| 1. |
- Andersen, Grethe Neumann, et al.
(author)
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Assessment of vascular function in systemic sclerosis : indications of the development of nitrate tolerance as a result of enhanced endothelial nitric oxide production
- 2002
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In: Arthritis and Rheumatism. - : Wiley. - 0004-3591 .- 1529-0131. ; 46:5, s. 1324-1332
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between endothelium-dependent and endothelium-independent functions and the stiffness of conduit arteries as well as levels of endothelial activation markers in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). METHODS: Endothelium-dependent (i.e., flow-mediated) and endothelium-independent (i.e., nitroglycerin-induced) dilation of the brachial artery was measured as the percentage of change from baseline (FMD% and NTG%, respectively) in 24 SSc patients and 24 age- and sex-matched healthy controls by high-resolution ultrasound imaging. The maximum increase in systolic pressure per unit of time (dP/dt(max)), as a measure of arterial wall stiffness, was assessed in the radial artery by pulse applanation tonometry. Plasma nitrate, the most important metabolite of nitric oxide, and 24-hour urinary excretion of nitrate were measured by gas chromatography mass spectrometry. Soluble E-selectin and soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (sVCAM-1) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: Brachial artery FMD% and NTG% did not differ between SSc patients and controls. Radial artery dP/dt(max) was significantly increased in the patients and correlated significantly with elevated levels of plasma nitrate and sVCAM-1. Twenty-four-hour urinary nitrate excretion tended to be elevated. Brachial artery NTG% was significantly inversely correlated with levels of plasma nitrate and soluble endothelial adhesion molecules. CONCLUSION: The ability of the brachial arteries to dilate in response to hyperemia and nitroglycerin challenge is preserved in SSc. Stiffness of the radial artery is increased, however. Endothelial activation seems to determine the extent of the brachial artery NTG% and the radial artery dP/dt(max). The data are compatible with the hypothesis that nitrate tolerance is present in the vascular smooth muscle cells of the brachial artery wall in SSc.
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| 2. |
- Andersen, Grethe Neumann, et al.
(author)
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Correlation between increased nitric oxide production and markers of endothelial activation in systemic sclerosis : findings with the soluble adhesion molecules E-selectin, intercellular adhesion molecule 1, and vascular adhesion molecule 1
- 2000
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In: Arthritis and Rheumatism. - 0004-3591 .- 1529-0131. ; 43:5, s. 1085-1093
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective To determine the relationship between vascular function and the inflammatory response in systemic sclerosis (SSc), and to investigate whether production of endothelial-derived nitric oxide (NO) is disturbed in this disease. Methods We measured plasma nitrate, urinary excretion of both nitrate and cGMP, and soluble adhesion molecules of endothelial origin in patients with SSc and in age- and sex-matched controls and compared these levels between groups. Additionally, we performed correlation analysis to determine how these variables were related to one another. Plasma nitrate and 24-hour-urinary excretion of nitrate in patients and controls were measured after a 72-hour nitrate-free-diet, using a gas chromatography/mass spectrometric method. Soluble adhesion molecules intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (sICAM-1), vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (sVCAM-1), and E-selectin and cytokines were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The expression of E-selectin was further investigated in skin biopsy specimens by immunoperoxidase staining, and the presence of inducible NO synthase by immunoblotting. Results Plasma nitrate and 24-hour-urinary-excretion of cGMP were significantly elevated in patients compared with controls, while 24-hour-urinary-excretion of nitrate tended to be elevated in SSc patients. Levels of sICAM-1, sVCAM-1, and sE-selectin were significantly elevated in the patients. Levels of plasma nitrate in the patients correlated significantly with levels of sVCAM-1 (P = 0.020) and sE-selectin (P = 0.018) and approached a significant correlation with sICAM-1 (P = 0.055), suggesting that activated endothelial cells may produce plasma nitrate. Conclusion NO synthesis is elevated in SSc patients, and the activated endothelial cell is a likely site of its production.
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| 3. |
- Andersson, Bert, 1952, et al.
(author)
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Early changes in longitudinal performance predict future improvement in global left ventricular function during long term beta adrenergic blockade.
- 2000
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In: Heart (British Cardiac Society). - 1468-201X. ; 84:6, s. 599-605
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Contraction of longitudinal and subendocardial myocardial muscle fibres is reflected in descent of the atrioventricular (AV) plane. The aim was therefore to determine whether beta blocker treatment with prolongation of diastole might result in improved function as reflected by AV plane movements in patients with chronic heart failure.Double blind, randomised, placebo controlled and open intervention study.University hospital.Patients with congestive heart failure: placebo controlled (n = 26) and an open protocol (n = 15).12 months of metoprolol treatment.Short axis and long axis echocardiography, invasive haemodynamics, radionuclide angiography.Recovery of systolic and diastolic function during metoprolol treatment was reflected by early changes in mean (SD) AV plane amplitude, from 5.3 (2.0)% to 7.1 (3.2)% and 7.8 (3. 1)% (at 3 and 12 months, respectively; p < 0.05). In a multivariate analysis, only the change in AV plane amplitude by three months was independently associated with improvement in pulmonary capillary wedge pressure by six months (r = 0.80, p = 0.017). Change in AV plane amplitude by three months was also a better predictor of improvement in ejection fraction by 12 months (r = 0.78, p < 0.001) than changes in radionuclide ejection fraction by three months (r = 0.34, p = 0.049).Improvement in longitudinal contraction was closely associated with a decrease in left ventricular filling pressure during metoprolol treatment. This association was stronger than changes in short axis performance or radionuclide ejection fraction, emphasising the importance of AV plane motion for left ventricular filling and systolic performance in patients with heart failure.
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| 4. |
- Bech-Hansen, Odd, et al.
(author)
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Assessment of effective orifice area of prosthetic aortic valves with Doppler echocardiography : An in vivo and in vitro study
- 2001
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In: Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. - : Elsevier BV. - 0022-5223 .- 1097-685X. ; 122:2, s. 287-295
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objectives: We sought to evaluate the Doppler assessment of effective orifice area in aortic prosthetic valves. The effective orifice area is a less flow-dependent parameter than Doppler gradients that is used to assess prosthetic valve function. However, in vivo reference values show a pronounced spread of effective orifice area and smaller orifices than expected compared with the geometric area. Methods: Using Doppler echocardiography, we studied patients who received a bileaflet St Jude Medical valve (n = 75, St Jude Medical, Inc, St Paul, Minn) or a tilting disc Omnicarbon valve (n = 46, Medical CV, Incorporated, Inver Grove Heights, Minn). The prosthetic valves were also investigated in vitro in a steady flow model with Doppler and catheter measurements in the different orifices. The effective orifice area was calculated according to the continuity equation. Results: In vivo, there was a wide distribution with the coefficient of variation (SD/mean ╫ 100%) for different valve sizes ranging from 21% to 39% in the St Jude Medical valve and from 25% to 33% in the Omnicarbon valve. The differences between geometric orifice area and effective orifice area in vitro were 1.26 ▒ 0.41 cm2 for St Jude Medical and 1.17 ▒ 0.38 cm2 for Omnicarbon valves. The overall effective orifice areas and peak catheter gradients were similar: 1.35 ▒ 0.37 cm2 and 25.9 ▒ 16.1 mm Hg for St Jude Medical and 1.46 ▒ 0.49 cm2 and 24.6 ▒ 17.7 mm Hg for Omnicarbon. However, in St Jude Medical valves, more pressure was recovered downstream, 11.6 ▒ 6.3 mm Hg versus 3.4 ▒ 1.6 mm Hg in Omnicarbon valves (P = .0001). Conclusions: In the patients, we found a pronounced spread of effective orifice areas, which can be explained by measurement errors or true biologic variations. The in vitro effective orifice area was small compared with the geometric orifice area, and we suspect that nonuniformity in the spatial velocity profile causes underestimation. The St Jude Medical and Omnicarbon valves showed similar peak catheter gradients and effective orifice areas in vitro, but more pressure was recovered in the St Jude Medical valve. The effective orifice area can therefore be misleading in the assessment of prosthetic valve performance when bileaflet and tilting disc valves are compared.
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| 5. |
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| 6. |
- From Attebring, Mona, 1947, et al.
(author)
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Smoking habits and predictors of continued smoking in patients with acute coronary syndromes
- 2004
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In: J Adv Nurs. - : Wiley. - 0309-2402 .- 1365-2648. ; 46:6, s. 614-23
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Most patients with acute coronary syndrome quit smoking when hospitalized, although several have been found to relapse and resume smoking within 3 months. AIM: This paper reports a study to identify factors that can predict who will resume smoking after hospitalization for an acute coronary syndrome. METHODS: Patients (n = 1320) below the age of 75 years, admitted to a Swedish university hospital coronary care unit with acute coronary syndromes, between September 1995 and September 1999, were consecutively included. Data were collected from hospital medical records and included information on previous clinical history, former illnesses and smoking. During their hospitalization, an experienced nurse interviewed the patients by using a structured questionnaire to obtain additional information. Patients were followed up 3 months after the discharge. Those who continued to smoke (non-quitters) were compared with those who had stopped (quitters) with regard to age, sex, medical history, clinical course, and intention to quit. To identify factors independently related to continued smoking, a logistical regression in a formal forward stepwise mode was used. RESULTS: Of the patients admitted, 33% were current smokers. Three months after discharge, 51% of these patients were still smoking. There were no significant differences in age, gender or marital status between non-quitters and quitters. In a multivariate analysis, independent predictors of continued smoking were: non-participation in the heart rehabilitation programme (P = 0.0008); use of sedatives/antidepressants at time of admission (P = 0.001); history of cerebral vascular disease (P = 0.002), history of previous cardiac event (P = 0.01); history of smoking-related pulmonary disease (P = 0.03) and cigarette consumption at index (P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Smoking patients who do not participate in a heart rehabilitation programme may need extra help with smoking cessation. The findings may provide means of identifying patients in need of special intervention.
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| 7. |
- Guron, Cecilia Wallentin, 1965, et al.
(author)
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Timing of regional left ventricular lengthening by pulsed tissue Doppler
- 2004
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In: J Am Soc Echocardiogr. - : Elsevier BV. - 0894-7317 .- 1097-6795. ; 17:4, s. 307-12
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Pulsed tissue Doppler can measure myocardial velocities with high temporal resolution. Our aim was to determine the onset timing of the regional left ventricular longitudinal early lengthening (e) in relation to the mitral inflow (E) in acute coronary syndromes. We applied pulsed tissue Doppler to the septal, lateral, inferior, and anterior left ventricular basal walls of 160 patients with acute coronary syndromes and 60 control subjects. Maximum systolic and early diastolic velocities were lower for patient than for control walls (6.1 +/- 1.7 vs 7.9 +/- 1.4 cm/s, P <.0001, and 6.9 +/- 2.3 vs 10.0 +/- 2.3 cm/s, P <.0001, respectively) and e started later than E (12 +/- 30 vs 2 +/- 19 milliseconds later, P <.0001). All 3 variables related to the degree of visual left ventricular wall pathology. The intraindividual time range for all 4 e starts was wider for patients (43 +/- 27 vs 30 +/- 18 milliseconds, P <.0001). Our results show that pulsed tissue Doppler can identify a delayed and asynchronous initial wall lengthening in acute coronary syndromes.
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
- Herlitz, Johan, 1949, et al.
(author)
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Cause of death during 13 years after coronary artery bypass grafting with emphasis on cardiac death
- 2004
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In: Scand Cardiovasc J. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1401-7431 .- 1651-2006. ; 38:5, s. 283-6
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: To describe the cause of death in the long term after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) with particular emphasis on cardiac death. PATIENTS AND SETTING: All the patients in western Sweden without simultaneous valve surgery and without previous CABG who underwent CABG in 1988-1991 in Goteborg, Sweden. DESIGN: Prospective, observational study for 10.6-13.6 years (i.e. until the end of 2001). Various factors contributing to death were described, with the emphasis on cardiac death. RESULTS: In all, 2000 patients were included in the survey. The all-cause mortality rate was 39%. Fifty-eight per cent of all deaths were judged as cardiac deaths. The most frequent cause of death was heart failure (65% among patients who died within 30 days after CABG and 36% among those who died >30 days after CABG). The second most common cause of death was myocardial infarction (56 and 29%, respectively), followed by cancer (0 and 24%, respectively), stroke (21 and 18%, respectively) and infection (8 and 11%, respectively). CONCLUSION: The factors most commonly contributing to death in the long term after CABG were, in order of frequency, heart failure, myocardial infarction, cancer, stroke and infection.
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| 10. |
- Herlitz, Johan, 1949, et al.
(author)
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Five-year mortality in patients with acute chest pain in relation to smoking habits.
- 2000
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In: Clinical cardiology. - 0160-9289. ; 23:2, s. 84-90
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Smoking is one of the major risk indicators for development of coronary artery disease, and smokers develop acute myocardial infarction (AMI) approximately a decade earlier than nonsmokers. In smokers with established coronary artery disease, quitting smoking has been associated with a more favorable prognosis. However, most of these studies comprised younger patients, the majority of whom were males.
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