The effect of paclitaxel plus carboplatin chemotherapy on subclinical cardiotoxicity in patients with non-small cell lung cancer: A speckle tracking echocardiography-based study.

BACKGROUND: Although chemotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity is an emerging problem, limited information is available on the effects of chemotherapy on left ventricular (LV) mechanical functions in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). OBJECTIVE: We aimed to explore chemotherapy-induced alterations in cardiac mechanical functions in patients with NSCLC using speckle tracking echocardiography (STE). METHODS: Seventy-one patients with NSCLC and 34 age and sex matched control subjects were consecutively included. Based on their good performance status (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status), 39 patients were treated with paclitaxel plus carboplatin (PC) regimen and 32 patients were treated with vinorelbine plus cisplatin (VC) regimen. All patients and controls underwent conventional two-dimensional echocardiography and STE at baseline to assess their LV functions. The echocardiographic examinations of NSCLC patients were repeated after the chemotherapy regimens. RESULTS: None of the NSCLC patients developed any signs or symptoms of clinical heart failure during or after the chemotherapy. There were not any significant differences in LV ejection fraction between NSCLC patients and controls before and after chemotherapy. There were not any significant differences in baseline LV global longitudinal strain (GLS), radial strain (RS), and circumferential strain (CS) between NSCLC patients and controls. However, all LV GLS, RS and CS significantly decreased in patients treated with the PC regimen resulting in a significant difference compared to both VC group and controls while no significant decreases were observed in strain measures in VC group. CONCLUSION: Paclitaxel plus carboplatin, but not VC, may induce subclinical cardiotoxicity in patients with NSCLC, which may be detected by STE.

Horizontal ECG in acute anterolateral myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: The present study aims to compare the amount of ST segment changes recorded by horizontal electrocardiography (hECG) with standard ECG (sECG) in patients with acute anterior and/or lateral ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). METHODS: Consecutive eligible patients (n = 58) who were diagnosed with acute anterior and/or lateral STEMI were included in the study. After recording simultaneous sECG and hECG by placing precordial leads (V3-6) horizontally on the left 4th intercostal space, ST segment changes were compared. RESULTS: The mean ST segment changes (mV) on hECG were significantly higher than sECG in V4 (0.27 ± 0.2 vs. 0.21 ± 0.21, p = 0.001), V5 (0.21 ± 0.17 vs. 0.12 ± 0.16, p < 0.001) and V6 (0.09 ± 0.1 vs. 0.04 ± 0.12, p < 0.001), respectively. When hECG and sECG were compared in patients with BMI < 30 kg/m(2), mean ST segment changes (mV) on hECG were significantly higher than sECG in V4 (0.29 ± 0.21 vs. 0.21 ± 0.24, p = 0.004), V5 (0.22 ± 0.19 vs. 0.13 ± 0.17, p < 0.001) and V6 (0.11 ± 0.11 vs. 0.04 ± 0.11, p < 0.001), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Mean ST segment changes in patients with anterior and/or lateral STEMI were significantly higher and easily detectable on hECG compared with sECG. We suggest that hECG be used in conjunction with sECG to diagnose anterior and lateral wall STEMI in cases of diagnostic doubt.

Evaluation of alexithymia, somatosensory sensitivity, and health anxiety levels in patients with noncardiac chest pain.

OBJECTIVE: Noncardiac chest pain (NCCP) is seen more frequently in young population and in these patients loss of function is evolving in social and professional areas. The aim of the study is to evaluate the levels of anxiety and somatic perception in patients with chest pain presenting to cardiology clinic. METHODS: Fifty-one patients with noncardiac chest pain and 51 healthy controls were included in the study. All participants performed self-report based health anxiety inventory (HAI), somatosensory amplification scale (SAS), and Toronto alexithymia scale (TAS). RESULTS: The patient group had significantly higher scores on the SAS, HAI-1, and HAI-T scales compared to controls (P < 0.001, P = 0.006, and P = 0.038, resp.). SAS, HAI-1, and HAI-T scores were significantly higher in female patients than male (P = 0.002, 0.036, and 0.039, resp.). There were significant differences in all TAS subscale scores between two groups. Patients, who had total TAS score more than 50, also presented higher levels of health anxiety (P = 0.045). CONCLUSIONS: Anxiety, somatic symptoms, and the exaggerated sense of bodily sensations are common in patients with NCCP. These patients unnecessarily occupy the cardiology outpatient clinics. These negative results can be eliminated when consultation-liaison psychiatry evaluates these patients in collaboration with cardiology departments.