International Cardiovascular Research Journal最新文献

Background: Considering the increasing incidence of coronary artery stenosis as well as its related complications, the importance of its etiology, and inconsistent reports, we aimed to determine the relationship between High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) serum levels and severity of coronary atherosclerosis.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on the patients who referred to Taleghani Hospital, Tehran, Iran and met the inclusion criteria in 2011. Regarding the severity of the disease, the angiographic findings were categorized to mild (< 10), moderate (10 - 50), and severe (> 50) using the Gensini score classification. 1 mL blood sample was taken from each patient and transferred to the laboratory after clotting. After centrifugation, the serum hsCRP level was measured and classified in 3 levels of 1, 1 to 3, and more than 3 mg / L. The relationship between hsCRP serum levels and the severity of coronary atherosclerosis was analyzed using Chi-square test (N = 85, P value < 0.010).

Results: This study was performed on 85 patients with the mean age of 55.7 ± 7.06 years. Besides, 64.7% of the participants were male. According to the results, 34.1%, 37.7%, and 28.2% of the patients experienced mild, moderate, and severe disease intensity, respectively. Moreover, the serum hsCRP levels were < 1, between1 and 3, and > 3 mg / L in 28.2%, 27.1%, and 44.7% of the patients, respectively. The hsCRP serum levels were significantly higher in the patients with moderate and severe artery stenosis compared to those with mild stenosis (P < 0.010).

Conclusions: The hsCRP serum levels were significantly related to the severity of coronary atherosclerosis.

Background: Although several studies have been conducted on the association between lipid profile and sexual function among men with coronary artery disease, there is a paucity of knowledge about this association among women with coronary artery disease.

Objectives: Our study aimed to evaluate the link between lipid profile and sexual function in men and women with coronary artery disease.

Methods: One hundred and twenty patients with documented coronary artery disease were consecutively sampled from an outpatient cardiovascular clinic. The patients were assessed for lipid profile and sexual relationship using the Relation and Sexuality Scale (RSS). In addition, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was used to measure the symptoms of anxiety and depression. The characteristics of chest pain were also measured using the Rose Angina Questionnaire. The data were analyzed through linear regression analysis.

Results: This study was conducted on 91 males (75.8%) and 29 females (24.2%). Multivariate analysis showed that low-density lipoprotein cholesterol was correlated with sexual function (B = 0.01, P = 0.010) and total sexual relationship (B = 0.01, P = 0.050). A correlation was also observed between the level of high-density lipoprotein and sexual frequency score (B = -0.02, P = 0.040). Gender moderated these correlations. Among males, serum cholesterol (r = 0.193, P = 0.047) and low-density lipoprotein (r = 0.224, P = 0.037) were correlated to sexual function. In females, however, low-density lipoprotein was correlated to the total sexual relationship (r = 0.426, P = 0.021) and high-density lipoprotein was correlated to sexual frequency (r = -0.334, P = 0.046).

Conclusions: The findings of this study showed a relationship between lipid profile and sexual relationship among both male and female patients with coronary artery disease. The link between lipid profile and sexual function of the patients with coronary artery disease is thus beyond just the effect of lipid profile on erectile dysfunction.

Prosthetic tricuspid valve is an obstacle to implant cardiac devise. Cardiac Resynchronization therapy is one of the most popular therapies for heart failure patients these days. We present this case of prosthetic tricuspid valve and left ventricular dysfunction which we overcome the problem by implanting two leads to coronary sinus branches. Patient improved in few months of follow up.

Background: Vascular injury poses a serious threat to limb and life. Thus, diagnosis should be made immediately with minimally invasive methods. Doppler is a good aid in diagnosis of vascular injury.

Methods: The present prospective study was conducted on 150 patients who presented with soft signs (the signs which are suggestive but not confirmatory) of vascular injury. They were subjected to color Doppler examination before exploration. The patients with the features of vascular injury on color Doppler were subjected to exploration. On the other hand, those who had normal Doppler were subjected to CT- angiography. Then, the findings of the exploration were matched with those of color Doppler. The data were analyzed using the SPSS statistical software.

Results: Out of the 150 Doppler examinations, 110 (73.33%) were reported as positive, while 40 were reported as negative for vascular injury. These were subjected to CT-angiography and seven of them had the features of vascular injury on CT-angiography. All the patients with positive Doppler or CT angiography findings were subjected to exploration. Doppler had a sensitivity of 94% and specificity of 82.5% in diagnosis of vascular injury using Binary classification test.

Conclusions: Color Doppler is an easily available, reliable, and handy method of diagnosing a vascular injury. It has a very high sensitivity and specificity in diagnosis of vascular injuries.

Background: The relationship between diet and cardiovascular risk factors in men and women with Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) has been the subject of recent studies. We studied a group of Iranian CAD patients to analyze any relationship between diet and CAD risk factors based on gender.

Methods: In this study, 461 consecutive patients were assessed before their planned isolated coronary artery bypass graft surgery. They were interviewed to obtain the quantity and components of nutrients and micronutrients based on a validated food frequency questionnaire. Diet scores were calculated in each dietary group and the total score was reported as the Mediterranean Diet Quality Index (Med-DQI). Physical activity was assessed using International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Functional class, EuroSCORE and the frequency of the known risk factors in the men and women were recorded as well.

Results: The women were more likely than the men to present with obesity, diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia, and hypertension (all Ps < 0.001). Also, the women had higher functional class and mean of EuroSCORE (P < 0.001 and P = 0.03). Only six women (5.7%) reported to have regular physical activity. In addition, Women's energy intake was more likely to be supplied through fat. Cereals, fruit, and vegetable consumption in both genders was within the safe recommended range, while olive and fish consumption was low in both sexes. MedDQI score was different between men and women with hypertension (P = 0.018) and obesity (P = 0.048).

Conclusions: Modifiable classical risk factors for CAD, except for smoking, were more prevalent in women and were associated with their diet. Therefore, women probably need to maintain low calorie intake while improving physical activity and dietary patterns to decrease the frequency and severity of modifiable cardiac risk factors.

Background: This study was performed to determine the changes in corrected QT (QTc) and QT dispersion and their relationship with end-stage liver disease score in the children undergoing orthotopic liver transplantation.

Methods: This case-control study was performed in a 2-year period from February 2009 to March 2011 in Department of Organ Transplantation of Nemazee Hospital. We consecutively included all the 22 pediatric patients undergoing orthotopic liver transplantation and 22 healthy age- and sex-matched controls. Electrocardiogram (ECG) was performed for all the patients and controls before and 6 months after the transplantation and the QTc was calculated according to Bazett's formula in lead I, aVF, andV1. Besides, QT dispersion was calculated by the difference between maximum and minimum QTc in the three leads. The data were statistically analyzed using independent sample t-test, chi-square test, paired t-test, and Pearson correlation analysis. In addition, P value < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant.

Results: The patients with end-stage liver disease had significantly longer QTc dispersion (P = 0.002) compared to the controls. The post-transplantation QTc dispersion (P = 0.003) was also significantly longer compared to the healthy controls. Moreover, pretransplant QTc dispersion was negatively correlated with weight (r = ‒0.589, P = 0.004) and Child-Pugh score (r = ‒0.549, P = 0.008).

Conclusions: The patients with ESLD awaiting liver transplantation suffer from prolonged QTc interval predisposing them to ventricular tachycardia. The QTc prolongation in these patients does not response to liver transplantation. This study revealed a fine negative correlation between the Child- Pugh score and QTc.

Objectives: In this study, pulmonary artery longitudinal deformation was evaluated and attempted to clarify pulmonary artery deformation.

Methods: Eight healthy men and seven healthy women with structurally normal hearts were enrolled. In the parasternal short axis view at the aortic valve level, longitudinal axis of pulmonary artery was obtained and color coded Doppler myocardial imaging applied.

Results: The systolic strain was positive in most the pulmonary segments, velocity and strain rate waves had three defined peaks, one positive in systole and two negative in diastole.

Conclusions: This study revealed for first time, deformation pattern of pulmonary artery by color coded Doppler myocardial imaging and can be basis for future researches in cardiopulmonary diseases.

Hydatid disease is a parasitic infection caused by larvae of Echinococcus granulosus. Cardiac involvement in hydatid disease is uncommon, constituting only 0.5 - 2% of all cases of hydatidosis. Most patients with cardiac echinococcosis are asymptomatic, and the disease is often latent because a hydatid cyst in the heart grows very slowly. Only approximately 10 % of patients, especially those with large hydatid cysts, have clinical manifestations. Precordial pain is the one of the common symptoms and is most often vague and does not resemble angina pectoris.

Background: Exercise Training (ET) and Grape Seed Extract (GSE) as an antioxidant have many positive effects on controlling diabetes mellitus and its complications.

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the effects of GSE alone or combined with ET on body weight, plasma lipid profile, blood pressure, and heart rate in STZ-induced diabetic rats.

Methods: IN THIS STUDY, MALE WISTAR RATS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO FIVE GROUPS: sedentary control, sedentary diabetic, trained diabetic, GSE treated sedentary diabetic, and GSE treated trained diabetic. ET was conducted on the treadmill daily for 8 weeks. One way ANOVA followed by LSD test was used for statistical analysis.

Results: Reduction of body weight, high density lipoproteins, heart rate, and systolic blood pressure and increment of total cholesterol, triglyceride, low density lipoprotein, and very low density lipoproteins were observed after STZ injection. Co-administration of GSE and ET had more positive effects on lipid profile compared to each method alone. In addition, GSE and ET modified heart rate partially, while their combination was more effective in improvement of heart rat in conscious rats. On the other hand, administration of ET or GSE alone did not affect systolic blood pressure and body weight, while their combination restored systolic blood pressure completely and improved body weight partially.

Conclusions: The study findings indicated that ET combined with GSE had more beneficial effects compared to each one alone on the complications of STZ induced diabetes. This may constitute a convenient and inexpensive therapeutic approach to diabetic complications.