The findings revealed that oral nicorandil had substantial efficacy over hydration protocol for the development of CIN in high-risk patients undergoing cardiac catheterization.

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Background: Uric acid, a product of purine degradation, is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Studies have demonstrated a relationship between uric acid and increased inflammatory and oxidative stress in the general population. Recent studies also confirmed the role of inflammatory factors and oxidative stress in atrial fibrillation (AF). Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between serum uric acid levels and the risk of AF. Patients and Methods: This case-control study consisted of 32 patients with AF and 32 healthy controls. Both groups were matched by age, sex, and underlying disease. The diagnosis of AF was based on an electrocardiogram and confirmed by a cardiologist. Patients with heart failure, coronary artery disease, recent infection, renal failure, thyroid disorders and malignancy or who were treated with drugs affecting serum uric acid were excluded. The uric acid levels in both groups were measured using an enzymatic method. The mean serum uric acid of the two groups was compared with a t-test and SPSS software. Results: The female to male ratio in the two groups was 1.28. The mean age of the patients in the AF group and control group was 69.12 ± 11.8 and 67.75 ± 14.8, respectively. There were no significant differences in the age and sex of the two groups. The mean serum uric acid in the AF group and control group was significantly different (5.79 ± 1.19 mg/dL and 4.81 ± 1.26 mg/dL, respectively; P = 0.002). Conclusions: The results suggest that serum uric acid can be considered a risk factor for AF. Further studies are recommended to investigate the role of uric acid reduction in the prevention and treatment of AF.

BackgroundAs population growth leads to an increase in the number of the elderly with coronary artery disease, an evaluation of the clinical outcomes of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in the elderly patients seems to be essential.MethodsA prospective, observational cohort study was performed on 468 patients in two groups of elderly and non-elderly patients (mean age: 60.01 ± 10.84 years; ≥ 70 years, 20.1%; men, 62%) who underwent PCI, to evaluate the procedural success and in-hospital major and minor adverse cardiovascular events in the elderly patients.ResultsThe procedural success rate was significantly lower (95.7% vs. 99.5%, P = 0.017) and the rates of in-hospital complications were significantly higher (10.6% vs. 0.8%, P < 0.0001) in elderly (+70) than in non-elderly patients. On the basis of a multivariate analysis, being elderly was not an independent predictor of procedural failure, but increased the chance of in-hospital complications to 8% higher (odds ratio: 0.08; 95% confidence interval: 0.01 - 0.39; P = 0.002).ConclusionRegardless of the difference in the procedural success and in-hospital complication rates between our two study groups, aging is not an important predictor of them. Furthermore, PCI should not be refused in elderly patients if indicated.