This study showed that NAFLD is associated with impaired CIMT and FMD, which are early markers of atherosclerosis. These findings may play a crucial role in understanding the pathophysiology of the atherosclerotic process in patients with NAFLD.
In stable CAD, increased GGT activity within the normal range is associated with increased oxidative stress rather than increased extent and complexity of CAD.
We investigated the association between serum bilirubin level and thoracic aortic intima-media thickness (IMT). The study population consisted of 417 patients without coronary artery disease, who underwent transesophageal echocardiography examination for various indications. The highest aortic IMT values were observed in the bilirubinlow group compared with the bilirubinhigh group (P < .001). Serum bilirubin level was associated with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level (r = .162, P = .001), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP; r = -.265, P < .001), and aortic IMT (r = -.551, P < .001) in bivariate analysis. Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that serum bilirubin level was independently and negatively associated with hsCRP (β = -.095, P = .028) and aortic IMT (β = -.513, P < .001). Serum bilirubin level may be an independent predictor of the extent of subclinical aortic atherosclerosis assessed by thoracic aortic IMT.
SummaryThe aim of the present study was to evaluate whether the baseline thiol/disulfide state can predict the occurrence of anthracycline induced cardiac toxicity. A total of 186 cancer patients receiving anthracycline (doxorubicin)-based chemotherapy were enrolled. All patients underwent 2-dimensional (2D) speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) to determine their left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and blood samples for measuring thiol forms were obtained before treatment and 4 weeks after completion of the chemotherapy. The mean dose of doxorubicin exposure was 255 ± 39.2 mg/m 2 . Baseline native thiol was found to be lower whereas baseline disulfide and the disulfide/total thiol ratio were found to be higher in patients who had a decrease in LVEF after anthracycline therapy. Also, the amount of decrease in LVEF was well correlated with the delta value of the thiol forms. Logistic regression analysis revealed that changes in BNP and global longitudinal strain (GLS), baseline level of native thiol, disulfide, and the disulfide/total thiol ratio were strong predictors for a decrease in LVEF.The thiol/disulfide pathway may be a factor for predicting chemotherapy-induced cardiac toxicity as one of the oxidative stress mechanisms. (Int Heart J 2017; 58: 69-72)
Objective:Vitamin D deficiency is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular mortality. The relationship between vitamin D level and left ventricle (LV) myocardial performance index (MPI=Tei index), which incorporates both LV systolic function and diastolic function, was not investigated in previous studies. We hypothesized that vitamin D level may be associated with LV function and geometry. We aimed to investigate the association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25 [OH] D) levels and MPI and LV hypertrophy in hypertensive patients with newly diagnosed and preserved ejection fraction.Methods:We studied 151 sequential newly diagnosed hypertensive subjects who lived in the Çukurova region without known cardiovascular risk factors or overt heart disease (mean age: 62.8±10.4 years). Serum 25 (OH) D was measured using a direct competitive chemiluminescent immunoassay. The patients were divided into two groups according to serum 25 (OH) D level: vitamin D-non-deficient group (vitamin D> 20.00 ng/mL, n=53) and vitamin D-deficient group (vitamin D< 20.00 ng/mL, n=98). MPI was defined as the sum of isovolumic contraction and relaxation times divided by the ejection time. LV mass index (LVMI) was calculated by using the Devereux formula and body surface area.Results:MPI and LVMI values were lower and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels were higher in patients who were vitamin D-non-deficient than patients who were vitamin D-deficient (p<0.05 for all). Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that serum 25 (OH) D was indepen-dently associated with MPI (β=-0.426, p<0.001), LVMI (β=-0.345, p=<0.001), and LDL (β=0.140, p<0.026).Conclusion:Lower serum 25 (OH) D levels are significantly associated with impaired myocardial performance and LVMI.
This study demonstrates increased masked hypertension prevalence in patients with epistaxis. We suggest that all patients with epistaxis should undergo ambulatory or home blood pressure to detect masked hypertension, which could be a possible cause of epistaxis.
Objective:The relationship between severity of coronary artery disease (CAD) and left ventricler (LV) hypertrophy in hypertensive patients is well known. However, the association between the extent and complexity of CAD assessed with SYNTAX score (SS) and different LV geometric patterns has not been investigated. We aimed to investigate the association between SYNTAX score and different LV geometric patterns in hypertensive patients.Methods:The study had been made in our clinic between January 2013 and August 2013. We studied 251 CAD patients who had hypertension and who underwent coronary angiography (147 males, 104 females; mean age 61.61±9.9 years). Coronary angiography was performed based on clinical indications. SS was determined in all patients. Echocardiographic examination was performed in all subjects. Four different geometric patterns were determined in patients according to LV mass index (LVMI) and relative wall thickness (RWT) (Groups: NG-normal geometry, CR-concentric remodeling, EH-eccentric hypertrophy, and CH-concentric hypertrophy). Biochemical markers were measured in all participants.Results:The highest SS values were observed in the CH group compared with the NG, CR, and EH groups (p<0.05 for all). Also, the SS values of the EH group were higher than in the NG and CR groups (p<0.05 for all). Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that SS was independently associated with LV geometry (β=0.316, p=0.001), as well as age (β=0.163, p=0.007) and diabetes (β=-0.134, p=0.022).Conclusion:SYNTAX score is independently related with LV geometry in hypertensive patients. This result shows that LV remodeling is parallel to the increase in the extent and complexity of CAD in our study patients.
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