BACKGROUND Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is commonly accompanied with the activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS). Renal sympathetic denervation (RSD) reduces PAH partly through the inhibition of RAAS. Analogically, we hypothesized that pulmonary artery denervation (PADN) could reverse PAH and PAH-induced right ventricular (RV) dysfunction by downregulating the loc...

BACKGROUND Screening of primary care patients at risk for left ventricular systolic dysfunction by a simple blood-test might reduce referral rates for echocardiography. Whether or not natriuretic peptide testing is a useful and cost-effective diagnostic instrument in primary care settings, however, is still a matter of debate. METHODS N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) level...

OBJECTIVES Acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction is associated with ventricular dysfunction due to ischemia-induced progressive myocardial damage. The decrease in ventricular compliance causes left atrial dilatation and stretching of the atrial myocardium, which are the main stimuli for the secretion of atrial natriuretic peptide. The aim of this study was to evaluate left atrial dimensions ...

BACKGROUND Few data are available on diastolic function in patients with aortic stenosis (AOS) with indication of surgical treatment. A potential correlation between biomarkers and diastolic function has not been established. OBJECTIVE The aim of our study was to evaluate diastolic function in patients with AOS waiting for aortic valve replacement (AVR) echocardiographically, and to verify it...

Chronic treatment with suprapharmacologic doses of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) agonists has a known potential for causing left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). The mechanism by which LVH develops is not well understood nor are biomarkers of it well characterized. Natriuretic peptides are important regulators of cardiac growth, blood volume, and arterial pressure and may be u...

IT IS WIDELY ACKNOWLEDGED THAT asymptomatic left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) is a treatable precursor of congestive heart failure. This has generated enthusiasm for developing community-based screening tools for LVSD with the belief that early detection will be clinically beneficial. Similarly, the demonstration of echocardiographic left ventricular (LV) mass as a risk factor for ca...

Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a peptide hormone secreted by cardiomyocytes in response to atrial or ventricular wall stretch and/or pressure overload. It promotes a number of systemic effects, including vasodilatation, increase in urinary output and sodium excretion, as well as inhibition of the sympathetic nervous system and the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system. Plasma BNP levels have...

HYPOTHESIS To evaluate the effects of high thoracic epidural anesthesia (TEA) on global and regional myocardial function and on perioperative coronary risk in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS Prospective and randomized clinical trial blinded for the primary outcome measure of 73 patients scheduled for coronary artery bypass grafting who had a ...

Metabolic Actions Could Confound Advantageous Effects of Combined Angiotensin II Receptor and Neprilysin Inhibition To the Editor: Dual angiotensin II receptor and neprilysin inhibition with LCZ696 provides additive blood pressure lowering in hypertensive patients, likely because of the well-characterized cardiovascular and renal natriuretic peptide actions.1 However, increased natriuretic pept...

Introduction Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a serious complication that frequently occurs in patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D) necessitating early diagnosis. The aim of the current study was to detect subclinical DCM Egyptian children and adolescents T1D evaluate effect antioxidants on myocardial dysfunction. Material methods prospective observational cohort included 81 (9-20 years old) dur...