Cardiovascular Week articles from March 2009

Cardiovascular Week archives from March 2009

Paper sheds new 'light' on fascinating rhythms of the circadian clock.
March 2, 2009... Scientists have long known that interrupting the 24-hour circadian rhythm plays havoc with the lives and health of medical, military and airline personnel, factory employees and travelers (see also University of Notre Dame). A new paper by...

Iron overload: an important co-factor in the development of liver disease in alcoholics.
March 2, 2009... Alcohol and iron are believed to have a synergistic effect in the development of liver injury. Furthermore, alcohol enhances iron absorption. Primary hemochromatosis is a genetic disorder, mostly resulting from mutations in the HFE gene, with a...

New abdominal aortic aneurysm research reported from K. Ouriel and co-authors.
March 2, 2009... "The diameter of an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is the single most important factor in deciding whether to repair an aneurysm or to monitor it conservatively. Open surgical repair does not appear to be beneficial until the diameter of the...

Research from Karolinska University has provided new data on abdominal aortic aneurysm.(Report)
March 2, 2009... According to recent research from Stockholm, Sweden, "Several studies have reported a familial clustering of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) supporting that AAA is an inheritable disease, but few population-based studies can be found. Possible...

Research from Mayo Clinic has provided new data on abdominal aortic aneurysm.
March 2, 2009... "Data from multicenter studies support observation of small abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) over open repair (OR), but the role of endovascular repair (EVAR) is unclear pending outcome of the Positive Impact of EndoVascular Options for...

Research from S.A. Badger et al has provided new information about abdominal aortic aneurysm.
March 2, 2009... "C-reactive protein (CRP) is a marker of cardiovascular disease. The objective was to determine if abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) and CRP serum concentration and its CRP gene are associated," researchers in North Ireland report (see also...

Data on aneurysm published by researchers at National Taiwan University.
March 2, 2009... "Infected aneurysm of the aorta is almost always fatal without undergoing aortic resection. Medical treatment was attempted selectively in patients who were considered too high risk for surgery," scientists in Taipei, Taiwan report (see also...

Study findings on angiography are outlined in reports from Stanford University.
March 2, 2009... "The purpose of this work was to measure the accuracy of dual-energy computed tomography for identifying iodine and calcium and to determine the effects of calcium suppression in phantoms and lower-extremity Computed tomographic (CT)...

Studies conducted at Michigan State University on angiology recently published.
March 2, 2009... According to recent research from the United States, "Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an emerging imaging modality that provides high-resolution, microstructural information on atherosclerotic plaques in biological systems. Intracoronary...

Study data from A. Turkvatan and colleagues update understanding of angiology.(Report)
March 2, 2009... "The purpose of this study was to evaluate the utility of 16-slice multidetector computed tomographic (MDCT) angiography for identifying anatomic features of aberrant subclavian arteries. Seventeen patients with aberrant subclavian arteries...

Studies in the area of aortic aneurysms reported from D.C. Iliopoulos and co-researchers.
March 2, 2009... According to recent research published in the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, "We sought to examine in age-matched subjects the biomechanical and compositional remodeling associated with ascending thoracic aortic aneurysms...

New arrhythmia findings from Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences published.(Report)
March 2, 2009... "Increased QT Variability (QTVI) is predictive of life threatening arrhythmias in vulnerable patients. The predictive value of QTVI is based on resting ECGs, and little is known about the effect of acute exercise on QTVI," scientists in the...

Recent findings in arrhythmia described by S. Buz and colleagues.
March 2, 2009... "Several methods for surgical repair of partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection have been described. Sinus node dysfunction is known as a cause of morbidity after surgical repair," scientists writing in the journal Annals of Thoracic...

Research from University of Otago has provided new information about arrhythmia.(Report)
March 2, 2009... According to a study from Wellington, New Zealand, "Tzeng YC, Sin PY, Galletly DC. Human sinus arrhythmia: inconsistencies of a teleological hypothesis." "Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 296: H65-H70, 2009. First published October 31,...

Research from Seoul National University, Medical Department has provided new information about arteriovenous fistula.
March 2, 2009... "It is well known that hepatic vein (HV) inclusion can ameliorate cyanosis in patients with pulmonary arteriovenous fistulas (PAVFs) during the sequence of Fontan type repair. Previously, we reported that most patients with bidirectional...

Investigators at University of California publish new data on atherosclerosis.
March 2, 2009... "Atherosclerosis preferentially develops at branches and curvatures of the arterial tree, where blood flow is disturbed from a laminar pattern, and wall shear stress is non-uniform and has an irregular distribution. Vascular endothelial cells...

Research conducted at University of Bologna has provided new information about atherosclerosis.
March 2, 2009... "Carotid artery stenting (CAS) leads to frequent embolic brain lesions; their source has not been clearly identified yet. In order to investigate this phenomenon, we have evaluated embolic brain lesions (BL) after CAS and correlated them with...

Research in the area of life sciences reported from Cardiff University.
March 2, 2009... According to recent research published in the journal Cardiovascular Research, "Vascular calcification (VC) is highly correlated with increased morbidity and mortality in advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. Allosteric modulation of...

Findings from University of Michigan in tachycardia reported.(Report)
March 2, 2009... "During catheter ablation of complex fractionated atrial electrograms, persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) may convert to an atrial tachycardia (AT). The purpose of this study was to investigate the possible mechanisms of AT by examining the...

Dallas Scientists Discover Statins May Falsely Indicate Thyroid Problems.
March 2, 2009... Cholesterol-lowering statins, used by millions of Americans to treat and prevent atherosclerosis, may falsely indicate thyroid problems, according to researchers at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas (see also Texas Health Resources)....

New findings from D. den Hartog and co-authors describe advances in abdominal aortic aneurysm.(Report)
March 2, 2009... Current study results from the report, 'Comparison of ultrasonography with computed tomography in the diagnosis of incisional hernias,' have been published. "The objective of this study is to determine the reliability and validity of...

Investigators at University of California, Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease have published new data on cardiology.(Report)
March 2, 2009... New research, 'Cardiac fibroblasts regulate myocardial proliferation through beta1 integrin signaling,' is the subject of a report. "Growth and expansion of ventricular chambers is essential during heart development and is achieved by...

Research findings from University of Cambridge update understanding of acute hypoxemia.(Report)
March 2, 2009... According to recent research from Cambridge, the United Kingdom, "Thakor AS, Giussani DA. Effects of acute acidemia on the fetal cardiovascular defense to acute hypoxemia." "Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 295: R90-R99, 2009. First...

New apoptosis research has been reported by scientists at Wuhan University.
March 2, 2009... According to recent research from Wuhan, People's Republic of China, "Shenfu injection (the major components of which are ginsenosides compound, extract of Panax ginseng shown to have antioxidant properties) is a well-known important Chinese...

Studies from A. Dogan and co-researchers yield new data on atrial fibrillation.(Report)
March 2, 2009... According to recent research from Isparta, Turkey, " Atrial and/or appendage stunning (AS) usually occur after successful cardioversion of atrial fibrillation (AF). Several parameters except mitral annular velocity were previously evaluated to...

Investigators at University of Debrecen zero in on cardiology.
March 2, 2009... According to a study from Debrecen, Hungary, "Prolonged Ca2+ stimulations often result in a decrease in contractile force of isolated, demembranated human ventricular cardiomyocytes, whereas intact cells are likely to be protected from this...

Research on cardiology reported by scientists at Aarhus University.
March 2, 2009... "We sought to assess vascular remodelling and neointima formation after implantation of bioabsorbable magnesium alloy stents (AMS). Randomised experimental study," investigators in Aarhus, Denmark report (see also Cardiology). "AMS (n =...

Studies from Chonbuk National University yield new information about cardiology.(Report)
March 2, 2009... "Despite the important regulatory role of Mg2+ in metabolic pathways, its underlying mechanism is not completely understood at the single-cell level. This study examined the propagation and dynamics of Mg2+ signaling across the cell membrane by...

Studies from N.A. Haas and colleagues reveal new findings on cardiology.
March 2, 2009... According to recent research published in the journal Clinical Research in Cardiology, "Intravenous (IV) amiodarone hydrochloride has proven to be a very effective antiarrhythmic treatment option for a variety of ventricular and...

Studies in the area of cardiology reported from Z. Nurkalem and co-researchers.(Report)
March 2, 2009... "Slow coronary flow (SCF) is a well recognized clinical entity, characterized by delayed opacification of coronary arteries in the presence of normal coronary angiogram. There is currently no data evaluating myocardial systolic function in SCF...

Studies from Texas A&M University provide new data on clinical cardiology.(Report)
March 2, 2009... "The prevalence of electrocardiogram (ECG) abnormalities in American collegiate football athletes is virtually unknown. The purpose of this study was to characterize the type and frequency of ECG abnormalities in a sample of football athletes...

Reports outline echocardiography study results from Ain Shams University, Medical Department.
March 2, 2009... According to recent research from Cairo, Egypt, "The assessment of patients with mitral stenosis before percutaneous balloon mitral valvuloplasty (PBMV) is crucial to predict outcome after the procedure. We tried to explore the prognostic power...

Data on life sciences published by P. Wang and colleagues.
March 2, 2009... "Perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) inhibits vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) contraction and stimulates VSMC proliferation by releasing protein factors. The present study was to determine whether visfatin is involved in these paracrine...

Research from University of Hong Kong, Medical Department provides new data about life sciences.
March 2, 2009... "The omega-3 (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-3 PUFAs) eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) from fish oil were recently reported to have an anti-atrial fibrillation effect in humans; however, the ionic mechanisms...

Research from University of Jena has provided new data on life sciences.(Report)
March 2, 2009... According to a study from Jena, Germany, "Maximal exercise testing, including the determination of maximal performance and maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), is considered the gold standard for assessing maximal endurance performance. The...

Researchers from Erasmus University provide details of new studies and findings in the area of life sciences.(Report)
March 2, 2009... According to a study from Netherlands, "We explored the in vivo effects of knockdown of caldesmon on vascular development in zebrafish. We investigated the effects of caldesmon knockdown on the vascular development in a zebrafish model with...

Findings from R. Stevens et al in pneumothorax reported.(Report)
March 2, 2009... According to recent research from the United States, "Tension pneumothorax can lead to cardiovascular collapse and death. In the prehospital setting, needle thoracostomy for emergent decompression may be lifesaving." "Taught throughout the...

Studies from Case Western Reserve University provide new data on life sciences.
March 2, 2009... Fresh data on life sciences are presented in the report 'Expression of active Notch1 in avian coronary development.' According to recent research published in the journal Developmental Dynamics, "Notch1 is an important regulator of...

Boston Sports Clubs Opens its 26th Greater Boston Location in Woburn.
March 2, 2009... Boston Sports Clubs (BSC) announced the ribbon cutting of its 26th facility, located in Woburn, Mass. The newly constructed, 34,500 square-foot facility is the newest among the growing network of BSC locations in greater Boston. BSC Woburn is...

Cardiac fibrillation of the climate.(Report)
March 2, 2009... In the current issue of the Scientific Journal Nature Geoscience a group of Norwegian, Swiss and German geoscientists prove that before the set-in of the Holocene very rapid climate changes already existed. The transition from the stable cold...

Guidelines for treating patients with cardiovascular disease often based on weaker evidence.
March 9, 2009... An examination of clinical practice guidelines for treating cardiovascular disease finds that current recommendations are largely based on lower levels of evidence or expert opinion, according to a study in the February 25 issue of JAMA (see...

Noninvasive screening test may detect narrowing in intracranial stents.
March 9, 2009... Great advances have been made in treating blockages in the arteries of the brain using angioplasty to widen the narrowed artery and a stent to hold the artery open. However, in-stent stenosis, or a re-blockage of the artery within the stent due...

Research from V.L. King and co-authors in the area of abdominal aortic aneurysm published.
March 9, 2009... "Vascular disease can manifest as stenotic plaques or ectatic aneurysms, although the mechanisms culminating in these divergent disease manifestations remain poorly understood. T-helper type 1 cytokines, including interferon-gamma and CXCL10,...

New findings from Leiden University describe advances in acromegaly.(Report)
March 9, 2009... According to a study from Netherlands, "Both GH excess and GH deficiency (GHD) lead to specific cardiac pathology. The aim of this study was to evaluate cardiac morphology and function in patients with GHD after treatment for acromegaly....

Endovascular Repair Results in Decrease of Total Aneurysm Deaths.(Report)
March 9, 2009... Elective repair for abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) is on the rise, yet total AAA- related deaths continue to decline since the introduction of endovascular repair (EVAR), according to an ongoing, long-term research report from Beth Israel...

New aneurysm study findings recently were reported by W.F. Xiong and co-researchers.
March 9, 2009... According to a study from the United States, "During arterial aneurysm formation, levels of the membrane-anchored matrix metalloproteinase, MT1-MMP, are elevated dramatically. Although MT1-MMP is expressed predominately by infiltrating...

New findings in life sciences described by R. Rordorf and co-researchers.
March 9, 2009... "Intermittent retrograde conduction over an accessory pathway (AP) is quite an uncommon phenomenon. We describe the case of a 60-year-old woman with recurrent episodes of palpitations," scientists in Pavia, Italy report (see also Life...

Research results from B. Benyamin and colleagues update understanding of life sciences.
March 9, 2009... "Only a small proportion of genetic variation in complex traits has been explained by SNPs from genome-wide association studies (GWASs), We report the results from two GWASs for serum markers of iron status (serum iron, serum transferrin,...

The First Novel Fluorescent Cannabinoid Ligand, Tocrifluor T1117, Available Exclusively From Tocris Bioscience.(Report)
March 9, 2009... Tocris Bioscience (www.tocris.com) is pleased to announce the launch of Tocrifluor T1117. Co developed by Tocris and the University of Glasgow, Tocrifluor T1117 is the CB1 antagonist AM 251 labelled with a rhodamine derivative, and is the first...

Research from T. Lagu and co-authors in the area of managed care published.(Report)
March 9, 2009... In this recently published study, investigators in the United States conducted a study "To evaluate the extent of patient failure to fill antihypertensive prescriptions and to test the hypothesis that the presence of noncardiovascular disease...

New findings from Columbus Children's Hospital describe advances in tetralogy of fallot.(Report)
March 9, 2009... According to recent research from the United States, "Pulmonary valve replacement (PVR) in repaired tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) reduces pulmonary regurgitation and decreases right ventricular (RV) dilation, but its long-term impact on ventricular...

Reports from University Hospital describe recent advances in ventricular fibrillation.(Report)
March 9, 2009... New research, 'Spectral analysis of intracardiac electrograms during induced and spontaneous ventricular fibrillation in humans,' is the subject of a report. "Very limited data are available on the differences between spontaneous and induced...

Researchers from Freeman Hospital, Physics Department describe findings in ventricular fibrillation.(Report)
March 9, 2009... Investigators publish new data in the report 'Spatial and temporal organization of the dominant frequencies in the fibrillating heart: body surface potential mapping in a rare case of sustained human ventricular fibrillation.' According to...

New cardiology study findings recently were reported by M. Sterlinski and co-researchers.
March 9, 2009... According to a study from Warsaw, Poland, "Having several recently published reports on increased rate of cardiac perforation with some lead models as background, we assess the relation between cardiac perforations and models of leads used. All...

Reports outline cardiology research from Nanjing Medical University.(Report)
March 9, 2009... According to recent research published in the journal Frontiers in Bioscience, "We examined the role of Tollip in the hypertrophic response of cardiomyocytes. C57BL/6 mice were subjected to transverse aortic constriction (TAC) for 2 weeks and...

Studies by C.A. Muratore and co-authors describe new findings in Chagas disease.(Report)
March 9, 2009... According to recent research published in the journal Europace, "Chagas' disease is an endemic parasitic affliction in Latin America. It is frequently associated with ventricular tachyarrhythmia and sudden death." "The aim of this study is...

Researchers from University of Maryland detail findings in hormones.
March 9, 2009... "Crustacean hyperglycaemic hormone from the pericardial organ (PO-CHH) is a CHH-related neuropeptide but its function and target tissues are not known in crustaceans. To investigate this issue, we employed radiolabelled ligand binding and cGMP...

Researchers at Medical University of Innsbruck release new data on pacemakers.
March 9, 2009... According to recent research from Innsbruck, Austria, "The long-term effects of high impedance vs. standard impedance pacing leads on actual generator longevity were studied. In 40 patients (21 females, age 73 +/- 13 years) with standard...

Reports from C.Z. Chen and co-researchers add new data to research in pathology.(Report)
March 9, 2009... "Chlamydophila pneumoniae infection has been associated with several pulmonary and cardiac diseases. However, it has not been explored for its ability to activate the same immunopathologic mechanisms of asthma, namely, a predominant Th2 immune...

Researchers from Tohoku University, Faculty of Medicine report recent findings in cardiology.
March 9, 2009... A report, 'Effect of radiation monitoring method and formula differences on estimated physician dose during percutaneous coronary intervention,' is newly published data in Acta Radiologica. According to a study from Sendai, Japan, "Currently,...

New Chagas disease animal studies research from University of Sao Paulo described.(Report)
March 9, 2009... New investigation results, 'Effects of repetitive stress during the acute phase of Trypanosoma cruzi infection on chronic Chagas' disease in rats,' are detailed in a study published in Stress. According to recent research from Ribeirao Preto,...

Cardiac Success Ready to Resuscitate Nation's Economy.
March 9, 2009... The U.S. won't need an $800 billion government bailout if consumers and businesses start working together. That's the bold statement made this week by Ron Lester, founder of Cardiac Success (http://www.cardiacsuccess.com/) -- a new business...

Study Shows that Flavonoid Supplements Prevent Impairment of Endothelial Function After High-Fat Meals.
March 9, 2009... Itamar Medical, an international medical technology company developing noninvasive diagnostic technology using the Peripheral Arterial Tone (PATO) Signal, announced the use of the company's patented Endo-PAT2000 in the Carolinas HealthCare...

Noninvasive Medical Technologies to Exhibit at CardioCareLive - a Premier Cardiometabolic Conference.(Conference news)
March 9, 2009... Noninvasive Medical Technologies, Inc. (NMT), an award-winning company engaged in pioneering highly advanced remote patient monitoring solutions, announced that the Company will be showcasing its compelling suite of patented noninvasive medical...

Israel Cardiovascular Devices Investment Opportunities, Analysis and Forecasts to 2012 Out Now.
March 9, 2009... Research and Markets(http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/8ab4e6/israel_cardiovascu) has announced the addition of Global Markets Direct's new report "Israel Cardiovascular Devices Investment Opportunities, Analysis and Forecasts to 2012"...

Stereotaxis Reports Fourth Quarter 2008 Financial Results.(Financial report)
March 9, 2009... Stereotaxis, Inc. (NASDAQ:STXS) reported its financial results for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2008. Revenue for the fourth quarter of 2008 was $12.1 million, an increase of 18% over the fourth quarter of 2007. Stereotaxis recognized...

Are vitamin supplements effective in celiac disease patients?
March 16, 2009... Coeliac disease is a typical example of a malabsorption syndrome conferring increased risk for various deficiency states, including folate and vitamin B12. Hyperhomocysteinemia is significantly more frequent in patients with newly diagnosed...

Studies from H.G. Lim et al have provided new data on anatomy.(Report)
March 16, 2009... According to recent research from the United States, "Complex intracardiac and extracardiac anatomy is often confronted during biventricular repair in patients with heterotaxy syndrome. We examined factors affecting surgical outcomes in these...

New aneurysm findings from O. Agu and co-authors described.
March 16, 2009... "The purpose of this article is to describe a hitherto underreported late complication of infrarenal endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR), namely type Ib endoleakage resulting from aneurysmal degeneration at the iliac artery landing site. In a...

Reports on aneurysm findings from University of California provide new insights.(Report)
March 16, 2009... "The objective of this study was to determine whether hypertension is a risk factor for aneurysm enlargement in patients with an untreated type II endoleak after endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR). Between January 2000 and...

New angina pectoris study findings have been reported by researchers at Third Military Medical University.
March 16, 2009... "To evaluate aspirin responsiveness in patients with unstable angina pectoris (UAP) by whole blood aggregometry. Another goal was to differentiate aspirin-resistant patients into pharmacokinetic or pharmacodynamic type," scientists in...

Researchers at University of Michigan publish new data on atrial septal defects.
March 16, 2009... According to a study from the United States, "The use of the Tandem Heart (TM) percutaneous ventricular assist device (Tandem Heart pVAD, Cardiac Assist technologies, Pittsburgh, PA) as a bridge to recovery or to other cardiopulmonary support...

Report summarizes cardiology study findings from Yamaguchi University, Medical Department.
March 16, 2009... "A domain peptide (DP) matching the Gly(2460)-Pro(2495) region of the cardiac type-2 ryanodine receptor (RyR2), DPc10, is known to mimic channel dysfunction associated with catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT), owing to...

Study results from Ming Chuan University update understanding of life sciences.(Report)
March 16, 2009... According to recent research published in the journal Applied Economics, "The purpose of this study is to assess the effects of economic fluctuations on health outcome. By using data obtained from eight Asia-Pacific countries over the period...

Studies from Harvard University provide new data on abdominal aortic aneurysm.(Report)
March 16, 2009... New research, 'Genetically engineered resistance for MMP collagenases promotes abdominal aortic aneurysm formation in mice infused with angiotensin II,' is the subject of a report. According to a study from the United States, "Clinical evidence...

Researchers from Veterans Affairs Medical Center detail new studies and findings in the area of life sciences.
March 16, 2009... Researchers detail in 'Creatinine and cystatin C: what are the values,' new data in life sciences. "Recent studies indicate that serum cystatin C is a better marker of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and is a stronger predictor of...

Research on cardiology reported by scientists at Johns Hopkins University.
March 16, 2009... "Black blood turbo spin echo (TSE) Imaging of the right ventricle (RV) free wall is highly sensitive to cardiac motion, frequently resulting in nondiagnostic images. Temporal and spatial parameters of a black blood TSE pulse sequence were...

Studies from S. Patane and colleagues reveal new findings on cardiology.
March 16, 2009... According to recent research from Messina, Italy, "In 1897, the anatomist Chiari described a structure in the right atrium connected to the Eustachian valve identified as the embryological vestige of the right valve of the sinus venosus." ...

Studies from Y. Konno et al in the area of cardiology described.
March 16, 2009... "Cilnidipine is a dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker that acts on both L-type and N-type calcium channels. The effects of cilnidipine given intravenously at doses of 2.5, 5.0, and 10 mu g/kg were studied using an ex vivo hydronephrosis...

Studies from M.J. Mcwilliams et al have provided new data on cardiovascular electrophysiology.
March 16, 2009... "Radiofrequency Energy Delivery System for Transseptal Puncture," scientists in the United States report (see also Cardiovascular Electrophysiology). "Transseptal puncture is a standard means of catheter access to the left atrium via the...

Columbia University details research in catheterization.
March 16, 2009... "The treatment of bifurcation lesions is complex and increasingly common," scientists writing in the journal Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions report (see also Catheterization). "A growing number of dedicated bifurcation...

New findings from M. Wysockakapcinska and co-researchers in the area of enzyme research described.(Report)
March 16, 2009... According to a study from Warsaw, Poland, "Statins - inhibitors of the 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase - are known to reduce blood cholesterol levels. In this paper, we present a Saccharomyces cerevisiae expression...

Research from Harvard University, Medical Department in the area of enzyme research described.
March 16, 2009... "Periventricular heterotopia (PH) is a disorder characterized by neuronal nodules, ectopically positioned along the lateral ventricles of the cerebral cortex. Mutations in either of two human genes, Filamin A (FLNA) or ADP-ribosylation factor...

New magnetic resonance research has been reported by scientists at Eindhoven University of Technology.(Report)
March 16, 2009... "The intra-thoracic blood volume (ITBV) is a cardiovascular parameter related to the cardiac preload and left ventricular function. Its assessment is, therefore, important for diagnosis and follow-up of several cardiovascular dysfunctions,"...