2010;95(4) – ABC CARDIOL

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Case Report

Takayasu's disease with severe heart and arterial involvement in a preschool-age child

Fátima Derlene da Rocha Araújo et al. Zilda Maria Alves Meira Fabiana Arantes de Araújo Glaucia Maria Vasconcelos Severiano Kelly Nascimento Brandão

The authors describe a case of Takayasu’s arteritis in a child of only 3 years of age, emphasizing the rarity of this disease in this age group. The child was admitted to the emergency room in a post-convulsive state after a tonic-clonic seizure. After a detailed clinical examination, extensive diagnostic tests, and observation of the clinical evolution, the diagnosis was Takayasu’s disease with severe cardiac and arterial involvement. The report warns pediatricians and cardiologists to awareness of the possibility of this disease in very small infants, in countries where it is underdiagnosed.

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Correlação Clínico-Radiográfica

Case 6/2010 – 14 months female infant with double aortic isthmus coarctation

Edmar Atik et al. Patricia O. Marques Fabiana M. Passos

CLINICORADIOLOGICAL SESSION

Case 6/2010 – 14 months female infant with double aortic isthmus coarctation

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Point of view

Critical analysis of criteria for the evaluation of low-molecular weight heparin biosimilars

Valdair F. Pinto et al. Miguel Antonio Moretti Antonio Carlos P. Chagas

POINT OF VIEW

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Letter to the Editor

Concerns on generic enoxaparin use in acute coronary syndrome

Marise Gomes et al. Eduardo Ramacciotti Evangelos Litinas Jawed Fareed

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

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Errata

ERRATUM

July 2010 issue, vol. 95 (1), Supl. 1, pages 1-51

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Atualização

Digoxin: the results of the DIG study in the XXI century

Izo Helber et al. Paulo J. F. Tucci

After the report that there was no statistical significance in the general mortality of the DIG study, the indication of digoxin in the treatment regimens for congestive heart failure (CHF) drastically decreased. Post hoc studies that reassessed the DIG study data, indicated that an aspect that was not considered in this multicenter study has a critical influence on the prognosis of patients: the serum levels of digoxin. Regarding those that received a placebo, the general mortality and hospitalization were decreased in patients with a digoxin level < 0.9 ng/ml. At the first study that assessed the influence of digitalis in an experimental model of CHF, we verified in our lab that female rats with congestive syndrome secondary to myocardial infarction have a prolonged survival when undergoing treatment with digitoxin. The current information recommends that the merits of digoxin continue to be analyzed in order to adequately establish its importance in the treatment of CHF.

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Letter to the Editor

Myocardial scintigraphy at rest in chest pain

Eduardo Maffini da Rosa et al. Guilherme Baldissera Damiani Cíntia Paola Scopel

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Myocardial scintigraphy at rest in chest pain

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Case Report

Thrombolysis in massive pulmonary embolism based on the volumetric capnography

Marcos Mello Moreira et al. Renato Giuseppe Giovanni Terzi Ilma Aparecida Paschoal Luiz Cláudio Martins … Evandro Pinto da Luz Oliveira Antonio Luis Eiras Falcão

This is the first report of a patient submitted to chemical thrombolysis due to massive pulmonary embolism (PE) during the postoperative period of neurosurgery, in whom due to the lack of adequate clinical conditions, no imaging assessment was performed. Clinical, gasometric and capnographic data allowed the decision to perform the thrombolysis with safety. The P(a-et)CO2 gradient decreased from 46.4 mmHg to 11.8 mmHg (normal < 5 mmHg) and the end-tidal alveolar dead space fraction decreased from 0.85 to 0.37 (normal < 0.15) from the pre-thrombolysis period to the 7th day post-thrombolysis. We conclude that the volumetric capnography (VC) was useful in the patient's diagnosis and clinical follow-up.

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Review Article

Severe aortic stenosis in asymptomatic patients: the dilemma of clinical versus surgical treatment

Marcelo Katz et al. Flávio Tarasoutchi Max Grinberg

Aortic valve stenosis has become increasingly prevalent, in agreement with the aging of the population. Thus, it has become increasingly common to treat asymptomatic patients with severe aortic stenosis. Although the patients with asymptomatic aortic stenosis belong to the same group, they are heterogeneous from a clinical, laboratory and echocardiographic point of view. The treatment of these patients raises the dilemma of the clinical versus the surgical treatment: should we submit the patient to the risks of surgery or keep the patient under clinical observation, running the risk of irreversible myocardial damage or even sudden death? Under this perspective and based on the current literature, this study supplies tools that help to stratify the patients. The valvular area, degree of calcification, transvalvular aortic flow velocity, left ventricular hypertrophy and stress test alterations are the factors that place asymptomatic individuals with severe aortic stenosis in a group called very-high risk, in which the surgical approach starts to be considered.

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Letter to the Editor

Is ejection fraction the best parameter for the assessment of ventricular function?

Eduardo Maffini da Rosa et al. Marina Mantesso Marcio Fernando Spagnól

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Is ejection fraction the best parameter for the assessment of ventricular function?

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Editorial

Therapeutic inertia

Aloyzio Cechella Achutti

EDITORIAL

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Artigo Original

Effect of physical activity and t-786C polymorphism in blood pressure and blood flow in the elderly

Anderson Saranz Zago et al. Eduardo Kokubun Nicola Fenty-Stewart Joon-Young Park … Selasi Attipoe James Hagberg Michael Brown

BACKGROUND: The T-786C polymorphism of the gene for endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and superoxide anion production may reduce production and bioavailability of nitric oxide, affecting the degree of vasodilation. This effect can be reversed by exercise. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of aerobic training and T-786C polymorphism in the concentrations of nitric oxide metabolites (NOx) in blood flow (BF) and blood pressure (BP). METHODS: Thirty-two elderly pre-hypertensive women (59 ± 6 years old) were divided into two groups according to the T-786C polymorphism (TT and TC + CC). We analyzed the concentrations of NOx (plasma) and blood flow by venous occlusion plethysmography at rest, 1, 2 and 3 minutes post-occlusion (BF-0, BF-1 BF-2 BF-3, respectively). Evaluations were performed before and after 6 months of a program of aerobic exercise. RESULTS: In the pre-training evaluations, NOx levels were lower in TC + CC group than in TT group. The TT group showed correlations between NOx and BF-0 (r = 0.6) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and BF-0 (r = -0.7), but no correlation was found in TC + CC group. In the post-training evaluations, there were correlations between NOx and BF-0 (r = 0.6) and the changes in NOx and DBP (r = -0.6) in TT group. There were also correlations between DBP and BF-1 (r = -0.8), DBP, and BF-2 (r = -0.6), DBP, and BF-3 (r = -0.6), in the changes between NOx and BF-1 (r = 0.8) and changes in NOx and DBP (r = -0.7) in TC + CC group. CONCLUSION: It was concluded that 6 months of aerobic exercise can increase the relationship between NO, BP and BF in elderly of allele C carriers.

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Artigo Original

Clinical and angiographic profile in coronary artery disease: hospital outcome with emphasis on the very elderly

Micheli Zanotti Galon et al. George César Ximenes Meireles Sérgio Kreimer Gilberto Guilherme Ajjar Marchiori … Desidério Favarato João Aparecido Pimenta de Almeida Lorena Squassante Capeline

BACKGROUND: Knowing the risk factors and clinical manifestations of coronary artery disease (CAD) allows us to intervene more effectively with a particular population. OBJECTIVE: To identify clinical and angiographic profiles of patients undergoing cardiac catheterization, treated at a tertiary hospital and treated by percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI). METHODS: The study of 1,282 patients who underwent 1,410 cardiac catheterizations, selected from March/2007 to May/2008 from a database in a general hospital for diagnosis of coronary artery disease (CAD). Risk factors, indication for examination, technical details of PCI and in-hospital outcomes were prospectively collected. RESULTS: There were 688 (54.0%) males, mean age 65.4 ± 10.9 years and 20.0% above 75 years age. The most frequent clinical condition was acute coronary syndrome (ACS) without ST-segment elevation (STS) (38.7%). The multi artery CAD occurred in 46.4%, PCI was indicated in 464 patients, 547 target lesions were treated (type B2 or C, 86.0%), and of these, 14.0% treated with drug eluting stents. Among those with AMI with STS, primary PCI was performed in 19.0% of the patients, from these, 77.0% were transferred from the origin hospitals late (late PCI) and had not received prior thrombolytic, and 4.0% had PCI rescue. Angiographic success was achieved in 94.2% of PCIs. Death occurred in 5.6% of patients, with average age of 75.2 ± 10.2 years. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of elderly (20.1% being > 75 years) and male was observed. From the risk factors for CAD, the most common were systemic hypertension and dyslipidemia. There was a predominance of ACS. Age > 75 years old, multiarterial CAD and chronic renal failure were predictors of in-hospital deaths.

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Artigo Original

Relationship between leisure-time physical activity and blood pressure in adults

Francisco José Gondim Pitanga et al. Ines Lessa

BACKGROUND: High blood pressure (BP) is found at epidemic levels in adults of industrialized societies, thereby favoring an increase in the risk of development of numerous cardiovascular pathologies. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) and high systolic blood pressure (SBP)/diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in adults, in the city of Salvador, state of Bahia. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of 2,292 adults of both sexes, aged > 20 years. Those who engaged in physical activity during their leisure time were considered to be active in their free time. We used logistic regression analysis to estimate the odds ratio (OR), with confidence interval of 95%. RESULTS: After the adjustment for age and stratification by sex, the relationships between LTPA and SBP/DBP were: SBP = 0.86 (0.85 to 0.87) for females and 0.65 (0.64 to 0.66) for males; DBP = 0.94 (0.92 to 0.95) for females and 0.64 (0.63 to 0.65) for males. CONCLUSION: The results of this study are important to public health and they must be used to raise awareness of the relevance of LTPA to prevent high levels of SBP/DBP.

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Artigo Original

Assessment of resistant hypertension with home blood pressure monitoring

Fabiane Rosa Rezende H. Marui et al. Maria Teresa Nogueira Bombig Yoná Afonso Francisco José Marcos Thalenberg … Francisco Antonio Helfenstein Fonseca Dilma de Souza Francisco de Assis Costa Maria Cristina Izar Antonio Carlos de Camargo Carvalho Rui Póvoa

BACKGROUND: Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) is considered the gold standard for the diagnostic confirmation of resistant hypertension (RH). However, home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM) has been considered an option, because of its lower cost and greater comfort. OBJECTIVE: To compare the values obtained by HBPM with those obtained by ABPM in the identification of patients with resistant hypertension. METHODS: A total of 51 consecutive patients with resistant hypertension were selected. All were adults of both genders and were undergoing treatment in an outpatient referral clinic from January 2007 to September 2009. Casual office blood pressure (BP), 24-hour ABPM, and HBPM were performed according to current guidelines, with a maximum two-week interval between the methods. RESULTS: The comparison of ABPM (mean daytime) with HBPM showed a good correlation between them, both for systolic blood pressure (SBP) and for diastolic blood pressure (DBP): SBP r = 0.70, CI = 0.51-0.82, DBP r = 0.69, CI = 0.52-0.81. RH was confirmed by ABPM in 33 patients and by HBPM in 37, with no significant difference between the methods. CONCLUSION: According to the results obtained, we conclude that HBPM is a method that can be used as an alternative to ABPM for the diagnostic confirmation of RH.

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Artigo Original

Influence of genetic combinations on HDL-C levels in a Southern Brazilian population

Fabiana Michelsen de Andrade et al. Marilu Fiegenbaum Silvana de Almeida Mara Helena Hutz

BACKGROUND: Low HDL-C levels are important predictors of coronary disease, the first cause of death worldwide. Many factors affect HDL-C levels, such as polymorphisms of genes encoding for key proteins of the reverse cholesterol transport pathway. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of seven polymorphisms of the CETP, APOA1, ABCA1 and SCARB1 genes on HDL-C levels in a southern Brazilian population. METHODS: The polymorphisms were investigated in a sample of 500 individuals of European descent, but HDL-C levels from only 360 individuals were adjusted for cofactors using multiple linear regressions in the association study. The sample was divided in tertiles according to adjusted HDL-C levels, and allele and haplotype frequencies were compared between the 1st and 3rd tertiles of adjusted HDL-C levels. RESULTS: When combinations of risk alleles were tested, the frequency of allele combinations in three genes (haplotype 1 of APOA1 gene, variant 2S of SCARB1 gene, and allele B1 of CETP gene) was significantly higher in the lower tertile of adjusted HDL-C (28.3%) than in the upper tertile (14.9%; p=0.008), which indicated that the presence of these variants increased 2.26 times the chances of having HDL-C levels below 39.8 mg/dl. CONCLUSION: These markers, when studied separately, are expected to have a small influence on the characteristic under analysis, but greater influence was detected when the markers were studied in combination. In a population of southern Brazilians, our data showed a significant influence of variant combinations of APOA1, SCARB1 and CETP genes on HDL-c levels.

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Artigo Original

Heart rate variability and pulmonary infections after myocardial revascularization

Paulo Rogério Corrêa et al. Aparecida Maria Catai Isabela T. Takakura Maurício N. Machado Moacir F. Godoy

BACKGROUND: Heart rate variability (HRV) is a noninvasive diagnostic method used in the assessment of the autonomic modulation of the heart. The assessment of HRV using nonlinear dynamics methods in the preoperative period of surgical myocardial revascularization could be predictive of morbidity such as pulmonary infections in the postoperative period. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the behavior of HRV using nonlinear dynamics in the preoperative period of surgical myocardial revascularization and its relation to the occurrence of pulmonary infections in the in-hospital postoperative period. METHODS: A total of 69 patients with coronary artery disease (mean age of 58.6 ± 10.4 years) and indication for elective surgical myocardial revascularization were studied. In order to quantify the nonlinear dynamics of HRV, the following procedures were performed: detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA); analysis of the short (α1) and long-term (α2) components of DFA; approximate entropy (ApEn); Lyapunov exponent (LE); and Hurst exponent (HE) of time series of RR intervals of the ECG, as captured by the Polar S810i instrument on the day before surgery. RESULTS: At the cut-off levels set by the ROC curve, there was a significant difference between the groups with and without pulmonary infections in the postoperative period of myocardial revascularization for total DFA, approximate entropy and Lyapunov exponent with p = 0. 0309, p = 0.0307 and p = 0.0006, respectively. CONCLUSION: The nonlinear dynamics methods, at their respective cut-off levels, allowed for the identification of patients developing pulmonary infection in the postoperative period of surgical myocardial revascularization, thus suggesting that these methods may have a prognostic value for this group of patients.

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Artigo Original

Electrocardiographic score: application in exercise test for the assessment of ischemic preconditioning

Augusto Uchida et al. Paulo Moffa Whady Hueb Luiz Antonio Machado Cesar … Beatriz Moreira Ayub Ferreira Jose Antonio Franchini Ramires

BACKGROUND: The time for 1.0 mm ST-segment depression (T-1.0mm) adopted to characterize ischemic preconditioning (IPC) in sequential exercise tests is consistent and reproducible; however, it has several limitations. OBJECTIVE: To apply an electrocardiographic score of myocardial ischemia in sequential exercise tests, comparing it to the conventional T-1.0 mm index. METHODS: Sixty one patients with mean age of 62.2 ± 7.5 years were evaluated; 86.9% were males. A total of 151 tests were analyzed, 116 of which were from patients who completed two assessment phases. The first phase comprised two sequential exercise tests for the documentation of IPC; the second phase, initiated one week later, comprised two more tests carried out under the effect of repaglinide. Two observers who were blind to the tests applied the score. RESULTS: Perfect inter and intraobserver agreement was found (Kendall tau-b = 0.96, p < 0.0001, and Kendall tau-b = 0.98, p < 0.0001, respectively). Values of sensitivity and specificity, negative predictive value, positive predictive value and accuracy were 72.41%, 89.29%, 75.8%, 87.5% and 81.0%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The ischemic score is a consistent and reproducible method for the documentation of IPC, and is a feasible alternative to T-1.0 mm.

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Artigo Original

Oculo-auriculo-vertebral spectrum in patients with congenital heart defects

Rafael Fabiano Machado Rosa et al. Paulo Ricardo Gazzola Zen José Antônio Monteiro Flores Eliete Golendziner … Carlo Benatti Pilla Tatiana Roman Marileila Varella-Garcia Giorgio Adriano Paskulin

BACKGROUND: There have been few studies evaluating the frequency of oculo-auriculo-vertebral spectrum (OAVS) in patients with congenital heart defects (CHDs). OBJECTIVE: To verify the frequency of OAVS in a sample of patients with major heart malformations. METHODS: We evaluated a prospective cohort of patients with CHD admitted in a pediatric cardiac intensive care unit (ICU) in Brazil. The diagnosis of OAVS was made based on the clinical data, considering standard criteria. The patients that met these criteria were submitted to high resolution GTG-Banding karyotype and fluorescence in situ hybridization for 22q11.2 microdeletion. Fisher’s exact test (P < 0.05) was used for the statistical analysis. RESULTS: During the period of evaluation, 330 patients were hospitalized for the first time in the ICU, but thirty of them did not participate in the study. Of the 300 patients that constituted the final sample, OAVS was verified in 3 cases (1%). All presented normal cytogenetic studies. CONCLUSION: OAVS seems to be a frequent condition among patients with CHDs. However, we cannot exclude the possibility that the frequency of OAVS found in our study might have been underestimated due to the low rate of prenatal detection of CHDs and the limited access of patients to appropriate health care in our region. Future prospective studies with well defined clinical criteria and subjects with mild and major defects will be important to assess the role of OAVS in the general population of subjects with heart malformations.

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Artigo Original

Anemia in patients with advanced heart failure

Juliano Cardoso et al. Michel Ibrahim Brito Marcelo Eidi Ochiai Milena Novaes … Fabrício Berganin Tatiana Thicon Elaine C Ferreira Kelly Regina Cristina Martins dos Reis Antonio Carlos Pereira Barretto

BACKGROUND: Anemia is linked with worsening of progress in patients with heart failure (HF). However, there are few studies of anemia in patients with advanced HF. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the characteristics of anemia in HF at an advanced stage. METHODS: The study included 99 patients, aged > 18 and LVEF < 45%, who were hospitalized for HF compensation (FC IV/NYHA). Patients with hemoglobin (Hb) levels 12 g/dl. Anemia was an independent marker of poor prognosis in the multivariate analysis (mortality of 47% vs 24.6%, p = 0.016, relative risk of 2.54). CONCLUSION: Anemia affects approximately one third of patients with advanced HF, and iron deficiency is an important etiology. Anemic patients are older their renal function was more deteriorated. The improvement in the congestion was not enough to improve the anemia in most cases. In patients with advanced HF, anemia is an independent marker of poor prognosis.

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Artigo Original

Cardiovascular responses to resistance exercise are affected by workload and intervals between sets

Antonio Gil Castinheiras-Neto et al. Irineu Rodrigues da Costa-Filho Paulo Tarso Veras Farinatti

BACKGROUND: The control of cardiovascular responses during resistance exercise (RE) is important for patient safety. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of repetition maximum (RM) and rest interval between sets (RI) on heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP) and rate-pressure product (RPP) during RE. METHODS: Twenty healthy subjects (26 ± 5 years of age) underwent RE protocols involving three sets of leg press (6 and 12 RM) and RI proportional to the contraction time (1:3 and 1:5). The HR was checked on a continuous basis by using a cardiotachometer and the SBP was checked at the end of the sets, via a protocol validated by the auscultatory method. RESULTS: The HR was influenced by the workload (p = 0.008) and sets (p < 0.001), but not by the RI (p = 0.087). The SBP suffered from the isolated effect of the number of sets (p < 0.001) and RI (p = 0.017), but not from the workload (p = 0.95). The RPP rose in direct proportion to the workload (p = 0.036) and sets (p < 0.001), but in inverse proportion to the RI (p = 0.006). In 6 RM protocols, the variation in the HR was higher for RI = 1:3 (Δ = 11.2 ± 1.1 bpm) than for RI = 1:5 (Δ = 4.5 ± 0.2 bpm; p = 0.002), but there was no difference for 12 RM (Δ 1:3 = 21.1 ± 2.2 bpm; Δ 1:5 = 18.9 ± 2.0 bpm, p = 0.83). The RI influenced the variation in SBP in all loads (6 RM – Δ 1:3 = 10.6 ± 0.9 mmHg, Δ 1:5 = 6.6 ± 0.7 mmHg; p = 0.02 and 12 RM – Δ 1:3 = 15.2 ± 1.1 mmHg, Δ 1:5 = 8.4 ± 0.7 mmHg; p = 0.04). The RPP rose in proportion to the workload (p = 0.036) and to the sets (p < 0.001), but in inverse proportion to the RI (p = 0.006). With RI = 1:3, there was difference in RPP for 6 RM (Δ = 2,892 ± 189 mmHg.bpm) and 12 RM (Δ = 4,587 ± 300 mmHg.bpm; p = 0.018), but not with RI = 1:5 (6 RM: Δ = 1,224 ± 141 mmHg.bpm, 12 RM: Δ = 2,332 ± 194 mmHg.bpm; p = 0.58). CONCLUSION: Regardless of the workload, an increased RI was associated with lower cardiovascular responses during RE, especially of SBP.

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Artigo Original

Chagas cardiomyopathy: prognosis in clinical and hemodynamic profile C

Juliano Cardoso et al. Milena Novaes Marcelo Ochiai Kelly Regina … Paulo Morgado Robinson Munhoz Euler Brancalhão Marcelo Lima Antonio Carlos Pereira Barretto

BACKGROUND: Patients with heart failure (HF) who are admitted showing poor perfusion and congestion (clinical-hemodynamic profile C) are the group that evolves with the worst prognosis in decompensated heart failure. However, there is little information in literature on the etiology of cardiopathy influences the outcome of patients in advanced stage. OBJECTIVE: To assess the outcome of patients admitted with clinical and hemodynamic profile C and verify the role of the etiology in this phase. METHODS: A cohort study was performed including patients with left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF) < 45.0%, functional class IV and hospitalization presenting clinical-hemodynamic profile C. The group was divided into patients with chagasic (Ch) and non chagasic (NCh) cardiomyopathy. Statistical analysis used Student t test, Fisher exact test, chi-square and SPSS tests. The significance of p < 0.05 was considered. RESULTS: One hundred patients, with mean age 57.6 ± 15.1 years and mean LVEF of 23.8 ± 8.5%, were included. Among the patients studied, 33.0% were chagasic and, in comparison with NCh, had lower systolic blood pressure (Ch 89.3 ± 17.1 mmHg versus NCh 98.8 ± 21.7 mmHg, p = 0.03 ) and lowest average age – Ch 52.9 ± 14.5 years versus NCh 59.8 ± 14.9 years, p = 0.03). During follow-up of 25 months, mortality was 66.7% for Ch and 37.3% in NCh (p = 0.019). The Chagas disease etiology was an independent marker of poor prognosis in multivariate analysis with risk ratio of 2.75 (HF 95.0%, from 1.35 to 5.63). CONCLUSION: In patients with advanced HF, Chagas disease is an important predictor of the worst prognosis.

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Artigo Original

Influence of subclinical atherosclerosis on diastolic function in individuals free of cardiovascular disease

Maristela Magnavita Oliveira Garcia et al. Marília Galeffi Rodrigues Joaquim Antônio dos Reis Neto Luis Claudio Correia

BACKGROUND: It is plausible that subclinical atherosclerosis alters coronary reserve and impairs diastolic function of the left ventricle. However, the relationship between subclinical stages of atherosclerosis and diastolic function has not been established in subjects free of cardiovascular disease. OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that subclinical atherosclerosis has a negative association with diastolic function. METHODS: Individuals > 35 years old, free of cardiovascular disease, with normal blood pressure and negative treadmill stress test, were selected to have common carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) assessed by ultrasound and parameters of diastolic function by echocardiography, primarily tissue Doppler E’/A’ ratio. RESULTS: Forty-eight subjects were studied, aged 56 ± 10 years, 67% females. Composite common carotid IMT had a significant negative correlation with tissue Doppler E’/A’ ratio (r = – 0.437, p = 0.002). Individuals in the fourth quartile of IMT had a significant lower tissue Doppler E’/A’ ratio (0.76 ± 0.25), as compared with the first (1.2 ± 0.29), second (1.2 ± 0.36) and third quartiles (1.1 ± 0.25) – p = 0.002. Composite common carotid IMT in the fourth quartile (> 0.8 mm) independently predicted E’/A’ ratio (p = 0.02), after adjustment for potentially confounding variables, such as age, female gender, waist circumference, diastolic blood pressure, HDL-cholesterol and Framingham Risk. CONCLUSION: Early stage of subclinical atherosclerotic disease is negatively associated with diastolic function parameters in healthy individuals, regardless of age and clinical characteristics.

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Artigo Original

Incidence of pulmonary complications in myocardial revascularization

Leila D. N Ortiz et al. Camila W Schaan Camila P Leguisamo Katiane Tremarin … Waldo L. L. D Mattos Renato A. K Kalil Lucia C Pellanda

BACKGROUND: Despite the increasingly careful attempts to reduce perioperative risks, pulmonary complications following surgery are still very common, leading to longer length of hospital stays or death. OBJECTIVE: To describe the incidence of pulmonary complications and identify their association with duration of extracorporeal circulation (ECC), surgery and ischemia, number of bypass grafts performed, location of drains and length of drainage following myocardial revascularization (MRV). METHODS: This contemporaneous cohort consisted of 202 patients undergoing elective myocardial revascularization (MRV) with saphenous vein graft and internal mammary artery graft and ECC, at a referral university cardiology hospital in Southern Brazil, from April 2006 to November 2007. The following outcomes were analyzed: duration of mechanical ventilation; pneumonia onset; atelectasis; pleural effusion; location of drains and time of removal; and length of hospital stay. RESULTS: Of the 202 patients, 90 developed some sort of pulmonary complication. The incidence of pleural effusion was 84%, whereas atelectasis was 65%. The following variables were associated with pulmonary complications: duration of ECC (p = 0.003), surgery (p = 0.040) and ischemia (p = 0.001); length of drainage (p = 0.050) and location of pleural drains (p = 0.033); age (p = 0.001); ejection fraction (p = 0.010); diagnosis of asthma (p = 0.047) and preoperative abnormal chest X-ray findings (p = 0.029). CONCLUSION: Variables related to the complexity of the surgery and preexisting comorbidities are associated with a high incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications. These data reinforce the importance of having patients undergo perioperative clinical assessment to detect early respiratory complications after MRV.

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