Aging and atrial electrophysiologic properties in man.

In order to assess the influence of age on atrial electrophysiologic properties, we studied 17 normal subjects, whose ages were homogeneously distributed between 17 and 78 years, measuring in each of them effective (ERP) and functional (FRP) refractory periods at 3 sites of the right atrium (high, middle and low in the lateral wall) at the same driven frequency (120/min). Twice threshold stimuli of 2 msec duration were applied. Dispersion of atrial refractoriness was measured as the longest minus the shortest refractory period. A significant direct correlation was observed between age and dispersion of atrial refractoriness (of ERP: r = 0.75, P less than 0.001; of FRP: r = 0.82, P less than 0.001). Moreover, age showed a significant direct correlation with refractoriness at high right atrium (ERP: r = 0.66, P less than 0.01; FRP: r = 0.76, P less than 0.001), but did not correlate with that at the other two sites. We suggest that ageing modifies atrial refractoriness in a non-uniform manner inducing a progressive increment of dispersion of atrial refractoriness. The impression is that a slow but continuous process takes place from juvenility to old age.

Ambulatory conservative hemodynamic management of varicose veins: critical analysis of results at 3 years.

This report describes the results of our 3-year experience using ambulatory conservative hemodynamic management (ACHM) for lower extremity venous insufficiency involving the greater saphenous vein (GSV), with specific analysis of recurrence due to neoformation of vessels. We performed 289 ACHM procedures in 259 consecutive patients with GSV-related varicose veins. Follow-up clinical examination and Doppler ultrasound imaging was carried out at 3, 6, 12, 24, and 36 months in all cases to assess formation of neovessels supplied either by the superficial (A) or deep (B) venous system. Our data showed that ACHM achieved excellent improvement, with complete disappearance of varicose veins in 41.2% of cases, good improvement in 43%, fair improvement in 14.1%, and no improvement in 1.7%. The only predictor of outcome was the quality of drainage from the GSV vein. Poor drainage leads to neoformation of vessels supplied by the superficial (A) venous system. In about 50% of cases, drainage appeared spontaneously within 1 year, with a subsequent reduction in formation of neovessels. Neoformation of vessels supplied by the deep (B) venous system (10%) was independent of the quality drainage. This finding suggests that formation of these neovesseis is unrelated to the surgical method used to treat varicose veins. In patients with poor drainage of the saphenous network, neoformation of vessels supplied by the superficial (A) venous system is predictable with regard to both topography and delay. ACHM is a good tool for treatment of varicose veins, as reliable statistical prediction of mid-term results is possible using available models.