Biomedical subjects

N Reichek

Publications and source records attributed to N Reichek.

148 records · Page 9Linked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

Correlation of cine MR imaging with two-dimensional pulsed Doppler echocardiography in valvular insufficiency.

Eight adults with known valvular insufficiency were studied with cine magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. Our cine MR uses cardiac synchronization of a rapid small flip angle pulse sequence on a 1.5 T MR system. Eleven regurgitant lesions (including aortic, mitral, and tricuspid valves) were imaged with both cine MR and two-dimensional pulsed Doppler echocardiography (2-DPDE). In each case of significant regurgitation the jet of valvular insufficiency was easily seen as a discrete area of low signal with cine MR. Not only was the regurgitant jet identified but also its relative severity agreed well with the 2-DPDE results. In two patients the regurgitant lesions were identified on cine MR prior to 2-DPDE. In addition to the regurgitant jet, chamber enlargement and wall thickening were also well demonstrated. Cine MR is a promising modality for both the detection and semiquantification of valvular insufficiency.

Aortic Valve Insufficiency↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Cine MR imaging in aortic stenosis.

The potential of cine magnetic resonance (MR) imaging for the assessment of aortic stenosis (AS) was investigated in 17 patients. The severity of AS was graded by continuous wave Doppler ultrasound as severe in 10 of 17 patients and as moderate in the remaining 7 patients. Cine MR demonstrated a flow disturbance proximal and/or distal to the aortic valve plane in all 17 patients. This flow disturbance was seen as a signal void with four typical features: (a) a high-velocity jet phenomenon distal to the valve plane during systole, closely related to the stenotic orifice (8 of 17); (b) a turbulent systolic signal void in continuity with the jet, which propagated for a variable extent into the aorta (17 of 17); (c) a signal void just proximal to the valve plane during systolic ejection, reflecting prestenotic acceleration of blood flow (5 of 17); and (d) a void at the valve plane due to valvular calcifications (14 of 17). The following features or a combination thereof appeared to correlate with more severe grades of AS as visualized on cine MR display: (a) identification of narrow high-velocity jet phenomenon; (b) extensive propagation of the turbulent signal void into the aorta; and (c) presence of a prestenotic acceleration effect. Assessment of the severity of AS with cine MR is still limited. However, cine MR can identify the presence of AS and several flow phenomena that correlate with more severe degrees of stenosis.

Aortic Valve Stenosis↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Effects of repeated ambulatory ECG monitoring and relaxation practice on premature ventricular contractions.

Ten patients with premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) were studied to assess the effects of adaptation and relaxation practice on arrhythmia frequency. They had 48 hr of ambulatory ECG monitoring on three occasions: 1) at entry into the study; 2) 4 wk later, after no intervention; and 3) after 4 wk of practicing the relaxation response. Results showed a significant decrease in PVC frequency from the first to the second monitoring, i.e., before relaxation practice. Of eight patients who completed the third monitoring, only three showed a decline in PVC frequency below baseline levels. The group as a whole showed an increase in PVC frequency with relaxation practice, although this was not statistically significant. These findings suggest that there is an important adaptational effect to repeated ambulatory ECG monitoring in PVC patients--namely, a decrease in arrhythmia frequency. Relaxation practice did not produce any clear effect for the overall group.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Psychosocial variables are associated with atherosclerosis risk factors among women with chest pain: the WISE study.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated associations between atherosclerosis risk factors (smoking behavior, serum cholesterol, hypertension, body mass index, and functional capacity) and psychological characteristics with suspected linkages to coronary disease (depression, hostility, and anger expression) in an exclusively female cohort. METHODS: Six hundred eighty-eight middle-aged women with chest pain warranting clinical investigation completed a comprehensive diagnostic protocol that included quantitative coronary angiography to assess coronary artery disease (CAD). Primary analyses controlled for menopausal status, age, and socioeconomic status variables (income and education). RESULTS: High depression scores were associated with a nearly three-fold risk of smoking (odds ratio (OR) = 2.8, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.4-5.7) after covariate adjustment, and women reporting higher depression symptoms were approximately four times more likely to describe themselves in the lowest category of functional capacity (OR = 3.7, 95% CI = 1.7-7.8). High anger-out scores were associated with a four-fold or greater risk of low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentration (<50 mg/dl; OR = 4.0, 95% CI = 1.4-11.1) and high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentration (>160 mg/dl; OR = 4.8, 95% CI = 1.5-15.7) and a larger body mass index (OR = 3.5, 95% CI = 1.1-10.8) after covariate adjustment. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate consistent and clinically relevant relationships between psychosocial factors and atherosclerosis risk factors among women and may aid our understanding of the increased mortality risk among women reporting high levels of psychological distress.

Aged↗