PLR may be an important, simple, and cost effective tool predicting the degree of collateralization in patients with SAP and CTO.

IntroductionPlatelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR) has been shown to be an inflammatory and thrombotic biomarker for coronary heart disease, but its prognostic value in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) has not been fully investigated.AimTo investigate the relationship between PLR and no-reflow, along with the in-hospital and long-term outcomes in patients with STEMI.Material and methodsIn the present study, we included 304 consecutive patients suffering from STEMI who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention (p-PCI). Patients were stratified according to PLR tertiles based on the blood samples obtained in the emergency room upon admission. No-reflow after p-PCI was defined as a coronary thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) flow grade ≤ 2 after vessel recanalization, or TIMI flow grade 3 together with a final myocardial blush grade (MBG) < 2.ResultsThe mean follow-up period was 24 months (range: 22–26 months). The number of patients characterized with no-reflow was counted to depict increments throughout successive PLR tertiles (14% vs. 20% vs. 45%, p < 0.001). In-hospital major adverse cardiovascular events and death increased as the PLR increased (p < 0.001, p < 0.001). Long-term MACE and death also increased as the PLR increased (p < 0.001, p < 0.001). Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that PLR remained an independent predictor for both in-hospital (OR = 1.01, 95% CI: 1.00–1.01; p = 0.002) and major long-term (OR = 1.01, 95% CI: 1.00–1.01; p < 0.001) adverse cardiac events.ConclusionsPlatelet/lymphocyte ratio on admission is a strong and independent predictor of both the no-reflow phenomenon and long-term prognosis following p-PCI in patients with STEMI.

Background and ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to evaluate the association between the extent of coronary artery disease assessed by the Gensini score and/or the SYNTAX score and the significant carotid stenosis in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).Subjects and MethodsA total of 225 patients who had carotid doppler ultrasonography prior to CABG were included retrospectively. Significant coronary artery disease was assumed as a lumen diameter stenosis of ≥50% in any of the major epicardial coronary arteries. The severity of carotid stenosis was determined by B-mode and duplex ultrasonography. Clinically significant carotid stenosis was defined as peak systolic velocity greater than 125 cm/s.ResultsThe mean value of SYNTAX score and Gensini score was highest in patients allocated to significant carotid stenosis (22.98±7.32, p<0.001 and 77.40±32.35, p<0.001, respectively). The other risk factors for significant carotid stenosis were found to be male gender (p=0.029), carotid bruit (p<0.001), diabetes (p=0.021), left main disease (p=0.002), 3-vessel disease (p=0.008), chronic total coronary occlusion (p=0.001), and coronary artery calcification (p=0.001) in univariate analysis. However, only the Gensini score (odds ratio[OR]=1.030, p=0.004), carotid bruit (OR=0.068, p<0.001), and male gender (OR=0.190, p=0.003) were the independent predictors. The Gensini score cut off value predicting significant carotid stenosis was 50.5 with 77% sensitivity (p<0.001).ConclusionThe Gensini score may be used to identify patients at high risk for significant carotid stenosis prior to CABG.

In conclusion, a successful MitraClip procedure can reverse the process of LA remodeling within 12 months, and this can be detected by 2DSTE and RT3DE. Also, patients with preprocedural lower LA-Res and higher 3D-LAV min had the worst prognoses at the 1-year follow-up.

In conclusion, we have presented a strong evidence suggesting that Tp-e interval, Tp-e/QT ratio, and Tp-e/QTc ratio were increased in AAS users, which suggest that there might be a link between AAS use and ventricular arrthymias and sudden death.

Plasma fibrinogen is a readily measurable systemic inflammatory marker and is independently associated coronary severity and complexity in patients with CAD.

Echocardiographic EFT is an inexpensive, simple, and readily available marker that may be used to asses the severity of chronic heart failure in patients with NICMP.

We investigated the effect of long-term supraphysiologic doses of anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) on atrial electromechanical delay (AEMD) in male bodybuilders. We clearly demonstrated that long-term consumption of supraphysiologic doses of AAS is associated with higher values of inter- and intra-AEMD in healthy young bodybuilders.