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Background: Tissue Doppler Imaging (TDI) is a sensible and feasible method to detect longitudinal left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction (LVSD) in patients with diabetes mellitus, hypertension or ischemic heart disease. In this study, we hypothesized that longitudinal LVSD assessed by TDI predicted inducible myocardial ischemia independently of other echocardiographic variables (assessed as coexisting potential markers) in patients at increased cardiovascular (CV) risk.Methods: Two hundred one patients at high CV risk defined according to the ESC Guidelines 2012 underwent exercise stress echocardiography (ExSEcho) for primary prevention. Echocardiographic parameters were measured at rest and peak exercise.Results: ExSEcho classified 168 (83.6 %) patients as non-ischemic and 33 (16,4 %) as ischemic. Baseline clinical characteristics were similar between the groups, but ischemic had higher blood pressure, received more frequently beta-blockers and antiplatelet agents than non-ischemic patients. The former had greater LV size, lower relative wall thickness and higher left atrial systolic force (LASF) than the latter. LV systolic longitudinal function (measure as peak S') was significantly lower in ischemic than non-ischemic patients (8.7 ± 2.1 vs 9.7 ± 2.7 cm/sec, p = 0.001). The factors independently related to myocardial ischemia at multivariate logistic analysis were: lower peak S', higher LV circumferential end-systolic stress and LASF.Conclusions: In asymptomatic patients at increased risk for adverse CV events baseline longitudinal LVSD together with higher LV circumferential end-systolic stress and LASF were the factors associated with myocardial ischemia induced by ExSEcho. The assessment of these factors at standard echocardiography might help the physicians for improving the risk stratification among these patients for ExSEcho. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of this study was to assess the prognostic interaction between age and sex on peri-operative and follow-up outcomes following elective carotid endarterectomy (CEA) for asymptomatic and symptomatic carotid stenosis. Patients and methods: A retrospective review of all patients admitted to a single vascular unit who underwent elective CEA between January, 2015 and December, 2019 was performed. The primary endpoints of the study were overall survival (from index operation) and cumulative stroke rate at thirty days. Results: A total of 383 consecutive patients were included in this study; of these 254 (66.4%) were males. At baseline, males were younger (mean age 73.4±11 vs. 76.3±10 years, p=.01) and with lower proportion of octogenarians (20.4% vs. 28.7%, p=.05). The rate of stroke in symptomatic and asymptomatic patients (males vs. females) were as follows: a) whole cohort 1.9% vs. 2% (p=1.00) and 2.7% vs. 1.3% (p=.66), respectively; b) ≥80 years old 3.7% vs. 0% (p=1.00) and 4% vs. 5.9% (p=1.00), respectively; c) <80 years old 1.2% vs. 3.3% (p=.47) and 2.5% vs. 0% (p=.55), respectively. The 3-year survival estimates were significantly lower for males (84% vs. 92%, p=.03). After stratification by age groups, males maintained inferior survival rates in the strata aged <80 years (85% vs. 97%, p=.005), while no differences were seen in the strata aged ≥80 years (82% vs. 79%, p=.92). Using multivariate Cox proportional hazards, age (HR: 2.1, 95% CI: 1.29-3.3, p=.002) and male gender (HR: 2.5, 95% CI: 1.16-5.5, p=.02) were associated with increased hazards of all-cause mortality. Conclusions: In this study of elective CEA for asymptomatic and symptomatic carotid stenosis, similar peri-operative neurologic outcomes were found in both males and females irrespective of age. Despite being usually older, females have superior long-term survival rates.

Background and Aims: Patients who underwent a successful repair of the aortic coarctation show chronic hyperdynamic state and normal left ventricular (LV) geometry; however, there are few data regarding the LV systolic function in the long term. Accordingly, we assessed LV systolic mechanics and factors associated with LV systolic dysfunction (LVSD) in patients with repaired CoA., Methods: Clinical and echocardiographic data from 19 repaired CoA were analyzed 28 ± 13 years after surgery. Stress-corrected midwall shortening (sc-MS) and mitral annular peak systolic velocity (S') were analyzed as indexes of LV circumferential and longitudinal systolic function, respectively. Echocardiographic data of CoA patients were compared with 19 patients matched for age and hypertension and 38 healthy controls. Sc-MS was considered impaired if <89%, S' if <8.5 cm/s (10th percentiles of healthy controls, respectively)., Results: There were no statistical differences between study groups in LV volumes, mass and geometry. LV ejection fraction and Sc-MS were similar in all groups, however, CoA group had a significantly lower peak S' in comparison with matched and healthy controls (7.1 ± 1.3, 10.3 ± 1.9, and 11.1 ± 1.5, respectively; all P < 0.001). Prevalence of longitudinal LVSD defined as low S' was 84% in CoA, 13% in matched, and 5% in healthy control group (all P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that low peak S' was independently related to higher E/E' ratio and the presence of CoA., Conclusions: Patients who underwent a successful repair of CoA commonly show asymptomatic longitudinal LVSD associated with worse LV diastolic function in the long-term follow-up., (© 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Background: Monitoring patients on oral anticoagulation is essential to prevent haemorrhage and recurrent thrombosis, but it is still difficult. We studied a group of 348 patients with mechanical heart valve prostheses to verify whether the use of a new portable prothrombin time device might improve the management of oral anticoagulant therapy., Methods and Material: We used a new portable prothrombin time device to check the anticoagulation therapy in a group of 348 patients with mechanical heart valve prostheses to validate its results by comparing to routine I.N.R. determinations (28 pts) and verify its user-friendliness by a face-to-face interview. Furthermore, the incidence of haemorrhagic and thromboembolic events has been studied by a two-year follow-up., Results: Pearson correlation indicated an R2 = 0.9 between I.N.R. values determined by routine or by a new portable prothrombin time device. All patients agreed to replace the routine I.N.R. determinations with those by the new procedure, particularly female, young and those with usually difficult blood collections. During the two-year follow-up period, 21 haemorrhagic (2.6/100/patients/year) and 5 thromboembolic events (0.6/100/patients/year) occurred; but neither replaced valves' thrombi nor fatal events were found out., Conclusions: I.N.R.s determined using a new portable prothrombin time device are convincing as routine determinations. Such new procedure improves the quality of life, and the therapeutical range of anticoagulation is maintained safer and longer than by routine determinations. These results suggest that the control of anticoagulation in patients to a set I.N.R. therapeutic range is improved by using portable prothrombin time device in expert anticoagulation clinics, such improvement may result in reducing mortality as well as morbidity in patients treated with oral anticoagulants.

Peripheral arterial disease, which is caused by atherosclerotic stenosis or occlusion of the leg arteries, is an important manifestation of systemic atherosclerosis. The age-adjusted prevalence of symptomatic and asymptomatic peripheral arterial disease is approximately 12% in the general population. The overall prevalence and incidence of the disease is likely to increase with the aging of the population. Peripheral arterial disease is a relatively benign condition in terms of local disease. Five years after the diagnosis, 75% of the patients remain clinically stable. On the contrary, life expectancy, even in the absence of any history of myocardial infarction or ischemic stroke, has decreased by 10 years. These patients have approximately the same relative risk of death from cardiovascular causes as do patients with history of coronary or cerebrovascular disease. Moreover, the severity of peripheral arterial disease is closely associated with the risk of myocardial infarction and death from vascular disease. The lower the ankle-brachial index, the greater the risk of cardiovascular events. Furthermore, peripheral arterial disease is a significant independent predictor for cardiovascular mortality also in coronary patients. The risk factors associated with peripheral arterial disease are essentially the same as for coronary heart disease: older age, cigarette smoking, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia. The excess morbidity and mortality for cardiovascular disease in these patients has not been fully explained. Patients with peripheral arterial disease show a systemic endothelial dysfunction and an increase in the serum concentration of activated white blood cells, endothelin, and C-reactive protein that may trigger acute coronary syndromes. In peripheral arterial disease the functional status is often severely impaired. Peak exercise performance has decreased to about 50% of that of age-matched controls, equivalent to moderate-severe heart failure. Epidemiological studies support the concept that patients affected by peripheral arterial disease, without established coronary heart disease, have a coronary heart disease high risk equivalent. In spite of this, peripheral arterial disease remains an underdiagnosed and undertreated disease. As the role of cardiologists is expanding, the purpose of this review was to awaken the clinician to the significance of lower limb atherosclerotic occlusive diseases.

Purpose: To compare the long-term patency after the treatment of mild-to-moderate femoropopliteal artery disease by percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) alone (PTA group) and PTA plus stenting (STENT group) in a non-randomised retrospective study., Materials and Methods: Eighty-six limbs in 64 patients (mean age 67+/-8 years, 47 males and 17 females) with femoropopliteal artery disease and symptomatic for mild-to-moderate intermittent claudication (Rutherford's category 1-2) were treated by percutaneous revascularization. None of the patients had critical lower limb ischaemia. Of the 86 lesions, 63 (40 stenoses and 23 occlusions) were treated by PTA alone and 23 (12 stenoses and 11 occlusions) by PTA plus stent implantation. The success was defined as a maximal = or < 30% residual stenosis of vessel lumen diameter, as defined by biplane angiography. The angiography findings were confirmed by colour-Doppler sonography of the treated segment. A peak systolic velocity = or < 150 cm/sec in the treated segment and an improvement of the ankle/brachial index by gs; 0.15 were considered indications of haemodynamic success. Restenosis at follow-up (mean 21 months, range 1-72 months) was defined by colour-Doppler sonography as a peak systolic velocity gs; 230 cm/sec or a peak systolic velocity ratio gs; 2.5 in the treated area and a gs; 0.15 decrease in ankle/brachial index compared with post-procedure measurements., Results: Treatment by PTA plus stenting enabled correction of residual stenosis in 15/23 limbs, relief of PTA complications in 7/23 limbs and correction of restenosis after a PTA in 1/23. In the PTA group the treatment was successful in 59/86 limbs (68%) versus 21/23 (91%) in the STENT group (chi squared value= 0,04). As a whole, major complications occurred in 5.8% of cases (n=5), 3 in the PTA group and 2 in the STENT group. The primary patency rates at 6, 12, and 24 months were 70%, 66% and 58% in the PTA group versus 74%, 67% and 46% in the STENT group (Gehan p value=0.96). The secondary patency rates at 6, 12, 24 months were 75%, 73%, 65% in the PTA group versus 84%, 76%, 64% in the STENT group (Gehan p value=0,59)., Discussion and Conclusions: In this study, stenting and PTA for the treatment of mild-to-moderate femoropopliteal peripheral artery disease improved the primary technical success of PTA by correcting residual stenosis, elastic recoil and occlusive intimal flaps. Moreover, stenting can prevent delayed constrictive remodelling. However, stenting did not improve long-term outcomes in comparison with PTA alone given that stent implantation increases the risk of restenosis due to myointimal hyperplasia. Our findings regarding the complication rates and long-term outcome agree with those published by other authors. Colour-Doppler US monitoring enabled early detection of restenosis in the treated area and its differentiation from the development of new lesions in other areas.