Peter Ammann

..Thus, cardiac assessment in diabetic patients should, in addition to optimal diabetic control, involve screening for left ventricular dysfunction...

..While the sensitivity of MIBI SPECT for detecting CAD has been reported to exceed 90%, the specificity ranges between 53-100%...

..Loss of left ventricular capture in patients with cardiac resynchronization devices may account for worsening heart failure and can be difficult to diagnose without a programmer...

..The only predicting risk factors for major complications in coronary angiography were catheter size and body weight...

..We sought to assess the mechanism and prognostic value of elevated troponins in patients without acute coronary syndromes (ACS)...

..Heart rate recovery at 1min after exercise termination (HRR-1) is a marker of vagal tone. We hypothesized that patients with more severe OSAS would have a lower HRR-1, either due to the co-existing metabolic abnormalities or OSAS...

..The effects of nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) on these parameters in OSA patients are not well defined...

..There is an association between higher NT-proBNP and lower peak VO(2), indicating that NT-proBNP is a marker of cardiorespiratory fitness in patients with OSAS. However, the association is too weak to be clinically useful...

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..However, treadmill exercise has been shown to elicit higher peak VO(2) values than bicycle exercise. We sought to assess whether the VE/VCO(2) slope and HRR in HF also depend on the exercise mode...

..Interpretation of serum erythropoietin levels in the context of renal insufficiency remains controversial and was addressed in this study...

..35 (95% CI 0.22 to 0.57). In conclusion, a diagnostic score combining exercise testing, clinical data, and serum BNP values at rest can distinguish patients with CAD from those without CAD with high accuracy...

..Cryoballoon ablation has emerged as a novel treatment strategy for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF)...

..However, previous methods to determine individualized ramp rates and comparisons between ramp and standardized protocols have been limited to clinically referred populations...

..The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of exercise on dyssynchrony in patients with left ventricular dysfunction...

..Thus, the VDD mode seems to be superior to the DDD mode in CRT patients...

..The purpose of this study was to assess the prognostic value of initial measurements of creatine kinase (CK), cardiac troponin I (cTnI) and myoglobin as regards late recovery of the left ventricular ejection fraction on follow-up...

..The aim of this study was to quantify daytime symptoms in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients with and without sleep related breathing disorders (SRBD)...

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..It has not been investigated if patients with a very poor left ventricular function (LVEF) could profit from an ICD...

..However, the value of routine use of echocardiography for this task remains controversial. We evaluated the diagnostic yield of echocardiography in unselected patients with acute ischemic stroke...

..Other fields of uncertainty, such as CRT in patients with atrial fibrillation or chronic right ventricular stimulation as well as the role of a back-up defibrillator will be discussed...

..Incidence, predictors, and prognostic impact of worsening renal function (WRF) in elderly patients with chronic heart failure (HF) undergoing intensive contemporary medical therapy are unknown...

..However, the mechanisms underlying cTnI release in these patients are still unknown. To date no data regarding coagulation disturbances as a possible mechanism for cTnI release during sepsis are available...

..The Achieve mapping catheter allows real-time recordings from the pulmonary veins (PVs) during cryoballoon (CB) ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF)...

..The purposes of this study were to determine whether predictors of phrenic nerve palsy (PNP) exist and to test whether a standardized ablation protocol may prevent PNP during cryoballoon (CB) ablation using the 28 mm CB...

..This case highlights a rare but potentially fatal complication in patients with invasive endocarditis and the need for very careful clinical evaluation and monitoring of these patients...

..A second interesting finding not described before with this type of pathway was the occurrence of transient mechanical interruption of accessory pathway conduction...

..The serial echocardiograms along with a positive cardiac troponin led to the diagnosis of myocarditis, which can very rarely present with the echocardiographic picture of severe left ventricular thickening...

..Prompt recognition and correction of hypokalaemia is mandatory if such patients present to the emergency department...

..504 vs. without TLGS 0.578 microSv/Gy x cm(2)). The consequent use of a TLGS efficiently reduces scatter radiation to the operator's eyes in daily practice, but has only minimal effects on the dose to the hands...

..In conclusion, ICD patients can be reassured that EMI is unlikely to affect their devices if induction ovens are used in their kitchens...

..These findings may be a step toward a more tailored ablation strategy based on individual anatomical variations. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 24, pp. 132-138, February 2013)...

..Preliminary data suggest that myocardial stunning might be provoked by estrogen deficiency...

..The success rate of 71% after a 1-year follow-up is not higher when compared to radiofrequency ablation. Furthermore, data on long-term outcomes are lacking. Randomised comparisons with radiofrequency catheter ablation are needed...

..Less is known about characteristics, treatment and follow-up of patients with spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) without associated pregnancy or underlying atherosclerosis...

..The patient underwent an operation with the direct implantation of the left coronary artery into the ascending aorta. This less symptomatic course stands in contrast to the high risk for sudden death in untreated adults...

..The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical impact of this phenomenon...

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..Suture-mediated closure allows a reduction in hospitalization time, leading to significant cost savings due to decreased personnel and infrastructural demands. In addition, the use of SMC is safe and convenient to the patients...

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..The corresponding bicycle work capacity nomogram (in watts) was derived by the following equation: (METs nomogram - 1) x body weight/3.486...

..Before subjecting patients on methadone to other drugs, the QT-interval should be determined and it should be ascertained whether the new agent has the property to prolong the QT-interval or is metabolised by the cytochrome-P450 system...

..Recently, a panel of serum fibrosis markers has been postulated to allow quantification of liver fibrosis by noninvasive means...

..This study sought to determine the clinical course and predictors of long-term outcome in patients with documented amiodarone-induced thyrotoxicosis (AIT)...

..The programmed parameters remained unchanged after the study. In conclusion, this study shows no EMI risk of an induction oven in patients with bipolar or right-sided unipolar pacemakers...

..This case is an example of impressively high BNP levels associated with ARDS, probably attributable to right ventricular overload due to increased pulmonary vascular resistance...

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..CONCLUSION: In patients with severely impaired LVEF and wide QRS due to LBBB, CRT is feasible and safe. It improved dyspnoea and LVEF and reduced hospitalisation stays for heart failure during long-term follow-up...

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..QT prolongation in individual medical therapy is not always predictable. Therefore, updated lists of drugs with the potential of QT prolongation are available on the Internet (e.g. www.qtdrugs.org )...