Biomedical subjects

Mariantonietta Cicoira

Publications and source records attributed to Mariantonietta Cicoira.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Body mass index, prognosis and mode of death in chronic heart failure: results from the Valsartan Heart Failure Trial.

AIMS: To assess the relationship between body mass index (BMI), mortality and mode of death in chronic heart failure (CHF) patients; to define the shape of the relationship between BMI and mortality. METHODS AND RESULTS: We performed a post-hoc analysis of 5010 patients from the Valsartan Heart Failure Trial. The end-points of the study were all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. Mortality rate was 27.2% in underweight patients (BMI<22 kg/m2), 21.7% in normal weight patients (BMI 22-24.9 kg/m2), 17.9% in overweight patients (BMI 25-29.9 kg/m2) and 16.5% in obese patients (BMI>30 kg/m2) (p<0.0001). The rates of non-cardiovascular death did not differ among groups. The risk of death due to progressive heart failure was 3.4-fold higher in the underweight than in the obese patients (p<0.0001). Normal weight, overweight and obese patients had lower risk of death as compared with underweight patients (p=0.019, HR 0.76, 95% CI 0.61-0.96; p=0.0005, HR 0.68, 95% CI 0.55-0.84; p=0.003, HR 0.67, 95% CI 0.52-0.88, respectively) independently of symptoms, ventricular function, beta-blocker use, C-reactive protein and brain natriuretic peptide levels. CONCLUSIONS: In CHF patients a higher BMI is associated with a better prognosis independently of other clinical variables. The relationship between mortality and BMI is monotonically decreasing.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

Left atrial volume provides independent and incremental information compared with exercise tolerance parameters in patients with heart failure and left ventricular systolic dysfunction.

OBJECTIVE: Left atrial volume (LAV) is a powerful predictor of outcome in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) independently of symptomatic status, age and left ventricular (LV) function. It is unknown whether LAV provides independent and incremental information compared with exercise tolerance parameters. METHODS: 273 patients with CHF (mean (SD) 62 (9) years; 13% female) prospectively underwent echocardiography and exercise testing with maximal oxygen consumption (Vo(2)). The primary end point was composite and included cardiac death, hospitalisation for worsening heart failure or cardiac transplantation. RESULTS: At Cox proportional hazard analysis, LAV normalised for body surface area (LAV/BSA) was strongly associated with mortality (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.027 (95% CI 1.018 to 1.04), p<0.001). The predictive value of LAV/BSA was independent of Vo(2) and LV ejection fraction (EF) (HR = 1.014 (1.002 to 1.025), p = 0.02; HR = 0.95 (0.91 to 0.99), p = 0.02; HR = 0.89 (0.82 to 0.98), p = 0.02 for LAV/BSA, EF and Vo(2), respectively). Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis identified the best cut-off values for prediction of the end point. LAV/BSA >63 ml, EF <30% and Vo(2) <16 ml/kg/min were considered to be risk factors. Patients with three risk factors had an HR of 38 (95% CI 11 to 129) compared with patients with no risk factors. CONCLUSION: LAV provides powerful prognostic information incrementally and independently of Vo(2). LAV, EF and Vo(2 )can be used to build a risk prediction model, which can be used clinically.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Biventricular pacing.

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Cardiac Pacing, Artificial↗

PubMed2006

Statin use and survival in patients with chronic heart failure--results from two observational studies with 5200 patients.

BACKGROUND: There is minimal evidence that HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins) are beneficial in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). Treatment with statins may lead to a lower mortality in CHF, independent of cholesterol levels, CHF etiology and clinical status. METHODS: In a first study, we included 3132 patients with CHF from the ELITE 2 study in whom information on body mass index (BMI) and statin use at baseline were available. In a second study, we pooled the databases of 5 tertiary referral centers with 2068 CHF patients. In this cohort 705 patients were on a statin (34%), 585 of 1202 (49%) patients with ischemic etiology, and 120 of 866 (14%) patients with non-ischemic etiology (established by coronary angiography). FINDINGS: Patients in ELITE 2 who received statin therapy at baseline (n=397, 13%) had lower mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 0.61, 95% CI 0.45-0.83; p=0.0007). In univariate analysis, increasing age, NYHA class, creatinine, and decreasing BMI, LVEF, and cholesterol, as well as lack of beta-blocker treatment and ischemic etiology (all p<0.002) related to higher mortality. In multivariable analysis, statin therapy related to lower mortality independently of all these variables (adjusted HR 0.66, 95% CI 0.47-0.93; p=0.017). In the second study CHF patients on statins had lower mortality (adjusted HR 0.58, 95% CI 0.44-0.77; p=0.0001). Both in patients with ischemic (p<0.0001) and non-ischemic etiology (p=0.028) statin treatment related to better survival. INTERPRETATION: In chronic heart failure, treatment with statins is related to lower mortality, independent of cholesterol levels, disease etiology and clinical status.

Aged↗

PubMed2006

Impact of body mass index on short-term outcome after acute myocardial infarction: does excess body weight have a paradoxical protective role?

BACKGROUND: Obesity is a risk factor for acute myocardial infarction (AMI), due in part to obesity-related conditions. However, the relation between BMI (body mass index) and outcome in patients with AMI has not been completely clarified. The aim of our study was to assess the impact of BMI on short-term outcome after AMI. METHODS: We retrospectively studied 717 consecutive patients admitted to our Intensive Coronary Care Unit for AMI. The end-point of the study was all-cause mortality. RESULTS: The mean age was 64+/-12 years. Mean BMI was 26+/-3.5 kg/m2. During follow-up 15 patients died. Non-survivors were significantly older than survivors (p<0.0001); BMI (p = 0.0027) and weight (p = 0.0002) were significantly lower in non-survivors than survivors; left ventricular dimensions (end-diastolic diameter: p = 0.0023; end-systolic diameter: p = 0.0019), the number of akinetic segments (p<0.0001) and contractile efficiency (p<0.0001) were also significantly lower in non-survivors. At Cox proportional univariate analysis low BMI (p = 0.0019), female sex (p = 0.0041), age (p<0.0001), left ventricular dimensions (end-diastolic diameter = 0.0040, end-systolic diameter = 0.0053), number of akinetic segments (p = 0.0001) and degree of left ventricular dysfunction (p = 0.0002) were significant predictors of prognosis. The prognostic power of BMI remained after adjustment for age (p<0.05), left ventricular dimensions (end-diastolic diameter: p<0.0042; end-systolic diameter p = 0.04), contractile efficiency (p = 0.0045) or number of akinetic segments (p = 0.0070). CONCLUSION: Low BMI is an independent predictor of poor prognosis in the short-term outcome after AMI. The underlying mechanisms remain to be investigated.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Aortic stiffness correlates with an increased extracellular matrix turnover in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy.

BACKGROUND: An increased extracellular matrix (ECM) turnover has been associated with poor survival in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) due to dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). However, the influence of the accelerated collagen turnover on the progressive large artery stiffening process characterizing CHF has not been clarified. This is relevant because aortic stiffening imposes an additional systolic load and impairs exercise tolerance in CHF patients. Therefore, we investigated whether the serum aminoterminal propeptide of type III collagen (PIIINP), an established marker of ECM turnover and tissue fibrosis in DCM, was associated with aortic stiffness in DCM patients. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 89 patients with clinical diagnosis of DCM (age 62 +/- 9 years, 80% men, mean ejection fraction 34% +/- 8%) were selected. Aortic pulse-wave velocity (PWV), a well-established marker of aortic stiffness, was measured by Doppler ultrasonography. Serum concentration of PIIINP was determined by radioimmunoassay. Mean aortic PWV was 5.7 +/- 2.3 m/s, and PIIINP was 5.0 +/- 1.3 microg/L. The variables correlated with aortic PWV were age (r = 0.33, P = .002), PIIINP (r = 0.30, P = .005), heart rate (r = 0.27, P = .02), stroke volume (r = -0.24, P = .03) and New York Heart Association class (r = 0.25, P = .02). In a multivariate analysis, age (P = .02) and PIIINP (P = .01) were independently related with aortic PWV, accounting for 27% of its variance. CONCLUSIONS: Higher serum PIIINP levels are independently associated with a stiffer aorta in DCM patients. This suggests that abnormalities in the ECM turnover might involve the proximal elastic vasculature and could partially explain the progressive large artery stiffening process characterizing CHF.

Aged↗

PubMed2005

Enhanced prognostic value from cardiopulmonary exercise testing in chronic heart failure by non-linear analysis: oxygen uptake efficiency slope.

AIMS: Predicting survival from peak exercise oxygen uptake (peak VO2) in chronic heart failure (CHF) is hindered by its reduction if exercise duration is submaximal. The oxygen uptake efficiency slope (OUES) is a non-linear description of the ventilatory response to exercise, which has the potential to describe abnormalities even early in exercise. We evaluated the physiology of OUES and assessed its potential for prognostic information in patients with CHF. METHODS AND RESULTS: Two hundred and forty-three patients with CHF (mean age 59+/-12 years) underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing between May 1992 and July 1996. Mean peak VO2 was 16.2+/-6.7 mL/kg/min, VE/VCO2 slope 38+/-12.5, ventilatory anaerobic threshold 10.9+/-3.5 mL/kg/min, and OUES 1.6+/-0.7 L/min. The value for each variable fell across the New York Heart Association classes (P<0.0001 by analysis of variance for each). When only the first 50% of each exercise test was used to calculate the variables, the value obtained for OUES changed the least (peak VO2 25% difference and OUES 1% difference). After a median of 9 years of follow-up, 139 patients (57%) had died. Each of the exercise variables was a significant univariate predictor of prognosis but in a multivariable model, only OUES was identified as the sole significant independent prognostic variable. CONCLUSION: OUES provides an effective, independent measure of pathological exercise physiology. Its numerical value is relatively insensitive to the duration of exercise data from which it is calculated. Its prognostic value seems to be stronger than the best available existing measures of exercise physiology.

Aged↗

PubMed2005

Carotid atherosclerotic plaque instability in patients with acute myocardial infarction.

UNLABELLED: The instability of atherosclerotic plaque is partly determined by local factors, but systemic factors such as infection, inflammation, autoimmunity or genes might also be important. We aimed to analyze whether patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) might have a higher proportion of unstable plaques in the carotid arteries compared with patients who had had no acute coronary events. METHODS: Sixty-nine consecutive patients with AMI (Group 1) and 95 patients without acute coronary events (Group 2) had carotid artery duplex ultrasounds. Carotid atherosclerosis was quantified by number of plaques in the two carotid arteries, intimal media thickening and degree of maximal stenosis. According to their morphology, plaques were divided into stable (fibrocalcific) and unstable (soft and/or not homogeneous). RESULTS: The two groups did not differ as regards age (66+/-8 vs. 68+/-19; p=0.3), female sex (13% vs. 21%; p=0.3), mean number of carotid plaques (2.8+/-1 vs. 2.5+/-2; p=0.2), degree of stenosis (59+/-2% vs. 36+/-1%; p=0.2) or intimal media thickening (1.04+/-0.2 vs. 1.06+/-0.2; p=0.8). However, Group 1 pts more frequently had unstable carotid plaques compared with Group 2 (43% vs. 15%; p=0.004), and had a greater number of unstable carotid plaques (0.51+/-0.6 vs. 0.16+/-0.4: p<0.0001) and a higher ratio of unstable to stable plaque (19% vs. 8%; p=0.005). In the overall population, logistic regression analysis showed that after adjustment for degree of maximal stenosis, the presence of coronary artery event (AMI pts) predicted the presence of unstable carotid plaque (OR: 4.3 95% CI: 2.0-9.2; p=0.0002). CONCLUSION: Patients with unstable coronary artery disease expressed clinically as AMI, frequently had unstable atherosclerotic plaques in other arterial sites such as carotid arteries. This finding supports the hypothesis that plaque instability might reflect a systemic process.

Aged↗

PubMed2005

Chronic heart failure with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction: diagnostic and prognostic value of left atrial size.

BACKGROUND: Almost 40% of patients with heart failure (HF) have preserved left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF) and prognosis similar to those with reduced EF. Data on prognostic markers in such patients are limited. We analyzed the prevalence and prognostic value of left atrial (LA) size in this condition. METHODS: 89 normal subjects (Group I), 38 asymptomatic hypertensive patients (Group II) and 183 HF patients with preserved EF (EF >45%) (Group III) were studied. LA diameter (LAD), LV diastolic (LVD) and systolic (LVS) dimensions and mass (LVmass) and EF were measured. E and A wave velocities and E/A were measured. The primary end point was all cause mortality in group III patients. RESULTS: Groups did not differ in age, gender or EF. Group III patients had larger LAD (4.6+-1.0 cm) compared with both Group I (3.7+/-0.6) and Group II (3.7+/-0.5 cm) (p<0.0001). A markedly enlarged (arbitrarily defined as LAD higher or equal 5 cm) had an odds ratio of 34 (95% CI 8-144) in distinguishing HF patients from normals. After a mean follow-up period of 29+/-27 months, 40 patients (21.9%) died. In Cox univariate analysis, NYHA class (HR 2.8 95% C.I. 1.8-4.3; p<0.0001), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (HR 0.92 95% C.I. 0.88-0.96; p<0.0001), age (HR 1.059 95% C.I. 1.01-1.11; p=0.02) and LAD (HR 1.72 95% C.I. 1.27-2.3; p=0.0005) were predictors of mortality. LAD predicted survival independently of other variables. CONCLUSION: The left atrium is frequently dilated in HF patients compared with controls despite similar EF. LAD showed powerful prognostic value independent of clinical variables.

Aged↗

PubMed2005

Ischemic etiology of heart failure identifies patients with more severely impaired exercise capacity.

BACKGROUND: Peak oxygen uptake (peak VO2) and the regression slope of ventilation against CO2 production during exercise (VE/VCO2 slope) are powerful prognostic indicators in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). Our purpose was to evaluate the influence of CHF etiology on peak VO2 and VE/VCO2 slope, independently of demographic, clinical, Doppler-echocardiographic and neurohormonal factors. METHODS: Data were collected from 239 CHF patients referred for a cardiopulmonary exercise test as part of their clinical evaluation. Patients were stratified according to their CHF etiology (ischemic versus non-ischemic). RESULTS: The etiology of heart failure was ischemic in 143 patients (60%) and non-ischemic in 96 (40%). Patients with ischemic etiology, compared with those with non-ischemic etiology, showed a lower peak VO2 (15.4+/-4.2 versus 17.8+/-4.8 ml/kg/min, p<0.0001) and a steeper VE/VCO2 slope (38.1+/-6.8 versus 34+/-5.3, p<0.0001). In the univariate model, age (r=-0.36, p<0.0001), female sex (r=-0.21, p=0.001), ischemic CHF etiology (r=-0.26, p<0.0001) and NYHA class (r=-0.52, p<0.0001) correlated with peak VO2. At multivariate analysis, ischemic CHF etiology (beta=-0.23, p=0.001) was a predictor of peak VO2 (R(2)=0.49) independently of age (beta=-0.23, p=0.001), female sex (beta=-0.25, p=0.0006) and NYHA class (beta=-0.31, p<0.0001). Similarly, ischemic etiology (beta=0.29, p=0.001) predicted the VE/VCO2 slope (R(2)=0.38) independently of E/A ratio (beta=0.27, p=0.01) and resting heart rate (beta=0.22, p=0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Etiology of heart failure may influence the functional capacity and the ventilatory response to exercise.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Association of deranged adrenal steroid metabolism with anemia in chronic heart failure.

The relation between adrenal steroid hormone imbalance, as quantified by the cortisol/dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) ratio, and hemoglobin concentrations was appraised in 92 men with stable chronic heart failure (CHF). The cortisol/DHEA ratio was independently and inversely associated with hemoglobin concentrations, suggesting that alterations of the steroid milieu may play a role in the pathogenesis of anemia in CHF.

Adrenal Glands↗

PubMed2004

Effects of ACE gene insertion/deletion polymorphism on response to spironolactone in patients with chronic heart failure.

BACKGROUND: Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) is involved in the pathophysiology of chronic heart failure, and its activity is determined in part by a polymorphism of the ACE gene. We hypothesized that the benefits of spironolactone, which inhibits downstream elements of ACE-mediated abnormalities, may depend on ACE genotype. METHODS: We randomly assigned 93 chronic heart failure patients to treatment with spironolactone (n = 47) or to a control group (n = 46) and followed them for 12 months. Genotype for the insertion/deletion polymorphism of the ACE gene was determined by polymerase chain reaction. An echocardiographic examination was performed at baseline and at the end of the 12 months. RESULTS: The mean (+/- SD) age of the 93 patients was 62 +/- 9 years, and the mean New York Heart Association class was 2 +/- 1. The genotype was DD in 26 patients (28%). Forty-seven patients were assigned to spironolactone treatment (mean dose, 32 +/- 16 mg). In the treated group, only patients with a non-DD genotype showed significant improvement in left ventricular ejection fraction (3.0%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.2% to 4.8%; P = 0.002), end-systolic volume (-23 mL; 95% CI: -36 to -11; P = 0.0005), and end-diastolic volume (-27 mL; 95% CI: -43 to -12; P = 0.001). In the multivariate analysis, the estimated net effect of treatment was 29 mL better (95% CI: -20 to 78 mL) for end-diastolic volume, 20 mL better (95% CI: -18 to 58 mL) for end-systolic volume, but 1.4% worse (95% CI: -3.4% to 6.2%) for left ventricular ejection fraction in patients with non-DD versus DD genotypes. CONCLUSION: The effects of spironolactone treatment on left ventricular systolic function and remodeling may in part depend on ACE genotype.

Diuretics↗

PubMed2004

Prediction of mortality in chronic heart failure from peak oxygen consumption adjusted for either body weight or lean tissue.

BACKGROUND: Peak oxygen consumption (pVO2) reflects oxygen extraction from the skeletal muscles, but is routinely corrected for body weight. We hypothesized that correcting pVO2 for lean tissue rather than total body weight would improve the prediction of prognosis in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 272 CHF outpatients (mean age 61 +/- 12 years, New York Heart Association [NYHA] class 2.3 +/- 0.8) underwent a cardiopulmonary exercise testing and body composition assessment by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. During a median follow-up of 608 days (range 8-3656), 75 patients died. Univariate survival analysis showed strong survival prediction from pVO2 adjusted for total weight or lean tissue (chi2 17.7, P < .001; chi2 27.5, P < .0001, respectively). Both predicted survival significantly in bivariate analysis, (chi2 4.6, P = .032; chi2 16.6, P < .0001). The predictive effects were independent of exercise protocol (treadmill versus cycle ergometer) (both P < .001). Multivariate analysis showed that pVO2 adjusted for lean tissue had prognostic importance independently of NYHA class, ejection fraction, and ventilation and carbon dioxide production slope (P < .05 for each). In patients with NYHA class I and II (n = 160), pVO2 adjusted for lean tissue predicted outcome (P = .03). CONCLUSION: Adjustment for lean tissue instead for body weight increases the prognostic power of pVO2, particularly in patients with mild heart failure.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗

PubMed2004

Independent and additional prognostic value of aminoterminal propeptide of type III procollagen circulating levels in patients with chronic heart failure.

BACKGROUND: In chronic heart failure (CHF), changes in the extracellular space contribute to cardiac dysfunction. We aimed to determine whether aminoterminal-propeptide of type III procollagen (PIIINP), a marker of extracellular matrix turnover, might provide prognostic information in CHF patients. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 101 consecutive CHF patients (mean age 61.7 +/- 8.7 years, 88% males) were followed up between 1999 and 2001. The combined endpoint of the study was death and hospitalization for heart failure. During follow-up there were 15 deaths and 11 hospitalizations for worsening heart failure. At the survival analysis, age (P = .02), New York Heart Association class (P = .014), s-creatinine (P = .014), plasma-PIIINP (p-PIIINP) levels (P = .005), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (P = .0002), and a restrictive mitral filling pattern (P = .0003) predicted event-free survival. At the multivariate analysis, p-PIIINP levels predicted outcome independently of other clinical variables, hormones, and echocardiographic and exercise testing variables (P < .05 in all models). In patients with LVEF <31%, the presence of p-PIIINP >4.7 microg/L levels was significantly associated with a higher risk of death and hospitalization as compared with the other patients (event-free survival rate at 12 months: 45% versus 95%; at 24 months: 27% versus 88%; at 36 months: 18% versus 85%, P < .0001). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with CHF, PIIINP levels predict outcome independently of clinical status, hemodynamics and hormonal activation. PIIINP levels provide additional prognostic information to that of left ventricular function alone, suggesting that it may reflect more than cardiac extracellular matrix turnover.

Biomarkers↗

PubMed2003

Uric acid and survival in chronic heart failure: validation and application in metabolic, functional, and hemodynamic staging.

BACKGROUND: Serum uric acid (UA) could be a valid prognostic marker and useful for metabolic, hemodynamic, and functional (MFH) staging in chronic heart failure (CHF). METHODS AND RESULTS: For the derivation study, 112 patients with CHF (age 59+/-12 years, peak oxygen consumption [Vo2] 17+/-7 mL/kg per minute) were recruited. In separate studies, we validated the prognostic value of UA (n=182) and investigated the relationship between MFH score and the decision to list patients for heart transplantation (n=120). In the derivation study, the best mortality predicting UA cutoff (at 12 months) was 565 micromol/L (9.50 mg/dL) (independently of age, peak Vo2, left ventricular ejection fraction, diuretic dose, sodium, creatinine, and urea; P<0.0001). In the validation study, UA >or=565 micromol/L predicted mortality (hazard ratio, 7.14; P<0.0001). In 16 patients (from both studies) with UA >or=565 micromol/L, left ventricular ejection fraction <or=25% and peak Vo2 <or=14 mL/kg per min (MFH score 3), 12-month survival was lowest (31%) compared with patients with 2 (64%), 1 (77%), or no (98%, P<0.0001) risk factor. In an independent study, 51% of patients with MFH score 2 and 81% of patients with MFH score 3 were listed for transplantation. The positive predictive value of not being listed for heart transplantation with an MFH score of 0 or 1 was 100%. CONCLUSIONS: High serum UA levels are a strong, independent marker of impaired prognosis in patients with moderate to severe CHF. The relationship between serum UA and survival in CHF is graded. MFH staging of patients with CHF is feasible.

Biomarkers↗

PubMed2003

Aortic distensibility independently affects exercise tolerance in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy.

BACKGROUND: Peak exercise oxygen consumption (VO2) is crucial for the prognostic stratification of patients with congestive heart failure, but its hemodynamic determinants are still not completely understood. Aortic wall elasticity modulates left ventricular function and coronary blood flow. Whether an increased aortic pulse-wave velocity (PWV), a known marker of arterial stiffness, may predict peak VO2 in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) has to be clarified. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 78 patients with clinical diagnosis of DCM (aged 62+/-11 years; female 29%; mean ejection fraction 34+/-9%) were selected. All patients underwent a complete echocardiographic-Doppler evaluation. Aortic PWV was measured by Doppler ultrasonography immediately before the exercise. A bicycle exercise test with expiratory gas exchange monitoring was performed to determine VO2 . Plasma concentration of the amino-terminal propeptide of type III procollagen (PIIINP), a marker of extracellular matrix turnover, was determined. Mean PWV was 5.7+/-2.2 m/s, and VO2 was 16.5+/-4.5 mL x kg(-1) x min(-1). The hemodynamic variables correlated with VO2 were PWV (r=-0.39, P=0.0007) and stroke volume (r=0.38, P=0.002). In a multivariate analysis, PWV (P=0.04) and stroke volume (P=0.05) were independently correlated with VO2 , accounting for 34% of its variance. PIIINP levels correlated with PWV (r=0.35, P=0.002) and a more restrictive diastolic filling pattern (r=0.40, P=0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Increased aortic stiffness measured by PWV is an independent predictor of peak VO2 and could partially explain exercise intolerance in patients with DCM.

Aorta↗

PubMed2003

Association of aortic valve sclerosis and coronary artery disease in patients with severe nonischemic mitral regurgitation.

BACKGROUND: The presence of aortic valve sclerosis accounts for a higher rate of ischemic events and increased cardiovascular mortality. It may reflect coronary artery disease (CAD) because of a shared pathologic background. HYPOTHESIS: We aimed to analyze whether the presence of aortic valve sclerosis might help in identifying patients with coronary atherosclerosis among those with severe nonischemic mitral regurgitation (MR), who undergo coronary angiography before surgery for screening, and not because of suspected ischemic heart disease. METHODS: In all, 84 patients (mean age 64 +/- 9 years; 71% men) with mitral valve prolapse and severe regurgitation underwent echocardiography and coronary angiography. Aortic valve sclerosis was defined as focal areas of increased echogenicity and thickening of the leaflets without restriction of leaflet motion on echocardiography. Coronary artery disease was defined by the presence/absence of atherosclerotic plaques, independent of the degree of stenosis. RESULTS: Coronary artery disease was diagnosed in 47.6% of patients with and 15.8% of those without aortic valve sclerosis (p = 0.008). On logistic regression analysis, the presence of aortic valve sclerosis predicted CAD (odds ratio 3.3, 95% confidence interval 1.03-10.5; p = 0.04) independent of age. In female patients, the risk ratio for CAD in the presence of aortic valve sclerosis was 9. CONCLUSIONS: Coronary artery atherosclerosis and aortic valve sclerosis are closely associated in patients with severe nonischemic MR.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Growth hormone resistance in chronic heart failure and its therapeutic implications.

BACKGROUND: In recent years the administration of recombinant human growth hormone (GH) has received great attention. This review compares the potential of this therapeutic intervention in heart failure with that in other diseases where wasting is commonly seen. The pathophysiologic importance of GH and insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I in these conditions will be discussed. METHODS AND RESULTS: Abnormalities of the GH-IGF-I axis play an important role in the development of cachexia in chronic illnesses. GH resistance is a major determinant of the wasting process, acting through several different mechanisms: increased catabolism, impaired anabolism, and enhanced apoptosis in peripheral tissues. GH therapy has been evaluated in chronic heart failure (CHF); acquired GH resistance may explain the general lack of therapeutic success in the majority of studies. The assessment of plasma levels of GH, IGF-I, and, in particular, GH binding protein may help to guide dosing of GH for CHF patients. CONCLUSIONS: GH resistance might be overcome by use of intermittent or higher doses of GH, or alternatively by combining GH with IGF-I. Randomized studies of GH therapy in catabolic states, with targeted dosing and longer duration of treatment are required to fully assess the safety and efficacy of this treatment approach.

Heart Failure↗