Relationship between hyponatremia at hospital admission and cardiopulmonary profile at follow-up in patients with SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) infection

PURPOSE

Hyponatremia occurs in about 30% of patients with pneumonia, including those with SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) infection. Hyponatremia predicts a worse outcome in several pathologic conditions and in COVID-19 has been associated with a higher risk of non-invasive ventilation, ICU transfer and death. The main objective of this study was to determine whether early hyponatremia is also a predictor of long-term sequelae at follow-up.

METHODS

In this observational study, we collected 6-month follow-up data from 189 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patients previously admitted to a University Hospital. About 25% of the patients (n = 47) had hyponatremia at the time of hospital admission.

RESULTS

Serum [Na⁺] was significantly increased in the whole group of 189 patients at 6 months, compared to the value at hospital admission (141.4 ± 2.2 vs 137 ± 3.5 mEq/L, p < 0.001). In addition, IL-6 levels decreased and the PaO₂/FiO₂ increased. Accordingly, pulmonary involvement, evaluated at the chest X-ray by the RALE score, decreased. However, in patients with hyponatremia at hospital admission, higher levels of LDH, fibrinogen, troponin T and NT-ProBNP were detected at follow-up, compared to patients with normonatremia at admission. In addition, hyponatremia at admission was associated with worse echocardiography parameters related to right ventricular function, together with a higher RALE score.

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that early hyponatremia in COVID-19 patients is associated with the presence of laboratory and imaging parameters indicating a greater pulmonary and right-sided heart involvement at follow-up.

P239 TOLERABILITY OF SACUBITRIL/VALSARTAN TREATMENT IN OLDER PATIENTS WITH HEART FAILURE WITH REDUCED EJECTION FRACTION: PRELIMINARY DATA FROM THE REAL–WORLD AGING–HF REGISTRY

Background

Although older patients with heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction enrolled in PARADIGM–HF showed a good tolerance to sacubitril/valsartan (Sa/Va), more real–word data are needed to define their tolerability in this population. Aim: To describe the Sa/Va tolerability and titration in older HFrEF patients followed by our HF outpatient.

Methods

HFrEF patients aged ≥65 years and treated with Sa/Va from November 2016 to June 2021 were enrolled, assessing Sa/Va tolerability at six months and its clinical and hemodynamic effects.

Results

We enrolled 101 patients with a mean age of 78 years (⁓20% female). The aetiology was ischemic in 59% of cases while the mean ejection fraction was 31%. Sa/Va was prescribed at the starting dose (24/26mg) and intermediate dose (49/51mg) in 91% and 9% of cases, respectively. After six months, 9 of the 100 patients still alive had discontinued treatment with Sa/Va (4 for symptomatic hypotension, 3 for suspected allergic reaction and 2 for worsening renal function). Of the 91 patients still on therapy, only 17 had reached the target dose (97/103mg) while 28 were at the intermediate dose (Figure 1). Symptomatic hypotension (62%), hyperkalaemia (15%) and worsening of renal function (4%) were the main causes of maintaining Sa/Va therapy at the starting dose; note, in 15% of cases a specific cause of non–titration was not identified. Comparing HF treatment between starting dose vs higher–dose patients, after six months in low–dose patients there was a slight improvement in mineralcorticosteroid receptor antagonist (MRA) prescription and in combination therapy (Sa/Va, beta–blocker and MRA) while in patients at higher–doses there was a significant decrease (Figure 2). In patients still receiving Sa/Va, significant clinical improvement was observed while renal function, K+ levels and systolic blood pressure remained stable (Figure 3).

Conclusions

After six months of treatment, Sa/Va was well tolerated in most of our older patients and used in combination with a beta–blocker and an MRA in a high percentage of cases, although a reduction in MRA prescription is observed in patients taking higher dosages of Sa/Va. In addition, there was a marked improvement in the clinical variables.

P252 PROTOCOL FOR TELEHEALTH MANAGEMENT AND STRATIFICATION RISK OF ELDERLY PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC HEART FAILURE DURING THE COVID–19 PANDEMIC: A MID–TERM PROGNOSTIC EVALUTATION BY TELEHFCOVID–19 SCORE

Introduction

The Coronavirus Disease (COVID–19) pandemic and its consequences has forced physicians to develop telematic methods in order to follow up patients with cronic diseases, such as heart failure (HF).

Objectives

To evaluate TeleHFCovid–19 score as a mid–term (six months) prognostic score in terms of prediction of hospitalitazion and cardiovascular mortality in patients with chronic HF during Covid–19 pandemic.

Methods

During COVID–19 pandemic (from March 2020 to May 2020), we were forced to cancel nearly all follow–up checks in our HF outpatient clinic. We hence standardized a telephone follow–up by developing a questionnaire (Fig. 1) from which we then obtained a score, later called the “TeleHFCovid–19 score” (0–29). This score stratified patients in three risk score groups: green (0–3), yellow (4–8), and red (≥9), for which the next telefonic evaluation was planned after 4, 2 and 1 weeks, respectively.

Results

146 patients were enrolled: 112 were classified as green, 21 as yellow and 13 as red. Mean age was 81 years, females were 40%. Approximately one third had EF < 40%. At six months, compared to red (69.2%) and yellow patients (33.3%), green patients (8.9%) presented a significantly lower rate of the composite outcome of cardiovascular death and/or HF hospitalization, (p < 0.001, Fig 2). Multivariate analysis showed that high levels of creatinine (OR 5.960, 95% CI 1.627–21.837, p = 0.007), dyspnea at rest or for basic activities (OR 2.469, 95% CI 1.216–5.013, p = 0.012) and a high loop–diuretic dosage (OR 6.224, 95% CI 1.504–25.753, p = 0.012) were indipendently associated with the outcome. Moreover, ROC analysis showed a high sensibility and specificity for our score at six months (AUC =0.789, 95% CI 0.682–0.896, p < 0.001), with a score < 4.5 (very close to the green group cut–off) that identified lower–risk subjects (Fig 3).

Conclusions

The TeleHFCovid–19 score was able to correctly identify patients with good outcomes at six months. Furthermore, it has the ability to stratify the adverse event risk and this could represent a useful tool to appropriately schedule the reevaluation timing of these patients and to identify those who may need urgent hospital evaluation.

P250 PROTOCOL FOR TELEHEALTH EVALUATION AND FOLLOW–UP OF PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC HEART FAILURE DURING THE COVID–19 PANDEMIC

Background

After the lockdown imposed by the COVID19 pandemic, physicians had to limite ambulatory visits to exceptional cases to reduce interpersonal contact. We structured a telephone follow–up developing a standardized 23 item questionnaire to administrate to our HF outpatient clinic and from whom we obtained the Covid–19–HFscore.

Methods

The patients were identified by a numeric code, date of birth and gender. The questionnaire was designed for rapid administration during telephone interview (on average 6 minutes) and was administered directly by physicians to patients and/or to their caregiver. It was built to reproduce our usual clinical evaluation.

Results

As shown in Figure 1, we investigated seven domains: 1) social and functional condition 2) mood 3) adherence to pharmacological and non–pharmacological recommendations (blood pressure, heart rate, weight monitoring and fluid intake control) 4) clinical and hemodynamic status 5) recording of laboratory tests 6) current pharmacological treatment 7) recent evaluation by family physician or need to contact emergency services followed or not by hospitalisation. General and pharmacological recommendations as well as the following telephone contact were finally recorded. To determine the timing of the next telephonic evaluation, we decided to weight questions regarding clinical and hemodynamic status, adherence to pharmacological and non–pharmacological recommendations, therapeutic changes and need for hospitalisation by scoring the answers (from 1 to 3) to build a score. The sum of individual scores represented the novel TeleHFCovid19–score, ranging from 0 to 29. Based on such score, three groups of patients were identified by arbitrary cut–off levels: the green (score <4), the yellow (score 4–8) and the red (score ≥9) group, for which next telephonic evaluation was planned respectively after four, two and one week respectively. Alternatively, the red group could receive recommendation for urgent hospital evaluation.

Conclusion

During this emergency situation this questionnaire could be a useful clinical tool to help physicians maintaining a regular FU of their patients and identifying patients at greatest risk of imminent instability. Furthermore, this instrument could also represent a useful resource in the management of low–risk HF patients.

P253 INDEPENDENT PREDICTORS OF 1–YEAR MORTALITY IN OLDEST OLD PATIENTS MANAGED BY A GERIATRIC–CARDIOLOGY HF UNIT OF AOU CAREGGI

Background

A multidisciplinary heart team and continuum care approach seems to be the most appropriate clinical strategy in order to reduce mortality, functional decline and disability of frail and clinical complex oldest old patients affected by heart failure (HF). We analysed the independent predictors of 1 year–total mortality in our cohort of oldest old HF patients.

Methods

All patients aged &gt; 85 years referred to our Heart Failure Unit of a Tertiary teaching hospital were consecutively enrolled in the study and were evaluated at first visit with a comprehensive assessment recording cardiological, geriatric and bio–humoral variables. Then we assessed with a multivariable Cox regression analysis the independent predictors of 1–year all–cause mortality.

Results

87 patients were enrolled (mean age 89 ± 2.7 years, range 86–96 years); 48.9% were females, 57.9% were in NYHA class III or IV, 43.2% had HFpEF, 36.4% had an ischemic aethiology, 69.3% had a history of atrial fibrillation, 19.3% were living alone, the mean number of prescribed drugs was 8.8 ± 2.2, EVEREST congestion score was 5.2 ± 2.6, mean NT–proBNP was 8187 ± 11170 pg/ml. In the year after enrolment, 25 patients (34.1%) had more than one HF hospitalisation and 17 patients (19%) died. Among all clinical variables, living alone, having had one or more HF hospitalisation and HF–type (HFpEF, HFmrEF, HFrEF), EVEREST congestion score, trans–tricuspid gradient and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion were significantly (p &lt; 0.05) associated with 1–year mortality. At multivariable Cox–regression model only living alone (HR 3.34; 95% CI: 1.16–9.64) and EVEREST congestion score (HR 1.24; 95% CI: 1.04–1.46) resulted significantly associated with 1–year mortality. In the Figure we report the Kaplan–Meier curves according to the EVEREST congestion score (dichotomized according to a median value of 4) and living alone (yes vs not).

Conclusions

In a cohort of HF oldest old patients tightly managed in a dedicated cardiologic and geriatric Heart Failure Unit, 1–year all–cause mortality was independently predicted by a clinical score of congestion and by living alone status.

P248 THE SCORE TELEHFCOVID19, ONE MONTH FOLLOW UP : A TELEHEALTH APPROACH TO MANAGE ELDERLY PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC HEART FAILURE DURING COVID–19 PANDEMIC

Background

Due to the total lockdown during COVID–19 pandemic, clinicians were forced to organize telephone visits or tele–monitoring. We developed a standardized multiparametric questionnaire, suitable for telephone administration to older heart failure (HF) patients and/or their caregivers.

Purpose

To compare clinical characteristics of the three groups (green, yellow, red) of patients classified by baseline TeleHFCovid19–Score and evaluate its ability to predict one–month in elderly patients with chronic HF.

Methods

The TeleHFCovid–19 score was obtained from a multiparametric questionnaire administered, from April 2020, during televisits to patients (or caregivers), which were divided in progressively increasing risk groups: green (0–3), yellow (4–8) and red (≥9). The primary study outcome was a composite of death from cardiovascular causes and/or hospitalization for HF, which individually were secondary outcomes.

Results

We enrolled 146 patients. Mean age was 81±9 years, females were 40%. In all the study population there was a high prevalence of self–reported adherence to guidelines–recommended drug treatments and behavioural measures, as well as a broad intake of diuretic therapy. Patients in green group had lower use of high dose loop diuretic (p < 0.001) or thiazide–like diuretic and had reported less frequently dyspnoea at rest or for basic activities, new/worsening extremities oedema or weight increase (all p < 0.001). Through scheduled phone contacts we were able to improve the overall clinical status of our patients even over a short (1 month) follow–up.The primary composite outcome of CV death and/or HF hospitalisation occurred in 8.2%, with a significantly lower prevalence in the green than in the yellow and red groups, and when analysing separately, we found that death for CV causes occurred more frequently in the red group than in the other two, while HF hospitalisations were significantly less frequent in the green group than in the red or yellow. ROC analysis confirmed the high sensibility and specificity of our score (AUC=0.883, 95% CI 0.806–0.959) with a score <4.5 (very close to green group cut–off) that identified lower–risk subjects (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

The TeleHFCovid19–Score score was able to correctly recognize a low risk, green group. Therefore, the score could be used to identify low risk patients which could be followed remotely, reserving a tighter on–site clinical follow–up to higher events risk patients.

P260 PRELIMINARY EXPERIENCE OF REPEATED LEVOSIMENDAN INFUSIONS IN ELDERLY OUTPATIENTS WITH ADVANCED HEART FAILURE

Background

The use of intermittent infusion of Levosimendan (L) demonstrated to be able to reduce hospitalisations and to improve functional capacity and quality of life in patients with advanced heart failure (HF).

Purpose

To describe our preliminary experience regarding L intermittent infusions in advanced HF older outpatients.

Methods

A maximum of three consecutive L infusions were carried out 14 days apart. The duration of each session was 8 hours. The starting infusion rate was 0.05 μg/Kg/min, titrated every 30/60‘ up to a maximum of 0.2 μg/Kg/min based on blood pressure, heart rate and arrhythmias recorded during telemetry. We evaluated patients by clinical, laboratory and echocardiographic controls at baseline and two weeks after the end of treatment.

Results

Since November 2020 we enrolled 17 patients with a mean age of 77 years; 12% were women. HF etiology was ischemic in 64% of cases and the mean ejection fraction was 30%. A total of 41 infusions were performed, the mean dose of L administered was 5.4 mg/infusion. Three patients did not complete the expected treatment, one due to an intercurrent COVID–19 infection and two because of social issues. In 28 sessions the maximum infusion rate was reached, while in 12 a lower rate; in one case drug infusion was suspended (Figure 1). The main complication observed was marked non–symptomatic hypotension, followed by the onset of atrial fibrillation or frequently ventricular extrasystole. As shown in Figure 2, at the end of the infusion cycles, there was an improvement of clinical and hemodynamic parameters. Moreover, at the end of the infusion cycles, we observed a reduction in the mean dose of loop diuretic prescribed and an increase in the prescription of disease–modify treatment, according to HF guidelines (Figure 3).

Conclusions

In our preliminary experience repeated infusions of L appear to be well tolerated in older patients with advanced HF. Although there was an improvement in congestion parameters and targeted therapy for HF, more data will be needed in the future to confirm its safety and efficacy, also in terms of guidelines–directed medical therapy.

Prevalence of nutritional risk and malnutrition during and after hospitalization for COVID-19 infection: Preliminary results of a single-centre experience

Background & aims

The effect of the COVID-19 infection on nutritional status is not well established. Worldwide epidemiological studies have begun to investigate the incidence of malnutrition during hospitalization for COVID-19. The prevalence of malnutrition during follow-up after COVID-19 infection has not been investigated yet. The primary objective of the present study was to estimate the prevalence of the risk of malnutrition in hospitalized adult patients with COVID-19, re-evaluating their nutritional status during follow-up after discharge. The secondary objective was to identify factors that may contribute to the onset of malnutrition during hospitalization and after discharge.

Methods

We enrolled 142 COVID-19 patients admitted to Careggi University Hospital. Nutritional parameters were measured at three different timepoints for each patient: upon admission to hospital, at discharge from hospital and 3 months after discharge during follow-up. The prevalence of both the nutritional risk and malnutrition was assessed. During the follow-up, the presence of nutritional impact symptoms (NIS) was also investigated. An analysis of the association between demographic and clinical features and nutritional status was conducted.

Results

The mean unintended weight loss during hospitalization was 7.6% (p < 0.001). A positive correlation between age and weight loss during hospitalization was observed (r = 0.146, p = 0.08). Moreover, for elderly patients (>61 years old), a statistically significant correlation between age and weight loss was found (r = 0.288 p = 0.05). Patients admitted to an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) or Intermediate Care Unit (IMCU) had a greater unintended weight loss than patients who stayed in a standard care ward (5.46% vs 1.19%; p < 0.001). At discharge 12 patients were malnourished (8.4%) according to the ESPEN definition. On average, patients gained 4.36 kg (p < 0.001) three months after discharge. Overall, we observed a weight reduction of 2.2% (p < 0.001) from the habitual weight measured upon admission. Patients admitted to an ICU/IMCU showed a higher MUST score three months after discharge (Cramer's V 0.218, p = 0.035). With regard to the NIS score, only 7 patients (4.9%) reported one or more nutritional problems during follow-up.

Conclusions

The identification of groups of patients at a higher nutritional risk could be useful with a view to adopting measures to prevent worsening of nutritional status during hospitalization. Admission to an ICU/IMCU, age and length of the hospital stay seem to have a major impact on nutritional status. Nutritional follow-up should be guaranteed for patients who lose more than 10% of their habitual weight during their stay in hospital, especially after admission to an ICU/IMCU.

Changes in physical activity among coronary and hypertensive patients: A longitudinal study using the Health Action Process Approach

OBJECTIVES

Physical activity (PA) is a key factor in cardiovascular disease prevention. Through the Health Action Process Approach (HAPA), the present study investigated the process of change in PA in coronary patients (CPs) and hypertensive patients (HPs).

DESIGN

Longitudinal survey study with two follow-up assessments at 6 and 12 months on 188 CPs and 169 HPs.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Intensity and frequency of PA.

RESULTS

A multi-sample analysis indicated the equivalence of almost all the HAPA social cognitive patterns for both patient populations. A latent growth curve model showed strong interrelations among intercepts and slopes of PA, planning and maintenance self-efficacy, but change in planning was not associated with change in PA. Moreover, increase in PA was associated with the value of planning and maintenance self-efficacy reached at the last follow-up Conclusions: These findings shed light on mechanisms often neglected by the HAPA literature, suggesting reciprocal relationships between PA and its predictors that could define a plausible virtuous circle within the HAPA volitional phase. Moreover, the HAPA social cognitive patterns are essentially identical for patients who had a coronary event (i.e. CPs) and individuals who are at high risk for a coronary event (i.e. HPs).

Sono condivisibili e implementabili nel mondo reale i percorsi suggeriti? Quali sono i veri ostacoli allo sviluppo della riabilitazione-prevenzione e come superarli?

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Moderate alcohol use and health: a consensus document

AIMS

The aim of this consensus paper is to review the available evidence on the association between moderate alcohol use, health and disease and to provide a working document to the scientific and health professional communities.

DATA SYNTHESIS

In healthy adults and in the elderly, spontaneous consumption of alcoholic beverages within 30 g ethanol/d for men and 15 g/d for women is to be considered acceptable and do not deserve intervention by the primary care physician or the health professional in charge. Patients with increased risk for specific diseases, for example, women with familiar history of breast cancer, or subjects with familiar history of early cardiovascular disease, or cardiovascular patients should discuss with their physician their drinking habits. No abstainer should be advised to drink for health reasons. Alcohol use must be discouraged in specific physiological or personal situations or in selected age classes (children and adolescents, pregnant and lactating women and recovering alcoholics). Moreover, the possible interactions between alcohol and acute or chronic drug use must be discussed with the primary care physician.

CONCLUSIONS

The choice to consume alcohol should be based on individual considerations, taking into account the influence on health and diet, the risk of alcoholism and abuse, the effect on behaviour and other factors that may vary with age and lifestyle. Moderation in drinking and development of an associated lifestyle culture should be fostered.

[Consensus Statement of Multisocietary Task Force--prescription of physical exercise in the cardiological environment (third part)]

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Determinants of exercise tolerance after acute myocardial infarction in older persons

OBJECTIVES

Exercise tolerance is reduced with advancing age. Identification of potentially reversible determinants of the age-related decrement in exercise tolerance, which remain largely unexplored in older subjects and in patients recovering from a recent myocardial infarction (MI), may have useful therapeutic implications. The objective of this study was to identify the independent determinants of exercise tolerance in older patients with a recent MI.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

Data is from baseline assessment of 265 post-MI patients (age range 45-85 years) enrolled in the Cardiac Rehabilitation in Advanced Age randomized, controlled trial. Patients with major comorbidities or severe MI complications were excluded from the trial. Exercise tolerance was determined from symptom-limited exercise testing and expressed as total work capacity (TWC, kg.m) or peak oxygen consumption (VO2peak, mL/kg/min). The associations between both TWC and VO2peak and baseline demographic, social, clinical, and neuropsychological variables and an index of health-related quality of life were determined with univariate and multivariate analysis.

RESULTS

With univariate analysis, TWC decreased by 1285 kg.m per decade of increasing age between 45 and 85 years of age. With multivariate analysis, TWC decreased by 922 kg.m per decade. Increasing age (P < .001), female gender (P < .001), a small body surface area (P < .001), a low level of usual physical exercise before MI (P < .002), and the presence of post-MI depressive symptoms (P < .024) were independently associated with a lower TWC. The same factors, in addition to a small arm muscle area (P < .002), were also independently associated with a lower VO2peak.

CONCLUSIONS

Age per se accounts for approximately 70% of the age-related decay in TWC or VO2peak. However, the inclusion of modifiable factors such as physical exercise and depression in the prediction model reinforces the importance of a multidimensional approach to the evaluation and treatment of older patients with a recent MI.

Aims, design and enrollment rate of the Cardiac Rehabilitation in Advanced Age (CR-AGE) randomized, controlled trial

Data regarding the efficacy of cardiac rehabilitation after acute myocardial infarction in advanced age are limited, and are derived from either controlled but non randomized trials, or observational studies. Several aspects of cardiac rehabilitation after myocardial infarction in advanced age, including its effectiveness on exercise tolerance and health-related quality of life, as well as the feasibility of rehabilitation programs, need clarification. The objectives of this randomized, controlled trial, Cardiac Rehabilitation in Advanced Age (CR-AGE), are to examine the effects of an 8-week comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation intervention, comparing 1) supervised outpatient, hospital-based cardiac rehabilitation, 2) home-based cardiac rehabilitation, and 3) usual care in each of three groups of post-myocardial infarction patients, 45-65, 66-75, and 76-85 years of age. The primary objective of the trial is to evaluate the change in physical fitness in each age group assessed by total work capacity at the end of the intervention, and during follow-up over both the medium- (6 months) and the long-term (1 and 2 years). Secondary objectives of the trial include an examination of the feasibility of cardiac rehabilitation in older patients, as well as the determination of the following: exercise complication rates; changes in peak oxygen consumption; changes in other outcome measures, such as health-related quality of life, prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms, fluid intelligence, body composition and mass index; incidence of new cardiac and non-cardiac events; and utilization rates of health care services. Enrollment in the CR-AGE trial is expected to be completed within the first half of 1998.

Improved exercise tolerance by cardiac rehabilitation after myocardial infarction in the elderly: results of a preliminary, controlled study

Elderly patients are commonly excluded from cardiac rehabilitation after myocardial infarction (MI). The present controlled, non-randomized trial was undertaken as a preliminary study to compare some effects of cardiac rehabilitation between patients younger and older than 65 years without contraindications to physical exercise. Baseline total work capacity (TWC) was assessed by a maximal ergometric stress testing 4 weeks after MI. Patients were then prospectively enrolled into an 8-week ambulatory rehabilitation program (R-group: age < or = 65 N = 16; age > 65 N = 16). Those who refused or who could not participate in the program because of logistic difficulties served as controls (NR-group: age < or = 65 N = 16; age > 65 N = 14). In spite of non-randomized allocation, clinical characteristics did not differ between either treatment groups or age groups. TWC was re-assessed at 8 weeks from baseline evaluation in all patients. The number of completed training sessions in the R-group, and the proportion of sessions which were suspended for physiological or pathological (adverse events during exercise) causes were similar under and over 65 years. TWC increased (p < 0.001) in the R-group, the improvement being similar in the two age cohorts (< or = 65: +55% vs > 65: +65%, NS). A spontaneous enhancement of TWC (+37%, p < 0.001) occurred among younger controls as well. Only older controls did not improve their TWC; moreover, their +16% change was significantly (p < 0.05) less than the +65% increase obtained by the R-group of the same age.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Improved exercise tolerance by i.v. fructose-1,6-diphosphate in chronic, stable angina pectoris

The effect of IV fructose-1,6-diphosphate (FDP) on transient, reproducible myocardial ischemia was evaluated in ten patients, aged 50 to 66 years, with chronic, stable exertional angina. FDP or placebo (glucose) were administered between basal and posttreatment ergometric stress testing; an identical procedure was repeated in each patient with the second treatment on the following day according to a single-blind, cross-over design. FDP improved exercise tolerance and total work capacity, significantly delaying the onset of ST-segment depression and angina. Nevertheless, the critical level of the rate x pressure (R X P) product, causing appearance of myocardial ischemia, was not remarkably changed. However, the R X P product at same workload was significantly lower after FDP. These results suggest that improved exercise tolerance might have resulted from peripheral (increased oxygen delivery to skeletal muscle) rather than from central (cardiac) effects of FDP.

Response of some haemocoagulatory and haemorheological variables to maximal exercise in sedentary and active subjects

The purpose of this study was to evaluate how physical conditioning is associated with haemostatic and rheological responses to strenuous exercise. A total of 25 males, divided into two groups differing in exercise fitness (14 sedentary and 11 active), underwent exercise testing on a bicycle ergometer with an initial 25 W workload increasing by the same amount every 3 min. The following variables were evaluated before and after the test: platelet count and aggregability, plasma fibrinogen, fibrinolytic degradation products, viscometry and micro-haematocrit. Significant differences in baseline values between the two groups were found only for blood viscosity. Irrespective of the group, significantly increased values were demonstrated for all the variables, except platelet aggregability and fibrinogen levels, in response to strenuous exercise. It is concluded that the possible protective effect of exercise against cardiovascular disease does not seem to be related to changes in the haemorheological and haemostatic measures evaluated.

[Ventricular fibrillation in the initial phase of acute myocardial infarct]

In order to determinate the incidence, predictivity and prognosis of ventricular fibrillation in the early phase of acute myocardial infarction a series of 301 patients with acute myocardial infarction consecutively assisted by the Mobile Coronary Care Unit of Florence was analyzed. 151 patients (50.2%) received intensive care within 2 hours from the onset of the symptoms, 75 patients (24.9%) received intensive care between the second and sixth hour. 38 patients (12.6%) had at least one episode of ventricular fibrillation. 30% of the episodes of ventricular fibrillation happened within 1 hours from the onset of the symptoms, 47.4% within 2 hours, 74% within 6 hours. Serious arrhythmias complicated the early phase of acute myocardial infarction, but only sinus bradycardia seems to have a significant predicativity of ventricular fibrillation (P less than 0.05). We found that hospital survival resuscitated patients is strictly related to the time between early symptoms and the episode of ventricular fibrillation: 91% of the patients with ventricular fibrillation within 1 hour were discharged alive from hospital, 71% of those with ventricular fibrillation within 6 hours, 20% of those with ventricular fibrillation beyond 6 hours (P less than 0.01). The high rate and the favourable prognosis of ventricular fibrillation in the early phase of acute myocardial infarction must lead to a widespread implementation of rapid response emergency care systems away from hospital.

Short-term responses to cardiac rehabilitation after acute myocardial infarction. Cardiac function evaluation before and after physical training at rest and during stress test

Whether physical training, soon after myocardial infarction (MI), has effects upon intrinsic cardiac function at rest and during exertion remains unresolved. We have evaluated ventricular function using radionuclide angiography at rest and during stress testing before and after 3 months' physical training. This has been correlated with the site of MI and with changes in the ST segment during the maximal exercise test performed before the postmyocardial infarction rehabilitation program. We have studied 27 patients, mean age 54 +/- 10 years, in NYHA class I or II. Twelve showed no changes in the ST segment during erogmetric stress test (group 1); seven showed ST segment depression greater than 1 mm in leads different from those of MI (group 2); eight showed ST segment elevation of 2 mm (group 3). Twelve patients had had anterior MI only (AMI group); twelve inferior MI only (IMI group). After rehabilitation, all patients showed an increased work capacity and a decreased double product at the same work load. In the total group, significant increases were found in the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and in the contractile regional performance (LVwm) at rest, as well as a lesser decrease in the LVEF during handgrip test. Group 1 showed a significant increase in LVEF, associated with a decrease in left ventricular end-diastolic volume (EDV) at rest. Group 2 showed unchanged variables after rehabilitation. Group 3 showed a better LVEF during handgrip with an increase of EDV at rest. The AMI group showed a better LVEF and LVwm at rest and a better LVEF during handgrip. IMI group showed a better right ventricular ejection fraction during handgrip without improvement in LVEF. No patient with IMI had septal asynergy. We conclude that the effects of rehabilitation were linked to the site of MI and to the functional dynamic status of both ventricles.