Italian heart journal. Supplement : official journal of the Italian Federation of Cardiology最新文献

{"title":"[Italian national register of major coronary events: attack rates and fatality in different areas of the country].","authors":"L. Palmieri, A. Barchielli, G. Cesana, E. Campora, C. Goldoni, P. Spolaore, M. Uguccioni, F. Vancheri, D. Vanuzzo, S. Giampaoli","doi":"10.1097/00149831-200605001-00119","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/00149831-200605001-00119","url":null,"abstract":"BACKGROUND\u0000The national register is a monitoring surveillance system of fatal and non-fatal events in the general population aged 35-74 years; it was launched in Italy at the end of the 1990's with the aim of estimating the occurrence and fatality of coronary events in different geographical areas of the country.\u0000\u0000\u0000METHODS\u0000Two sources of information were used to assess current events: death certificates and hospital discharge diagnosis registers. Once the events were identified through the International Classification for Diseases-ICD9 codes and the duration of the event, the number of current events in each single area was multiplied for the positive predictive value of each specific mortality or discharge code derived from suspected events validated by applying the MONICA Project diagnostic criteria. The attack rate was calculated as the mean value of a 2-year period, dividing the average number of estimated events by the average resident population; case fatality was calculated at 28 days from admission as fatal to total event ratio.\u0000\u0000\u0000RESULTS\u0000Attack rates are higher in men than in women: mean age-adjusted (Italian population 1998) attack rate of all areas was 33.9 per 10,000 men and 9.1 per 10,000 women; age-adjusted 28-day case fatality was higher in women (35.5%) than in men (27.3%). Statistically significant geographical differences in comparison with the mean attack rate of all areas were found both in men and women. Case fatality rates result significantly heterogeneous when compared among areas in men but not in women.\u0000\u0000\u0000CONCLUSIONS\u0000Results show that there still exist some differences in the geographic distribution of attack rate and fatality of coronary events which seem to be independent of the North-South gradient. These data show the feasibility of implementing a population-based register, essential for cardiovascular disease surveillance.","PeriodicalId":80290,"journal":{"name":"Italian heart journal. Supplement : official journal of the Italian Federation of Cardiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2006-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"61656127","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"[Economic impact of cardiac resynchronization therapy in patients with heart failure. Available evidence and evaluation of the CRT-Eucomed model for analysis of cost-effectiveness].","authors":"Giovanni Fattore,&nbsp;Maurizio Landolina,&nbsp;Luca Bontempi,&nbsp;Giuseppe Cacciatore,&nbsp;Antonio Curnis,&nbsp;Michele Gulizia,&nbsp;Luigi Padeletti,&nbsp;Luigi Mazzei,&nbsp;Luigi Tavazzi","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Several clinical trials show that cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) in patients with moderate-severe heart failure increases survival, improves quality of life and reduces hospital admissions. The high cost of this new technology, incurred by health organizations at the moment of the implant, requires to assess whether its use is economically rational for the Italian Health Service. The paper summarizes evidences of the impact of CRT on the use of hospital resources and on quality of life, and presents a model to calculate incremental costs per quality adjusted life years (QALYs) gained in patients with moderate-severe heart failure treated with optimal medical therapy. The model is based on efficacy data drawn from clinical trials and on other information concerning the Italian context collected and validated by a team of experts from Assobiomedica and the Italian Federation of Cardiology. The model estimates that the incremental cost per QALY gained attributable to CRT is Euro 63,225 if all effects (years of life gained, increased quality of life and reduction of hospital costs) are censored at the end of the first year after the implant and Euro 21,720 if all effects are censored at the end of the third year. Cost-effectiveness of CRT is thus strongly dependent upon the duration of its effects: longer benefits of the therapy compensate initial costs and thus make the technology more cost-effective. In order to get better estimates of the economic profile of CRT it is required to collect more precise data from routine practice on survival, quality of life and hospital resources. The model presented can be easily adapted to take into account new evidence and to calculate cost per QALY gained in regional and local contexts.</p>","PeriodicalId":80290,"journal":{"name":"Italian heart journal. Supplement : official journal of the Italian Federation of Cardiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2005-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"25826865","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"[Cardiac rehabilitation in the elderly].","authors":"Francesco Fattirolli,&nbsp;Costanza Burgisser,&nbsp;Lorenzo Guarducci,&nbsp;Lucio A Rinaldi,&nbsp;Giulio Masotti,&nbsp;Niccolò Marchionni","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cardiac rehabilitation is an integral component of secondary prevention, and is indicated for patients with a wide variety of cardiac conditions, ranging from coronary artery disease to chronic heart failure. Best results are obtained with integrated, multicomponent cardiac rehabilitation programs, which include exercise training together with counseling and psychosocial measures that may help patients maintain sustained changes toward a more healthy lifestyle. Evidence from randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses supports the efficacy of cardiac rehabilitation on clinically relevant outcomes such as reduced long-term morbidity and mortality, enhanced functional profile and improved control of cardiovascular risk factors. However, the vast majority of this evidence derives from trials with only small numbers of patients > 70 years of age. In elderly patients the goal of cardiac rehabilitation may differ from those of younger patients, and include the preservation of mobility, self-sufficiency and mental function. Cardiac rehabilitation my represent an opportunity to provide effective health care and achieve a high quality of life for older patients. Future research programs should therefore be aimed at specifically investigating the efficacy and effectiveness of cardiac rehabilitation in older, frail cardiac patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":80290,"journal":{"name":"Italian heart journal. Supplement : official journal of the Italian Federation of Cardiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2005-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"25830258","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"[Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition and cardiovascular prevention: more than twenty years of clinical success].","authors":"Claudio Borghi,&nbsp;Eugenio Cosentino,&nbsp;Davide De Sanctis","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are widely used for the treatment of cardiovascular disease since they improve blood pressure control in patients with hypertension and prolong survival in patients with acute myocardial infarction, asymptomatic left ventricular dysfunction and congestive heart failure. Most of the information about the therapeutic role of ACE-inhibitors has been achieved during the last 20 years since the publication of some pivotal trials mostly involving the use of ACE-inhibitors like captopril and enalapril. In particular the treatment with enalapril has considerably improved the clinical outcome of patients with either mild-to-moderate (SOLVD studies) or severe (CONSENSUS trial) congestive heart failure. The benefit of ACE-inhibitors in patients with congestive heart failure has also involved a remarkable reduction in the rate of hospitalization, thus contributing to improve the pharmaco-economic approach to the disease. Most of the beneficial effect of ACE-inhibitors in clinical practice is dependent on their capacity of inhibiting the renin-angiotensin system, although some recent trials have supported a primary role for such drugs (in particular enalapril) in the prevention of atrial fibrillation. After more than 25 years from their discovery, ACE-inhibitors must be again considered among the first-line treatment in many patients with cardiovascular disease.</p>","PeriodicalId":80290,"journal":{"name":"Italian heart journal. Supplement : official journal of the Italian Federation of Cardiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2005-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"25826863","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"[Persistent left superior vena cava. Follow the yellow brick road...].","authors":"Daniele Pontillo,&nbsp;Federico Turreni,&nbsp;Nicolino Patruno,&nbsp;Francesco Serra,&nbsp;Augusto Achilli,&nbsp;Massimo Sassara","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":80290,"journal":{"name":"Italian heart journal. Supplement : official journal of the Italian Federation of Cardiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2005-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"25828411","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"[Impact of reperfusion strategies on in-hospital outcome in ST-elevation myocardial infarction in a context of interhospital network: data from the prospective VENERE registry (VENEto acute myocardial infarction REgistry].","authors":"Francesco Di Pede,&nbsp;Zoran Olivari,&nbsp;Elena Schievano,&nbsp;Paolo Spolaore,&nbsp;Luisa Cacciavillani,&nbsp;Luigi La Vecchia,&nbsp;Andrea Bruni,&nbsp;Guerrino Zuin,&nbsp;Gian Franco Franco,&nbsp;Osvaldo Palatini,&nbsp;Giorgio Morando,&nbsp;Monica Tinto,&nbsp;Maurizio Rossi,&nbsp;Mauro Guarnerio","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Primary angioplasty (pPCI) is the most effective reperfusion treatment of acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), but logistic- and organization-related problems could affect the outcome. The aim of this study was to investigate the in-hospital outcome according to reperfusion strategy in the Veneto Region cardiology network.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A treatment protocol, aimed to treat patients with high-risk STEMI by pPCI on-site or after transport, was developed and shared by the majority of cardiology departments in the Veneto Region. Data of all consecutive patients with STEMI were prospectively recorded during a 6-month period.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>999 patients with symptom onset < 12 hours were admitted to the 28 participating hospitals: 860 were treated on-site and 139 were transferred from the admitting hospital to an interventional center for PCI. Overall, 82% of patients were treated with reperfusion therapy. Ten patients died immediately before any treatment could be initiated. In 170 patients who did not receive any reperfusion treatment, in 302 patients who received fibrinolysis (and eventually rescue PCI) and in 517 patients sent to pPCI, the following in-hospital outcome was observed respectively: mortality rate 10, 6.95 and 6.57%; reinfarction rate 0.6, 1 and 0.4%; incidence of stroke 1.7, 1.4 and 0.9%; the need for urgent revascularization procedure 6.5, 10 and 2.3%. After adjustment for confounding variables, the in-hospital occurrence of the combined events was significantly lower in patients treated with pP-CI (odds ratio 0.33, confidence interval 0.20-0.53, p < 0.01) as well as a trend for a reduced in-hospital mortality was observed (odds ratio 0.51, confidence interval 0.26-1.03, p = 0.06).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>In the VENERE registry, patients treated with pPCI had a better in-hospital outcome as compared to those treated with fibrinolytic strategy.</p>","PeriodicalId":80290,"journal":{"name":"Italian heart journal. Supplement : official journal of the Italian Federation of Cardiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2005-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"25826866","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"[Outpatient medical and nurse management program in patients with chronic heart failure in a large territorial area in Piedmont. Four years of follow-up].","authors":"Maria Rosa Conte,&nbsp;Loredana Mainardi,&nbsp;Emesto Iazzolino,&nbsp;Marzia Casetta,&nbsp;Riccardo Asteggiano,&nbsp;Fulvio Lai,&nbsp;Raffaella Lusardi,&nbsp;Luigia Sasso","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Chronic heart failure is the leading cause of hospitalization and readmissions. In the last years many strategies based on the interaction of multi-competence programs have been evaluated to improve its management.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We evaluated the feasibility of an outpatient management program for patients with chronic hearth failure jointly treated by hospital, territorial cardiologists, nurses and primary physicians in a large area of Piedmont. Between January 2001 and January 2005, 122 consecutive patients (26.2% female, mean age 66 +/- 11 years) with chronic heart failure were enrolled in the study. Etiology was: coronary heart disease 40.2%, dilated cardiomyopathy 18%, hypertension 18%, unknown 14%, valvular heart disease 4.9%, other 4.9%. Cardiologists were expected to assess etiology, to perform instrumental examinations and titration of beta-blockers; nurses to reinforce patient education to monitor adherence to pharmacological and dietary therapy. Patients were subsequently followed by primary physicians. The endpoints were to compare: 1) hospitalization and emergency department admissions in the 12 months before the first evaluation and every year after referral; 2) Minnesota questionnaire, NYHA functional class, pharmacological therapies at the referral time and at the end of follow-up.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>One hundred and fifteen patients were followed for 47 +/- 1.5 months (5.6% drop out). Thirty-four patients died (29.5%), 11 non-cardiac causes, 14 congestive heart failure, 6 sudden cardiac death, 3 cardiac transplantation. Ejection fraction improved from 31 +/- 10 to 36 +/- 12%. Emergency department admissions and hospitalizations decreased from 54 and 56 respectively in the year before the first evaluation to 14 and 21 per year (p < 0.001). NYHA classes I-II improved from 65.5 to 87.7% and NYHA classes III-IV were reduced from 34.5 to 12.3%. The Minnesota score decreased from 25 to 21.9. Patients treated with ACE-inhibitors + angiotensin II receptor blocker therapy increased from 91 to 96%, beta-blockers from 35.2 to 69%, potassium sparing drugs increased from 54 to 64%.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our study showed that a medical and nurse outpatient management program for patients with chronic heart failure, also in a large urban and country area, decrease number of hospitalizations and improve functional class and adherence to medical therapy. These results kept constant over time in the subsequent 4 years.</p>","PeriodicalId":80290,"journal":{"name":"Italian heart journal. Supplement : official journal of the Italian Federation of Cardiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2005-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"25828410","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"[Atrial fibrillation and cardioversion: role of transesophageal echocardiography].","authors":"Antonella Moreo,&nbsp;Francesco Mauri","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The most common cardiac arrhythmia is atrial fibrillation (AF). Echocardiography has been an important tool in the evaluation of patients with AF. Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) offers excellent visualization of the atria and accurate identification or exclusion of atrial thrombi. Patients undergoing cardioversion are treated conventionally with therapeutic anticoagulation for 3 weeks before and 4 weeks after cardioversion to decrease the risk of thromboembolism. A TEE-guided strategy has been proposed as an alternative that may lower stroke and bleeding events. Patients without atrial thrombus by TEE are cardioverted on achievement of therapeutic anticoagulation, whereas cardioversion is delayed in patients with any thrombus. The two management strategies comparably lower the patient's embolic risk when the guidelines are properly followed. The TEE-guided approach offers the advantage of simplified anticoagulation management and may lower the incidence of bleeding complications.</p>","PeriodicalId":80290,"journal":{"name":"Italian heart journal. Supplement : official journal of the Italian Federation of Cardiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2005-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"25826864","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"[A case of ballooning syndrome with atypical anterior localization].","authors":"Pietro Mazzarotto,&nbsp;Paolo Stecconi,&nbsp;Francesco Gemelli,&nbsp;Michele Azzarito,&nbsp;Fausto Farnetti","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A 59-year-old female patient was admitted for chest pain correlated with an intense emotional stress, negative anterior T-waves and an increase in troponin I levels. The anterior left ventricular wall showed a dyskinetic pattern at echocardiography. Coronary angiography documented normal coronary arteries with the exception of a slight concentric focal narrowing of the ostium of the left anterior descending coronary artery. Echocardiography at 30 days documented normalization of left ventricular wall motion, and a stress test at 90 days, driven by episodes of atypical chest pain, reproduced the symptoms with non-significant electrocardiographic modifications. Coronary angiography confirmed the normal left ventricular wall motion and the persistence of the slight ostial narrowing of the left anterior descending coronary artery. Intravascular ultrasound demonstrated the absence of atheromatous disease of the left anterior descending coronary artery including the ostium. The reported case may be considered as a variant of the apical ballooning syndrome, an acute cardiomyopathy triggered by an intense emotional stress, with transitory wall motion anomalies and angiographically normal coronary arteries. The present case is peculiar for the localization of wall motion abnormalities and for the intracoronary ultrasound documentation of complete absence of coronary atheromatosis despite a suspected minor lesion of the left anterior descending coronary artery.</p>","PeriodicalId":80290,"journal":{"name":"Italian heart journal. Supplement : official journal of the Italian Federation of Cardiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2005-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"25727572","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"[Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of chronic heart failure: executive summary (update 2005)].","authors":"","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":80290,"journal":{"name":"Italian heart journal. Supplement : official journal of the Italian Federation of Cardiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2005-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"25816774","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}