Malignant cardiac arrhythmias which result in sudden cardiac death may be present in individuals apparently healthy or be associated with other medical conditions. The way to predict their appearance represents a chal...Malignant cardiac arrhythmias which result in sudden cardiac death may be present in individuals apparently healthy or be associated with other medical conditions. The way to predict their appearance represents a challenge for the medical community due to the tragic outcomes in most cases. In the last two decades some ventricular repolarization(VR) markers have been found to be useful to predict malignant cardiac arrhythmias in several clinical conditions. The corrected QT, QT dispersion, Tpeak-Tend, Tpeak-Tend dispersion and Tp-e/QT have been studied and implemented in clinical practice for this purpose. These markers are obtained from 12 lead surface electrocardiogram. In this review we discuss how these markers have demonstrated to be effective to predict malignant arrhythmias in medical conditions such as long and short QT syndromes, Brugada syndrome, early repolarization syndrome, acute myocardial ischemia, heart failure, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, obesity and highly trained athletes. Also the main pathophysiological mechanisms that explain the arrhythmogenic predisposition in these diseases and the basis for the VR markers are discussed. However, the same results have not been found in all conditions. Further studies are needed to reach a global consensus in order to incorporate these VR parameters in risk stratification of these patients.展开更多
Background: The present study was conducted to examine the association between various coronary risk factors and clinical parameters, with special emphasis on ankle-brachial index, in predicting the severity and compl...Background: The present study was conducted to examine the association between various coronary risk factors and clinical parameters, with special emphasis on ankle-brachial index, in predicting the severity and complexity of coronary artery disease. Methods: Patients diagnosed with coronary artery disease at our hospital between September-2012 and December-2014 were examined in this study. Selected patients were screened for cardiovascular risk factors including diabetes, hypertension, smoking, and alcohol habits as well as for clinical parameters including body-mass index, waist-hip ratio, ankle-brachial index, and ejection fraction. All patients underwent coronary angiography and were evaluated for severity of coronary artery disease (based on number of vessels involved) and complexity of coronary angiographic lesions (measured by computer-assisted Syntax score calculator). The collected data were analyzed to determine the role of cardiovascular risk factors and clinical parameters as predictors of complexity and severity of coronary artery disease. Results: A total of 211 patients (mean age: 54.64 ± 9.9 years;81% males) with coronary artery disease were analyzed. Findings revealed that diabetes mellitus (p < 0.001), hypertension (p < 0.001), smoking habits (p = 0.036), and low ankle-brachial index (p < 0.001) were independent predictors of complex coronary artery disease as measured by Syntax score. Significant associations were also evident between severity of coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus (p < 0.001), hypertension (p < 0.001), and ankle-brachial index (p < 0.001). Conversely, other cardiovascular risk factors including body-mass index, alcohol habits, wait-hip ratio, and ejection fraction did not exhibit significant associations with severity and complexity of coronary artery. Conclusions: The early diagnosis of coronary artery can be predicated by evaluating diabetes, hypertension, and smoking habits in patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome. In addition, ankle-brachial index can展开更多
文摘Malignant cardiac arrhythmias which result in sudden cardiac death may be present in individuals apparently healthy or be associated with other medical conditions. The way to predict their appearance represents a challenge for the medical community due to the tragic outcomes in most cases. In the last two decades some ventricular repolarization(VR) markers have been found to be useful to predict malignant cardiac arrhythmias in several clinical conditions. The corrected QT, QT dispersion, Tpeak-Tend, Tpeak-Tend dispersion and Tp-e/QT have been studied and implemented in clinical practice for this purpose. These markers are obtained from 12 lead surface electrocardiogram. In this review we discuss how these markers have demonstrated to be effective to predict malignant arrhythmias in medical conditions such as long and short QT syndromes, Brugada syndrome, early repolarization syndrome, acute myocardial ischemia, heart failure, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, obesity and highly trained athletes. Also the main pathophysiological mechanisms that explain the arrhythmogenic predisposition in these diseases and the basis for the VR markers are discussed. However, the same results have not been found in all conditions. Further studies are needed to reach a global consensus in order to incorporate these VR parameters in risk stratification of these patients.
文摘Background: The present study was conducted to examine the association between various coronary risk factors and clinical parameters, with special emphasis on ankle-brachial index, in predicting the severity and complexity of coronary artery disease. Methods: Patients diagnosed with coronary artery disease at our hospital between September-2012 and December-2014 were examined in this study. Selected patients were screened for cardiovascular risk factors including diabetes, hypertension, smoking, and alcohol habits as well as for clinical parameters including body-mass index, waist-hip ratio, ankle-brachial index, and ejection fraction. All patients underwent coronary angiography and were evaluated for severity of coronary artery disease (based on number of vessels involved) and complexity of coronary angiographic lesions (measured by computer-assisted Syntax score calculator). The collected data were analyzed to determine the role of cardiovascular risk factors and clinical parameters as predictors of complexity and severity of coronary artery disease. Results: A total of 211 patients (mean age: 54.64 ± 9.9 years;81% males) with coronary artery disease were analyzed. Findings revealed that diabetes mellitus (p < 0.001), hypertension (p < 0.001), smoking habits (p = 0.036), and low ankle-brachial index (p < 0.001) were independent predictors of complex coronary artery disease as measured by Syntax score. Significant associations were also evident between severity of coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus (p < 0.001), hypertension (p < 0.001), and ankle-brachial index (p < 0.001). Conversely, other cardiovascular risk factors including body-mass index, alcohol habits, wait-hip ratio, and ejection fraction did not exhibit significant associations with severity and complexity of coronary artery. Conclusions: The early diagnosis of coronary artery can be predicated by evaluating diabetes, hypertension, and smoking habits in patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome. In addition, ankle-brachial index can