Background: Nitric oxide (NO) is an endothelium derived relaxing factor (EDRF) which has an important role for regulating the heart-vessel physiology. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of the eNOS T-786C polymorphism on lipid parameters and the development of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and coronary heart disease (CHD) for the first time in a Turkish study group. We have analyzed the genotype frequencies of the T-786C polymorphism of the eNOS gene in 10 ACS patients (5 men, 5 women), 20 CHD patients (14 men, 6 women), and 31 controls (10 men, 21 women), who were angiographically proven to have normal coronaries.

IntroductionArrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia is a heritable disease of the heart muscle characterized by fibrofatty degeneration of cardiomyocytes. Patients present with ventricular arrhythmias or congestive heart failure, and sometimes sudden cardiac death occurs. Prenatal diagnosis has become possible with the detection of mutations, but, to the best of our knowledge, no case of prenatal diagnosis has been reported previously. There is little information about the management of arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia in pregnancy, and the preferred mode of delivery is not certain; therefore, we present the case of a patient with arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia and discuss the prenatal diagnosis, patient management and prognosis in pregnancy.Case presentationA 26-year-old Caucasian woman who presented to our hospital with heart palpitations was diagnosed with arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia, and, after three years of follow up with anti-arrhythmic drugs, she wanted to conceive. During pregnancy, she ceased taking her medication. She tolerated pregnancy very well but her cardiac symptoms recurred after her 30th week of pregnancy. She delivered a baby via cesarean section under general anesthesia in her 38th week of pregnancy. She was discharged without any medications and continued lactation for six months.ConclusionPatients with mild to moderate arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia tolerate pregnancy and breastfeeding very well, but patients with end-stage arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia should be discouraged from conception.

Background and ObjectivesThe study aimed to evaluate the correlation between electrocardiographic (ECG) parameters and presence and extent of coronary artery disease (CAD) to indicate the usefulness of these parameters as predictors of severity in patients with stable CAD.Subjects and MethodsTwo hundred fifty patients, without a history of any cardiovascular event were included in the study. The ECG parameters were measured manually by a cardiologist before coronary angiography. The patients were allocated into five groups: those with normal coronary arteries (Group 1), non-critical coronary lesions (Group 2), one, two and three vessel disease (Group 3, Group 4 and Group 5, respectively.ResultsGroup 1 had the lowest P wave dispersion (PWD) and P wave (Pmax), QT interval (QTmax), QT dispersion (QTd), corrected QT dispersion (QTcd) and QT dispersion ratio (QTdR), while the patients in group 5 had the highest values of these parameters. Gensini score and QTmax, QTd, QTcmax, QTcd, QTdR, Pmax, and PWD were positively correlated. QTdR was the best ECG parameter to differentiate group 1 and 2 from groups with significant stenosis (groups 3, 4, and 5) (area under curve [AUC] 0.846). QTdR was the best ECG parameter to detect coronary arterial narrowing lesser than 50% and greater than 50%, respectively (AUC 0.858).ConclusionPresence and severity of CAD can be determined by using ECG in patients with stable CAD and normal left ventricular function.

OBJECTIVE: Uncontrolled inflammatory responses could contribute to the pathogenesis of many leading causes of human morbidity and mortality. Aspirin is an anti-inflammatory and antithrombotic drug that is used in the primary and secondary protection in atherothrombotic diseases and complications. The aim of the present study was to analyze the effect of aspirin resistance on the extent and severity of atherosclerosis. METHODS: One hundred patients who underwent coronary angiography with suspected or known coronary artery disease and were using aspirin were enrolled in the study. RESULTS: Of these 100 patients, 30 (8 female and 22 male) formed the aspirin-resistant group (ARG), and 70 (22 female and 48 male) formed the control group. Gensini scoring system (GSS) was significantly higher in the ARG than in the control group (80.5 (36–166) vs. 45 (2–209); p<0.001). The number of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) patients was significantly higher in the ARG (13 of 30 (43.3%) ARG vs. 13 of 70 (18.6%) control group; p=0.01). Furthermore, when we evaluate the 16 reintervention patients, stent restenosis was significantly higher in the ARG (11 of 16 (68.75%) ARG vs. 5 of 16 (31.25%) control group; p=0.016). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that GSS (p=0.038; 95% CI: 1.001–1.026) and PCI history (p=0.017; 95% CI: 1.182–89.804) were independent risk factors for aspirin resistance. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, atherosclerotic burden as calculated by the GSS is significantly higher in aspirin-resistant patients. According to this result, we suggest that aspirin treatment can be prescribed in higher doses in aspirin resistance patients with coronary events. Furthermore, GSS and PCI history could be independent predictors of aspirin resistance.

PurposeTo evaluate effects of intravitreal ranibizumab and bevacizumab administration on ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) recordings in normotensive patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD).Patients and methodsA total of 72 patients (mean age: 61.8(6.2) years, 52.8% were females) diagnosed with AMD were included in this study as divided into ranibizumab (n=34) and bevacizumab (n=38) treatment groups. Twenty-four hour, nighttime, and daytime ABMP values for systolic and diastolic BP were recorded in study groups before and after the third intravitreal injection of ranibizumab or bevacizumab.ResultsRanibizumab injection had no impact on ABPM recordings and dipping status. In the bevacizumab group, increased daytime (129.0(6.6) vs 127.7(6.6) mm Hg, P=0.002) and nighttime systolic (116.9(7.5) vs 112.6(7.1) mmHg, p<0.001) BP and decreased daytime diastolic (80.1(6.5) vs 82.4(6.1)mm Hg, P=0.001) BP were noted in the post-injection period. Also, percentage of non-dippers was significantly increased from 5.3% at pre-injection to 28.9% (P=0.004) at the post-injection period.ConclusionIn conclusion, given that it has no significant impact on ABPM recordings and dipping status, in our study, intravitreal ranibizumab injection may be the better choice in the management of AMD.