Relation between indices of end-organ damage and mean platelet volume in hypertensive patients.

Mean platelet volume (MPV) has been recognized as an independent risk factor of hypertension. Hypertensive end-organ damage worsens the prognosis in hypertensive patients. We aimed to investigate the relationship between MPV levels and subclinical end-organ damage in hypertensive patients. One hundred and sixteen hypertensive patients (81 women, 35 men, with a mean age of 53 ± 11) were included in the study. There was no correlation between MPV and left-ventricular mass index (LVMI) (r = 0.145; P = 0.14) or albuminuria (r = 0.009; P = 0.93). Among the individuals that had grade I and grade II retinopathy, MPV levels (8.3 ± 2 fL, 8.2 ± 1.3 fL; P = 0.28) were similar either. We concluded that there was no correlation between MPV and markers of end-organ damage in hypertensive patients.

Amount of ST wave resolution in patients with and without spontaneous coronary reperfusion in the infarct -related artery after primary PCI: an observational study.

OBJECTIVE: In patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), a patent infarct-related artery (IRA) on initial angiography was associated with better angiographic results and improved prognosis compared with patients without spontaneous reflow. The role of systematic emergency PCI in patients with spontaneous reperfusion during myocardial infarction is debated. We compared the amount of ST wave resolution (STR) in patients with and without spontaneous coronary reperfusion (SCR) in the infarct related artery. METHODS: This study was designed as an observational cohort study. One hundred sixty-one consecutive patients (121 males, 40 females, with a mean age of 56±10 years) who had STEMI and treated with primary PCI without previous thrombolytic therapy were included in the study. All patients were treated with primary PCI within 12 hours from the onset of the symptoms and had stent implantation in the culprit lesion. ST wave resolution was measured as percent resolution of ST segment elevation from electrocardiogram (ECG), before and after PCI, classified as complete (>70%), partial (30% to 70%), or absent (<30%). SCR was defined as a TIMI grade III flow in the IRA on baseline coronary angiogram. The amount of ST wave resolution (STR) in patients with and without SCR in the IRA was compared. We used Chi-square test, Student's t-test and the Mann-Whitney U test for statistical analysis. RESULTS: At the baseline coronary angiography 40 (25%) patients had SCR and 121 patients (75%) had TIMI flow grade 0, 1 or 2 (non-SCR group). ST segment resolution amount was significantly higher in patients without SCR (53±17 versus 13±23 mm; p<0.001). In fact; in five patients whom had patent infarct related artery in initial angiography, ST segment elevation increased according to pre-PCI ECG. CONCLUSION: Mean ST wave resolution was lower in patients with spontaneous coronary reperfusion who were treated with primary PCI compared to their counterparts who did not have spontaneous coronary reperfusion on initial coronary angiography.

Silent interrupted aortic arch in an elderly patient.

Patients with complete interruption of the aortic arch (IAA) very rarely reach late adulthood without having undergone surgical intervention. Only a few cases of IAA in adults have been reported in the medical literature. In this case report, we present a late diagnosis of interrupted aortic arch in a 68 year-old male. Our patient was relatively asymptomatic until he presented with fatigue after walking quickly. A guidewire could not be passed to the aortic arch via the femoral approach; descending thoracic aortography revealed complete occlusion of the descending thoracic aorta. Cardiac catheterization via the right brachial artery confirmed the diagnosis of a complete interruption of the aortic arch distal to the left subclavian artery and showed distinct collateral circulation predominantly via the internal mammary arteries. Also, magnetic resonance angiography showed cuttings that reveal the interruption in the aortic arch and the prominent collateral vessels to the descending aorta. This case report was also interesting in that pressure measurements at a proximal point of the interrupted aortic arch were not hypertensive. Using both catheters, placed proximally and distally to the point of the interruption, by simultaneous pressure measurement, it was measured as 120/75 mm Hg at the proximal point, 60/40 mm Hg at the distal point. (Cardiol J 2011; 18, 6: 695-697).

The prognostic value of mean platelet volume in decompensated heart failure.

BACKGROUND: Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a major public health problem that is related to substantial morbidity, impaired quality of life and diminished survival. Mean platelet volume (MPV) is an indicator of platelet activation. AIM: To investigate whether there is a difference of MPV in patients with decompensated and stable heart failure (SHF), and test the prognostic value of MPV in decompensated heart failure (DHF). METHODS: 136 consecutive patients with DHF were enrolled. 71 with SHF were also enrolled for comparison. Patients were followed up for a mean of 18±12 months. The primary endpoint was death from any cause. Clinical characteristics of patients with DHF who died during follow-up were compared with the those of the survivors. RESULTS: MPV was significantly higher in DHF group than in the SHF group. 71 patients died during the follow-up period (18±12 months). Comparison with survivors revealed that mortality was associated with age, systolic blood pressure, pulmonary artery pressure, serum creatinine, urea and MPV. MPV was determined as an independent risk factor for mortality (OR 1.553, 95% CI 1.024 to 2.354, p=0.038). Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that MPV level on admission was a predictor of mortality (area under the curve (AUC) for in-hospital mortality was 0.716 (95% CI 0.632 to 0.789, p=0.003) and AUC for 6-month mortality was 0.815 (95% CI 0.74 to 0.877, p<0.001), respectively). CONCLUSION: MPV is increased in patients with DHF. Also, MPV on admission is an independent predictor of in-hospital mortality and 6-month mortality.

Pioglitazone improves ventricular diastolic function in patients with diabetes mellitus: a tissue Doppler study.

OBJECTIVE: Pioglitazone treatment in type 2 diabetes mellitus produced significant improvements in glycaemic control, plasma lipids, blood pressure and inflammation. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of pioglitazone on systolic and diastolic function in diabetic patients. METHODS AND RESULTS: Forty-nine diabetic patients were included in the study. The patients had never received thiazolidinedione therapy before. Clinical and echocardiographic variables were measured. 30 mg pioglitazone were administered. The patients were followed up for six months and all the measurements were re-evaluated for comparison. Body mass index (BMI) significantly increased after treatment. Fasting glucose, HbA1c and systolic blood pressure decreased. Insulin resistance improved and the HOMA-IR index decreased after pioglitazone treatment. Mean aortic diameter, left atrial systolic and diastolic volumes significantly decreased after therapy. Among diastolic function variables mitral E wave, E/A, ejection time and pulmonary vein peak reverse flow velocity (PVA) significantly increased whereas isovolumetric relaxation time (IVRT), isovolumetric contraction time (IVCT), deceleration time, E/E' and pulmonary vein late systolic flow (PVS2) decreased after pioglitazone therapy. Among tissue Doppler variables early (E) ventricular inflow velocities measured from the tricuspid lateral annulus, the mitral septal and lateral annulus, the anterior, inferior and posterior free wall significantly increased. Late (A) ventricular inflow velocities measured from the anterior, inferior free wall and the mitral septal annulus also increased. CONCLUSION: Pioglitazone treatment in type 2 diabetes mellitus produced significant improvements in measures of glycaemic control and diastolic ventricular function.

Syncope caused by hyperkalemia during use of a combined therapy with the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor and spironolactone.

A 76 year-old woman with a history of coronary artery bypass grafting and prior myocardial infarction was transferred to the emergency room with loss of consciousness due to marked bradycardia caused by hyperkalemia. The concentration of serum potassium was high, and normal sinus rhythm was restored after correction of the serum potassium level. The cause of hyperkalemia was considered to be several doses of spiranolactone, an aldosterone antagonist, in addition to the long-term intake of ramipril, an ACE inhibitor. This case is a good example of electrolyte imbalance causing acute life-threatening cardiac events. Clinicians should be alert to the possibility of hyperkalemia, especially in elderly patients using ACE/ARB in combination with potassium sparing agents and who have mild renal disturbance.

Effect of dipping status on QRS morphology in patients with hypertension.

BACKGROUND: Prolongation of the QRS complex on the surface electrocardiogram (ECG) has been shown to be predictive of cardiovascular outcomes in selected populations. A 'nondipper' blood pressure (BP) profile is currently regarded as a risk factor in its own right for cardiovascular events and target organ damage. The predictive value of ECG parameters in hypertensives with nondipper profile has not been established. METHODS: A total of 750 consecutive patients with hypertension who had been evaluated with ambulatory BP monitoring were screened for this study. One hundred and thirty-six patients who had fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria were included in the final analysis. Dipper and nondipper patterns were detected and the maximum QRS duration (QRSd) measured on a 12-lead ECG was recorded. RESULTS: There were 70 nondipper and 66 dipper hypertensives. There was no significant difference between the two groups regarding the daytime systolic and diastolic mean BPs, number of medications taken, and the proportion of each class of antihypertensive medications. Other variables were similar between the two groups. QRSd was significantly higher in nondippers than dippers (P=0.006). Correlation analysis revealed that the systolic BP fall at night was inversely and significantly related with QRSd (r=-0.482, P<0.001). Regression analysis further showed that the systolic BP fall at night and age were independent correlates of QRSd. CONCLUSION: QRSd on the standard-surface 12-lead ECG was increased in patients with nondipper pattern and furthermore the systolic BP fall at night was independent correlate of QRSd in patients with hypertension.

Echocardiographic manifestations of pandemic 2009 (H1N1) influenza a virus infection.

UNLABELLED: SUMMARY AIM: The prevalence of myocardial involvement in influenza infection ranges from 0% to 12% depending on the diagnostic criteria used to define myocarditis. Whether such an association holds for the novel influenza A strain, pandemic-2009-H1N1, remains unknown. The aim of this present study is to evaluate the cardiovascular manifestations of pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza A (pH1N1) by using standard echocardiography and tissue Doppler imaging (TDI). METHODS: Twenty-eight young patients who had been hospitalized for at least 24 h due to an influenza-like illness and tested positive for pH1N1 by real-time polymerase chain reaction were included in the study. All patients underwent echocardiographic studies during the first 72 h of admission. Echocardiographic studies of thirty gender and age matched control subjects were performed and the results were compared. RESULTS: Heart rate was significantly higher in patients infected with pH1N1 virus. Other clinical variables were similar between the two groups (p > 0.05). Echocardiographic variables were also similar except left ventricular end-systolic dimension, which was significantly increased in the patient group (P = 0.042). Left ventricular tissue Doppler assessment at mitral annulus showed that mean systolic velocities of pH1N1 infected patients and control group were statistically similar. However, early diastolic velocity was decreased and late diastolic velocity was increased in the patient group. Therefore early diastolic/late diastolic velocity ratio was significantly decreased in pH1N1 infected patients. Also, isovolumetric contraction time and isovolumetric relaxation time were prolonged and ejection time was significantly shortened in pH1N1 infected patients. As a result, global myocardial performance index was significantly higher in pH1N1 infected patients (p < 0.001). Right ventricular tissue Doppler assessment at tricuspid annulus showed similar results with the left ventricular measurements. CONCLUSION: The results of the study suggest an association between hospitalized pH1N1 and subclinical cardiac dysfunction as measured by tissue Doppler echocardiography.

Efficacy of short-term high-dose atorvastatin for prevention of contrast-induced nephropathy in patients undergoing coronary angiography.

Contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) is associated with increased morbidity, extended hospital stay, and higher costs. We compared an atorvastatin plus N-acetylcysteine (NAC) regimen with NAC alone in patients undergoing coronary angiography. A total of 130 patients (mean age 54 +/- 10; 77 men) undergoing coronary angiography were studied. Seven CIN cases occurred in the NAC group and 2 in the atorvastatin + NAC group; this difference was not significant. Baseline mean creatinine and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) were similar between the 2 groups, whereas after the procedure there was a significant creatinine decrease and eGFR increase in the atorvastatin + NAC group. Change in creatinine (baseline creatinine-creatinine after the procedure) was also significantly higher in patients taking statin plus NAC. Atorvastatin may be effective in protecting patients undergoing coronary angiography from CIN.

The effect of non-dipper pattern of hypertension on erectile dysfunction.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between erectile dysfunction (ED) and non-dipper pattern in hypertensive patients. METHODS: A total of 750 consecutive patients with essential hypertension, who had been evaluated with ambulatory BP monitoring, were screened for this study. One hundred and thirty-two male patients (age range 28-54 years) who had fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria were included in the final analysis. Dipper and non-dipper patterns were detected and sexual function was assessed by the self-administered questionnaire of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF). RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the two groups regarding the number of medications taken and the proportion of each class of antihypertensive medications. Mean age, body mass index, lipid profiles, rate of smoking were similar between the two groups. IIEF score was significantly higher in non-dippers than dippers (p= 0.009). Non-dipping was also found to be an independent determinant for ED. CONCLUSION: The result of the present study further suggests that non-dipping is a risk indicator for early deterioration of erectile function in hypertensive patients.