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V Di Bello

Publications and source records attributed to V Di Bello.

65 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

["Beat to beat" variations in diabetic patients].

Our aim is to find a way to test the autonomic nervous dysfunction in diabetes mellitus by performing maximal deep-breathings during ECg recording. The subjects underwent ECG recording continously for 2 minutes: during the first minute they breathed regularly, in the second minute they accomplished 6 maximal deep breathings. The R-R intervals in the 1st, as well as the shortest R-R intervals during inspiration and the longest ones during expiration in the second minute were measured and expiration-inspiration ratio (E:I ratio) was calculated. A decreased variation of the R-R intervals from deep-breathings reveals the autonomic nervouis dysfunction . Our data suggest that in diabetes mellitus, R-R intervals show a decreased variation, able to demonstrate earlier autonomic neuropathy.

Adult↗

Incremental diagnostic value of dipyridamole echocardiography and exercise thallium 201 scintigraphy in the assessment of presence and extent of coronary artery disease.

BACKGROUND: The incremental diagnostic information of two noninvasive tests for the detection of coronary artery disease (CAD), dipyridamole echocardiography, and exercise 201Tl myocardial scintigraphy was assessed in a series of 102 patients with ordered logistic regression and receiver-operating characteristic curves. METHODS AND RESULTS: Patients were selected from those referred to our cardiovascular centers with the clinical suspicion of CAD. After clinical evaluation, all patients underwent both noninvasive tests during hospitalization 2 weeks before coronary arteriography. The coronary arteriogram was used as a gold standard: CAD was defined as the presence of one or more vessels with 50% or greater narrowing of the luminal diameter. Clinical data were 73.0% +/- 5.7% accurate in the prediction of CAD. The addition of dipyridamole echocardiographic data to the clinical model yielded a diagnostic accuracy of 88.3% +/- 4.3% (p < 0.00001), whereas the addition of thallium scintigraphic parameters to the clinical model improved diagnostic accuracy to 93.8% +/- 2.6% (p < 0.00001). A significant increase in accuracy to 97.2% +/- 1.4% was achieved when thallium scintigraphic data were added to the clinical and dipyridamole-echocardiographic model (p < 0.00001). CONCLUSION: Both noninvasive methods for detection of CAD, DET, and ETS showed a good diagnostic accuracy especially when tests-derived parameters were combined with clinical data by means of relative logistic models; nevertheless the ETS model showed a higher sensitivity in comparison with the DET model, essentially in presence of a lower extent of CAD.

Adult↗

Integrated analysis of erythrocyte Na+/H+ antiport activity and left ventricular myocardial function in type I insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

Membrane NA+/H+ exchanger regulates cell pH, volume, and growth. Abnormal activities have been reported in essential hypertension and type I insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between erythrocyte NA+/H+ antiport activity and myocardial anatomical and functional parameters in normotensive type I insulin-dependent diabetic patients. We evaluated 26 insulin-dependent diabetic patients (20 normo- and 6 microalbuminuric) and 17 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Plasma and urine analytes as well as erythrocyte NA+/H+ antiport rate were measured. M-Mode- and 2D echocardiograms with Doppler analysis were performed in all subjects. Diabetic people, both normo- and microalbuminuric, had a Na+/H+ antiport activity significantly higher than control subjects (p < 0.01). All echocardiographic parameters relative to left ventricular volume, cardiac mass and systolic function overlapped in the study groups. Of Doppler indexes, evaluating the left ventricular diastolic filling, the late peak flow velocity (peak A) was significantly higher in diabetic patients (p < 0.01). E/A ratio was heightened in the control group compared to diabetics, as a whole as well separately considered (p < 0.01). Antiport significantly correlated with PWTh, STh, E/A, UAER, serum sodium, and gender (p < 0.0001). The linear and significant correlation found between Na+/H+ exchange and some cardiac indexes suggest the increased Na+/H+ antiport activity as possible predictive risk factor for the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy.

Adult↗

Incremental diagnostic value of dobutamine stress echocardiography and dobutamine scintigraphy (technetium 99m-labeled sestamibi single-photon emission computed tomography) for assessment of presence and extent of coronary artery disease.

BACKGROUND: The incremental diagnostic value of dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) and 99mTc-labeled sestamibi single-photon emission computed tomography for the evaluation of the presence and extent of coronary artery disease (CAD) was assessed with ordered logistic regression and receiver-operating characteristic curves. METHODS AND RESULTS: Forty-five consecutive patients (33 men and 12 women; 53 +/- 6.8 years) underwent exercise electrocardiography and simultaneous DSE and sestamibi single-photon emission computed tomographic imaging. Coronary angiography was performed in all patients (significant coronary stenosis > 50%). On the basis of the results of exercise electrocardiography, the pretest probability for CAD (Diamond's algorithm) was low (45.6% +/- 12.7%). According to ordered logistic regression analysis, some models were estimated that performed a diagnostic accuracy level for CAD. In particular, we evaluated a clinical model (model 1) determined by the following parameters: sex, age, presence of chest pain, and positivity of electrocardiogram during dobutamine stress test. This model was 64.3% +/- 10.7% accurate for the prediction of CAD. The addition to model 1 of DSE parameters (wall motion stress and rest score index and relative difference) (model 2) yielded a diagnostic accuracy of 81.4% +/- 4.3% (p < 0.045), whereas the addition to model 1 of single-photon emission computed tomographic parameters (the difference between perfusional stress and rest score index) (model 3) improved diagnostic accuracy to 92.3% +/- 5.5% (p < 0.003), a level that appeared significantly higher than that of model 2 (p < 0.016). CONCLUSION: Both noninvasive methods for the detection of CAD showed a good diagnostic accuracy, especially when test-derived parameters were combined with clinical data. Nevertheless, the single-photon emission computed tomographic model showed a higher sensitivity compared with the DSE model.

Adult↗

[Preclinical hypothyroidism: early involvement of memory function, behavioral responsiveness and myocardial contractility].

Subclinical hypothyroidism in characterized by elevated TSH levels in the face of normal thyroid hormone concentrations. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether these subjects show alterations of neuropsychological and behavioural features and of myocardial contractility as patients with overt hypothyroidism do. We evaluated in 14 subjects the hormonal profile (total and free T3 and T4, TSH), memory ability (Wechsler Memory Scale), behavioural reactivity (Crown & Crisp Experimental Index) and the pre-ejection period (isometric systole). We found an evident impairment of some cognitive functions correlated to memory and a behavioural alteration, perhaps secondary to the disease state, and moreover an early defect of myocardial contractility, represented by prolonged pre-ejection period. These results suggest that these patients should be treated with adequate doses of L-Thyroxine, like in overt hypothyroidism.

Adult↗