Potential upstream determinants of coronary heart disease (CHD) include life-course socioeconomic position (e.g., childhood socioeconomic circumstances, own education and occupation); however, several plausible biological mechanisms by which socioeconomic position (SEP)…
The cause of acute aortic dissection continues to be debated. One school of thought suggests that underlying aortic medial cystic necrosis is the common denominator. The purpose of the present…
Congenital heart defects (CHDs) are the most prevalent of all birth malformations arising from the complex interplay of environmental exposures and genes. Modifiable environmental risk factors are still largely unknown,…
Patients with congenital structural heart disease (CSHD) and inherited arrhythmias (IAs) are at high risk of ventricular tachyarrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. The present study was designed to evaluate the…
Milrinone reduces the risk of low cardiac output syndrome for some pediatric patients after congenital heart surgery. Data from adults undergoing cardiac surgery suggest an association between milrinone and an…
Apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HC) is considered to have a favorable prognosis, but recent observations have suggested less benign clinical courses. We investigated the outcomes in patients with apical HC and…
In hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HC), electrocardiographic (ECG) changes have been postulated to be an early marker of disease, detectable in sarcomere mutation carriers when left ventricular (LV) wall thickness is still…
We sought to measure the accuracy of 2-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography in determining aortic valve structure in patients with aortic stenosis (AS) undergoing aortic valve replacement (AVR). Few studies have compared…
Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is a novel treatment for high risk or inoperable patients with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis. However, significant atrioventricular (AV) conduction system abnormalities requiring permanent pacemaker…
Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) decreases the morbidity and mortality in patients with end-stage heart failure. However, patient selection remains challenging, because a considerable 30% to 50% do not respond. Controversy…
