2006;87(3) – ABC CARDIOL

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Artigo Original

Is systemic lupus erithematosus a new risk factor for atherosclerosis?

Beatriz Funayama Alvarenga Freire et al. Rogério Cardoso da Silva Alexandre Todorovic Fabro Daniela Cristina dos Santos

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prevalence of cardiovascular events (CVE) secondary to atherosclerosis in lupus patients and correlate them to the traditional risk factors, disease duration and drug therapy used. METHODS: A retrospective study was carried out based on data obtained from patients’ charts. Patients included were those who had a lupus diagnosis confirmed at least two years before inclusion in the study and had been followed since 1992. CVE were characterized as MI, angina pectoris and stroke non-related to lupus activity. Risk factors and drugs used for treatment were recorded. RESULTS: Seventy-one charts were analyzed. Patients’ mean age was 34.2±12.7 years; 68 were women and three were men; 58 were Caucasian (81.6%). Ten (14.08%) presented CVE. Patients in whom CVE were observed were older (42.7 vs. 32.8 years p=0.0021) and presented longer disease duration (10.8 vs. 7.2 years p=0.011). The traditional risk factors, daily and cumulative doses of steroids, immunosuppressive drugs and antimalarial drugs were not significant when patients with and without CVE were compared. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of CVE secondary to atherosclerosis in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) was 14.08%. The traditional risk factors were not associated with the development of CVE in lupus patients. Patients that presented cardiovascular events were older and presented longer disease duration. It is a premature conclusion to establish SLE as an independent risk factor for atherosclerosis development.

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Artigo Original

Coronary artery bypass grafting in acute myocardial infarction: analysis of preoperative predictors of mortality

Renata Teixeira Ladeira et al. Fabio Biscegli Jatene Rosangela Monteiro Simone Pereira Zucato … Luciano Moreira Baracioli Alexandre Ciappina Hueb Luis Alberto Oliveira Dallan Luiz Boro Puig Sérgio Almeida Oliveira José Carlos Nicolau

OBJECTIVE: To assess preoperative predictors of mortality in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) within the first 30 days of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). METHODS: Between March 1998 and July 2002, 753 AMI patients were consecutively and prospectively entered into a database, 135 (17.9%) of whom underwent isolated CABG and were enrolled in this study. The following prognostic factors were assessed by multivariate analysis: age, gender, diabetes, history of previous AMI, CABG or coronary angioplasty (PTCA), anterior infarct location, Q-wave AMI, the use of fibrinolytics, elapsed time from AMI to the procedure, and presence of complications in the preoperative period. RESULTS: Overall in-hospital mortality was 6.7%, ranging from 12.5% in patients with preoperative complications to 1.4% in those with no complications. Only history of previous angioplasty (p = 0.037) and cardiogenic shock (p = 0.002) showed a statistically significant correlation with postoperative mortality. The use of thrombolytics, on the other hand, in the initial management of AMI showed a negative correlation with mortality (p = 0.035). CONCLUSION: CABG in the acute phase of MI is associated with distinct operative mortality, depending on the patient’s preoperative clinical condition. Among those factors analyzed, preoperative cardiogenic shock and history of previous angioplasty were predictive of worse prognosis in this group of patients.

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Atualização

Left atrial volume as an index of diastolic function

Antônio Carlos Sobral Sousa

UPDATE

Left atrial volume as an index of diastolic function

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Artigo Original

Direct duplex scanning parameters in the diagnosis of renal artery stenosis: a study to validate and optimize cut-off points

Carla Motta Cardoso et al. Sérgio Salles Xavier Gaudencio Espinosa Lopez Tatiana Marlowe Cunha Brunini

OBJECTIVE: To test the efficiency of the direct duplex scanning parameters in the diagnosis of renal artery stenosis (RAS), and verify whether or not the cut-off points recommended by medical literature are the most appropriate means to distinguish lesion severity. METHODS: Prospective study, including 62 patients with RAS, submitted to a duplex ultrasound scan and selective arteriography. The peak systolic velocity (PSV) and the renal-aortic ratio (RAR) were measured. Statistical analysis included the ROC (receiver operating characteristic curve), unpaired student’s t-test, sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values and accuracy. RESULTS: The arteriography revealed RAS 0-59% in 31 arteries (24%); RAS 60-99% in 91 arteries (72%) and 5 occlusions (4%). ROC analysis demonstrated that the lesion detection efficiency of PSV and RAR were similar with areas below the curves of 0.96 and 0.95, respectively. Considering the cut-off points recommended by medical literature, PSV of 180 cm/sec presented a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 81%, while the RAR of 3.5 presented a sensitivity of only 79%, with a specificity of 93%. These parameters were analyzed in conjunction (direct criteria) revealing a sensitivity of 79% and specificity of 97%. The optimized cut-off points were: PSV of 189 cm/sec and RAR of 2.6, demonstrating sensitivity and specificity rates of 100%, 87%, 96% and 87% respectively. CONCLUSION: The individual use of optimized peak systolic velocity (PSV) was the most efficient parameter in the detection and grading of RAS.

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Artigo Original

C-reactive protein diagnostic and prognostic value in patients presenting at the emergency room with chest pain

Alfredo Antonio Potsch et al. Aristarco Gonçalves Siqueira Filho Bernardo Rangel Tura Roberto Gamarski … Roberto Bassan Mônica Viegas Nogueira Marco Aurélio E. Moutinho Antônio Cláudio Masetto Silva Humberto Villacorta Augusta Leite Campos

OBJECTIVE: To test immediate diagnostic and prognostic values of C-reactive protein (CRP) in patients admitted to the emergency room (ER) with chest pain (CP) without ST-segment elevation on the electrocardiogram (ECG). METHODS: From January 2002 to December 2003, 980 patients were consecutively seen in the ER with CP suggestive of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) (age = 64.9 ± 14.3, men = 55%, diabetic = 18%, normal ECG = 84%). Serial CRP, creatine kinase MB mass (CKMB-mass) and troponin I determinations were performed on admission, in addition to serial ECG. CRP measurements were standardized (s-CRP) by the upper limit of normal (ULN) of the test used (3.0 mg/L for high-sensitivity C-reactive protein [hs-CRP] and 0.1 mg/dL for titrated CRP [t-CRP]). RESULTS: One hundred and twenty-five patients were diagnosed with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and their s-CRP values were 1.31 ± 2.90 (median = 0.47) compared to 0.79 ± 1.39 (0.30) in no-AMI patients (p = 0.031). The s-CRP > 1.0 showed 30% sensitivity and 80% specificity, plus negative and positive predictive values of 6.1% and 96.7%, respectively, for AMI diagnosis. There were forty in-hospital cardiac events (16 deaths, 22 urgent revascularizations, and 2 acute myocardial infarction). In the first quartile of the s-CRP ( 0.93) 15 events (p = 0.003) occurred. In the logistic regression model, masculine gender and s-CRP > 0.32 (odds ratio 7.6, 2.8 and 2.2, respectively) were independent predictors of cardiac events and left ventricular failure. CONCLUSION: In patients with chest pain presenting at the emergency room, s-CRP was not a good marker of AMI, although this diagnosis is virtually excluded by a normal value; in addition, values one-third above the upper limit of normal (>1 mg/L for hs-CRP or >0.33 mg/dL for t-CRP) were predictive of in-hospital adverse cardiac events.

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Outros

Letter from the editor

Fábio Vilas-Boas

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Fábio Vilas-Boas

[…]

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Artigo Original

Framingham score for public transportation drivers in the dity of Teresina, Piauí

Maurício Batista Paes Landim et al. Edgar Guimarães Victor

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the absolute risk of the public transportation drivers in the city of Teresina, Piauí, to develop coronary heart disease over the course of ten years based on the Framingham risk score. METHODS: An observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study using the Framingham score was conducted with 107 public transportation drivers in the city of Teresina, Piauí, to assess level of risk and its association with the Framingham predictors that include: age, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, diabetes mellitus and smoking. The significance test used was c². The prevalence rate was used as the association measurement. RESULTS: Mean risk was 5% and the greatest majority of the participants were situated in the low risk category (85.05%). Mean values for the variables were: 42 years of age, total cholesterol 200 mg%, HDL cholesterol 49 mg%, systolic blood pressure 130 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure 85 mmHg. The associations between diabetes mellitus, smoking and HDL cholesterol with level of risk were not statistically significant; however other variables had a great influence on the level of risk obtained. CONCLUSION: The mean absolute risk estimate for the public transportation drivers in the city of Teresina to develop coronary heart disease over the next ten years based on the Framingham score is low. The majority of the participants in the study (85.05%) were situated in the low risk category, that is, with a relative risk less than or equal to 10%.

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Revisão

Contrast media-induced nephropathy following diagnostic and therapeutic cardiac catheterization

Frederico Thomaz Ultramari et al. Ronaldo da Rocha Loures Bueno Cláudio Leinig Pereira da Cunha Paulo Maurício Piá de Andrade … Deborah Cristina Nercolini José Carlos Estival Tarastchuk Alysson Moço Faidiga Gilberto Melnik Ênio Eduardo Guérios

UPDATE

Contrast media-induced nephropathy following diagnostic and therapeutic cardiac catheterization

[…]

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Artigo Original

High dose of amiodarone in a short-term period reduces the incidence of postoperative atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter

Rafael Vieira Alcalde et al. João Carlos Guaragna Luiz Carlos Bodanese Iran Castro … Eliana Sussenbach Roberta Noer Marco Antônio Goldani Flávia Feier João Batista Petracco

OBJECTIVE: To investigate wheter oral amiodarone administered before surgery for a short period in high dose would reduce the incidence of postoperative atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter and reduces the lenght of hospital stay. METHODS: In the double-blind, randomized study, 93 patients were given either oral amiodarone (46 patients) or placebo (47 patients). Therapy consisted of 600mg of amiodarone three times a day, started at mininum 30 hours and at maximum 56 hours before surgery. RESULTS: Postoperative atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter occurred in 8 of 46 patients in the amiodarone group (17.4%) and 19 of the 47 patients in the placebo group (40.4%) (p=0.027). The mean dose of amiodarone was 2.8g. Patients in the amiodarone group were hospitalized for 8.9±3.1 days and patients in the placebo group were hospitalized for 11.4± 8.7 days (p=0.07). The hospital lenght were significantly prolonged in patients who developed atrial arrhythmias after surgery, despite the treatment received.(p<0.001). CONCLUSION: This new alternative way of using amiodarone in high dose and in a short-term period before surgery reduce the incidence of postoperative atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter in coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

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Revisão

Current insights into the modern treatment of decompensated heart failure

Fábio Vilas-Boas et al. Ferenc Follath

Treatment of DHF is a challenge even for the experienced physician. Advances in research have brought new treatment options that are helping change paradigms. The available evidence suggests that new drugs like levosimendan and nesiritide will assume relevant positions as alternatives or complements to treatment with traditional inotropic drugs like dobutamine. The physician responsible for treating these patients should learn how to use the best available evidence, in order to tailor treatment with safety and efficacy.

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Revisão

Sudden death risk stratification in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: genetic and clinical bases

Beatriz Piva e Mattos

UPDATE

Sudden death risk stratification in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: genetic and clinical bases

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Case Report

The importance of amiodarone pulmonary toxicity in the differential diagnosis of a patient with dyspnea awaiting a heart transplant

Christiano Pereira Silva et al. Fernando Bacal Philippe Vieira Pires Luciano F. Drager … Germano Emílio Conceição Souza Ginny Michele G. Fajardo Léa Maria Macruz F. Demarchi Edimar Alcides Bocchi

Amiodarone is a class III antiarrhythmic medication used extensively to treat ventricular arrhythmias¹. It is pharmacologically classified as a cationic amphiphilic drug due to its polar and apolar components. During the past few years, amiodarone has proved to be an effective treatment therapy for patients with ventricular dysfunctions, regardless of the etiology, and in particular ventricular arrhythmia associated with Chagas disease². Nevertheless, despite its hemodynamic and electrophysiological benefits, amiodarone produces serious collateral effects such as a bluish skin discoloration, photosensitivity, thyroid dysfunction, corneal deposit, peripheral neuropathy, bone marrow suppression, hepatitis, heart blocks, pneumonitis, among others³. The objective of this case report is to discuss one of the most serious complications related to amiodarone, pulmonary toxicity, which is described as a differential diagnosis for a chagasic patient that was on the waiting list for a heart transplant. Amiodarone pneumonitis is a relevant differential diagnosis for heart failure (HF) patients using amiodarone that are admitted to the emergency ward with dyspnea.

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Artigo Original

Stratifying the risk in unstable angina with dobutamine stress echocardiography

Brivaldo Markman Filho et al. Maria Celita Almeida Manuel Markman Andrea Chaves … Miguel A. Moretti José A. F. Ramires Luiz A. César

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the role of dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) in the risk stratification of low to moderate risk unstable angina (UA) patients, to predict the combined clinical outcome of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction (MI), recurrent UA and the need of revascularization procedures in a 6 month period. METHODS: Multicenter prospective study. Patients should be admitted to the hospital and asymptomatic in the last 24 hours. The exam was performed up to 72 hours from the hospital admission and no medication was stopped prior to the test. RESULTS: Ninety-five consecutive patients were evaluated by DSE. Forty patients (42,1%) had a positive ischemic test and fifty five (57,9%) had a negative one. Clinical events occurred in twenty eight patients, twenty six of whom had a positive test. The rest of the patients (67) did not have clinical events and fifty three of them, had a negative test. The sensibility, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of the test related to the clinical events were: 92,9%, 79,1%, 83,2%, 65% and 96,4%, respectively. Event-free survival after 6 months for pacients with a negative DSE was 96% compared to 35% for those with a positive DSE (p<0,001). The UA classification, left ventricular ejection fraction, rest and peak wall motion score index, DSE result and history of previous MI were associated with the combined end point by univariate analysis. The test result was the only independent predictor of cardiac events by multivariate analysis (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: O DSE has shown an excellent negative predictive value allowing for early hospital discharge without further exams. The positive test result was the only independent predictor for adverse cardiac events.

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Artigo Original

Changes in P-wave after percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty in patients with mitral stenosis and left atrial enlargement

José Carlos Estival Tarastchuk et al. Ênio Eduardo Guérios Sônia Perreto Ronaldo da Rocha Loures Bueno … Paulo Maurício Piá de Andrade Deborah Cristina Nercolini Álvaro Luiz Aranha Pacheco Frederico Thomaz Ultramari Alisson Moço Faidiga

OBJECTIVE: To investigate potential clinical, echocardiographic and/or hemodynamic predictors of the regression of electrocardiographic (ECG) signs of left atrial enlargement (LAE) after successful percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty (PMV). METHODS: We studied 24 patients (75% female, mean age =37.1 ± 11.9 years) with moderate to severe mitral stenosis (MS), sinus rhythm (SR) and ECG signs of LAE who underwent successful PMV between 2002 and 2004. At least 6 months after the procedure (388.2 ± 192.9 days), the patients returned for clinical, ECG and echocardiographic follow-up. They were then divided in 2 groups: patients of group 1 (n = 8; 33.3%) still had ECG signs of LAE, and patients of group 2 (n = 16; 66.6%), had normal P wave. A multivariate analysis of clinical, ECG, echocardiographic and hemodynamic variables was performed. RESULTS: The mitral valve area (MVA) increased from 1.12 ± 0.15 cm2 to 1.9 ± 0.35 cm² immediately after the procedure (p 1.7 cm² at follow-up was the only independent predictor of a normal P-wave after PMV (p=0.02). CONCLUSION: ECG changes suggestive of LAE regress in the majority of patients with MS and sinus rhythm that undergo a successful PMV. An MVA>1.7 cm² at late follow-up was found to be an independent predictor of such normalization.

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Ponto de Vista

Keep, preserve, replace

Max Grinberg et al. Pablo M. A. Pommerantzeff

POINT-OF-VIEW

Keep, preserve, replace

[…]

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Artigo Original

The role of nuchal translucency in the screening for congenital heart defects

Rafael Frederico Bruns et al. Antonio Fernandes Moron Carlos Geraldo Viana Murta Luís Flávio de Andrade Gonçalves Marina Maccagnano Zamith

OBJECTIVE: Assess the accuracy of the nuchal translucency (NT) measurement between 11 and 13 weeks and 6 days of gestation as a sonographic marker to screen for congenital heart defects (CHD). METHODS: Multicentric retrospective study, analyzing single pregnancies from euploid fetuses. NT measurement was performed in the first trimester, when fetuses had from 45 to 84 mm of crown-rump length (CRL), according to the criteria established by the Fetal Medicine Foundation. Cases were followed until 1 month after delivery to verify the presence of CHD. RESULTS: 3,664 pregnancies were analyzed and 20 newborns had CHD diagnosed until the first month of life (prevalence of 0.55%). The median NT of the fetuses with CHD was 1.70 mm and 1.60 mm for fetuses without CHD, however no significant difference was found (Mann-Whitney test, p > 0.05). The sensitivity of NT in detection of CHD varied from 15% to 20%, with a range of false positive probability from 86.4% to 97.9%, depending on the cut-off point used. However, the odds ratio was high, compared to the classic indications of echocardiography, ranging from 4.7 to 33.7 according to the cutt-off point. CONCLUSION: In spite of the low sensitivity of the test, enlarged NT is an important risk factor for CHD and should be used in prenatal screening for CHD.

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Image

Three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography in a patient with Ostium Secundum interatrial defect

Marcelo L. C. Vieira et al. Pablo M. Pommerantzeff Wilson Mathias Jr José A. F. Ramires

IMAGEM

Three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography in a patient with Ostium Secundum interatrial defect

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Artigo Original

Severe heart failure at intensive therapy unit: is there an ideal prognostic index?

Cristina Bueno Terzi et al. Silvia G. Lage Desanka Dragosavac Renato G. G. Terzi

OBJECTIVE: To assess the applicability of three prognostic indexes – APACHE II, SAPS II and UNICAMP II – in a subgroup of critical heart failure (HF) patients. METHODS: Ninety patients were studied, being 12 females and 78 males. Mean age was 56 (18-83). Patients were ranked in functional class IV (NYHA) or cardiogenic shock secondary to cardiomyopathies: dilated (44%), chagasic (25.5%), ischemic (18%), hypertensive (1.1%), hypertrophic (1.1%), alcoholic (1.1%), and secondary to valvopathies after surgical correction (7.7%). Tables with frequency of categorical variables and descriptive statistics of continuous variables were created in order to describe sample profile for the different variables under study. In order to analyze the relationship between prognostic indexes levels and course towards death, an analysis of the ROC curve, as well as Hosmer and Lemeshow Test of Goodness of Fit calculated, and Standardized Mortality Ratio (SMR) were carried out. RESULTS: The statistical analysis showed low sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the three prognostic indexes for HF patients. Mortality was underestimated in this group. Pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) was a major factor of mortality rate in severe HF. CONCLUSION: The three prognostic indexes under study did not prove to be appropriate for the assessment of cardiopathy patients at Intensive Care Unit (ICU). For HF patients, PTE played a major role in mortality of heart failure. Specific prognostic indexes for cardiopathy patients with severe HF should be proposed, and the discussion on anticoagulation on those patients should be expanded.

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Artigo Original

Preoperative serum fibrinogen as a predictor of myocardial infarction in the surgical myocardial revascularization

Cristiano Pederneiras Jaeger et al. Renato Abdala Karam Kalil João Carlos Vieira da Costa Guaragna Luciana Jaeger Machado Carrion … Luiz Carlos Bodanese João Batista Petracco

OBJECTIVE: Determine the predictive level of preoperative serum fibrinogen level for the occurrence of MI in perioperative surgical myocardial revascularization (SMR), as well as for other impacting outcomes, such as stroke, pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE), and death, separately or in combination. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study based on the heart surgery database analysis from São Lucas Hospital, at Rio Grande do Sul Catholic University with 1,471 consecutive patients submitted to extracorporeal SMR between January, 1998 and December, 2002. RESULTS: Perioperative MI occurred in 14% of sample patients. No association was shown between preoperative fibrinogen and perioperative MI (410.60 ± 148.83 mg/dl for the study group x 401.57 ± 135.23 mg/dl for control group – p = 0.381 – RC = 1.000 – CI95%: 0.998-1.002 – p = 0.652), combined outcome for MI, stroke, PTE, and death (411.40 ± 153.52 mg/dL for the group reporting outcome x 400.31 ± 131.98 mg/dL for the group with no outcome – p = 0.232) and neither separately. CONCLUSION: In that sample, preoperative serum fibrinogen level did not show any association with the occurrence of perioperative MI in SMR, neither with other impacting outcomes, stroke, PTE, and mortality, whether separately or as composite endpoints.

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Ponto de Vista

Geriatric cardiology: a subspecialty or a need?

Mauricio Wajngarten

POINT-OF-VIEW

Geriatric cardiology: a subspeciality or a need?

[…]

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Artigo Original

Increased serum levels of lipoprotein(a) correlated with the severity of coronary artery disease in patients submitted to angiography

Luciana Moreira Lima et al. Maria das Graças Carvalho Andréia Assis Loures-Vale Ana Paula Fernandes … Ana Paula Lucas Mota Cirilo Pereira da Fonseca Neto José Carlos Faria Garcia Jamil Abdala Saad Marinez de Oliveira Souza

OBJECTIVE: To determine serum levels of lipoprotein(a) and lipid profile of a group of individuals submitted to coronary angiography, with the aim of establishing the possible correlation between these parameters and the severity of coronary artery disease. METHODS: Serum levels of total cholesterol, HDL C, LDL C, triglycerides, lipoprotein(a), apolipoproteins A-I and B were measured in blood samples of 17 subjects with absence of atheromatosis in the coronary arteries (control), 12 subjects presenting mild/moderate atheromatosis and 28 subjects presenting severe atheromatosis. RESULTS: No significant statistical differences were found between the means of the three groups for the parameters assessed, except for lipoprotein(a) serum levels which presented significant differences between the means of the control, mild/moderate atheromatosis and severe atheromatosis groups (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: The means obtained in the three groups for Lp(a) indicate a progressive increase in the serum levels of this parameter according to the severity of coronary atheromatosis. These findings suggest the need of additional studies in order to obtain enough evidence to support the introduction of routine assessment of Lp(a) levels in clinical laboratories in the monitoring of patients at risk for coronary artery disease (CAD).

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Artigo Original

Prevalence of renal artery stenosis in 1,656 patients who have undergone cardiac catheterization

Rogério Tadeu Tumelero et al. Norberto Toazza Duda Alexandre Pereira Tognon Melissa Thiesen

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of renal artery stenosis (RAS) in patients who have undergone cineangiocoronariography. METHODS: Prospective study of cineangiocoronariography and aortography examinations conducted between January 2002 and February 2004 on 1,656 hypertensive and normotensive patients who underwent the examinations to confirm the diagnosis of obstructive coronary artery disease or valve disease. RESULTS: The average age of the 1,656 patients was 61.6 ± 11.8 years. Eight hundred and ninety-one (53.8%) were male, 169 (10.2%) were diabetic and 1,054 (63.8%) presented obstructive coronary artery disease. Renal stenosis greater than 50% was observed in 228 (13.8%) patients, and 25 (1.5%) had bilateral stenosis. Obstructive coronary artery disease was defined as stenosis greater than or equal to 50% of the vessel lumen, in one, two or three main arteries, classified as single, double or triple vessels, respectively. Quantification was conducted using visual analysis of the angiography. Comparison of the groups with and without renal artery obstruction > 50%, revealed significant statistical differences in relation to gender, age, diabetes mellitus, blood pressure and left ventricular function. However, no statistical difference was noted in relation to the occurrence of coronary artery obstructions > 50%. Nevertheless, renal artery obstructions > 70%, revealed significant differences in relation to blood pressure, coronary artery obstructions > 50% and left ventricular function, which were all higher in the renal artery obstruction group. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of RAS found in our study was comparable to that reported by major medical literature case studies. RAS is associated with systemic hypertension (SH), end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and its sequelae, emphasizing how important it is that we are aware of possible candidates for angiographic diagnosis of this disease.

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Artigo Original

Evaluation of asymptomatic patients with chronic Chagas’ disease through ambulatory electrocardiogram, echocardiogram and B-Type natriuretic peptide analyses

Divina Seila de Oliveira Marques et al. Manoel Fernandes Canesin Flavio Barutta Júnior Claudio José Fuganti Antonio Carlos Pereira Barretto

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate asymptomatic patients with chronic Chagas’ disease to determine prevalence of ventricular arrhythmias, left ventricular dysfunction, and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) plasma levels. METHODS: One hundred and six patients from the Chagas’ disease outpatient clinic underwent clinical evaluation, electrocardiogram (ECG), cardiothoracic index (CTI), ambulatory electrocardiogram (Holter monitoring), echocardiogram, and BNP measurement and then were distributed into three groups: GI, with normal ECG (n = 50); GIIA, with ECG changes characteristic of Chagas’ disease (n = 31); and GIIB, with other ECG changes (n = 25). RESULTS: The most common electrocardiographic changes were the following. GIIA: complete right bundle branch block (35%), left anterior hemiblock (35%), and electrically inactive areas (32%); GIIB: inferolateral repolarization change (28%), and left ventricular overload (24%). Mean CTI index values were similar (p = 0.383). Ventricular arrhythmia prevalence was higher in the GIIA (77%) and GIIB (75%) groups than in the GI group (46%) (p = 0.002). Ventricular dysfunction was more prevalent in the GIIA (52%) and GIIB (32%) groups than in the GI group (14%) (p = 0.001). Systolic dysfunction was more prevalent in the GIIA group (29%) than in the GIIB (20%) and GI groups (2%) (p < 0.001). Diastolic dysfunction was more prevalent in the GIIA (42%) and GIIB (28%) groups than in the GI group (12%) (p = 0.005). Mean B-type natriuretic peptide levels were 30 ± 88 pg/mL in the GI group, 66 ± 194 in the GIIA group and 24 ± 82 for the GIIB group (p = 0.121), respectively. CONCLUSION: Arrhythmias and left ventricular dysfunction are more prevalent in asymptomatic patients with chronic Chagas’ disease and abnormal ECG than in patients with normal ECG. Plasma BNP levels were similar among the groups.

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Artigo Original

Influence of gender on the prognostic value of troponin I after elective percutaneous coronary interventions

Julio Cesar Vieira Braga et al. Almir Galvão Vieira Bitencourt Marianna Deway Andrade Roque Aras Junior José Péricles Esteves

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between troponin I concentrations (TnI) in patients submitted to elective percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) and adverse coronary events (ACE) during a six month follow-up period. METHODS: One hundred and eleven patients who had been submitted to an elective PCI were consecutively selected during a one year timeframe. The patients had stable angina (SA), unstable angina (UA) or silent ischemia (SI) and were asymptomatic for at least 72 hours before the procedure. TnI concentrations were measured between 8 and 24 hours after the PCI. Each patient was contacted by telephone six months later and interviewed regarding ACE which were defined as death, myocardial infarction, new revascularization and recurrent ischemia. RESULTS: Twenty-four patients showed elevated concentrations of TnI (21.6%) after the PCI regardless of clinical characteristics or procedure complications. Those who presented elevated TnI concentrations had higher event rates: 66.7 vs. 42.5% (RR=1.57; CI 95%=1.08-2.28). This risk seems to be higher in the subgroups of females and patients with a previous diagnosis of unstable angina. Multivariate analysis confirmed that gender was the only effect modifying co-variable associated with ACE risk, which is higher for females with elevated TnI concentrations (OR=7.22; CI 95%=1.4 -36.9) and unaltered for males (OR=1.26; CI 95%=0.35-4.55). CONCLUSION: Elevated TnI concentrations were a common occurrence after PCI and is a factor related to the development of ACE in the mid term. However, when adjusted for other variables, this effect is only maintained in female patients.

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