Heart articles from November 2001

Heart archives from November 2001

Can cardiomyocytes divide?(myocardial regeneration research)
November 1, 2001... There is no doubt that research in the field of myocardial regeneration has a remarkably exciting future. This is reflected by a recent statement of the special emphasis panel at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute in the USA, which...

Coronary angiography cannot be used to assess myocardial perfusion in patients undergoing reperfusion for acute myocardial infarction.
November 1, 2001... "All knowledge, like all ignorance, deviates from the truth in an opportunistic direction"--Gunnar Myrdal from A challenge to world poverty Perfusion can be defined as tissue blood flow at the capillary level. There are two components of...

Angiographic assessment of myocardial perfusion: TIMI myocardial perfusion (TMP) grading system.(thrombolysis in myocardial infarction)
November 1, 2001... Since the introduction of reperfusion therapy in the early 1980s, cardiologists have largely focused on coronary artery flow and diameter, with the goal being to restore normal epicardial artery perfusion and large lumens. For many years,...

JOURNALSCAN.(and overview of cardiology research)
November 1, 2001... Please visit the Heart website (www.heartjnl.com) for links to these articles-many to full text. IOBAL MALIK Editor, JournalScan ISCHAEMIC HEART DISEASE HRT seems to have short term risk for long term gain: The HERS trial...

Torsade de pointes tachycardia as a rare manifestation of acute enteroviral myocarditis.
November 1, 2001... Abstract A patient with cardiac arrest and documented torsade de pointes ventricular tachycardia is presented in whom acute coxsackievirus B2 myocarditis was identified as the most likely underlying cardiac condition. This case shows...

Gene therapy for coronary restenosis: is the enthusiasm justified?
November 1, 2001... Despite dramatic technological advances in coronary intervention, restenosis following percutaneous coronary intervention remains an important cause of morbidity with major financial implications. [1] By six months postprocedure, some 16-32%...

Poor prognosis of patients presenting with symptomatic myocardial infarction but without chest pain.
November 1, 2001... M F Dorsch, R A Lawrance, R J Sapsford, N Durham, J Oldham, D C Greenwood, B M Jackson, C Morrell, M B Robinson, A S Hall, for the EMMACE Study Group [*] Abstract Objective--To describe the clinical features, prognosis, and...

Aortico-atrial fistula secondary to bacterial endocarditis.
November 1, 2001... A 39 year old woman was admitted to hospital for investigation and management of a febrileillness of six weeks' duration. She was haemodynamically stable but a grade 4/6 continuous murmur, best heard at the left sternal edge, was noted. A...

Is the prevalence of coronary heart disease falling in British men?
November 1, 2001... Abstract Objective--To assess whether long term trends over time in acute coronary heart disease (CHD) event rates have influenced the burden of prevalent CHD in British men. Design--Longitudinal cohort study. Participants--7735...

Large coiled right ventricular outflow tract thrombus resolved after thrombolytic treatment.
November 1, 2001... An 84 year old man with chronic bronchiectasis was referred by a family doctor following a three day period of dyspnoea and exercise related central chest pain. On the day of admission he had dizzy spells and a short episode of syncope...

Ischaemic heart disease and Cag A strains of Helicobacter pylori in the Caerphilly heart disease study.
November 1, 2001... Abstract Objective--To look for the presence of the more virulent strains of Helicobacter pylori (H pylori) in men who developed ischaemic heart disease over a 10 year period and in controls. Design--The Caerphilly prospective heart...

Dobutamine stress echocardiography versus quantitative technetium--99m sestamibi SPECT for detecting residual stenosis and multivessel disease after myocardial infarction.
November 1, 2001... Abstract Objective--To compare the relative accuracy of dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) and quantitative technetium-99m sestamibi single photon emission computed tomography (mibi SPECT) for detecting infarct related artery...

Population prevalence, incidence, and predictors of atrial fibrillation in the Renfrew/Paisley study.
November 1, 2001... Abstract Objectives--Though atrial fibrillation (AF) is an important cause of cardiovascular morbidity, there are few large epidemiological studies of its prevalence, incidence, and risk factors. The epidemiological features of AF are...

Effects of intravenous dofetilide on induction of atrioventricular re-entrant tachycardia.
November 1, 2001... Abstract Objective--To assess the efficacy and safety of intravenous dofetilide in preventing induction of atrioventricular re-entrant tachycardia. Design--A multicentre, open, dose ranging trial. Fifty one patients with...

Incidence and prognostic significance of atrial fibrillation in acute myocardial infarction: the GISSI-3 data.
November 1, 2001... Abstract Background--Atrial fibrillation is the most common supraventricular arrhythmia in patients with acute myocardial infarction. Recent advances in pharmacological treatment of myocardial infarction may have changed the impact of...

Transseptal left heart catheterisation guided by intracardiac echocardiography.
November 1, 2001... Objective--To develop a novel approach of transseptal puncture guided by intracardiac echocardiography and to assess its efficacy. Methods--Transcatheter intracardiac echocardiography with a 9 MHz rotating transducer was performed to...

Delayed post-traumatic tamponade together with rupture of the tricuspid valve in a 15 year old boy.
November 1, 2001... With the increase in the number of high speed motor vehicle accidents, blunt, non-penetrating trauma to the heart has become an important health problem. An unusual case is reported of a 15 year old boy urgently referred with cardiac...

Infected cardiac hydatid cyst.
November 1, 2001... A 24 year old woman presented with chest pain and palpitation. The presence of a semisolid mass -- an echinococcal cyst or tumour--in the left ventricular apex was diagnosed by echocardiography, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance...

Pravastatin and endothelium dependent vasomotion after coronary angioplasty: the PREFACE trial.(pravastatin related effects following angioplasty on coronary endothelium trial)
November 1, 2001... Abstract Objective--To test the hypothesis that the 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme-A reductase inhibitor pravastatin ameliorates endothelium mediated responses of dilated coronary segments: the PREFACE (pravastatin related effects...

Coronary sinus diverticulum containing posteroseptal accessory pathway.
November 1, 2001... A 41 year old male with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome and symptomatic atrioventricular re-entrant tachycardia was admitted for electrophysiological study. An exceptionally large coronary sinus diverticulum was identified (right) and found to...

Washout collaterometry: a new method of assessing collaterals using angiographic contrast clearance during coronary occlusion.
November 1, 2001... Abstract Objective--To investigate the hypothesis that the time to washout of radiographic contrast medium trapped distal to an occluded collateral receiving vessel is inversely related to collateral flow, and that this provides an...

Acute type A aortic dissection in an adult patient with Turner's syndrome.
November 1, 2001... Acute type A aortic dissection is the most serious cardiovascular complication of Turner's syndrome, and is often fatal. We report a case involving a 38 year old woman with karyotype proven Turner's syndrome (46 X iso X), who presented with...

Value of fractional flow reserve in making decisions about bypass surgery for equivocal left main coronary artery disease.
November 1, 2001... Abstract Objective--To investigate the value of coronary pressure derived fractional flow reserve (FFR) measurements in supporting decisions about medical or surgical treatment in patients with angiographically equivocal left main...

Residual pulmonary vasoreactivity to inhaled nitric oxide in patients with severe obstructive pulmonary hypertension and Eisenmenger syndrome.
November 1, 2001... Abstract Objective--To determine whether inhaled NO (iNO) can reduce pulmonary vascular resistance in adults with congenital heart disease and obstructive pulmonary hypertension or Eisenmenger syndrome. Design--23 patients received...

Unusual multiple spasm during coronary angioplasty.
November 1, 2001... A 56 year old man was hospitalised for unstable angina. Coronary angiogram revealed a tight and isolated stenosis of the mid right coronary artery (top). Coronary angioplasty was undertaken following the usual procedure (middle), during...

Molecular enhancement of porcine cardiac chronotropy.(gene therapy possibilities)
November 1, 2001... Abstract Objective--To test the potential of gene transfer approaches to enhance cardiac chronotropy in a porcine system as a model of the human heart. Methods--Plasmids encoding either the human [[beta].sub.2] adrenergic receptor...

A novel approach to temporary stenting: degradable cardiovascular stents produced from corrodible metal--results 6-18 months after implantation into New Zealand white rabbits.
November 1, 2001... Abstract Objective--To determine whether corrodible materials may be safely used as biodegradable cardiovascular implants. Design--Corrodible iron stents ([greater than] 99.8% iron) were produced from pure iron and laser cut with a...

Long term follow up of long QT syndrome treated by overdrive pacing.
November 1, 2001... Long term follow up of a patient with idiopathic long QT syndrome is described. A 5 year old girl was admitted with attacks of unconsciousness. Epilepsy was diagnosed and the patient was treated with anticonvulsants. During other episodes,...

Coronary stent deployment in situs inversus.
November 1, 2001... Situs inversus with dextrocardia occurs in approximately one in 10 000 patients. Successful stent deployment for the treatment of unstable angina and situs inversus is presented. Three technical challenges associated with the procedure are...

Fulminant thrombosis of mechanical mitral valve prosthesis.
November 1, 2001... In patients with prosthetic heart valves non-cardiac surgery may require temporary discontinuation of oral anticoagulation. Although the risk of valve related thromboembolic complications may generally be only slightly increased during the...

SCIENTIFIC LETTERS.(Heart transplantation in children with mitochondrial cardiomyopathy)(Effect of circadian rhythm on response to carotid sinus massage)(Role of conscious sedation for external cardioversion)(Sedation by physician with diazepam for DC cardioversion of atrial arrhythmias)
November 1, 2001... Heart transplantation in children with mitochondrial cardiomyopathy Genetic defects of mitochondrial energy supply can give rise to a variety of symptoms and virtually any organ or tissue can be involved. [1] In particular, cardiomyopathy...

HEART FAILURE.(discussion of causes and symptoms)
November 1, 2001... What causes the symptoms of heart failure? Andrew J S Coats National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, Royal Brompton Hospital, London, UK Chronic heart failure (GHF) is a common...

ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY.(Ventricular tachycardia: diagnosis of broad QRS complex tachycardia)
November 1, 2001... Ventricular tachycardia: diagnosis of broad QRS complex tachycardia Hein JJ Wellens Interuniversity Cardiology Institute of the Netherlands (ICIN), Utrecht, The Netherlands When confronted with a tachycardia having a broad QRS...

IMAGING TECHNIQUES.(Transoesophageal Echo-Doppler in cardiology)
November 1, 2001... Transoesophageal Echo-Doppler in cardiology Peter Hanrath Medical Clinic I, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Germany Transoesophageal echocardiography (TOE) has opened a new sonographic window to the heart and the thoracic aorta....

Ambulances.(history of ambulance portrayals on postage stamps)
November 1, 2001... Ambulances have featured occasionally on the world's postage stamps usually as part of the design of a war charity or Red Cross/Crescent stamp. On some occasions other specific ambulance organisations have been the theme--an example being the...