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Biomedical subjects

E de Teresa

Publications and source records attributed to E de Teresa.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Effect of individualizing starting doses of a statin according to baseline LDL-cholesterol levels on achieving cholesterol targets: the achieve cholesterol targets fast with atorvastatin stratified titration (ACTFAST) study.

AIMS: To investigate whether selecting the starting dose of atorvastatin according to baseline and target (<2.6 mmol/L) LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) values would allow high-risk subjects to achieve target LDL-C concentration within 12 weeks, with the initial dose or a single uptitration. METHODS AND RESULTS: Twelve-week, prospective, open-label trial that enrolled 2117 high-risk subjects (statin-free [SF] or statin-treated [ST]). Subjects with LDL-C >2.6 mmol/L (100mg/dL) but <or=5.7 mmol/L (220 mg/dL) were assigned a starting dose of atorvastatin (10, 20, 40 or 80 mg/day) based on LDL-C and status of statin use at baseline, with a single uptitration at 6 weeks, if required. There was no washout for ST subjects. At study end, 80% of SF (82%, 82%, 83% and 72% with 10, 20, 40 and 80 mg, respectively) and 59% of ST (60%, 61% and 51% with 20, 40 and 80 mg, respectively) subjects reached LDL-C target. In the ST group, an additional 21-41% reduction in LDL-C was observed over the statin used at baseline. Atorvastatin was well tolerated. CONCLUSION: This study confirms that individualizing the starting dose of atorvastatin according to baseline and target LDL-C values (i.e. the required LDL-C reduction), allows a large majority of high-risk subjects to achieve target safely, within 12 weeks, with the initial dose or with a single titration.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

Does angina the week before protect against first myocardial infarction in elderly patients?

Mortality rates for coronary artery disease are greater in elderly patients. Although prodromal angina occurring shortly before an acute myocardial infarction (MI) has protective effects against ischemia, this effect has not been well documented in older patients. This study investigated whether angina 1 week before a first MI provides protection in this group of patients. A total of 290 consecutive elderly (>64 years old, n = 143) and adult patients (<65 years old, n = 147) with a first MI were examined to assess the effect of preceding angina on the short- and long-term prognosis. Elderly patients with a history of prodromal angina were less likely than those without angina to experience in-hospital death, heart failure, or the combined end point of in-hospital death and heart failure (6% vs 20.4%, p = 0.02; 10% vs 23.7%, p = 0.07; 14% vs 32.3%, p = 0.01, respectively). Left ventricular function was more frequently depressed (ejection fraction <40%) in elderly patients without (44.8%) than with (26%, p = 0.04) preinfarction angina, and the incidence of arrhythmias (complete heart block and ventricular fibrillation) was greater in the former group (16.1% vs 4%, p = 0.03). Multivariate analysis confirmed that the presence of preinfarction angina was an independent predictor of in-hospital death and heart failure in older patients (odds ratio 0.28, p = 0.009). The occurrence of angina 1 week before a first MI may confer protection against in-hospital adverse outcomes, and may preserve left ventricular function in older patients.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

[Creatine kinase increases after coronary interventions].

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Percutaneous revascularization has led to an important change in the treatment of patients with symptomatic ischemic heart disease in recent years. There is controversy concerning the incidence and prognostic significance of postprocedural increases in creatine kinase. The aim of this study was to assess the incidence of these elevations and the related factors and to observe the prognosis of patients with and without creatin kinase elevations. METHODS: We reviewed 447 patients in whom an angioplasty was done in our department from January 1997 to June 1998, excluding 138 patients with myocardial infarction in the previous four days or unsuccessful angioplasty. Creatine kinase was measured in all patients at 0, 4, 8 and 24 hours after angioplasty. We analyzed the incidence of elevated levels of creatine kinase following coronary surgery and the characteristics of the patients in comparison with a control group made up of patients who, at a similar time had undergone a similar angioplasty procedure including, a similar vessel and type of lesion, and equivalent left ventricular function but without elevated serum levels of creatine kinase. Major adverse coronary events were defined as: cardiac death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, new revascularization and unstable angina in which hospitalization was required. RESULTS: Out of 309 patients studied, an elevation in creatine kinase was observed in 24 patients (7.7%). Complications related to the procedure were found in 50% of these elevations, most of which involved side branch occlusion. There were no differences with respect to the demographical or anatomical characteristics of the lesions in the groups studied. During the follow-up of 9.5 months, complications were observed in 37.5% of the group of patients with elevated creatine kinase levels and in 20% of the control group, but this difference did not achieve statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: Creatine kinase elevations are produced in 7.7% of the patients after coronary angioplasty. Complications related to the procedure were observed in 50% of the cases, most being side branch occlusion and no complications were seen in the remaining patients. Continuous measurement of creatine kinase after angioplasty shows a low sensitivity for detecting complications during follow-up. New, more sensitive and specific cardiac markers, such as troponin, could define this group of patients.

Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary↗
PubMed2001

[Large myxoma of the right atrium].

We describe the case of a patient in whom two-dimensional echocardiography, performed due to dissociated cholestasis and jugular ingurgitation, demonstrated a huge mass in the right atrium which prolapsed in the right ventricle. Intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography was performed to further assess the dimension and characteristics of the mass and to discard the involvement of associated structures. The patient underwent a cardiopulmonary bypass surgery and the mass (12 * 5 cm) was removed without complications. Histologic examination confirmed the diagnosis of myxoma. This case is of interest because of the size of the mass, and is centered in the diagnosis following clinical suspicion due to the pattern of dissociated cholestasis and jugular ingurgitation leading to surgery to prevent the potential embolic complications.

Heart Atria↗
PubMed2001

[Heart failure as the initial cardiac manifestation of Steinert's myotonic dystrophy].

The relationship between neuromuscular diseases and the heart has been well known for many years. Cardiac lesions tend to involve the specialized conducting system. We report the case of a 36-year-old male diagnosed with Steinert's myotonic dystrophy whose initial cardiovascular symptom was heart failure and not symptoms related to alterations of the specialized conducting system.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Profiling risk from arrhythmic or hemodynamic death.

Congestive heart failure is increasing in prevalence and, despite recent advances in therapy, mortality remains high. Sudden cardiac death (SCD) represents a significant percentage of overall mortality, accounting for almost 1 in 2 deaths in patients with congestive heart failure. In patients with asymptomatic left ventricular dysfunction or mild degrees of functional impairement, overall annual mortality is low, although a significant portion of the deaths are sudden; on the other hand, in advanced heart failure annual mortality increases, but SCD contributes to it to a lesser degree. The mechanisms of SCD in heart failure are multiple, including ventricular tachycardia/ventricular fibrillation, bradyarrhythmias, electromechanical dissociation, acute coronary events, and thromboembolic events. Only a minority of patients with advanced heart failure or on the waiting list for heart transplant experience SCD as a consequence of ventricular tachycardia (VT) or ventricular fibrillation (VF). The availability of effective therapies to prevent sudden arrhythmic death, such as that provided by automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillators, may help to reduce the burden of SCD in congestive heart failure, but major efforts will be needed to identify the candidates who may benefit from this approach.

Arrhythmias, Cardiac↗
PubMed1999

[Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of heart failure and cardiogenic shock. Informe del Grupo de Trabajo de Insuficiencia Carddiacade la Sociedad Espanñola de Cardiología].

Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Heart Failure and Cardiogenic Shock have been developed by the Working Group on Heart Failure of the Spanish Society of Cardiology, in collaboration with other Scientific Sections and members of the society. The aim of this report is to promote a more consistent and effective clinical practice according to the principles of evidence based medicine or the recommendations widely accepted by the scientific community. At the same time the aim is to give guidance for epidemiological surveys, heart failure registers clinical assays and clinical quality assessment, and to contribute to cost containment. These twelve guidelines have been designed for doctors in general practice as well as specialists. Criteria for diagnosis and classification of heart failure (systolic and diastolic heart failure, left or right, acute or chronic) are defined. The more appropriate use of clinical or high technology laboratory studies are recommended as well as the most efficient strategies nowadays for the management of chronic stable, unstable or refractory heart failure, or acute heart failure and cardiogenic shock.

Heart Failure↗
PubMed1999

[Pneumopericardium in an asthmatic patient. A case report and review of the bibliography].

Pneumopericardium is an uncommon but potentially serious condition of which leading cause is mechanical ventilation in infants suffering respiratory distress syndrome. In adults, however, the most common causes are iatrogenic in diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, as well as traumatic lesions. We describe a case of pneumopericardium in a teenager suffering an asthma crisis. A review of the literature is presented, stressing the most relevant findings of the physical examination and habitual laboratory tests.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

[Ventricular geometry and heart failure].

In the last years there has been an appreciation of the importance of left ventricular geometry. After a period, in the sixties and seventies, that the interest was focused on cardiac physiology and the left ventricular geometry role about this subject, new studies are available on clinical significance of normal or distorted left ventricular shape. New assessment methods of ventricular geometry have been described. The use of simple measurements to assess ventricular geometry has allowed to know the clinical value of the shape distortion in patients with heart failure. The suspicion that left ventricular shape change to sphericity has prognosis value, has raised the interest about this subject. Whether distortion of left ventricular shape is an even better parameter than cardiac function indices normally used is under consideration. Moreover, new surgical therapies have been developed in an attempt to improve the ventricular geometry and to get better clinical prognosis in patients with heart failure.

Heart Failure↗
PubMed1998

[Association between myocardial infarction and angiotensin converting enzyme gene polymorphism in young patients].

BACKGROUND: Different studies have shown a relationship between an insertion-deletion polymorphism of the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) gene and the risk of ischemic heart disease, although there are no data on this association in the Spanish population. MATERIALS AND METHOD: We have studied three groups of patients: I, healthy volunteers (n = 56, mean age 36.20 +/- 4.20 years); II, patients having presented an acute myocardial infarction (MI) < or = 50 years (n = 59, mean age 42.30 +/- 5.30 years), and III, patients with MI over the age of 50 years (n = 60, mean age 66.36 +/- 9.47 years). In all patients the genotype ACE gen was determined by an assay based on the polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: The distribution of the ACE genotype between the three groups were not significative. Comparing the ratio of DD/II-DI in groups II and III there were 26/33 versus 15/45 (p = 0.02864). There was no difference in the smoking, hypercholesterolemia and hypertension between groups II and III; there were only differences in familial history of ischemic heart disease; diabetes mellitus was more prevalent in the III group. A multivariate analysis showed that smoking familial history of ichemic heart disease, hypercholesterolemia and DD genotype were more prevalent in young patients (OR 3.92, 2.85, 2.36 and 1.77), whereas diabetes mellitus was more prevalent in the group of older patients. There were no differences in the ACE genotype with respect to infarct location or gender. CONCLUSIONS: In our population DD ACE genotype is associated with MI in young patients, although smoking, family history and hypercholesterolemia show a more powerful association.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

[Guideline 1. Diagnosis of heart failure and ventricular dysfunction].

The criteria required for the diagnosis of the four clinical aspects of the congestive heart failure, that are needed for the correct management of patients are discussed: the diagnosis of the syndrome, mechanism (systolic or diastolic dysfunction), ethology and functional capacity. The "initial evaluation" of patients presenting with symptoms of heart failure is described to encourage an structured diagnostic approach and the cost/effective use of diagnostic methods.

Cardiac Catheterization↗
PubMed1997

[Guideline 6. Cardiogenic shock].

The criteria required for the clinical and hemodynamic diagnosis of cardiogenic shock are described. The management of shock is briefly reviewed.

Clinical Protocols↗
PubMed1997

[Guideline 7. Intensive treatment of unstable heart failure. Indications for heart transplantation].

Unstable heart failure is defined as class IV cardiac failure with symptoms that do not respond to empiric treatment, which causes hypotension, renal failure, hyponatremia and/or symptomatic ventricular arrhythmias. It may be reversible or refractory. Refractory or "end-stage" heart failure is an indication for heart transplant, provided that: a) all reversible ethiologic factors have been corrected; and b) aggressive treatment in the intensive care unit under hemodynamic monitoring has not been able to stabilize heart failure.

Clinical Protocols↗