International journal of cardiology
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We have investigated the role of muscle mass, natriuretic peptides and adipokines in explaining the obesity paradox. ⋯ The lower mortality risk associated with excess weight in men with CHD without HF may be due to higher muscle mass. In men with HF, leptin (possibly reflecting cachexia) explain the inverse association.
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Restless patient is recalcitrant during ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF). We aimed to assess the association between patient movements during AF ablation and its outcome. ⋯ Keeping patients motionless may be important to reduce the procedural duration of AF ablation.
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Increased jugular venous pressure, reflecting the increased right atrial pressure, is a classical sign of heart failure (HF) but clinical assessment may be difficult. ⋯ Distension of the JV at rest relative to the maximum diameter during a Valsalva manoeuvre (JVD ratio) identifies patients with heart failure who have higher plasma NT-proBNP levels, right ventricular dysfunction and raised pulmonary artery pressure.
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While remote ischemic preconditioning (rIPC) protects the mature heart against ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury, the effect on the neonatal heart is not known. The neonatal heart relies almost solely on carbohydrate metabolism, which is modified by rIPC in the mature heart. We hypothesized that rIPC combined with metabolic support with glucose-insulin (GI) infusion improves cardiac function and reduces infarct size after IR injury in neonatal piglets in-vivo. ⋯ rIPC+GI protects the neonatal porcine heart against IR injury in-vivo. rIPC alone has detrimental metabolic and functional effects that are abrogated by simultaneous GI infusion.