2010;94(3) – ABC CARDIOL

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Artigo Original

Clinical predictors of preserved left ventricular ejection fraction in decompensated heart failure

Livia Goldraich et al. Nadine Clausell Andréia Biolo Luís Beck-da-Silva Luís Eduardo Rohde

BACKGROUND: Identification and clinical impact of preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) on in-hospital outcomes in patients with acute decompensated heart failure (HF) remain poorly defined. OBJECTIVE: To describe clinical predictors and in-hospital outcomes of acute decompensated HF patients and preserved LVEF, and to develop a clinically-based predictive rule based on data acquired on admission. METHODS: Consecutive admissions for HF (n=721) at a tertiary care hospital were followed up to discharge or death. More than 80 clinical variables were evaluated to identify predictors of preserved LVEF upon admission. RESULTS: Preserved LVEF (>50%) was identified in 224 (31%) hospitalizations. Clinical predictors of preserved LVEF were age > 70 years old (p=0.04), female gender (p<0.001), non-ischemic etiology (p 45 mmHg (p<0.01) and absence of EKG conduction abnormalities (p<0.001). A clinical score based on these variables was accurate to predict preserved LVEF upon hospital admission (area under ROC curve of 0.76). No significant differences were observed on in-hospital mortality or clinical complications according to quintiles of LVEF. CONCLUSION: Preserved LVEF is a prevalent and morbid condition among hospitalized HF patients. Simple clinical data obtained on admission might be useful for predicting preserved LVEF.

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Case Report

Resistance to activated protein C and ischemic arterial disease in a young man

Igor Alexandre Côrtes de Menezes et al. Rafael Fernandes Romani Yuki Schneider Aoki João Caetano Abdo Mauricio Carvalho

The assessment of activated protein C resistance (APCR) caused by mutations in factor V (factor V Leiden) is an important risk factor for venous thromboembolism, of which role as the originator of arterial obstructions in situ is still a controversial subject. The clinical case of a young patient with history of coronariopathy, multiple cerebrovascular lesions and peripheral artery disease is reported. The diagnostic investigation showed APCR as the possible etiology.

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Editoriais

Percutaneous mitral valvoplasty: 30 years of experience

Marco V. Wainstein et al. Rodrigo V. Wainstein

EDITORIAL

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Artigo Original

Validity of a wrist digital monitor for blood pressure measurement in comparison to a mercury sphygmomanometer

Ana M. B. Menezes et al. Samuel C. Dumith Ricardo B. Noal Ana Paula Nunes … Fernanda I. Mendonça Cora L. P. Araújo Marta A. Duval Paulo E. Caruso Pedro C. Hallal

BACKGROUND: Valid measurements of blood pressure, both at clinical and community settings, are essential for monitoring this variable at the population level. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the validity of a wrist digital monitor for measuring blood pressure among adolescents in comparison to a mercury sphygmomanometer. METHODS: A validation study was carried out in the city of Pelotas, Southern Brazil. Blood pressure was measured twice using two different sphygmomanometers; an OMRON wrist digital and a desktop BD mercury one. Half of the sample was measured first with the digital manometer and subsequently with the mercury one, whereas the remaining half was evaluated in the opposite order. Agreement between both measures was evaluated using the Bland and Altman method. RESULTS: 120 adolescents aged 14 to 15 years were included (50% of each sex). Mean systolic blood pressure among boys was 113.7 mmHg (SD 14.2) when using the mercury manometer and 115.5 mmHg (SD 15.2) when using the digital one. Equivalent values for diastolic blood pressure were 61.5 mmHg (SD 9.9) and 69.6 mmHg (10.2), respectively. Among girls, the mean systolic blood pressure was 104.7 mmHg (SD 10.1) when using the mercury manometer and 102.4 mmHg (SD 11.9) when using the digital device. Values for diastolic blood pressure were 60.0 mmHg (SD 10.4) and 65.7 mmHg (SD 7.7), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The digital device showed a high level of agreement with the mercury manometer when measuring systolic blood pressure. The level of agreement was lower for diastolic blood pressure. The use of correction equations may be an alternative for studies using this wrist digital monitor in adolescent patients.

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Artigo Original

Renal dysfunction and anemia in patients with heart failure with reduced versus normal ejection fraction

Humberto Villacorta et al. Bolivar F. Saenz-Tello Eduarda Barcellos dos Santos Ricardo Steffen … Christiane Wiefels Luiz Costa Lima Ana Luíza F. Sales Pedro Soares Evandro Tinoco Mesquita

BACKGROUND: The presence of anemia and renal dysfunction grants a bad prognosis for patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction (HFREF). The impact on patients with heart failure and normal ejection fraction (HFNEF) is not widely studied. OBJECTIVES: To study the prevalence and the prognosis of anemia and renal dysfunction (RD) in patients with heart failure according to the type of ventricular dysfunction. METHODS: A total of 209 patients with chronic and stable heart failure were prospectively studied. Individuals with ejection fraction <50% were considered as HFREF patients. Anemia was defined, based on WHO criteria, as hemoglobin <13 g/dl for men and <12 g/dl for women. Renal function was calculated by means of the Simplified Modified Diet Renal Disease (sMDRD) formula. Hospitalizations, emergency admittances and obit by cardiac causes were considered as cardiac events. RESULTS: Ninety patients had HFREF and 119 had HFNEF. The glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was smaller in HFREF group (57.6 ± 66.2 versus 94.8 ± 36.6 ml/min/1.73m²; p=0.01). There was no difference in the prevalence of anemia between groups (23.3% versus 18.5%; p=0.34). Moderate to severe RD prevalence was higher in HFREF group (32.2% versus 16.8%; p=0.01). RD was the only factor associated with anemia that was independently associated with cardiac events (HR 2.52; 95%CI=1.27-5.2; p=0.01). CONCLUSION: RD was less prevalent in HFNEF, while the prevalence of anemia did not differ between groups. RD was predictor of cardiac events independently on ejection fraction.

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Artigo Original

Analysis of the cost-effectiveness of drug-eluting and bare-metal stents in coronary disease

Esmeralci Ferreira et al. Denizar Vianna Araújo Vitor Manuel Pereira Azevedo Cyro Vargues Rodrigues … Alcides Ferreira Jr. Camillo de Lellis Junqueira José Geraldo de Castro Amino Mara Lucia Farias Antonio Farias Neto Denilson Campos de Albuquerque

BACKGROUND: There is a scarcity of cost-effectiveness analyses in the national literature comparing drug-eluting stents (DES) with bare-metal stents (BMS), at late follow-up. OBJECTIVE: To estimate the Incremental Cost-Effectiveness Ratio (ICER) between DES and BMS in uniarterial coronariopathy. METHODS: 217 patients (130 DES and 87 BMS), with 48 months of follow-up (mean = 26 months) were assessed. Primary outcome: cost per prevented restenosis, with effectiveness being defined as the decrease in major events. The analytical model of decision was based on the study by Polanczyk et al. The direct costs were those used directly in the interventions. RESULTS: The sample was homogenous for age and sex. The DES was more used in diabetic patients: 59 (45.4%) vs 16 (18.4%)(p<0.0001) and with a history of coronary artery disease (CAD): 53 (40.7%) vs 13 (14.9%)(p<0.0001). The BMS was more used in simple lesions, but with worse ventricular function. The DES were implanted preferentially in proximal lesions: (p=0.0428) and the BMS in the mid-third (p=0.0001). Event-free survival: DES = 118 (90.8%) vs BMS=74 (85.0%) (p=0.19); Angina: DES=9 (6.9%) vs BMS=9 (10.3%) (NS): Clinical restenosis: DES=3 (2.3%) vs BMS=10 (10.3%) (p=0.0253). Cardiac deaths: 2 (1.5%) in DES and 3 (3.5%) in BMS (NS). Costs: the tree of decision was modeled based on restenosis. The net benefit for the DES needed an increment of R$7,238.16. The ICER was R$131,647.84 per prevented restenosis (above the WHO threshold). CONCLUSIONS: The DES was used in more complex lesions. The clinical results were similar. The restenosis rate was higher in the BMS group. The DES was a non-cost-effective strategy.

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Artigo Original

Immediate and late results of percutaneous mitral valve repair in patients with mitral stenosis

Luiz Francisco Cardoso et al. Carlos Vinetou Ayres André Moreira Bento Flávio Tarasoutchi … Marcelo Luiz Vieira Max Grinberg

BACKGROUND: The analysis of immediate and long-term results of mitral valvoplasty by balloon catheter (MVRBC) are still lacking in literature, mainly in the national context. OBJECTIVE: To assess the immediate and late results of patients submitted to mitral valve repair by balloon catheter. METHOD: A total of 330 consecutive patients were followed-up by 47 ± 36 months (up to 126 months). Univariate and multivariate analyses assessed the factors associated with the success of the procedure, restenosis and late events (death or necessity of new intervention on mitral valve). Kaplan-Meier method estimated survival without events. RESULTS: The procedure was successful in 305 cases (92.4%). The mitral valve anatomy was the main predictor for immediate success for the procedure. During the procedure, restenosis occurred in 77 (23.3%) patients and was associated with smaller mitral valve area and with larger calcification before the process. In a mean period of 38 ± 26-month follow-up, 67 events occurred. The probability of survival without events was of 95% in one year, 75% in five years and 61% in ten years. The predictors of survival without events were: age, echocardiography score and immediate result of the procedure. CONCLUSION: Mitral valve repair by balloon catheter is an effective procedure, as 60% patients did not present events after the follow-up. The anatomical condition of the mitral valve and the patient’s age were the best predictors of survival without events, and should be taken into account when selecting patients for the mentioned procedure. (Arq Bras Cardiol 2010; 94(3):383-390)

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Artigo Original

Validation into portuguese of the Maugerl CaRdiac preventiOn-Questionnaire (MICRO-Q)

Gabriela Lima de Melo Ghisi et al. Claudia Medeiros Leite Adriana Durieux Isabel de Castro Schenkel … Maíra S. de Assumpção Melina Medeiros de Barros Daniel Taiva Alexandro Andrade Magnus Benetti

BACKGROUND: The Maugerl CaRdiac preventiOn-Questionnaire (MICRO-Q) is a validated specific tool used to assess the knowledge of the patient with coronary disease on aspects related to the secondary prevention of coronary artery disease (CAD). OBJECTIVE: To translate, adapt and validate the MICRO-Q to Brazilian Portuguese. METHODS: Two initial independent translations were carried out into Brazilian Portuguese. After their comparison, the reverse translation was carried out, which was reviewed by a committee and generated the final version that was tested in a pilot study. The tool was applied to 212 coronary patients, with a mean age of 60 to 71 years (standard deviation = 9.4; range: 35-86) that participated in cardiac rehabilitation programs. The internal consistency was verified by Cronbach’s Alpha Coefficient, correlation through Spearman’s Rho and the validity of the construct was verified through exploratory factorial analysis. The means were analyzed by comparing the scales of the correct questions in relation to variables such as age, sex, associate comorbidities, degree of schooling, family income, among others. RESULTS: The Brazilian version of the MICRO-Q has 25 questions. The reliability of this version presented a Cronbach’s Alpha Coefficient of 0.64 and a Spearman’s Rho of the correct answers of 0.65. The factorial analysis showed 6 factors related to the domains of knowledge of the questionnaire. The analysis of the population characteristics regarding the scales of the correct questions presented significant differences only in relation to monthly family income and degree of schooling. CONCLUSION: The approved Brazilian version of the MICRO-Q presents adequate validity and reliability for its use in future studies.

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Artigo Original

Ischemic preconditioning influence ventricular function in off-pump revascularization surgery

José Ernesto Succi et al. Luís Roberto Gerola Guilherme Menezes Succi Renata A.C.F. de Almeida … Leonardo Sérgio Rocha Novais Bruno Rocha

BACKGROUND: Ischemic preconditioning is a method that prepares and protects cells to tolerate a long period of ischemia with the least possible injury. OBJECTIVES: Evaluate the influence of ischemic preconditioning over left ventricular function during off-pump myocardial revascularization. METHOD: Forty patients with clinical indication for off-pump myocardial revascularization were randomized in two groups, with or without ischemic preconditioning. Ischemic preconditioning was carried out by performing coronary occlusion for two minutes and releasing blood flow for one minute; two cycles were performed. Left ventricular contractility was evaluated through transesophageal Doppler by measuring blood flow acceleration in the descending aorta – Hemosonic 100. The acceleration measurements were performed at the start of the surgery, after heart positioning and five and ten minutes after coronary occlusion. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in left ventricular contractility between the two groups. At the beginning of the procedure flow acceleration was 9.37 ± 2.9m/s² in the preconditioning group and 12.5 ± 3.1 m/s² in no-preconditioning group (p = 0.23); after positioning of heart, it was 8.47 ± 3.3 and 8.31 ± 3.6 m/s² (p = 0.96); after five minutes – 8.7 ± 4.1 and 7.94 ± 2.9 m/s² (p = 0.80); and after ten minutes – 9.2 ± 4.5 and 7.98 ± 3.4 m/s² (p = 0.71). However, contractility evolution was different throughout time in each group. The preconditioning group maintained left ventricular contractility during the entire procedure, since the beginning (0.52), while the group without ischemic preconditioning presented reduction in left ventricular contractility (p = 0.0034). CONCLUSION: Ischemic preconditioning prevented the decrease in left ventricular contractility during off-pump myocardial revascularization surgery.

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Case Report

Ischemic stroke as the first manifestation of severe ventricular hypertrabeculation/non-compaction

Arturo Jaramillo et al. Alfredo Ramírez Lorna Galleguillos José Vallejos Sergio Illanes

A rare congenital myocardial defect, known as left ventricular hypertrabeculation/non-compaction (LVHT), has been occasionally described associated with thrombus formation with a potential systemic embolic risk, but its association with ischemic strokes remains controversial. We report a case of ischemic stroke in a patient with severe LVHT and ventricular dysfunction as a possible etiologic synergistic association. In absence of other embolic sources, a severe LVTH associated with ventricular dysfunction could constitute a potential source of brain embolism, especially in patients with high suspicion of an embolic mechanism of ischemic stroke.

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Artigo Original

Congenital cardiac malformations in pediatric necropsies: characteristics, associations and prevalence

Dinaldo de Lima Leite et al. Hélcio Miziara Moema Veloso

BACKGROUND: In Brazil, since 2001, the congenital abnormalities have represented the second cause of death in children younger than one year, with cardiovascular defects being responsible for 39.4% of these deaths. OBJECTIVES: To establish the prevalence and the characteristics of the congenital cardiac malformations in pediatric necropsies performed in Hospital Regional da Asa Sul, Brasília, DF, Brazil, from January 1996 to December 2007. METHODS: This is a descriptive, cross-sectional study that reviewed 1,591 necropsies performed from January 1996 to December 2007 and found 189 (11.9%) with congenital cardiac malformations, included in this study. RESULTS: The cardiac abnormalities were observed mainly in the group of live births (117/61.9%), followed by the stillbirths (35/18.5%), the infant group (30/15.9%) and the preschoolers’ group (7/3.7%), with no cases identified among school-aged children. The main alterations detected were: interatrial communication in 96 patients (27%), interventricular communication in 66 patients (18.5%) and patent ductus arteriosus in 51 (14.3%), with no predominance of either sex. In 133 patients (70.4%), the cardiopathies were multiple and in 96 (50.8%) they were associated with anomalies in other organs and systems; among these, 45 (23.8%) presented cardiopathies as syndrome components, especially trisomies, at all age ranges. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the present study show a high prevalence of congenital cardiac anomalies in our country and distribution and association that were similar to the ones observed in developed countries. The high mortality associated to such anomalies highlights the need for more comprehensive research in order to identify the risk factors and seek the primary prevention of some of these defects.

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Revisão

Treatment of heart failure with normal ejection fraction

Evandro Tinoco Mesquita et al. Antonio José Lagoeiro Jorge

Different from heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFREF), for which large studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of drug treatment to improve morbidity and mortality, no treatment study has shown definitive results in patients with heart failure with normal ejection fraction (HFNEF). HFNEF is more prevalent in women and the elderly and it is associated with multiple comorbidities. Although the optimum treatment has yet to be defined, the control of arterial hypertension and decreased fluid overload are important measures to control the syndrome. In Brazil, the recommendations for the treatment of HF are based on the Review of the II Directives of the Brazilian Society of Cardiology for the diagnosis and treatment of Heart Failure – 2002. However, none of the recommendations is specific for patients with HFNEF, as they are based on general measures proposed by specialists. This review aims at demonstrating the scientific evidence from recent clinical trials in HFNEF and future perspectives in terms of new medications.

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Artigo Original

Prevalence of induced ischemia by mental distress

Gustavo Borges Barbirato et al. Renata Félix Jader Cunha de Azevedo Patrícia Lavatori Corrêa … Antônio Claudio Lucas de Nóbrega Alexandro Coimbra André Volschan Evandro Tinoco Mesquita Hans Fernando Rocha Dohmann Cláudio Tinoco Mesquita

BACKGROUND: The myocardial radionuclide imaging with mental distress seems to induce ischemia through a particular physiopathology when compared to radionuclide imaging with physical or pharmacological distress. OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of induced myocardial ischemia by mental distress in patients with thoracic pain and radionuclide imaging with normal conventional distress, with 99mTc-Sestamibi. METHODS: Twenty-two patients were admitted with thoracic pain at emergency or were referred to the nuclear medicine service of our institution, where myocardial radionuclide imaging of distress or rest without ischemic alterations was carried out. The patients were, then, invited to go through an additional phase with mental distress induced by color conflict (Strop Color Test) with the objective of detecting myocardial ischemia. Two cardiologists and nuclear physicians performed the blind analysis of perfusional data and consequent quantification through Summed Difference Score (SDS), punctuating the segments that were altered after mental distress and comparing it to the rest period image. The presence of myocardial ischemia was considered if SDS > 3. RESULTS: The prevalence of mental distress-induced myocardial ischemia was 40% (9 positive patients). Among the 22 studied patients, there were no statistical differences with regard to the number of risk factors, mental distress-induced hemodynamic alterations, usage of medications, presented symptoms, presence or absence of coronary disease and variations of ejection fraction and final systolic volume of Gated SPECT. CONCLUSION: In a selected sample of patients with thoracic pain and normal myocardial radionuclide imaging, the research of myocardial ischemia induced by mental distress through radionuclide imaging may be positive in up to 40% of cases.

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Artigo Original

Quality of life in hypertensive patients and concurrent validity of Minichal-Brazil

Ana Carolina Melchiors et al. Cassyano Januário Correr Roberto Pontarolo Felipe de Oliveira de Souza Santos Rodrigo Augusto de Paula e Souza

BACKGROUND: Health-Related Quality of Life Questionnaires (HRQOL) are humanistic outcome measure instruments both in clinical and in pharmacoeconomic studies. However, they should have their psychometric parameters evaluated so as to reflect the individual subjective assessment of quality of life. OBJECTIVES: To describe the quality of life profile of hypertensive patients and to assess the concurrent validity of the Minichal-Brazil instrument by comparing it to the generic World Health Organization’s (WHO) assessment instrument known as WHOQOL-Bref. METHODS: A total of 191 adult patients (72.8% females) with hypertension were interviewed. Approximately one third of these patients had their hypertension controlled. The mean HRQOL as measured by the total Minichal score was 69.7 (SD = 19.2; 95%CI from 66.9 to 72.4); the “mental status” domain and “somatic manifestations” domain scores were 69.1 (95%CI from 66.1 to 72.2), and 69.9 (95%CI from 66.5 to 73.2), respectively. The means for the WHOQOL-Bref instrument were: in the “physical” domain = 61.5 (95%CI from 59.0 to 64.1); in the “psychological” domain = 65.7 (95%CI from 63.2 to 68.2); in the “social” domain = 72.3 (95%CI from 70.0 to 74.5); and in the “environment” domain = 59.7 (95%CI from 57.7 to 61.7). RESULTS: Minichal significantly correlated (p<0.001) with WHOQOL-Bref as regards all its domains, except for the "environment" domain, which did not correlate with the "somatic manifestations" domain. CONCLUSION: Minichal-Brazil proved to be a useful tool in the assessment of HRQOL in hypertensive patients.

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Artigo Original

Short-duration transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation in the postoperative period of cardiac surgery

Cristie Gregorini et al. Gerson Cipriano Junior Leticia Moraes de Aquino João Nelson Rodrigues Branco Graziella França Bernardelli

BACKGROUND: Respiratory muscle strength has been related to the postoperative outcome of cardiac surgeries. The main documented therapeutic purpose of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is the reduction of pain, which could bring secondary benefits to the respiratory muscles and, consequently, to lung capacities and volumes. OBJECTIVES: The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of short-duration transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) in the reduction of pain and its possible influence on respiratory muscle strength and lung capacity and volumes of patients in the postoperative period of cardiac surgery. METHODS: Twenty five patients with mean age of 59.9 ± 10.3 years, of whom 72% were men, and homogeneous as regards weight and height, were randomly assigned to two groups. One group received therapeutic TENS (n = 13) and the other, placebo TENS (n = 12), for four hours on the third postoperative day of cardiac surgery. Pain was analyzed by means of a visual analogue scale, and of respiratory muscle strength as measured by maximum respiratory pressures and lung capacity and volumes before and after application of TENS. RESULTS: Short-duration TENS significantly reduced pain of patients in the postoperative period (p < 0.001). Respiratory muscle strength (p < 0.001), tidal volume (p < 0.001) and vital capacity (p < 0.05) significantly improved after therapeutic TENS, unlike in the placebo group. CONCLUSION: Short-duration TENS proved effective for the reduction of pain and improvement of respiratory muscle strength, as well as of lung volumes and capacity. (Arq Bras Cardiol 2010; 94(3):325-331)

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Case Report

Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia: rare cause of pulmonary hypertension?

Rui Providência et al. Maria do Carmo Cachulo Gisela Veríssimo Costa Joana Silva … Carlos Graça Lemos A.M. Leitão-Marques

A 73-year-old woman was admitted to the emergency room with predominantly right-sided heart failure and anemia. Following clinical and imagiological evaluation, a diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension (PH) associated with Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia (HHT) was confirmed. The initial response to bosentan plus sildenafil was good, including improvement in functional class and reduction of edema, allowing her to be discharged. Unfortunately, the patient died, due to her underlying condition, before the effects of the combination treatment could be fully assessed. PH should be considered in patients with HTT and screening for pulmonary hypertension should be performed in these patients and their relatives.

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Artigo Original

Congenital heart diseases in a reference service: clinical evolution and associated illnesses

Janaína Huber et al. Vivian Catarino Peres Tiago Jeronimo dos Santos Lauro da Fontoura Beltrão … Angélica Cerveira de Baumont Andrés Delgado Cañedo Beatriz D'Agord Schaan Lucia Campos Pellanda

BACKGROUND: Several factors, which include prenatal diagnosis and availability of new therapeutic procedures, have contributed to change the profile of patients with congenital heart disease (CHD). Knowing these changes is important to a better health care. OBJECTIVES: Description of profile of patients with CHD in a reference service in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. METHODS: It is a cross-sectional study including 684 patients with CHD in a service of pediatric cardiology from January 2007 to May 2008. We interviewed the patients (and/or their parents) and examined these patients (congenital malformations, anthropometric measures). Moreover, their charts were reviewed in order to detail heart diseases, procedures and echocardiography. RESULTS: Patients were from 16 days to 66 years old, 51.8% were female, and 93.7% were Caucasian. The mean age at diagnosis was 15.8 ± 46.8 months. Ventricular septal defect, patent ductus arteriosus and Tetralogy of Fallot were the most prevalent CHD. 59.1% of examined patients, whose average age was 44.3 ± 71.2 months, have been undergoing therapeutic procedures; 30.4% had congenital extracardiac malformations; and 12 patients had genetic syndrome. Regarding development, 46.6% had low weight and height gain, and 13.7% had neuropsychomotor delay. Furthermore, 18.4% had family history of congenital heart disease. CONCLUSIONS: Neuropsychomotor delay and low weight and height gain may be related to CHD. Establishing a profile of patients with CHD, who were treated at an institution of reference, may function as a basis in which health care of this population can be planed appropriately. (Arq Bras Cardiol 2010; 94(3):313-318)

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Artigo Original

Effects of short-term carvedilol on the cardiac sympathetic activity assessed by 123I-MIBG scintigraphy

Sandra Marina Ribeiro de Miranda et al. Evandro Tinoco Mesquita Hans Fernando da Rocha Dohmann Jader Cunha Azevedo … Gustavo Borges Barbirato Fabiano de Lima Freire Mário Luiz Ribeiro Antonio Cláudio Lucas da Nóbrega Alexandro Coimbra Cláudio Tinoco Mesquita

BACKGROUND: Autonomic alterations in heart failure are associated with an increase in morbimortality. Several noninvasive methods have been employed to evaluate the sympathetic function, including the Meta-Iodobenzylguanidine (123I-MIBG) scintigraphy imaging of the heart. OBJECTIVE: to evaluate the cardiac sympathetic activity through 123I-MIBG scintigraphy, before and after three months of carvedilol therapy in patients with heart failure and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) < 45%. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Sixteen patients, aged 56.3 ± 12.6 years (11 males), with a mean LVEF of 28% ± 8% and no previous use of beta-blockers were recruited for the study. Images of the heart innervation were acquired with 123I-MIBG, and the serum levels of catecholamines (epinephrine, dopamine and norepinephrine) were measured; the radioisotope ventriculography (RIV) was performed before and after a three-month therapy with carvedilol. RESULTS: Patients' functional class showed improvement: before the treatment, 50% of the patients were FC II and 50% were FC III. After 3 months, 7 patients were FC I (43.8%) and 9 were FC II (56.2%), (p = 0.0001). The mean LVEF assessed by RIV increased from 29% to 33% (p = 0.017). There was no significant variation in cardiac adrenergic activity assessed by 123I-MIBG (early and late resting images and washout rate). No significant variation was observed regarding the measurement of catecholamines. CONCLUSION: The short-term treatment with carvedilol promoted the clinical and LVEF improvement. However, this was not associated to an improvement in the cardiac adrenergic activity, assessed by 123I-MIBG scintigraphy, as well as the measurement of circulating catecholamines.

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Correlação Clínico-Radiográfica

Case 2/2010 Five-month-old Male Infant with Subpulmonary Interventricular Communication and Aortic Coarctation

Edmar Atik et al. Fabiana M. Passos Alexandre S. Cauduro

CLINICORADIOLOGICAL SESSION

Case 2 / 2010 – five-month-old male infant with subpulmonary interventricular communication and aortic coarctation

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Artigo Original

Changes in the production of IL-10 and TNF-α in skeletal muscle of rats with heart failure secondary to acute myocardial infarction

Renato Delacio Lopes et al. Miguel Luiz Batista Júnior José Cesar Rosa Fabio Santos de Lira … Eivor Martins Jr Alex Yamashita Shimura Patrícia Chakur Brum Antonio Herbert Lancha Jr Marília C. L. Seelaender Antonio Carlos Lopes

BACKGROUND: Recent studies show that the expression of inflammatory mediators, such as cytokines, is an important factor for the development and progression of heart failure (HF), especially in the presence of left ventricular dysfunction. These changes have been demonstrated both in the plasma and heart muscle and, more recently, in skeletal muscle of rats and in patients with HF. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the production and expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) in the soleus and the extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles of animals with left ventricular dysfunction after myocardial infarction (MI). METHODS: We used male Wistar rats that underwent ligation of the left coronary artery without reperfusion. Four weeks after this procedure, the animals underwent echocardiography and were divided into the following experimental groups: sham operated (sham) and IM. They remained under observation for a further period of 8 weeks. RESULTS: The level of the cytokine TNF-α increased by 26.5% (p <0.05), and its gene expression increased 3 times (p <0.01). The level of IL-10 decreased by 38.2% (p <0.05). Both changes occurred only in the soleus muscle, with no change in the EDL. The decrease (36.5%, p <0.05) in the IL-10/TNF-α ratio was due to both increased tissue levels of TNF-α and decreased tissue levels of IL-10. CONCLUSION: Our results showed significant changes in the IL-10/TNF-α ratio, which may have an additive role in the assessment of deterioration and progression of left ventricular dysfunction post-MI. Furthermore, our study suggests that these changes seem to be related to the muscle fiber type. (Arq Bras Cardiol 2010; 94(3):293-300)

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Letter to the Editor

Amlodipine and enalapril in coronary disease

Eduardo Maffini da Rosa et al. Carolina Fedrizzi el Andari Marcio Fernando Spagnól

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

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Editoriais

Classification of Journals in the QUALIS System of CAPES – URGENT Need of Changing the Criteria!

Adagmar Andriolo et al. Aécio Flávio Meireles Souza Alberto Queiroz Farias Alfredo José Afonso Barbosa … Antonio Spina França Netto Arnaldo José Hernandez Aroldo F. Camargos Benedito Barraviera Bogdana Victoria Kadunc Bruno Caramelli Carlos Eduardo Aguilera Campos Carlos Brites Dejair Caitano do Nascimento Domingo M. Braile Dov Charles Goldenberg Edna T Kimura Edson Marchiori Eduardo de Paula Vieira Eros Antônio de Almeida Geraldo Pereira Jotz Gilberto Camanho Gilberto Friedman Giovanni Guido Cerri Ivomar Gomes Duarte Izelda Maria Carvalho Costa João Ferreira de Mello Júnior Joel Faintuch José Antônio Baddini Martinez José Antonio Livramento José Eduardo Ferreira Manso Linamara Rizzo Battistella Luís dos Ramos Machado Luiz Felipe P. Moreira Luiz Henrique Gebrim Marcelo Madeira Marcelo Riberto Marcus Bastos Mário Cícero Falcão Mario J. da Conceição Mauricio Rocha e Silva Milton Artur Ruiz Milton K. Shibata Mittermayer Barreto Santiago Nelson Adami Andreollo Osvaldo Malafaia Regina Helena Garcia Martins Renato Soibelmann Procianoy Ricardo Baroudi Ricardo Fuller Ricardo Guilherme Viebig Ricardo Nitrini Rita Cristina Mainieri R. de Moura Rogério Dedivitis Ronaldo Damião Sergio Lianza Sigmar de Mello Rode Winston Bonetti Yoshida Zuher Handar

EDITORIAL

Classification of Journals in the QUALIS System of CAPES – URGENT Need of Changing the Criteria!

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Artigo Original

Abdominal obesity in adolescents: prevalence and association with physical activity and eating habits

Cláudio Barnabé dos Santos Cavalcanti et al. Mauro Virgilio Gomes de Barros Annelise Lins Menêses Carla Menêses Santos … Andrea Maria Pires Azevedo Fernando José de Sá Pereira Guimarães

BACKGROUND: Abdominal obesity in adolescents is associated with cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, but its prevalence and the factors associated with its occurrence are unknown. OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of abdominal obesity in adolescents, and to evaluate whether the indicators of physical activity and dietary habits are associated with the occurrence of abdominal obesity in adolescents. METHODS: The sample included 4138 high school students (14-19 years), selected by cluster sampling in two stages. We obtained data using the Global School-based Health Survey, and anthropometric measurements were taken for determination of overweight and abdominal obesity. Logistic regression was used for analysis of behavioral factors associated with the occurrence of abdominal obesity. The identification of cases of abdominal obesity was performed by waist circumference analysis, using age- and gender-related cutoff points as reference. RESULTS: The mean age was 16.8 years (s = 1.4), and 59.8% of subjects were female. The prevalence of abdominal obesity was 6% (95%CI: 5.3-6.7), and it was significantly higher among girls (6.7%, 95%CI: 5.8-7.8) than among boys (4.9%, 95%CI: 3, 9-6, 0). In the crude analysis, gender and overweight were associated with the occurrence of abdominal obesity. The analysis adjustment by logisic regression allowed us to observe that physical activity was significantly associated with the occurrence of obesity in this group (OR = 0.7; 95% CI: 0.49-0.99), regardless of the presence of overweight. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of abdominal obesity was low compared to that observed in international studies, and physical activity was a factor associated with the occurrence of this event in adolescents.

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Technologies for the investigation of CAD: association between scientific publications and clinical use

Paulo Schiavom Duarte

BACKGROUND: Although some evidence suggests an association between a technology exposure in the literature and its dissemination in clinical practice, few studies have evaluated such association. OBJECTIVE: To analyze whether the pattern of scientific publication on two competitive technologies used in the assessment of coronary artery disease (CAD) reflects what occurs in clinical practice. METHODS: The number of scientific articles published annually in the medical literature (global scientific interest in technology) on two technologies used in the assessment of CAD was evaluated: electron beam computed tomography (EBCT) and multidetector computed tomography (MDCT). The number of countries that annually publish scientific articles about these technologies (geographic interest in the technology) was also analyzed. RESULTS: The EBCT showed a peak of “global scientific interest” in 2001, with 127 published articles. After this peak, the “global scientific interest” decreased by around 50% in 2008. In opposition, the “global scientific interest” for MDCT progressively increased up to 2007, with 454 articles published in that year. The “geographic scientific interest” by EBCT showed a peak in 2002, with 14 countries publishing about this technology. After this peak, the “geographic scientific interest” decreased by almost 25% up to 2008, with 11 countries publishing about this technology. In opposition, the “geographic scientific interest” by MDCT progressively increased up to 2008, with 37 countries publishing articles about it. CONCLUSION: The medical scientific literature is compatible with the substitution of EBCT by MDCT in the assessment of CAD.

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