This study aimed to evaluate the risk of doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity in newly diagnosed breast cancer patients with type 2 diabetes receiving dapagl

Introduction: The serum apelin level in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and its relationship with ventricular tachycardia (VT) are not clearly known. This study aimed to investigate changes in serum apelin levels in patients with HFrEF and their relationship with VT. Method: This retrospective pilot study included 90 patients with 30 patients in each group: Group I: HFrEF with documented VT; Group II: HFrEF without VT; Group III: control group without HFrEF. In addition to routine parameters, apelin levels were measured. All parameters were compared between Group I–II–III. Parameters associated with VT were identified. Result: Apelin levels were found to be significantly lower in Group I–II than in Group III. Serum glucose, creatinine, and left atrial diameter were shown to be significantly higher in Group I–II than in Group III. HDL cholesterol and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) levels were significantly lower in Group I–II compared with Group III. A positive and negative correlation was found between plasma apelin levels and LVEF and age, respectively. In logistic regression analysis, apelin levels and LVEF were found to independently determine VT (OR = 0.313, 95%CI: 0.124–0.788, p = 0.014 and OR = 0.912, 95%CI: 0.877–0.968, p < 0.001). In the ROC analysis, the cut-off value for apelin was determined to be 0.80 ng/mL, and it distinguished VT status in this sample with acceptable sensitivity and specificity. Discussion: According to the results of our study, apelin levels are significantly reduced in patients with HFrEF, and reduced apelin levels are associated with the presence of VT in these patients.

Background: There is insufficient data in the literature on the relationship between carotid intima–media thickness (cIMT) measured in non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) and cardiovascular (CV) mortality. Therefore, we aimed to determine the effect of cIMT value on long-term mortality in patients with NSTEMI. Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 279 patients with NSTEMI. In addition to clinical, demographic, laboratory, and angiographic investigations, cIMT, femoral IMT (fIMT), and aortic IMT (aIMT) were measured by B-mode ultrasonography. All patients received follow-up evaluation for CV mortality. The patients were grouped as with and without mortality. Results: Patients with NSTEMI received follow-up evaluations for 7.51 ± 0.85 years and 77 (27.6%) patients had mortality. Age, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, cIMT, aIMT, fIMT, and SYNTAX score values were significantly higher in patients with mortality compared to patients without mortality. Hemoglobin, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglyceride levels, and left ventricular ejection fraction were significantly lower in patients with mortality compared to patients without mortality. In multivariate analysis, cIMT, age, and creatinine level were found to be independent predictors of mortality. Among these parameters, an increase in age (each year), carotid IMT (each 0.1 mm), and serum creatinine (each 0.1 mg/L) levels predicted an increase in mortality by 8%, 46.5%, and 12.6%, respectively. In ROC analysis, age, cIMT, and creatinine level were found to determine the development of mortality due to NSTEMI with acceptable sensitivity and specificity when an age of 65 years, 0.80 mm, and 0.90 mg/L were taken as cut-off values, respectively. Discussion: In patients with NSTEMI, cIMT measurement is independently associated with the development of long-term mortality.