Search results for "Heart"

Chemotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity: role of the conventional echocardiography and the tissue Doppler.

2011

Aim. The cardiotoxicity of anticancer drugs is an emerging problem and only an identification of the early signs of cardiotoxicity by conventional echocardiography and not (tissue Doppler imaging, TDI), will limit and contain the long-term cardiotoxicity effects. The aim of this study was to identify, through conventional echocardiography and TDI, parameters to use as early "signs" of cardiotoxicity. Methods. A prospective study was performed using patients with breast cancer (72 women, median age 57+/-12) treated with anticancer drugs (adjuvant chemotherapy). All patients underwent a careful cardiological evaluation before starting treatment (T0) and during follow-up at 3 months (T1), 6 mo…

Mitochondrial redox signaling: Interaction of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species with other sources of oxidative stress.

2014

Significance: Oxidative stress is a well established hallmark of cardiovascular disease and there is strong evidence for a causal role of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) therein. Recent Advances: Improvement of cardiovascular complications by genetic deletion of RONS producing enzymes and overexpression of RONS degrading enzymes proved the involvement of these species in cardiovascular disease at a molecular level. Vice versa, overexpression of RONS producing enzymes as well as deletion of antioxidant enzymes was demonstrated to aggravate cardiovascular complications. Critical Issues: With the present overview we present and discuss different pathways how mitochondrial RONS inte…

Characterizing mortality effects of particulate matter size fractions in the two capital cities of the Canary Islands

2010

Most of the studies differentiating the effect of size-classified particulate matter (PM) exposure have been carried out in cities where the average levels of fine particles (PM2.5) were higher than those of coarse particles (PM10-2.5). These studies have suggested that PM2.5 is associated with daily mortality, but there is only limited evidence that PM10-2.5 is independently associated with mortality. The citizens of the Canary Islands are exposed to PM which is highly influenced by mineral dust because of the islands' proximity to the Western Coast of Morocco. This offers an excellent opportunity to analyze in detail the short-term association between PM size fractions and total, respirat…

Organization of intensive cardiac care units in Europe: Results of a multinational survey

2020

Background: The present survey aims to describe the intensive cardiac care unit organization and admission policies in Europe. Methods: A total of 228 hospitals (61% academic) from 27 countries participated in this survey. In addition to the organizational aspects of the intensive cardiac care units, including classification of the intensive cardiac care unit levels, data on the admission diagnoses were gathered from consecutive patients who were admitted during a two-day period. Admission policies were evaluated by comparing illness severity with the intensive cardiac care unit level. Gross national income was used to differentiate high-income countries (n=13) from middle-income countries…

Diagnostic and prognostic values of B-type natriuretic peptides (BNP) and N-terminal fragment brain natriuretic peptides (NT-pro-BNP).

2012

Abstract B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a member of a four-natriuretic peptide family that shares a common 17-peptide ring structure. The N-terminal fragment (NT-pro-BNP) is biologically inert, but both are secreted in the plasma in equimolar quantities and both have been evaluated for use in the management of congestive heart failure. BNP and NT-pro-BNP are frequently used in the diagnosis of congestive heart failure and distinguishing between patients with dyspnoea of cardiac or pulmonary origin. Values of NT-pro-BNP are affected by age or the presence of one or several co-morbidities such as chronic renal failure, type 2 diabetes, and acute coronary syndrome. ‘Normal’ values of thes…

The heart in the elderly critically ill patient

2002

Cardiac complications such as myocardial infarction and congestive heart failure are the primary source of perioperative morbidity and mortality in elderly surgical patients. This is the result of structural and functional age-related changes in the heart and the vasculature and an increasing incidence of cardiovascular disorders. Appropriate perioperative management of the elderly patient should be based on the extent of functional compromise, the type and severity of pre-existing disease, and the invasiveness of the surgical procedure. Current studies suggest that appropriately administered medical therapy, particularly beta-adrenergic blockade, may reduce perioperative cardiovascular mor…

Role of endothelial cell stress in the pathogenesis of chronic heart failure.

2009

Endothelial cells are key modulators of diverse physiological processes, and their impaired function is a cause of numerous cardiovascular diseases. Under physiologic condition, the reactive oxygen and nitrogen mediators in endothelia lead to the signal propagation of the initial stimulus, by forming molecules with a longer half-life like hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide is the focus of growing attention in endothelial biology, and consequently the enzymes involved in its generation and clearance are viewed as novel mediators of great importance. In particular, among peroxidases, myeloperoxidase is recognized as a key enzyme, capable of impairing intracellular NO reservoirs as well as p…

Two-year outcomes from the MitrAl ValvE RepaIr Clinical (MAVERIC) trial: a novel percutaneous treatment of functional mitral regurgitation.

2021

AIMS We report the 2-year outcomes of the MitrAl ValvE RepaIr Clinical (MAVERIC) trial. Functional mitral regurgitation (FMR) is associated with poor outcomes for which there remains an unmet clinical need. ARTO is a transcatheter annular reduction device for the treatment of FMR and an emerging alternative for patients at high surgical risk. The MAVERIC trial was designed to evaluate the safety and performance of the ARTO system in FMR and heart failure (HF). METHODS AND RESULTS MAVERIC is an international multicentre, prospective, single arm study enrolling patients with FMR grade ≥ 2, New York Heart Association (NYHA) class ≥II symptoms despite maximal medical therapy. Patients were excl…

Treatment of diabetes and heart failure: Facts and hopes.

2022

Employment of vasopressin receptor antagonists in management of hyponatraemia and volume overload in some clinical conditions

2015

Summary What is known and objective Hyponatraemia, the most common electrolyte imbalance occurring in hospitalized subjects, is usually classified as hypovolaemic, euvolaemic or hypervolaemic. Hyponatraemia is a predictor of death among subjects with chronic heart failure and cirrhosis. The inappropriate secretion of the antidiuretic hormone (AVP) seems to be of pivotal importance in the decline of serum sodium concentration in these clinical conditions. The objective of this review was to summarize recent progress in management of hyponatraemia in SIADH, cirrhosis and heart failure. Methods Literature searches were conducted on the topics of hyponatraemia and vasopressin receptor antagonis…