International journal of cardiology
-
Letter Case Reports
Tadalafil improves quality of life and exercise tolerance in idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension.
Pulmonary arterial hypertension has a poor prognosis quoad vitam et valitudinem. Herein, we report on a middle-aged woman affected by idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension whose quality of life and exercise tolerance improved remarkably after a six-month course of treatment with the long-acting phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor tadalafil.
-
The incidence of subclinical cardiotoxicity following anthracycline treatment for childhood cancer varies according to the method used for its detection. The aim of the study was to document the prevalence of left ventricular myocardial mass (LVM) reduction and its possible association with plasma N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels in asymptomatic children treated with anthracyclines. ⋯ The association of higher NT-proBNP levels with reduced LVM in asymptomatic children after anthracycline administration could be an early indication of subclinical cardiotoxicity.
-
We aimed to assess whether fasting plasma triglycerides independently predicted future fatal and nonfatal cardiovascular disease (CVD) in a population having a high prevalence of the metabolic syndrome. In the Turkish Adult Risk Factor Study, a population-based survey, 2682 men and women 20 years of age or over with fasting triglyceride values available and free of CVD at baseline examination in 1990, were prospectively followed up till 2003/04. Triglyceride concentrations were measured by the enzymatic dry chemistry method and stratified into sex-specific quintiles. Information on the mode of death was obtained from first-degree relatives and/or health personnel of local health office. Diagnosis of coronary heart disease and stroke among survivors was based on history, physical examination of the cardiovascular system and Minnesota coding of resting electrocardiograms. A total of 120 fatal and 221 new nonfatal CVD occurred among adults (mean age 43+/-14) during a mean 9.3 years of follow-up. ⋯ Fasting triglycerides are predictive of future CVD among men with an HR of 1.4, independent of age, diabetes, lipid-lowering medication, traditional risk factors including total cholesterol or HDL-C, in a population in which metabolic syndrome prevails. A modest independent risk increment in women did not reach significance.
-
Multicenter Study Clinical Trial
The diagnostic value of troponin T testing in the community setting.
Many patients presenting with chest pain to their family physician are referred to the emergency room, in part, due to lack of accurate objective diagnostic tools. This study aimed to assess the diagnostic value of bedside troponin T kit testing in patients presenting with chest pain to their family physician. ⋯ Troponin kit testing is an important tool to assist the family physician in the assessment of patients with chest pain in the community setting. Troponin kit testing may identify otherwise undiagnosed cases of myocardial infarctions, and reduce unnecessary referrals to the emergency room.