The NLR is a readily measurable systemic inflammatory marker and is associated with both the presence and the complexity of coronary artery disease.

We aimed to investigate the relationship between the extent of venous thromboembolism (VTE) and nonspecific inflammatory markers such as neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP). We retrospectively enrolled 77 patients with VTE (distal deep vein thrombosis [DVT], n = 19; proximal DVT, n = 32; and pulmonary thromboembolism [PTE], n = 26) and 34 healthy controls. In the performed analysis of variance, the levels of white blood cell, NLR, and hs-CRP were clearly different among the groups (control, distal and proximal DVT, and PTE) (P < .001). Especially, a significant increase from the control group to the DVT and PTE was observed in the analysis made for NLR. In the performed receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis, area under curve (AUC) = 0.849 and P < .001 were detected for NLR > 1.84. For this value, the sensitivity and specificity were determined as 88.2% and 67.6%, respectively. The NLR is an inexpensive and a readily available marker that may be effective in determining the extent of VTE, and it is useful for risk stratification in patients with VTE.

Present study results demonstrated that high thrombus burden in patients with STEMI was associated with impaired postprocedural epicardial and myocardial perfusion and higher no reflow and distal embolization; and increased RDW values were independent predictors of coronary thrombus burden.

An anomalous origin of the coronary anatomy must be present in the interpretations because of its importance for patients, cardiologists, and surgeons. As a conclusion, our study showed that MDCT, especially volume rendering and maximum intensity projection techniques, may be useful for assessment of complex variations, when the conventional angiography may not be sufficient.

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Background: It has been shown that mitral stenosis (MS) impairs left ventricular (LV) systolic function; however, this issue has not been studied comprehensively. We aimed to evaluate the role of 2D strain in the assessment of subclinical LV systolic dysfunction in patients with MS. Methods: Seventy-two patients with isolated MS (mild, moderate and severe) and 31 healthy control subjects constituted the study population. 2D echocardiography images were obtained from LV apical 4-chamber (4C), long axis (LAX), and 2-chamber (2C) views. Peak longitudinal strain and strain rate (Sr) were obtained from 4C, LAX, and 2C views. Global strain and Sr were calculated by averaging the three apical views. Results: There were no significant differences in LV ejection fraction and LV systolic or diastolic dimensions between the groups. Patients with MS had significantly lower LV longitudinal strain and Sr measurements than the control group. In addition, there were no significant differences in MS subgroups with respect to LV strain and Sr measurements. Conclusion: We demonstrated that patients with MS had lower LV functions using 2D strain imaging, and this is independent of the hemodynamic severity of MS. In the detection of subclinical LV dysfunction in patients with MS, 2D strain imaging appears to be useful.

The Syntax score reproducibility is within acceptable limits in real world clinical practice and it may become a significant tool in complex CAD management. (J Interven Cardiol 2011;24:302-306).

Atorvastatin and rosuvastatin had similar efficacy in preventing CIN in patients with STEMI undergoing P-PCI.