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Background and purpose: Data regarding electrocardiographic characteristics of postmenopausal women are lacking. In this prospective, cross-sectional study, electrocardiographic P-wave parameters and cardiac repolarization indices of age-matched pre- and postmenopausal healthy women were compared. We hypothesized that menopausal status would have a significant effect on cardiac electrical activity and hence electrocardiography (ECG) recordings. Materials and methods: Twelve-lead ECG recordings were obtained from 125 consecutively recruited postmenopausal healthy women aged between 44 and 54 years. The control group consisted of 125 age-matched premenopausal women. P-wave parameters and cardiac repolarization indices were measured and compared with respect to menopausal status. Results: Demographic features of premenopausal and postmenopausal women were comparable. There were no significant differences between two groups regarding mean values of heart rate, maximum and minimum P-wave duration, P-wave dispersion, maximum and minimum QT interval, and QT dispersion. Mean values of QT interval obtained from lead V5 were also similar. Corrected values which were calculated according to Bazett and Fridericia formulas also did not differ between the groups. Mean values of Tpeak to Tend (TpTe) (p< 0.001) and corrected TpTe (p = 0.001) intervals obtained from lead V5 were significantly shorter in postmenopausal women when compared to those without menopause. Conclusion: Tpeak to Tend interval decreased significantly while QT intervals and P-wave parameters did not change in postmenopausal women when compared to premenopausal women. Association of these findings with changes in levels of sex steroids and their prognostic implications need to be elucidated with further studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We aimed to investigate the effects of topiramate monotherapy on anthropometric indexes, insulin resistance, and serum leptin and lipid levels in 33 premenopausal women (mean age±standard deviation: 26.7±7.1years) with cryptogenic epilepsy. Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference and serum leptin, insulin and lipid levels were measured at baseline and at 6months after initiation of topiramate. We found reductions in BMI (p <0.001), waist circumference (p <0.001) and serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels (p =0.011). We also found significant improvements in insulin resistance (p =0.023), but not in serum leptin levels (p =0.45). Our results suggest that topiramate treatment in women with epilepsy is associated with reduced BMI and waist circumference and improvement in insulin resistance; however, according to our data, topiramate treatment is also associated with lower HDL cholesterol levels, which may substantially increase vascular disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Prognosis of cases of myocardial infarction with normal coronary arteries (MINCA) is known to be better than acute myocardial infarction cases with obstructive coronary lesions. A MINCA case causing ventricular septal rupture is rare. Herein, we present a 70-year-old female MINCA case which caused ventricular septal rupture which is a fatal complication of acute myocardial infarction. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Acute obstruction of the left main coronary artery (LMCA) is not frequently encountered. Electrocardiographic findings are important to early diagnosis in determining an acute obstruction of the LMCA, which requires immediate aggressive treatment, in this extremely unstable condition. However, there is no single typical electrocardiographic pattern representing acute occlusion of the LMCA. We describe a rare electrocardiographic finding that suggested ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome of the anterior zone due to left main trunk total occlusion. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]