BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: We investigated whether prehypertensives (PHs) exhibit more prevalent electrocardiographic and echocardiographic left ventricular hypertrophy (ECG LVH) and if they are are more associated with impaired left ventricular (LV) diastolic function than are normotensives (NTs). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A total of 608 subjects> or = 40 years of age with normal BP (SBP<120 mmHg and DBP<80 mmHg, n=335) and PH (n=273) and who were without a history of hypertension, diabetes and any other known cardiovascular diseases underwent blood sampling for obtaining the lipid profile, and they also underwent 12-lead electrocardiography and echocardiography. RESULTS: Compared with the NTs, the PHs had significantly higher Sokolow-Lyon and Cornell voltage for ECG LVH, and they ahd a higher prevalence of ECG LVH (men: 16.9% vs 5.9%, women: 2.0% vs 1.0%, respectively). The PHs had a more increased left ventricular mass index (LVMI, Men: 118.1+/-24.4 g/m2 vs 102.0+/-19.1 g/m2, p=0.02; Women: 117.5+/-26.4 g/m2 vs 101.9+/-30.7 g/m2, p=0.02) and a more decreased LV diastolic function (E/A, Men: 1.14+/-0.6 vs 1.30+/-0.4, p=0.03; Wemen: 1.11+/-0.6 vs 1.25+/-0.5, p=0.03) on echocardiography than the NTs. CONCLUSION: The PHs were associated with a higher prevalence of ECG LVH and a more increased LVMI on echocardiography than that of the NTs. Therefore, we should pay earlier attention to diagnose and screen the pre-hypertensive group.
Cardiovascular Diseases ; Echocardiography ; Electrocardiography ; Female ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Hypertension ; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular* ; Male ; Prevalence

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: A non-dipping pattern in hypertensive patients has been shown to be associated with a greater left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy, LV diastolic impairments and prolonged ventricular repolarization. The dynamic parameters of the QT dispersion (QTd) have been highlighted as markers of ventricular repolarization heterogeneity. The aim of this study was to demonstrate if the extent of nocturnal blood pressure (BP) fall was related to the LV mass, LV diastolic function and dynamic parameters of the QTd. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: 122 subjects, receiving electrocardiography, 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring, 12 lead-24hr Holter monitoring and 2-dimensional Doppler echocardiography examinations, were enrolled. The subjects were classified as normotensive, dipper and non-dipper. The LV mass (LVM) and LV diastolic indices were measured. Using the QT Guard software, with 12 lead-24hr Holter monitoring, the QTd, mean QTd, QTd variation (the difference between the maximum minus the minimum QTd value observed over the recording time), QTd maximum (the maximum difference of QTd between consecutive beats) and QTd variability (QTd standard deviation) were analyzed. RESULTS: Of the 122 patients, 39 and 40 were placed in the dipper and non-dipper groups, respectively. The non-dipper group had a greater LVM index (LVMI) than the dipper group (p<0.01). The non-dipper group had greater increases in their A velocity (p<0.01), and more prolonged deceleration (p<0.01) and isovolumic relaxation (p<0.01) times than the dipper group. There were no significant differences in the QT and QTc interval between the 3 groups, but the QTd was much more increased in the non-dipper than the dipper and normotensive groups (p<0.01). For the dynamic parameters of the QTd, the QTd variation, QTd maximum and QTd variability were significantly increased in the non-dipper compared to the dipper and normotensive groups (p<0.05). Comparing the dipper and normotensive groups, there were no significant differences in the LVMI, LV diastolic indices, QTd and dynamic parameters of the QTd. CONCLUSION: The non-dipper group of hypertensive patients had a greater LVMI, more impaired LV diastolic function and greater increases in their QTd and dynamic parameters of the QTd compared to the dipper and normotensive groups, suggesting the possibility of a much greater chance of cardiovascular events, and their complications, in the non-dipper compared to the dipper group.
Blood Pressure* ; Deceleration ; Echocardiography, Doppler ; Electrocardiography ; Electrocardiography, Ambulatory ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Hypertrophy ; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular ; Population Characteristics ; Relaxation

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: A new Doppler time index of myocardial performance (the Tei index) has been studied as a useful predictor of global cardiac function. It is defined as (a-b)/b, where a is the interval between the end and onset of the mitral inflow, and b is the ejection time of the left ventricular outflow. However, the Doppler time intervals are not measured on the same cardiac cycle. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We compared the tissue Doppler imaging (TDI)-derived Tei index, which can be measured on the same cardiac cycle, with the conventional Tei index as measured by pulsed wave Doppler method, in healthy persons (n=44), in patients having diastolic dysfunction with an E/E' ratio >10 (DD, n=56), and in patients having systolic dysfunction with an ejection fraction<50% (SD, n=10). At the septal and lateral mitral annulus from the apical 4-chamber view, the time interval between the end and onset of the mitral annular velocities during diastole (a') minus the duration of the systolic wave (b') divided by b', which is (a'-b')/b', is defined as the TDI-tei index. RESULTS: The TDI-Tei index and the conventional Tei index were significantly higher in the SD group than in the DD group, and they were also higher in the DD group than in the healthy controls. The TDI-Tei index at the septal and lateral annulus correlated well with the Tei index (r=0.71, r=0.65, respectively, p<0.001) and this showed a good correlation with other echocardiographic parameters of diastolic function. CONCLUSION: We demonstrated that the TDI-Tei index correlates well with the conventional Tei index along with having the advantage of simultaneous recording of the systolic and diastolic velocities in adults.
Adult* ; Diastole ; Echocardiography ; Echocardiography, Doppler ; Humans ; Ventricular Function

Isolated tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is rare. Generally, TR is caused by pulmonary hypertension secondary to mitral or aortic valve disease, commonly referred to as "functional" regurgitation. The causes of isolated TR in adults include trauma, endocarditis, carcinoid heart disease, and congenital malformation of the tricuspid valve apparatus. In addition, isolated TR should be distinguished from Ebstein anomaly. In the present case, the patient had no definite causes of TR, and neither mitral nor aortic valve disease. The tricuspid valve of this patient showed no abnormalities other than a severely dilated tricuspid annulus. Isolated TR caused by annular dilatation was diagnosed and then ring annuloplasty was perfomed. The subsequent clinical course was satisfactory.
Adult ; Aortic Valve ; Carcinoid Heart Disease ; Dilatation* ; Ebstein Anomaly ; Endocarditis ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; Tricuspid Valve ; Tricuspid Valve Insufficiency*

The nonbacterial valvular and mural verrucous endocarditis known as Libman-Sacks endocarditis is found in 40~60% of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. the Libman-Sacks endocarditis mostly affects the mitral and aortic valves and frequently displays valvular dysfunction. In rare cases, the Libman-Sacks endocarditis can embolize and cause stroke syndrome. We report a case of Libman-Sacks endocarditis confused with infective endocarditis because its clinical manifestations were very similar to those of infective endocarditis. We confirmed systemic lupus erythematosus with Libman-Sacks endocarditis by means of serology and successfully treated patient with steroid.
Aortic Valve ; Endocarditis* ; Humans ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic ; Stroke

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: It is contradictory that arterial stiffness, especially in a systemic vascular tree, is related to coronary artery disease. This study was performed to establish the relationship between systemic vascular compliance and the severity of coronary artery disease. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The study population was comprised of 53 chronic stable angina patients and 45 normal healthy controls. Coronary angiography was used to determine the involved vessels. The systemic vascular compliance and other hemodynamic variables were measured by a non-invasive pulse dynamic waveform analysis. RESULTS: In the patient group, 15 (24.5%) had one-vessel disease, 15 (24.5%) a two-vessel disease and the remaining 23 (43%) had a three-vessel disease. In the patients with a three-vessel disease, the systemic vascular compliance was significantly lower than those of the other two groups (p<0.05). The systemic vascular compliance of the patients with multi-vessel diseases (including two-vessel and three-vessel) was also significantly lower than that of the controls or patients with a one-vessel disease (p<0.05). The systemic vascular compliance was found to have a significant negative association with the severity of coronary artery disease (Spearman's rho=-0.296, p<0.05). CONCLUSION: This study has shown that arterial stiffness (or systemic vascular compliance) is significantly associated with the severity coronary artery disease, and the serial non-invasive measurement of the systemic vascular compliance may be useful in the early detection of severe coronary artery disease.
Angina, Stable ; Compliance* ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Artery Disease* ; Coronary Vessels* ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Myocardial Ischemia* ; Vascular Stiffness

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is an unusual syndrome characterized by a clinical picture of micro-angiopathic hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenic purpura, neurologic symptoms, renal disease and fever. Although widespread vascular thrombosis is common in TTP, the evidence of cardiac involvement is less clear. We report the first Korean case of a 22-year-old woman with TTP associated with acute myocardial infarction. With continued plasmapheresis, the clinical status of TTP improved markedly and was stabilized. Serial echocardiograms showed improvement of the cardiac wall motion.
Anemia, Hemolytic ; Female ; Fever ; Humans ; Myocardial Infarction* ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Plasmapheresis ; Purpura, Thrombocytopenic ; Purpura, Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic* ; Thrombosis ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The second derivative of a photoplethysmogram (SDPTG) is a simple, convenient and non-invasive technique for pulse wave analysis. The SDPTG index correlates with age and other risk factors of atherosclerosis in the Japanese population, but has not yet been described in the Korean population. The purposes of this study were to analyze the age-related changes in the SDPTG of healthy subjects (study 1), and investigate the differences in the SDPTG of patients with hypertension, compared with those of normotensive subjects (study 2). We also compared the differences in the SDPTG between coronary artery disease (CAD) patients and normal subjects (study 3), to test the clinical usefulness of SDPTG in the evaluation of atherosclerosis. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We consecutively studied 235 healthy adults, 40 with essential hypertension and 42 with CAD. Their SDPTG were recorded in the sitting position using a Fukuda FCP-3166. RESULTS: In study 1, the b/a ratio increased with age, whereas the c/a, d/a and e/a ratios decreased. The SDPTG aging index (AGI)(y) increased with age (x)(r=0.71, p=0.000;y=22.731x+54.571). In study 2, the patients with hypertension showed a lower average d/a ratio (-0.47+/-0.15 vs. -0.38+/-0.15, p=0.02) and higher average SDPTG AGI (-0.09+/-0.34 vs. -0.26+/-0.37, p=0.011) than the normotensive subjects. In study 3, the patients with CAD had higher average b/a ratio (-0.47+/-0.19 vs. -0.59+/-0.17, p=0.001) and SDPTG AGI (-0.01+/-0.41 vs. -0.23+/-0.40, p=0.004) than the normal subjects. In a logistic regression analysis, the SDPTG AGI was a significant determinant of CAD (p=0.046). CONCLUSION: The SDPTG aging index may be useful in the evaluation of vascular aging and damage due to hypertension and atherosclerosis.
Adult ; Aging ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Atherosclerosis ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Logistic Models ; Photoplethysmography ; Pulse Wave Analysis ; Risk Factors

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Tissue Doppler imaging (TDI)-derived tissue velocity (TV) and strain rate (SR) are new ultrasonic parameters for assessing the regional myocardial function by quantitatively measuring the myocardial velocity. The aim of this study was to investigate the changes of these indices after exercise, in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), for comparison with the wall motion score index (WMSI). SUBJECTS AND MEHTODS: Twenty-one patients with CAD and 21 normal subjects were studied, before and after an exercise stress test, using the Bruce protocol. TDI data were obtained, and analyzed offline, for peak systolic TV (PSTV) and peak systolic SR (PSSR), using a 16 segment-model. The segmental PSTV and PSSR were compared with the WMSI. RESULTS: The number of segments with a significant increase in the PSTV or PSSR, after exercise (p<0.05), was less in the CAD patients than the normal subjects (9 vs. 14 segments, 7 vs. 10 segments, respectively). The PSTV, after exercise, progressively decreased from the base to the apex in both the normal and CAD groups, but the absolute values were significantly lower in the CAD group (base : 8.44+/-1.28 vs. 6.56+/-1.6, mid : 6.31+/-1.18 vs. 4.26+/-1.25 and apex : 3.48+/-0.83 vs. 1.25+/-1.27 cm/sec, p<0.05, respectively). In the normal subjects, the PSSRs, after exercise, were uniform in all segments, whereas this was not the cases in the CAD group (p<0.05). The PSSR showed a negative correlation with the WMSI (r=-0.45, p<0.05). CONCLUSION: This study has shown that TV and SR can detect the ischemic myocardium with exercise stress, and objectively measure the systolic function in patients with CAD. The quantification of stress echocardiography may overcome the training requirement, and subjective nature, of conventional wall motion scoring.
Coronary Artery Disease* ; Coronary Vessels* ; Echocardiography, Doppler ; Echocardiography, Stress ; Exercise Test ; Humans ; Myocardium ; Ultrasonics

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Ventricular premature beat (VPB) with a left bundle branch block morphology and an inferior axis usually originates from the right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) and is a frequent clinical problem. Although some investigators have suggested that RVOT VPBs are associated with RVOT ventricular tachycardia, few data are available on patients with RVOT VPBs. The purpose of this study was to determine the clinical characteristics and prognosis of RVOT VPB. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The study subjects were 161 consecutive patients with frequent RVOT VPBs on standard electrocardiography. All patients underwent clinical examinations, echocardiography and 24-hour ambulatory electrocardiography. Among these patients, 50 were followed up for a period averaging 28.5+/-18.1 months. RESULTS: No structural cardiac abnormalities were found in 149 (92.5%) of the 161 patients with frequent RVOT VPBs. The prevalence of complex VPBs was relatively high (101 of 161 patients: 62.7%) on initial 24-hour electrocardiography. In the case of the 50 follow-up patients, there was no significant difference in mean frequency of RVOT VPBs between baseline and follow-up study (636+/-482/hour vs. 569+/-502/hour, p=NS). Furthermore, VPBs tended to persist over the follow-up period in the majority (92%) of patients with frequent RVOT VPBs. Five patients (10%) developed nonsustained ventricular tachycardia, 2 (4%) sustained ventricular tachycardia and 1 (2%) died suddenly. Antiarrhythmic drugs are effective in decreasing the frequency of VPBs, and beta-blockers especially seem to be effective in decreasing the severity of VPBs. CONCLUSION: In the patients with frequent RVOT VPBs, sustained ventricular tachycardia or sudden death could develop. Therefore, careful observation is required in patients with frequent RVOT VPBs.
Anti-Arrhythmia Agents ; Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Bundle-Branch Block ; Cardiac Complexes, Premature* ; Death, Sudden ; Echocardiography ; Electrocardiography ; Electrocardiography, Ambulatory ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Prevalence ; Prognosis ; Research Personnel ; Tachycardia, Ventricular ; Ventricular Premature Complexes