Real-World Populational-Based Quality of Life and Functional Status After Stroke.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to describe health-related quality of life (HRQoL) 3 months and 1 year after stroke, compare HRQoL between dependent (modified Rankin scale [mRS] 3-5) and independent (mRS 0-2) patients, and identify factors predictive of poor HRQoL. METHODS: Patients with a first ischemic stroke or intraparenchymal hemorrhage from the Joinville Stroke Registry were analyzed retrospectively. Using the 5-level version of the EuroQol-5D questionnaire, HRQoL was calculated for all patients 3 months and 1 year after stroke, stratified by mRS score (0-2 or 3-5). One-year HRQoL predictors were examined using univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: Three months after a stroke, data from 884 patients were analyzed; 72.8% were categorized as mRS 0-2 and 27.2% as mRS 3-5, and the mean HRQoL was 0.670 ± 0.256. At 1-year follow-up, 705 patients were evaluated; 75% were classified as mRS 0-2 and 25% as mRS 3-5, and the mean HRQoL was 0.71 ± 0.249. An increase in HRQoL was observed between 3 months and 1 year (mean difference 0.024, P < .0001), both in patients with 3-month mRS 0-2 (0.013, P = .027) and mRS 3-5 (0.052, P < .0001). Increasing age, female sex, hypertension, diabetes, and a high mRS were associated with poor HRQoL at 1 year. CONCLUSIONS: This study described the HRQoL after a stroke in a Brazilian population. This analysis shows that the mRS was highly associated with HRQoL after stroke. Age, sex, diabetes, and hypertension were also associated with HRQoL, although not independently of mRS.

Robotic cardiac surgery in Brazil.

BACKGROUND: Brazil, the largest country and economy in South America, is a major driving force behind the development of new medical technologies in the region. Robotic cardiac surgery (RCS) has been evolving rapidly since 2010, when the first surgery using the DaVinci® robotic system was performed in Latin America. The aim of this article is to evaluate short and mid-term results in patients undergoing robotic cardiac surgery in Brazil. METHODS: From March 2010 to December 2015, 39 consecutive patients underwent robotic cardiac surgery. Twenty-seven patients were male (69.2%), with the mean age of 51.3±17.9 years. Participants had a mean ejection fraction of 62±5%. The procedures included in this study were mitral valve surgery, surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation, atrial septal defect closure, resection of intra-cardiac tumors, totally endoscopic coronary artery bypass and pericardiectomy. RESULTS: The mean time spent on cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) during RCS was 154.9±94.2 minutes and the mean aortic cross-clamp time was 114.48±75.66 minutes. Thirty-two patients (82%) were extubated in the operating room immediately after surgery. The median intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay was 1 day (ranging from 0 to 25) and the median hospital length of stay was 5 days (ranging from 3 to 25). For each type of procedure, endpoints were individually reported. There were no conversions to sternotomy and no intra-operative complications. Patient follow-up was complete in 100% of the participants, with two early deaths unrelated to the procedures and no re-operations at mid-term. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the heterogeneity of this series, RCS appears to be feasible, safe and effective when used for the correction of various intra- and extra-cardiac pathologies. Adopting the robotic system has been a challenge in Brazil, where its limited clinical application may be related to the lack of specific training and the high cost of technology.

Mechanical Ventilation and Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction: A Retrospective Observational Study.

PURPOSE: Patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and respiratory impairment may be treated with either invasive or non-invasive mechanical ventilation (MV). However, there has been little testing of non-invasive MV in the setting of AMI. Our objective was to evaluate the incidence and associated clinical outcomes of patients with AMI who were treated with non-invasive or invasive MV. METHODS: This was a retrospective observational study in which consecutive patients with AMI (n = 1610) were enrolled. The association between exclusively non-invasive MV, invasive MV and outcomes was assessed by multivariable models. RESULTS: Mechanical ventilation was used in 293 patients (54% invasive and 46% exclusively non-invasive). In-hospital mortality rates for patients without MV, with exclusively non-invasive MV, and with invasive MV were 4.0%, 8.8%, and 39.5%, respectively (P<0.001). The median lengths of hospital stay were 6 (5.8-6.2), 13 (11.2-4.7), and 28 (18.0-37.9) days, respectively (P<0.001). Exclusively non-invasive MV was not associated with in-hospital death (adjusted HR = 0.90, 95% CI 0.40-1.99, P = 0.79). Invasive MV was strongly associated with a higher risk of in-hospital death (adjusted HR = 3.07, 95% CI 1.79-5.26, P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In AMI setting, 18% of the patients required MV. Almost half of these patients were treated with exclusively non-invasive strategies with a favorable prognosis, while patients who needed to be treated invasively had a three-fold increase in the risk of death. Future prospective randomized trials are needed to compare the effectiveness of invasive and non-invasive MV for the initial approach of respiratory failure in AMI patients.

Peripheral arterial disease in heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia.

BACKGROUND: Familial hypercholesterolemia is characterized by elevated plasma cholesterol and early coronary arterial disease onset. However, few studies investigated the association of heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia with peripheral arterial disease. METHODS: In a cross sectional study 202 heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia patients (91% confirmed by molecular diagnosis) were compared to 524 normolipidemic controls. Peripheral arterial disease was diagnosed by ankle-brachial index values ≤0.90. RESULTS: Compared with controls, familial hypercholesterolemia patients were older, more often female, with higher rates of hypertension, diabetes, previous coronary disease and higher total cholesterol levels. Smoking (previous and former) was more common among controls. The prevalence of peripheral arterial disease was 17.3 and 2.3% respectively in familial hypercholesterolemia and controls (p < 0.001). Results persisted after matching familial hypercholesterolemia and controls by a propensity score. Regression analyses demonstrated that age (odds ratio- OR = 1.03 95% CI 1.00-1.05, p = 0.033), previous cardiovascular disease (OR = 3.12 CI 95% 1.56-6.25, p = 0.001) and familial hypercholesterolemia diagnosis (OR = 5.55 CI 95% 2.69-11.44, p< 0.001) were independently associated with peripheral arterial disease. Among familial hypercholesterolemia patients, age (OR 1.05, 95% CI 1.02-1.09, p = 0.005), intermittent claudication (OR 6.32, 95% CI 2.60-15.33, p< 0.001) and smoking (OR 2.44, 95% CI 1.08-5.52, p = 0.032) were associated with peripheral arterial disease. CONCLUSIONS: Peripheral arterial disease is more frequent in familial hypercholesterolemia than in normolipidemic subjects and it should routine screened in these individuals even if asymptomatic. However, its role as predictor of cardiovascular events needs to be ascertained prospectively.

Prognostic value of serial brain natriuretic Peptide measurements in patients with acute myocardial infarction.

OBJECTIVES: Elevated B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels following acute myocardial infarction (AMI) are associated with adverse outcomes. The role of serial BNP monitoring after AMI has been poorly investigated. We aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of in-hospital serial BNP measurements in AMI patients. METHODS: Patients with AMI (n=1,924) were retrospectively evaluated. We selected patients with at least 2 in-hospital BNP measurements. The association between in-hospital mortality and BNP measurements (earliest, highest follow-up and the variation between measurements) were tested in multivariate models. RESULTS: Serial BNP levels were determined in 176 patients. Compared to the rest of the population, these patients were older and had higher mortality rates. In the adjusted models, only the highest follow-up BNP remained associated with in-hospital death (odds ratio 1.06; 95% confidence interval, CI, 1.01-1.15; p=0.014). Receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis demonstrated that the highest follow-up BNP was the best predictor of in-hospital death (area under the curve=0.75; 95% CI 0.64-0.86). CONCLUSIONS: Serial BNP monitoring was performed in a high-risk subgroup of AMI patients. The highest follow-up BNP was a better predictor of short-term death than the baseline and in-hospital variation values. In AMI patients, a later in-hospital BNP assessment may be more useful than an early measurement.

Sincronia do ventrículo esquerdo: comparação entre a análise com ecocardiografia tridimensional em tempo real e com o Doppler tecidual / Left ventricular sinchronicity: comparison between real-time tridimensional echocardiography and Tissue Doppler analysis

Objetivo: A análise da sincronia do ventrículo esquerdo pode ser realizada com o emprego da ecocardiografia tridimensional (ECO 3D) e, também, com o Doppler tecidual (DT). O objetivo deste estudo foi comparar a análise do ventrículo esquerdo observada pelos dois métodos. Métodos: Estudo prospectivo com 82 indivíduos (48 homens, média de 51 anos mais ou menos 12 anos), 50 com anatomia cardíaca e eletrocardiograma normais (grupo N), 32 com cardiomiopatia dilatada (grupo CMD) e aumento da duração do QRS. A análise ecocardiográfica foi realizada com ecocardiografia bidimensional, ecocardiografia tridimensional transtorácica, em tempo real, (ECO 3D). Foi realizada a afeição da fração de ejeção do ventrículo esquerdo, dos volumes e dos índices de dissincronia (DI) por cento para 6, 12 e 16 segmentos do ventrículo esquerdo. Com o DT, foram medidos os intervalos eletromecânicos (IQS) dos segmentos basais das paredes septal, lateral, anterior e inferior, e o índice de dissincronia tecidual (ID) por cento. A análise estatística foi feita com a determinação do coeficiênte de correlação (Pearson), IC: 95 por cento, com teste de regressão linear e teste de Bland e Altman. No grupo N, o coeficiente de correlação (r) para DT DI por cento e 3D 6 ID por cento foi de 0,4143, p igual 0,0015; para 3D 12ID por cento (r) foi de 0,2647, p igual 0,0446, e para 3D 16 ID por cento (r) foi de 0,2332, p igual 0,0430. No grupo CMD, (r) para DTI ID por cento e 3D 6 ID por cento foi de: 0,5269, p igual 0,0019; para 3D 12 ID por cento (r) foi de 0,7827, p menor 0,0001; para 3D 16 ID por cento (r) foi de r: 0,7838, p menor 0,0001. Conclusão: Foi observada boa concordância para a análise da dissincronia eletromecânica, com o emprego do Doppler tecidual e com a ecocardiografia tridimensional, em pacientes portadores de insuficiência cardíaca.

[Different patterns for the 6-minute walk test as a test to measure exercise ability in elderly with and without clinically evident cardiopathy]. / Diferentes padronizações do teste da caminhada de seis minutos como método para mensuração da capacidade de exercício de idosos com e sem cardiopatia clinicamente evidente.

OBJECTIVES: Evaluate the correlation between peak oxygen consumption (VO2peak), from cardiopulmonary test with the distance covered in the six-minute walk test (6MWT) in healthy elderly and with myocardial infarction (MI). METHODS: Thirty individuals were studied, with age range 65-87 years (76.03 +/- 4.75), divided into 2 groups: Group I--14 with clinically evident coronary heart disease (CHD) and Group II--16 without clinically evident CHD. They were submitted to cardiopulmonary test (CPT) and 2 types of 6MWT, standard test 6MWTs. Variables measure at rest and exertion were heart rate (HR) and respiratory rate (RR), blood pressure (BP), distance covered (DC), and Borgs rate subjective perceived exertion (RPE). RESULTS: The study showed significant, strong correlation between distances covered for both 6MWT, and (VO2peak) obtained from cardiopulmonary test (CPT) for all elderly included in the study. When comparing the 6MWT with physiotherapist support (6MWTphy) and without support (6MWTw), statistically significant difference was observed, with higher average values of the DC, of the RH and RR and Borgs RPE in the 6MWTphy, both of the groups. Additionally, the RH reached at final the exertion in 6MWTphy was similar to that obtained in CPT (p<0.05) suggesting that the 6MWT stimulates higher cardiovascular performance. CONCLUSION: 6MWTw, adopted a worldwide, by being submaximal imposes lower cardiovascular overburden as compared to 6MWTphy and is probably safer for elderly who are cardiopaths.

Diferentes padronizações do teste da caminhada de seis minutos como método para mensuração da capacidade de exercício de idosos com e sem cardiopatia clinicamente evidente / Different patterns for the 6-minute walk test as a test to measure exercise ability in elderly with and without clinically evident cardiopathy

OBJETIVOS: Avaliar a correlação do consumo de oxigênio pico (VO2pico), no teste cardiopulmonar, com a distância percorrida no teste da caminhada de seis minutos (TC6) em idosos saudáveis e com infarto do miocárdio (IM). MÉTODOS: Avaliados 30 indivíduos, idade entre 65 e 87 anos (76,03 ± 4,75), divididos em 2 grupos: Grupo I - 14 com doença cardíaca clinicamente evidente (DCCE) Grupo II - 16 sem DCCE. Foram submetidos ao teste cardiopulmonar (TCP) e a 2 tipos de TC6. As variáveis mensuradas foram: a freqüência cardíaca (FC) e respiratória (FR), pressão arterial (PA), distância percorrida (DP), e a percepção subjetiva de esforço de BORG. RESULTADOS: O estudo mostrou uma forte correlação das distâncias percorridas, em ambas as formas do (TC6), com o VO2pico obtido no TCP, em todos idosos incluídos neste estudo. Na comparação entre os TC6, quando aplicado com acompanhamento (TC6ac) e sem acompanhamento (TC6s), foi observada diferença estatisticamente significante, com maiores valores médios da DP, da FC e FR, e da percepção subjetiva de esforço no TC6ac, em ambos os grupos. Além disso, a FC atingida ao final do esforço, no TC6ac, foi semelhante à obtida no TCP máximo (p <0,05), sugerindo que esta forma de padronização do TC6 estimula a um maior desempenho cardiovascular. CONCLUSÃO: O TC6s, por ser submáximo, impõe uma sobrecarga cardiovascular menor do que TC6ac, sendo provavelmente mais seguro em idosos cardiopatas.