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Scuteri A, Castello L, Coluccia R, Modestino A, Nevola E, Volpe M. Depression is associated with increased occurrence of left ventricle concentric geometry in older subjects independently of blood pressure levels. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis 2011; 21:915-921. [PMID: 20674315 DOI: 10.1016/j.numecd.2010.02.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2010] [Revised: 02/18/2010] [Accepted: 02/21/2010] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIM Depression is emerging as an independent risk factor for CV events, though mechanisms underlying this association are unknown. We investigated the relation between depression and LV hypertrophy (LVH) and LV structure in a group of elderly subjects. METHODS AND RESULTS Three hundred seventy patients (mean age 79 ± 6 years) were enrolled. CV risk factors were assessed. Depression was defined as a score ≥ 6 on the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale. On the basis of the presence of LVH and of LV relative wall thickness (RWT) 4 echocardiographic patterns of LV adaptation were defined: concentric LVH (LVH with increased RWT); eccentric LVH (LVH with normal RWT); concentric LV remodeling (no LVH with increased RWT); normal LV (no LVH with normal RWT). Prevalence of hypertension was approximately 86% and 24.7% had diabetes (n.s. depressed vs not depressed subjects). BP was comparable in these two groups (134.7 ± 1.4 vs 135.3 ± 1.8 mmHg, 77.1 ± 0.8 vs 76.3 ± 1.0 mmHg for SBP and DBP respectively). Depressed subjects (n = 165) showed a significantly higher occurrence of concentric LVH than not depressed, after adjustment for age, sex, and hypertension. Depression was associated with a 2.1 fold higher risk of showing a LV concentric, either remodeling or LVH, pattern after adjustment for age, sex, and traditional CV risk factors. CONCLUSIONS Depression is accompanied by a higher occurrence of concentric LVH in elderly subjects, independently of BP levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Scuteri
- UO Geriatria, INRCA, IRCCS, Via Cassia 1167, 00189 Roma, Italy.
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Scuteri A, Coluccia R, Castello L, Nevola E, Brancati AM, Volpe M. Left ventricular mass increase is associated with cognitive decline and dementia in the elderly independently of blood pressure. Eur Heart J 2009; 30:1525-1529. [DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehp133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/30/2023] Open
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Bombardini T, Nevola E, Giorgetti A, Landi P, Picano E, Neglia D. Prognostic value of left-ventricular and peripheral vascular performance in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy. J Nucl Cardiol 2008; 15:353-62. [PMID: 18513642 DOI: 10.1016/j.nuclcard.2008.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2007] [Accepted: 11/12/2007] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The goal of the heart during exercise is to increase cardiac output to metabolizing tissues. Our aim was to assess the relative role of systolic versus diastolic dysfunction in modulating cardiac output in patients with idiopathic left-ventricular (LV) dysfunction. METHODS We enrolled 51 patients (LV ejection fraction, mean +/- SD, = 36% +/- 9%) and 24 controls with a normal LV ejection fraction. All were scheduled for exercise radionuclide angiography for the evaluation of LV functional reserve, and were followed for a median of 129 months. RESULTS Stroke volume increased in control subjects mainly through a decrease in end-systolic volume, while it increased in patients through an increase in end-diastolic volume (EDV), albeit heterogeneously. Patients were divided into group I, with stroke volume increase, versus group II, without stroke volume increase, during stress. Despite similar blunted inotropic reserves, group I showed a decrease in arterial elastance during stress: a better ventricular-arterial coupling occurred, leading to increased cardiac efficiency. At long-term follow-up, the overall event-free survival was 88% in group I, compared with 61% for group II (log rank = 4.7, P = .03). CONCLUSIONS In the presence of idiopathic LV dysfunction, a preserved LV pumping reserve can be identified easily through stress-induced variations in the EDV and stroke volume, with a powerful, long-term death-risk stratification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tonino Bombardini
- Consiglio Nazionale Ricerche (CNR), Institute of Clinical Physiology, Pisa, Italy
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Sgorbini L, Scuteri A, Leggio M, Gianni W, Nevola E, Leggio F. Carotid intima–media thickness, carotid distensibility and mitral, aortic valve calcification: a useful diagnostic parameter of systemic atherosclerotic disease. J Cardiovasc Med (Hagerstown) 2007; 8:342-7. [PMID: 17443100 DOI: 10.2459/01.jcm.0000268128.74413.1b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mitral (MAC) and aortic (AVC) calcification are observed more frequently in the elderly and are associated with coronary artery disease, aortic atheroma and peripheral arterial atherosclerotic disease. Common carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) and distensibility (cDIST) are also independent predictors of adverse cardiovascular outcomes. We examined the relationship between the degree of MAC-AVC and cIMT and cDIST. METHODS AND RESULTS One hundred and forty-three patients referred for transthoracic echocardiography and carotid artery echo-Doppler were evaluated; the variables measured were: systemic blood pressure, pulse pressure; body mass index, traditional risk factors, cIMT, cDIST (cDIST = [(csD - cdD)/PP]/csD; where csD and cdD were systolic and diastolic carotid diameters, respectively). MAC and AVC score, based on acoustic densitometry, were: 1 = absence of annular/valvular (av) sclerosis/calcification; 2 = av sclerosis; 3 = av calcification; 4 = av calcification; 5 = av calcification with no recognition of the leaflets; the resulting score was the highest for either valvular annulus. Mean cIMT increased linearly with increasing valvular calcification score (P < 0.0001) whereas cDIST decreased for scores 1 to 5 (P < 0.0001). Distribution of cIMT quartiles showed that 75% of the patients in the lowest quartile had a score of 1 and 70% of patients in the highest quartile had a score of 5; 47% of the patients in the highest quartile of cDIST had a score of 1, whereas 60% of patients in the lowest quartile of cDIST had a score of 4. CONCLUSIONS The MAC and AVC score identifies subgroups of patients with different cIMT and cDIST. These data may confirm MAC-AVC as a useful important diagnostic parameter of systemic atherosclerotic disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Sgorbini
- Unit of Cardiology, INRCA-IRCCS Hospital, Rome, Italy.
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Rovai D, Ghelardini G, Trivella MG, Björklund G, Nevola E, Taddei L, Distante A, L'Abbate A. Intracoronary air-filled albumin microspheres for myocardial blood flow measurement. J Am Coll Cardiol 1993; 22:2014-21. [PMID: 8245361 DOI: 10.1016/0735-1097(93)90792-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to explore the possibility of quantifying coronary blood flow by myocardial contrast echocardiography with air-filled serum albumin microspheres (Albunex). BACKGROUND Air-filled albumin microspheres have been proposed as an intravascular tracer for the study of myocardial perfusion by contrast echocardiography. METHODS In six anesthetized open chest dogs, the left circumflex coronary artery was cannulated and perfused by a roller pump with blood from the femoral artery. Both air-filled albumin microspheres (0.4 ml, 2 x 10(8) spheres/ml) and technetium-99m-labeled albumin were injected as a bolus into the coronary cannula at baseline and after treatment with dipyridamole (0.56 mg/kg body weight intravenously for 4 min). Two-dimensional echographic images of the left ventricular short axis were digitized to generate myocardial time-intensity curves; myocardial radioactivity was measured by an external detector to generate radionuclide time-activity curves. RESULTS After dipyridamole, left circumflex coronary artery blood flow (as measured by both the pump and an electromagnetic flow meter) significantly increased (from 1.06 +/- 0.28 to 3.61 +/- 1.43 ml/min per g of myocardium). Peak intensity and rise time of contrast echo curves were able to differentiate baseline myocardial perfusion from coronary hyperemia but did not show any significant correlation with coronary blood flow. A weak inverse correlation with coronary blood flow was provided by myocardial mean transit time of air-filled albumin microspheres (r = 0.33). Conversely, a close inverse correlation with coronary blood flow was obtained by myocardial mean transit time of technetium-99m-labeled albumin (r = 0.95). Myocardial transit time of air-filled albumin microspheres (1.95 +/- 0.60 s) was also markedly shorter than that of labeled albumin (5.35 +/- 3.43 s, p < 0.001) and the measurements were less reproducible. CONCLUSIONS In this experimental study, coronary blood flow was not adequately quantified by myocardial contrast echocardiography with intracoronary injection of air-filled albumin microspheres.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Rovai
- C.N.R. Clinical Physiology Institute, Pisa, Italy
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Rovai D, Ghelardini G, Lombardi M, Trivella MG, Nevola E, Taddei L, Ferdeghini EM, Distante A, L'Abbate A. Myocardial washout of sonicated iopamidol does not reflect the transmural distribution of coronary blood flow. Eur Heart J 1993; 14:1072-8. [PMID: 8404937 DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/14.8.1072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
It has been shown in previous studies that myocardial contrast echocardiography provides quantitative information on coronary blood flow. However, the ability of contrast echo to assess the transmural (endo/epicardial) distribution of blood flow is still debated. To test this hypothesis, the left circumflex coronary arteries of six anaesthetized open-chested dogs were cannulated and perfused with blood from the femoral artery. At different rates of coronary blood flow, during adenosine-induced coronary vasodilation, sonicated iopamidol and radionuclide labelled microspheres were injected into the coronary cannula, immediately proximal to a mixing chamber. Two-D echo images were digitized and myocardial time-intensity curves were obtained for the endocardial, mid- and epicardial layers. A good correlation existed between contrast washout of the entire ventricular wall and coronary flow (r = 0.85). However, the washout rate from the endo-, mid- and epicardial layers showed weak correlations with corresponding regional blood flows measured by microspheres (r = 0.56, 0.71 and 0.58, respectively). No significant relationship was found between the endo/epicardial washout ratio and the corresponding flow ratio by microspheres. Thus, measurement of the transmural distribution of coronary blood flow by myocardial contrast echocardiography remains an elusive goal.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Rovai
- C.N.R., Clinical Physiology Institute, Pisa, Italy
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Rovai D, Ghelardini G, Lombardi M, Trivella MG, Nevola E, Taddei L, Michelassi C, Distante A, DeMaria AN, L'Abbate A. Myocardial washout of sonicated iopamidol reflects coronary blood flow in the absence of autoregulation. J Am Coll Cardiol 1992; 20:1417-24. [PMID: 1430693 DOI: 10.1016/0735-1097(92)90257-n] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The aim of the study was to evaluate the relation between measurements derived from myocardial contrast echocardiography and coronary blood flow. BACKGROUND Contrast echocardiography has the potential for measuring blood flow. METHODS In six open chest anesthetized dogs, the left circumflex coronary artery was cannulated and perfused with blood drawn from the left femoral artery. While adenosine was infused into the circuit, circumflex flow was generated by a calibrated roller pump to the point of abolishing coronary autoregulation. At each of 25 levels of coronary blood flow, paired bolus injections of sonicated iopamidol were performed proximal to a mixing chamber. The perfused area of the left circumflex coronary artery was labeled by radioactive microspheres injected into the perfusion line. Two-dimensional echocardiographic images of the left ventricular short axis were digitized off-line, and myocardial videodensity was measured in the area perfused by the left circumflex coronary artery to generate time-intensity curves. RESULTS The washout slope of curves showed a good correlation with coronary blood flow, ranging from 0.5 to 12.5 ml/min per g of tissue. This correlation was good both in individual dogs (correlation coefficient [r] ranging from 0.78 to 0.96) and in the group of animals as a whole (r = 0.85). Washout slope also showed a good correlation with coronary diastolic pressure (r = 0.80), which ranged from 23 to 114 mm Hg, suggesting a possible primary effect of pressure on contrast washout. However, coronary blood flow appeared to be a stronger predictor of washout slope (partial F = 26.5, p < 0.001) than did perfusion pressure (partial F = 5.9, p < 0.05 by multiple regression). The injection to injection variability in myocardial washout slope appeared to be high (24%). The gamma variate fitting of curves did not improve the correlation with coronary flow (r = 0.78). CONCLUSIONS Myocardial washout of sonicated iopamidol reflects coronary blood flow in a model in which coronary autoregulation is abolished.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Rovai
- CNR (Consiglio Nazionale Ricerche) Clinical Physiology Institute and University of Pisa, Italy
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Neglia D, Parodi O, Nevola E, Bellina R, Palombo C, Sambuceti G, Marcassa C, L'Abbate A, Donato L. The hyperbolic relationship between systolic pressure-volume ratio and end-diastolic volume in man: A new approach to the non-invasive evaluation of left ventricular function. J Am Coll Cardiol 1991. [DOI: 10.1016/0735-1097(91)91300-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Chiariello M, Ambrosio G, Cappelli-Bigazzi M, Perrone-Filardi P, Tritto I, Nevola E, Golino P. Reduction in infarct size by the phospholipase inhibitor quinacrine in dogs with coronary artery occlusion. Am Heart J 1990; 120:801-7. [PMID: 2220533 DOI: 10.1016/0002-8703(90)90195-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
It has been suggested that activation of tissue phospholipases may contribute to the development of ischemic cell injury. In the present study we sought to assess whether administration of the phospholipase inhibitor quinacrine would reduce the extent of myocardial necrosis after coronary artery occlusion. In open-chest, anesthetized dogs the left anterior descending coronary artery was ligated, and technetium-99-labeled albumin microspheres were injected into the left atrium to measure the area at risk. The animals were then randomly divided into a control group (n = 8) and a group receiving quinacrine (5 mg/kg intravenous bolus followed by a 40 micrograms/kg/min infusion for 6 hours; n = 9). The animals were killed 6 hours after occlusion, and the infarcted area was delineated by triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining. The extent of the risk region was similar in the two groups (32.3 +/- 2.1% of the left ventricle in control dogs and 34.2 +/- 3.4% in quinacrine-treated dogs). Infarct size was 86.4 +/- 8.8% of the risk region in control animals, whereas in treated dogs it averaged 62.3 +/- 6.4% of the risk region (p = 0.05). No differences were found in heart rate, arterial pressure, and rate-pressure product between the two groups. Thus administration of the phospholipase inhibitor quinacrine reduced the extent of myocardial necrosis in a model of fixed coronary artery occlusion. Preservation of membrane phospholipids, reduced formation of lipoxygenase metabolites, or both may mediate this phenomenon.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Chiariello
- Department of Medicine, Second School of Medicine, University of Naples, Italy
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Brevetti G, Chiariello M, Ferulano G, Policicchio A, Nevola E, Rossini A, Attisano T, Ambrosio G, Siliprandi N, Angelini C. Increases in walking distance in patients with peripheral vascular disease treated with L-carnitine: a double-blind, cross-over study. Circulation 1988; 77:767-73. [PMID: 3280157 DOI: 10.1161/01.cir.77.4.767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
A double-blind, cross-over study was designed to evaluate the effects of L-carnitine in patients with peripheral vascular disease. After drug washout, 20 patients were randomly assigned to receive placebo or L-carnitine (2 g bid, orally) for a period of 3 weeks and were then crossed over to the other treatment for an additional 3 weeks. The effect on walking distance at the end of each treatment period was measured by treadmill test. Absolute walking distance rose from 174 +/- 63 m with placebo to 306 +/- 122 m (p less than .01) with carnitine. Biopsy of the ischemic muscle, carried out before and after 15 days of L-carnitine administration in four additional patients, showed that treatment significantly increased total carnitine levels. An additional goal of this study was to ascertain the effects of L-carnitine on the metabolic changes induced by exercise in the affected limb. In six patients under control conditions, arterial and popliteal venous lactate and pyruvate concentrations were determined at rest, when the maximal walking distance was reached, and 5 min after the walking test. Twenty-four hours later, L-carnitine was administered intravenously (3 g as a bolus followed by an infusion of 2 mg/kg/min for 30 min) and metabolic assessments were repeated. Five minutes after the walking test, popliteal venous lactate concentration increased by 107 +/- 16% before treatment and by only 54 +/- 32% (p less than .01) after carnitine. Furthermore, carnitine induced a more rapid recovery to the resting value of the lactate/pyruvate ratio.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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Affiliation(s)
- G Brevetti
- Department of Medicine, Second Medical School, University of Naples, Italy
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Chiariello M, Ambrosio G, Cappelli-Bigazzi M, Nevola E, Perrone-Filardi P, Marone G, Condorelli M. Inhibition of ischemia-induced phospholipase activation by quinacrine protects jeopardized myocardium in rats with coronary artery occlusion. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 1987; 241:560-8. [PMID: 3572813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Phospholipase activation has been proposed as one relevant biochemical step toward irreversible myocardial injury during ischemia. Accordingly, after coronary artery occlusion, the time course of myocardial phospholipid degradation was studied in 83 control rats and 84 rats treated with quinacrine (75 mg/kg s.c. every 8 hr), a phospholipase inhibitor. Animals were sacrificed at different times ranging from 2 to 48 hr postocclusion. In controls a rapid fall in left ventricular phospholipid concentration (from 1.33 +/- 0.12 to 0.67 +/- 0.05 micrograms of P/mg of protein) and creatinkinase (CK) activity (from 9.84 +/- 0.49 to 6.93 +/- 0.60 I.U./mg of protein) was observed within 4 hr postocclusion. In quinacrine-treated animals phospholipids and CK also fell initially; however, 24 and 48 hr after occlusion they were higher than in controls (phospholipids: 0.99 +/- 0.05 vs. 0.62 +/- 0.04 micrograms of P/mg of protein, P less than .001; CK: 7.76 +/- 0.54 vs. 4.99 +/- 0.37 I.U./mg of protein, P less than .001, at 48 hr). Additional rats surviving coronary occlusion were divided randomly into a control (n = 14) and three treated groups receiving quinacrine every 8 hr at the dose of 5 (n = 13), 20 (n = 13) or 75 mg/kg (n = 15); 13 rats were sham-operated. Forty-eight hours postocclusion myocardial phospholipids were measured and infarct size calculated by CK depletion. Infarct size was significantly smaller in high dose quinacrine-treated than in control rats (16.6 +/- 5.7 vs. 42.1 +/- 4.4% of left ventricle, P less than .001). In treated animals, myocardial phospholipid concentration was also significantly higher.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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