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WEBHeart. is an international journal from BMJ and BCS publishing important research and reviews in cardiovascular disease. Heart is an international peer reviewed journal that keeps cardiologists up to date with important research advances in cardiovascular disease. New scientific developments are highlighted in editorials and put in context with ...
About - Heart
WEBAims and scope. Heart is an international peer reviewed journal that keeps cardiologists up to date with important research advances in cardiovascular disease. New scientific developments are highlighted in editorials and put in context with concise review articles. There is one free Editor’s Choice article in each issue, with open access ...
Treating patients with ventricular ectopic beats | Heart
WEBVentricular ectopic beats (VEBs) are commonly seen in daily clinical practice. They are largely asymptomatic but can cause upsetting symptoms in some patients. In normal hearts, their occurrence is usually associated with no clinical significance. However, there are occasions where the presence of VEBs signifies a susceptibility towards more sinister arrhythmias, especially when heart disease ...
Cardiovascular risk factors and aortic valve calcification: what do ...
WEBPatients with more cardiovascular risk factors were more likely to have aortic valve calcification and had higher aortic valve calcium scores. In a multivariable analysis which included the presence of severe coronary artery calcification (>400 Agatston units, AU), only age, obesity, history of cerebrovascular disease and serum phosphate ….
What is ‘normal’ left ventricular ejection fraction? | Heart
WEBLeft ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) has been a key variable for the diagnosis and management of heart failure over the last three decades. The British Society of Echocardiography recently updated their normal reference intervals for assessment of cardiac dimensions and function.1 They describe four categories of left ventricular function and a ‘normal’ LVEF is defined as ≥55% ...
Angina: contemporary diagnosis and management - Heart
WEB### Learning objectives Ischaemic heart disease (IHD) remains the leading global cause of death and lost life years in adults, notably in younger (<55 years) women.1 Angina pectoris (derived from the Latin verb ‘angere’ to strangle) is chest discomfort of cardiac origin. It is a common clinical manifestation of IHD with an estimated prevalence of 3%–4% in UK adults. There are over 250 ...
Resting heart rate: what is normal?
WEBResting heart rate (RHR) is a clinical parameter easily measurable with typical value between 50 and 90 beats per minute (bpm) that varies during the day with a night-time decrease.1 RHR can go down to 30 bpm in those with good physical condition, but RHR is also partly genetically determined, with slightly higher values in women than in men.2 The interpretation of RHR by clinicians is ...
Management of premature ventricular complexes | Heart
WEBIntroduction. Premature ventricular complexes (PVCs) are the most common arrhythmias in daily practice. At the cellular level, ventricular myocytes spontaneously depolarise to create an extrasystole ‘out of sync’ with the cardiac cycle. 1 The prevalence depends on the characteristics and comorbidities of the population, the method by which the population is studied and the duration of ...
Global longitudinal strain: clinical use and prognostic ... - Heart
WEB### Learning objectives Non-invasive evaluation of left ventricular (LV) systolic function by echocardiography remains one of the most pivotal measures in clinical cardiology. Although conventionally quantified by means of LV ejection fraction (LVEF), it has become evident that this parameter is subject to a number of limitations. LVEF can be normal in the presence of impaired LV systolic ...
Right heart catheterisation: indications and interpretation
WEB### Learning objectives Significant improvements in the diagnostic power and availability of non-invasive cardiac imaging techniques, in addition to evidence of potential harm associated with pulmonary artery (PA) catheterisation in patients in critical care, have led to a decline in right heart catheterisation (RHC) over recent years.1 RHC, however, remains an important tool in a cardiologist ...