Eight cases of top-ranking athletes with "repolarization disorders" are reported. All subjects were asymptomatic and were otherwise suited for excellent cardiovascular performances. Seven athletes did not show any... more
Eight cases of top-ranking athletes with "repolarization disorders" are reported. All subjects were asymptomatic and were otherwise suited for excellent cardiovascular performances. Seven athletes did not show any evidence of heart disease. Seven had MVP (mitral valve prolapse). Umprompted variability of ECG tracings was observed in three cases. Both isoproterenol infusions (IS) and maximal physical effort (EX) normalized T wave (abnormalities in 100% of cases, while atropine (AT) was ineffective despite an increase in heart rate greater than that caused by IS. The authors emphasize the usefulness of combined use of the EX and IS tests in ascertaining the clinical significance of T wave changes in healthy athletes. A "neurogenic" mechanism is proposed by the authors for the pathogenesis of these T wave abnormalities. This hypothesis may explain the umprompted variability of ECG tracings and T wave normalization after maximal physical effort and isoproterenol infusion.
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Autocapture is an algorithm for automatic adaptation of ventricular output to capture threshold. The aim of this prospective study was to estimate the effects of ventricular Autocapture algorithm on DDD-DDDR pacemaker longevity.... more
Autocapture is an algorithm for automatic adaptation of ventricular output to capture threshold. The aim of this prospective study was to estimate the effects of ventricular Autocapture algorithm on DDD-DDDR pacemaker longevity. Eighty-three patients implanted with a DDD-DDDR pacemaker (Affinity or Entity; St Jude Medical, USA) were enrolled and the Autocapture function was activated pre-discharge. Ventricular pulse duration was randomly programmed at 0.3 or 0.4 ms, with a cross-over at 8-12 weeks and again at 13-14 months. Diagnostic data were retrieved from device memory and by calculating battery current drain from long-term threshold recordings; device longevity was estimated at the following settings: Autocapture with a pulse duration of 0.3 and 0.4 ms, respectively, standard output (3.5 V, 0.4 ms) and conventional low output programming (2.5 V, 0.4 ms). According to a series of assumptions, Autocapture was associated with a 55-60% increase in estimated device longevity compared with standard output programming and a 6-7% increase in longevity compared with low output programming. No significant differences were found between Autocapture programmed with a pulse duration of 0.3 or 0.4 ms. In projections to a 10-year follow-up, use of the Autocapture function resulted in a 42% reduction in pacing-related estimated costs compared with standard output programming at 3.5 V, 0.4 ms. Pacing with constant adaptation of ventricular output in dual-chamber devices has the potential to increase generator longevity and to reduce sizeably pacing-related costs compared with standard programming.
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The occurrence of Wenckebach second-degree (Mobitz I) AV block in apparently normal persons still provides a puzzle for the cardiologist, as the benign nature of this event has been recently questioned. This problem becomes more... more
The occurrence of Wenckebach second-degree (Mobitz I) AV block in apparently normal persons still provides a puzzle for the cardiologist, as the benign nature of this event has been recently questioned. This problem becomes more intriguing when Wenckebach AV block is ...
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The occurrence of Wenckebach second-degree (Mobitz I) AV block in apparently normal persons still provides a puzzle for the cardiologist, as the benign nature of this event has been recently questioned. This problem becomes more... more
The occurrence of Wenckebach second-degree (Mobitz I) AV block in apparently normal persons still provides a puzzle for the cardiologist, as the benign nature of this event has been recently questioned. This problem becomes more intriguing when Wenckebach AV block is ...
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Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) reduces morbidity and mortality in selected patients with heart failure, but up to one third of patients may not respond to CRT. A transmural postero-lateral (TMPL) wall scar in the left ventricle... more
Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) reduces morbidity and mortality in selected patients with heart failure, but up to one third of patients may not respond to CRT. A transmural postero-lateral (TMPL) wall scar in the left ventricle (LV) or over the LV pacing site may attenuate clinical and echocardiographic response to CRT. We systematically searched PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases for studies examining the association between Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR)-determined postero-lateral or LV pacing site scar and clinical and echocardiographic response to CRT. Eleven prospective studies were included. The presence of TMPL scar on pre-implant CMR was associated with a 75% lower chance of echocardiographic response to CRT, and a similarly lower chance of clinical response. Significant scar over LV pacing site on pre-implant CMR was also associated with a 46% lower chance of echocardiographic response to CRT, and a 67% lower chance of clinical response. The presence of trans...
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The authors describe 3 cases of AMI occurring shortly after a negative bicycle ergometer stress test. These cases represent an unfortunate but extremely rare complication of a relatively safe diagnostic procedure. The authors also focus... more
The authors describe 3 cases of AMI occurring shortly after a negative bicycle ergometer stress test. These cases represent an unfortunate but extremely rare complication of a relatively safe diagnostic procedure. The authors also focus on the pathogenesis of the ischemic event, which may be attributed either to intraplaque hemorrhage or to platelet aggregation, both exercise-induced. The prevalence of AMI in this paper (0.06%) is similar to the data described in literature.
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Research Interests: Research Design, Health Care, Clinical Trial, Quality of life, Survival Analysis, and 46 moreTreatment Outcome, Electrocardiography, Heart Failure, Protein Structure and Function, Prospective studies, Humans, Hemodynamics, Emergency Room, Left Ventricular Assist Device, Hospitalization, Chronic Disease, United States, Follow-up studies, Randomised Controlled Trial, Left Ventricular Dysfunction, Clinical Sciences, Aged, Cardiac Arrhythmias, Questionnaires, Public health systems and services research, Time Factors, Odds ratio, Cost Benefit Analysis, Prognosis, Circulation, Disease Progression, Implantable defibrillators-cardioverters, Right Ventricle, Large Scale, Ventricular Remodeling, Weight of Evidence, Cardiac-Resynchronization-Therapy-Devices-Market, ADJUVANT THERAPY, Food and Drug Administration, Cross-Over Studies, Heart Ventricles, New England Journalof Medicine, Exercise Tolerance, SECONDARY PREVENTION, Functional Status, Left Ventricle, Bundle Branch Block, Clinical Trials as Topic, Severity of Illness Index, Multicenter Studies as Topic, and Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
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Heart failure remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality despite advances in pharmacological treatment. Recently, multisite biventricular pacing has been used in the treatment of patients with heart failure. The short and medium... more
Heart failure remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality despite advances in pharmacological treatment. Recently, multisite biventricular pacing has been used in the treatment of patients with heart failure. The short and medium term effects of this treatment modality were assessed, and the association between baseline clinical characteristics and the positive response to treatment was investigated. Consecutive patients who received this treatment modality were included. They underwent comprehensive clinical and echocardiographic assessment including a 6 min walk at baseline, one month and three months. Between January 1998 and June 1999, 95 patients received multisite biventricular pacing therapy in the three participating hospitals. In 63 patients with complete three-month follow-ups, there were improvements from baseline to three-month follow-up in New York Heart Association heart failure (3.3 +/- 0.5 to 2.2 +/- 0.6, P<0.001) and 6 min walk (305 +/- 120 to 403 +/- 113 m,...
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Research Interests: Biomedical Engineering, Electrocardiography, Heart Failure, Humans, Left Ventricular Assist Device, and 10 moreCongestive Heart Failure, Chronic Disease, Female, Follow-up studies, Left Ventricular Dysfunction, Clinical Sciences, Aged, Long Term Effect, Cardiac-Resynchronization-Therapy-Devices-Market, and Equipment Design
Research Interests: Biomedical Engineering, Clinical Trial, Quality of life, Survival Analysis, Treatment Outcome, and 30 moreRisk assessment, Comorbidity, PET, Italy, Echocardiography, Heart Failure, Humans, Congestive Heart Failure, Female, Male, Atrial Fibrillation, Risk factors, Left Ventricular Dysfunction, Clinical Sciences, Aged, Prevalence, Middle Aged, Public health systems and services research, Survival Rate, Risk Factors, Risk Assessment, Ventricular Remodeling, Cardiac-Resynchronization-Therapy-Devices-Market, Life Span, QALY, Left Ventricle, LVEF, Postoperative care, Surgical Treatment, and Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
Research Interests: Computed Tomography, Echocardiography, Heart Failure, Prospective studies, Humans, and 23 moreCS, Left Ventricular Assist Device, Female, Male, The, Enzyme, Aged, Middle Aged, Longitudinal Studies, HF, Public health systems and services research, Time Factors, Long Term Effect, Ejection Fraction, Cardiac-Resynchronization-Therapy-Devices-Market, X ray Computed Tomography, Exercise Test, Oxygen Consumption, Bundle Branch Block, The American, LVEF, Severity of Illness Index, and Thoracotomy
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Research Interests:
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The evaluation of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) may be troublesome in difficult clinical settings in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). The aim of this study was to compare 2 simple geometrical and nongeometrical... more
The evaluation of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) may be troublesome in difficult clinical settings in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). The aim of this study was to compare 2 simple geometrical and nongeometrical methods of LVEF evaluation that could overcome the typical technical limitations of ultrasound examination. The authors studied 26 patients with proven CAD (63+/-10 years) who underwent left ventricular (LV) catheterization and coronary angiography during the hospital stay. A complete 2D-Doppler echocardiography was performed and LVEF was evaluated with the formula by Wyatt (W-LVEF), which relates the left ventricle to a biplane ellipsoidal figure, and by the myocardial performance index (MPI) formula (MPI-LVEF), MPI being an index of systodiastolic function. Mean MPI-LVEF was 41+/-8% and was significantly lower with respect to contrast angiography (52+/-14%, p = 0.0003) and to W-LVEF (49+/-13%, p = 0.0009). There was no statistically significant correlation between MPI-LVEF and geometric (either angiographic or ultrasound) LVEF. Bland-Altman analysis showed lack of agreement between MPI-LVEF and any other method evaluated in the study. MPI-LVEF may not be reliable and accurate for the evaluation of systolic function in patients with CAD. Nonetheless, the evaluation of global LV function by means of MPI may represent a valuable and affordable alternative to expensive and time-consuming methods, especially in the presence of difficult technical settings.