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Background Most outpatient follow-ups after pacemaker implantation do not involve changes in the device settings. Moreover, the need for pacemaker reprogramming declines with time after implantation. Currently, data on the need for changes in pacemaker set-up after replacement owing to battery depletion are lacking. The aim of this study was to determine the rates of pacemaker reprogramming in this...
Background We examined the predictive value of central venous oxygen saturation (ScvO2) changes regarding the occurrence of pericardial tamponade following cardiac surgery. Methods We retrospectively identified 66 consecutive patients in whom ScvO2 and arterial lactate levels were analyzed during an 8‑h time interval preceding pericardiotomy due to pericardial tamponade (PT), and at equivalent time...
Background The angiographic slow/no-reflow phenomenon after primary percutaneous coronary intervention carries a poor prognosis for patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTEACS). There is evidence that contrast agents cause endothelial dysfunction, myocardial cell damage, and coronary spasms. We hypothesized that the contrast agent dose may be related to slow/no-reflow in...
Background We investigated the effect of Ginsenoside-Rb3 (Rb3) on the endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of cardiac microvascular endothelial cells (CMVECs) following coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) infection. Methods CMVECs were infected with 100 TCID50 CVB3 (CVB3 group) or treated with Rb3 (Rb3 group); stably cultured CMVECs were used as control. Cells treated with the Pyk2 inhibitor TAE226...
Despite recent advances in the management of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), the burden of acute heart failure (AHF) remains significant with a high morbidity and mortality that has not been improved by any treatment modality. A meta-analysis summarized the study results on the effects of tolvaptan on AHF, which failed to demonstrate an improvement in short-term and long-term...
Background The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic value of restrictive right ventricular filling pattern (RRVFP) in patients with the first acute inferior wall myocardial infarction (IWMI) complicated by right ventricular myocardial infarction (RVMI) undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (p-PCI). Method A total of 152 patients with acute IWMI complicated by RVMI...
Independent of the underlying cause, pulmonary hypertension (PH) remains a devastating condition that is characterized by limited survival. Cumulating evidence indicates that in addition to a dysbalance of mediators regulating vascular tone and growth factors promoting vascular remodeling, failure to resolve inflammation and altered immune processes play a pivotal role in the development and progression...
Background This study evaluated the feasibility of using two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (2D-STE) to monitor left ventricular (LV) and overall function after percutaneous recanalization. Methods LV function after percutaneous recanalization was monitored by 2D-STE and conventional echocardiography in 43 patients with coronary chronic total occlusion (CTO) who underwent primary...
Background Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with a poor outcome in patients with heart failure (HF). We examined the role of vitamin D in the response of HF patients to cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). Methods The study comprised 50 patients (30 men and 20 women) with HF undergoing CRT implantation who were prospectively enrolled. Response to CRT was defined as a combination of ≥15%...
Inflammation plays a central role in the development of heart failure, especially in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Furthermore, the inflammatory response enables the induction of regenerative processes following acute myocardial injury. Recent studies in humans and animals have greatly advanced our understanding of the underlying mechanisms behind these adaptations. Importantly,...
Mutations in extracellular matrix and smooth muscle cell contractile proteins predispose to thoracic aortic aneurysms in Marfan syndrome (MFS) and related disorders. These genetic alterations lead to a compromised extracellular matrix–smooth muscle cell contractile unit. The abnormal aortic tissue responds with defective mechanosensing under hemodynamic stress. Aberrant mechanosensing is associated...
During the past few decades, cardiovascular research has increasingly focused on systemic inflammatory mechanisms, particularly in the field of atherosclerosis but also in association with cardiac arrhythmogenesis. Objective inflammatory markers including C‑reactive protein and cytokines, also called “biomarkers,” seem to serve as predictors of onset and prognosis of cardiac arrhythmias. This review...
Diabetes mellitus is an important comorbidity in patients with heart failure. The presence of heart failure in diabetes worsens the prognosis of patients. Recent studies suggest that appropriate diagnostic approaches followed by differential medical treatment are of crucial importance to improve patient outcomes. This article summarizes important aspects of the association between diabetes mellitus...
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most commonly sustained arrhythmia, and patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) exhibit an increased incidence of AF. Besides DM, heart failure (HF) shares pathophysiological links with AF, mainly related to the pathological remodeling of hearts affected by structural disease. As in a vicious circle, AF may contribute to HF worsening and increased mortality in patients...
In asymptomatic patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D), the prevalence of silent myocardial infarction on routine electrocardiograms is about 4% while for silent myocardial ischemia it is 20–30%. Some studies showed that silent myocardial infarction is associated with an increased risk of incident heart failure (HF), whereas no prospective study has ever reported such a risk in patients with silent myocardial...
Background We investigated the efficacy of clinical and classic echocardiographic parameters in predicting the occurrence of nonsustained ventricular tachycardia (NsVT) in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Methods The study comprised 59 patients with HCM (47 male, [80%]; mean age, 48.48 ± 14.16 years). Clinical, electrocardiographic, as well as classic two-dimensional and speckle-tracking...
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the main reason for premature death in patients with type 2 diabetes. Hyperglycemia, the hallmark of diabetes, has long been considered the link between diabetes and CVD, and many trials focused on preventing CVD manifestations by means of tight glucose control. However, diabetes is a multifactorial disease in which, e. g., insulin resistance, endothelial dysfunction,...
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