Clinical cardiology
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Clinical cardiology · Sep 2011
Comparative StudyComparison of electrocardiographic findings between the midventricular ballooning form and apical ballooning form of takotsubo cardiomyopathy.
Several reports have recently described the variant form of takotsubo cardiomyopathy exhibiting midventricular ballooning. The purpose of this study was to assess electrocardiographic (ECG) findings on admission in patients with midventricular ballooning. ⋯ Our data suggested that midventricular ballooning may show limited ECG changes despite broad wall motion abnormality.
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Clinical cardiology · Sep 2011
Acquired long QT interval: a case series of multifactorial QT prolongation.
Acquired long QT (LQT) interval is thought to be a consequence of drug therapy and electrolyte disturbances. ⋯ This case series highlights the risks of polypharmacy in the development of LQT and TdP. It illustrates the importance of early detection of LQT in patients with multiple risk factors in ensuring appropriate treatment.
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Clinical cardiology · Aug 2011
The value of admission HbA(1c) level in diabetic patients with acute coronary syndrome.
Elevated admission glucose level is a strong predictor of short-term adverse outcome in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). However, the prognostic value of diabetic control (ie, hemoglobin A(1c) levels) in patients with ACS is still undefined. ⋯ This study suggests that HbA(1c) levels before admission are not associated with short-term cardiovascular outcome in diabetic patients subsequently admitted with ACS.
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Clinical cardiology · Aug 2011
Right ventricular systolic pressure assessed by echocardiography: a predictive factor of mortality in patients with scleroderma.
Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a well-known complication of systemic sclerosis (SSc). Doppler echocardiographic screening for the detection of PAH (by measuring right ventricular systolic pressure [RVSP]) is therefore recommended for all patients with SSc. However, the validity of RVSP as a predictor of mortality in patients with SSc is not well established. ⋯ Our results indicate that Doppler RVSP identifies a high-risk subset and supports the use of Doppler RVSP as a screening test in patients with SSc who may warrant early treatment of their PAH.
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Clinical cardiology · Jul 2011
Randomized Controlled TrialRanolazine for the treatment of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: background, aims, and design of the RALI-DHF study.
Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), formerly referred to as diastolic heart failure (DHF), accounts for >50% of all HF patients. So far, there has been no specific treatment for impaired left ventricular (LV) relaxation. Data from in vitro and animal studies indicate that ranolazine improves diastolic function by inhibiting the late sodium current. ⋯ The RALI-DHF study is designed as a translational study to bridge the gap between basic science and therapeutics and to determine if ranolazine, compared with placebo, will be more effective in improving diastolic function in patients with HFpEF.