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showing 10 items of 417 documents
Ultrasonography in Heart Failure: A Story that Matters
2019
Abstract Heart failure (HF) is a clinical syndrome caused by structural and/or functional cardiac abnormalities, resulting in a reduced cardiac output and/or elevated intracardiac pressures at rest or during stress. It is the leading cause of hospitalization in Internal Medicine departments. This article aims at reviewing evidence of the importance of ultrasound in HF both for hospitalized patients and in the follow-up. Ultrasound may be used as a recovery monitoring instrument at the bedside and also as a global cardiovascular assessment tool for these patients. HF represents an exciting opportunity to create an integrative ultrasound approach in Internal Medicine and/or Geriatric departme…
Deleting Full Length Titin Versus the Titin M-Band Region Leads to Differential Mechanosignaling and Cardiac Phenotypes
2019
Background: Titin is a giant elastic protein that spans the half-sarcomere from Z-disk to M-band. It acts as a molecular spring and mechanosensor and has been linked to striated muscle disease. The pathways that govern titin-dependent cardiac growth and contribute to disease are diverse and difficult to dissect. Methods: To study titin deficiency versus dysfunction, the authors generated and compared striated muscle specific knockouts (KOs) with progressive postnatal loss of the complete titin protein by removing exon 2 (E2-KO) or an M-band truncation that eliminates proper sarcomeric integration, but retains all other functional domains (M-band exon 1/2 [M1/2]-KO). The authors evaluated c…
Cardiomyocyte apoptosis is related to left ventricular dysfunction and remodelling in dilated cardiomyopathy, but is not affected by growth hormone t…
2007
Background and aims Cardiomyocyte apoptosis (CA) is a common feature of end-stage heart failure. We examined whether CA is associated with cardiac dysfunction and remodelling in heart failure due to dilated cardiomyopathy and studied the effect of human growth hormone (hGH) on CA. Methods and results We studied 38 patients, included in a phase III multi-center, randomised, double-blind and placebo-controlled trial of biosynthetic hGH treatment in dilated cardiomyopathy, at baseline and after 14 weeks treatment. Twenty-six patients received hGH and 12 received placebo. CA was quantified in endomyocardial biopsies using the TUNEL assay. CA correlated with left ventricular size (r=0.43, p=0.00…
The influence of atorvastatin on parameters of inflammation left ventricular function, hospitalizations and mortality in patients with dilated cardio…
2013
Background: We assessed the influence of atorvastatin on selected indicators of an inflammatory condition, left ventricular function, hospitalizations and mortality in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Methods. We included 68 DCM patients with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤40% treated optimally in a prospective, randomized study. They were observed for 5 years. Patients were divided into two groups: patients who were commenced on atorvastatin 40 mg daily for two months followed by an individually matched dose of 10 or 20 mg/day (group A), and patients who were treated according to current recommendations without statin therapy (group B). Results: After 5-year follow-u…
Leukocyte Redistribution: Effects of Beta Blockers in Patients with Chronic Heart Failure
2009
BACKGROUND:Overproduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines is a well established factor in the progression of chronic heart failure (CHF). Changes in cellular immunity have not been widely studied, and the impact of standard medication is uncertain. Here we investigate whether a leukocyte redistribution occurs in CHF and whether this effect is influenced by beta-blocker therapy. METHODOLOGY:We prospectively studied 75 patients with systolic CHF (age: 68+/-11 years, left ventricular ejection fraction 32+/-11%, New York Heart Association class 2.5+/-0.7) and 20 age-matched healthy control subjects (age: 63+/-10 years). We measured the response of cells to endotoxin exposure in vitro, analysed su…
Critical single proximal left arterial descending coronary artery stenosis to mimic chronic myocardial ischemia: a new model induced by minimal invas…
2008
<i>Background/Aims:</i> The present report examines a new pig model for progressive induction of high-grade stenosis, for the study of chronic myocardial ischemia and the dynamics of collateral vessel growth. <i>Methods:</i> Thirty-nine Landrace pigs were instrumented with a novel experimental stent (GVD stent) in the left anterior descending coronary artery. Eight animals underwent transthoracic echocardiography at rest and under low-dose dobutamine. Seven animals were examined by nuclear PET and SPECT analysis. Epi-, mid- and endocardial fibrosis and the numbers of arterial vessels were examined by histology. <i>Results:</i> Functional analysis showed a…
Comparison of Nonclassic and Classic Phenotype of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Focused on Prognostic Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Parameters: A Single-C…
2022
Patients with nonclassic phenotypes (NCP)—more advanced stages of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM)—constitute an intriguing and heterogeneous group that is difficult to diagnose, risk-stratify, and treat, and often neglected in research projects. We aimed to compare cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) parameters in NCP versus classic phenotypes (CP) of HCM with special emphasis given to the parameters of established and potential prognostic importance, including numerous variables not used in everyday clinical practice. The CMR studies of 88 patients performed from 2011 to 2019 were postprocessed according to the study protocol to obtain standard and non-standard parameters. In NCP, the late …
Impact of diabetes mellitus on outcomes in patients with myocardial infarction according to varying degrees of left ventricular systolic dysfunction.
2022
Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is known to contribute to unfavorable short- and long-term outcomes in patients with myocardial infarction (MI). Particularly poor outcomes are associated with left ventricular systolic dysfunction after an MI. The aim of our study was to compare the short- and long-term outcomes of MI in patients with DM and varied degrees of left ventricular systolic dysfunction with the corresponding outcomes in a non-diabetic control group. Methods: This analysis focused on patients with MI registered in the Polish National Registry of Acute Coronary Syndrome between 2009 and 2011. For the purposes of this analysis, diabetic patients were additionally stratified into t…
The Politicization of European Union Trade Policy: Radical-Left Euroskeptic Opposition to the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership
2021
This study aims to analyze the correlation between radical-left Euroskeptic (RLE) activity and European Union (EU) trade policy by focusing on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). At the beginning of TTIP negotiations, the agreement was not high on political agendas and was not a major concern within European society. Thus, its salience was low. This initial lack of interest stemmed from the fact that the TTIP, as an economic and technical issue, did not draw public attention. This study shows that RLEs profoundly affected public opinion on the TTIP by increasing its salience during the European parliamentary elections in 2014 in France and Germany. Second, RLEs involv…
Isolated non-compaction of the myocardium as a cause of coronary and cerebral embolic events in the same patient.
2009
A 44-year-old woman with a history of smoking and previous cerebral thrombo-embolism presented to the emergency department with prolonged chest pain and ECG changes showing an acute anterior myocardial infarction. She was referred to the cath-lab for primary angioplasty. Coronary angiography showed a thrombotic occlusion at the origin of first diagonal …