Carbohydrate antigen 125: a promising tool for risk stratification in heart diseases.

All patients with heart diseases should undergo risk stratification to predict those who are at high risk for short- and long-term adverse outcomes. Carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125) is a glycoprotein produced by mesothelium that has clinical role in ovarian cancer monitoring. However, as it is not specific for ovarian cells, CA125 could also be used in heart diseases to monitor congestion and inflammation. Pericarditis, atrial fibrillation, heart failure and coronary artery disease are some scenarios in which this biomarker was studied.CA125 identifies patients at high risk of rehospitalizations and death, in addition to being associated with hemodynamic data (ejection fraction and right atrial pressure). Hence, CA125 is a tool for risk stratification in heart diseases.

Relação da pressão sistólica em artéria pulmonar com gênero, menopausa e gravidez em portadores de hipertensão arterial pulmonar associada à esquistossomose / Pulmonary artery pressure, gender, menopause, and pregnancy in schistosomiasis-associated pulmonary hypertension

FUNDAMENTO: A hipertensão arterial pulmonar associada à esquistossomose (HPAE) é uma grande preocupação no mundo todo. No entanto, o papel de fatores contribuintes específicos do gênero em HPAE é desconhecido. OBJETIVO: Investigamos os valores da pressão arterial pulmonar sistólica (PAPS) e a presença de elevação grave na PAPS relacionado ao gênero, presença de menopausa e histórico de gravidez em pacientes com HPAE. MÉTODOS: Setenta e nove pacientes diagnosticados com HPAE de 2000 a 2009 foram avaliados e 66 foram incluídos no estudo. As informações referentes à idade, status da menopausa, gravidez, PAPS derivada da ecocardiografia, e pressão arterial pulmonar média invasiva (PAPm) foram coletadas de registros médicos. A relação entre os valores de PAPS e PAPm e a correlação para doença grave foram avaliados. Os modelos de regressão avaliaram a associação de gênero, status da menopausa e histórico de gravidez com valores de PAPS e a presença de PAPS severa. RESULTADOS: Houve correlação moderada entre PAPm e PAPS, com boa concordância para classificação de doença grave. Os valores de PAPS foram semelhantes para homens e mulheres. Uma tendência a valores maiores de PAPS foi encontrada para mulheres não menopausadas em comparação a homens. Valores superiores de PAPS foram encontrados para mulheres menopausadas em comparação a mulheres não menopausadas; os valores não foram significativos após o ajuste de idade. O histórico de gravidez não teve relação com a PAPS. Presença de menopausa e passado de gravidez não mostraram associação com valores de PAPS. CONCLUSÃO: Em pacientes com HPAE, nem o gênero, nem o status da menopausa nem o histórico de gravidez apresentou uma correlação independente com valores de HPAE avaliados pela ecocardiografia.

BACKGROUND: Schistosomiasis-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension (SPAH) is a major concern worldwide. However, the role of gender-specific contributing factors in SPAH is unknown. OBJECTIVE: We investigated how systolic pulmonary artery pressure (SPAP) values and the presence of severe SPAP relate to gender, menopausal status, and pregnancy history in SPAH patients. METHODS: Seventy-nine patients diagnosed with SPAH from 2000 to 2009 were assessed and 66 were enrolled in the study. Information about age, menopausal status, pregnancy, echocardiography-derived SPAP, and invasive mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) was collected from medical records. The relation between values of SPAP and mPAP and their agreement for severe disease were assessed. Regression models assessed the association of gender, menopausal status, and pregnancy history with SPAP values and the presence of severe SPAP. RESULTS: Moderate correlation and good agreement for severe disease were found between mPAP and SPAP. Mean SPAP values were similar for men and women. A trend toward higher values of SPAP was found for non-menopausal women compared to men. Higher SPAP values were found for menopausal compared to non-menopausal women; the values were non-significant after adjustment for age. Pregnancy history had no association with SPAP. Menopause and positive pregnancy had no association with severe SPAP. CONCLUSION: In SPAH patients, neither gender, nor menopausal status, nor pregnancy history showed independent correlation with SPAP values assessed by echocardiography.

Recomendações da sociedade brasileira de arritmias cardíacas para serviços de holter / Recommendations of the Brazilian society of cardiac arrhythmias for holter monitoring services

FUNDAMENTOS: Inúmeros indicadores são utilizados para assegurar a qualidade de um serviço; entretanto, a competência médica e o adequado fluxo de realização de um procedimento são determinantes da qualidade final. Nesse contexto, a Sociedade Brasileira de Arritmias Cardíacas pretende recomendar parâmetros mínimos necessários para garantir a excelência dos serviços de monitorização eletrocardiográfica ambulatorial. OBJETIVOS: Recomendar competências médicas mínimas e as informações necessárias para emissão do laudo de Holter. MÉTODOS: O documento foi fundamentado no conceito de medicina baseada em evidência, e nas circunstâncias em que a evidência não estava disponível a opinião de uma comissão de redação foi utilizada para a formulação da recomendação. Essa comissão foi formada por profissionais que apresentam vivência nas dificuldades do método e gestão na prestação de serviços nessa área. RESULTADOS: O profissional responsável pela análise de Holter deve conhecer as patologias cardiovasculares e ter formação consistente em eletrocardiografia, incluindo arritmias cardíacas e seus diagnósticos diferenciais. O laudo deve ser redigido de forma clara e objetiva. Os parâmetros mínimos que devem constar no laudo incluem as estatísticas do exame, assim como quantificação e análise dos distúrbios do ritmo observados durante a monitorização. CONCLUSÃO: A monitorização eletrocardiográfica ambulatorial deve ser realizada por profissionais com vivência em análise eletrocardiográfica e o laudo deve conter os parâmetros mínimos mencionados nesse documento.

BACKGROUND: There are innumerous indicators to assure the quality of a service. However, medical competence and the proper performance of a procedure determine its final quality. The Brazilian Society of Cardiac Arrhythmias recommends minimum parameters necessary to guarantee the excellence of ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring services. OBJECTIVE: To recommend minimum medical competences and the information required to issue a Holter monitoring report. METHODS: This study was grounded in the concept of evidence-based medicine and, when evidence was not available, the opinion of a writing committee was used to formulate the recommendation. That committee consisted of professionals with experience on the difficulties of the method and management in providing services in that area. RESULTS: The professional responsible for the Holter monitoring analysis should know cardiovascular pathologies and have consistent formation on electrocardiography, including cardiac arrhythmias and their differential diagnoses. The report should be written in a clear and objective way. The minimum parameters that comprise a Holter report should include statistics of the exam, as well as quantification and analysis of the rhythm disorders observed during monitoring. CONCLUSION: Ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring should be performed by professionals knowledgeable about electrocardiographic analysis, whose report should comprise the minimum parameters mentioned in this document.

Low-intensity resistance exercise does not affect cardiac autonomic modulation in patients with peripheral artery disease

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the effect of a single bout of resistance exercise on cardiac autonomic modulation in patients with peripheral artery disease. METHODS: Fifteen patients with peripheral artery disease (age: 58.3±4.0 years) underwent the following sessions in a random order: resistance exercise (three sets of 10 repetitions of the six resistance exercises with a workload of 5-7 in the OMNI-RES scale) and control (similar to the resistance session; however, the resistance exercises were performed with no load). The frequency domain (low frequency, high frequency and sympathovagal balance) and symbolic analysis (0V, 1V and 2V patterns) of heart rate variability were obtained before and until one hour after the interventions. RESULTS: After the resistance exercise and control sessions, similar increases were observed in the consecutive heartbeat intervals (control: 720.8±28.6 vs. 790.9±34.4 ms; resistance exercise: 712.9±30.1 vs. 756.8±37.9 ms; p<0.05) and in the pattern of the symbolic analysis with no variation (0V) (control: 25.1±3.5 vs. 33.4±4.1%; resistance exercise: 26.1±3.2 vs. 29.7±3.5%; p<0.05) until 50 min after both interventions. The pattern of two variations (2V) decreased similarly (control: 11.2±2.1 vs. 8.3±2.1%; resistance exercise: 9.5±1.7 vs. 7.8±1.7%; p<0.05). In contrast, the pattern of one variation (1V), the low and high frequency bands and sympathovagal balance did not change after the interventions (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: A single bout of resistance exercise did not alter cardiac autonomic modulation in patients with peripheral artery disease. .

A comparison between diuretics and angiotensin-receptor blocker agents in patients with stage I hypertension (PREVER-treatment trial): study protocol for a randomized double-blind controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in Brazil, and hypertension is its major risk factor. The benefit of its drug treatment to prevent major cardiovascular events was consistently demonstrated. Angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARB) have been the preferential drugs in the management of hypertension worldwide, despite the absence of any consistent evidence of advantage over older agents, and the concern that they may be associated with lower renal protection and risk for cancer. Diuretics are as efficacious as other agents, are well tolerated, have longer duration of action and low cost, but have been scarcely compared with ARBs. A study comparing diuretic and ARB is therefore warranted. METHODS/DESIGN: This is a randomized, double-blind, clinical trial, comparing the association of chlorthalidone and amiloride with losartan as first drug option in patients aged 30 to 70 years, with stage I hypertension. The primary outcomes will be variation of blood pressure by time, adverse events and development or worsening of microalbuminuria and of left ventricular hypertrophy in the EKG. The secondary outcomes will be fatal or non-fatal cardiovascular events: myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure, evidence of new subclinical atherosclerosis and sudden death. The study will last 18 months. The sample size will be of 1200 participants for group in order to confer enough power to test for all primary outcomes. The project was approved by the Ethics committee of each participating institution. DISCUSSION: The putative pleiotropic effects of ARB agents, particularly renal protection, have been disputed, and they have been scarcely compared with diuretics in large clinical trials, despite that they have been at least as efficacious as newer agents in managing hypertension. Even if the null hypothesis is not rejected, the information will be useful for health care policy to treat hypertension in Brazil. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION NUMBER: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00971165.

Autonomic modulation in patients with congenital generalized lipodystrophy (Berardinelli-Seip syndrome).

AIMS: This study was designed to assess cardiac autonomic regulation in congenital generalized lipodystrophy (CGL) patients using 24 h heart rate variability (HRV). METHODS AND RESULTS: A cross-sectional study was carried out to evaluate 18 patients with CGL and 19 healthy controls matched by sex and age. We measured blood pressure, plasma concentrations of glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, insulin resistance by the homeostatic model assessment (HOMA-R), left ventricular mass (LVM) (by two-dimensional echocardiography), and 24 h HRV (by the time domain indices MeanRR, SDNN, and rMSSD). Compared with controls, CGL patients had higher blood pressure (systolic, 131.1 vs. 106.3 mmHg, P < 0.05; diastolic, 85.0 vs. 68.2 mmHg, P < 0.05) and 10 patients met criteria for arterial hypertension and concentric left ventricular hypertrophy (LVM index > or =115 g/m(2)and relative left ventricular wall thickness > or =0.42). Patients with CGL had higher levels of glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol, and HOMA-R and 12 met criteria for type 2 diabetes mellitus. Compared with controls, CGL patients had lower MeanRR (639.8 vs. 780.5 ms, P < 0.001), SDNN (79.2 vs. 168.5 ms, P < 0.001), and rMSSD (15.8 vs. 59.6 ms, P < 0.001). In CGL patients, the reduction in HRV was independent of the metabolic and haemodynamic disturbances. CONCLUSION: Congenital generalized lipodystrophy patients have abnormal autonomic modulation, reflected by increased heart rate and pronounced reduction in HRV, independent of the metabolic and haemodynamic disturbances observed in this disorder.

Treadmill stress test in children and adolescents: higher tolerance on exertion with ramp protocol / Teste ergométrico em crianças e adolescentes: maior tolerância ao esforço com o protocolo em rampa

OBJETIVO: Comparar a tolerância ao exercício de crianças e adolescentes submetidos a teste ergométrico (TE) em esteira com os protocolos de Bruce ou em rampa, e descrever a velocidade e a inclinação alcançadas com o protocolo em rampa, para auxiliar na orientação do exercício com esse protocolo. MÉTODOS: Estudo observacional, tipo série de casos, com controle histórico, de 1.006 crianças e adolescentes entre 4 e 17 anos submetidos a TE entre outubro de 1986 e fevereiro de 2003, que concluíram um dos dois protocolos. Foram excluídos os que tiveram o TE interrompido por outras causas que não cansaço físico, os que estavam em uso de medicações que interferiam na freqüência cardíaca (FC) e aqueles com limitações físicas à realização do exercício. Na análise estatística dos dados foi adotado nível de significância para p < 0,05 e intervalo de confiança de 95 por cento. RESULTADOS: O tempo de exercício próximo a 10 minutos no protocolo em rampa foi significativamente maior no protocolo de Bruce. A FC máxima alcançada foi superior a 180 bpm nos dois protocolos. A inclinação foi pouco maior nas meninas mais jovens com o protocolo de Bruce, e a velocidade e o consumo máximo de oxigênio (VO2 max) foram maiores em todas as faixas etárias nos que realizaram o protocolo em rampa. CONCLUSÃO: A velocidade e a inclinação alcançadas com o protocolo em rampa podem ser utilizadas como referência para auxiliar na orientação do exercício no TE com o protocolo em rampa, que mostrou tolerância ao esforço superior à do protocolo de Bruce.

OBJECTIVE: Compare exercise tolerance by children and adolescents submitted to treadmill stress test (TST) following Bruce Protocol (BP) or Ramp Protocol (RP), as well as describe velocity and inclination reached with ramp protocol to help set protocol exercise standards. METHODS: Observational, case-based study, with history control of 1,006 children and adolescents in the 4 to 17-year-old range who were submitted to TST between October, 1986 and February, 2003, and who concluded one of the two protocols. Those who interrupted their ET for other reasons rather than physical exhaustion, those on medication that interfered in HR and those with physical constraints to exercise were excluded. Statistical analysis of data considered p<0.05 as significance level; with confidence interval at 95 percent. RESULTS: Exercise time close to 10 minutes in RP was significantly higher than in BP. HR max reached was higher than 180 bpm in both protocols. Inclination showed to be slightly higher in younger girls in Bruce Protocol. Velocity and VO2 max showed to be higher for all age ranges for those in the Ramp Protocol. CONCLUSION: Velocity and inclination reached with ramp protocol may be used as reference to help set ramp protocol exercise, which showed superior on exertion tolerance as compared to Bruce protocol.

Exercício físico e o controle da pressão arterial / Physical exercise and blood pressure control

O exercício físico provoca uma série de respostas fisiológicas, resultantes de adaptações autonômicas e hemodinâmicas que vão influenciar o sistema cardiovascular. Diversos estudos demonstraram o seu efeito benéfico sobre a pressão arterial. Sendo a hipertensão arterial sistêmica uma entidade de alta prevalência e elevada morbimortalidade na população, o exercício físico tem importante papel como elemento não medicamentoso para o seu controle ou como adjuvante ao tratamento farmacológico.

Uma nova proposta para orientar a velocidade e inclinação no protocolo em rampa na esteira ergométrica / A new proposal to guide velocity and inclination in the ramp protocol for the treadmill ergometer

OBJECTIVE: To suggest criteria to guide protocol prescription in ramp treadmill testing, according to sex and age, based on velocity, inclination, and max VO2 reached by the population studied. METHODS: Prospective study describing heart rate (HR), time, velocity, inclination, and VO2 estimated at maximum effort of 1840 individuals from 4 to 79 years old, who performed a treadmill test (TT) according to the ramp protocol. A paired Student t test was used to assess the difference between predicted and reached max VO2, calculated according to the formulas of the "American College of Sports Medicine". RESULTS: Submaximal HR was surpassed in 90.1 percent of the examinations, with a mean time of 10.0±2.0 minute. Initial and peak inclination velocity of the exercise and max VO2 were inversely proportional to age and were greater in male patients. Predicted Max VO2 was significantly lower than that reached in all patients, except for female children and adolescents (age < 20 years old). CONCLUSION: Use of velocity, inclination, and maximum VO2 actually reached, as a criterion in prescribing the ramp protocol may help in the performance of exercise in treadmill testing. The ramp protocol was well accepted in all age groups and sexes with exercise time within the programmed 8 to 12 minutes