Biomedical subjects

Daniele Andreini

Publications and source records attributed to Daniele Andreini.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Comparison of feasibility and accuracy of transthoracic echocardiography versus computed tomography in patients with known ascending aortic aneurysm.

Aortic valve diseases, hypertension, and connective tissue disorders may be causes of ascending aortic aneurysms. Aortic enlargement monitoring is essential for surgical timing and for operative design. In this regard, several imaging techniques may have limitations: magnetic resonance is not widespread and is expensive, computed tomography uses radiation, and transesophageal echocardiography is a semi-invasive method. The aim of this study was to analyze the feasibility of transthoracic echocardiography in the evaluation of aortic dimensions and its accuracy in comparison with multidetector computed tomography. In 44 patients with known ascending aortic aneurysms, transthoracic echocardiographic and computed tomographic measurements were obtained and compared at different levels: the annulus, sinuses of Valsalva, sinotubular junction, ascending aorta, and aortic arch. Transthoracic echocardiographic diameters were obtained in all patients, apart from the aortic arch, which was measured in 40 cases. Transthoracic echocardiographic and computed tomographic diameters correlated significantly (p <0.001), with very small SEEs: for the annulus, r = 0.846 (SEE 0.37); for the sinuses of Valsalva, r = 0.967 (SEE 0.35); for the sinotubular junction, r = 0.965 (SEE 0.33); for the ascending aorta, r = 0.976 (SEE 0.41); and for the aortic arch, r = 0.87 (SEE 0.50). In conclusion, transthoracic echocardiography is a feasible and accurate technique for the assessment and follow-up of thoracic aortic diameters in patients with ascending aortic aneurysms.

Aged↗

PubMed2006

Carvedilol reduces exercise-induced hyperventilation: A benefit in normoxia and a problem with hypoxia.

AIMS: To evaluate whether carvedilol influences exercise hyperventilation and the ventilatory response to hypoxia in heart failure (HF). METHODS AND RESULTS: Fifteen HF patients participated to this double blind, randomised, placebo controlled, cross-over study. Patients were evaluated by quality of life questionnaire, echocardiography, pulmonary function and cardiopulmonary exercise tests (ramp and constant workload) both in normoxia (FiO2 = 21%) and hypoxia (FiO2 = 16%, equivalent to a simulated altitude of 2000 m). Carvedilol improved clinical condition and reduced left ventricle size, but had no effect on lung mechanics. In normoxia during exercise, ventilation was lower, V(CO2) unchanged and PaCO2 (constant workload) or PetCO2 (ramp) higher with carvedilol, exercise capacity was unchanged (peak workload 92+/-22 and 90+/-22W for placebo and carvedilol, respectively). Abnormal V(E)/V(CO2) slope was reduced by carvedilol. Hypoxia increased ventilation but less with carvedilol; exercise capacity decreased to 87+/-21W (placebo) and to 80+/-11 W (carvedilol, p < 0.01). With hypoxia, carvedilol decreased V(E)/V(CO2) slope. At constant workload exercise with hypoxia, PaO2 decreased to 69+/-6 mm Hg (placebo) and to 64+/-5 (carvedilol, p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Carvedilol reduced hyperventilation possibly by reducing peripheral chemoreflex sensitivity as suggested by PaCO2 increase with normoxia and PaO2 decrease with hypoxia without V(CO2) and V(D)/V(T) changes. Lessening hyperventilation is beneficial when breathing normally, but detrimental when hyperventilation is needed for exercise at high altitude.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗

PubMed2006

Cardiopulmonary evidence of exercise-induced silent ischaemia.

BACKGROUND: Exercise-induced ST changes, suggestive of cardiac ischaemia, are found in asymptomatic patients. METHODS: Gas exchange kinetics were studied during exercise to help to separate patients affected by epicardial coronary disease from those without. Forty-eight patients, without angina symptoms and showing significant changes of ST during exercise, underwent a coronarography and maximal cardiopulmonary exercise test. Thirty-five healthy individuals of matched age and sex underwent a cardiopulmonary exercise test as controls. RESULTS: Patients were grouped according to the presence (group 1, n = 35) or the absence (group 2, n = 13) of significant coronary lesions at angiography. When corrected for predicted oxygen consumption (VO2) at peak exercise and at anaerobic threshold, results showed a low VO2 at peak exercise and anaerobic threshold in group 1 (68 +/- 19 and 84 +/- 17% of predicted, respectively) compared with normal subjects (91 +/- 19 and 96 +/- 24% of predicted VO2) and group 2 patients (86 +/- 17 and 96 +/- 18%). Also the ischaemic threshold, when normalized for predicted workload at peak exercise, occurred earlier in group 1 (67 +/- 22%) than in group 2 (87 +/- 19%). The time-related (Delta)VO2/Deltawork relationship showed a significant flattening above the anaerobic threshold in group 1 (7.4+/-2.2 versus 9.4+/-1.4 ml/watt per minute, P < 0.01), but not in controls or in group 2. Also the DeltaVO2/Deltawork relationship, above the ischaemic threshold, flattened in group 1, but not in group 2. CONCLUSION: The suggestion of major coronary disease in patients with exercise-induced ST changes is given by: (i) a flattening of the DeltaVO2/Deltawork relationship, above both the ischaemic and anaerobic thresholds; and (ii) low VO2 values at anaerobic and ischaemic thresholds.

Aged↗

PubMed2005

Cardiopulmonary exercise test evidence of isolated right coronary artery disease.

Isolated right coronary artery disease is usually difficult to diagnose because of frequent negativity of standard exercise stress test. We report a case of isolated coronary artery stenosis which was not detected by standard ECG stress testing. The cardiopulmonary exercise test showed a peculiar pattern: abrupt flattening in VO2/Work relationship, plateau in O2 pulse and 90 s afterwards a plateau in heart rate, probably related to vagal afferent stimulation by ischaemia of the postero-inferior wall of the left ventricle. Multidetector computed tomography of coronary vessels and coronary angiography confirmed isolated critical stenosis of middle right coronary artery. After revascularization by PTCA, normalization of cardiopulmonary exercise test was obtained.

Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary↗

PubMed2004

Spironolactone improves lung diffusion in chronic heart failure.

AIMS: To evaluate whether anti-aldosteronic treatment influences lung diffusion (DLCO) in chronic heart failure (HF) patients. Spironolactone improves clinical conditions and prognosis in chronic HF and reduces connective tissue matrix turnover; DLCO abnormalities in chronic HF are related to increase in fibrosis and connective tissue derangement. METHODS AND RESULTS: Thirty stable chronic HF patients, with reduced DLCO (<80% of predicted), were randomly assigned to active treatment (25 mg spironolactone daily) or placebo in addition to conventional anti-failure treatment. They were evaluated by quality of life questionnaire, laboratory investigations, cardiopulmonary exercise test, and pulmonary function test, which included DLCO and membrane diffusing capacity (DM). The evaluation was done before treatment and 6 months after. Quality of life score and standard pulmonary function tests were not significantly affected by spironolactone, while active treatment increased DLCO due to an increase of DM (DLCO: 18.3+/-3.9 vs. 19.9+/-5.5 mL/min/mmHg; DM: 28.1+/-7.7 vs. 33.3+/-8.6 mL/min/mmHg) and peak oxygen consumption (peak VO2 16.8+/-1.9 vs.18.6+/-2.2 mL/min/kg). Increments of DLCO and peak VO2 were linearly related (R=0.849, P<0.001). CONCLUSION: These data show a positive effect of spironolactone on gas diffusion and exercise capacity suggesting a novel mechanism by which anti-aldosteronic drugs improve HF clinical condition and prognosis.

Exercise Test↗

PubMed2004

Usefulness of three-dimensional echocardiographic reconstruction of the Amplatzer septal occluder in patients undergoing atrial septal closure.

Eighty-eight patients referred for transcatheter closure of atrial septal or patent foramen ovale defects underwent 3-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography to correlate preclosure anatomy with the morphology and positioning of the atrial septal occluder. Despite the effectiveness of the trancatheter closure and absence of complications, 2 linear indentations of the aortic root by the 2 discs of the device were clearly demonstrated in 16 cases, suggesting caution in the choice of very large occluders.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Exercise-induced changes in exhaled nitric oxide in heart failure.

BACKGROUND: In heart failure abnormalities of pulmonary function are frequently observed as shown by hyperpnea, reduced lung compliance, reduced alveolar-capillary gas diffusion, positive methacholine challenge and, during exercise, early expiratory flow limitation. Nitric oxide (NO) might be related to all the above abnormalities. AIMS: We evaluated whether a correlation between exhaled NO (eNO) and lung function exists at rest and during exercise in heart failure. METHODS: We studied 33 chronic heart failure patients and 11 healthy subjects with: (a) standard pulmonary function, (b) lung diffusion for carbon monoxide (DLco) including its subcomponents, capillary volume and membrane resistance and eNO both at rest and during light exercise, (c) maximal cycloergometer cardiopulmonary exercise test. RESULTS: Forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV(1)) was reduced in heart failure patients (83+/-17% of predicted), as was DLco (75+/-18% of predicted) due to reduced membrane resistance (32.6+/-10.3 ml mmHg(-1) min(-1) vs. 39.9+/-6.9 in patients vs. controls, P<0.02). Exhaled NO was lower in patients vs. controls (9.7+/-5.4 ppm vs. 14.4+/-6.4, P<0.05) and was, during exercise, constant in patients and reduced in controls. No significant correlation was found between eNO and lung function. Vice-versa eNO changes during exercise were correlated with peak exercise oxygen consumption (r=0.560, P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The hypothesis of a link between eNO and lung function in heart failure was not proved. The correlation between eNO changes during exercise and peak V(O(2)) might be due to hemoglobin oxygenation, which binds NO to hemoglobin.

Aged↗

PubMed2003

Initial experience with a new on-line transthoracic three-dimensional technique: assessment of feasibility and of diagnostic potential.

BACKGROUND: Despite its wide diagnostic potential, three-dimensional (3D) echocardiography is a quite rarely employed technique. The ideal method to obtain transthoracic 3D imaging is on-line 3D echocardiography, but first-generation real-time instruments had technical limitations. A new on-line 3D technology which allows true real-time volume rendering of the cardiac anatomy has been recently introduced and its feasibility and diagnostic advantages have been evaluated in the clinical setting. METHODS: The system utilizes a "matrix" transducer with a dedicated software. It allows instantaneous acquisition and rendering on-line 3D images and interactive manipulation of 3D data. Eighty-three adult patients with various cardiac pathologies underwent on-line 3D echocardiography. Long- and short-axis views of the aorta, mitral valve and left ventricle and surgical views of these structures were attempted. The duration of acquisition and reconstruction, and the quality and incremental clinical value of 3D images in comparison with two-dimensional imaging were annotated. RESULTS: The mean time of 3D examination was 10 +/- 5 min; the mean number of acquisitions was 10.8 per patient. The quality of the 3D images was optimal in 39%, good in 37%, sufficient in 19%, and insufficient in 5% of the patients. In all cases at least one optimal or good live 3D image was obtained from the parasternal and apical views. The reconstruction of surgical or en face views was easily and rapidly (1-2 min) achieved by two experts in 3D echocardiography. The additional clinical values of 3D vs two-dimensional imaging was demonstrated in 7 patients with mitral valve disease, 3 with aortic valve pathology, and 3 with congenital heart disease. Several on-line 3D images that have not correspondence with two-dimensional echocardiography were reconstructed, creating projections dedicated to the diagnostic goal. CONCLUSIONS: On-line 3D echocardiography can be easily performed in adult patients and allows for unique planes and projections. The instant rendering of 3D images facilitates the recognition of cardiac structures and increases the diagnostic potential of transthoracic echocardiography.

Adolescent↗