Bmc Cardiovasc Disor
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Bmc Cardiovasc Disor · Jan 2017
Red blood cell distribution width and carotid intima-media thickness in patients with metabolic syndrome.
To evaluate the relationship between red blood cell distribution width (RDW) and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) in metabolic syndrome (MetS) patients. ⋯ High RDW is related to the increased CIMT in MetS patients, which highlights the role of RDW in the progression of elevated CIMT in MetS patients.
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To identify and characterize the most frequently cited articles that have been published on aortic dissection. ⋯ Our study provides a historical perspective on the progress of dissection research, and helps to identify the quality of the work, the discoveries made, and the trends steering the studies.
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Bmc Cardiovasc Disor · Jan 2017
Two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography for evaluation of dilative ascending aorta biomechanics.
Two-dimensional (2D) echocardiography is one of the most feasible, noninvasive methods for assessing the aortic diameter and biomechanical changes. We studied possible interfaces between noninvasive biomechanical and speckle-tracking (ST) echocardiographic data from dilated aortas. ⋯ Ascending aortas of both DPAA groups had reduced elasticity and increased stiffness. The greatest changes in biomechanical parameters occurred in ascending aortas >45 mm. Longitudinal ascending aortic wall motion was mostly impaired in patients with aortas >45 mm (i.e., anterior aortic wall LD, VL of the posterior and anterior walls. TD of the posterior and anterior aortic walls was significantly lower in >45 mm aortic diameter patients. TD of 5.2 mm could predict aortic dilation >45 mm (area under the curve 0.76, p < 0.001, confidence interval 0.65-0.87; sensitivity 87%; specificity 63%). Greater aortic dilation is associated with reduced aortic stiffness parameters and increased elastic modulus and stiffness index β. Lower LD and LS were associated with less aortic strain and distensibility. There were no significant differences in 2D-ST echocardiographic or stiffness parameters between patients with tricuspid or bicuspid aortic valves.
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Bmc Cardiovasc Disor · Jan 2017
Review Meta AnalysisBleeding outcomes associated with rivaroxaban and dabigatran in patients treated for atrial fibrillation: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Warfarin is commonly used as a secondary prevention of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). However, limitations have been observed even with the use of this medication. Recently, several newer direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) have been approved for use by the food and drug administrations. Unfortunately, these newer drugs have seldom been compared directly with each other. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the bleeding events associated with rivaroxaban and dabigatran in patients treated for non-valvular AF. ⋯ Head to head comparison showed that rivaroxaban was not associated with significantly higher bleeding events compared to dabigatran. Intracranial bleeding, GI bleeding, stroke/SE/TIA, venous thromboembolism and mortality were also not significantly different between these two DOACs. However, due to the limited number of patients analyzed, and which were mainly obtained from observational studies, this hypothesis might only be confirmed in future randomized trials. Furthermore, the CHADS2-VASC and HAS-BLED score which might play an important role in predicting bleeding risks should also not be ignored.