Left ventricular systolic function does not correlate well with functional class in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy. To determine whether the correlation is better with Doppler indexes of left ventricular diastolic function, 34 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (M-mode echocardiographic end-diastolic dimension greater than 60 mm, fractional shortening less than 25%, increased E point-se...

BACKGROUND Pheochromocytomas are rare tumors derived from the chromaffin cells of the adrenal medulla. Although these tumors have long been postulated to induce hypertension and cardiomyopathy through the hypersecretion of catecholamines, catecholamines alone may not fully explain the profound myocardial remodeling induced by these tumors. We sought to determine whether changes in myocardial fu...

BACKGROUND There are few data relating novel measures of left ventricular (LV) mechanical function to cardiovascular disease (CVD) outcomes in the community. Whether distinct components of LV mechanical function provide information regarding risk for different CVD outcomes is unclear. METHODS AND RESULTS We used speckle tracking echocardiography to quantify distinct components of LV mechanica...

In congestive heart failure (CHF), exaggerated sympathetic activation is observed during exercise, which elicits excess peripheral vasoconstriction. The mechanisms causing this abnormality are not fully understood. Central command is a central neural process that induces parallel activation of motor and cardiovascular systems. This study was undertaken to determine whether central command serve...

Cardiac structural adaptations in response to physical growth and obesity in older children have been identified and might have long-term consequences. We examined the associations of growth and obesity with cardiac structures during the first 2 years of life. In a population-based prospective cohort study among 974 children, left atrial diameter, left ventricular diastolic diameter, left ventr...

OBJECTIVE To describe the 5-year cumulative incidence of cardiac dysfunction in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected children. STUDY DESIGN We used a prospective cohort design, enrolling children at 10 hospitals. Group I included 205 vertically HIV-infected children enrolled at a median age of 1.9 years. Group II consisted of 600 HIV-exposed children enrolled prenatally or as neonates,...

BACKGROUND Foetal smoke exposure might lead to foetal developmental adaptations that permanently affect the cardiovascular system. We assessed the associations of both maternal and paternal smoking during pregnancy with childhood cardiovascular structures and function. METHOD In a prospective cohort study among 5565 children, we examined whether maternal and paternal smoking during pregnancy ...

The study aim was to assess three-dimensional electrocardiogram (ECG) changes during development of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). PAH was induced in male Wistar rats (n = 23) using monocrotaline (MCT; 40 mg/kg sc). Untreated healthy rats served as controls (n = 5). ECGs were recorded with an orthogonal three-lead system on days 0, 14, and 25 and analyzed with dedicated computer softwar...

Thirteen patients with severe chronic aortic regurgitation (mean age 52.5 years) were studied by serial M-mode echocardiography. When first studied, none had breathlessness caused by left ventricular failure (LVF). Nine of these patients remained asymptomatic over a mean period of 4 years, 3 months (no LVF group); the other four patients developed left ventricular failure with dyspnea after a m...

INTRODUCTION Cardiovascular disease and heart failure are common in dialysis patients. Recurrent subclinical myocardial ischemia is an important event which may lead to the heart failure. We examined whether this phenomenon occurs secondary to the intradialytic hypotension in hemodialysis patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS Twelve patients prone to intradialytic hypotension who had been on mainte...