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Obstructive sleep apnea is common in adults with cardiovascular disease. Accumulating evidence suggests an association between obstructive sleep apnea and cardiovascular disease independent of the traditionally recognized cardiovascular disease risk factors. Observational studies indicate that obstructive sleep apnea is a risk factor for development of cardiovascular disease and that alleviation of obstructive events with positive airway pressure may improve cardiovascular disease outcomes. However, recent randomized controlled trials have not supported the beneficial effect of positive airway pressure in cardiac populations with concomitant obstructive sleep apnea. Some evidence suggests that the relationship between obstructive sleep apnea and traditionally recognized cardiovascular disease risk factors is bidirectional, suggesting that patients with cardiovascular disease may also develop obstructive sleep apnea and that efficient treatment of cardiovascular disease may improve obstructive sleep apnea. Recent data also indicate that the apnea-hypopnea index, which is commonly used as a diagnostic measure of obstructive sleep apnea severity, has limited value as a prognostic measure for cardiovascular disease outcomes. Novel markers of obstructive sleep apnea-associated hypoxic burden and cardiac autonomic response seem to be strong predictors of adverse cardiovascular disease outcomes and response to treatment of obstructive sleep apnea. This narrative review and position paper from the Turkish Collaboration of Sleep Apnea Cardiovascular Trialists aims to update the current evidence about the relationship between obstructive sleep apnea and cardiovascular disease and, consequently, raise awareness for health professionals who deal with cardiovascular and respiratory diseases to improve the ability to direct resources at patients most likely to benefit from treatment of obstructive sleep apnea and optimize treatment of the coexisting cardiovascular diseases. Moreover, the Turkish Collaboration of Sleep Apnea Cardiovascular Trialists aims to contribute to strengthening the efforts of the International Collaboration of Sleep Apnea Cardiovascular Trialists in this context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy is one of the most common congenital muscle disorders. Whether facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy causes cardiac involvement is still controversial. Although electrocardiography and conventional echocardiography studies have been performed, there is no data on strain echocardiography in facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy. Our study aims to compare the myocardial strain parameters by 2-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography in patients with facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy and the normal group. Methods: This prospective single-center study included 35 patients with facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy and 54 control patients. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory parameters of both groups were compared. In addition to conventional echocardiography images, myocardial strain parameters were performed using 2-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography. Results: The median age of the study population was 25 (19-35 IQR) and 51 (57.3%) of them were male. Left ventricle-global circumferential strain was significantly lower in the facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy group than in the normal group [-20.3 (-22.0; -19.0) vs. -21.6 (-22.5; -20.0), P = .020]. Two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography findings except left ventricle-global circumferential strain [for left ventricle-global longitudinal strain P = .259, for left ventricle-global radial strain P = .338, for right ventricle-global circumferential strain P = .250, and for right ventricle-free wall longitudinal strain P = .288] were similar in both groups. Conclusions: As a result of our study, there was no significant difference between 2-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography parameters other than the left ventricle-global circumferential strain between facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy and normal groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a case study of 43-year-old woman with dyspnea and palpitation.. Examination revealed presence of right ventricular enlargement along with severe pulmonary hypertension, atrial fibrillation, and absence of interatrial septum (IAS). Patient was treated with bosentan and furosemid and calcium channel blocker and attend attained New York Heart Association functional class I–II.

The article presents a case study of a 72-year-old man who was treated for pericardial calcification of atrioventricular (AV) groove and constrictive physiology of tricuspid and mitral valve. Topics include the diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome, the interpretation of the patient's coronary angiography result, and the treatment through coronary artery by-pass graft surgery and pericardial resection.