BACKGROUND: Neurogenic stunned myocardium (NSM) is a frequent complication of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH), with a significant impact on disease course. The presumed cause is catecholamine surge at the time of aneurysm rupture. Beta-blockers, which reduce the impact of the catecholamine surge, may decrease the risk of developing NSM. METHODS: ...

The objective of this study is to assess effects of beta-blocker migraine prophylaxis on cortical excitability determined by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Phosphene and motor thresholds (PT, MT) were investigated in 29 patients with migraine, in 15 of them prior to and following preventive medication with metoprolol and in 14 ...

Red blood cells (RBC) of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients are known to be in an excessively oxidized state (i.e., with a high accumulation of peroxidized phospholipids (PLOOH)). Previously we confirmed in vitro, in vivo murine, and in human studies that carotenoids can effectively inhibit accumulation of RBC PLOOH. Thus, the ...

BACKGROUND: Beta blockers were shown to prevent SCD in cardiomyopathy or coronary artery disease patients. Dialysis patients show elevated mortality rates, predominantly due to cardiovascular disease. SCD is now one of the leading causes of death in this population. However, the prevention of SCD remains to be elucidated. METHODS: We ...

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Sodium channel blockers are used to unmask the diagnostic ECG pattern of the Brugada syndrome (BrS) in case of a non-diagnostic baseline ECG. The aim of the study was to determine clinical and ECG predictors of a positive challenge test in patients suspected to the BrS. METHODS: A total ...

J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2011;13:649-653. ©2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. KEY POINTS AND PRACTICAL RECOMMENDATIONS: •  β-Blockers are appropriate treatment for patients with hypertension and those who have concomitant ischemic heart disease, heart failure, obstructive cardiomyopathy, or certain arrhythmias. •  β-Blockers can be used in combination with other antihypertensive drugs to ...

BACKGROUND: Right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF) <20% is an independent predictor of poor outcomes in patients with advanced chronic systolic heart failure (HF). The aim of this study was to examine if the adverse effect of abnormally reduced RVEF varies by the receipt of beta-blockers. METHODS: In the Beta-Blocker Evaluation ...

We investigated in 136 consecutive patients with heart failure receiving cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) the effect of carvedilol versus metoprolol CR/XL versus no beta blocker on mortality. Of the 136 patients, 42 (31%) were on carvedilol, 80 (59%) were on metoprolol CR/XL, and 14 (10%) were not on a beta ...

PURPOSE: This study was designed to determine the feasibility and efficacy of endovascular embolization with liquid embolic agent ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer (Onyx) in patients with acute traumatic arterial bleeding. METHODS: This is a retrospective review of 13 patients (9 men and 4 women; mean age 45 years) with severe trauma ...

Introduction: Differentiation between steatosis and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is important as NASH progress to cirrhosis. No specific laboratory/imaging technique exists either to diagnose NASH or to select patients for liver biopsy. Patients and methods: We evaluated serum ferritin and the features of metabolic syndrome ...

The purpose of this study is to characterize the chronic liver disease (CLD) that may be associated with familial Mediterranean fever (FMF). Twenty-seven patients (mean age, 48 ± 18 years; F/M, 16:11) with FMF who were referred for assessment of CLD were studied. Data regarding FMF and CLD were obtained from patient medical ...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The aim of this study was to systematically assess the diagnostic and prognostic value of early liver biopsy in patients who require hospital admission with acute deterioration of alcoholic cirrhosis. METHODS: Sixty-eight patients with acute deterioration of alcoholic cirrhosis underwent a liver biopsy within 7 days and ...

Introduction: Readily available laboratory tests are extremely useful in achieving a better understanding of diseases, and thereby, allow thoughtful management decisions to be made. The examination of peripheral blood smears usually provides excellent clues to the cause of the disease. The main objective of this study was to compare the ...

Objective Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) affects 20-40% of the general adult population. Due to shared risk factors, it is postulated that NAFLD patients have an increased risk of colorectal neoplasm and should be a target group for screening. The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of ...

Aims: This study was conducted to examine the relationship between triglyceride (TG) levels and a history of excessive drinking in patients with severe hypertriglyceridemia (HT). Methods: Alcohol intake as well as other risk factors associated with HT were searched for in case records of 300 patients known to the laboratory ...

Alcohol dependence during withdrawal and also in abstinent period in many cases is related to reduced inhibitory functions and kindling that may appear in the form of psychosensory symptoms similar to temporal lobe epilepsy frequently in conditions of normal EEG and without seizures. Because temporal lobe epileptic activity tend to ...

AIM: The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with prolonged QT interval in liver cirrhosis patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-eight patients with liver cirrhosis were enrolled in this study. The maximal QT interval (QTmax), heart rate-corrected QT interval (QTc), QT interval in lead DII (QTII), and mean ...

to develop evidence-based criteria that distinguish syncope due to ventricular tachycardia (VT) from vasovagal syncope (VVS) in patients with structural heart disease (SHD). one hundred and thirty-four patients with syncope and SHD completed a 118-item questionnaire and underwent noninvasive and invasive diagnostic assessments in a prospective cohort study. The contributions ...

the PROVE trial was designed to determine if antitachycardia pacing (ATP) is clinically beneficial for primary prevention in patients who have implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) or cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillators (CRT-Ds). use of ICDs and CRT-Ds reduces mortality in patients with ventricular dysfunction and mild to moderate heart failure. However, ...

Electrical storm due to recurrent ventricular tachycardia (VT) in patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) can adversely affect their long-term survival. This study evaluates the efficiency of the radiofrequency catheter ablation of electrical storm due to monomorphic VT in patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and assesses its long-term effects ...

Current guidelines have indicated an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) for patients with severe idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy, for both primary and secondary prevention. Compared to coronary artery disease, the overall benefit has been smaller. A more refined risk assessment, using the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and prevention mode (primary/secondary), is still ...

Background/aims: We aimed to evaluate the prevalence of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and metabolic syndrome in patients with symptomatic gallstones undergoing laparoscopic or open cholecystectomy. Methods: A study of 95 patients was performed. Simultaneous liver biopsies were taken during cholecystectomy between 2006 and 2007. There were no postoperative complications. Patients with significant ...

Abstract Background. Both non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are associated with metabolic syndrome (MS) and insulin resistance (IR). Except for a few case reports, there are no systematic assessments of NASH in PCOS patients. Aim. To determine the prevalence of NASH and independent factors associated with NASH ...

The risk and success of epicardial substrate ablation for ventricular tachycardia (VT) support the value of techniques identifying the epicardial substrate with endocardial mapping. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that endocardial unipolar voltage mapping in patients with right ventricular (RV) VT and preserved endocardial bipolar ...

Calcium channel plays an important role in the autoimmune pathogenesis of idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Autoantibodies have emerged as a new upstream target of sudden death in DCM. We sought to validate the hypothesis that autoantibodies against l-type calcium channel (CC-AAbs) are arrhythmogenic and lead to sudden death in patients ...

Syncope is a common complaint that is frequently evaluated without identifying a precipitating cause. Gelastic (laughter-induced) syncope is an uncommon and poorly understood condition. We describe 3 patients who experienced loss of consciousness during vigorous laughter. Each patient had an extensive medical evaluation, including a comprehensive history and physical examination, ...

Peak oxygen consumption derived from cardiopulmonary exercise (CPX) testing provides important prognostic information in patients with heart failure (HF). The oxygen consumption at the ventilatory threshold (VT) has also been shown to be prognostic. However, the VT cannot always be detected in patients with HF. Other variables such as the ...

A few observational studies have shown the protective effect of statins on preventing ventricular tachycardia/ventricular fibrillation (VT/VF). However, the disparate study results prompt further exploration of this concept. We performed a meta-analysis to assess whether statin therapy is associated with a decrease in the incidence or recurrence of VT/VF in ...

The data on the efficacy of atenolol for long-QT syndrome (LQTS) are controversial. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of atenolol for pediatric patients with LQTS. A retrospective observational study investigating all patients who had LQTS treated with atenolol at two institutions was performed. The study identified 57 patients ...

We report a case of a 55 year-old man with a history of vasovagal syncope who experienced six unexpected syncopal events over the course of two hours. Two of these occurred in the supine position during ECG monitoring, which showed a long-lasting sinus pause. Before the last syncopal episode, the ...

The aim of this study is to investigate regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in patients with syncope. We compared brain single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) images of neurally mediated syncope patients with those of age/sex matched healthy volunteers. (99m)Tc-ethylcysteinate dimer (ECD) brain SPECT was performed in 35 patients (M/F = 17/18, ...

To compare head-up tilt testing (HUT) outcomes and hemodynamic responses, and the prevalence and correlates of prodromes, in elderly and younger patients with suspected vasovagal syncope (VVS). Consecutive outpatients with a history of recurrent unexplained syncope underwent HUT by being tilted to 70°; the test was potentiated by the administration ...

Disturbances in autonomic nervous system function have been reported to occur in patients suffering from mitochondrial cytopathies. However, there is paucity of literature on the occurrence of orthostatic intolerance (OI) in these patients. We report on a series of patients diagnosed with mitochondrial cytopathy who developed features of autonomic dysfunction ...

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: We investigated the application of head-up tilt table testing (HUT) and management of neurocardiogenic syncope (NCS) in children, as pediatric studies are limited. METHODS: Seventy-nine patients (ages 6-18 years) underwent HUT for evaluation of syncope. Patient triggers and premonitory symptoms allowed the clinical diagnosis of NCS or non-NCS. Results ...

In patients with prior infarction, isolated potentials (IPs) during sinus rhythm reflect fixed scar and often indicate sites critical for ventricular tachycardia (VT). The purpose of this study was to determine the value of IPs in conjunction with pace-mapping to guide VT ablation in patients with various types of nonischemic ...

Transvenous implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICD) have been implanted in Poland since 1995. As the method spreads it is important to consider its long-term benefits and disadvantages. To assess survival, efficacy and complication rate in ICD patients, who received the device more than ten years earlier. Retrospective analysis of 60 ICD patients ...

The prophylactic use of the implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) has been shown to decrease mortality in patients with depressed left ventricular ejection function (LVEF ≤ 35%). Whether this beneficial effect persists in the presence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is not established. We examined the medical records of patients with ...

VT Ablation in Apical Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. Introduction: Monomorphic ventricular tachycardia (VT) is uncommon in apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). The purpose of this study was to define the substrate and role of catheter ablation for VT in apical HCM. Methods: Four patients with apical HCM and frequent, drug refractory VT (mean age ...

The aim of this Phase II study was to determine the efficacy and safety of combined bortezomib and thalidomide (VT) regime as initial treatment for newly diagnosed patients with multiple myeloma (MM) in China. Thirty-four patients have been enrolled in this study and were planned to receive VT regime up ...

The substrate of myocardial ventricular tachycardia (VT) may involve the subepicardial myocardium. The purpose of this study was to assess the incidence of epicardial substrates in patients with a previously failed endocardial ablation attempt for VT as well as the safety and effectiveness of epicardial ablation. Using an electroanatomic mapping ...

Electrical storm (ES) is a serious problem in patients with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). However, insufficient reports have indicated the predictors of ES in ICD patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). The purpose of this study was to clarify the predictors of ES for risk stratification in DCM patients ...

Despite the high efficacy of catheter ablation of ventricular tachycardia (VT) in patients with arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia (ARVD), in some patients, conventional endocardial ablation is ineffective. These failures could be explained by the presence of epicardial arrhythmogenic substrate. In these cases, a percutaneous epicardial ablation may be required. This ...

The endocardial substrate for ventricular arrhythmias in patients with arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy (ARVD/C) is thought to be caused by a progressive degenerative process. Many clinical decisions and treatment plans are guided by this pathophysiologic assumption, but the extent of progression of macroscopic endocardial scar and right ventricular (RV) dilatation ...

To investigate whether a systematic approach to unexplained syncopal attacks based on the European Society of Cardiology guidelines would improve the diagnostic and therapeutic outcomes. Patients presenting with transient loss of consciousness to the Emergency Department of Skåne University Hospital in Malmö were registered by triage staff. Those with established ...

Patients with left ventricular noncompaction (LVNC) have an increased risk for life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias. The benefit from implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICD) in these patients has been investigated only in small series. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to analyze the clinical outcome of a larger population of patients with ...

Management of ventricular tachycardia (VT) in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is challenging. The purpose of this study is to assess the value of radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) for the treatment of the VTs in the setting of HCM. Twenty-two patients (18 with ICD) with HCM and multiple episodes of ...

Reducing sympathetic output to the heart from the neuraxis can protect against ventricular arrhythmias. The purpose of this study was to assess the value of thoracic epidural anesthesia (TEA) and left cardiac sympathetic denervation (LCSD) in the management of ventricular arrhythmias in patients with structural heart disease. Clinical data of ...

Ventricular fibrillation (VF) induced by different modes of induction may have different characteristics and defibrillation thresholds. This study compares the cycle lengths and defibrillation of VF induced by direct current (DC) pulses vs 50 Hz. We compared induction by DC pulses and 50-Hz pacing in this single-centre observational study of 259 ...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Carotid sinus massage (CSM) is commonly used to identify carotid sinus hypersensitivity (CSH) as a possible cause for syncope, especially in older patients. However, CSM itself could provoke classical vasovagal syncope (VVS) in pre disposed subjects. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of CSM, cardiovascular autonomic function tests (including tilt ...

We report a series of three patients whose implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICD) implants were unsuccessful due to inability to achieve defibrillation thresholds (DFT) at maximum available energy after failure of standard modification and enhancement procedures. All patients had advanced cardiomyopathy. Use of the coronary sinus (CS) for left ventricular (LV) shocking ...