Smokeless tobacco, sport and the heart
Summary Smokeless tobacco (snuff) is a finely ground or shredded tobacco that is sniffed through the nose or placed between the cheek and gum. Chewing tobacco is used by putting…
Prognostic markers of acute decompensated heart failure: The emerging roles of cardiac biomarkers and prognostic scores
Summary Rapidly assessing outcome in patients with acute decompensated heart failure is important but prognostic factors may differ from those used routinely for stable chronic heart failure. Multiple plasma biomarkers,…
Transcatheter closure of atrial septal defect with the Figulla ®ASD Occluder: A comparative study with the Amplatzer ®Septal Occluder
Summary Background Single-centre experience in transcatheter closure of atrial septal defect (ASD) using the Figulla ® ASD Occluder (FSO; Occlutech GmbH, Jena, Germany) and the Amplatzer ® Septal Occluder (ASO;…
Can global longitudinal strain predict reduced left ventricular ejection fraction in daily echocardiographic practice?
Summary Background Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is the most commonly used method for measuring left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), but its reproducibility remains a matter of controversy. Speckle tracking echocardiography assesses…
Ischaemic postconditioning reduces infarct size: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Summary Background Infarct size (IS) is a major determinant of patient outcome after acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Interventions aimed at reducing reperfusion injury, such as cardiac ischaemic postconditioning…
Multivariable assessment of the right ventricle by echocardiography in patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot undergoing pulmonary valve replacement: A comparative study with magnetic resonance imaging
Summary Background Evaluation of the right ventricle (RV) using transthoracic echocardiography is challenging in patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot (rTOF). Aims To evaluate the accuracy of conventional echocardiographic variables…
Are cardiovascular trial results systematically different between North America and Europe? A study based on intra-meta-analysis comparisons
Summary Background It is often assumed that differences in the efficacy of treatments between countries (or regions) will be neither negligible nor minor and therefore cannot be overlooked when assessing…
Prevalence of rheumatic heart disease in young adults from New Caledonia
Summary Background Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is an important public health issue, particularly in the Pacific region, but its true burden is unknown. Objectives To evaluate the prevalence of rheumatic…
Aortic prosthesis-patient mismatch in patients with paradoxical low flow severe aortic stenosis: A dreadful combination
The existence of low flow in patients with severe aortic stenosis and normal left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), commonly called “paradoxical low flow” (PLF-AS), was first described in 1997 by…
