Search results for "value"
showing 10 items of 5321 documents
Two-dimensional echocardiographic evaluation of left ventricular ejection fraction by the ellipsoid single-plane algorithm: a reliable method for ass…
1995
The reliability of two-dimensional (2D) echocardiographic estimation of left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) is commonly recognized, but no satisfactory data are available about the accuracy of low or very low EF values determined by 2D echocardiography (ECHO-EF). The purpose of our study was to assess the reliability of low ECHO-EF values obtained using a simple time-economical algorithm such as the ellipsoid single-plane area-length method. Radionuclide angiography (RAD-EF) was taken as the standard of comparison. We studied 59 consecutive patients (31 women and 28 men) referred to our echocardiographic laboratory. Both 2D echocardiography and radionuclide angiography were blindly perf…
Anatomic study of the corneal thickness of young emmetropic subjects.
2004
PURPOSE To study the corneal thickness of young emmetropic subjects. METHODS One thousand eyes of 1000 young healthy emmetropic subjects were analyzed with the Orbscan Topography System II (Orbscan, Inc, Salt Lake City, UT) from January 2001 to May 2003. The age of the subjects ranged from 20 to 30 years old (mean +/- SD = 27.12 +/- 2.86). The mean of 5 consecutive measurements of the corneal thickness in the center of the cornea and at temporal, superotemporal, inferotemporal, nasal, inferonasal, and superonasal cornea were recorded. RESULTS The corneal thickness at the following areas ranged as follows: 518 to 589 microm center; 603 to 678 microm nasal; 620 to 689 microm superonasal; 600 …
Plasma concentration of asymmetric dimethylarginine, an endogenous inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase, is elevated in hyperthyroid patients.
2002
Cardiovascular manifestations are frequent findings in patients with thyroid hormone disorders. Nitric oxide (NO) plays a key role in vascular, endothelial-mediated relaxation. NO is synthesized from L-arginine by NO synthase, an enzyme inhibited by endogenous compounds, mainly asymmetric dimethylarginine [asymmetric N(G),N(G)-dimethyl-L-arginine (ADMA)]. The aim of our work was to investigate whether plasma L-arginine and dimethylarginine concentrations and NO production are altered in hypo- and hyperthyroid patients, compared with control subjects. L-arginine, ADMA and symmetric dimethylarginine were analyzed by HPLC. NO was measured as plasma nitrite plus nitrate (NO(x)) concentration by…
Standardized T2* map of normal human heart in vivo to correct T2* segmental artefacts.
2007
A segmental, multislice, multi-echo T2* MRI approach could be useful in heart iron-overloaded patients to account for heterogeneous iron distribution, demonstrated by histological studies. However, segmental T2* assessment in heart can be affected by the presence of geometrical and susceptibility artefacts, which can act on different segments in different ways. The aim of this study was to assess T2* value distribution in the left ventricle and to develop a correction procedure to compensate for artefactual variations in segmental analysis. MRI was performed in four groups of 22 subjects each: healthy subjects (I), controls (II) (thalassemia intermedia patients without iron overload), thala…
Prognostic value of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide in elderly people with acute myocardial infarction: prospective observational study
2009
Objective To examine the influence of age on the predictive value of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic (NT-proBNP) peptide assay in acute myocardial infarction. Design Prospective observational study. Setting All intensive care units in one French region. Participants 3291 consecutive patients admitted for an acute myocardial infarction, from the RICO survey (a French regional survey for acute myocardial infarction). Main outcome measure Cardiovascular death at 1 year. Results Among the 3291 participants, mean age was 68 (SD 14) years and 2356 (72%) were men. In the study population, the median NT-proBNP concentration was 1053 (interquartile range 300-3472) pg/ml. Median values for age quart…
Defining a reference population to determine the 99th percentile of a contemporary sensitive cardiac troponin I assay
2013
Abstract Background Diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) according to the universal definition is based on ischemic symptoms, imaging findings and elevated myocardial necrosis markers, preferably cardiac troponin I/T with diagnostic threshold representing the 99th percentile of a reference population. It is not clearly defined if this should be an unselected population-based or a healthy cohort with respect to cardiac diseases. Aim of the current study was to describe the distribution of troponin I using a sensitive assay and to evaluate the impact of cardiac diseases and cardiovascular risk factors in apparently healthy individuals. Methods Troponin I was determined using a conte…
Effects of mud-pack treatment on plasma cytokine and soluble adhesion molecule levels in healthy volunteers
2001
Abstract Background : The suggested hypothesis of a direct anti-inflammatory property of mud-pack treatment has led us to speculate that its action on the cytokine network might counteract the heat-stress-related effects on platelet and endothelial cell function often reported following hot-spring baths. Therefore, the present study was designed to investigate the effects of a cycle of 12 daily mud-pack treatments on bio-humoral markers of inflammation, as well as on markers of in vivo platelet and/or endothelial cell activation, in plasma samples obtained from healthy volunteers. Methods : Blood samples were obtained before ( T 0 ), at the end of the first treatment ( T 1 ) and after a cyc…
Influencing factors and predictors of early improvement in the acute treatment of schizophrenia and schizophrenia spectrum disorder.
2011
Abstract Background To examine the influencing factors and predictors of early improvement in schizophrenia patients. Methods 370 patients suffering from a schizophrenia spectrum disorder were examined within a naturalistic multicenter study. Early improvement was defined as a ≥30% PANSS total score reduction within the first two treatment weeks, response as a ≥50% improvement of the PANSS total score from admission to discharge and remission according to the consensus remission criteria. Baseline and course-related variables such as positive, negative and depressive symptoms, side effects, functioning and subjective well-being were examined regarding their explanatory value for early impro…
Residual urine volume after total mesorectal excision: an indicator of pelvic autonomic nerve preservation? Results of a case-control study.
2004
Objective The rate of bladder dysfunctions after total mesorectal excision (TME) for rectal cancer can be decreased by bilateral pelvic autonomic nerve preservation (PANP). However, it is not clear yet, how often partial nerve impairment may lead to bladder dysfunction. It was the aim of a case-control study, to examine the residual urine volume in patients before and after TME with and without complete PANP, in order to clarify, whether this parameter allows conclusions on the quality of PANP. Patients and methods Regarding bladder function, a case group (n = 26) without complete PANP was compared with a control group (n = 26) with complete identification and nerve preservation according…
Grey matter damage and overall cognitive impairment in primary progressive multiple sclerosis
2011
Objectives: To identify associations between cognitive impairment and imaging measures in a cross-sectional study of patients with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS). Methods: Neuropsychological tests were administered to 27 patients with PPMS and 31 controls. Patients underwent brain conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences, volumetric scans and magnetization transfer (MT) imaging; MT ratio (MTR) parameters, grey matter (GM) and normal-appearing white matter (NAWM) volumes, and WM T2 lesion load (T2LL) were obtained. In patients, multiple linear regression models identified the imaging measure associated with the abnormal cognitive tests independently from the ot…