BACKGROUND: The autonomic nervous system (ANS) imbalance in heart failure (HF) creates a vicious cycle, excess sympathetic activity, and decreased vagal activity contributing to the worsening of HF. Low-intensity transcutaneous electrical stimulation of the auricular branch of the vagus nerve (taVNS) is well tolerated and opens new therapeutic possibilities. OBJECTIVES: To hypothesize the applicability and benefit of taVNS in HF through intergroup comparison of echocardiography parameters, 6-minute walk test, Holter heart rate variability (SDNN and rMSSD), Minnesota quality of life questionnaire, and functional class by the New York Heart Association. In comparisons, p values <0.05 were considered significant. METHODS: Prospective, double-blind, randomized clinical study with sham methodology, unicentric. Forty-three patients were evaluated and divided into 2 groups: Group 1 received taVNS (frequencies 2/15 Hz), and Group 2 received sham. In comparisons, p values <0.05 were considered significant. RESULTS: In the post-intervention phase, it was observed that Group 1 had better rMSSD (31 x 21; p = 0.046) and achieved better SDNN (110 vs. 84, p = 0.033). When comparing intragroup parameters before and after the intervention, it was observed that all of them improved significantly in group 1, and there were no differences in group 2. CONCLUSION: taVNS is a safe to perform and easy intervention and suggests a probable benefit in HF by improving heart rate variability, which indicates better autonomic balance. New studies with more patients are needed to answer the questions raised by this study.
FUNDAMENTO: O desequilíbrio do sistema nervoso autônomo (SNA) na insuficiência cardíaca (IC) cria um ciclo vicioso, o excesso de atividade simpática e a diminuição da atividade vagal contribuindo para a piora da IC. A estimulação elétrica transcutânea de baixa intensidade do ramo auricular do nervo vago (taVNS) é bem tolerada e abre novas possibilidades terapêuticas. OBJETIVOS: Gerar hipótese da aplicabilidade e benefício da taVNS na IC através da comparação intergrupos de parâmetros ecocardiográficos, teste de caminhada de 6 min, variabilidade da frequência cardíaca pelo Holter (SDNN e rMSSD), questionário de qualidade de vida de Minnesota e classe funcional pela New York Heart Association. MÉTODOS: Estudo clínico prospectivo, duplo cego, randomizado com metodologia sham, unicêntrico. Avaliados 43 pacientes e alocados em 2 grupos: o Grupo 1 recebeu taVNS (frequências 2/15 Hz) e Grupo 2 recebeu sham. Nas comparações, valores de p<0,05 foram considerados significativos. RESULTADOS: Na fase pós-intervenção, observou-se que o Grupo 1 se manteve com melhor rMSSD (31 x 21; p = 0,046) e atingiu melhor SDNN (110 vs. 84, p = 0,033). Ao compararmos os parâmetros intragrupos, antes e após intervenção, observou-se que todos melhoraram significativamente no grupo 1 e não houve diferenças no grupo 2. CONCLUSÃO: A taVNS é uma intervenção segura, de fácil execução e que sugere provável benefício na IC pela melhora na variabilidade da frequência cardíaca, o que indica melhor equilíbrio autonômico. Novos estudos com maior número de pacientes são necessários para responder às questões levantadas por esse estudo.
Heart Failure , Ventricular Dysfunction, Left , Humans , Stroke Volume , Quality of Life , Prospective Studies , Vagus Nerve/physiology , Heart Failure/therapy
A fisiologia coronariana tornou-se o padrão de tratamento para avaliar o significado funcional da doença aterosclerótica coronariana. Ela permite identificar isquemia miocárdica em nível de vaso, discriminar os padrões funcionais da doença aterosclerótica e orientar a necessidade de revascularização; complementar o planejamento da intervenção coronária percutânea e confirmar o sucesso funcional dessa última. Em uma edição anterior do Journal of Transcatheter Interventions, apresentamos uma revisão abrangente sobre o fluxo fracionado de reserva do miocárdio. Apesar do robusto corpo de evidências que apoiam seu uso, a aceitação clínica do fluxo fracionado de reserva é variável e excessivamente baixa em muitas áreas do mundo. O aumento percebido no tempo do procedimento, o uso de agentes hiperêmicos com seus correspondentes custos e desconforto do paciente, e a dificuldade de interpretação dos resultados em determinadas situações anatômicas contribuíram para a adoção limitada do método. A introdução do índice de fluxo instantâneo no período livre de ondas superou a maioria dessas limitações. Apoiada por uma validação técnica sólida e dados de desfechos clínicos, o índice de fluxo instantâneo no período livre de ondas recebeu as mesmas indicações clínicas que o fluxo fracionado de reserva nas recomendações mais recentes das diretrizes. Isso foi seguido pela introdução de outros índices pressóricos não hiperêmicos, já comercialmente disponíveis. Neste artigo, revisamos as bases fisiológicas que justificam o uso de índices pressóricos não hiperêmicos, sua validação técnica e clínica e dados de desfechos clínicos, além de discutirmos suas aplicações em situações anatômicas específicas, com exemplos de casos dos autores, sempre que aplicável.
Coronary physiology has become the standard of care to assess the functional significance of coronary atherosclerotic disease. It allows for identification of myocardial ischemia on a vessel level, discrimination of the functional patterns of atherosclerotic disease, guidance for the need of revascularization, complements the planning of percutaneous coronary intervention and verification of the functional success of percutaneous coronary intervention. On a previous issue of the Journal of Transcatheter Interventions, we presented a comprehensive review about fractional flow reserve. Despite the robust body of evidence supporting its use, the clinical use of fractional flow reserve is variable, and unreasonably low in many areas around the globe. The perceived increase in procedure time, the use of hyperemic agents with its related costs and patient discomfort, and difficulty in interpreting results in certain anatomical scenarios have contributed to the limited adoption of fractional flow reserve. The introduction of instantaneous wave-free ratio overcame most of these limitations. Supported by sound technical validation, and clinical outcomes data, instantaneous wave-free ratio received the same clinical indications as fractional flow reserve in the most recent guidelines recommendations. This was followed by the introduction of other non- hyperemic pressure ratios for commercial use. In the current manuscript we review the physiological basis that supports the use of non-hyperemic pressure ratios, their technical and clinical validation, clinical outcomes data, and discuss its applications on specific anatomic scenarios, with examples of cases from the authors, whenever applicable.
Fractional Flow Reserve, Myocardial , Percutaneous Coronary Intervention , Standard of Care
INTRODUCTION: Fractional flow reserve (FFR) is the gold standard to evaluate severity of coronary stenosis. Quantitative flow ratio (QFR) is a new angiography-based method used to infer FFR. Studies have shown >90% agreement between QFR and FFR. OBJECTIVE: To conduct a systematic review and diagnostic accuracy analysis of QFR using individual vessel data. METHODS: This review follows PRISMA guidelines. MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane Library of Clinical Trials were searched for QFR accuracy studies published until Oct 2020. Inclusion criteria: (a) QFR vs FFR; (b) QFR diagnostic capacity; (c) agreement data between QFR/FFR expressed as dot plots or individual data tables. Graphic data were digitized using a semiautomatic software. QFR/FFR values were dichotomized using cutoff values of ≤ 0.80 for ischemia. QFR diagnostic accuracy was assessed by two logistic regressions superimposed on the same graph to ensure the probability of agreement between QFR and FFR for any QFR value. FFR was the reference standard. RESULTS: 20 studies comprising 5,318 vessels from 4,429 patients were included. Most patients were male (64%) at an age of 66.8 ± 5.2 years. Figure 1A shows FFR distribution and QFR diagnostic accuracy for different QFR ranges. QFR overall accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV are displayed in Figure 1B. A diagnostic accuracy of 87% was reached for QFR cutoff values 0.86, and 95% or 98% with cutoffs 0.91 and 0.94, respectively (Figure 1B). CONCLUSIONS: A very good diagnostic accuracy of QFR measures was observed using individual vessel data. QFR can be used to evaluate the severity of coronary stenosis. At less accurate values addition of FFR can improve precision.
Angiography , Fractional Flow Reserve, Myocardial
A avaliação fisiológica invasiva da circulação coronariana emergiu nos últimos anos como uma abordagem diagnóstica valiosa no manejo de pacientes com síndrome coronariana crônica, contornando limitações importantes como avaliar função a partir da anatomia e a baixa resolução espacial associada à angiografia ou testes não invasivos. O valor das medidas de fluxo hiperêmico para estimar a relevância funcional das estenoses coronárias é suportado por um grande número de estudos. O objetivo do presente artigo é rever as principais bases fisiológicas, aplicações clínicas e limitações do fluxo fracionado de reserva do miocárdio, o principal índice utilizado na avaliação funcional invasiva da circulação coronariana.
Invasive physiological assessment of the coronary circulation has emerged in recent years as a valuable diagnostic approach in the management of patients with chronic coronary syndrome, overcoming important limitations such as evaluating function from the anatomy and the low spatial resolution associated with angiography or non-invasive tests. The value of hyperemic flow measurements to estimate the functional relevance of coronary stenoses is supported by many studies. The aim of this paper is to review the physiological bases, clinical applications and limitations of myocardial fractional flow reserve, the main index used in the invasive functional assessment of the coronary circulation.
Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of invasive vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) in patients with chronic heart failure (HF) and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Background: Heart failure is characterized by autonomic nervous system imbalance and electrical events that can lead to sudden death. The effects of parasympathetic (vagal) stimulation in patients with HF are not well-established. Methods: From May 1994 to July 2020, a systematic review was performed using PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library for clinical trials, comparing VNS with medical therapy for the management of chronic HFrEF (EF ≤ 40%). A meta-analysis of several outcomes and adverse effects was completed, and GRADE was used to assess the level of evidence. Results: Four randomized controlled trials (RCT) and three prospective studies, totalizing 1,263 patients were identified; 756 treated with VNS and 507 with medical therapy. RCT data were included in the meta-analysis (fixed-effect distribution). Adverse effects related to VNS were observed in only 11% of patients. VNS was associated with significant improvement (GRADE = High) in the New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class (OR, 2.72, 95% CI: 2.07-3.57, p < 0.0001), quality of life (MD -14.18, 95% CI: -18.09 to -10.28, p < 0.0001), a 6-min walk test (MD, 55.46, 95% CI: 39.11-71.81, p < 0.0001) and NT-proBNP levels (MD -144.25, 95% CI: -238.31 to -50.18, p = 0.003). There was no difference in mortality (OR, 1.24; 95% CI: 0.82-1.89, p = 0.43). Conclusions: A high grade of evidence demonstrated that vagal nerve stimulation improves NYHA functional class, a 6-min walk test, quality of life, and NT-proBNP levels in patients with chronic HFrEF, with no differences in mortality.
Objective: Chronic cervical pain is a common and recurrent complaint. Auriculotherapy (AT) or ear acupuncture is an effective complementary method used for pain control, but only a few studies have evaluated this treatment for chronic cervical pain. Thus, the aim of this study was to analyze the effectiveness of AT to control chronic cervical pain and improve functional capacity. Materials and Methods: This study involved patients with at least 2 years of cervical pain and a neck disability index score (NDI) >5. AT was performed at detectable points once per week over 6 weeks. Patients were evaluated with the NDI and a visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain before and at 1 and 4 months after the final treatments. An analysis of variance test for repeated measures was used for comparisons. Results: During the study, 19 patients, with a mean (± SD) age of 44.5 ± 15.2 years, were enrolled. The majority of the patients were right-handed (89%) and female (79%). The median (interquartile range) disease duration was 48 months (range: 24-66 months ). An average of 4 ear points were used per session; the most frequent points used were: Shen men, Posterior Wall, Zero, and C1. Statistically significant decreases in NDI (15.58 ± 5.93) and VAS (4.76 ± 2.37) scores were observed at 1 and 4 months (8.84 ± 5.59; P < 0.0001 and 3.21 ± 2.12; P = 0.003, respectively) after AT treatment. Conclusions: AT can be used successfully as a complementary method to treat chronic cervical pain.
Introdução: Recentemente, houve crescimento da incidência do câncer de pele. Radiação solar, história familiar, imunossupressão, pele clara e idade constituem fatores de risco da doença. Objetivo: Correlacionar a mortalidade do câncer de pele com variáveis socioeconômicas. Método: Estudo ecológico, utilizando a planilha de dados da incidência de radiação solar do projeto aquecedor solar de baixo custo (ASBC), e indicadores de condições de vida do Censo de 2010. Os dados foram exportados para o SPSS 14.0, para analisar a correlação (coeficiente de correlação de Spearman), e as variáveis foram comparadas. Resultados: Associações estatisticamente significantes ocorreram entre o coeficiente de mortalidade por câncer maligno de pele com a renda familiar média (r=-0,316, p<0,006) indicando que, quanto maior a renda, menor a mortalidade por neoplasia maligna, ocorrendo o mesmo com a proporção de óbitos evitáveis em menores de 4 anos (r=-0,292, p<0,01) e a proporção de mortes evitáveis entre 5 e 74 anos (r=-0,372, p<0,001). A proporção da população ganhando menos de 1/2 salário-mínimo (r=0,232, p<0,05) indica que, quanto maior a proporção populacional com renda inferior a 1/2 salário- -mínimo, maior será a mortalidade por neoplasia maligna, similar à proporção da população ganhando menos de 1/4 de salário-mínimo (r=0,229, p<0,05). Conclusão: Sendo um assunto de saúde pública intimamente relacionado à renda, o câncer de pele ainda carece de ações de prevenção primária e secundária.
Introduction: Recently, there has been an increase in the incidence of skin cancer. Solar radiation, family history, immunosuppression, fair skin and age are risk factors for the disease. Objective: To correlate skin cancer mortality with several socioeconomic variables. Method: An ecological study using the Solar Heating at Affordable (ASBC) Project Solar Radiation Incidence Worksheet, with indicators of living conditions from the 2010 Census. All the collected data were exported to SPSS 14.0, a tool where the correlation (Spearman correlation coefficient) was analyzed and the variables were compared. Results: Statistically significant associations between the mortality coefficient for malignant skin cancer, with mean family income (r=-0.316, p<0.006) were found, indicating that as high the income, lower is the mortality by malignant neoplasm, occurring the same with the proportion of avoidable deaths in children younger than 4 years (r=-0.292, p<0.01) and the proportion of avoidable deaths between 5 and 74 years (r=-0.372, p<0.001). The proportion of the population earning less than ½ minimum wage (r=0.232, p<0.05) indicates that as high the population proportion with income lower than ½ minimum wage, higher will be the mortality by malignant neoplasm, similar to the proportion of the population earning less than » of the minimum wage (r=0.229, p<0.05). Conclusion: Although is a public health issue closely related to income, skin cancer needs initiatives targeted to primary and secondary prevention of the disease.
Introducción: Recientemente, ha habido un aumento en la incidencia de cáncer de piel. La radiación solar, historia familiar, inmunosupresión, piel clara y la edad constituyen los factores de riesgo para esta enfermedad. Objetivo: Correlacionar la mortalidad por cáncer de piel con varias variables socioeconómicas. Método: Se realizo un estudio ecológico usando la base de datos de la incidencia de la radiación solar del proyecto calentador solar de bajo costo (ASBC), adicionando los indicadores del censo de 2010 relativos a las condiciones de vida. Todos los datos recolectados fueron exportados a SPSS 14.0, herramienta que analizó la correlación (coeficiente de correlación de Spearman) y comparar todas las variables de la base de datos. Resultados: Fueran encontró asociaciones estadísticamente significativas entre el coeficiente de mortalidad debido al cáncer maligno de la piel y el ingreso familiar promedio (r=-0,316, p<0,006), lo mismo ocurre con la proporción de muertes prevenibles en niños menores de 4 años de edad (r=-0,292, p<0,01) y la proporción de muertes prevenibles entre 5 y 74 años (r=-0,372, p<0,001). La proporción de la población que gana menos de 1/2 salario mínimo (r=0,232, p<0,05) indica que cuanto mayor es la proporción de la población con ingresos por debajo de 1/2 salario mínimo, mayor es la mortalidad por neoplasia maligna, similar a proporción de la población que gana menos de 1/4 del salario mínimo (r=0,229, p<0,05). Conclusión: A pesar de ser un problema de salud pública y estrechamente relacionado con los ingresos, el cáncer de piel todavía carece de acciones encaminadas a la prevención primaria y secundaria de la enfermedad.
Humans , Male , Female , Skin Neoplasms/economics , Income , Skin Neoplasms/mortality , Solar Radiation/adverse effects , Ecological Studies
