The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of treatment with the angiotensin II receptor blocker telmisartan for 24 weeks on myocardial structure and function in patients with essential hypertension, and the relationship between this effect and the structural polymorphism of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene. Thirty-five ...

Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) prevalence is very high in end stage renal disease (ESRD). It's a predictor of cardiac death in peritoneal dialysis patients. Noradrenalin, Angiotensin II and aldosterone are involved incardiac hypertrophy. Dopamine, acting at DA2 receptors inhibits norephinephrin release, antagonizes aldosterone and down-regulates AT1 receptor numbers, suggesting that ...

PURPOSE: Determination of the underlying etiology of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is a common, challenging, and critical clinical problem. The authors aimed to test whether pathological LVH, such as occurs in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), hypertensive heart disease, or aortic stenosis, and physiological LVH in athletes, can be distinguished by means ...

OBJECTIVE: An index of large artery stiffness (SIDVP) simply derived from the digital volume pulse (DVP) was developed recently. However, the role of the SIDVP in untreated hypertensive patients was not well elucidated. METHODS: We enrolled 124 untreated hypertensive patients (mean age 55.4+/-13.1 years, 57 men). The DVP was measured ...

The present study assesses and compares the association of waist circumference and body mass index with presence and severity of coronary artery calcium in asymptomatic men. The study population consisted of 451 asymptomatic men free of known coronary heart disease. The subjects were broadly divided into tertiles by waist circumference ...

Effect of administration of 600 mg. vitamin E each day, for six days, was observed on activity of some of the anti-oxidant enzymes and levels of malondialdehyde (as an index of free radical mediated damage) in the platelets of patients reperfused after myocardial infarction. It has been found that vitamin ...

OBJECTIVE: Several studies have demonstrated favorable results despite patient-prosthesis mismatch after aortic valve replacement with the use of third generation prostheses. Our aim was to determine whether this mismatch is always tolerable. METHODS: A clinical-echocardiographic study has been performed in 339 consecutive patients who underwent aortic valve replacement because of ...

BACKGROUND: Epidemiological estimates of left ventricular mass are based on echocardiographic imaging from the parasternal view, which is often unavailable in subjects with obesity or lung disease. This study was undertaken to assess whether the subcostal view is a valid alternative to estimate left ventricular mass in an unselected older ...

Visceral adiposity is a cardiovascular risk factor of growing interest. This study sought to evaluate the hypothesis of a relation between epicardial adipose tissue, the visceral adipose tissue deposited around the heart, and left ventricular morphology in healthy subjects with a wide range of adiposity. We found for the first ...

Primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT), caused by solitary parathyroid adenomas in 85% of cases and diffuse hyperplasia in most of the remaining cases, overproduces parathyroid hormone (PTH), which mobilizes calcium to the blood stream. Renal stones, osteoporosis and diffuse symptoms of hypercalcaemia, such as constipation, fatigue and weakness are well-known complications. However, ...

The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that upper body aerobically trained athletes (kayak canoeists) would have greater left ventricular wall thickness, but similar left ventricular diastolic chamber dimensions, compared with recreationally active and sedentary men. Ultrasound echocardiography was used to determine cardiac structure and function ...

C-reactive protein (CRP), the prototype marker of inflammation, and cardiac hypertrophy are important prognostic indicators in dialysis patients. Residual renal function (RRF) has also been shown to influence survival of peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. This study examined the relations between inflammation, RRF, and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and determined whether ...

Inflammatory pseudotumour (IP) of the heart is an extremely uncommon and potentially fatal lesion which presents a challenging diagnosis even for the experienced pathologist, cardiologist and cardiac surgeon. This spindle cell tumour is known to be present in virtually every anatomical region but, in adults, has only previously been found ...

Several experimental and clinical studies have indicate that the heart is an end-organ of GH action. Patients with either childhood- or adulthood-onset GH deficiency (GHD) have abnormalities of cardiac structure and function, such as reduced cardiac mass, impaired diastolic filling and reduced left ventricular response at peak exercise. These cardiovascular ...

Cardiac liposarcoma in a patient manifested multiple cardiac functional complications. Three dimensional reconstruction of the heart with multidetector row computed tomography made apparent each of the cardiac complications that resulted from the tumour's invasion. On the basis of these findings, the floating mass in the pulmonary artery and the compressing ...

Hypertension in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) is an important risk factor for left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), cardiac failure, coronary artery disease (CAD), and arrhythmia. LVH is generally considered an integrator of the long-term effects of hypertension and other cardiovascular (CV) risk factors and represents the strongest predictor of adverse CV ...

ECG criteria for left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) were mostly validated using left ventricular mass (LVM) as measured by M-mode echocardiography. LVM as measured by cardiac MRI has been demonstrated to be much more accurate and reproducible. We reevaluated the sensitivity and specificity of 4 ECG criteria of LVH against LVM ...

BACKGROUND: Anemia is often observed in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF), but its implications for patient outcomes are not well understood. The goal of this study was to investigate the relationship between anemia, severity of CHF, and clinical outcomes. METHODS AND RESULTS: Hemoglobin concentration (Hb) was measured in 912 ...

Regression of hypertensive left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is associated with improved prognosis. The aim of this trial was to compare the effects of irbesartan versus atenolol on LVH in subjects with essential hypertension. Because electrocardiographic and echocardiographic parameters of LVH carry disparate prognostic information, both methods were applied in this ...

OBJECTIVES: We sought to identify advantages of contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in studying postinfarction ventricular remodeling. BACKGROUND: Although sequential measurements of ventricular volumes, internal dimensions, and total ventricular mass have provided important insights into postinfarction left ventricular remodeling, it has not been possible to define serial, directionally opposite changes ...

Electrocardiographic (ECG) left bundle branch block (LBBB) is associated with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), but its relation to left ventricular (LV) geometry and function in hypertensive patients with ECG LVH is unknown. Echocardiograms were performed in 933 patients (548 women, mean age 66+/-7 years) with essential hypertension and LVH by ...

In a study of 70 newly diagnosed hypertensive at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital over a six month period, echocardiography detected increased left ventricular weight (= 225g) in 31 patients representing 44.3%. When compared with the rapid assessment of the estimation of Left Ventricular Mass (LVM) with a normogram ...

OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact and cost-effectiveness of microalbuminuria and cardiovascular ultrasonography in evaluating the risk profile in primary hypertension. METHODS: Four hundred and five untreated patients with primary hypertension underwent a routine, traditional work-up plus evaluation of albuminuria and ultrasound (US) assessment of cardiac and vascular structures. Albuminuria was ...

Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is associated with increased cardiovascular risk and altered sympathetic regulation in hypertension. To determine whether the level of beta-adrenergic receptor kinase-1 (betaARK1) in lymphocytes is related to LVH in patients with hypertension. Forty-nine patients with untreated essential hypertension were recruited to the study and classified into ...

A 10-year-old boy presented with a mass on the left side of his face for many years, left ear deafness, and limited vision in the left eye. Enhanced CT of the face and neck showed a multilobulated low attenuation mass in the left parotid space, with nodularity and involvement of ...

Type I diabetes mellitus (IDDM) is associated with an increased cardiovascular risk, and eligibility protocols for simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation (SPKT) are consequently accurate for preoperative cardiovascular assessment. According to our algorithm, coronary angiography in SPKT candidates is indicated for patients not only experiencing previous cardiac events or symptoms, but also ...

Hydroxymethylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase inhibitors prevent load-induced left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). Whether this effect is related to antioxidant properties of this class of drugs is poorly understood. The aim of the present report was to evaluate the regulation of nitrotyrosine production during the development of load-induced LVH and the effect of ...

The average newborn's right ventricular mass, indexed to body surface area, is approximately 20% above the adult level, consistent with in utero physiologic hypertrophy. In contrast, the left ventricular mass index is underdeveloped by about 30% at birth, resulting in a ratio of right to left ventricular mass that is ...

Despite the fact that it is known that hypertension may be associated to early atherosclerosis manifestations, few data are to date available on the relationship between early carotid abnormalities and left ventricular diastolic dysfunction. To address this issue, 142 hypertensive patients (64 females and 78 males) younger than 55 years, ...

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between the coronary calcium mass and Agatston score measured on multidetector row computed tomography. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighty-three consecutive subjects (60 men and 23 women) referred for coronary screening were examined prospectively by electrocardiogram-triggered sequential multidetector row ...

BACKGROUND: Both real-time three-dimensional echocardiography (RT3DE) and myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) are novel imaging techniques. The purpose of this study was to confirm the feasibility and accuracy of RT3DE combined with MCE for quantitative evaluation of myocardial perfusion defects. METHODS: Thirteen dogs underwent ligation of the left anterior descending artery ...

Studies of evolved massive stars indicate that they form in a clustered mode. During the earliest evolutionary stages, these regions are embedded within their natal cores. Here we present high-spatial-resolution interferometric dust continuum observations disentangling the cluster-like structure of a young massive star-forming region. The derived protocluster mass distribution is ...

Both coronary artery calcium (CAC) deposits and increased left ventricular (LV) mass are important risk factors for coronary heart disease, but the relation between these 2 factors has rarely been studied. We examined the correlation of CAC and LV mass in 159 young to middle-aged African-Americans, and found that the ...

BACKGROUND: Heart murmurs are common in the elderly and increased intracavitary velocities (IIV) within the left ventricle have been reported to be a cause of systolic murmur. OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence and functional significance of IIV in healthy elderly subjects METHODS: Ambulatory healthy elderly subjects were recruited from community ...

Background There is evidence that statins induce the regression of cardiac hypertrophy in a transgenic rabbit model of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Methods and Results The association between treatment with statins and the regression of cardiac mass (left ventricular mass index, LVMI) was investigated in a case - control study using transthoracic ...

OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine the heritability of left ventricular dimensions and mass in adult American Indians. METHODS: Echocardiograms were analysed in 1373 American Indian participants, from 445 families, in the Strong Heart Study (SHS) to determine the heritability of left ventricular dimensions and mass. Heritability calculations were performed using ...

OBJECTIVE: Of this study was to investigate three groups of highly trained competitive endurance athletes consisting of marathon runners, triathletes and cyclists for differences in left ventricular adaptation. METHODS: 25 marathon athletes, 21 triathlon athletes and 38 cyclists underwent a standard echocardiographic and Doppler study. RESULTS: The left ventricular internal ...

Hypertension increases oxidative stress, which can impair myocardial microvascular function and integrity. However, it is yet unclear whether long-term antioxidant intervention in early hypertension would preserve myocardial perfusion and vascular permeability responses to challenge. Pigs were studied after 12 weeks of renovascular hypertension without (n=8) or with daily supplementation of ...

With increased hemodynamic stress, the heart must adjust to meet the greater demands placed upon it. This adjustment frequently involves an alteration or remodeling in its structure or geometry, which augments its performance and helps to maintain adequate function under changing conditions. One of the most important forms of remodeling ...

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to characterize the relationships among plasma adiponectin, essential hypertension, left ventricular diastolic function and left ventricular hypertrophy. METHODS AND RESULTS: Plasma adiponectin concentration was assessed by radioimmunoassay, and body mass index (BMI) was measured in 275 patients (138 women and 137 men). Various ...

Previous studies in magnetically shielded rooms have shown that magnetocardiographic (MCG) mapping can be useful to detect early signs of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). The aim of this study was to evaluate ventricular repolarization parameters in patients with essential hypertension, associated or not with LVH, by means of unshielded multichannel ...

Left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy (LVH) confers increased cardiovascular risk on patients with hypertension. Echocardiography using new hand-held devices might allow community-based cost-effective screening for LVH in a targeted hypertensive population. Thus, the aim of this study was to test the validity of hand-held ultrasound devices to screen for LVH in ...

Chronic heart failure is a common disorder placing significant burdens on patients and health-care services. Noninvasive imaging plays a central role in accurate diagnosis, determination of etiology and prognosis, and in monitoring therapy. Advances in technology mean cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging has established itself as both a valuable clinical ...

Cardiovascular disease is claimed to be one of the most severe complications of acromegaly, contributing significantly to mortality in this disease. In fact, an excess of growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-I) causes a specific derangement of cardiomyocytes, leading to abnormalities in cardiac muscle structure and function, ...

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the feasibility and accuracy of measurement of left ventricular mass with intravenous contrast enhanced real-time three-dimensional (RT3D) echocardiography in the experimental setting. METHODS: RT3D echocardiography was performed in 13 open-chest mongrel dogs before and after intravenous infusion of a perfluorocarbon contrast agent. Left ventricular myocardium volume was ...

The sum of time-voltage QRS areas in the 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) has outperformed other 12-lead ECG indices for detection of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). We assessed indices of time-voltage QRS and T-wave (QRST) areas from body surface potential mapping (BSPM) for detection of and quantitation of the degree of LVH. ...

Growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor-I are involved in heart development and in maintaining cardiac structure and performance. Cardiovascular disease has been reported to reduce life expectancy both in GH deficiency (GHD) and in GH excess. Patients with GHD suffer from abnormalities of left ventricular performance, i.e. reduced diastolic ...

Experimental and clinical studies provide evidence that hypertension is causally related to adverse cardiac structural changes, such as LA enlargement, LV hypertrophy and myocardial fibrosis, and functional changes inclusive of LV systolic and diastolic dysfunction. These changes are induced by both hemodynamic and nonhemodynamic factors. There is accumulating evidence from ...

AIMS: We sought to evaluate whether left ventricular (LV) mass (M) determined by M-mode echocardiography is overestimated compared with LVM calculated by three-dimensional (3D) echocardiography (E) in patients with normal LV shape. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 112 studies in 56 patients (60+/-13 years) with hypertension (n=25) or aortic ...

BACKGROUND: The prognostic significance of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) identified by simple electrocardiographic (ECG) criteria in high-risk patients with established cardiovascular (CV) diseases is not clearly understood. DESIGN AND METHODS: The Heart Outcomes Prevention Evaluation (HOPE) trial was a randomized trial, which evaluated the effects of ramipril and of vitamin ...