Open Cardiovascular Medicine Journal

Background: Socioeconomic Status (SES) indicators, such as educational attainment, are social determinants of heart disease. Marginalization related Diminished Returns (MDRs) refer to smaller health benefits of high SES for racial and ethnic minorities compared to the majority group. It is still unknown, however, if MDRs also apply to the effects of education on heart disease. Purpose: Using a nationally representative sample, we explored racial/ethnic variation in the link between educational attainment and heart disease among American adults...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Several treatment modalities and protocols for ischaemic foot ulcers are available. However, little consensus exists on optimal treatment. The aim of this study was to compare Standard Wound Care (SWC) alone vs. SWC with adjunct hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) in the treatment of ischaemic Diabetic Foot Ulcers (DFUs). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty-six patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) presenting with a newly diagnosed ischaemic foot ulcer were included...

Background: Demographic dynamics and decreasing trends in mortality from chronic diseases are major contributors to the phenomenon of population aging. The purpose of the present study was to examine the association between cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality and demographic indicators, in Greece the past 60 years. Methods: Life Expectancy at birth (LE), population age structure, fertility rates (TFR) and all-cause, CVD mortality rates were retrieved (data provided by the Hellenic Statistical Authority, 1956-2015)...

Background: The influence of biomarkers in human lifespan has been investigated but with no clear results yet. Materials and methods: Lipids, Uric Acid (UA), Adiponectin (ADIPOQ), Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF-1), cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) proteins, as well as CETP , ADIPOQ , insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 ( IGFBP3 ) and ACE -gene polymorphisms were evaluated in 149 Greek individuals. The Long-Lived Families (LON) (n=84) comprised of 3 generations: long-lived aged ≥90 years (P), offspring (FL1) and their grandchildren (FL2), while the Short-Lived Families (EAD) (n=65) where both parents died <75 years, comprised of 2 generations: middle-aged (FD1) and children (FD2)...

Introduction: Since there are many manufacturers of cardiac troponin I assays, the true incidence of a false positive result is unknown. The authors report a case of an 18-year-old patient with previous history of recurrent myopericarditis and admitted to hospital twice again with a suspicious of myopericarditis. Conclusion: Troponin I was found to be a false positive and alkaline phosphatase interference was proved to have been the responsible for this.

Background: Low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and low grade arterial inflammation are key pathogenic factors for atherosclerosis and its manifestation, cardiovascular disease (CVD). Objective: In this narrative review we assessed if decreasing LDL-C levels or inflammation or both is more effective in reducing CVD events. Results: In the Scandinavian Simvastatin Survival Study (4S), all statin trials of the 90s' and the Further Cardiovascular Outcomes Research with PCSK9 Inhibition in Subjects with Elevated Risk (FOURIER) the benefit came from the LDL-C reduction...

Background: Popliteal artery entrapment syndrome (PAES) is a very rare pathology that can cause lower extremity ischemia in healthy young people. Anomalous anatomic relationships between the popliteal artery (PA) and the surrounding musculo-tendinous structures cause PAES. We present 31 patients with PAES in 35 limbs that were treated surgically in our clinic within a 12-year period. Patients and Methods: From 2001 to 2015, 31 patients (mean age: 32 ± 7.4 years) underwent surgery for PAES...

Catheter-induced aortic dissection during coronary angiography and Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) is a relatively infrequent, but potentially life-threatening complication. Patients who suffer this complication may require emergency aortic surgery. More recently, reports of treating the ostium of the dissected coronary artery have emerged as an alternative therapeutic option. In this article we describe two cases of extensive guide catheter induced dissection and their successful treatment using PCI and provide a concise overview of the available literature...

Background: Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) is considered as the main cause of death worldwide. Identifying the links among CVDs risk factors can help decrease CVD-related deaths. Aim: To assess the prevalence of risk factors for CVD and their relationships among the Tabuk City population in Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional design was used; 432 participants in the Tabuk region were included in this study. Results: The prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) was 5...

Background: Risk factors and short-term mortality in patients presented with Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) in Bahrain has not been evaluated before. Aim: In this prospective observational study, we aim to determine the clinical risk profiles of patients with ACS in Bahrain and describe the incidence, pattern of presentation and predictors of in-hospital clinical outcomes after admission. Methods: Patients with ACS were prospectively enrolled over a 12 month period...

Background: Acute alcohol intoxication has been associated with cardiac arrhythmias but the electrocardiogram (ECG) changes associated with acute alcohol intoxication are not well defined in the literature. Objective: Highlight the best evidence regarding the ECG changes associated with acute alcohol intoxication in otherwise healthy patients and the pathophysiology of the changes. Methods: A literature search was carried out; 4 studies relating to ECG changes with acute alcohol intoxication were included in this review...

Background: Obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome ( OSAS) has been linked with abnormal glucose metabolism, insulin resistance (IR) and development of diabetes mellitus. Methods: Non-diabetic patients (n=69) with OSAS, diagnosed by polysomnography, were prospectively recruited. To evaluate IR among OSAS patients, the Homeostasis Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) and Insulin sensitivity by Quantitative Insulin sensitivity Check Index (QUICKI) were used...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Background: About 20 million people worldwide are believed to be using khat. Although some studies reported that khat chewing might result in cardiovascular disorders, conclusive evidence is limited. Method: The objective of this review was to synthesize the best available evidence for the effect of khat on the cardiovascular system. Databases searched were PubMed, Cochrane database of systematic reviews, CINAHL, poplin, LILACS, MedNar and Scopus. All papers included in the review were subjected to rigorous appraisal using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) standardized critical appraisal tool...

BACKGROUND: Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) has become a mainstay in the management of heart failure. Up to one-third of patients who received resynchronization devices do not experience the full benefits of CRT. The clinical factors influencing the likelihood to respond to the therapy are wide QRS complex, left bundle branch block, female gender, non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy (highest responders), male gender, ischaemic cardiomyopathy (moderate responders) and narrow QRS complex, non-left bundle branch block (lowest, non-responders)...

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and tolerability of barnidipine, a strong lipophilic calcium channel blocker, in younger (≤55 for efficacy or <65 years for adverse events) versus older (>55 or ≥65 years) patients with uncomplicated hypertension. Methods: 20,275 patients received barnidipine, 10 or 20 mg/day, as monotherapy or in combination with other antihypertensive drug(s) in the observational BArnidipine real-life Safety and tolerability In Chronic HyperTension (BASIC-HT) study...

Background: Stroke is the second leading cause of death and the third leading cause of physical disability in the world, with a high burden of morbidity and mortality, but it has been shown a reduction in mortality worldwide over the past two decades, especially in regions with higher income. Objective: The study analyzed the temporal trend and the factors associated with stroke-related mortality in the cities that make up the ABC region of São Paulo (Santo André, São Bernardo do Campo, São Caetano do Sul, Diadema, Mauá, Ribeirão Pires, and Rio Grande da Serra), in comparison to data from the capital city of São Paulo, in the state of São Paulo, Brazil...

Background: Even though diabetes mellitus (DM) has been considered a "Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) equivalent", that is still controversial, especially in a contemporary population subject to optimized treatment. Objective: We aimed to assess the cardiovascular risk of diabetics by myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS). Methods: Consecutive patients who underwent MPS from 2008 to 2012 were studied. Perfusion scores were calculated, and abnormal MPS was defined as a summed stress score >3...

BACKGROUND: Exodontia (dental extraction), being the most frequent minor surgical procedure in the general population, inevitably involves a large number of patients on antithrombotic medication. Current experience shows that there is a degree of confusion in managing these patients. DESCRIPTION: Post-exodontia bleeding, a natural consequence of every dental extraction with no or minor clinical significance in the vast majority of cases, often appears to be of major concern to both patients and healthcare practitioners (dentists or physicians), either because of the alarming nature of oral bleeding itself or because of the distorted perception about its importance...

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the validity of EuroSCORE II in the Greek population. Methods: A prospective single-center study was performed during November 1, 2013 and November 5, 2016; 621 patients undergoing cardiac surgery were enrolled. The EuroSCORE II values and the actual mortality of the patients were recorded in a special database. Calibration of the model was evaluated with the Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test, and discrimination with the areas under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve...