Left atrial appendage function in patients with nonrheumatic atrial fibrillation

In this study, 36 patients with non-rheumatic AF and 10 healthy subjects were investigated. The patients were subjected to thorough history taking, thorough clinical examination, plain X-ray chest to assess the cardiothoracic ratio and pulmonary vasculature, 12-lead surface ECG to define the patient's rhythm, rate and type of AF [course or fine], transthoracic echocardiographic examination and transesophageal echocardiography. The flow pattern of all patients and normal subjects was assessed by transesophageal pulsed wave and color Doppler and two distinct flow patterns were recorded [low flow pattern in 18 patients and high flow pattern in 18 patients]. This study confirmed that LAA is a highly contractile dynamic pump with a pattern of contraction that is quite distinct from that of the main body of the LA. LAA thrombus formation is associated with LAA dilatation, decreased LAA EF percentage and slow forward and backward velocity

Increased plasma fibrinogen concentration as a risk factor for ischemic heart disease

Thirty-seven patients [30 males and 7 females, aged 45-65 years] with coronary heart disease as well as 20 age- and sex-matched apparently healthy individuals as a reference group were participated in this study. Every patient was subjected to clinical evaluation including history taking and clinical examination with special stress on the presence of risk factors [e.g. smoking and hypertension], coronary angiography, and determination of fasting and post-prandial serum glucose, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein-c, high-density lipoprotein-c, triglycerides and determination of plasma fibrinogen levels. The aim of the present work was to assess the level and to evaluate the role of fibrinogen as a risk factor for coronary heart disease. Patients with coronary heart disease showed a statistically significant increase in plasma fibrinogen level [P < 0.001] when compared with the reference group. Coronary heart disease patients also showed statistically significant increase in fasting [P < 0.01], post-prandial serum glucose levels [P < 0.001], Low-density lipoprotein-c, triglycerides level [P < 0.001] and a statistically significant decrease in the serum levels of high-density lipoprotein-c [P < 0.001] when compared with the reference group. From these results, we concluded that the increased level of plasma fibrinogen is considered as a risk factor for the development of ischemic heart disease