The aim of this study was to explore the effect of atorvastatin intervention on plasma N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and inflammatory cytokine levels in patients with heart failure (HF). One hundred and twenty-three HF patients were selected from our hospital and randomly divided into control (N = 61) and observation (N = 62) groups; the former received conventional trea...

INTRODUCTION Changes in echocardiographic standard measurements as a consequence of training and detraining in elite or subelite athletes have not been comprehensively studied. METHODS We identified 200 potentially relevant studies from 1966 to June 2006 and eliminated 187 studies that did not fulfil the objectives of the study. We identified 13 studies with echocardiographic assessment of he...

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: Other. Main source(s): I have received a research fellowship grant from the UK based charity Cardiac Risk in Young Objectives We investigated effect long-term exercise and sex on left ventricular (LV) geometry large group female male masters athletes. Background Studies assessing LV athletes are scarce. Methods Different types were iden...

The magnitude and time course of alterations in left ventricular size, end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP), and stiffness consequent to chronic volume overloading were examined in conscious dogs. A large infrarenal aortocaval shunt was produced surgically, left ventricular dimensions were measured by cineradiography using radiopaque beads implanted subendocardially, and LVEDP was measured via an ind...

To compare the hemodynamic effects of a calcium-channel blocker with those of a conventional vasodilator in the awake preinstrumented dog, diltiazem and nitroprusside were administered in equihypotensive infusions before (decrease in mean aortic pressure by 10%; p less than .001, n = 6) and after (decrease in mean aortic pressure by 12%; p less than .001) chronic volume overload (CVO) produced ...

ATP-sensitive potassium channels play an important role in myocardial electrical activity. Genetic disruption of these channels predisposes the myocardium to cardiac diseases. Herein we investigated whether two polymorphisms, E23K and I337V, located in the Kir6.2 subunit of ATP-sensitive potassium channels are associated with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in a Chinese population. Blood was colle...

Aim: To compare the echocardiographic results of complete sparing of mitral valve apparatus vs only posterior leaflet sparing in Mechanical Bi-leaflet Mitral valve Prosthesis replacement, in patients with Rheumatic Mitral Regurgitation with LVESD ≥ 50 mm Methods: This prospective randomized controlled trial was performed at Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Punjab Institute of Cardiology, L...

This investigation was designed to determine the role of echocardiography in the assessment of left ventricular function in patients with significant coronary arterial disease. Satisfactory echocardiograms were obtained in 43 patients with coronary arterial disease. The ventriculographic ejection fraction was determined by the area length method. The echocardiographic left ventricular end-diast...

OBJECTIVES We sought to study the relationship between left ventricular (LV) size and body composition in male endurance athletes and age-matched control subjects. BACKGROUND Endurance training is associated with increases in both left ventricular mass (LVM) and left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (LVEDD) in athletes. In other populations, LVM is independently predicted by fat-free mass ...