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Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of intragastric balloon therapy on left ventricular function and left ventricular mass in a cohort of morbidly obese patients. Subjects and Methods: A prospective trial was performed in a cohort of 17 class II and class III morbidly obese individuals. The intragastric balloon was retained in the stomach for an average of 6 months. Conventional and tissue Doppler echocardiography were performed in all patients before and after the procedure. Results: The mean age of the study participants was 36 ± 10 years (range: 18-55). The mean body mass index was significantly decreased following the intragastric balloon insertion procedure (44 ± 8 vs. 38 ± 5, p < 0.001). The left ventricular mass index and left atrial volume index were significantly decreased following the procedure (112 ± 21 vs. 93 ± 17, p = 0.001 and 20 ± 6 vs. 14 ± 5, p = 0.02, respectfully). In addition, the ratio of mitral peak early diastolic velocity to tissue Doppler-derived peak diastolic velocity and tissue Doppler echocardiography-derived left ventricular myocardial performance index were decreased significantly following the procedure (9.5 ± 1.9 vs. 7.7 ± 1.5, p = 0.002 and 0.57 ± 0.11 vs. 0.46 ± 0.06, p = 0.001, respectively). Conclusions: Intragastric balloon therapy resulted in significant weight reduction in morbidly obese patients. This weight reduction was associated with improved left ventricular function. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate left and right ventricular functions using tissue Doppler echocardiography (TDE) and myocardial performance index (MPI) methods in patients with slow coronary flow (SCF) and to determine the relationship between these parameters and thrombolysis in myocardial infarction frame count in SCF patients. Subjects and Methods: Thirty-five patients (20 males and 15 females) with SCF who underwent coronary angiography and 35 age- and sex-matched controls (14 males and 21 females) without SCF who underwent elective coronary angiography were enrolled in the study. Left ventricular (LV) and right ventricular (RV) functions were examined using conventional echocardiography and TDE. Results: LV systolic myocardial velocity (Sm), early myocardial velocity (Em), late myocardial velocity (Am), and Em/Am ratio were similar in both the SCF and control groups; however, isovolumetric relaxation time (IRT) was higher in the SCF group compared to the control group (IRT: 99 ± 17 vs. 88 ± 20; p = 0.01). In patients with SCF, LV MPI was higher than in the control group, but this was not statistically significant (0.61 ± 0.11 vs. 0.56 ± 0.12; p = 0.07). The RV tricuspid annular velocities and MPI were similar in the SCF and control groups. Conclusion: This study showed that SCF affected LV functions echocardiographically and could cause partially reduced LV performance. In addition, SCF did not affect RV functions echocardiographically. © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To determine both ventricular functions and tissue Doppler echocardiography (TDE)-derived myocardial performance index (MPI) in patients with coronary artery ectasia (CAE). Subjects and Methods: Twenty-five patients with CAE (13 men; mean age 57 ± 9 years) and 25 age- and sex-matched controls without CAE (8 men; mean age 54 ± 10 years) were enrolled in the study. Left and right ventricular functions were detected using conventional echocardiography and TDE. Results: Left ventricle-lateral wall (0.61 ± 0.17; 0.50 ± 0.10, p = 0.02), interventricular septum (0.66 ± 0.17; 0.52 ± 0.10, p = 0.007) and mean MPI (0.63 ± 0.15; 0.51 ± 0.09, p = 0.004) were increased in the CAE group compared to the control group. Right ventricular MPI was similar in both the CAE and control groups (0.58 ± 0.18; 0.52 ± 0.19, p > 0.05). Conclusion: The findings show that left ventricular MPI is different in CAE patients without obstructive coronary artery disease compared to the normal control group. Also in these patients, right ventricular MPI was similar to the control group. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Idiopathic mitral valve prolapsus (MVP) is characterized by myxomatous degeneration of mitral valve. The most common determinant of cardiovascular mortality in patients with MVP is left ventricular (LV) dysfunction. Therefore we aimed to evaluate LV functions of cases with isolated MVP by tissue Doppler echocardiography (TDE). Method: Twenty five patients with MVP (mean age, 31±12 years) were enrolled the study as MVP group. Control group was consisted 20 age and sex matched patients (mean age, 34±9 years) were enrolled to this study. LV functions were detected by using conventional echocardiography and TDE. Myocardial peak systolic (Sm), early (Em) and late (Am) diastolic filling velocities, Em/Am, isovolumetric contraction time (ICT), isovolumetric relaxation time (IRT) and ejection time (ET) were obtained in the basal segments of the inferior-septal and lateral wall. Myocardial performance index (MPI) was calculated. Result: Mild degree mitral regurgitation was present in 10 (40%) of patients with MVP, and moderate degree mitral regurgitation was present in 2 (8%) of patients. No difference was found between the two groups with regard to diastolic parameters. TDE-derivated MPI values were similar in all segments in two groups. There was significant difference between the two groups with regard to LV mean Sm and lateral wall Sm (11.6±2.8 vs. 9.4±1.0, p=0.001; 13.0±3.9 vs. 9.2±2.3, p=0.001 respectively). Conclusion: Isolated MVP without significant mitral regurgitation does not affect LV diastolic functions and MPI. However, Sm of late ral wall and LV mean was higher in patients with MVP than patients without MVP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We aimed to investigate the circadian rhythm on left ventricular (LV) function and infarct size, according to the onset of ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), with echocardiography in patients with first STEMI successfully revascularised with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 252 STEMI patients. Patients were divided into the four, six-hour periods of the day. Conventional and tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) echocardiography were performed within 48hours after onset of chest pain. The average of peak systolic myocardial velocities (Sm) in each of the four myocardial segments and LV ejection fraction (LVEF) were calculated.Results: A negative linear correlation was shown between CK-MB levels and Sm (r= -0.209, p=0.001). There was an oscillation between time of day and average of Sm. The lowest Sm and largest infarct size were in the period of 06:00-noon compared with period of noon-18:00 and 18:00-midnight (p=0.029 and p=0.031, respectively). A secondary analysis showed that both LVEF and Sm were lower in the midnight-noon group compared with the noon-midnight group (44.9±7.3% versus 47.3±7.9%, p=0.018, and 7.6±1.4cm/s versus 8.2±1.6cm/s, p=0.003, respectively).Conclusions: This study has shown that there was a circadian rhythm of infarct size and LV function evaluated by echocardiography according to time of STEMI onset. The largest infarct size and poor LV function occurred in the midnight-noon period, in particular in the 06:00-noon period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objectives: Adenotonsillar hypertrophy (ATH) is the most common cause of upper airway obstruction in children. Severe upper airway obstruction may have an effect on chronic alveolar hypoventilation, which consequently may lead to right ventricle (RV) dysfunction induced by hypoxemic pulmonary vasoconstriction. The investigators aimed to study RV function and mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) in patients with ATH who were undergoing adenotonsillectomy by using tissue Doppler echocardiography (TDE). Methods: The study examined 27 children with ATH who had a mean age of 8±2years. The subjects were comprised 17 (63%) males and 10 (37%) females. Hypertrophy of the tonsils was graded according to the Brodsky scale. Children having either grade 3 or 4 hypertrophied adenotonsils were recruited for the study. Adenotonsillectomy was performed on all subjects in the study group and echocardiographic examination was repeated 3months postoperatively. Results: Tricuspid Em significantly increased after adenotonsillectomy (17.7±3.6 vs. 19.1±5.5, p =0.04). The RV myocardial performance index (MPI) and mPAP significantly decreased after adenotonsillectomy (RV MPI: 0.57±0.13 vs. 0.40±0.12, p <0.001 and mPAP (mmHg): 31±9 vs. 25±7, p =0.001). Conclusion: The results of this study, evaluated with the results of previous studies, demonstrated that adenotonsillectomy improved RV performance and reduced mPAP in children with ATH. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]