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Biomedical subjects

G Gambelli

Publications and source records attributed to G Gambelli.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1993

[A reduction of left ventricular hypertrophy and an improvement in diastolic function after therapy with nifedipine retard in patients with hypertensive cardiopathy].

Left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy with increased LV mass is associated with abnormal LV diastolic filling in patients with hypertension. To assess the effect of antihypertensive therapy on LV mass (M), LV wall stress (SS) and rapid LV filling, 16 patients (12 males, 4 females), mean age 57 +/- 8 years, were treated with nifedipine slow release (NSR, 20 mg bid) for 12 months and evaluated by Doppler echocardiography at baseline and at 3, 6, 9, 12 months from the beginning of treatment. No other cardiovascular drugs were given during the study. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP, DBP), LVM/m2 body surface (bs; M/m2), LVSS, LV end-diastolic and end-systolic diameters (EDD/m2, ESD/m2) bs, left atrial diameter (LAD), fractional shortening index (FS%), isovolumic relaxation time (IVRT), E/A velocities ratio at mitral Doppler spectrum (E/A) were measured at each examination. During treatment, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, LVM, LVSS, LV end-systolic diameter and isovolumic relaxation time decreased and FS% and E/A significantly increased as compared with baseline values, EDD and LAD did not change significantly. The reduction of LVSS was of greater extent compared with that of LVM, at short and at mid-term, probably for a fibrotic component of LVM induced by chronic systolic overload. Changes of ESD and FS% were less evident compared with LVSS, possibly depending on their contribution to LVSS normalization. In conclusion, our experience indicates that NSR is an effective antihypertensive agent at short and mid-term.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Effects of nifedipine on left ventricular diastolic function in hypertension; echo Doppler study.

Hypertensive cardiac disease shows early alteration of left ventricular diastolic filling, characterized by a longer isovolumetric relaxation period and by an altered E/A ratio on the mitral spectral Doppler. We chose ten hypertensive patients who had left ventricular hypertrophy, but no left ventricular dilatation or mitral valve insufficiency and had a good left ventricular shortening fraction (greater than 26%). After the washout period we studied each of the above-mentioned parameters before and after the acute administration of nifedipine, dinitrate isosorbide, and captopril. While captopril and dinitrate isosorbide induced a prolongation of the isovolumic relaxation time and an impairment of the E/A ratio in mitral spectral Doppler (i.e., left ventricular filling), nifedipine induced an improvement in both parameters. The three drugs also induced a similar reduction in systemic blood pressure values (i.e., similar afterload). We therefore suggest that changes in diastolic function in hypertrophied cardiac fibers, induced by nifedipine, may be the result of a double action: one mediated by hemodynamic changes, the other directly affecting the cellular calcium ion exchange.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

[The diameter of the common trunk of the left coronary artery and left ventricular mass in athletes. An echocardiographic study].

The feasibility of two-dimensional echocardiographic visualization of the coronary artery was re-evaluated in adults in the light of technological advances and development of new imaging planes. Athletes are a good model for this type of study. The aim of our study was to visualize in athletes the coronary arteries, particularly the left main artery, and to see if a correlation exists between left-ventricular mass and coronary diameter. Twenty-one endurance athletes, aged between 17 and 30 years, and 21 control subjects, matched for age, sex and body surface area, were examined. All the subjects were examined with mono- and two-dimensional echocardiography, with annular array (3.5 and 5 MHz), with parasternal and apical projections modified in order to visualize the left main coronary artery. Wall thickness, left ventricular internal dimension and left ventricular mass were calculated. Interventricular septum thickness was 10.8 +/- 1.5 mm for athletes (A) versus 8.2 +/- 0.9 mm for controls (C); p less than 0.01. Posterior wall thickness was 10.4 +/- 1.5 mm (A) versus 8.2 +/- 0.6 mm (C); p less than 0.01. The left ventricular diastolic diameter was 54.6 +/- 5.1 mm (A) versus 49.5 +/- 3.4 mm (C); p less than 0.01. The mean left ventricular mass was 278.2 +/- 85.2 g (A) versus 165.6 +/- 35.4 g (C); p less than 0.01. The mean diameter of the left main coronary artery was 4.9 +/- 0.8 mm (A) versus 3.1 +/- 0.4 mm (C); p less than 0.01.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMed1986

Positive inotropic effects of ibopamine in patients with congestive heart failure. A multicenter investigation.

A multicenter double-blind placebo-controlled investigation was carried out in 42 patients with severe congestive heart failure who were given ibopamine (SB-7505), the 3,4-diisobutyryl ester of N-methyldopamine, for a period of 10 days in addition to previous treatment with digitalis and diuretics. Symptoms were evaluated by using a suitable score; some patients were submitted to an exercise test along with other clinical tests. Compared with placebo, ibopamine induced no significant changes in heart rate and arterial blood pressure. Clinical scores were lower after ibopamine than after placebo (p less than 0.01). Functional capacity, defined as the duration (in s) of a maximum symptom-limited exercise test using the ergometric bicycle with a constant 25-W workload, was significantly higher after ibopamine than after placebo (p less than 0.05). So a clear symptomatic improvement was observed after ibopamine in cardiac patients with prolongation of exercise time and reduced clinical scores. In conclusion, the results obtained, along with the slight improvement in the systolic time intervals, indicate that ibopamine is capable of improving cardiac performance in patients with advanced heart failure who display symptoms despite treatment with digitalis and diuretics.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

[Pulsed Doppler echocardiography in the study of tricuspid valve insufficiency].

The value of pulsed Doppler echocardiography in assessing the presence and severity of tricuspid regurgitation (TR) has been studied in three groups of subjects, 12 without cardiovascular disease (Group I), 38 with TR (Group II) and 16 patients with aortic and mitral valve disease but no TR (Group III). The presence and severity of TR was also independently evaluated by clinical examination, jugular vein pulse recording and/or hemodynamic investigation. Left parasternal, sub-xyphoid and apical views were adapted for the pulsed Doppler echocardiographic examination. The sample volume was placed in the right atrium at varying distances from the tricuspid valve. We tried to quantitate the degree of TR according to: 1) the diameter and maximal distance from the tricuspid valve of the regurgitant stream, 2) the duration of reguritation through systole, and 3) the degree of turbolence as demonstrated by the time interval histograms. On the basis of above mentioned criteria, three subgroups of subjects with TR, i.e. mild, moderate and severe were recognised. These results were compared to hemodynamic and/or clinical-poligraphic evaluation. In 34 Group II subjects (89%), the Doppler study revealed the presence of TR and allowed an acceptable quantitative assessment. Falsely positive diagnoses were not made in any of the subjects of Group I. Identification of organic TR in patients with atrial fibrillation was possible only when regurgitation was moderate or severe.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1981

[Echocardiokymography: a new ultrasonic technique. Patterns in normal subjects (author's transl)].

A new echocardiographic technique is presented: echocardiokymography. Parietal and valvular motion patterns are condensed in a single, two-dimensional image, showing the sisto-diastolic excursions, while keeping the spatial relationships. 65 normal subjects were studied and 4 motion patterns were identified: parietal muscular, parietal vascular, atrio-ventricular valvular and aortic valvular.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1981

[Clinical application of echocardiokymography for detection of global and sectorial dyskinesias (author's transl)].

The clinical application of a new ultrasonic technique, echocardiokymography (ECKG), has been showed particularly useful in the detection of myocardial and pericardial dyskinesias. In patients with congestive cardiomyopathy, the global hypokynesia was confirmed by the ECKG; regional impairment of parietal wall motion after myocardial infarction is clearly demonstrated by the technique; acute and chronic pericarditis show peculiar kymographic patterns. The ECKG is a kind of two-dimensional examination, that keeps some of the advantages of the time-motion, in the comparative study of cardiac walls dynamics.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1981

[Two-dimensional contrast echocardiography of hepatic veins in the diagnosis of tricuspid regurgitation (author's transl)].

The diagnosis of tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is often controversial. We used peripheral venous contrast echocardiography for the detection and the quantitative assessment of valvular regurgitation. We studied 10 normal subjects, 7 patients with atrial fibrillation, but without tricuspid lesions, 36 patients with TR confirmed by right heart catheterization, divided in three subgroups, according to ventriculography and jugular pulse recording: 10 cases with mild TR, 17 cases with moderate TR, 9 with severe regurgitation. After the injection of contrast medium (CM) (saline solution), the regurgitant flow was visualized in the hepatic veins (HV) and in the inferior vena cava (IVC), by two-dimensional subxiphoid projections; the time of disappearance of the CM was studied by time-motion echograms. The appearance of CM in the HV and in IVC wasn't demonstrated in any normal case. Subjects with atrial fibrillation alone, showed, in 71,5% of cases of persistence of CM in IVC for less than 10 cardiac beats. The diagnosis of severe TR was correctly made in 100% of cases; in all the patients the CM was showed in the HV for more than 40 beats. In patients with mild TR, the diagnosis was correct in 60% of cases with a short persistence of the CM in the HV. In the other cases of mild TR, the presence of CM in HV was misinterpreted as due to atrial fibrillation. Moderate TR was correctly recognized in 70.5% of patients, while in the remainder it was under or overestimated. The method shows a good sensitivity; some cases with atrial fibrillation, in the absence of TR, may cause "false-positive" diagnosis.

Echocardiography↗
PubMed1980

[An echocardiographic problem: the interventricular septum thickness in hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (author's transl)].

Peripheral venous contrast echocardiography is an established method in the assessment of cyanotic congenital heart diseases and for the exact definition of the inner cardiac surfaces outlines. We found it extremely useful in order to correctly delineate the right border of the interventricular septum in IHSS. The method showed that the interventricular system thickness had been underestimated in five out of six patients.

Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic↗
PubMed1980

[Mono-dimensional and bi-dimensional echocardiographic diagnosis of corrected transposition of the great vessels].

Three patients with corrected transposition of the great arteries (CTGA) have been studied by means of single plane (M-mode) and two-dimensional (2-D) echocardiography: the first study was performed after surgical closure of a VSD and the remaining two before cardiac catheterization. The following M-mode findings can suggest the diagnosis in CTGA: the interventricular septum (IVS) may not be visualized, there is lack of continuity between the posterior a-v valve (tricuspid) echoes and the anterior great artery (aorta), the posterior a-v valve leaflets may show some abnormalities in shape. The measurement of systolic time intervals of both semilunar valves can help in distinguishing the pulmonary artery from the aorta; further information can be obtained by means of peripheral venous contrast injection, which, in absence of right-to-left shunt, opacifies the posterior great vessel (pulmonary). The 2-D view of the heart allows the identification of the morphological type of ventricle and of the spatial great arteries relationship. The posteriorly and left located ventricle is recognized as morphologically right, because of the tricuspidal shape of its a-v valve: its attachment to IVS is lower than that of the mitral valve (4-chambers view) and three leaflets may be evident (short-axis); 3 papillary muscles and gross trabeculations can be identified (short axis and 4-chambers views, respectively). In long-axis the anterior vessel (aorta) runs parallel to the sternum; in short-axis both vessels are imaged as adjacent circles; by means of peripheral contrast injection, in conditions without right-to-left-shunt, the right and posterior vessel is recognized as a pulmonary artery. The differential diagnosis is discussed with d-transposition, Fallot's tetralogy, Taussig-Bing anomaly, common trunk, univentricular heart. According to our experience, the diagnosis of CTGA and associated defects can be made by M-mode and 2-D echocardiography.

Adult↗