Cardiac dysfunction during exercise in uncomplicated type 2 diabetes

PURPOSE

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has been associated with reduced peak exercise capacity (VO(2peak)). The causes of this impairment are not clearly established, but evidence suggests that abnormalities in cardiac function play a significant role. We hypothesized that exercise would be associated with impaired cardiac function and hemodynamics in recently diagnosed T2DM, even in the absence of clinically evident cardiovascular complications.

METHODS

After baseline normal echocardiography screening, 10 premenopausal women with uncomplicated T2DM (average duration of diagnosed T2DM, 3.6 yr) and 10 healthy nondiabetic women of similar age, weight, and activity levels performed a peak cardiopulmonary exercise test while instrumented with an indwelling pulmonary artery catheter for assessing cardiac function. On separate days, technetium-99m sestamibi (cardolite) imaging was performed to assess myocardial perfusion at rest and peak exercise in seven T2DM and seven control patients.

RESULTS

Resting measures of cardiac hemodynamics were similar in T2DM and control subjects. Absolute VO(2peak) (mL x min(-1)) and peak cardiac output (L x min(-1)) tended to be lower in T2DM than in control subjects but did not reach statistical significance. However, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) rose significantly more during exercise in T2DM than in controls (148% vs 109% increase at peak exercise, P < 0.01). Normalized myocardial perfusion index was lower in persons with diabetes than in controls (11.0 +/- 3.5 x e(-9) vs 17.5 +/- 8.1 x e(-9), respectively, P < 0.05) and inversely related to peak exercise PCWP (R = -0.56, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Cardiac hemodynamics during graded exercise are altered in women with recently diagnosed T2DM as demonstrated by the disproportionate increase in PCWP at peak exercise compared with controls subjects. Cardiac abnormalities observed are potentially early signs of subclinical cardiac dysfunction associated with T2DM, which may precede the more greatly impaired cardiac function at rest and with exercise observed in longer established T2DM.

A comparison of echocardiographic modalities to guide structural heart disease interventions

Percutaneous techniques to treat structural heart disease are rapidly evolving based on innovative interventions and the considerable advancement in image guidance technology. While two-dimensional transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography have been integral to procedural planning and execution, intracardiac and three-dimensional echocardiography supply unique visualization of target structures with a potential improvement in patient safety and procedural efficacy. The choice of image guidance modality is based on specific differences between imaging systems, as well as other variables including cost, patient safety, operator expertise, and complexity of procedure. We will compare the adjunctive imaging tools for structural heart disease interventions, with a focus on intracardiac echocardiography and real-time three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography.

Rapid Prototyping

As the appreciation of structural heart disease in children and adults has increased and as catheter-based closure procedures are now being performed in clinical practice, cardiovascular physicians have multiple compelling new reasons to better understand cardiac anatomic and spatial relationships. Current 2-dimensional imaging techniques remain limited both in their ability to represent the complex 3-dimensional relationships present in structural heart disease and in their capacity to adequately facilitate often complex corrective procedures. This review discusses the cardiovascular applications of rapid prototyping, a new technology that may not only play a significant role in the planning of catheter-based interventions but also may serve as a valuable educational tool to enhance the medical community’s understanding of the many forms of structural heart disease.

Importance of right ventricular end-systolic regional wall stress in idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension: a new method for estimation of right ventricular wall stress

RV dysfunction in idiopathic (primary) pulmonary hypertension (IPAH) is often characterized by chamber dilation, ventricular hypertrophy, and impaired systolic function. In this study we characterize right ventricular (RV) chamber size, end-diastolic thickness, myocardial mass, and ejection fraction in patients with right ventricular heart failure from IPAH, n = 16 and compare these characteristics to a control population of cardiac transplant patients (TX, n = 4) and a group of normal subjects (N, n = 5). Subjects underwent both gated cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the right ventricle and right heart catheterization (RHC). Using parameters from both the MRI and RHC, an estimate of RV end-systolic relative wall stress (RWS) was calculated. RV RWS was 34.7 +/- 8.4 and 17.3 +/- 3.8 Kdynes/cm2 in the cardiac transplant and control subjects respectively and was significantly elevated 104.1 Kdynes/cm2 in IPAH patients (IPAH vs N and TX; p = 0.004 and 0.008 ). RV ejection fraction RVEF was lower in IPAH patients 0.36 +/- .10 than in N and TX 0.57 +/- .04 and 0.55 +/- .08 respectively, (p = 0.0006 N and 0.0007 TX). An inverse linear correlation was demonstrated between RWS and RVEF (y = 215- 332x; R = .80, p < or = .0001). Right ventricular RWS is significantly elevated in IPAH and may provide a useful quantitative monitoring tool in patients with IPAH to assess the benefit of different therapeutic interventions and provide prognostic information.

The echocardiographer and the diagnosis of patent foramen ovale

PFO is diagnosed by echocardiography using the combination of transthoracic two-dimensional imaging of the interatrial septum, followed by color and spectral Doppler (and if necessary saline contrast) imaging. Transesophageal imaging is an important adjunct when transthoracic imaging is not conclusive or yields suboptimal images.Three-dimensional echocardiography is useful for defining fenestrations within a PFO.

The echocardiographer's role during the placement of patent foramen ovale closure devices

The use of TEE and ICE techniques have been extremely important in the development of closure of PFOs and ASDs using interventional techniques. These two imaging techniques have revolutionized the diagnosis and treatment of these problems and have gone far beyond TTE and its known problems for diagnosing septal defects (Fig. 21).

Improved systemic ventricular function after carvedilol administration in a patient with congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries

Congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries (CCTGA) is associated with shortened survival due, at least in part, to progressive systolic dysfunction of the systemic ventricle. We report a substantial improvement in systemic ventricular function with carvedilol in a 63-year-old man with CCTGA.

Coordinate changes in Myosin heavy chain isoform gene expression are selectively associated with alterations in dilated cardiomyopathy phenotype

BACKGROUND

The most common cause of chronic heart failure in the US is secondary or primary dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). The DCM phenotype exhibits changes in the expression of genes that regulate contractile function and pathologic hypertrophy. However, it is unclear if any of these alterations in gene expression are disease producing or modifying.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

One approach to providing evidence for cause-effect of a disease-influencing gene is to quantitatively compare changes in phenotype to changes in gene expression by employing serial measurements in a longitudinal experimental design. We investigated the quantitative relationships between changes in gene expression and phenotype n 47 patients with idiopathic DCM. In endomyocardial biopsies at baseline and 6 months later, we measured mRNA expression of genes regulating contractile function (beta-adrenergic receptors, sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2) + ATPase, and alpha- and beta-myosin heavy chain isoforms) or associated with pathologic hypertrophy (beta-myosin heavy chain and atrial natriuretic peptide), plus beta-adrenergic receptor protein expression. Left ventricular phenotype was assessed by radionuclide ejection fraction.

RESULTS

Improvement in DCM phenotype was directly related to a coordinate increase in alpha- and a decrease in beta-myosin heavy chain mRNA expression. In contrast, modification of phenotype was unrelated to changes in the expression of beta(1)- or beta(2)-adrenergic receptor mRNA or protein, or to the mRNA expression of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2) + ATPase and atrial natriuretic peptide.

CONCLUSION

We conclude that in human DCM, phenotypic modification is selectively associated with myosin heavy chain isoform changes. These data support the hypothesis that myosin heavy chain isoform changes contribute to disease progression in human DCM.

Myocardial gene expression in dilated cardiomyopathy treated with beta-blocking agents

BACKGROUND

Beta-blocker therapy may improve cardiac function in patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. We tested the hypothesis that beta-blocker therapy produces favorable functional effects in dilated cardiomyopathy by altering the expression of myocardial genes that regulate contractility and pathologic hypertrophy.

METHODS

We randomly assigned 53 patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy to treatment with a beta-adrenergic-receptor blocking agent (metoprolol or carvedilol) or placebo. The amount of messenger RNA (mRNA) for contractility-regulating genes (those encoding beta1- and beta2-adrenergic receptors, calcium ATPase in the sarcoplasmic reticulum, and alpha- and beta-myosin heavy-chain isoforms) and of genes associated with pathologic hypertrophy (beta-myosin heavy chain and atrial natriuretic peptide) was measured with a quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction in total RNA extracted from biopsy specimens of the right ventricular septal endomyocardium. Myocardial levels of beta-adrenergic receptors were also measured. Measurements were conducted at base line and after six months of treatment, and changes in gene expression were compared with changes in the left ventricular ejection fraction as measured by radionuclide ventriculography.

RESULTS

Twenty-six of 32 beta-blocker-treated patients (those with complete mRNA measurements) had an improvement in left ventricular ejection fraction of at least 5 ejection-fraction (EF) units (mean [+/-SE] increase, 18.8+/-1.8). As compared with the six beta-blocker-treated patients who did not have a response (mean change, a decrease of 2.5+/-1.8 EF units), those who did have a response had an increase in sarcoplasmic-reticulum calcium ATPase mRNA and alpha-myosin heavy chain mRNA and a decrease in beta-myosin heavy chain mRNA. The change in sarcoplasmic-reticulum calcium ATPase was not present in the patients in the placebo group who had a spontaneous response. There were no differences between those who had a response and those who did not in terms of the change in mRNA or protein expression of beta-adrenergic receptors.

CONCLUSIONS

In idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy, functional improvement related to treatment with beta-blockers is associated with changes in myocardial gene expression.

Is autonomic support of arterial blood pressure related to habitual exercise status in healthy men?

We determined if the tonic autonomic nervous system (ANS) contribution to arterial blood pressure (BP) maintenance in humans is related to habitual endurance exercise status. Twenty-three healthy young (age 18-31 years) males, 11 endurance exercise-trained and 12 untrained, were studied. Maximal oxygen consumption was higher (P < 0.001) and resting heart rate and body fatness were lower (P < 0.05) in the exercise-trained men. Plasma noradrenaline concentrations and BP decreased from baseline levels in response to ganglionic blockade (intravenous trimethaphan) in both groups (all P < 0.001). The absolute (Delta mmHg: systolic = -35 +/- 2 vs. -32 +/- 4; diastolic = -13 +/- 2 vs. -10 +/- 2; mean = -21 +/- 2 vs. -17 +/- 3) and relative (Delta%: systolic = -35 +/- 2 vs. -31 +/- 3; diastolic = -26 +/- 3 vs. -20 +/- 3; mean = -31 +/- 2 vs. -26 +/- 3) decreases in BP were not significantly different between the endurance-trained and untrained men. There were no significant group differences in the heart rate, stroke volume, cardiac output or systemic vascular resistance (conductance) responses to trimethaphan. Systemic vascular alpha-adrenergic sensitivity (slope of the increase in mean BP with incremental phenylephrine infusion during ganglionic blockade) also did not differ in the two groups (endurance-trained: 3.2 +/- 0.5; untrained: 3.2 +/- 0.7 mmHg (ng phenylephrine)(-1) (ml plasma)(-1)). In the pooled sample, the decrease in mean BP during trimethaphan was related to baseline and changes in plasma noradrenaline concentrations (r = 0.58-0.65, P < 0.001) and alpha-adrenergic sensitivity (r = 0.49, P < 0.02). Our results suggest that the endurance exercise-trained state is not obviously associated with altered ANS support of BP in healthy young men. Basal sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity and alpha-adrenergic vascular sensitivity are significant physiological correlates of ANS support of BP in this population.

Biokinetics of yttrium-90--labeled huBrE-3 monoclonal antibody

BACKGROUND

This study reports summary biokinetics for 17 patients treated with huBrE-3 antibody labeled with indium-111 ((111)In) and yttrium-90 ((90)Y) in a Phase I dose escalation trial.

METHODS

Patients were infused with huBrE-3 antibody conjugated to 1-p-isothiocyanatobenzyl 3-methyl- and 1-p-isothiocyanatobenzyl 4-methyl-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (MX-DTPA). The huBrE-3 was labeled with increasing amounts of (90)Y radioactivity according to the following activity regimen: 10 mCi/m(2), 20 mCi/m(2), 33 mCi/m(2), 50 mCi/m(2), and 70 mCi/m(2). In addition to the (90)Y activity, 3--5 mCi of (111)In was labeled to huBrE-3 to serve as an imaging agent. In characterizing the biokinetics of huBrE-3, serial urine and blood samples were acquired. Additionally, whole-body imaging using a scintillation camera was performed at four time points postinfusion.

RESULTS

Cumulative urine data yielded a plot of total-body biologic excretion that was relatively flat. Total body regions of interest derived from nuclear medicine scintigrams decreased according to a monoexponential function with a slope slightly greater than the rate of physical decay. When physical decay was combined with the urine biologic excretion rate, the calculated rate of activity decrease was indistinguishable from the scintigraphic rate of decrease in total-body activity.

CONCLUSIONS

The authors concluded from these observations that the radioactivity remains essentially inside the patient, that biologic excretion of activity from the total body is not appreciable, and that the path for biologic excretion of activity that does occur is via the urine. The half-time associated with the beta (slow) phase for extraction from the blood averages 40.5 hours. Since large amounts of radioactivity do not appear in the urine, and total-body activity is decreased approximately according to physical decay (64.1 hours), activity must pool elsewhere after leaving the blood. The logical place is the skeleton, with possible selective binding to the bone marrow. Bone marrow biopsies from 4 of 7 patients who consented to serial biopsies were supportive of this conclusion.

Altered autonomic support of arterial blood pressure with age in healthy men

BACKGROUND

Primary aging is associated with changes in the autonomic nervous system (ANS), but the functional significance of these changes for systemic circulatory control of arterial blood pressure (BP) is unknown. We tested the hypothesis that ANS support of BP is altered in healthy older humans.

METHODS AND RESULTS

A total of 23 young (aged 24+/-1 years; systolic/diastolic BP, 126+/-2/66+/-1 mm Hg) and 16 older (aged 65+/-1 years; systolic/diastolic BP, 125+/-3/62+/-2 mm Hg) healthy men were studied before and during ganglionic blockade (intravenous trimethaphan). The reduction in mean BP (radial artery catheter) with trimethaphan was almost twice as great in the older men (-33+/-2 versus -19+/-2 mm Hg; -40% versus -22% of baseline; P<0.01) due to a lack of increase in heart rate (3+/-2 versus 25+/-2 bpm; P<0.001) and cardiac output (-0.42+/-0.19 versus 1.01+/-0.26 L/min; P<0.001); the decreases in systemic vascular resistance were not different. The absence of tachycardia in the older men was associated with reduced baseline heart rate variability (HRV, P<0.05); the change in heart rate with trimethaphan correlated with the standard deviation of the R-R intervals (HRV(SD R-R interval); r=0.57, P<0.001). Among individual subjects (pooled groups), the reductions in mean BP with trimethaphan were most strongly related to measures of sympathetic activity (r=0.58 to 0.67, P<0.005), change in mean BP with intravenous phenylephrine (r=0.57, P<0.001), and HRV(SD R-R interval) (r=-0.40, P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

ANS support of BP is altered with age in healthy men due to less cardiac vagal inhibition of heart rate and cardiac output. Basal sympathetic activity and alpha-adrenergic vascular sensitivity are also key physiological correlates of ANS support of BP in healthy men.

Identification of risk factors for increased cost, charges, and length of stay for cardiac patients

BACKGROUND

In this study we explored different risk model options to provide clinicians with predictions for resource utilization. The hypotheses were that predictors of mortality are not predictive of resource consumption, and that there is a correlation between cost estimates derived using a cost-to-charge ratio or a product-line costing approach.

METHODS

From March 1992 to June 1995, 2,481 University of Colorado Hospital patients admitted for ischemic heart disease were classified by diagnosis-related group code as having undergone or experienced coronary bypass procedures (CBP), percutaneous cardiovascular procedures (PCVP), acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and other cardiac-related discharges (Other). For each diagnosis-related group, Cox proportional hazards models were developed to determine predictors of cost, charges, and length of stay.

RESULTS

The diagnosis groups differed in the clinical factors that predicted resource use. As the two costing methods were highly correlated, either approach may be used to assess relative resource consumption provided costs are reconciled to audited financial statements.

CONCLUSIONS

To develop valid prediction models for costs of care, the clinical risk factors that are traditionally used to predict risk-adjusted mortality may need to be expanded.

Right ventricular phenotypic characteristics in subjects with primary pulmonary hypertension or idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy

BACKGROUND

Studies of animal models and human subjects with cardiomyopathies suggest that cardiac myocyte and ventricular chamber remodeling show distinct phenotypic characteristics that may be dependent on specific signaling pathways.

METHODS AND RESULTS

In this study, we characterize right ventricular (RV) chamber size, end-diastolic thickness, myocardial mass, and ejection fraction (EF) in human subjects with chronic heart failure from primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH; n = 10) and idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDC; n = 10). Subjects underwent gated cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and the RVs were phenotypically classified based on the presence or absence of hypertrophy (increased mass), systolic dysfunction (reduced EF), and degree of wall thickness (concentric v eccentric pattern of hypertrophy). Within this schema, five abnormal phenotypes could be identified. In PPH subjects, in whom the RV is subjected to the uniform insult of chronic pressure overload, four different abnormal phenotypes were identified.

CONCLUSIONS

These data indicate that distinct structural/functional ventricular chamber phenotypes may be classified by MRI, and that a uniform insult can result in multiple RV phenotypes.

Effects of carvedilol on right ventricular function in chronic heart failure

This study investigated the effects of carvedilol on right ventricular (RV) volume and systolic function in chronic heart failure patients. Carvedilol treatment resulted in a significant improvement of RV ejection fraction and systolic performance, which paralleled the improvement of systolic function demonstrated in the left ventricle.

Changes in gene expression in the intact human heart. Downregulation of alpha-myosin heavy chain in hypertrophied, failing ventricular myocardium

Using quantitative RT-PCR in RNA from right ventricular (RV) endomyocardial biopsies from intact nonfailing hearts, and subjects with moderate RV failure from primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH) or idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDC), we measured expression of genes involved in regulation of contractility or hypertrophy. Gene expression was also assessed in LV (left ventricular) and RV free wall and RV endomyocardium of hearts from end-stage IDC subjects undergoing heart transplantation or from nonfailing donors. In intact failing hearts, downregulation of beta1-receptor mRNA and protein, upregulation of atrial natriuretic peptide mRNA expression, and increased myocyte diameter indicated similar degrees of failure and hypertrophy in the IDC and PPH phenotypes. The only molecular phenotypic difference between PPH and IDC RVs was upregulation of beta2-receptor gene expression in PPH but not IDC. The major new findings were that (a) both nonfailing intact and explanted human ventricular myocardium expressed substantial amounts of alpha-myosin heavy chain mRNA (alpha-MHC, 23-34% of total), and (b) in heart failure alpha-MHC was downregulated (by 67-84%) and beta-MHC gene expression was upregulated. We conclude that at the mRNA level nonfailing human heart expresses substantial alpha-MHC. In myocardial failure this alteration in gene expression of MHC isoforms, if translated into protein expression, would decrease myosin ATPase enzyme velocity and slow speed of contraction.

DTPA aerosol in ventilation/perfusion scintigraphy for diagnosing pulmonary embolism

The use of lung scintigraphy in evaluating suspected pulmonary embolism (PE) is controversial. Several diagnostic methods have been described for lung scans, of which the most widely applied uses 99mTc-MAA for perfusion, 133Xe for ventilation and PIOPED diagnostic criteria. This study evaluates the accuracy of lung scintigraphy using an alternative ventilation agent, 99mTc-diethylenetriamine pentacetic acid (DTPA) aerosol, and specific criteria.

METHODS

Diagnostic criteria for DTPA aerosol ventilation were prospectively applied to 5017 patients over a 9-yr period. Lung scan interpretations were analyzed for frequency of occurrence, and results were compared to those of angiography in 455 patients.

RESULTS

Scans were interpreted as normal, low or high probability in 79% of patients and as either indeterminate or medium probability in 21% of patients. Three patients had normal scans and negative angiography. In patients with low-probability scans, 111 angiograms were performed: 103 (93%) were negative, and 8 (7%) were positive. In patients with indeterminate scans, 114 angiograms were performed: 85 (75%) were negative, and 29 (25%) were positive. In patients with medium-probability scans, 149 angiograms were performed: 86 (58%) were negative, and 63 (42%) were positive. In patients with high-probability scans, 78 angiograms were performed: 6 (8%) were negative, and 72 (92%) were positive.

CONCLUSION

These results indicate that lung scintigraphy using DTPA aerosol and our criteria is accurate in diagnosing and stratifying risk of pulmonary embolic disease. Compared with 133Xe and PIOPED criteria, DTPA ventilation and our criteria reduced the false-negative rate in low-probability scans (7% versus 16%, p < 0.005) and decreased the fraction of intermediate-probability scans (21 % versus 39%, p < 0.01).