In a representative sample population of three Western regions of Turkey, comprising 1046 adults aged 30 or over, acute phase reactants blood fibrinogen and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured as were b1ood pressure, anthropometric measures, p1asma 1ipids and lipoproteins; in addition, smoking status and physical activity grade were assessed. Coronary heart disease was diagnosed based on el inical findings and on Minnesota coding of resting electrocardiograms. Mean age of men and women was simi lar: 50.8 ± 12.6 and 51.2±13.1 years, respectively. No significant difference ex isted in the genders regarding the means of CRP (geometric, 1.9 and 2.0 mg/L) and of fibrinogen (3.1 5±1.17 and 3.40±1.16 g/L). The two inf lammatory markers were significa ntly correlated (r = 0.26) with each other. CRP concentrations were correlated with the components of the metabolic syndrome X and with all the other measured risk parameters except for smoking status. In men, CRP was correlated in particular with measures of (central) obesity, apolipoprotein B, blood pressure and fibrinogen. As independent deterıninants emerged for CRP values, age, f ibrinogen, waist c ircumference, total cholesterol, and (inversely) physical activity grade. Independent associations with fibrinogen levels were observed for age, waist-to-hip ratio, CRP quartiles, smoking status and (inversely) physical activity grade. When mean values in apparently healthy subjectsfor fibrinogen (3.4 g/L) and CRP (1.86 ıng/L) were compared with those in patients with CHD (3.7 g/L and 3.97 mg/L, respectively), CRP (p

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Attention is presently being focused on the importance of right ventricular function in children with pulınonary hypertension (PHT). The ai m of this study was to evaluate right ventricu lar ejection fraction (RVEF) in patients with PHT, and compare the results with the control group. To evaluate RVEF, "single plane area length method" was used for echocardiographic estimation, and ınu lti p le-gated equilibrium radionuclide angiography (MUGA) was used for radionuclide evaluation. The study group consisted of 20 children with PHT, aged four months to 16 years (mean 4,0±5,1). All had various types of congenital heart disease with left to right shunts. Results were compared to 20 normal children aged five months to 16 years (mean 4,1±4,2). Mean RVEF determined by echocardiography was 0,51±0,13 in the patient group and 0,56±0,08 in the control group. RVEF obtained by MUGA was 0,40±0,16 in the patient group, and 0,44±0,13 in the control group. No s ignificant difference existed between patients and the control group for RVEF deterınined by either echocardiography and MUGA (p>0,05). Although not stati stically signi ficant, RVEF was lower in the patient group than in the control group. There was a significant negative correlation between RVEF obtained by echocardiography and systolic pulmonary arterial pressure (r=-0,47; p<0,05). Thiese data suggest that a reduction in right ventricul ar systolic f unction commenced in patients with PHT.

Although a relat ion between magnitude of ST segment elevation and myocardial damage was shown in early period of acute myocardial infarction, such a relation among shape of the ST segment elevation, myocardial damage and elinical course remains obscure. Sixty-two patients with acute anterior MI, in the first six hours of their first heart attack were enrolled for the study. Based on the precordial V3 derİvation prior to thrombolytic treatment, the shape of the ST e levation was separated into three groups as concave (n=26), straight (n=24) or convex types (n=12). The relation between the shape of the elevation recorded on admission and both results of low dose (5 and 10 ı.ıg/kg/min) dobutamine stress echocardiography (LDSE) performed (n=53) in early period (the sixth day) of infaretion and elinical course were investigated. Wall Motion Score Index (WMSI) was evaluated based on a 16-segmented scoring system of which nine segments were supplied by left anterior descending artery (LAD) and points were given for each segment from one (normal) to four (dyskinetic). Basa! WMSI and response to LDSE were better in LAD region. Additionally both average akinetic segment number in infarct zone was higher and improvement in these segments were less in convex and straight groups (Concave 3,78±2 vs. 2, 17±2.1 p<0.01; straight 5,15±2.7vs. 4,45±2,8, NS; convex 5,4±2,3 vs. 4,8±2,1 NS; basa! vs. LDSE). Although only 13% (3/23) of the patients had no improvement in LDSE in Group A (p<0.05 v.s. group B and p

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Endothelin-1 (ET-1) isa vasoactive peptide originating from the endothelium and has mitogenic properties. It is the strongest vasoconstrictor substance, and i ts acti va tion by atherosclerosis contributes to the progression of this process. It was shown that some physical factors such as mechanical pressure and stretch to the vessel wall causes endothelin release. In this study, the effect of the PTCA and s te nt implantation on ET-I release in the coronary artery was investigated. For this purpose, 41 patients who had stable angina pectoris and were candidates for elective PTCA and stent implantation were divided into 2 groups: patients in whom only PTCA (group I, n=22) and patients in whom stent implantation was additionally (group II, n=19) performed. Just before the procedure and 15 minutes after the last balloon inflation, blood samples were taken from coronary sinus for ET-1 measurements. In both the PTCA and stent groups significant ET-I increases were detected after the procedure (1 .64 ± 0. 15 VS 3.28 ± 0.39 pg/ml, p < 0.0001; 1.28 ± 0. 13 vs 2.72 ± 0.24 pg/ml, p

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Coronary ostial Jesions are considered unfavorable for percutaneous balloon angiop1asty because of low rate of success and high rate of restenosis. Some technical difficulties exist in stenting of this type of coronary lesions, and data about long-term elinical and angiographic follow up is limited after stenting of ostial coronary lesions. We analyzed the success and complication rates and long-term elinical and angiographic follow up results in 56 patients who underwent coronary stenting for 57 ostial lesions. Ten (17,5%) Iesions were aorto-ostial and 47 (82,5%) were non aorto-ostial (branch and side branch vessel) Jesions. The procedure was unsuccessful in one patient, thus the rate of success was 98,2%. No major cardiac event occurred during in hospital follow-up period. One patient had acute anterior myocardial infaretion 9 days after stenting and treated immediately with tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA), and later underwent eleeti ve coronary bypass surgery. Forty-six of the remaining 55(84%) patients had coronary angiography six months after the procedure. Nineteen (41,3%) patients had angiographic restenosis, and 10 (17 ,8%) had repeat PTCA for stent restenosis, 5 (8,6%) needed eleeti ve coronary artery bypass surgery and 4 (7,1 %) treated medically. Six months after stenting, freedom from any cardiac event was 71 ,4%. In conclusion, the procedural success rate is high and angiographic restenosis, target lesion revascularization rates are also high in coronary stenting in our patients with aorto-ostial and nonaorto- ostial Jesions. Since in the literature results of stenting in coronary ostial lesions, are scarce, we need large scale randomized trials comparing the results of different kinds of angioplasty devices in coronary ostial Jesions.

Radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFA) of accessory pathways (APs) near the atrioventricular (AV) node may lead to complete AV block and require the implantation of a permanent pacemaker. Various techniques (e.g. jugular approach, stepwise increase of power or temperature) have been proposed to avoid this complication. In this study, the results of RFA using the femoral or vena cava superior approach and s tepwise increase of temperature in 36 patients ( l 1 female, 25 mal e, mean age 30.1±1 1.7 years) with anteroseptal (AS), midseptal (MS), and para-Hisian (PH) APs (Group I) w ere compared to those of 2 15 patients (87 female, 128 male, mean age 37.3±13.9 years) with APs in other Iocations (Group Il). Patients with multiple APs were excluded from the study. There were no significant differences between Group I and Group II with respect to sex distribution, symptom duration , number of administered drugs, RFA duration, total procedure duration, fluoroscopy duration, number of energy deliveries and mean temperature. The success of the procedure were also similar (94% and 96%, respectively). Significantly more patients presented with syncope or presyncope in Group I compared to Group II (100% vs 45%, respectively, p

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This study was performed to evaluate the effects of enalapril, an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor and losartan an angiotensin II recepter antagonist on the !eve! of plasma nitrate in untreated essential hypertensive patients. The study was carried on 28 mild or moderate essential hypertensive patients (9 of them were men, mean age: 46±8 years). After the elinical and plasma nitrate !eve! assessment, patients were randemised to one of the 2 treatment protocols: enalapril 20 mg/d to group I, losartan 50 mg/d to group Il. After patients were given antihypertensive treatment for 8 weeks, elinical and plasma nitrate !eve! controls were performed again. Two treatment protocols were observed to decrease the elinical blood pressure meaningfully. With enalapril treatment, the !eve! of plasma nitrate increased from 13.20±4.75 ı.ıM/L to 13.71±5.71 ı.ıM/L (p>0.05). With losartan treatment, the !eve! of plasma nitrate rose from 14.09±5.21 ı.ıM/L to 15.12±8.77 ı.ıM/L (difference not significant). Thus both enalapril and losartan treatment were thought to increase the !eve! of plasma nitrate in untreated essential hypertensive patients. We believe that randomised studies with larger patient populations should be conducted to evaluate the effect of antihypertensive treatment on plasma nitrate level.

Noncardiac surgery is a frequently used procedure in cardiac patients. As both the prevelance of cardiac patients and noncardiac surgery indications are higher in advanced age group, this will be a more frequently encountered problem in the near fu ture consisting that there will be more cardiac patients in te advanced age group. Unfavourable effects of surgery to cardiovascular system, prolonged operation time, i ts urgency, severe hemorrage and volume shifts, neurohormonal and hemostatic c hanges, changes of body temperature are the main factors of increased complication rate in a patient who undergoes a noncardiac surgery. Successful perioperative evaluation and treatment of cardiac patients undergoing noncardiac surgery requires careful teamwork and communication between patient, primary care physician, anesthesiologist, and surgeon. Several studies are carried-out in order to reduce the complications, morbidity and mortality in this group of patients and major advances are acheived w ith perioperative care. In this artiele, we rewied the guidelines and major studies about noncardiac surgery in cardiac patients.