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This paper will review the current role of general practitioners (GPs) in providing cardiovascular prevention for patients after attendance at a cardiac rehabilitation program. Long-term implementation of preventive strategies is needed for continued impact on reducing risk of cardiovascular events and GPs have a major role in providing ongoing continuing medical care. Awareness of patients’ social, cultural and physical circumstances allows the GP to identify individuals’ needs for support in engaging in secondary prevention: relevant brief interventions can promote behaviour change in physical activity, diet and smoking habits, as well as promoting mental health and adherence to optimal medical therapy. Collaborative multidisciplinary working with community and hospital services provides best opportunities for timely referral to specialist expertise to maximise patients’ well-being.

The rate of over-70 year post-surgery patients referred to the Cardiac Rehabilitation Units is increasing. Strategies designed to encourage and facilitate participation in rehabilitation programs in the elderly should be developed. Aim of this paper is to present our elderly-centered program, specifically designed on patient’s needs and frailty, and its short- and medium-term results in 160 consecutive over-70 year patients, admitted in our Cardiac Rehabilitation Unit soon after cardiac surgery. The program was safe, well accepted by the patients, and effective in improving objective and subjective functional status.

Background and aim. The occurrence of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) has been reported among population groups with no documented professional exposure to asbestos fibres living in different geographic areas. This paper reviews existing data related to non occupational MPM including its occurrence in the province of Catania (Sicily, Italy). Methods. An electronic search of literature related to non occupational MPM was performed including the year 2005. Results. Non occupational MPM in subjects living in areas contaminated by a variety of asbestos and non asbestos fibres has been well documented through a number of epidemiologic studies including cases series, case-control studies, and a cohort study. In addition, the observation of familial clustering of MPM, suggests that genetic factors may play a role in the pathogenesis of this malignancy. The epidemiological evidence also suggests that MPM may occur as a result of the interaction between environmental carcinogens, genetic factors, and virus infection. Conclusion. It is likely that genetic predisposition and non-occupational exposure to low doses of asbestos and asbestos- like fibres may concur to the development of malignant mesothelioma. However, additional epidemiological and laboratory studies are needed to further understand the relationship between environmental exposure and individual susceptibility to this malignancy.

Several studies related to September 11 World Trade Center (WTC) terrorist attack have been conducted in order to monitor physical and mental health in the population at risk in the short and medium term. In this paper the main health consequences in the exposed subjects 6 years after the disaster, including ocular, gastrointestinal, respiratory and psychological effects are described and discussed.

Solitary fibrous tumour (SFT) is one of the rare tumours which arise from visceral pleura. Klemperer and Rabin first described SFT as a distinct clinical entity among primary pleural tumoUrs in 1931. Approximately 820 cases have been reported in literature to date. The management of patients with SFT is complete resection of the tumour and follow up of the patient to detect any possible late recurrence. In the present paper, we report two cases of pedunculated solitary fibrous tumours of the pleura that appeared as a wandering chest nodule to which surgical resection undertaken at our hospital. The aim is to summarise our experience in the management of solitary fibrous tumour.

Background. Knowing the prevalence of heavy smokers (HS) by gender and age is a pre-requisite for bringing into effect public health measures against smoking-related diseases. Smoking prevalence data is available for the Italian Regions, however it is generally unknown for the Italian Provinces. Methods. In the year 2000 a survey of smoking prevalence was conducted by 47 general practitioners (GPs), by personal interview, in a large sample of the Varese Province population 45-74 years of age (28,034 subjects; 13,528 men, 14,506 women). Each surveyed subject was categorised either as ever HS (current/former smoker of at least 10 pack-years) or as non HS. The information on smoking habit collected by the GPs was anonymously pooled for analysis. Prevalence figures of smoking were tabulated by gender and by 5-year age-strata. Results. In the population 45-74 years of age the percentage of ever HS overall was 22.3% (34.4% of men; 11.0% of women). The prevalence of ever HS in both sexes combined progressively decreased with advancing age, from 23.6% (45-49 year stratum) to 19.5% (70-74 year stratum). Current HS were 24.5% of men and 9.5% of women. Conclusions. The year 2000 survey on smoking habit, showing 22.3% prevalence of ever HS in age range 45-74 years, is the first conducted in the Varese Province using a large population sample. The data on heavy cigarette smoking presented in this paper, stratified by gender and age, may be used to monitor changes in the smoking habit and in the incidence of smoking-related illnesses at the provincial level.

cardiovascular morbidity and mortality are well established. Both active and passive smoking represent a major health hazard for both men and women. The great concerns related to the deleterious effects of CS on cardiovascular disease have been translated into various kinds of social interventions and targeted health policies since ever. The high health impact of cigarette smoking has driven a huge number of researches at the epidemiological, clinical and biological level. Nevertheless, even though many progresses have been made in understanding the mechanisms underlying the high disease burden associated to cigarette smoke, the exact components and the mechanisms by means of which it exerts its effects remain to be completely clarified as yet. The present paper reviews the main observations on the pathophysiology of smoke-related cardiovascular diseases, providing an up-to-date perspective about one of the main cardiovascular killers of our days.

“End stage” heart failure is unresponsive to conventional pharmacological and non pharmacological treatments and has a bad prognosis either regarding survival or quality-of-life; besides cardiac transplantation is limited by organ shortage. Therefore mechanical devices have been developed, initially as “bridge to transplantation” and, more recently, as “destination therapy”: definitive treatment for non-transplantable patients. In these patients instrumental evaluation, treatment and rehabilitation are not yet defined and standardized. This paper reports the initial experience realized, as a part of a regional cooperation project within Florence and Siena University Hospitals activities, with the first three male patients, aged 45 to 70 years, affected by end-stage heart failure (NYHA class IV), non-eligible to transplantation, and implanted with Jarvik Flowmaker 2000, an intraventricular axial-flow VAD generating a continuous blood flow. After clinical stabilization, patients underwent a specific evaluation and treatment purposely designed for these subjects during ICU and post-ICU stay and, subsequently, a formal cardiac rehabilitation program. Hemodynamic, bioumoral and functional parameters were recorded at the beginning, during and at the end of intensive rehabilitation program. All patients completed the program, achieving a remarkable and meaningful functional recovery, such to allow them going home, continuing with a self-activity with weekly follow-up in the Rehabilitation Center. The experience acquired by following these patients longitudinally – from the VAD implantation to hospital discharge – allowed us to develop a flow-chart divided in five phases, identifying the main clinical problems, the rehabilitative treatment goals and the useful indicators to define criteria for shift from every phase to the following one.

In this paper, the Italian Association for Cardiac Prevention and Rehabilitation (GICR) presents the rationale and design of the “Italian survey on CArdiac RehabilitatiOn and Secondary prevention after cardiac revascularization (ICAROS)”. The survey is a prospective, longitudinal, multicentric survey, with a on-line web-based data collection. Its design corresponds to the survey’s goal, i.e. to describe accurately in the Italian cardiological setting, through a representative number of cardiac rehabilitation centers belonging to the GICR national network, the characteristics, content and effects in the medium term of cardiac rehabilitation (CRP) inpatient or outpatient programs offered to patients after coronary artery bypass (CABG) or percutaneous revascularization (PTCA). The primary aims of the study are: a) to define the principal clinical characteristics of patients who have undergone PTCA or CABG and have been admitted to a CRP program; b) to identify the components of the CRP programs in terms of diagnostic procedures and assessment tests performed, treatments administered, educational programs and physical exercise interventions employed; c) to identify and analyze drug treatments prescribed at discharge from the acute facility and those prescribed at the end of the CRP program; d) to verify the clinical outcome during the course of the CRP program and at 6 months and 1 year after the end of the post-acute CRP program, as well as patients’ adherence to the prescribed pharmacological therapy and to the recommended life styles, and the achievement and maintenance of the targets in relation to the modifiable risk factors; e) to define the consumption of major healthcare resources (major cardiac events, hospital re-admission, emergency care access, specialist visits) during the first year following a CRP program. The survey population will consist of all patients consecutively discharged in the period November 3 - 30, 2008 at the end of an inpatient, day-hospital or outpatient CRP programme after CABG (isolated or associated to valve or ascending aorta surgery) or PTCA (rescue, primary or elective). There are no age, sex or other patient selection criteria. Based on ISYDE 2008 data analysis, we plan to recruit approximately 1300-1400 patients, 75% of whom with post CABG diagnosis and 25% with post PTCA diagnosis. Preliminary results of the survey are expected in the late winter 2009.

The testing and checking phases of a questionnaire are briefly described in this paper, identifying the common errors due to incorrect formulation of questions and the main issues. The theoretical methods for “testing” a questionnaire has been examined in the first section, in the second section the testing process for a specific questionnaire for assessing the patient’s acceptability of a dry powder device (the Handling Questionnaire) has been described, together with the grading of improvement achieved.

Endothelial function measured with brachial ultrasound (BU) is a validated prognostic factor in heart failure patients. LVAD (left ventricle assist device) application is a promising surgical technique to treat refractory heart failure patients both as a bridge to heart transplantation or as destination therapy. Clinical recovery in such patients may be associated to normal endothelial function measured by BU but, as recently reported, only in pulsatile flow LVAD patients. The present paper report a case of normal endothelial function even in a axial LVAD patient.

Hospital discharge after an Acute Coronary Syndrome represents a potential pitfall for patients. Strict adherence to discharge instructions is sometimes essential for recovery and prevention of complications and patients’ knowledge of diagnosis and treatment plan is an integral component of patient education. Discharge communication is an integral part of high-quality, patient-centered care but patients leaving hospital often fail to understand important elements of their discharge and home care plan. This paper describes the existing literature on patient understanding and implementation of discharge instructions, discusses previous interventions aimed at improving the discharge process, and recommends best practices.

Background. This paper presents a revision of services provided to patient over two years following a myocardial infarction (MI) based on data derived from administrative databases. The study aims to evaluate the burden and the resources consumed by these patients, as well as the adherence to clinical guidelines. Methods. All patient hospitalised for myocardial infarction in the cardiology unit of the hospital of San Donà di Piave (Venice, Italy) were identified. The clinical record was reviewed to reconstruct clinical history. Then from the Local Health Unit n. 10 all information regarding these patient were collected and analysed after record linkage. Results. The patients with MI were 236. Of these, 20 died during the first hospitalization, 2 were lost to the follow up and 40 died within the two years period. The 214 patients who were alive after the first hospitalization produced 447 ordinary and 57 day hospital hospitalization. Specialist services were 23.250, and of these 17.583 were evaluated as being related to the cardiac disease. The value of drug prescribed over the two year period was € 553.108. The number of prescriptions belonging to the anatomic ATC class C were 29.076, received by 210 people. The mean pro capita estimated cost was € 22.058 in the first year, and € 6.226 in the second year. Conclusions. The characteristics of the sample population of our patients with MI were similar to those described in the literature. Follow up showed a sharp decrease of care and services received by patients during the second year after the acute event. In addition, a large part of services was not related to the cardiac diseases. Only a limited number of patients followed a rehabilitation programme. The estimated pro capita overall cost was very relevant in the first year, and the difference with the cost of the second year suggests a fall over time of the relevance attributed by the patients to the cardiac problems.

The present Italian health planning demands the use of tools, care and treatments useful for the National Health Service, but with empirical effectiveness scientifically sustained. Aim of the present paper is to verify the validity, the reliability and the responsiveness of the factor “Perception of positive change” (named Schedule C) in cardiovascular rehabilitation. Method. The reliability of the Schedule C of the CBA VE has been examined comparing the mean scores obtained from each item at the entry and just before the discharge through the t-Student for paired sample. To assess the concurrent validity we used the AD Short Scale to measure anxiety and depression. 100 patients who underwent cardiac surgery were enrolled during hospitalization for a Cardiac Rehabilitation Programme. Cronbach’s alpha was used to assess internal consistency of each item. Results. Each item of the Schedule C demonstrated good internal consistency (Cronbach Alpha >.88) and elevated correlations item-total for each item. The strong correlation of anxiety and depression scores with the Schedule C points out appropriate concurrent validation. Conclusions. We believe that the Schedule C of the CBA VE is endowed with suitable metric validity and then useful as outcome evaluation in cardiovascular rehabilitation settings.

A standardized and evidence-based approach to the cardiological management of patients undergoing noncardiac surgery has been recently defined by Task Forces of the American Heart Association (AHA), American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) that published their guidelines in 2007 and 2009, respectively. Both the recommendations moved from risk indices to a practical, stepwise approach of the patient, which integrates clinical risk factors and test results with the estimated stress of the planned surgical procedure. In the present paper the main topics of the guidelines are discussed, and moreover, emphasis is placed on four controversial issues such as the use of prophylactic coronary revascularization in patients with myocardial ischemia, the perioperative management of patients with congestive heart failure, the routine use of betablockers and statins, and, finally, the management of antiplatelet therapies in patients with coronary stents. In addition to promoting an improvement of immediate perioperative care, the preoperative cardiological evaluation should be a challenge for identifying subjects with enhanced risk of cardiovascular events, who should be treated and monitored during a long-term follow-up.

The aim of this paper was to provide a detailed description of the EuroQol- 5 Dimension (EQ-5D) useful for those member of staff in rehabilitation setting who wish to use it properly. EQ-5D is an instrument which evaluates the generic quality of life developed in Europe and widely used. The EQ-5D descriptive system is a preference-based HRQL measure with one question for each of the five dimensions that include mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression. The answers given to ED-5D permit to find 243 unique health states or can be converted into EQ- 5D index an utility scores anchored at 0 for death and 1 for perfect health. The EQ-5D questionnaire also includes a Visual Analog Scale (VAS), by which respondents can report their perceived health status with a grade ranging from 0 (the worst possible health status) to 100 (the best possible health status). Finally the specific utility (in clinical and research setting) of each one of them is discussed.

Over the years left ventricular assist devices (VADs) have become more durable and reliable, smaller, simpler, easier to implant and more comfortable. The extensive experience now acquired shows successful hospital discharge with VAD use. We are entering an era in which long-term mechanical circulatory support will play an increasing role in the approach to end-stage heart failure (HF); at the same time, the extension of VADs into destination therapy has revealed the limitations of our understanding of these populations. This second paper on cardiovascular prevention and rehabilitation for patients with left VADs will deal with the management of patients outside the highly specialized HF centers and surgical setting, with particular focus on postoperative patient management. Outpatient management of VAD patients is time-intensive, and a multidisciplinary approach is ideal in long-term care. Although the new devices have definite advantages over the older pumps, some challenges still remain, i.e. infection, stroke, device thrombosis, gastrointestinal bleeding, recurrent HF symptomatology with or without multisystem organ failure, and occurrence of ventricular arrhythmias.

Objectives: This article aimed to describe a new experience activated inside of a more general psychological approach for patients who underwent cardiac surgery intervention. Material and Methods: The first 100 patients taking part to the groups were subjected to a questionnaire in order to evaluate the satisfaction degree of the meeting. Results: The questionnaire results, showed on the whole a good rating of the meeting. In addition to quantitative results, we express and discuss in this paper some considerations concerning the obtained results. Conclusions: Preliminary data analysis show that volunteers previously submitted to cardiac surgery seem to offer an important contribution to the psychological support of patients recently undergone cardiac surgery.

Life expectancy in patients affected by cancer has recently increased because of early diagnosis and actual therapies. In recent years, Oncology and Cardiology developed a tight relationship because of common risk factors (i.e. obesity, smoking, alcool intake, etc…), and for preventing the prothrombotic status due to cancer and the potential cardiotoxicity of chemotherapy. Cardiotoxicity incidence is reported from 1% up to 70% in retrospective analyses of drug protocols, mainly representing by left ventricular dysfunction (both reversible or irreversible), but also by arrhythmias, hypertension, atrioventricular block, coronary spasm, and arterial or venous thromboembolism. The early detection of the chemoterapy induced cardiotoxicity is now mandatory and can be obtained through a proper patients selection for different treatments and a strict monitoring during the follow-up period. The role of biomarkers of early cardiac damage, mainly, troponin I and brain natriuretic peptide-BNP, has been recently challenged, and algorithms are currently available. In the present paper, we propose how to perform a cardiological evaluation of patients undergoing chemoterapy tailored by the known adverse effects of the drugs.

After the ROCKET AF study main paper several subgroups analysis were recently published. These studies are useful to better evaluate the rivaroxaban efficacy and safety in different clinical conditions. Here the subgroup analysis of patients with moderate renal failure, heart failure and diabetes are presented. Post hoc data on patients who underwent an electrical or pharmacological cardioversion during ROKET AF follow up were available and here we analyze also the results of the first randomized study on electrical cardioversion in patients treated with new oral anticolagulants: the X-VeRT trial. A metanalysis of all the studies with rivaroxaban (one on stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation, two on acute coronary syndromes, four on deep venous thrombosis prophylaxis and two on pulmonary embolism treatment) with respect to the risk of myocardial infarction is examined.

Rehabilitative and preventive cardiology (CRP) is configured as intervention prevention to “gain health” through a process of multifactorial care that reduces disability and the risk of subsequent cardiovascular events. It makes use of an interdisciplinary team in which every professional needs to have multiple intervention paths because of the different levels of clinical and functional complexity of cardiac patients who currently have access to the rehabilitation. The document refers to the use of interventions by nurses, physiotherapists, dietitians and psychologists that are part of the rehabilitation team of CRP. Interventions of which have been documented, on scientific bases and clinical practice, empirical effectiveness and organizational efficiency. The methodological approach of this paper is a first attempt to define, through the model of consensus, the minimum standards for a CRP evidence based characterized by clearly defined criteria that can be used by operators of CRP. The document describes the activities to be carried out in each of the phases included in the pathways of care by nurses, physiotherapists, dietitians and psychologists. The routes identified were divided, according to the type of patients who have access to the CRP and to the phases of care, including the initial assessment, intervention, evaluation and final reporting, in high medium and low complexity. Examples of models of reporting, used by the operators of the team according to the principles of good clinical practice, are provided. This is made to allow traceability of operations, encourage communication inside the working group and within the patient and the caregiver. Also to give any possible indication for the post-rehabilitation.

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common clinical problem and its prevalence increases in frequency with age. ED is a risk marker for major cardiovascular events independently of other more common risk factors in men with and without known cardiovascular disease. On the basis of the “artery-size hypothesis” patients with cardiovascular disease often report ED before disease detection, in average 3 years. Thus, by an early identification of ED, the cardiologist is given a unique opportunity to better assess the cardiovascular risk of each patient. Although there is a general impression that ED has an important predictive role, its diagnosis in clinical practice is widely suboptimal owing to misconceptions from the side of the patient and a suboptimal management of the personal relationship from the side of the physician. This paper explores the critical connection between ED and cardiovascular disease and evaluates how this association may influence clinical practice.

Non steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are largely used for treatment of acute and chronic pain, even for long periods of time (months or years). While it is known that their use is frequently associated with gastrointestinal damage, including major bleedings from peptic ulcer, the risk of cardiovascular events related to NSAID has received much less attention. However, there is a large body of evidence showing that NSAIDs (both “traditional”, such as diclofenac or indobufen, and selective cyclooxygenase inhibitors, COX-2) are associated with a significant increase of risk of cardiovascular events, both fatal and nonfatal. Consequently, several options have been proposed for the treatment of pain, including the use of analgesic drugs with different mechanisms of action, such as the opiates. Of interest, the Italian Drug Agency (AIFA) published a few years ago a warning (Nota 66) on the careful prescription of NSAIDs in patients with overt heart disease, such as coronary artery disease and heart failure. Aim of this paper is to present the current status of knowledge on the proper use of NSAIDs and other analgesic drugs in the management of acute and chronic pain.

Information on the Proceedings of the European Seminars in Respiratory Medicine course, Long-Term Integrated Care of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Patients in Stresa, Italy from June 16-17, 2016 is presented. Topics discussed include the focus on the multidisciplinary approach to patients with respiratory disease, the description of the integrated care and management of chronic disease, and the prevalence of COPD in 1990 and 2010.

Massive hemoptysis is a stressful and life-threatening event that can occur in lung cancer patients. The management of this event is usually challenging, and can involve surgery, embolization, and bronchoscopy. Unfortunately, while surgery can offer a definitive solution to hemoptysis, lung cancer patients are often excluded from this approach. On the other hand, bronchial arterial embolization rarely results in long-term control of bleeding. Endoscopy allows a skilled physician to perform mechanical tamponade or laser photocoagulation of bleeding lesions and preserve the main airways. While endoscopic stent placement is usually performed in order to treat stenosis, it has been occasionally employed to isolate and mechanically block the bleeding sites within the bronchial tree. We present the cases of two patients suffering from lung cancerrelated life-threatening hemoptysis; both patients were successfully treated by positioning a silicone stent during emergency bronchoscopy. Subsequently, we present a concise review of the available literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anticoagulation, reducing the risk of thromboembolic events in patients undergoing cardioversion, is a cornerstone of peri-cardioversion management in patients with atrial fibrillation. We aimed to analyse published data on the efficacy and safety of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in patients undergoing cardioversion. We performed a systematic review of randomized prospective clinical trials (RCTs) comparing DOACs with warfarin and reporting data on post-cardioversion outcomes of interest. Outcomes of interest were stroke, systemic thromboembolic events and major bleeding. We reviewed a total of six RCTs including 3900 cardioversions performed using a DOAC for thromboembolic prophylaxis. These studies reported a low incidence overall of adverse outcomes associated with the use of DOACs (around 1% in all studies, except the ROCKET posthoc study which included ablation procedures). The incidence rate of adverse events during DOAC treatment was found to be very similar to that observed with warfarin anticoagulation. In RCTs DOAC treatment in patients undergoing cardioversion appears to be effective and safe. However, because evidence in this clinical setting is still weak, observational reports could be useful in providing further data about peri-procedural outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uncertainty exists about current delivery levels of exercise training (ET) during Cardiac Rehabilitation (CR) programmes. The aim of this study was to evaluate ET modalities in the real world of CR facilities in Italy. This was an observational survey of aggregate data, collected from CR facilities on a voluntary basis. Snapshots of a single working day at a local site were made, in terms of characteristics of patients and ET programmes delivered. Overall, 612 patients from 26 CR units were included, with an in-patient vs out-patient ratio of 3:1. Coronary artery disease (57.6%), heart failure (20.3%), and valve disease/surgery (22.1%) were the most represented target groups. The prevalence of endurance continuous training, interval training, and resistance/strength training was 66.7%, 11.1%, and 9.0%; other non-aerobic endurance and non-resistance training modalities such as respiratory muscle training and calisthenics were reported in 39.9% and 42.9% of cases respectively. Workloads for endurance exercise training were determined by cardiopulmonary test, conventional 12-leads ECG exercise testing, 6minwalking test, theoretical determination of heart rate, and rating of perceived exertion in 9%, 8%, 27%, 9%, and 40% of cases respectively. The average duration of the programmes (on an intention to treat basis) was 25 sessions of 42±11 min, with a frequency of >4 sessions/week in 67% of patients. Despite advances in CR interventions, there is a significant need for improvement of functional evaluation and exercise training prescription, and consideration of a wider range of training modalities in Italy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors discuss the importance of early mobilization in patients who underwent surgery for left ventricular assistant device (LVAD) placement to ensure speedy recovery. LVAD surgery is reportedly a serious procedure which often require cardiopulmonary bypass. Also explored are the importance of timing of implantation, in-patient cardiac rehabilitation, and out-patient to home-based rehabilitation.

Asthma is a common disorder presenting with nonspecific features, which may mimic other conditions such as tracheal tumors. Tracheal tumors are often misdiagnosed as asthma. We report a case of a 38-year female who was being worked up for persistent wheeze that was initially attributed to acute asthma, only to be later discovered as tracheal tumor. A high index of suspicion for alternative diagnoses must be kept in mind while evaluating a patient who presents with clinical features suggestive of asthma, but fails to respond to standard therapy. The present case report emphasizes the fact that not all wheezes are asthma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exercise training induces physical adaptations for heart failure patients with systolic dysfunction but less is known about those patients with preserved ejection fraction. This study's aims were to establish if exercise training produces changes in peak VO2 and related measures, quality of life, general health and diastolic function in heart failure patients with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). We conducted a MEDLINE search (1985 to September 1, 2015), for exercise based rehabilitation trials in heart failure, using search terms 'exercise training, heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, heart failure with normal ejection fraction, peak VO2 and diastolic heart dysfunction'. Eight intervention studies were included providing a total of 174 exercising subjects and 143 control subjects, a total of 317 participants. Peak VO2 increased by a mean difference (MD) 2.08 mL kg-1 min-1 (95% C.I. 1.51 to 2.65, p<0.00001) in exercise training versus sedentary control, equating to a 17% improvement from baseline. VE/VCO2 slope was not different between groups, MD -3.10 mL kg-1 min-1 (95% C.I. -7.47 to 1.27, p=0.16); maximum heart rate was significantly increased in exercise groups, MD 3.46 bpm (95% C.I. 2.41 to 4.51, p<0.00001); 6 Minute Walk Distance (6MWT) MD 32.1m (95% C.I. 17.2 to 47.1, p<0.0001); diastolic function; the ratio of early to late filling (E/A ratio) was improved after exercise training MD 0.07 (95% C.I. 0.02 to 0.12, p=0.006); as was filling pressure E/E' ratio MD -2.38 (95% C.I. -3.47 to -1.28, p<0.0001); Deceleration time (DT) MD -13.2 msec (95% C.I. -19.8 to -6.5, p=0.0001); Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ) MD -6.77 (95% C.I. -9.70 to -3.84, p<0.00001); Short Form-36 Health Survey MD 11.38 (95% C.I. 5.28 to 17.48, p=0.0003). In 3222 patient-hours of training, not a single death was directly attributable to exercise. Exercise training appears to effect several health-related improvements in people with heart failure and preserved ejection fraction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) is a specialized subtype of exercise testing that provides a more accurate and objective measure of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF). CPET relies on measurement of ventilatory gases during exercise, i.e., a non-invasive procedure that involves the acquisition of expired ventilation and concentrations of oxygen (O2) and carbon dioxide (CO2) during progressive exercise. The non-invasive measurement of ventilation and expired gases permits the accurate and reproducible quantification of CRF, a grading of the etiology and severity of impairment, and an objective assessment of the response to an intervention. Moreover, a particularly large volume of research has been directed toward the utility of CPET as a prognostic tool; CPET is a scientifically sound and therefore clinically valuable method for estimating prognosis in various disease states. Although still underutilized, CPET has gained popularity not only due to the recognition of its clear value in the functional assessment of patients with cardiovascular, pulmonary and musculoskeletal disease/disorders, but also because technological advances (e.g., rapid response analyzers and computer-assisted data processing) have made this modality easier to use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exercise training (ET) is strongly recommended in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). Moderate-intensity aerobic continuous ET is the best established training modality in CHF patients. In the last decade, however, high-intensity interval exercise training (HIIT) has aroused considerable interest in cardiac rehabilitation community. Basically, HIIT consists of repeated bouts of high-intensity exercise alternated with recovery periods. In CHF patients, HIIT exerts larger improvements in exercise capacity compared to moderate-continuous ET. These results are intriguing, mostly considering that better functional capacity translates into an improvement of symptoms and quality of life. Notably, HIIT did not reveal major safety issues; although CHF patients should be clinically stable, have had recent exposure to at least regular moderate-intensity exercise, and appropriate supervision and monitoring during and after the exercise session are mandatory. The impact of HIIT on cardiac dimensions and function and on endothelial function remains uncertain. HIIT should not replace other training modalities in heart failure but should rather complement them. Combining and tailoring different ET modalities according to each patient's baseline clinical characteristics (i.e. exercise capacity, personal needs, preferences and goals) seem the most astute approach to exercise prescription. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients with Lower Extremity Peripheral Artery Disease (LEPAD) have been recently identified as target groups for structured Cardiac Prevention and Rehabilitation (CPR) programs, whose core components and intervention goals are now well recognized. Historically, exercise training (ET) programs have been employed for the treatment of LEPAD with typical intermittent claudication, and several meta-analysis documented improvements in walking distances of enrolled patients. Both in American and European guidelines, a frequency of at least 3 sessions per week and program duration of 12 weeks were judged as optimal, while recommended sessions lengths were 30-45 minutes and 30- 60 minutes respectively. Among emerging aspects in the field of LEPAD rehabilitation, 1) the extended role of CPR programs in stages other than that of intermittent claudication, 2) an updated identification of predictors of poor outcome after ET, 3) the attributable effect of exercise on global cardio-respiratory fitness in LEPAD, 4) the combination of ET and invasive measures for advanced stages of LEPAD, and 5) the role of community walking programs have been discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Oral anticoagulation is a widely used treatment and atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most frequent indication. We review the therapeutic options on an important clinical challenge: rapid reversal anticoagulation in the setting of an urgent invasive procedure. We report a case of a 71-year-old man treated with warfarin who was over-anticoagulated when presented to the emergency department for syncope due to severe bradiarrhythmia and needed temporary pacing. Intravenous infusion of vitamin-k was not adequate for rapid reversal over anticoagulation whereas the administration of a Prothrombin Complex Concentrate (PCC) was able to quickly reverse anticoagulant activity and allowed the performance of an urgent invasive procedure without hemorrhagic complication. The aim of this paper is to draw attention to possible therapeutic strategies to reduce the risk of bleeding related to over-anticoagulation with vitamin-K antagonists (VKAs) in case of urgent invasive procedure, emphasizing the role of PCC in keeping with national and international guidelines.

Intramedullary thoracic spinal metastasis from small-cell lung cancer. S. Katsenos, M. Nikolopoulou. Lung cancer with intramedullary spinal cord metastasis (ISCM) is a rare event exhibiting dismal prognosis. In the present paper, we describe a 74-year-old male who developed bilateral leg weakness with associated backache and non-productive cough. Chest imaging evaluation demonstrated pronounced bilateral mediastinal lymphadenopathy and a nodular opacity in the right lower lobe. The patient was diagnosed with small cell lung cancer through bronchoscopic procedures. Magnetic resonance imaging of the spinal cord with contrast-enhancement revealed an intramedullary lesion consistent with metastasis at the T5-T6 level. Despite chemotherapy and thoracic spine radiotherapy, he eventually succumbed to the disease 3 months after diagnosis. A brief overview of the current literature is also provided laying emphasis on the therapeutic strategies of this unusual extrathoracic metastatic disease.

Re expansion pulmonary edema (RPE) is an uncommon complication of thoracentesis or chest drainage. It occurs in the ipsilateral or contralateral lung. Causes, pathogenesis and therapy are not well understood especially for contralateral RPE. We describe a case of fatal contralateral RPE in a 59-years-old woman with right lung cancer underwent ultrasound guided thoracentesis for massive pleural effusion and severe dyspnea. Pathogenesis of contralateral RPE is probably multifactorial and in this case is mostly due to the overperfusion of the healthy lung and consequent capillary damage. The right therapy for this condition is not known. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lung Cancer is the primary cause of cancer-related death in the United States. We have recognized a need for novel methods of identification and consideration of enrollment into a lung cancer screening program for those at the highest risk of lung cancer. Our primary goal was to determine if pulmonary function test (PFT) demographic data would be useful in identifying patients for lung cancer screening. We retrospectively reviewed PFTs performed at Lahey Hospital & Medical Center (LHMC) January 2012 through January 2013 and found that of patients identified as high risk of lung cancer, 89% had passed through our PFT lab but had not yet been screened. Investigation into the barriers of lung cancer screening to better understand how to increase appropriate enrollment then followed. A total of 3098 PFTs were reviewed from January 2012 through January 2013 and 634 patients (20%) were identified as high risk for lung cancer. Of 634 patients, 70 (11%) were already in the LHMC lung cancer screening program. The remaining 564 patients (89%) were not enrolled, and of these, it was found that 292 patients identified as high risk for lung cancer represented missed opportunities for screening. The remaining 272 patients were appropriately not screened with the three most common reasons being prior imaging with positive finding, lung cancer within five years, and provider discussed but scan not yet performed. Appropriate enrollment in a lung cancer screening program may be increased with the careful use of demographic data obtained from a PFT lab. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is currently a lack of consensus on which anticoagulant therapy contraindications should be considered "absolute" and which should be considered "relative". Guidelines do not clearly identify absolute and relative contraindications to anticoagulant therapy. Recent guidelines on AF of the European Society of Cardiology underline the relevance of several factors and their use in scores, leaving anyway space to the clinical judgment of the physician. A high bleeding risk score should generally not result per se in a contraindication to anticoagulant therapy. Rather, bleeding risk factors should be identified and treatable factors corrected. A combined use of a more hierarchical classification of the different bleeding risk factors and the risk scores probably represents the best approach to maximize the benefit of anticoagulant therapy in various clinical settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the elderly mitral regurgitation is very frequent and surgical correction of mitral regurgitation (MR) has often a high operative risk, consequently, over the years, different percutaneous transcatheter techniques have been developed as a valid alternative to surgery. The edge-to-edge repair with the MitraClip device has gained a wide clinical application, supported by several studies, both randomized trials and registries. It is indicated in functional MR as in degenerative MR. The outcome is usually positive, resulting in a reduction of the regurgitation to grade 1+ or 2+ and an improvement in the NYHA functional class to I or II, even reducing the hospitalizations. Its cost-effectiveness too is supported by some studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Monaldi Archives for Chest Disease is the property of PAGEPress and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The correlation between the 6-minute walking distance and obesity has been only partially explored. Results obtained from the existing predictive equations are influenced by a variety of factors (health status, severity of obesity, reduced muscle strength and mobility, decreased aerobic capacity, presence of comorbidities). The aim of our study was to verify, compare and discuss the 6MWD predictive capacity of the equations currently available in the literature in a sample of obese subjects. Despite similar study design, the considered articles varied with regard to the number of individuals included and to age range. None of the equations available in the literature was able to accurately predict the six-minute walked distance performed by the obese subjects involved in our study. The six-minute walked distance performed by obese subjects seems to be influenced by other factors than the variables included in the equations from the literature, suggesting that they may not thoroughly capture the complexity of disability in obese people. Future research should be designed in order to validate population- specific equations, by including variables related to clinical, functional, and psychological areas, which are usually impaired in obese individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Monaldi Archives for Chest Disease is the property of PAGEPress and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Monaldi Archives for Chest Disease is the property of PAGEPress and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In the first volume of the New England Journal of Medicine of 1812, J. Warren published a paper on the subject of angina pectoris, in which clearly emerge the difficulties facing the physicians of that time in trying to formulate a correct diagnosis and prescribe the right therapy. We thought it would be certainly of interest to offer our readers an Italian translation of this article, obviously with some stylistic modifications and supplemented with information coming from other historical scientific works. William Heberden in his report on “ breast pain” was the first physician to use the term “angina” and the description of symptoms that he gave in 1772 is still today valid and correct.

With the widespread use of non-invasive positive pressure mechanical ventilation, great efforts have been made to produce machines, the bi-level home ventilators, which are less sophisticated, cheaper and able to better compensate air leaks with respect to the domiciliary volume- target machines and the traditional ventilators used in intensive care unit. As consequence of quick technologic evolution, bi-level home ventilators may be nowadays successfully applied for both the non-invasive ventilatory domiciliary treatment of chronic respiratory failure and the management of acute respiratory failure especially outside the intensive care setting. In this paper, the author describes the technical aspects, the individual characteristics and the clinical applications of the most common used bi-level ventilators.

Atrial fibrillation is the most frequent complication after cardiac surgery. Its onset leads to a threefold higher risk for stroke compared with patients in sinus rhythm and other adverse events such as thromboembolic events and heart failure. The direct consequence is an increased length of hospital stays with obvious economic implications. These reasons have led the attention of many investigators to point out the rule of possible predisposing factors and underlining mechanisms in order to establish an effective preventive treatment. The present paper is aimed to review the state-ofthe- art knowledge about post-operative atrial fibrillation and its complex etiopathogenesis which is in turn responsible for the lack of consensus regarding routine prophylaxis.

Esophageal perforation is a fatal entity if not diagnosed in a timely fashion. Once diagnosed, it requires collaborative effort of team of doctors including radiologists, thoracic surgeons and general surgeons. We share hereby our experience with esophageal perforation and successful outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]