Frequency of Left Ventricular Hypertrophy in Non-Valvular Atrial Fibrillation
Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is significantly related to adverse clinical outcomes in patients at high risk of cardiovascular events. In patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), data on LVH, that is, prevalence and determinants, are inconsistent mainly because of different definitions and heterogeneity of study populations. We determined echocardiographic-based LVH prevalence and clinical factors independently associated with its development in a prospective cohort of patients with non-valvular (NV) AF. From the "Atrial Fibrillation Registry for Ankle-brachial Index Prevalence Assessment: Collaborative Italian Study" (ARAPACIS) population, 1,184 patients with NVAF (mean age 72 ± 11 yea…
Clinical and biochemical determinants of the extent of liver steatosis in type 2 diabetes mellitus
Objective Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is very frequent in both type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and the metabolic syndrome (MS), which share clinical and metabolic characteristics. Whether and to which extent these characteristics can predict the degree of liver steatosis are not entirely clear. Patients and methods We determined liver fat (divided into four classes) by standard sonographic images, and clinical and biochemical variables, in 60 consecutive patients with T2DM and with features of the MS. We examined both simple and multiple correlations between the degree of liver steatosis and the variables measured. Results Increased liver fat (defined as >5% of liver mass) was detec…
Hemostatic balance in patients with liver cirrhosis: Report of a consensus conference.
Abstract Patients with cirrhosis present with hemostatic alterations secondary to reduced availability of pro-coagulant and anti-coagulant factors. The net effect of these changes is a rebalanced hemostatic system. The Italian Association of the Study of the Liver (AISF) and the Italian Society of Internal Medicine (SIMI) promoted a consensus conference on the hemostatic balance in patients with cirrhosis. The consensus process started with the review of the literature by a scientific board of experts and ended with a formal consensus meeting in Rome in December 2014. The statements were graded according to quality of evidence and strength of recommendations, and approved by an independent …