Current Cardiology Reviews - Volume 15, Issue 1, 2019

Background: Pulmonary hypertension is not uncommon in patients with renal disease and vice versa; therefore, it influences treatments and outcomes. There is a large body of literature on pulmonary hypertension in patients with kidney disease, its prognostic implications, economic burden, and management strategies. However, the converse, namely the hemodynamic effects of pulmonary hypertension on kidney fu Read More

Ventricular Arrhythmias (VAs) may present with a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations ranging from mildly symptomatic frequent premature ventricular contractions to lifethreatening events such as sustained ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation and sudden cardiac death. Myocardial scar plays a central role in the genesis and maintenance of re-entrant arrhythmias which are commonly associated with Stru Read More

Background: Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography (CTA) has become one of the most important diagnostic imaging modalities for the evaluation of coronary artery diseases. During coronary computed CTA, sufficient vascular enhancement is essential for the accurate detection and evaluation of lesions in the coronary arteries. To obtain optimal contrast enhancement and perform appropriate clinical coronary CTA, p Read More

Background: Sudden death of a newborn is a rare entity, which may be caused by genetic cardiac arrhythmias. Among these diseases, Long QT syndrome is the most prevalent arrhythmia in neonates, but other diseases such as Brugada syndrome, Short QT syndrome and Catecholaminergic Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia also cause sudden death in infants. All these entities are characterized by well-known alterations in Read More

Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD) is a significant health problem worldwide. Multiple randomized controlled trials have shown that Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators (ICDs) are effective life-saving management option for individuals at risk of SCD in both primary and secondary prevention. Although the conventional transvenous ICDs (TV-ICDs) are safe and effective, there are potential complications associated w Read More

Background: Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD) is an unexpected death caused by heart dysfunction. Autoantibodies against cardiac proteins may be potentially involved in the occurrence and progression of cardiac disease and SCD. The first report on the role of autoantibodies in idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy appeared in the 1980s. In recent years new studies on the effects of the presence of specific autoantibodies and their r Read More

Introduction: Chronic Kidney Disease is a growing health burden world wide. Traditional and mutual risk factors between CVD and CKD are age, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, tobacco use, family history and male gender. In this review, we will focus on whether or not early CKD is an important risk factor for the presence, severity and progression of CVD. Specifically, we will examine both traditional and novel risk Read More

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a prevalent condition thought to increase in the future. Being mostly undiagnosed, the most serious complications are cardiovascular diseases, among which are arrhythmias. Controversy remains as to whether OSA is a primary etiologic factor for ventricular arrhythmias, because of the high incidence of cardiovascular comorbidities in OSA patients. However, there is mostly a strong evidence Read More