Search

Purpose We report the results of low back pain treatment using a combination of nucleotides, uridine (UTP), cytidine (CMP) and vitamin B12, vs a combination of vitamins B1, B6, and B12. Patients and Methods Randomized, double-blind, controlled trial, of a 60-day oral treatment: Group A (n=317) receiving nucleotides+B12 and Group B (n=317) receiving B vitamins. The primary endpoint was the percentage of subjects in each group presenting adverse events (AEs). Secondary endpoints were visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores at Visit 2 (day 30) and Visit 3 (day 60) in relation to pretreatment values, Roland–Morris Questionnaire (RMQ) scores and finger-to-floor distance (FFD) (percentage of subjects per group presenting improvement ≥5 points and ≥3cm, respectively). Results Seventy-five (24%) and 105 (33%) subjects (P=0.21) presented 133 and 241 AEs, with 3159% of subjects presenting ≥2 AEs (P=0.0019) in Group A and Group B, respectively. Twenty-four subjects in Group B were discontinued due to AEs, while no AE-related discontinuations occurred in Group A (P

Timothy Syndrome is a rare autosomal dominant multisystem genetic condition. The CACNA1C gene, codifier of the CaV1.2 calcium channel, is affected, resulting in the loss of voltage-dependent calcium channel inactivation. Relevant clinical characteristics: (1) corrected QT interval greater than 480ms; (2) syndactyly. Death often occurs during childhood, and results from ventricular tachyarrhythmias. This study presents the case of a female newborn who suffered a cardiorespiratory arrest, secondary to ventricular arrhythmia. A prolonged QT interval, combined with 2:1 AV block, [...]

Background. Phlebotonics have beneficial effects on some symptoms related to chronic venous disease (CVD) of the lower limbs. The most commonly used one is diosmin, available in a pure semisynthetic form or as a micronized purified flavonoid fraction. Patients and Methods. The primary objective of this single-blind, randomized, parallel-group, prospective study was to assess the clinical noninferiority of nonmicronized diosmin 600 mg once daily (D-group) compared to micronized diosmin 900 mg plus hesperidin 100 mg once daily (D/H-group) over a 6-month treatment period. Adult patients with a symptomatic CVD of the lower limbs (C0-C3 grade; 20-60 mm on a 100 mm visual analog scale (VAS)) were included. The primary endpoint was the change (from baseline to last postbaseline value) of the intensity of the lower-limb symptoms on VAS. Results. 114 patients (mean age, 44.4 years; women, 90.4%) were randomized in the per-protocol analysis (D-group, n=57; D/H-group, n=57). Symptoms significantly improved in both groups with adjusted mean VAS changes of -24.9 mm (p<0.0001) in the D-group and -22.8 mm (p<0.0001) in the D/H-group, corresponding to approximately 50% reduction in basal symptom intensity. The difference between groups was -2.1 mm with an upper limit of one-sided 90% confidence interval equal to 1.0 mm for a noninferiority margin set at 20 mm (noninferiority demonstrated). Intent-to-treat analysis confirmed per-protocol analysis. Difficulty in swallowing the tablets (VAS) was significantly lower in the D-group compared to the D/H-group (9.4 mm and 54.7 mm at 6 months, respectively; p<0.0001). The overall safety of both study drugs was good. Conclusion. Nonmicronized diosmin 600 mg was proven to have a noninferior efficacy compared to micronized diosmin 900 mg plus hesperidin 100 mg, associated with greater ease in swallowing the tablet.

Background/Objectives: Propatyl nitrate is a coronary vasodilator with immediate and prolonged action, indicated in the treatment and prevention of acute angina pectoris episodes. Methods: This was an open, self-paired comparative study performed at UNIFESO Medical School evaluating the clinical and laboratory results of treatment with propatyl nitrate in patients with chronic stable angina pectoris. Subjects received 10 mg of propatyl nitrate, at the dose of three sublingual tablets per day, to be taken at 8:00 A.M., 2:00 P.M., and 8:00 P.M. Subjects returned to the study center after 15 days of treatment for Visit 2 assessments, and at the end of the 30-day treatment period (Visit 3). Results: A total of 200 subjects were included in the study. There was a statistically significant reduction in blood pressure (p < 0.0001) and heart rate (p = 0.0001), but no change in respiratory rate (p = 0.23). Laboratory results did not vary throughout the treatment period. There was no significant change from pretreatment in the SAQ Physical Limitation scale (p = 0.7415). The Angina Stability, Angina Frequency, and Treatment Satisfaction, and Quality of Life scales showed a significant improvement from pretreatment (p < 0.0001). Adverse events were observed among 41 subjects at Visit 2 and 35 subjects at Visit 3. Conclusions: Propatyl nitrate was safe and effective in treating chronic stable angina pectoris over the course of the 30-day treatment period. Treatment with propatyl nitrate increased angina stability and reduced angina frequency while increasing treatment satisfaction and quality of life in the patient population evaluated.

Background: Coronary artery disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, with age being an independent risk factor for mortality in patients submitted to surgical revascularization. Objective: To evaluate the mortality risk predictors in patients older than 70 years submitted to myocardial revascularization. Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study of a cardiac surgery database. Logistic regression was used to assess independent death predictors. Results: A total of 372 patients submitted to surgical revascularization from 2004 to 2012 were assessed. The main cardiovascular risk factor was hypertension, followed by diabetes mellitus. Mortality at 30 days was 19.35%. The presence of peripheral vascular disease (OR: 2,47), emergency surgery (OR: 4,86) and combined valve procedure (OR: 3,86) were independent predictors of death. Conclusion: The surgical procedure in elderly patients showed a higher mortality than in the general population. Peripheral vascular disease, emergency surgery and combined valve procedures increased the risk of death in these patients.

Vitamins B1, B6 and B12 are members of a group of water-soluble organic vitamins with important structural and functional roles in the human body. This updated literature review examines the physiological and biochemical properties of these B vitamins.

Background: Heart failure (HF) is the final common event of all cardiac diseases. Technological advances have allowed for significant improvement to survival rates in cardiac patients. Correspondingly, an increase in the HF incidence has been observed. Few data are available on technological advances and their actual impact on the mortality rate of these patients. Objective: To assess the progress of hospital admission rates of adult patients with heart failure, average length of stay and mortality rate in the Brazilian SUS (Unified Health System). Methods: DATASUS data for the 2001-2012 period were obtained. An assessment was performed of data such as all-cause hospital admissions and heart failure-related admissions, average length of stay in hospital, mortality rate and hospital costs, after being stratified by sex, age and place of hospitalization. Results: Over the study period, there have been 91,272,037 hospital admissions, of which 3.96% were due to HF. Male patients accounted for 50.76%. The absolute number of HF-related hospital admissions decreased from 379,463, in 2001, to 240,280, in 2012. The average overall stay in hospital was 5.8 days, in 2001, and 6.6 days, in 2012. The mortality rate was on the rise, from 6.58%, in 2001, to 9.5%, in 2012 (a 46.1% increase). The average cost of AH increased from R$ 519.54, in 2001, to R$ 1,209.56, in 2012 (a 132.8% increase). Conclusion: Despite the decline in hospital admissions, HF is a highly costly syndrome for the Brazilian Unified Health System, with high mortality rates, which paradoxically increased over time, despite technological advances.

Background: Cardiovascular risk stratification is essential for an adequate approach to primary prevention. However, the current risk scores have no satisfactory accuracy in predicting cardiovascular events. Objective: To evaluate whether the two risk scores recommended by the major cardiology societies have predictive value in identifying patients with an established high cardiovascular risk. Methods: The study included 72 patients classified as high risk based on independent factors as recommended by the Brazilian Society of Cardiology. At the first appointment, the Framingham score and the SCORE risk were calculated in order to evaluate the ability to identify high-risk individuals. Results: Of 72 patients, 39 (53.4%) patients were male with a mean age of 59.0±9.5 years, mean 129.0±22 mmHg and 78.0±14 mmHg systolic and diastolic blood pressure, respectively. In the sample, 91.8% were hypertensive, 46.5% had diabetes, 36.9% were current smokers and 72.6% were patients with coronary artery disease, of which 56.1% had previous myocardial infarction. Among these patients, 32 (44.4%) were considered at low cardiovascular risk, 27 (37.5%) intermediate-risk and 13 (18.1%) high-risk by the Framingham score; and 26 (36.1%) patients were considered at high risk by the SCORE risk. Conclusion: Based on the high-risk population, neither the Framingham score nor the SCORE risk were considered good identifiers of patients at high cardiovascular risk.

We describe a case of a 67 year-old patient with obstructive coronary artery disease that, in the preoperative survey for inguinal herniorraphy surgery, discovered, by a two-dimensional echocardiogram, a tumor in left atrium, mobile, non-obstructive. The patient underwent a cineangiocoronariography showing severe stenosis in the left anterior descending artery, moderate stenosis in the left circumflex artery, near the origin of the first marginal branch, and a non-obstructive plaque in the right coronary artery. There was also moderate left ventricular dysfunction. After that, the patient has gone coronary artery bypass surgery and resection of the left atrial tumor. The histological exam revealed that the tumor was, in fact, a myxoma.