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Objectives: This study aims to assess the thickness of epicardial fat tissue (EFT), a sign of cardiovascular risk, using echocardiography in patients with severe periodontitis. Methods: Thirty-three patients with stage III or IV periodontitis and 33 healthy participants were enrolled into the study. Epicardial fat tissue thickness was measured perpendicularly via echocardiography of the free wall of the right ventricular at end-diastole in three cardiac cycles. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by the height in meters squared. EFT to BMI ratio (EFT/BMI) was measured by dividing EFT by the BMI. Results: There was no significant difference between study patients and the control group as regards to the frequency of diabetes, hypertension, smoking, and hyperlipidemia. The EFT and EFT/ BMI ratio were significantly different in the control and periodontitis groups (0.51±0.17 vs. 0.77±0.16, respectively; p ≤0.001) (0.021±0.008 vs. 0.030±0.006, respectively; p≤0.001). Pearson's correlation coefficient demonstrated a significant relationship between EFT and the clinical parameters of periodontitis (p

Abstract Background: The risk of cardiovascular events and sudden death increases with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). Objective: To evaluate electrocardiographic markers of arrhythmias in T1DM patients. Methods: Electrocardiographic parameters reflecting ventricular depolarization and repolarization, namely, QT, QTc, QTd, QTdc, Tp-e, JT, and JTc intervals and Tp-e/QT and Tp-e/QTc ratios, of 46 patients diagnosed with T1DM were retrospectively analyzed and compared with 46 healthy age-, sex-, and body mass-matched controls. Correlations between T1DM duration, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), and ventricular repolarization variables were analyzed. P values lower than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: Diabetes duration was 16.6 ± 7.1 years, and HbA1c was 10.81% ± 3.27% in the T1DM group. In comparison with the control group, heart rate, QTc, QTd, QTdc, Tp-e and JTc intervals, Tp-e/QT ratio (p < 0.001), and Tp-e/QTc ratio (p = 0.007) were significantly higher in T1DM patients. T1DM duration and HbA1c levels were significantly correlated with QTc, QTd, QTdc, Tp-e, and JTc intervals and Tp-e/QT and Tp-e/QTc ratios. Conclusions: In T1DM patients, potential electrocardiographic repolarization predictors were significantly increased in correlation with disease duration and HbA1c levels. These findings may contribute to the understanding of sudden cardiac death in patients with T1DM.

Abstract Background: Coronary artery fistula (CAF) is an abnormal connection that links a coronary artery to a cardiac chamber or another major blood vessel. Several studies have shown the association between mean platelet volume (MPV) and cardiovascular diseases. In the literature, there is no previous study about the association between hematologic parameters and congenital CAF. For this reason, we aimed to investigate the association of MPV with CAF. Methods: 70 patients with normal coronary arteries and 50 with coronary artery fistulas were included. Routine blood and biochemical parameters were measured before the arteriography. Differences between groups for continuous variables were analyzed with t- test or Mann-Whitney test. P values < 0.05 were considered significant. Regression analysis was used to find independent predictors of CAF. Results: Baseline patient demographics, including age and clinical risk factors, were similar between the groups. Compared to the control group, median (IQR) High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) levels were significantly higher (p=0.04) and MPV levels were significantly lower in the CAF group (8.84 ± 1.71fL vs. 10.43 ± 1.34, p < 0.001). In the multivariate analysis, only MPV was a significant predictor of CAF (p < 0.001, 95% CI for OR: 0.438 (0.306-0.629). A negative correlation was found between MPV and fistulae in Pearson's correlation test (r: -0.454, p < 0.001). An MPV level of < 9,6 fL showed sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of 80%, 68%, 71% and 78% respectively (AUC = 0.766, 95% CI, 0.678-0.854) for the prediction of CAF. Conclusion: The present study suggests that MPV may decrease in patients with CAF.