Early exercise training feasibility after aortic valve repair: A multicentre prospective French survey on behalf of the Aortic Valve repair International Registry (AVIATOR).

BACKGROUND: Standardization of aortic valve repair by the external ring annuloplasty approach is an alternative to valve replacement to avoid prosthetic valve-related events. Although the benefit of exercise training to improve postoperative exercise tolerance has been demonstrated in many conditions after cardiac surgery, it has never been described after aortic valve repair. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the feasibility of an early exercise training programme after aortic valve repair. METHODS: Consecutive patients were prospectively included in 13 postoperative centres. Patients underwent an exercise training programme for approximately 3-5 weeks. Transthoracic echocardiography and a cardiopulmonary exercise test were performed before and after the exercise training programme. RESULTS: Fifty patients (mean±standard deviation [SD] age: 50±13 years) were included a mean of 13.6±12.0 days after aortic valve repair. The preoperative degree of aortic insufficiency was moderate to severe in 35 patients (70%) and the aortic valve was bicuspid in 24 patients (48%). Valve-sparing root replacement and isolated aortic valve repair (including 10% supracoronary aorta replacement) were performed in 64% and 36% of patients, respectively. We found no aortic insufficiency occurrence or worsening and no adverse clinical events after the exercise training programme. Mean left ventricular ejection fraction increased significantly (from 54%±8% to 57%±9%; P=0.0007). Mean peak oxygen consumption and first ventilatory threshold increased from 17.0±5.3 to 22.5±7.8mL/kg/min (32% increase) and from 12.0±3.9 to 14.3±5.2mL/kg/min (19% increase), respectively (both P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Exercise training early after aortic valve repair is safe and seems to significantly improve exercise capacity.

Greater prognostic value of peak VO2 after exercise training program completion in heart failure patients.

BACKGROUND: Exercise capacity, best reflected by peak exercise oxygen consumption (peak VO(2)), is a powerful prognostic factor in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). However, the optimal time to assess exercise capacity for prognosis remains unclear and whether an exercise training program (ETP) to improve exercise capacity alters the prognostic value of cardiopulmonary exercise (CPX) testing variables in CHF is unknown. METHODS AND RESULTS: CHF patients who underwent an ETP in two cardiac rehabilitation centers between 2004 and 2009 were prospectively included, and CPX testing was performed before and after ETP completion. We included 285 consecutive patients who underwent an ETP (19.4 ± 8.7 training sessions in 4 to 10 weeks), including segmental gymnastics and cycling sessions. During follow-up (12 months), 14 patients died, 6 underwent cardiac transplantation and 15 were hospitalized for acute heart failure. Univariate analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that CPX variables, especially peak oxygen consumption and circulatory power (product of peak VO(2) × peak systolic blood pressure) before and after ETP completion predicted prognosis. However, CPX data obtained after ETP completion had the best prognostic value (area under the ROC curve = 0.79 ± 0.03 for peak VO(2) after ETP completion vs 0.64 ± 0.04 before ETP completion, p < 0.0001). The results did not change even when considering only deaths. CONCLUSION: In patients with stable CHF who can exercise, the prognostic value of CPX data seems greater after versus before completion of a hospital-based ETP. Therefore, CPX capacity for prognostic purposes should at best be assessed after cardiac rehabilitation.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug treatment for postoperative pericardial effusion: a multicenter randomized, double-blind trial.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of asymptomatic pericardial effusion is high after cardiac surgery. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are widely prescribed in this setting, but no study has assessed their efficacy. OBJECTIVE: To assess whether the NSAID diclofenac is effective in reducing postoperative pericardial effusion volume. DESIGN: Multicenter randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. (Clinical trials.gov registration number: NCT00247052) SETTING: 5 postoperative cardiac rehabilitation centers. PATIENTS: 196 patients at high risk for tamponade because of moderate to large persistent pericardial effusion (grade 2, 3, or 4 on a scale of 0 to 4, as measured by echocardiography) more than 7 days after cardiac surgery. INTERVENTION: Random assignment at each site in blocks of 4 to diclofenac, 50 mg, or placebo twice daily for 14 days. MEASUREMENTS: The main end point was change in effusion grade after 14 days of treatment. Secondary end points included frequency of late cardiac tamponade. RESULTS: The initial mean pericardial effusion grade was 2.58 (SD, 0.73) for the placebo group and 2.75 (SD, 0.81) for the diclofenac group. The 2 groups showed similar mean decreases from baseline after treatment (-1.08 grades [SD, 1.20] for the placebo group vs. -1.36 (SD, 1.25) for the diclofenac group). The mean difference between groups was -0.28 grade (95% CI, -0.63 to 0.06 grade; P = 0.105). Eleven cases of late cardiac tamponade occurred in the placebo group and 9 in the diclofenac group (P = 0.64). These differences persisted after adjustment for grade of pericardial effusion at baseline, treatment site, and type of surgery. LIMITATION: The sample was not large enough to find small beneficial effects of diclofenac or assess the cardiovascular tolerance of diclofenac. CONCLUSION: In patients with pericardial effusion after cardiac surgery, diclofenac neither reduced the size of the effusions nor prevented late cardiac tamponade. PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE: French Society of Cardiology.

Benefits of exercise training in chronic heart failure.

Exercise training performed in cardiac rehabilitation centres is an adjuvant therapy in chronic heart failure patients with left ventricular dysfunction; it decreases the deleterious consequences of chronic heart failure. Exercise training attenuates neurohormonal stimulation, the production of proinflammatory cytokines and natriuretic peptide overexpression. Trained patients showed a significant decrease in the peripheral organ injuries encountered in chronic heart failure, with a reduction in vascular resistance and improvements in endothelial dysfunction and the oxidative capacity of peripheral muscles, without a deleterious effect on left ventricular remodelling. Ultimately, exercise training leads to a notable improvement in ventilatory capacity. These beneficial effects are accompanied by improvements in symptoms at rest, exercise capacity and quality of life. Several training programmes are in current use: exercise training sessions always include endurance exercise performed either at a constant load intensity or with interval training, combining periods of exercise performed at high intensity with periods performed at low intensity. Most of the time, training programmes also include resistance training sessions, which improves large muscle strength. Exercise training programmes seem to have a favourable effect on prognosis, even if the results of Heart Failure: a Controlled Trial Investigating Outcomes of Exercise Training (HF-ACTION) remain controversial, emphasizing the difficulty in monitoring observance and the importance of compliance with a long-term exercise training programme. Patients who do not improve their exercise capacity significantly after an exercise training programme have a poorer prognosis.

Determination of exercise training level in coronary artery disease patients on beta blockers.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the intensity of three exercise training regimens. BACKGROUND: During a cardiac rehabilitation program coronary artery disease (CAD) patients should be trained at an intensity as close as possible to the ventilatory threshold (VT) level. The precise way to obtain this intensity of training during the sessions, however, remains unclear. METHODS: In stable beta-blocked CAD patients, heart rate (HR) and workload (WL) at the VT were determined from a cardiopulmonary exercise test. The 3 following days, each patient performed (in a randomized order) one bicycle training session per day at an intensity determined by (i) HR at VT, (ii) WL at VT, (iii) patient's feelings (14 on the Borg scale). HR, WL, systolic blood pressure, oxygen consumption (VO2) and the respiratory exchange ratio were monitored during each session, to compare the intensity of each regimen. RESULTS: Twenty patients, 57+/-10 years old were included. VO2, WL, HR and systolic blood pressure were significantly higher in the sessions driven by feelings and WL, than in the HR-driven sessions. As respiratory exchange ratio remained less than 1, we can assume that there was no important and deleterious participation of anaerobic metabolism. CONCLUSION: Classical training HR prescription could lead to undertrain CAD patients, although a training session prescription driven by the feelings or by the WL observed at VT allows the patients to train at a higher--but still aerobic--intensity.

Absence of exercise capacity improvement after exercise training program: a strong prognostic factor in patients with chronic heart failure.

BACKGROUND: Exercise training is established as adjuvant therapy for chronic heart failure, but the prognostic value of improvement in exercise capacity after exercise training has never been evaluated. METHODS AND RESULTS: In this prospective bicentric study, all chronic heart failure patients with left ventricular ejection fraction <45% who underwent an exercise training program in a cardiac rehabilitation center between January 2004 and September 2006 were consecutively included. Improvement in exercise capacity was assessed by change in peak oxygen consumption (deltaPVo(2)) and in PVo(2) expressed as a percentage of predicted PVo(2) (delta%PPVo(2)) measured before and after the training program. We included 155 patients (54+/-12 years old, male 81%, left ventricular ejection fraction=29.5+/-7.1%). Patients underwent 20 (10-30) training sessions. PVo(2) and %PPVo(2) were significantly increased after the training program (14% and 13%, respectively, P<0.001 for both). After 16+/-6 months follow-up, 27 patients had a cardiac event (death [n=12], cardiac transplantation [n=5], hospitalization for acute heart failure [n=10]). Univariate analysis revealed that among 17 significant predictors of cardiac events, the 2 more powerful ones were level of B-type natriuretic peptide at baseline (P<0.0001) and improvement in exercise capacity as assessed by deltaPVo(2) and delta%PPVo(2) (P<0.0001). Multivariate analysis revealed B-type natriuretic peptide level and delta%PPVo(2) as only independent predictive factors of outcome (P=0.01). The risk ratio of cardiac events for nonresponse versus response to the training program (defined as median delta%PPVo(2)<6%) was 8.2 (P=0.0006). CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with chronic heart failure, the lack of improvement in exercise capacity after an exercise training program has strong prognostic value for adverse cardiac events independent of classical predictive factors such as left ventricular ejection fraction, New York Heart Association class, and B-type natriuretic peptide level.

Role of B-type natriuretic peptide and echocardiographic indices in predicting the development of acute heart failure following beta-blocker uptitration in chronic heart failure patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction.

We evaluated the role of clinical, BNP and echocardiographic left ventricular (LV) indices in predicting the development of acute heart failure (HF) following beta-blocker initiation and uptitration in 50 stable CHF patients with LVEF < 40% and creatininemia < 250 micromol/l. Use of NYHA class alone predicted the development of acute HF decompensation in only 56% and the absence of this event in 93% of patients. Use of echocardiographic indices (systolic PAP < 40 mmHg or E/A ratio < 1.4 or EDT > 145 ms) predicted the absence of acute HF decompensation in 100% of patients. Use of NYHA > 3 combined with BNP > 398 pg/ml or with echocardiographic indices (i.e. systolic PAP > 40 mmHg or E/A > 1.4 or EDT < 145 ms) predicted the development of acute HF decompensation in 100% of patients. In conclusion use of BNP and echocardiographic LV filling pressure indices in combination with NYHA class may predict beta-blocker tolerance more accurately than clinical indices alone in patients with LV systolic dysfunction (LVEF < 40%).

Determination of exercise training heart rate in patients on beta-blockers after myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: In patients with coronary artery disease, the target intensity-level of exercise training is usually based on a training heart rate that aims to be close to the upper level of metabolic aerobic exercise. AIM: We intended to evaluate whether a training heart rate calculated with the Karvonen formula after a conventional exercise test is comparable with the heart rate at the anaerobic threshold in patients after myocardial infarction treated with beta-blockers and if not to propose a new formula. METHODS AND RESULTS: In this multicenter prospective study, 115 consecutive beta-blocked patients recovering from myocardial infarction performed a cardiopulmonary exercise test to determine the anaerobic threshold. The training heart rate determined by the Karvonen formula was compared with the heart rate at the anaerobic threshold in a derivation sample (n=58) and a validation sample (n=57) of patients. The Karvonen training heart rate was significantly lower than the heart rate at the anaerobic threshold (91+/-5 versus 102+/-17 bpm, P<0.0001) in the first sample of patients and this difference was clinically relevant in 40% of patients. Thus, a 'modified Karvonen training heart rate', equal to 0.8xx(maximum heart rate-resting heart rate)+resting heart rate, was calculated by linear regression in the derivation sample and prospectively assessed in the validation sample. The modified Karvonen training heart rate was closer to the heart rate at the anaerobic threshold than the Karvonen training heart rate, and the difference between the modified Karvonen training heart rate and the heart rate at the anaerobic threshold was clinically relevant in only 5% of patients. CONCLUSION: The Karvonen formula underestimates the heart rate at the anaerobic threshold in beta-blocked patients, which may lead to undertraining of patients with coronary artery disease; we propose another formula more adapted to these patients.

Low-molecular-weight heparin as a bridging anticoagulant early after mechanical heart valve replacement.

BACKGROUND: After mechanical heart valve replacement (MHVR), long-term use of unfractionated heparin is sometimes required because vitamin K antagonists (VKA) are temporarily contraindicated or because the time to reach the target international normalized ratio is long. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of low-molecular-weight heparin treatment in these patients. METHODS AND RESULTS: This work was conducted as a prospective study. We selected all patients (n=695) who underwent MHVR and were transferred to a postoperative cardiac rehabilitation center between January 2000 and January 2005. The study focused on patients who had not yet started VKA therapy or who had a below-target international normalized ratio despite VKA therapy. Unfractionated heparin was replaced by enoxaparin (100 IU/kg BID) until VKA treatment was fully effective. Two hundred fifty patients (60+/-11 years old) were enrolled 16+/-11 days after surgery (aortic valve replacement, n=190; mitral valve replacement, n=34; double valve replacement, n=26). Of these, 50% had permanent or transient atrial fibrillation, 40% had hypertension, 13% had diabetes, and 19% had a history of cardiac surgery. The mean duration of low-molecular-weight heparin treatment was 8.3+/-6.0 days. Patients were followed for 90 days, during which there were two major and three minor bleeding episodes and one transient ischemic attack. There were no cases of valve thrombosis and no deaths. CONCLUSIONS: After MHVR, one third of patients leave the cardiac surgery unit before VKA treatment is fully effective. Bridging anticoagulation therapy with enoxaparin appears to be feasible during this high-risk period for thromboembolism and could shorten the length of hospital stay.

Beta-blockade intolerance in anthracycline-induced cardiomyopathy.

Beta-blockade efficiency and safety in anthracycline induced cardiomyopathy (AIC) are poorly documented. Cardiac Heart Failure (CHF) due to an AIC has haemodynamic and histologic particularities: only mild ventricular dilatation, restriction pattern and myocardial and endocardial fibrous thickening. Therefore, beta blockade therapy initiation may cause heart failure decompensation by absence of the usual left ventricular adaptation (improvement of left ventricular compliance allowing maintenance of stroke volume). We describe an AIC patient in whom a first beta-blockade initial administration caused a global cardiac failure; after stabilisation, one month later, a second attempt caused a new cardiac failure. We raise the question of beta-blockade safety in restrictive cardiomyopathies.

Treatment of left ventricular thrombi with a low molecular weight heparin.

BACKGROUND: Once a diagnosis of left ventricular thrombus has been established, the classical attitude consists in the administration of unfractionated heparin relayed by oral anticoagulation therapy. However, the use of unfractionated heparins in this indication was only assessed in an open, non-randomized study with no control group, including 23 patients. On the other hand, although low molecular weight heparins are routinely used in some departments, there are no studies available concerning these agents in this indication. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of low molecular weight heparin therapy in patients with left ventricular thrombi. METHODS: The study was a prospective, non-randomized, open-label trial. All patients with a new left ventricular thrombus diagnosed between September 2000 and September 2003 received enoxaparine 100 IU/kg twice daily for a mean duration of 13 days. A relay treatment with fluindione was initiated on day 5. The left ventricular thrombus outcome was followed for 3 weeks by bi-weekly transthoracic echocardiography. RESULTS: 26 left ventricular thrombi were diagnosed over the 3-year study period: 19 in post-infarct patients with a history of anterior myocardial infarction and 7 in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy. The mean thrombus area decreased from 2.30+/-0.32 to 0.36+/-0.11 cm2 (p<0.0001). Nineteen thrombi out of twenty-six (73%) disappeared during the treatment period. No thrombocytopenia or hemorrhagic events were observed. One transient ischemic attack was reported. CONCLUSION: This preliminary study suggests that low molecular weight heparins are well tolerated and efficient in terms of left ventricular thrombi disappearance or size reduction.

Evolution of the postoperative pericardial effusion after day 15: the problem of the late tamponade.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To evaluate, through clinical and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) follow-up, the natural history of persistent pericardial effusion (PE) after postoperative day 15 in patients who were given and were not given anticoagulant therapy. DESIGN AND PATIENTS: We retrospectively studied a cohort of 1,277 patients who were hospitalized between May 1997 and May 1999 in our center a mean (+/- SD) time period of 15 +/- 3 days after undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery (856 patients) or valve replacement (VR) surgery (421 patients). MEASUREMENTS: TTE was performed on mean (+/- SD) postoperative day 20 +/- 1 (TTE(1)) and postoperative day 30 +/- 2 (TTE(2)). PE severity was classified on a scale from grade 1 to grade 4. RESULTS: On postoperative day 20 +/- 1, PE was present in 22% of the 1,277 patients and was more frequent after patients underwent CABG surgery than after undergoing VR surgery (25% vs 17%, respectively; p < 0.01). On postoperative day 30 +/- 2, the overall incidence of late tamponade in patients with PE was 4%. The incidence increased with the severity grade of PE at TTE(1) (p < 0.001). The negative predictive value of a severity grade < 2 at TTE(1) for late tamponade was 100%. Late tamponade incidence was higher after VR surgery than after CABG surgery (11% vs 2%, respectively; p < 0.01), and was higher in patients who had received anticoagulation therapy than in those who had not (8% vs 2%, respectively; p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Persisting PE is common after postoperative day 15 and is more frequent after undergoing CABG surgery than after undergoing VR surgery. The incidence of late tamponade is usually underestimated, and it increases with the presence of VR, anticoagulation therapy, and/or higher postoperative TTE severity grade. Our data suggest that only patients with a PE severity grade of >/= 2 (< 10% of patients) require TTE follow-up after postoperative day 20.