[The Italian Network for Heart Failure five years after the publication of the Italian "Consensus conference on the management of heart failure"]. / La rete per io Scompenso Cardiaco in Italia cinque anni dopo la pubblicazione della Consensus Conference "Il percorso assistenziale del paziente con Scompenso Cardiaco": a che punto siamo?

In the year 2006 the Italian Association of Hospital Cardiologists (ANMCO) promoted a Consensus Conference among professional Scientific Societies in order to redefine the role and core responsibilities of each health professionals involved in heart failure management in a novel integrated network. Five years later, a questionnaire has been proposed to each Italian Regional President of the Association, in order to assess the implementation of the proposed management strategies in the different clinical scenarios of the Italian Regions. Although the Document utilization is not homogeneous through Italy, it is still considered a valuable tool of work.

Clinical Discussions in Antithrombotic Therapy Management : A Delphi Consensus Panel.

For some years now, direct-acting oral anticoagulants (DOACs) have entered the clinical practice for stroke prevention in non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) or prevention and treatment of venous thromboembolism (VTE). However, there is uncertainty on DOAC use in some clinical scenarios not fully explored by clinical trials, but commonly encountered in the real world. We report a Delphi Consensus on DOAC use in NVAF and VTE patients. The consensus dealt with 16 main topics: (1) clinical superiority of DOACs compared to VKAs; (2) DOACs as a first-line treatment in patients with AF; (3) therapeutic options for patients undergoing electrical cardioversion; (4) selection of patients suitable for switching from VKAs to DOACs; (5) and (7) role of general practitioners in the follow-up of patients receiving a DOAC; (6) duties of Italian oral anticoagulation therapy centers; (8) role of therapy with DOACs in oncological patients with NVAF; (9) role of DOACs in oncological patients with VTE; (10) methods for administration and therapy compliance for DOACs; (11) drug interactions; (12) safety of low doses of DOACs; (13) therapeutic management of frail patients with NVAF; (14) therapeutic management of NVAF patients with glomerular filtration rate <30 ml/min (15); advantages of DOACs for the treatment of frail patients; (16) limitations on therapeutic use of DOACs. Sixty-two cardiologists from Italy expressed their level of agreement on each statement by using a 5-point Likert scale (1: strongly disagree, 2: disagree, 3: somewhat agree, 4: agree, 5: strongly agree). Namely, votes 1-2 were considered as disagreement while votes 3-5 as agreement. Agreement among the respondents of ≥66% for each statement was considered consensus. A brief discussion about the results for each topic is also reported.

Use of digitalis in the treatment of heart failure: data from the Italian Network on Congestive Heart Failure (IN-CHF).

BACKGROUND: Since the large multicenter DIG trial has shown no effects of digitalis on the all-cause mortality of patients with chronic heart failure (HF), the broad prescription of this drug in patients with HF appears to be at the very least, questionable. The aims of this study were: to analyze prescription patterns of digitalis, from 1995 to 2000, in a large group of outpatients with HF; to analyze the independent predictors of digitalis prescription and to evaluate the impact of the results of the DIG trial on the prescription rate of this drug. METHODS: From 1995 to 2000, 11 070 HF outpatients (mean age 64 +/- 12 years, ejection fraction 35 +/- 12%) were enrolled in a large Italian database. RESULTS: Out of 11 070 patients, 7198 (65%) were treated with digitalis. At multivariate analysis, the following variables were independently associated with digitalis prescription; atrial fibrillation (odds ratio [OR] 3.3, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.9-3.8), ejection fraction < 30% (OR 1.7, 95% CI 1.5-1.9), NYHA class III-IV vs II-III (OR 1.3, 95% CI 1.2-1.5), admission for HF during the previous year (OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.2-1.5). After the publication of the DIG trial, there was a significant reduction in the rate of digitalis prescription: the percentage of patients taking digitalis fell from 68% in 1996-1997 to 61% in 1998-1999 (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Over 60% of Italian outpatients with HF were treated with digitalis; as expected, patients with a low ejection fraction, atrial fibrillation and in a more advanced stage of HF are more likely to receive this drug. Finally, after the publication of the DIG trial, the rate of digitalis prescription significantly decreased.

[PUFA in patients with ischemic cardiopathy]. / I PUFA n-3 nel paziente con cardiopatia ischemica.

n-3 Poliunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFA) are essential; foods rich in n-3 are fat fish and some vegetal oil. PUFA are precursors of Eicosanoids, involved in the processes of inflammation, thrombosis and immunity. Firstly, observational studies measured reduction of cardiovascular disease (CVD) incidence with greater PUFA dietary intake. Experimental studies discovered antiahrrhytmic, antiatherogenic, antiaggregating and antiinflammatory properties. Retrospective analysis found lower incidence of sudden death (SD) in fish consumers. Randomized, prospective trials after myocardial infarction showed, in people either eating fish or receiving an n-3 PUFA supplement, a reduction of SD, explained by specific effect on membrane ion channels. The lack of results on atherothrombosis do not match with most experimental results, and should better be evaluated in absence of aspirin therapy. Low evidence supports use of n-3 PUFA in angina or revascularization procedures. Recent observations denote positive effect on endothelial function of large and resistance arteries. Actually evidence-based medicine suggest: improve of fish consumption for primary prevention of CVD; n-3 PUFA supplementation for hypertrigliceridemia and secondary prevention of SD after myocardial infarction, which is also cost-effectiveness.

[Implementing cardiovascular prevention in the real world: presentation of an integrated hospital-field model]. / Implementare la prevenzione cardiovascolare nel mondo reale: presentazione di un modello integrato ospedale-territorio.

Numerous studies have documented that cardiovascular prevention in subjects at high risk has a large impact on the clinical outcomes. Data also show the efficacy of an early, intensive, well-structured, professionally expert, multidisciplinary intervention, making use of adequate behavioural and pharmacologic instruments, on the global risk. Such intervention is, however, available at present for very few healthcare users, while the majority, above all in primary prevention, receive a programme of low impact, with poor feedback between the hospital specialist and general practitioner (GP), and often limited to the simple prescription of treatment or to specialist check-ups and/or general advice on lifestyle. The project of implementation takes as its starting point this analysis and the premise that for an intervention of cardiovascular prevention to be effective, particularly in the long term, and really applicable to the broad population, it must be governed primarily by the GP--providing that s/he be adequately trained, utilize new and more dynamic caring modes, and be able to count concretely both on integration with the specialist and on the support of a multidisciplinary team for specific interventions. The paper presents the various stages of the project: from definition of the resources available (health district, GPs, hospital specialists) to the need for GP training, to the modes of operation: instruments for risk calculation, procedures followed, model of integration between GP and specialist, identification of the goals and indicators. This is a low cost project in terms of both the human and structural resources employed, utilizing what is already available in the healthcare system of our country. One of its most original aspects is the medical visit jointly conducted by the GP and hospital specialist, which realizes in concrete terms the integration of the skills: GPs can finally confront in the field the specialist of referral, acquire new skills, improve their daily mode of operating, while they will be gratified by a work more in line with their professional image, and become promoters of health. Finally, this project highlights the propositive and operative role assumed by cardiac rehabilitation and prevention, which, after developing over the years a specific know-how on the subject, now transmits these skills to other healthcare resources and creates a link with the local territory, so providing an appropriate response to the need to put into practice primary and secondary cardiovascular prevention.

[Recommendations for cardiovascular rehabilitation in diabetes mellitus]. / Raccomandazioni per la riabilitazione cardiovascolare nel paziente con diabete mellito.

Cardiac rehabilitation is accepted as an important component in the management of heart disease. Diabetes Mellitus is a chronic disease frequently associated to ischemic heart disease and both disease require continuing medical care, aggressive treatment of other risk factors, educational programs for self management of disease to prevent acute complication. The scientific community should offer standard of care for management of diabetic patients with coronary artery disease, and should design new strategies to promote prevention in this high risk patients. The need to define characteristics and peculiar problems of diabetics patients with ischemic heart disease encouraged the Board of the Italian Group of Cardiac Rehabilitation and Prevention (GICR) to set up a working group composed of cardiologists and diabetologists chosen on the basis of their proven specific experience. The document is subdivided in six parts. In the first section is described the cardiovascular risks in patients with diabetes and the importance of post-prandial hyperglycemia and glycemic variability. We analyse also the difference in prevalence of ischemic heart disease in Italian diabetic patients compared with other countries. In the second section we described clinical presentation of ischemic heart disease in diabetic patients such as acute myocardial infarction and unstable angina, and the revascularization procedures (balloon angioplasty and coronary bypass surgery). We analysed the differences between the procedures and the evidence-based results. In patients with myocardial infarction we analysed the evidence-based therapy and specific advantages of aspirin, beta-blockers and ace-inhibitor in diabetic patients. In this section we also posed particular attention to the clinical course of patients who underwent bypass grafting and to the impact of diabetes on short and long-term results and on main intervention-related complications including deep infections, mediastinitis, neurological problems, renal failure. In the third section we evaluated the factors responsible of atherosclerosis progression and their treatment, and we underlined that cardiac rehabilitation is less effective for patients with diabetes mellitus. Suggestions proposed in this paper about risk factors are in line with the recommendations of standards guidelines of American Diabetics Association. In patients with concomitant diabetes and ischemic heart disease we suggest blood pressure <130/80, LDL-cholesterol <100 mg/dl, triglycerides <150 mg/dl and daily physical activity. In the fourth section we analysed therapeutic regimens and management of diabetes. We posed particular attention on insulin therapy in acute phase of myocardial infarction and in recent coronary bypass grafting, and chronic use of oral antidiabetic drugs or insulin. In the fifth section we provided some recommendations on the organization of educational programs and physical activity in these patients. In the last section we provided some information on diagnosis of coronary artery disease in diabetes, aim of screening and in which patients is need to perform diagnostic tests. We described the available diagnostic tests with the differences in each method.

[Data from the IN-HF Outcome registry]. / I dati del registro IN-HF outcome.

The IN-HF Outcome registry enrolled 1855 patients admitted for acute heart failure and 3755 outpatients with chronic heart failure seen at 64 cardiology units of the Italian Network-Heart Failure. We assessed gender-related differences in clinical characteristics, management, and short- and long-term mortality and morbidity outcomes. Women were older, more often hypertensive and with a higher prevalence of heart failure with preserved systolic function. Aggressive management was less frequent in women who underwent less often diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. We found no gender-related differences in either acute or long-term mortality nor in hospital readmissions.