Tissue doppler imaging for estimation of left ventricular filling pressure in patients with systolic and diastolic heart failure: a comparative simultaneous doppler catheterization study

Background: Noninvasive assessment of diastolic filling by Doppler echocardiography provides important information about left ventricular (LV) status in selected subsets of patients. This study was designed to assess whether the lateral mitral annular velocity as assessed by tissue Doppler imaging is associated with invasive measures of diastolic LV performance in patients with diastolic and systolic heart failure. Aim of the study was to compare the diagnostic accuracy of lateral mitral annular E/E? as an estimate of LV filling pressure with invasive LVEDP measurement in subjects with systolic or purely diastolic heart failure.Methods: Total 100 patients were studied, 50 patients with diastolic heart failure and 50 patients with systolic heart failure in patients undergoing diagnostic coronary angiogram. Detailed 2D Echocardiography, Trans mitral Doppler and Tissue Doppler velocities of lateral mitral annulus was obtained. The ratio of peak mitral velocity (E) to lateral mitral annular velocity (E?) by TDI (E/E?) was calculated.Results: The ratio of E/E? in diastolic group was 13.4�9 and in systolic group it was 13.7�2. The mean LVEDP in diastolic heart failure patients was 14.3�5 and 14.2�9 in systolic heart failure patients. The ratio of E/E? showed a better correlation with LVEDP. E/E? <8 accurately predicted normal LVEDP, and E/E? >15 identified increased LVEDP ?15mmHg.Conclusions: E/E? is a reliable estimate of LV filling pressures in subjects with systolic and diastolic heart failure. In subjects with diastolic heart failure, E/E? seems helpful to identify those with truly elevated LV filling pressures. In patients with diastolic heart failure and normal E/E?, a search for other causes of symptoms (pulmonary disease, obesity and so forth) may be warranted.

Relation between central aortic pulse pressure and coronary artery disease: a coronary angiographic study in a tertiary care center

Background: Aortic pulse pressure is a significant marker of cardiovascular morbidity independently of mean blood pressure and pulse pressure of 60 mm Hg should be considered as the threshold at risk both in normotensives and hypertensives. Coronary perfusion is dependent on diastolic blood pressure and patients with CAD may be susceptible to the adverse effects of low diastolic blood pressure. This study conducted to examine the relation between central aortic pulse pressure and the prevalence and extent of CAD.Methods: A cross sectional, hospital-based study conducted in Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research, Bengaluru, among patients undergoing diagnostic coronary angiography.Results: Risk factors like Diabetes, Hypertension, Dyslipidemia and smoking rates were significantly higher in patients with PP of >60 mmHg (p<0.01). In the first group, the ratio of having normal coronaries is higher 61.9% vs 38% and diseased coronaries was lower when compared to the other group 38% vs 98%. In patients with aortic pulse pressure >60 mmHg, 4 patients had left main coronary artery (LMCA) disease, 20 patients had single vessel disease, 11 patients had two vessel disease and 20 patients had triple vessel disease.Conclusions: In this study it was demonstrated aortic pulse pressure of more than 60 mm Hg is associated with significant CAD.

Nstemi “But” Stemi-De Winters Sign.

Anterior ST elevation myocardial infarction can present with a specific electrocardiographic (ECG) pattern without ST segment elevations, known as De Winter sign. Recognizing this ECG pattern is important since it is considered an equivalent to ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), hence may require thrombolysis when primary PCI facilities are not available or delayed. We report a28 year old male who presented to us with de winters ecg pattern. Subsequent coronary angiogram showed Proxmial left anterior descending (LAD) artery occlusion.

Thoracic Aorta Aneurysm-Endovascular Aortic Repair.

Endovascular aortic repair (EVAR) is the treatment of choice for patients with descending thoracic aortic aneurysm who are unfit for open surgery. We report a 50-year-old Asian woman who presented with a saccular symptomatic thoracic aortic aneurysm and underwent EVAR with a covered stent with prompt relief of symptoms and no residual complications at 1 year of follow up.

Valvular heart disease: diagnosis and management.

Valvular heart disease is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in India. Advances in both surgical and percutaneous techniques and a better understanding of timing for intervention accounts for the current increased rates of survival. Echocardiography remains the gold standard for diagnosis and periodic assessment of patients with valvular heart disease. Generally, patients with stenotic valvular lesions can be monitored clinically until symptoms appear and most can now benefit from percutaneous techniques. In contrast, patients with regurgitant valvular lesions require careful echocardiographic monitoring for left ventricular function and may require surgery even if no symptoms are present. Percutaneous therapy of valvular regurgitant lesions is yet to evolve fully.

EMPIRE (Escorts Multiple ProNova Implantation Registry) Study: Evaluating the ProNova SES in De Novo Coronary Artery Lesions.

BACKGROUND: The main limitation of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with bare metal stents was the increased incidence of instant restenosis. The introduction of drug-eluting stents has decreased the rate of restenosis. Various DESs, using different drugs and stent designs, are now being used in interventional cardiology worldwide. The EMPIRE study was conducted to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the slow-release sirolimus-eluting ProNova stent in de novo coronary artery lesions in patients with single- or multi-vessel disease. METHODS AND RESULTS- A total of 300 patients, enrolled in a single-centre registry, were successfully implanted with ProNova, a sirolimus-eluting stent (SES). They were followed up clinically, first at 30 days and then six months after the procedure for parameters like death, target vessel failure, documented myocardial infarction (MI) and restenosis. Assessment of binary restenosis was done angiographically at six months. The primary success rate of stent implantation was 100%, the percentage of acute major adverse cardiac events (MACE) being 0% and 2% at 30 days and six months, respectively. Angiographic restenosis was documented in 12.6% of the patients enrolled in the study. CONCLUSION: The ProNova stent was found to be safe and effective in this trial.

Interaction of flunarizine with sodium valproate or ethosuximide in gamahydroxybutyrate induced absence seizures in rats.

Sodium valproate(VPA), ethosuximide(ESM), 200 mg/kg ip and flunarizine (FLU) 5 or 10 mg/kg ip were first administered independently to rats in order to study their effects on behavioural and EEG aspects of spike and wave discharges (SWDs) induced by y- hydroxybutyrate (GHB,100 mg/kg ip). GHB treated rats show behavioural changes and concomitant repetitive EEG episodes of 7 to 9 Hz SWDs, mimicking human absence seizures (AS), and can be used as a pharmacological model. The number and duration of SWDs were calculated for 1 hr from the EEG and were parameters for drug evaluation. VPA and ESM at 200 mg/kg, significantly reduced SWD number and duration/hr, while FLU showed significant reduction only at 10 but not at 5 mg/kg. Combination of FLU, 10 mg/kg with either VPA or ESM showed significant reduction of SWD number and duration, suggesting an additive effect of the anti-absence agents with the calcium channel blocker, FLU, on experimental absence seizures in rats.

Glycogen utilization in tissues of toad, Bufo melanostictus under electropolarity treatment.

Electropolarity treatment (0.8V/DC/Cm) was given to the gastrocnemius muscle of B. melanostictus every day for 5 min for 5 days. The glycogen content and aldolase activity levels increased and phosphorylase 'a' activity levels decreased on cathode treatment in muscle, liver and brain while an opposed trend was observed on anode treatment. The heart showed contrasting pattern under both cathode and anode electropolarity treatments.