Diastolic dysfunction is one of the earliest signs of hypertensive heart disease. However, in some of the hypertens ive patients echocardiographic examination cannot reveal any pathologic findings. The aim of our study was to investigate the effect of the Valsalva maneuver on diastolic indices in hypertensive patients with normal mitral flow pattern and to compare the results with a healthy control group and with hypertensive patients with diastolic dysfunction. Sixty-eight hypertensive patients without evidence of coronary artery disease (28 female, 40 male, age 50±7) were divided in two groups according to their E/A ratio as those with diastolic dysfunction (n=36) and no diastolic dysfunction (n=32) (DD-). DDpatients and the control group (n=20) performed Valsalva maneuver and their pulsed-Doppler measurements were repeated at the straining phase. In 72% of DD- patients E velocity decreased during Valsalva maneuver, but E/A ratio feJI below 1.0 because A velocity did not change or increased in some of the patients. However, in the control group E and A velocity showed a similar decrease and no difference could be observed in E/A ratio. In 47% of the patients with a positive response to Valsalva maneuver myocardial perfusion scintigraphy revealed reversible defects whereas none of the patients whose E/A ratio remained over 1.0 had perfusion defects. It is concluded that, a substantial proportion of hypertensive individuals have left ventricular diastolic abnormalities; in patients with normal E/A ratio the Valsalva maneuver should be performed in order to unmask a probable falsely normal finding and diastolic dysfunction develops together with a decrease in coronary reserve.

This study was designed to determine the transesophageal echocardiography (TEE)-detected ineidence of left atrial (LA) thrombus and spontaneous echo contrast (SEC) in 100 patients with and without left ventricular systolic dysfunction with chronic nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AF) not receiving anticoagulation. In addition, we investigated left atrial appendage (LAA) function. Group I consisted of 53 patients with normal left ventricular systolic function (left ventricular ejection fraction= 62±6%), group II of 47 patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction (left ventricular ejection fraction= 40±5% ). LA thrombus w as present in 6 of 53 (I 1%) patients in group I and in 17 of 47 (36%) patients in group II. There was significant difference in the occurrence of LA thrombus between the groups (p

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Low amplitude signals (LP) at the end of the QRS in patients with acute myocardial infaretion CAMI) are related to fragmentation of the electrical impulse in ventricular myocardium and detected on signalaveraged electrocardiography. In this study, w e investigated the use of glucose-insulin-potassium (GlK) solution and its effects on the SAECG in AMI. Methods: Seventy-two consec utive patients diagnosed with first Q-wave AMI were prospectively studied. Thrombolytic therapy was given to all patients unless contraindicated. The patients were randomly given glucose-insulin-potassium (GlK, n=34) solutions which consisted of 300 g of glucose, 50 units of insulin and 80 mEq of KCl in 1000 cc water placebo (saline, n.38). Ambulatory electrocardiographic examinations were performed in all patients between 24-48th hours. S ub-maxi ınal exercise testing (if not contraindicated), s ignalaveraged e lectrocardiogram (SAECG) and echocardiographic records were obtained before discharge (6-9, mean 7 days). In postdischarge early period (in 30-40 days after index infarction) SAECG and echocardiography recordings were repeated. Results: There were no differences found between both groups in view of ages, number of risk factors, Iocalization of infarction. In pre-di sc harge evaluations total filtered QRS durat ion (FQRS ı: ı 03±7 msec vs I 08± ı ı msec p<0.05), Iow-amplitude terminal signal d uration (HFLA ı: 25±8 msec vs 32±1 I msec, p0.05) were found to be lower while RMS-40ı (47±2ı vs 33± ı 9 p<0.05) and EFı (59± ıo vs 52±1 1, p<0.05) were higher in the GİK compared with the placebo group. The ineidence of post-MI angina pectoris was significantly lower in the GIK-administered group (p<0.005) than in the placebo groups. The ineidence of premature ventriu lar contraction was insignifiantly lower in the GIK-administrated group (p>0.05). We concluded that using GlK solutions at the early stages of AMI may be beneficial on the SAECG, angina incidence, and left ventricular systolic performance in the pre-and postdischarge early period of AMI.

We studied 30 children (15 males, ı5 females), aged 2 months-2 years (mean 8.5 ± 5.5 months) with protein energy malnutrition (4 kwashiorkor, 7 marasmus-kwashiorkor, ı9 marasmus, of which 2ı were classified as third-degree malnutrition), and compared their left ventricular mass and systolic and diastolic functions to those of 17 healthy, agematched children (mean 7.0 ± 5 . ı months). The mean Ieft ventricu lar mass in the patients was tower than that in the controls (14.5 ± 0.9 vs 19.8 ± 1 .ı , p<0.05). However, left ventricular mass 1 body surface area was not different in patients with PEM and in the control group (52±1.6 vs 53.9±1.9, p>0.05), indicating that left ventricular mass was reduced in proportion to decrease in body size in malnutrition. Left ventricular septal and posterior wall thickness in PEM was also tower than that in controls, and the most significant reduction in left ventricular mass, septal and posterior wall thickness was found in the kwashiorkor group. Cardiac output was reduced in proportion to decrease in body size in the patient group (1.6 ± 0.09 vs 2. ı ± O. ı 8, p<0.05), so that cardiac index was not significantly different in patients and in the controls (5.9 ± 0.2 vs 5.7 ± 0.3, p>0.05). The systol ic fu nction indices !ike ejection fraction, fractional shortening, left ventricu lar end-diastolic and endsystolic volumes were not different in patients and the control group. However, ejection fraction was decreased in patients with third-degree malnutrition compared to control s (0.63 ± 0.02 vs 0.69 ± 0.0 ı , p<0.05). Diastoıic function indices !ike peak E velocity of mitral inflow, peak A velocity, E/A ratio, EVTI/A VTI ratio, isovolumic relaxation time, the deceleration time of peak E velocity were not significantly different in patients from the controls, except decreased acceleration time of mitral inflow to peak E in the patient group (47.2±1.4 vs 54.4±1.4 msec, p<0,05). In conclusion, we demonstrated that left ventricular mass and cardiac output are reduced in proportion to decrease in the body size in patients with PEM, and left ventricular systolic and diastolic functions are preserved in the atrophic hearts, except in thirddegree malnutrition.

The aim of this study was to investigate the relation between the QT dispersion and localization and degree of systolic diameter narrowing in the left anterior descending artery caused by myocardial bridge (MB). Forty-nine patients with MB in the left anterior descending artery were enrolled in this study in whom coronary angiography had been performed with suspect of coronary artery disease in the period between ı 994-ı 998 at Türkey's Yüksek Ihtisas Hospital. Patients were classified according to the degree of systolic diameter narrowing caused by the segment w ith MB ( Group ı: control group, Group 2: patient with MB <50%, Group 3: patients with MB 50-69%, Group 4: patients with MB ~7 0%) and also according to the localization of MB, whether before or after the second diagonal branch (0 2) (Group A: MB before 0 2, Group B: MB after 0 2, Group C: control group). The QT parameters were measured from the res ting 12- lead electrocardiograms and the values were coınpared with each other. QT dispersion (QTd) and corrected QT di spersion (QTcd) of the group in which the systolic narrowing was equal to and\or greater than 70% (Group 4) were significantly higher than QTd and QTcd values of other three groups (p

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Aim: Different parameters were proposed for noninvasive esrimation of aortic stenosis by means of echocardiography. The purpose of this prospective study was, using the Doppler velocity index (DVI), the fractional shortening velocity ratio (FSVR), and the left ventricular ejection time dif ference (L VETD), to predict the aortic va! ve area (AVA) values obtained during cardiac catheterization (CC) using the Gerlin formula. Methods and results: Patients in whom these parameters could not be calculated, or aortic valve could not be passed th rough during CC were excluded from this study. Forty-three patients (8 women; mean age 63 ± 13 years), hospitalized for aortic stenosis suspicion, were included. All the parameters were calculated in all the patients by the same physician without knowledge of cardiac catheterization results. Linear (simple or multiple linear) regression analyses were done for each these paraıneters : AVA = 1.8 1[0VI] + 0.06 (pDVI < O.OOOOı ); 0.45[FSVR] + 0 . 19 (pFSVR < 0.00001 ); Tiirk Kardiyol Dem Arş 2000; 28: 142-145 0.81[LVETD] + 0.46 (pLVETD = 0.02); 0.84[DVI] + 0.30[FSVR] + 0.098 (pDVI = 0.08; pFSVR = 0.009); 1.67[DVI] - 0.33[LVETD] + O. 10 (pDVI = 0.001; pLVETD = 0.28); 0.42[FSVR] 0.47[LVETD] + 0.23 (pFSVR < 0.00001; pLVETD = 0.08); 0.65[DVI] + 0.31[FSVR]- 0.37[LVETD] + 0.15 (pDVI = 0.19; pFSVR = 0.007; pLVETD = 0.19). Conclusion: This prospective study concludes that the Doppler velocity index (DVI) and/or the frac~ tional shortening velocity ratio (FSVR) alone, or combined to left ventricular ejection time (L VETD) are strongly correlated with the aortic valve area calculated during cardiac catheterization using the Gorlin formula.

Neurocardiogenic syncope episodes are characteristically associated with sudden fall in arterial blood pressure and decrease in heart rate. The presence of bradycardia suggests that pacemaker implantation may prevent the syncopal episodes. Single-chamber VVI pacemaker does not prevent syncope and may increase the severity of the neurocardiogenic syncope because of the disruption of AV synchrony. Studies with dual-chamber pacemakers showed different results and studies with rate drop response pacemakers did not reveal that treatment of neurocardiogenic syncope with this pacemaker algorithm effectively prevent the episodes. The most im portant predictor of the failure of vasovagal syncope therapy with pacemaker implantation is the decrease in blood pressure prior to decrease in heart rate. In addition, the type of the syncope attacks that occurred spontaneously or were induced with head-upright tilt table test may not be in the same pathophysiologic pattern (cardioinhibitor, vasodepressor, mixed). Although pacemaker implantation for neurocardiogenic syncope does not prevent the presyncope attacks, it has been shown that these patients have better response to drugs and better quality of life. The beneficial effect of permanent pacemaker in neurocardiogenic syncope primarily occurs by providing persistence of consciousness, and by providing a valuable time to the patient during the initiation of attacks.

HDL family consists of a group of heterogenous class of lipoproteins most of which contain apo AI and exhibit alfha electrophoretic mobility. Epidemiological studies show that coronary heart disease is inversely proportional to the concentration of high density lipoprotein cholesterol. HDL-cholesterol is found to be a significant predictor of overall survival following coronary artery bypass graft and event free survival. Protective role of HDL is generally explained by its reverse cholesterol transport ability. However, extensive researches have started to reveal other functions of HDL particles, new subclasses of HDL and mechanisms of action.

Case histories of two children were presented with the diagnosis of a rarely seen congenital disease: chondroectodermal dysplasia (Ellis-van Creveld syndrome). Both cases had short stature, skeletal abnormalities, polydactyly, dysplastic nails and aberrant oral frenulum besides a cardiac defect.