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A Amenta

Publications and source records attributed to A Amenta.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

Regulation of cardiac output during upright exercise in patients with aortic regurgitation.

The change in cardiac output during upright exercise in patients with aortic regurgitation (AR) is not well known. We measured left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF) and volume, regurgitant fraction (RF), total cardiac output and forward cardiac output at rest, and peak upright exercise by means of radionuclide angiography in ten normal subjects and 15 patients with AR. In the normal subjects, there was no significant change in the end-diastolic volume but there was a significant decrease in the end-systolic volume (p = 0.0001) and a significant increase in EF (p = 0.0001). The increase in cardiac output during exercise was due to increases in both stroke volume and heart rate. In patients with AR, there was a significant decrease during exercise in RF (53 +/- 15% at rest, and 45 +/- 15% during exercise; p = 0.03), and in end-diastolic and end-systolic volume (p = 0.02, and p = 0.003, respectively). The EF increased during exercise (p = 0.003). The total stroke volume did not change (68 +/- 19 ml/m2 at rest, and 67 +/- 14 ml/m2 during exercise; p, NS). Thus, in patients with AR, individual changes in EF, RF, and volume are quite variable, but as a group a decrease in RF and an increase in heart rate contribute to the increase in forward flow. The total stroke volume may not increase during exercise, despite an increase in EF and a decrease in end-systolic volume because of a concomitant decrease in end-diastolic volume.

Adolescent↗

Thallium-201 myocardial scintigraphy and left ventricular function at rest in patients with rest angina pectoris.

The purpose of this study was to examine the rest thallium-201 perfusion pattern during angina-free periods in 40 patients with rest angina pectoris secondary to coronary artery disease (greater than or equal to 70% diameter narrowing). Seventeen patients had previous Q wave myocardial infarction. The perfusion defects were considered fixed or reversible, depending on the absence or presence of redistribution in the 4-hour delayed images. There were 40 perfusion defects (26 fixed and 14 reversible) in 27 patients whereas 13 patients had normal scans. Reversible perfusion defects were present in 10 patients (25%). Of the 26 fixed perfusion defects, 17 did not have corresponding Q waves. Occluded vessels (63%) had more perfusion defects than vessels with subtotal occlusion (30%) (p less than 0.01). The perfusion defect size was larger in patients with lower ejection fraction than in patients with higher ejection fraction. We conclude: (1) perfusion defects are common in patients with rest angina and are reversible in 25% of patients indicating reduced regional coronary blood flow; (2) the degree of stenosis affects the presence of perfusion defect; (3) fixed defects may be present without corresponding Q waves; and (4) global left ventricular function is related to the size of perfusion defects.

Adult↗

Resting kinetics of thallium-201 in patients with coronary artery disease.

The thallium washout was analyzed in 40 patients with angiographically documented CAD, using circumferential time-activity profiles of the initial and four-hour delayed images. A net washout pattern (fewer counts in delayed images than initial images) was observed in the distribution of normal and diseased vessels. A negative washout (wash-in) (a net increase in counts in the four-hour delayed images) was observed only in the presence of diseased vessels, even if the initial scans were normal. Quantitative analysis of thallium kinetics was shown to be important in rest images, and should be performed even if the initial images appear normal.

Adult↗

Assessment of the myocardial perfusion pattern in patients with multivessel coronary artery disease.

We studied 42 symptomatic patients with coronary artery disease involving two or three vessels using exercise thallium-201 myocardial scintigraphy. Qualitative analysis of the images predicted multivessel disease in 75% of the patients with two-vessel disease and in 82% of the patients with three-vessel disease. Quantitative analysis of the size of the perfusion defect indicated that approximately 40% of the left ventricular perimeter showed abnormal perfusion pattern during stress in these patients, and there was no significant difference in the size of the defect in patients with two-vessel disease or three-vessel disease (41 +/- 17% vs 42 +/- 14%, respectively, mean +/- SD). The exercise heart rate, exercise ECG response, and severity of narrowing did not correlate with the size of the perfusion defect. Patients with anterior infarction had larger defects in the distribution of the left anterior descending artery than those without infarction. Collaterals offered partial protection during exercise only when they were not jeopardized. This study confirms the value of qualitative analysis of exercise thallium-201 imaging in predicting multivessel disease, and describes a simple method of assessing the extent of perfusion abnormalities during stress in patients with multivessel disease. The results may be important in patient management and prognosis.

Adult↗

Left ventricular function in chronic aortic regurgitation.

Left ventricular performance was determined in 42 patients with moderate or severe aortic regurgitation during upright exercise by measuring left ventricular ejection fraction and volume with radionuclide ventriculography. Classification of the patients according to exercise tolerance showed that patients with normal exercise tolerance (greater than or equal to 7.0 minutes) had a significantly higher ejection fraction at rest (probability [p] = 0.02) and during exercise (p = 0.0002), higher cardiac index at exercise (p = 0.0008) and lower exercise end-systolic volume (p = 0.01) than did patients with limited exercise tolerance. Similar significant differences were noted in younger patients compared with older patients in ejection fraction at rest and exercise (both p = 0.001) and cardiac index at rest (p = 0.03) and exercise (p = 0.0005). The end-diastolic volume decreased during exercise in 60% of the patients. The patients with a decrease in volume were significantly younger and had better exercise tolerance and a larger end-diastolic volume at rest than did patients who showed an increase in volume. The mean corrected left ventricular end-diastolic radius/wall thickness ratio was significantly greater in patients with abnormal than in those with normal exercise reserve (mean +/- standard deviation 476 +/- 146 versus 377 +/- 92 mm Hg, p less than 0.05). Thus, in patients with chronic aortic regurgitation: 1) left ventricular systolic function during exercise was related to age, exercise tolerance and corrected left ventricular end-diastolic radius/wall thickness ratio, and 2) the end-diastolic volume decreased during exercise, especially in younger patients and patients with normal exercise tolerance or a large volume at rest.

Adolescent↗