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The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of low-dose diuretics on the serum cystatin C (CysC) and serum creatinine (Scr) levels, and on the prognosis in patients with asymptomatic chronic heart failure (HF). A total of 66 asymptomatic chronic HF patients were divided into the observation and control groups (n=33 in each group). Patients in the control group were treated with a routine treatment, while the patients in the observation group were treated with the diuretic hydrochlorothiazide along with the same routine treatment as the control group. The left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), serum CysC levels, Scr levels, heart function, prognosis, adverse reactions and complications of the patients in the two groups were compared prior to and following treatment. The LVEF increased in the two groups following treatment, while the levels of serum CysC and Scr decreased. The LVEF in the observation group increased following treatment for 1, 3 and 6 months compared with the LVEF values in the control group. In addition, the levels of serum CysC and Scr in the observation group were found to be lower compared with those in the control group (P<0.05). The incidence of adverse prognosis following treatment for 6 months in the observation group was lower compared with that in the control group (P<0.05). The proportion of HF patients with New York Heart Association (NYHA) class I and II increased following treatment for 6 months in the two groups (P<0.05). However, in the observation group, a higher number of patients exhibited class I and II disease after treatment for 6 months compared with the number in the control group (P<0.05). Furthermore, no statistically significant difference was observed between adverse reactions and complications in the two groups (P>0.05). In conclusion, low-dose diuretics may effectively improve the cardiac and renal functions and prognosis in asymptomatic chronic HF patients, without increasing the incidence of side effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different routes of tirofiban injection on the function of the left ventricle and the prognosis of patients with myocardial infarction (MI) treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Ninety-five patients with MI treated with PCI were divided into two groups [coronary (n=49) and intravenous (n=46)] according to the injection route. A comparison of the left ventricular function and prognosis was made between the two groups following PCI. The success rate of PCI in the coronary group was 97.96%, which was higher than that in the intravenous group (P<0.05). No significant differences were identified in the platelet count (PLT) and platelet aggregation rate (PAR) between the two groups prior to the tirofiban injection. Following the tirofiban injection, the PLT decreased markedly in both groups, with no significant differences between them. The PAR also decreased significantly in the two groups; however, the value in the coronary group was lower than that in the intravenous group (P<0.05). The improvements in the thrombolysis in MI grades, left ventricular ejection fraction and left ventricular diastolic function were greater in the coronary group than those in the intravenous group (P<0.05). All patients received follow-up for 30 days and the incidence of bleeding in the coronary group was lower than that in the intravenous group (P<0.05). No significant differences were recorded in the recurrence rates of MI, arrhythmia, myocardial ischemia, thrombocytopenia and mortality between the two groups. In conclusion, the administration of tirofiban into the coronary artery could effectively improve the blood flow, left ventricular function and prognosis of patients with MI treated with PCI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]