BACKGROUND Non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome is associated with elevation of brain natriuretic peptide and markers of myocardial necrosis, although its relationship with the TIMI score and left ventricular function are largely unknown. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the correlation between plasma N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and markers of myocardial necrosis [cr...

AIM To compare the prognostic accuracy of six scoring models for up to three-year mortality and rates of hospitalisation due to acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) in STEMI patients. METHODS AND RESULTS A total of 593 patients treated with primary PCI were evaluated. Prospective follow-up of patients was ≥3 years. Thirty-day, one-year, two-year, and three-year mortality rates were 4.0%, ...

BACKGROUND Risk stratification models can be employed at the emergency department (ED) to evaluate patient prognosis and guide choice of treatment. We derived and validated a new cardiovascular risk stratification model comprising vital signs, heart rate variability (HRV) parameters, and demographic and electrocardiogram (ECG) variables. METHODS We conducted a single-center, observational coh...

OBJECTIVES This study sought to develop a practical risk score to predict the risk of stent thrombosis (ST) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for acute coronary syndromes (ACS). BACKGROUND ST is a rare, yet feared complication after PCI with stent implantation. A risk score for ST after PCI in ACS can be a helpful tool to personalize risk assessment. METHODS This study represen...

OBJECTIVES We analyzed the safety and feasibility of myocardial echocardiography with intracoronary injection of contrast, its effect on left ventricular remodeling and systolic function, and its relationship with angiography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the evaluation of post-infarction coronary microcirculation. PATIENTS AND METHOD Thirty patients with a first ST-elevation myoca...

BACKGROUND Non ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndromes (NSTE ACS) are the most frequent cause of admission to intensive care units. Early risk assessment and implementation of optimal treatment are of special importance in these patients. Previous studies have demonstrated that renal insufficiency is an independent risk factor in patients with cardiovascular disease. AIM To assess the e...

OBJECTIVES This study examined the contribution of symptom-to-reperfusion time, collateral flow, and antegrade flow in the infarct-related artery on myocardial salvage using a combined angiographic-cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) method. BACKGROUND The myocardium supplied by an acutely occluded artery defines the anatomical area at risk for infarction. This area can be determined independent...

We compared two groups of patients after acute myocardial infarction. First group was treated with fibrinolytics and they were hospitalized within six hours from the beginning of the first chest-symptoms, and second group that did not come within optimal time was treated with anticoagulants only. The patients were classified according to Killip-classification, shock-index and TIMI-risk-score af...

BACKGROUND Patients with acute coronary syndrome without ST-segment elevation (ACS- -NSTE) are at risk for adverse cardiac events. Based on data in the Korean Acute Myocardial Infarction Registry (KAMIR), we analyzed the prognosis according to the timing of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with NSTEMI in Korea. METHODS AND RESULTS 2,455 patients with NSTEMI in KAMIR were c...