Objective: No study has thus far evaluated the association of controlling nutritional status (CONUT) score and prognostic nutritional index (PNI) with prognosis in candidates listed for heart transplantation (HT). Therefore, in this study, we aimed to investigate the impact of these
nutritional indices on prognosis in these candidates.
Methods: In this retrospective study, a total of 195 candidates for HT were included. Over a median follow-up period of 503.5 days, the patients were grouped as survivors (n=121) and non-survivors (n = 74). Malnutrition was defined as CONUT score ≥2 (CONUT-defined malnutrition) and PNI ≤38 (PNI-defined malnutrition).
Results: The CONUT-defined malnutrition was observed in 19.8% and 39.2% of the survivors and non-survivors (P =.003), and the PNI-defined malnutrition was observed in 7.4% and 16.2% of the survivors and non-survivors (P =.032). The univariate analysis revealed that the CONUT score from 0 to 2 (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.41, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.11–1.79, P =.004) and PNI from 45.5 to 54.5 (HR: 0.78, 95% CI: 0.64–0.95, P =.001), the CONUT-defined malnutrition (HR: 2.48, 95% CI: 1.55–3.97, P <.001) and the PNI-defined malnutrition (HR: 1.97, 95% CI: 1.01–3.86, P =.04) were associated with mortality. In the multivariate adjusted models, the CONUT-defined malnutrition was an independent predictor of mortality, whereas the PNI-defined malnutrition was not a predictor of mortality (HR: 1.92, 95% CI: 1.12–3.27, P =.001 and HR: 1.64, 95% CI: 0.80–3.40, P =.18). The log-rank test revealed that the CONUT-defined malnutrition and the PNI-defined malnutrition were associated with decrease in survival rate.
Conclusion: Although both the CONUT score and the PNI score were associated with prognosis in candidates for HT, the CONUT score was superior to the PNI score in predicting mortality.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 infection is a global pandemic that has affected the whole world population. We aimed to evaluate the prognostic role of cross-sectional area, muscle index, and muscle attenuation values in computed tomography-based skeletal groups [erector spinae muscle, pectoralis muscle, and total skeletal muscle] of patients hospitalized for coronavirus disease 2019 and with at least 1 cardiovascular risk factor.
Methods: A total of 232 patients with coronavirus disease 2019 and at least 1 cardiovascular risk factor were enrolled in the study, retrospectively. The cross-sectional area, muscle index, and attenuation of erector spine muscle, pectoralis muscle, and total skeletal muscle were automatically measured on computed tomography images. The study population was assigned into tertiles on the basis of the total SMcsa index. The relationship between the values obtained and the length of hospital stay, admission to intensive care unit, the need for invasive mechanical ventilation, and mortality was investigated.
Results: Admission to intensive care unit, need for invasive mechanical ventilation, and mortality were higher at tertile 3 groups than in the other groups (all P values <.001). Statistically, all muscle measurements were significantly lower in tertile 3 (P <.001). Diabetes mellitus,
hypertension, and total SMcsa index were predictors of in-hospital mortality in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 on the basis of Cox regression analysis. In the Kaplan–Meier analysis for the proportion of survivors relative to the total SMcsa index, tertile 3 had the highest mortality (survival rates 57%, P <.001).
Conclusions: Sarcopenia and attendant cardiovascular comorbidities can effectively assess disease severity and predict outcome in patients with coronavirus disease 2019.

Objective: Percutaneous closure of atrial septal defects is challenging in cases where the device is perpendicular to the septum during the procedure. Hence, different techniques, maneuvers, and auxiliary equipment may be required. We aimed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the FlexCath steerable catheter application in percutaneous closure of atrial septal defect cases in
which the device was perpendicular to the septum.
Methods: Patients with atrial septal defect who presented to our clinic between January 2017 and December 2020 and were deemed eligible for percutaneous closure were included in the study.
Results: Atrial septal defects of 101 patients out of 110 patients were successfully closed using standard methods. Nine patients in whom it was seen if the device was perpendicular to the interatrial septum were successfully closed with FlexCath steerable catheter support. There was no statistically significant difference between patients in terms of age, gender, floopy rim, and multiple defects. In the group that was treated with FlexCath steerable catheter support, the aortic rim was smaller, and the defect diameter and the size of the atrial septal defects device were larger. The success of the procedure was 100% while using the flexcath steerable catheter in patients with the device perpendicular to the interatrial septum. There were no complications during the procedure.
Conclusion: Percutaneous closure with FlexCath steerable catheter support in difficult cases with atrial septal defects was effective in those with the atrial septal closure device being perpendicular to the interatrial septum and was performed easily without any safety issues.

Objective: Safety and effectiveness of edoxaban was demonstrated in phase III, Effective Anticoagulation with Factor Xa Next Generation in Atrial Fibrillation–Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction 48 (ENGAGE-AF-TIMI 48) trial and is being confirmed in the post-authorization
Edoxaban Treatment in routiNe clinical prActice for patients with Atrial Fibrillation in Europe (ETNA-AF-Europe) study in patients with atrial fibrillation. However, any post-authorization safety study focusing on the safety of edoxaban treatment in Turkey with a prospective design has not been performed yet. The Evaluation of Treatment Safety in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation on Edoxaban Therapy in Real-Life in Turkey (ETAF-TR) study is designed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of edoxaban treatment in atrial fibrillation in routine practice. The present article describes the design and rationale for the ETAF-TR Study.
Methods: The ETAF-TR (NCT04594915) is a national, multicenter, prospective, observational study that enrolled 858 patients from 32 centers. The primary outcome of the ETAF-TR study is any overt bleeding (consisting of major bleeding or clinically relevant nonmajor bleeding or any bleeding that does not meet this definition but is considered as overt bleeding by the participating physician). Effectiveness, treatment persistence, and posology will also be evaluated in an explorative manner. The overall duration of follow-up will be 1 year; the first patient was enrolled in August 2020.
Conclusions: Results of ETAF-TR will add data from clinical practice to those from ENGAGE-AF trial and also ETNA-AF study. Comparing their results will enable to test the external validity of ENGAGE-AF trial in the country conditions.

Objective: Although electrocardiography scanning is routinely performed during the employment of employees in business sectors and during periodic controls, there is no large-scale study in our country that scans these electrocardiography data. The purpose of this study
was to analyze the resting electrocardiography properties and basal clinical characteristics of the worker groups in a wide age range working in different business lines in the heavy industry sector.
Methods: Between April 2016 and January 2020, 9102 consecutive electrocardiographs were obtained during health examinations of working in İstanbul. In this study, 8607 electrocardiographs suitable for interpretation were included. Electrocardiographs were classified by 2 different cardiologists as major, minor anomaly, and normal according to the Minnesota code criteria.
Results: Average age of the population was 30.47 ± 9.4 and 97% were males. A completely normal ECG was detected in 67.6%. Major electrocardiograph changes were detected in 4.6%, and minor anomalies were detected in 28.3%. Being 50 years older (P <.001) and working in a heavy chemical industry (P=,014) was found to be associated with major anomaly on electrocardiograph. In the multiple logistic regression analysis, the business line and electrocardiograph were found to be independently associated with major and minor anomalies (P=,022)
Conclusion: This study shows the electrocardiography findings of a large sample of Turkish workers from high-risk employment sectors. Electrocardiograph abnormalities were observed more frequently in heavy chemical industry and

Objective: Galectin-3 is a biomarker used to detect cardiac remodeling and fibrosis. It could also potentially be a biomarker of treatments that could be developed. Aldosterone and galectin-3 levels and their relationship to N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and left ventricular dilatation have not yet been studied in infants with ventricular septal defect (VSD). This study, it was aimed to investigate the biomarker feature of galectin-3 in infants with VSD.
Methods: Aldosterone, galectin-3, and NT-ProBNP levels were quantified, and left ventricular diameters were measured by M mode echocardiography in infants with isolated VSD who received heart failure treatment. The results were compared with those of healthy children of similar age and gender.
Results: This study included 22 infants (13 girls, 9 boys) with VSD who formed the patient group and 22 healthy infants (13 girls, 9 boys) who formed the control group. There was a significant difference between the two groups regarding the median left ventricular end-diastolic diameter, and the median left ventricular end-systole diameter. The patient and control groups had no significant difference with respect to aldosterone levels (median values: 43.5 pg/ml vs 41.3 pg/ml, respectively) (p=0.851) although there was a significant difference with regard to galectin-3 levels (median values: 4 vs 2.5 ng/ml, respectively) (p=0.015) and NT-proBNP levels (median values: 204.3 vs 94.2 pg/ml, respectively) (p=0.003).
Conclusion: Galectin-3 increases independently of left ventricular dilatation and may have a biomarker value with similar strength as NT-proBNP in infants with VSD.

Brugada syndrome was first described in 1992 as right precordial ST-segment elevation in patients with structurally normal hearts and sudden cardiac death. Brugada Syndrome is one of the most common reasons for sudden cardiac death (4-12%) and is a hereditary disease
with an autosomal dominant pattern of transmission with nearly 300 pathogenic variants in 19 responsible genes published. The present review focuses on the diagnosis, genetics, risk stratification, and management of patients with Brugada Syndrome.

Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty has gained increasing popularity in the treatment of peripheral artery disease. However, the increase in the frequency of this procedure also increases the risk of complications. Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty has serious and
general complications in terms of device and technique at puncture and dilatation sites. In this case, we describe the easy and practical management of deflating an undeflated ballon in the right superficial femoral artery.

Pulmonary artery sarcoma is an extremely uncommon malignancy with a poor prognosis. It is often difficult to distinguish it from pulmonary thromboembolic disease because of nonspecific signs and symptoms as well as similar imaging findings. We present a 46-year-old man
who had initially been diagnosed with presumed asthma that later proved to be pulmonary artery sarcoma. The patient was evaluated with multi-modality imaging studies which showed a mass in the pulmonary artery, its extension, mobility and invasion, and attachment to the
artery wall. Pulmonary artery mass was excised and pulmonary artery endarterectomy was performed. The histopathological diagnosis was undifferentiated sarcoma with pleomorphic morphology.