Cardiophile MD Archive

Coronary calcium scoring is used to indirectly assess coronary atherosclerosis. Calcification occurs in atherosclerotic plaques and progresses with the severity of the process and is not seen in normal arteries. There is some correlation between the amount of calcification and the severity of coronary artery disease, though it is not a perfect one to one [...]

Vernakalant hydrochloride is a novel anti arrhythmic agent which is atrial selective, blocking the early activating potassium channel and frequency dependent sodium channel. It has a half life of two to three hours. In animal studies, it has been shown to selectively prolong the atrial refractory period without affecting the ventricular refractory period. In a [...]

Primary pulmonary hypertension is a condition with a guarded prognosis and most often a limited survival. Various agents have been tried in the management of primary pulmonary hypertension, with limited efficacy. Anticoagulants have been used for a long time and should be maintained at therapeutic INR (internationally normalized ratio) levels of prothrombin time to document [...]

Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors) and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) are widely used antihypertensive agents which block the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS). They also have a role in delaying the progression of chronic kidney disease. By they have an inherent disadvantage of feed back increase in plasma renin activity. Aliskiren is novel agent which inhibits [...]

Since the fetal lungs are not functional, the respiratory gas exchange occurs in the placenta. Blood flow to the lungs is very little in the fetal circulation and the pulmonary vascular resistance is very high. Blood from the placenta with oxygenation leaves by the umbilical veins and gets shunted by the ductus venosus in the [...]