Abstract Background Coronary arteries tend to be more tortuous than other arteries and follow the repeated flexion and relaxation movements that occur during the cardiac cycle. Coronary tortuosity (CorT) leads to changes in coronary flow with a reduction in distal perfusion pressure, which could cause myocardial ischemia. Objective To assess the association between CorT and myocardial ischemia. Methods Between January 2015 and December 2017, 57 patients with angina and nonobstructive coronary artery disease detected by invasive coronary angiography (ICA) were […]

Abstract Background Sickle cell anemia (SCA) is a hereditary disease whose cardiovascular complications are the main cause of death, the same being observed in other hemoglobinopathies. Early identification of these changes can favorably modify the course of the disease. Objective To compare the prevalence of cardiovascular complications between individuals with SCA and individuals with other hemoglobinopathies. Method Following the recommendations of the PRISMA protocol, a systematic literature review was carried out with searches in PubMed/Medline databases, associated with a manual […]

Abstract Background PRKAG2 syndrome is a rare, early-onset autosomal dominant inherited disease. We aimed to describe the right ventricle (RV) echocardiographic findings using two and three-dimensional (2D and 3D) modalities including myocardial deformation indices in this cardiomyopathy. We also aimed to demonstrate whether this technique could identify changes in RV function that could distinguish any particular findings. Methods Thirty patients with genetically proven PRKAG2 (R302Q and H401Q), 16 (53.3%) males, mean age 39.1 ± 15.4 years, underwent complete echocardiography examination. […]

Abstract Background The increase in epicardial fat volume (EFV) is related to coronary artery disease (CAD), independent of visceral or subcutaneous fat. The mechanism underlying this association is unclear. Coronary artery calcium (CAC) score and endothelial dysfunction are related to coronary events, but whether EFV is related to these markers needs further clarification. Objectives To evaluate the association between automatically measured EFV, cardiovascular risk factors, CAC, and endothelial function. Methods In 470 participants from the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult […]

Abstract Background Sudden cardiac death is the most common cause of death in chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy (CCC). Because most CCC patients who are candidates for implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICD) meet criteria for high defibrillation threshold values, a defibrillator threshold test (DTT) is suggested. Objectives We investigated the use of DTT in CCC patients, focusing on deaths related to ICD and arrhythmic events, as well as treatment during long-term follow-up. Methods We retrospectively evaluated 133 CCC patients who received an ICD mainly […]

Abstract Background Coronary stenosis can be caused de novo atherosclerosis, in-stent restenosis, and in-stent neoatherosclerosis, three entities that develop from a diverse pathophysiological milieu. Objective This study aims to investigate, using optical coherence tomography (OCT), whether or not coronary lesions related to these processes differ in their local inflammatory profile. Methods Retrospective analysis of patients with diagnosed or suspected coronary lesions who had undergone OCT imaging for clinical reasons. Macrophage and intra-plaque neovascularization were assessed by OCT and used as […]

Abstract Background Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome is a proarrhythmic condition that may require restriction from strenuous activities and is characterized by ECG signs, including delta waves. We observed cases of intermittent WPW patterns presenting as QRS alternans (‘WPW alternans’) in a large pre-participation ECG screening cohort of young men reporting for military conscription. Objectives We aimed to determine the WPW alternans pattern, case characteristics, and the prevalence of other relevant differential diagnoses presenting as QRS alternans in a pre-participation setting. Methods […]

Abstract Background: Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) can affect myocardial extracellular volume (ECV) and its compartments, and this can provide more detailed information about the mechanism of adverse left ventricular (LV) remodeling (AR) after acute myocardial infarction (MI). Objectives: To investigate the role of changes (Δ) in ECV compartments (matrix volume (MVi) and cell volume (CVi)) in the development of AR after MI, and their relationship with MMP-2 expressions. Methods: Ninety-two first MI patients who underwent 3 Tesla cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging […]

Abstract Background: Despite the importance of women in clinical research, no assessment has been made of the fraction of women in a leadership positions in the Cardiology journals of the SBC. Objectives: To assess the fraction of female authors in the International Journal of Cardiovascular Sciences (IJCS) and the Arquivos Brasileiros de Cardiologia (ABC Cardiol) over the last decades. Methods: We searched the original articles of the ABC Cardiol, from 2000 to 2019, and of the IJCS, from 2010 to […]

Abstract Background: Most cardiovascular deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries and myocardial infarction is one of the main life-threatening conditions. Objective: We assessed all-cause in-hospital mortality in patients admitted for myocardial infarction (STEMI and NSTEMI) in Latin America and the Caribbean from 2000 onward. Methods: We systematically searched in electronic bibliographic databases for cohort studies which reported in-hospital mortality due to STEMI and NSTEMI. A meta-analysis was performed and a p-value < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: We identified [...]

Abstract Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer among women, accounting for nearly 30% of all cancers, while in men, it represents only 1% of cases. Breast cancer is the main cause of death for cancer, and its incidence and mortality vary according to patients’ ethnicity, geographic region, and socioeconomic status. Due to the low prevalence of breast cancer among men and the scarcity of studies in the literature, exercises have been prescribed based on extrapolations from studies on female […]

Introduction Thrombus, vegetation and tumor are the main diagnoses for intracardiac masses. Malignant cardiac tumors are rare and cardiac metastasis are around 20 times more frequent than primary tumors. Cardiac metastases originate from lymphatic or blood dissemination, mediastinum direct invasion or tumoral growth inside inferior vena cava or pulmonary veins– and can lead to obstruction of the right or left outflow or inflow tract or arrhythmias. Frequently, symptoms are similar to other prevalent cardiovascular diseases, such as dyspnea, chest pain, […]

Research Letter A 48-year-old-man presented to the emergency room with abdominal pain and vomiting of 12-hour duration. He had a history of porto-splenic venous thrombosis ten years before admission that was treated with 6 months of oral anticoagulation and felt to be due to moderate protein C deficiency, which was not confirmed in subsequent laboratory tests. Vital signs were normal, he was afebrile and no remarkable findings were found on physical examination except for pain on palpation in the left […]

Introduction Caseous calcified mitral annulus is a non-neoplastic cardiac lesion considered to be a variant of mitral annular calcification that should be suspected when heart masses are detected by echocardiogram, chest x-ray or other radiologic studies.– The majority of the patients is asymptomatic, but signs and symptoms of mitral regurgitation, systemic embolization and atrioventricular blocks have been described.³ The diagnosis is confirmed by anatomopathologic examination. The prognosis is good. Here, we present a caseous calcification of the mitral annulus case […]

Abstract Mitral annular calcification (MAC) is a commonly observed chronic and degenerative fibrotic process of the base of the mitral valve, usually deemed as an incidental finding. Although initially, MAC was thought to be a consequence of an age-related degenerative process, recent findings suggest other independent contributive mechanisms, such as atherosclerosis and abnormal calcium-phosphorus metabolism. Caseous calcification of the mitral annulus (cMAC) is a rarely described variant of MAC, characterized by an ovoid, focal mass with internal caseous fluid-like calcifications […]

Dear Editor, We would like to share ideas on the publication “Acute Myocarditis Following mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine.” Gomes et al. examine the potential side effects of COVID-19 vaccination and the current state of acute myocarditis. COVID-19 immunization will probably cause heart abnormalities. We agree that this is a possibility. However, it should be noted that there is frequently inadequate information on the health/cardiac status of the troublesome cases before immunization. Although a post-vaccination analysis, which includes an EKG, can confirm […]

September 2020 Issue, vol. 115(3), pages 478-479 In the Short Editorial “Oxygen Consumption and Cardiorespiratory Fitness. The Difference between Chronological and Biological Age”, with DOI: , published in the journal Arquivos Brasileiros de Cardiologia, 115(3): 478-479, in page 478, correct the DOI for: […]

June 2021 Issue, vol. 114 (6), pages 1027-1028 In Short Editorial “Catheter Ablation Without Use of X-rays to Treat Atrial Fibrillation and Atrial Arrhythmia” with DOI: https://doi.org/10.36660/abc.20200159, published in the Journal Arquivos Brasileiros de Cardiologia, 114(6):1027-1028, on page 1027, change DOI to: https://doi.org/10.36660/abc.20200451. […]