for each) were significantly higher in the PE group than in healthy volunteers. The patients with PE were divided into three subgroups according to the amount of PE. hs-CRP, NLR and PLR significantly correlated with the amount of PE. In the multivariate logistic regression model NLR (OR 1.363, 95% CI 1.026-1.809; p= 0.033) and hs-CRP (OR 1.090, 95% CI 1.030-1.152; p= 0.003) remained as independent predictors of severe PE in patients who have PE. Conclusion: hs-CRP, NLR and PLR may be used for disease activity monitoring, treatment response evaluation and risk stratification of patients with PE.Giriş: İnflamasyonun kardiyovasküler hastalıklardaki rolü hakkındaki kanıtların gittikçe artmasıyla, çalışma- lar inflamatuvar markerların hastalık aktivitesi ve risk değerlendirmesindeki rolüne odaklanmıştır. Bu çalış- manın amacı inflamatuvar belirteçlerin idiyopatik perikardiyal efüzyonla ile ilişkisini ve hastalık aktivitesi ile olan korelasyonu olup olmadığının incelenmesidir. Hastalar ve Yöntem: Çalışma popülasyonu perikardiyal efüzyonu olan 107 hasta ile yaş ve cinsiyet olarak benzer 35 sağlıklı gönüllülerden oluşmaktadır. Tüm hastalar perikardiyal efüzyonun etyolojisine yönelik kap- samlı bir klinik değerlendirmeye tabi tutulmuştur. Bulgular: Plevral efüzyonu grubunda, yüksek sensitif C-reaktif protein (Hs-CRP), nötrofil/lenfosit oranı (NLR) ve platelet/lenfosit oranı (PLR) (herbiri için p< 0.001), sağlıklı gönüllülerin grubuna göre anlamlı olarak daha yüksekti. Perikardiyal efüzyonu olan hastalar efüzyon miktarına göre 3 gruba bölündü. Hs-CRP, NLR ve PLR perikardiyal efüzyon miktarıyla korele bir şekilde artmaktadır. Çoklu analizde, NLR (OR 1.363, 95% CI 1.026-1.809; p= 0.033) ve Hs-CRP (OR 1.090, %95 CI 1.030-1.152; p= 0.003), perikardiyal efüzyo- nu olan hastalarda ciddi perikardiyal efüzyonun bağımsız bir prediktörleridir. Sonuç: Hs-CRP, NLR ve PLR perikardiyal efüzyonu olan hastalarda, hastalık aktivitesi, tedavi monitörizas- yonunda ve risk sınıflamasında kullanılabilir

İdiyopatik Perikardiyal Efüzyon ile İnflamatuvar Belirteçler Arasındaki İlişki

Introduction: With the growing evidence about the role of inflammation on cardiovascular disorders, studies have been focused on inflammatory markers for risk evaluation and disease activity monitoring. The aim of this study was to investigate whether inflammation has a role in idiopathic pericardial effusion (PE) and to reveal its correlation with the disease activity. Patients and Methods: The study population consisted of 107 patients with PE and 35 age-matched and sex-matched healthy volunteers. Each patient underwent a comprehensive clinical evaluation to identify the probable underlying systemic diseases or other potential causes for PE. Results: High-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels (hs-CRP), neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR) (p< 0.001 for each) were significantly higher in the PE group than in healthy volunteers. The patients with PE were divided into three subgroups according to the amount of PE. hs-CRP, NLR and PLR significantly correlated with the amount of PE. In the multivariate logistic regression model NLR (OR 1.363, 95% CI 1.026-1.809; p= 0.033) and hs-CRP (OR 1.090, 95% CI 1.030-1.152; p= 0.003) remained as independent predictors of severe PE in patients who have PE. Conclusion: hs-CRP, NLR and PLR may be used for disease activity monitoring, treatment response evaluation and risk stratification of patients with PE.Giriş: İnflamasyonun kardiyovasküler hastalıklardaki rolü hakkındaki kanıtların gittikçe artmasıyla, çalışma- lar inflamatuvar markerların hastalık aktivitesi ve risk değerlendirmesindeki rolüne odaklanmıştır. Bu çalış- manın amacı inflamatuvar belirteçlerin idiyopatik perikardiyal efüzyonla ile ilişkisini ve hastalık aktivitesi ile olan korelasyonu olup olmadığının incelenmesidir. Hastalar ve Yöntem: Çalışma popülasyonu perikardiyal efüzyonu olan 107 hasta ile yaş ve cinsiyet olarak benzer 35 sağlıklı gönüllülerden oluşmaktadır. Tüm hastalar perikardiyal efüzyonun etyolojisine yönelik kap- samlı bir klinik değerlendirmeye tabi tutulmuştur. Bulgular: Plevral efüzyonu grubunda, yüksek sensitif C-reaktif protein (Hs-CRP), nötrofil/lenfosit oranı (NLR) ve platelet/lenfosit oranı (PLR) (herbiri için p< 0.001), sağlıklı gönüllülerin grubuna göre anlamlı olarak daha yüksekti. Perikardiyal efüzyonu olan hastalar efüzyon miktarına göre 3 gruba bölündü. Hs-CRP, NLR ve PLR perikardiyal efüzyon miktarıyla korele bir şekilde artmaktadır. Çoklu analizde, NLR (OR 1.363, 95% CI 1.026-1.809; p= 0.033) ve Hs-CRP (OR 1.090, %95 CI 1.030-1.152; p= 0.003), perikardiyal efüzyo- nu olan hastalarda ciddi perikardiyal efüzyonun bağımsız bir prediktörleridir. Sonuç: Hs-CRP, NLR ve PLR perikardiyal efüzyonu olan hastalarda, hastalık aktivitesi, tedavi monitörizas- yonunda ve risk sınıflamasında kullanılabilir

Huge saphenous vein graft aneurysm presenting as non-ST elevation myocardial infarction and compressing the heart

Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery maintains an important role in the treatment of coronary artery disease. The huge saphenous vein graft aneurysm (HSVGA) is rare and occurs as a late complication after CABG. Here, we reported a case of HSVGA presenting as non-ST elevation myocardial infarction