Muscle electrical stimulation improves neurovascular control and exercise tolerance in hospitalised advanced heart failure patients.

BACKGROUND: We investigated the effects of muscle functional electrical stimulation on muscle sympathetic nerve activity and muscle blood flow, and, in addition, exercise tolerance in hospitalised patients for stabilisation of heart failure. METHODS: Thirty patients hospitalised for treatment of decompensated heart failure, class IV New York Heart Association and ejection fraction ≤ 30% were consecutively randomly assigned into two groups: functional electrical stimulation (n = 15; 54 ± 2 years) and control (n = 15; 49 ± 2 years). Muscle sympathetic nerve activity was directly recorded via microneurography and blood flow by venous occlusion plethysmography. Heart rate and blood pressure were evaluated on a beat-to-beat basis (Finometer), exercise tolerance by 6-minute walk test, quadriceps muscle strength by a dynamometer and quality of life by Minnesota questionnaire. Functional electrical stimulation consisted of stimulating the lower limbs at 10 Hz frequency, 150 ms pulse width and 70 mA intensity for 60 minutes/day for 8-10 consecutive days. The control group underwent electrical stimulation at an intensity of < 20 mA. RESULTS: Baseline characteristics were similar between groups, except age that was higher and C-reactive protein and forearm blood flow that were smaller in the functional electrical stimulation group. Functional electrical stimulation significantly decreased muscle sympathetic nerve activity and increased muscle blood flow and muscle strength. No changes were found in the control group. Walking distance and quality of life increased in both groups. However, these changes were greater in the functional electrical stimulation group. CONCLUSION: Functional electrical stimulation improves muscle sympathetic nerve activity and vasoconstriction and increases exercise tolerance, muscle strength and quality of life in hospitalised heart failure patients. These findings suggest that functional electrical stimulation may be useful to hospitalised patients with decompensated chronic heart failure.

Embolia arterial periférica. Relato de casos internados / Peripheral arterial embolism. Report of hospitalized cases

OBJECTIVE: We analyzed the frequency of peripheral embolisms, the underlying heart disease,triggering factors, the sites of the emboli, and evolution of the patients. METHODS: We analyzed 29 cases of peripheral arterial embolism out of a total of 20,211 hospitalizations in a cardiology center in the city of São Paulo. The age was 51.89ñ18.66 years, and 15 were males. RESULTS: Embolism in the right lower limb occurred in 18 patients (62.0 percent),in the left lower 11(37.9 percent) and right upper 3 (10.3 percent) limbs, and in the left arm (1). Four patients had embolism in two limbs. The heart disease, mitral valvar heart disease (9 patients - 31.0 percent); infective endocarditis (7-24.1 percent); dilated cardiomyopathy (6 - 20.6 percent); ischemic coronary heart disease (6 patients - 20.6 percent); and one patient with cor pulmonale. Atrial fibrillation was observed in 20 patients (68.9 percent), chronic in 12 patients (41.3 percent ) and acute in 8 (27.5 percent). All patients with mitral valvar heart disease had atrial fibrillation, chronic in 8 patients (88.8percent); patients with cardiomyopathy and coronary heart disease, 4 in each group had atrial fibrillation, acute in 60 percent of the patients.Patients with infective endocarditis, 3 had staphylococcus and 2 Gram-negative bacteria. In the follow-up, 2 patients (6.8percent) required limbs amputation, and 5 (17.2 percent) died due to embolism. CONCLUSION: Most of the time, embolism does not cause permanent complications. Our data highlight the importance of anticoagulation for patients acute atrial fibrillation in myocardial dysfunction and for patients with chronic atrial fibrillation in cases of mitral valvar heart disease to prevent peripheral embolism.

Em que momento do tratamento o uso do captopril determina melhora mais acentuada do desempenho físico em pacientes com insuficiência cardíaca? / When does the Treatment with Captopril Show a Better Improvement in Exercise Capacity in Patients with Heart Failure?

OBJETIVO- Considerando que insuficiência Cardíaca reduz a capacidade física do paciente e que os inibidores da enzima conversora melhoram esta capacidade, procuramos verificar em que momento ocorre esta melhora,utilizando o teste de caminhada de 6min como forma deavaliaçäo.MÉTODOS- Foram estudados 21 pacientes, com aidade média de 48 anos, sendo 12 do sexo masculino, em insuficiência cardíaca congestiva (ICC) classe funcional (CF) II e III, todos com fraçäo de ejeçäo <45 por cento e diâmetro ventricular esquerdo >55mm ao ecocardiograma bidimensional.Os pacientes foram previamente tratados com digital e diuréticos e, quando compensados, medicados com captopril 25mg, três vezes ao dia, sendo submetidos a testes de caminhada de 6min ao ínicio, após quatro semanas e 16 semanas de tratamento.RESULTADOS- O emprego do captopril mostrou aumento importante na capacidade física dos portadores de ICC.A distância média caminhada e desvio padräo em 6min passou de 451 +- 110m para 476+-94m em quatro semanas e para 504+-68m após 16 semanas de tratamento (p<0,0001).COCLUSAO- Nossos resultados mostraram melhora significativa na capacidade física em 16 semanas de tratamento, 50 por cento ocorrida após quatro semanas de tratamento, concluindo que nesta amostra a melhora terapêutica foi observada já após quatro semanas de tratamento, persistindo até quatro meses após o inicío do tratamento

Purpose - Considering that heart failure reduces exercise capacity and that converting enzyme inhibitor increases this capacity, using the 6min walk test we try to demonstrate when the treatment with captopril shows a better improvement in exercise capacity in patients with heart failure. Methods - Twenty one patients with functional class II or III heart failure (NYHA), left ventricular diastolic diameter greater than 55mm and with ejection fraction less than 45% were studied. Twelve were male, and the patients mean age was 48 years. The patients were first treated with digital and diuretics and after stabilized they received captopril 25mg three times a day and underwent the 6min walk test before the treatment and after four and 16 weeks. Results - The use of captopril showed important improvement in exercise capacity in patients with heart failure. The mean walking distance on the 6min test was 451m at the beginning, 476m in four weeks and 504 in 16 weeks of treatment (p<0.0001). Conclusion - Our data show important improvement in exercise capacity with 16 weeks of treatment and that 50% of this improvement occured after four weeks of treatment. We concluded that the results are already observed within four weeks of treatment and continues to improve during at least four months of treatment