Overall, conventional echocardiography can detect some differences between young athletes with eccentric and concentric type of athlete's heart but it is incapable of revealing differences in intrinsic myocardial functions. However, analysis using STE demonstrated increased systolic functions in athletes commensurate with increased load, with unaltered diastolic functions.

NLR, as a novel cardiovascular risk marker, is an important, simple and inexpensive method which can be used by the cardiologist as a screening inflammation tool to estimate the development of CCC in patients with CTO.

Background and ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to investigate the impact of treatment with oral trimetazidine (TMZ) applied before and after percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) on short-term left ventricular functions and plasma brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels in patients with non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) undergoing PCI.Subjects and MethodsThe study included 45 patients who were undergoing PCI with the diagnosis of NSTEMI. The patients were randomized into two groups. The first group (n=22) of the patients hospitalized with the diagnosis of NSTEMI was given conventional therapy plus 60 mg TMZ just prior to PCI. Treatment with TMZ was continued for one month after the procedure. TMZ treatment was not given to the second group (n=23). Echocardiography images were recorded and plasma BNP levels were measured just prior to the PCI and on the 1st and 30th days after PCI.ResultsThe myocardial performance index (MPI) was greater in the second group (p=0.02). In the comparison of BNP levels, they significantly decreased in both of the groups during the 30-day follow-up period (29.0±8 and 50.6±33, p<0.01 respectively). However, decreasing of BNP levels was higher in the group administered with TMZ. The decrease of left ventriclular end-diastolic volume was observed in all groups at 30 days after intervention, but was higher in the group administered with TMZ (p=0.01).ConclusionTrimetazidine treatment commencing prior to PCI and continued after PCI in patients with NSTEMI provides improvements in MPI, left ventricular end diastolic volume and a decrease in BNP levels.

Morphology and functions of the right ventricle (RV) show differences in the athletes based on whether exercising acutely or chronically. Temporary RV dysfunction occurs during acute exercise. However, RV functions during chronic exercise are speculative. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate RV functions of long-distance runners, who perform chronic exercise, by both conventional and speckle-tracking echocardiography. In this study, we examined 44 long-distance runner and 30 sedentary subjects. RV longitudinal strain (LS), RV systolic longitudinal strain rate (LSRs), RV early diastolic longitudinal strain rate and late diastolic longitudinal strain rate parameters were evaluated by apical 4-chamber gray-scale imaging through the septum and free wall of RV in accordance with automated function imaging protocol. It was observed on the conventional echocardiographic parameters of longdistance runners that RA and RVED diameter have been increased (p = 0.028; p = 0.003 respectively), whereas systolic right ventricle fractional area change and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion values were similar to those of sedentary subjects (p = 0.65; p = 0.75 respectively). LS and systolic and diastolic strain rate functions were also similar. Morphological adaptation, but not functional change, occurs in the athletes performing chronic exercise.

Introduction. The new 2018 international guidelines for diagnosing usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP)/idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) by CT scan split the old pattern possible UIP (2011 IPF guidelines) into two new patterns: probable UIP and indeterminate for UIP.However, the proportions and prognoses of these new CT-scan patterns are not clear.J o u r n a l P r e -p r o o f 2 Methods. We used a monocentric retrospective cohort of 322 patients suspected of having IPF