Articles

Correction to: The GEnetic Syntax Score: a genetic risk assessment implementation tool grading the complexity of coronary artery disease—rationale and design of the GESS study

Authors: Ioannis S. Vizirianakis, Fani Chatzopoulou, Andreas S. Papazoglou, Efstratios Karagiannidis, Georgios Sofdis, Nikolaos Stalikas, Christos Stefopoulos, Konstantinos A. Kyritsis, Nikolaos Mittas, Nikoleta F. Theodoroula, Aggeliki Lampri, Eleni Mezarli, Anastasios Kartas, Dimitrios Chatzidimitriou, Anna Papa-Konidari, Eleftherios Angelis…

Circular RNA mmu_circ_0005019 inhibits fibrosis of cardiac fibroblasts and reverses electrical remodeling of cardiomyocytes

Circular RNA (circRNA) have been reported to play important roles in cardiovascular diseases including myocardial infarction and heart failure. However, the role of circRNA in atrial fibrillation (AF) has rare...

Authors: Na Wu, Chengying Li, Bin Xu, Ying Xiang, Xiaoyue Jia, Zhiquan Yuan, Long Wu, Li Zhong and Yafei Li

Temporal trends in outcome and patient characteristics in dilated cardiomyopathy, data from the Swedish Heart Failure Registry 2003–2015

Temporal trends in clinical composition and outcome in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) are largely unknown, despite considerable advances in heart failure management. We set out to study clinical characteristics ...

Authors: Helen Sjöland, Jonas Silverdal, Entela Bollano, Aldina Pivodic, Ulf Dahlström and Michael Fu

Minimising radiation exposure in catheter ablation of ventricular arrhythmias

Conventional fluoroscopy guided catheter ablation (CA) is an established treatment option for ventricular arrhythmias (VAs). However, with the complex nature of most procedures, patients and staff bare an incr...

Authors: Matevž Jan, David Žižek, Tine Prolič Kalinšek, Dimitrij Kuhelj, Primož Trunk, Tadeja Kolar, Juš Kšela, Martin Rauber and Mehmet Yazici

Primitive neuroectodermal tumor of the pericardium: a case report and literature review

The primitive neuroectodermal tumors (PNETs) are a family of highly malignant tumors with a multidirectional differential potential. The tumors are characterized by aggressive small round tumor cells that orig...

Authors: Jingjing Wang, Jing Li, Xiao Zhang, Xiaobo Zhang and Yueyong Xiao

Comparison of periodontal parameters between patients with ischemic and dilative cardiomyopathy

This cross-sectional study aimed in the comparison of periodontal parameters, number of remaining teeth and oral behaviour between patients with ischemic- (ICM) and non-ischemic dilative cardiomyopathy (DCM).

Authors: Dirk Ziebolz, Christian Binner, Florentine Reuschel, Mirjam Eisner, Justus Wagner, Tanja Kottmann, Christian D. Etz, Sven Lehmann, Jens Garbade and Gerhard Schmalz

Characteristics of coronary artery disease in patients with subclinical hypothyroidism: evaluation using coronary artery computed tomography angiography

Subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) has recently been acknowledged as an independent risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD). However, the characteristics of CAD in patients with SCH are not fully understoo...

Authors: Xin-zhu Zhou, Rui Shi, Jin Wang, Ke Shi, Xi Liu, Yuan Li, Yue Gao, Ying-kun Guo and Zhi-gang Yang

Cardioprotective effect of nicorandil on isoproterenol induced cardiomyopathy in the Mdx mouse model

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) associated cardiomyopathy is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. In an in vitro DMD cardiomyocyte model, nicorandil reversed stress-induced cell injury through multiple ...

Authors: Rachel T. Sullivan, Ngoc T. Lam, Margaret Haberman, Margaret J. Beatka, Muhammad Z. Afzal, Michael W. Lawlor and Jennifer L. Strande

Outcomes after EVAR in females are similar to males

Women are less likely to develop infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm; however, when they do, it is almost always associated with challenging anatomy, more rapid aneurysmal growth rate and earlier rupture. Wom...

Authors: Naim Boran Tumer, Goktan Askin, Bekir Bogachan Akkaya, Isa Civelek, Ertekin Utku Unal and Hakki Zafer Iscan

Exploration and validation of hub genes and pathways in the progression of hypoplastic left heart syndrome via weighted gene co-expression network analysis

Despite significant progress in surgical treatment of hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), its mortality and morbidity are still high. Little is known about the molecular abnormalities of the syndrome. In t...

Authors: Xuelan Liu, Honglei Shang, Bin Li, Liyun Zhao, Ying Hua, Kaiyuan Wu, Manman Hu and Taibing Fan

Evidence-based oral antiplatelet therapy among hospitalized Chinese patients with acute myocardial infarction: results from the Chinese acute myocardial infarction registry

Oral antiplatelet therapy is the cornerstone of treatment for acute myocardial infaction (AMI). However, detailed usage data on oral antiplatelet therapy are lacking.

Authors: Xiaofang Tang, Lifu Liu, Jingang Yang, Zhan Gao, Xueyan Zhao, Shubin Qiao, Runlin Gao, Zhifang Wang, Jinqing Yuan and Yuejin Yang

Association analysis of maternal MTHFR gene polymorphisms and the occurrence of congenital heart disease in offspring

Although many studies showed that the risk of congenital heart disease (CHD) was closely related to genetic factors, the exact pathogenesis is still unknown. Our study aimed to comprehensively assess the assoc...

Authors: Mengting Sun, Tingting Wang, Peng Huang, Jingyi Diao, Senmao Zhang, Jinqi Li, Liu Luo, Yihuan Li, Letao Chen, Yiping Liu, Jianhui Wei, Xinli Song, Xiaoqi Sheng and Jiabi Qin

Impact of acute total occlusion of the culprit artery on outcome in NSTEMI based on the results of a large national registry

The impact of acute total occlusion (TO) of the culprit artery in non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) is not fully established. We aimed to evaluate the clinical and angiographic phenotype ...

Authors: Michał Terlecki, Wiktoria Wojciechowska, Dariusz Dudek, Zbigniew Siudak, Krzysztof Plens, Tomasz J. Guzik, Tomasz Drożdż, Jan Pęksa, Stanisław Bartuś, Wojciech Wojakowski, Marek Grygier and Marek Rajzer

Correction to: Association between plasma lipid levels during acute coronary syndrome and long-term malignancy risk. The ABC-4* study on heart disease

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

Authors: Giuseppe Berton, Rocco Cordiano, Fiorella Cavuto, Francesco Bagato, Heba Talat Mahmoud and Mattia Pasquinucci

Mitral valve regurgitation and endocarditis triggered by a needle

Cardiac foreign bodies are extremely rare in clinical patients, especially when foreign bodies damage the internal structure of the heart coincidentally after they penetrate the heart.

Authors: Chuanzhen Liu, Yan Liu, Jianhua Li and Guangqing Cao

SLE strikes the heart! A rare presentation of SLE myocarditis presenting as cardiogenic shock

Although systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) can affect the cardiovascular system in many ways with diverse presentations, a severe cardiogenic shock secondary to SLE myocarditis is infrequently described in th...

Authors: Jaydeep J. Raval, Christina Rodriguez Ruiz, James Heywood and Jason J. Weiner

Dietary phytochemical index associated with cardiovascular risk factor in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus

Dietary phytochemical index (DPI) is useful and inexpensive method to identify the role of phytochemicals on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors. This study aimed to assess the relationship between DPI a...

Authors: Saeideh Delshad Aghdam, Fereydoun Siassi, Ensieh Nasli Esfahani, Mostafa Qorbani, Asadollah Rajab, Zahra Sajjadpour, Anahita Bashiri, Maryam Aghayan and Gity Sotoudeh

Feasibility and safety of cangrelor in patients with suboptimal P2Y₁₂ inhibition undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention: rationale of the Dutch Cangrelor Registry

Despite the advances of potent oral P2Y₁₂ inhibitors, their onset of action is delayed, which might have a negative impact on clinical outcome in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Tria...

Authors: A. Selvarajah, A. H. Tavenier, W. L. Bor, V. Houben, S. Rasoul, E. Kaplan, K. Teeuwen, S. H. Hofma, E. Lipsic, G. Amoroso, M. A. H. van Leeuwen, J. M. ten Berg, A. W. J. van ‘t Hof and R. S. Hermanides

Comparison of bioelectrical body and visceral fat indices with anthropometric measures and optimal cutoffs in relation to hypertension by age and gender among Chinese adults

Few studies have compared bioelectrical body and visceral fat indices with anthropometric measures, or evaluated their optimal cutoffs in relation to hypertension among Asians. We compared the efficiencies of ...

Authors: Binbin Zhang, Yaqi Fan, Yuxue Wang, Li Zhang, Chunjun Li, Jiangshan He, Pei Guo, Mianzhi Zhang and Minying Zhang

Comparison of optical coherence tomography-guided and intravascular ultrasound-guided rotational atherectomy for calcified coronary lesions

To compare the effect and outcomes of optical coherence tomography (OCT)-guided rotational atherectomy (RA) with intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)-guided RA in the treatment of calcified coronary lesions.

Authors: Weili Teng, Qi Li, Yuliang Ma, Chengfu Cao, Jian Liu, Hong Zhao, Mingyu Lu, Chang Hou and Weimin Wang

Prevalence and risk factors of atrioventricular block among 15 million Chinese health examination participants in 2018: a nation-wide cross-sectional study

Nationwide data on the prevalence of atrioventricular (AV) block are currently unavailable in China. Thus, we aimed to assess the prevalence and risk factors of AV block among Chinese health examination adults.

Authors: Ruiqi Shan, Yi Ning, Yuan Ma, Siliang Liu, Jing Wu, Xiaohan Fan, Jun Lv, Bo Wang, Shijun Li and Liming Li

An electrographic AV optimization for the maximum integrative atrioventricular and ventricular resynchronization in CRT

Atrioventricular (AV) delay could affect AV and ventricular synchrony in cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). Strategies to optimize AV delay according to optimal AV synchrony (AV_opt-AV) or ventricular synchr...

Authors: Jie Li, Yuegang Wang, Jingting Mai, Shilan Chen, Menghui Liu, Chen Su, Xumiao Chen, Huiling Huang, Yuedong Ma, Chong Feng, Jingzhou Jiang, Jun Liu, Jiangui He, Anli Tang, Yugang Dong, Xiaobo Huang…

Routine clinical care data from thirteen cardiac outpatient clinics: design of the Cardiology Centers of the Netherlands (CCN) database

Despite the increasing availability of clinical data due to the digitalisation of healthcare systems, data often remain inaccessible due to the diversity of data collection systems. In the Netherlands, Cardiol...

Authors: Sophie H. Bots, Klaske R. Siegersma, N. Charlotte Onland-Moret, Folkert W. Asselbergs, G. Aernout Somsen, Igor I. Tulevski, Hester M. den Ruijter and Leonard Hofstra

Therapeutic management of acute type A aortic intramural hematoma

The proper therapeutic management for acute type A aortic intramural hematoma (IMH) is still controversial. The purpose of this study was to compare the outcomes following emergency surgery or conservative tre...

Authors: Jue Yang, Changjiang Yu, Xin Li, Juntao Kuang, Zerui Chen, Fei Xiao, Tucheng Sun, Miaoxian Fang and Ruixin Fan

The association of lipoprotein(a) and intraplaque neovascularization in patients with carotid stenosis: a retrospective study

Lipoprotein(a) is genetically determined and increasingly recognized as a major risk factor for arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease. We examined whether plasma lipoprotein(a) concentrations were associated...

Authors: Shuang Xia, Weida Qiu, Anping Cai, Bo Kong, Lan Xu, Zejia Wu and Liwen Li

The GEnetic Syntax Score: a genetic risk assessment implementation tool grading the complexity of coronary artery disease—rationale and design of the GESS study

Coronary artery disease (CAD) remains one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide and is associated with multiple inherited and environmental risk factors. This study is designed to identify, design, and ...

Authors: Ioannis S. Vizirianakis, Fani Chatzopoulou, Andreas S. Papazoglou, Efstratios Karagiannidis, Georgios Sofidis, Nikolaos Stalikas, Christos Stefopoulos, Konstantinos A. Kyritsis, Nikolaos Mittas, Nikoleta F. Theodoroula, Aggeliki Lampri, Eleni Mezarli, Anastasios Kartas, Dimitrios Chatzidimitriou, Anna Papa-Konidari, Eleftherios Angelis…

A retrospective analysis of high sensitivity cardiac troponin-T ranges in non-myocardial infarction emergency department visits

Current evidence suggests that high sensitivity cardiac troponin-T (hs-cTnT) values differ based on sex, race, age, and kidney function. However, most studies examining the relationship of hs-cTnT and these in...

Authors: Nathan Kong, Rhys F. M. Chua, Stephanie A. Besser, Louise Heelan, Sandeep Nathan, Thomas F. Spiegel, Xander M. R. van Wijk and Corey E. Tabit

Malignant mesothelioma associated with localized myocardial fibrosis: a case report

Left ventricular dysfunction is a common reason for patients’ referral to cardiology departments for examination. Cardiac involvement is one of the possible yet rare presentations of malignant mesothelioma. We...

Authors: Kristyna Vymetalova, Pavol Tomasov and Rostislav Polasek

Prognostic relevance of elevated plasma osmolality on admission in acute decompensated heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: insights from PURSUIT-HFpEF registry

Complicated pathophysiology makes it difficult to identify the prognosis of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). While plasma osmolality has been reported to have prognostic importance, main...

Authors: Akito Nakagawa, Yoshio Yasumura, Chikako Yoshida, Takahiro Okumura, Jun Tateishi, Junichi Yoshida, Shunsuke Tamaki, Masamichi Yano, Takaharu Hayashi, Yusuke Nakagawa, Takahisa Yamada, Daisaku Nakatani, Shungo Hikoso and Yasushi Sakata

Aberrant expression of HDL-bound microRNA induced by a high-fat diet in a pig model: implications in the pathogenesis of dyslipidaemia

A high-fat diet can affect lipid metabolism and trigger cardiovascular diseases. A growing body of studies has revealed the HDL-bound miRNA profiles in familial hypercholesterolaemia; in sharp contrast, releva...

Authors: Guoyuan Sui, Lianqun Jia, Nan Song, Dongyu Min, Si Chen, Yao Wu and Guanlin Yang

Prognostic value of D-dimer for adverse outcomes in patients with infective endocarditis: an observational study

Increased D-dimer levels have been shown to correlate with adverse outcomes in various clinical conditions. However, few studies with a large sample size have been performed thus far to evaluate the prognostic...

Authors: Ying-Wen Lin, Mei Jiang, Xue-biao Wei, Jie-leng Huang, Zedazhong Su, Yu Wang, Ji-yan Chen and Dan-qing Yu

Intimal thickening and disruption of the media occur in the arterial walls of coronary arteries not associated with coronary arterial aneurysms in patients with Kawasaki disease

Coronary artery aneurysm (CAA) is an important complication of Kawasaki disease (KD) that is associated with arterial structure damage. However, few studies have examined structural changes in coronary arterie...

Authors: Tomoya Tsuchihashi, Nobuyuki Kakimoto, Takashi Takeuchi, Tomohiro Suenaga, Takayuki Suzuki, Shoichi Shibuta, Yasushi Ino, Takashi Kubo, Takashi Akasaka and Hiroyuki Suzuki

Different body parts’ fat mass and corrected QT interval on the electrocardiogram: The Fasa PERSIAN Cohort Study

Previous studies suggested that obesity and fat mass are associated with QT interval prolongation, but the role of different body parts' fat mass is unclear. The associations between total and regional fat mas...

Authors: Mohammad Hosein Yazdanpanah, Ehsan Bahramali, Mohammad Mehdi Naghizadeh, Mojtaba Farjam, Maryam Mobasheri and Shiva Dadvand

Clinical performance and exercise hemodynamics in patients with severe secondary tricuspid regurgitation and chronic atrial fibrillation

The study aimed to investigate the functional capacity and hemodynamics at rest and during exercise in patients with chronic atrial fibrillation and severe functional symptomatic tricuspid regurgitation (AF-FTR).

Authors: Jesper K. Jensen, Tor S. Clemmensen, Christian A. Frederiksen, Joachim Schofer, Mads J. Andersen and Steen H. Poulsen

The association between estrogen receptor 2 gene polymorphism and complexity of coronary artery disease: an analysis in elective percutaneous coronary intervention patients

One of the most common causes of death in the world is coronary artery disease (CAD). Estrogen, the most important early sex hormones in women, plays an important role in the risk reduction of cardiovascular d...

Authors: Farzaneh Foroughinia, Pooyan Dehghani, Mehdi Dianatpour, Arghavan Amiri, Iman Jamhiri and Parisa Ghasemiyeh

Chronotherapy for morning blood pressure surge in hypertensive patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis

The morning blood pressure surge (MBPS) is related to an exaggerated risk of cardiovascular diseases and mortality. With increasing attention on circadian change in blood pressure and extensive use of ambulato...

Authors: Ziyan Xie, Jiahao Zhang, Chenyu Wang and Xiaowei Yan

Congenital coronary artery-to-pulmonary fistula with giant aneurysmal dilatation and thrombus formation: a case report and review of literature

Coronary artery-to-pulmonary artery fistula is a rare disorder characterized by abnormal vascular communication between the coronary artery and pulmonary artery. While most patients remain asymptomatic, some m...

Authors: Xuanqi An, Shaoxian Guo, Huawei Dong, Yida Tang, Lin Li, Xuejing Duan and Shaodong Ye

Impact of pericardial fluid glucose level and computed tomography attenuation values on diagnosis of malignancy-related pericardial effusion

We evaluated malignancy according to the characteristics of pericardial fluid in symptomatic Japanese patients undergoing pericardiocentesis and computed tomography (CT).

Authors: Takashi Nakamura, Mana Okune, Masakazu Yasuda, Heitaro Watanabe, Masafumi Ueno, Kenji Yamaji, Kazuki Mizutani, Takashi Kurita and Gaku Nakazawa

Rapid decline in cardiac function in diabetic patients with calcified coronary artery disease undergoing hemodialysis: two case reports

Clinical symptoms of patients on dialysis do not match the signs of coronary disease progression, making the prediction of the true progression of their medical condition in clinical settings difficult. Emerge...

Authors: Hironobu Yamaoka, Taira Yamamoto, Daisuke Endo, Akie Shimada, Satoshi Matsushita, Tohru Asai and Atsushi Amano

Native T1 mapping and extracellular volume fraction for differentiation of myocardial diseases from normal CMR controls in routine clinical practice

This study aimed to determine native T1 and extracellular volume fraction (ECV) in distinct types of myocardial disease, including amyloidosis, dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), ...

Authors: Rawiwan Thongsongsang, Thammarak Songsangjinda, Prajak Tanapibunpon and Rungroj Krittayaphong

Diabetic microvascular complications are associated with reduced global longitudinal strain independent of atherosclerotic coronary artery disease in asymptomatic patients with diabetes mellitus: a cross-sectional study

Reduced left ventricular function, assessed by global longitudinal strain (GLS), is sometimes observed in asymptomatic patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) and is often present in patients with diabetes-relate...

Authors: Gokulan Pararajasingam, Laurits Juhl Heinsen, Johanna Larsson, Thomas Rueskov Andersen, Brian Bridal Løgstrup, Søren Auscher, Jørgen Hangaard, Rasmus Møgelvang and Kenneth Egstrup

Cycle length of nonsustanied ventricular tachycardias among ICD patients: implications on subsequent appropriate therapies

ICD patients with episodes of nonsustained ventricular tachycardias (NSVT) are at risk of appropriate therapies. However, the relationship between the cycle length (CL) of such NSVTs and the subsequent inciden...

Authors: Javier Jiménez-Candil, Olga Duran, Armando Oterino, Jendri Pérez, Juan Carlos Castro, Jesús Hernández, José Moríñigo, Manuel Sánchez García and Pedro L. Sánchez

Cardiac thrombotic stability determined by contrast-enhanced echocardiography: investigative protocol and preliminary results

This study’s intent was to test a new system for scoring cardiac thrombotic stability, based on contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS).

Authors: Ying Li, Xin Wang, Weidong Ren, Yangjie Xiao, Xiaona Yu and Xueying Tan

KLK11 promotes the activation of mTOR and protein synthesis to facilitate cardiac hypertrophy

Cardiovascular diseases have become the leading cause of death worldwide, and cardiac hypertrophy is the core mechanism underlying cardiac defect and heart failure. However, the underlying mechanisms of cardia...

Authors: Yi Wang, Hongjuan Liao, Yueheng Wang, Jinlin Zhou, Feng Wang, Yingxin Xie, Kun Zhao and Weinian Gao

Reduced mechanical function of the left atrial predicts adverse outcome in pregnant women with clustering of metabolic risk factors

The left atrial (LA) strain and strain rate are sensitive indicators of LA function. However, they are not widely used for the evaluation of pregnant women with metabolic diseases. The aim of this study was to...

Authors: Xiaoguang Ye, Zhitian Li, Yidan Li, Qizhe Cai, Lanlan Sun, Weiwei Zhu, Xueyan Ding, Dichen Guo, Yunyun Qin and Xiuzhang Lu

Myocardial fibrosis combined with NT-proBNP improves the accuracy of survival prediction in ADHF patients

Soluble suppression of tumorigenesis-2 (sST2), Procollagen Type III N-Terminal Peptid (PIIINP) and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) have been verified their role in predicting survival in ...

Authors: Yiling Yao, Li Feng, Yanxiang Sun, Shifei Wang, Jie Sun and Bing Hu

Waist to height ratio is associated with an increased risk of mortality in Chinese patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction

Abdominal obesity as a predominant comorbidity has played a key role in the incidence and worsening of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) behaves better th...

Authors: Jianqiao Chen, Man Li, Benchuan Hao, Yulun Cai, Huiying Li, Wenli Zhou, Yujian Song, Shiqi Wang and Hongbin Liu

Association of epicardial fat thickness with left ventricular diastolic function parameters in a community population

We examined the relationship between epicardial fat thickness (EFT) measured by echocardiography and left ventricular diastolic function parameters in a Beijing community population.

Authors: Wei Ma, Baowei Zhang, Ying Yang, Litong Qi, Jin Zhou, Min Li, Jia Jia, Yan Zhang and Huo Yong

Pulmonary embolism originating from germ cell tumor causes severe left ventricular dysfunction in a healthy young adult with full recovery: a case report

Cancer associated thrombosis is recognized. However, pulmonary embolism (PE) from testicular cancer is rarely reported. Right ventricular (RV) function and PE are closely related. The RV cannot cope with a sud...

Authors: Khaled Elenizi, Rasha Alharthi and Michel Galinier

Socioeconomic differentials in trends in the prevalence of hypertension and pre-hypertension and hypertension awareness, treatment, and control in rural Southwestern China

This study examines the socioeconomic differentials in trends in the prevalence of hypertension and pre-hypertension and hypertension awareness, treatment, and control in rural Southwestern China.

Authors: Lu-Ming Fan, Fang Wang, Min Zhao, Wen-Long Cui and Le Cai