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Objective: It is still debatable whether diagnostic coronary angiography (CA) or percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) increase radiation exposure when performed via radial approach as compared to femoral approach. This question was investigated in this study by comparison of dose-area product (DAP), reference air kerma (RAK), and fluoroscopy time (FT) among radial and femoral approaches., Methods: All coronary procedures between November 2015 and November 2017 were assessed; and 4215 coronary procedures were enrolled in the study. Patients with bifurcation, chronic total occlusion, cardiogenic shock, or prior coronary artery bypass surgery were excluded. These 4215 procedures were evaluated for three different categories: diagnostic CA (Group I), PCI in patients with stable angina (Group II), and PCI in patients with ACS (Group III)., Results: Age was significantly higher in the femoral arm of all groups. Among patients in the radial arm of Groups I and II, males were over-represented. Therefore, a multiple linear regression analysis with stepwise method was performed. After adjusting these clinical confounders, there was no significant difference with regard to DAP, RAK, and FT between femoral and radial access in Group I. In contrast, PCI via radial access was significantly associated with increased DAP, RAK, and FT in Groups II and III., Conclusion: In spite of an increased experience with trans-radial approach, PCI of coronary lesions via radial route was associated with a relatively small but significant radiation exposure in our study. Compared to femoral access, diagnostic CA via radial access was not related to an increased radiation exposure.

Objective: Identification of the asymptomatic target organ damage (AOD) helps to stratify the overall risk of cardiovascular (CV) diseases and guides a treatment decision in hypertensive patients without a symptomatic CV or renal disease. The endothelial-cell-specific molecule 1 (endocan) is regarded as a novel marker of endothelial dysfunction. Its release is increased in hypertensive patients, especially those with symptomatic CV and renal disease. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the endocan levels in asymptomatic hypertensive patients with or without AOD., Methods: The study included 132 asymptomatic hypertensive patients, and 101 of who had at least one AOD., Results: Serum endocan levels did not differ between patients with and without AOD (3.81±0.78 vs. 3.83±0.63 ng/mL, p=0.88). An analysis according to the presence of any specific AOD did not show any difference between groups. No significant correlation was found between serum endocan levels and any of the continuous variables related to AOD, such as the pulse pressure, carotid intimae-media thickness, cardio-ankle vascular index, ankle-brachial index, left ventricular mass index, Sokolow-Lyon index, Cornell voltage-duration product, and estimated glomerular filtration rate., Conclusion: Endocan may not serve as a useful biomarker at asymptomatic vascular stages of hypertension, despite its role in indicating disease severity and inflammatory activation in advanced symptomatic CV and renal disease.

Objective: Oxidative stress plays a major role in the development of atherosclerosis. However, the relationship between oxidative stress and complexity and intensity of coronary artery disease is less clear. The aim of this study is to assess the relationship between oxidative stress markers and the complexity and intensity of coronary artery disease in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS)., Methods: Sixty-seven consecutive patients with an early phase of ACS (<3 h) were included in this single-centre, cross-sectional, prospective study. Syntax and Gensini scores were calculated based on angiographic findings. Patients were divided into two CAD complexity groups according to their Syntax scores: low SYNTAX score (<22) and moderate to high SYNTAX score (>=22). Likewise patients were divided into two CAD severity groups according to the median Gensini score of 64: less intensive CAD with Gensini score (<64) and intensive CAD with Gensini score >=64. Blood samples were taken in 1 hour within administration in order to measure total oxidative status (TOS) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) levels determined by Erel method. Oxidative stress index (OSI) was calculated by TOS /TAC., Results: There was no significant difference between the two SYNTAX groups for oxidative stress markers. Median TOS and OSI values were significantly high in the intensive CAD group (p=0.005, p=0.04, respectively). The Gensini score was positively correlated with TOS and OSI (p=0.003, p=0.02, respectively)., Conclusion: Oxidative stress markers may be considered supportive laboratory parameters related to CAD intensity but not complexity in ACS patients.