Estratificación de riesgo cardiovascular / Cardiovascular risk stratification

In often cited statistic cardiovascular disease is the number 1 cause of death in the worldwide and not only in the developed world. This represents an aggressive identification and management of risk factors. With the many advances in our understanding and practices of risk factor management we hope to change this tendency predicted to be in 2020 the same. Now we know that exists major factor risk and others who predispose. The presence of major risk factors was associated with development of cardiovascular disease. The process of risk factor management is a multidisciplinary one, directly involving both the patient his doctor as well as many others, including nurses, other healthcare and family. The goal is preventing future cardiac events.

[Preoperative assessment of tricuspid valve disease]. / Valoración preoperatoria de la valvulopatía tricuspídea.

The illness to the tricuspid valve from a rheumatic origin, requires an adequate study during the preoperative time. The measurement to the tricuspid valve ring, which is determined by an echocardiography demonstrating a dilation from above 30 mm, has to be considered as an organic disease and not as a functional one. This means that this dilation must be surgically treated with anuloplasty or a valve substitution, otherwise the possibilities of a residual tricuspid regurgitation are very high. It is also important to perform a transjugular liver biopsy in those cases where a moderated or severe tricuspid regurgitation is present, allowing to detect those patients who have a severe hepatic malfunction (coagulophaty) and backing them up during and after the surgical procedure.

Treatment of severe mitral stenosis with percutaneous balloon valvotomy in pregnant patients.

BACKGROUND: Pregnancy can cause life-threatening complications in women with mitral stenosis. Frequently, there is an urgent need to increase the mitral valve area mechanically. In selected cases, percutaneous mitral balloon valvotomy (PMBV) has emerged as a safe and effective alternative to surgical commissurotomy. HYPOTHESIS: The study evaluates the effects of PMBV by the Inoue technique in nine pregnant patients with severe symptomatic mitral stenosis. METHODS: The patients were in New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class II to IV and had echocardiographic scores of < or = 8. The mean gestational age was 24.8 +/- 6.1 weeks. The patient's pelvic and abdominal regions were covered with a lead apron to protect the fetus from radiation. A stepwise dilatation technique was used. Fluoroscopy time was kept to 10 to 15 min. RESULTS: One patient developed severe mitral regurgitation requiring emergency valve replacement. The remaining eight patients showed marked immediate symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement. After dilatation, the transmitral pressure gradient decreased from 20.8 +/- 6.5 to 7.3 +/- 1.4 mmHg (p = 0.001) and the calculated mitral valve area increased from 0.9 +/- 0.1 to 1.8 +/- 0.4 (p < 0.001). All patients had uneventful term deliveries of normal babies. On follow-up they were in NYHA functional class I. CONCLUSIONS: Percutaneous mitral balloon valvotomy is a safe and effective procedure for selected pregnant patients with severe mitral stenosis. The procedure is well tolerated by the fetus. Severe mitral regurgitation requiring immediate surgery may occur occasionally. The possible harmful effects to the fetus from its exposure to radiation during PMBV are unknown.

[Late thrombolysis and electrical stability in acute myocardial infarction. Role of the collateral flow]. / Trombolisis tardía y estabilidad eléctrica en el infarto agudo del miocardio: importancia del flujo colateral.

We evaluated 249 patients (pts) with first acute myocardial infarction: 1. Pts without thrombolysis, n = 119, 2. Pts treated with thrombolysis within 6 hours following MI, n = 80 and 3. Pts treated with thrombolysis between 6-12 hours after MI. Arrhythmic events were evaluated during follow up. All underwent heart rate variability studies and coronary angiogram where anterograde flow (TIMI) and collateral flow (Rentrop scale 0-2 = poor collateral flow and 3 = good collateral flow) were determined. Pts in group 2 and 3 showed a better anterograde and collateral flow than group 1 (p < 0.001). A lower spectral power in the high frequency band and a higher ratio low/high frequency band were observed in group 1 (p < 0.05). Conjunctive consolidation analysis showed more malignant arrhythmias in TIMI 0-2 with poor collateral flow than TIMI 0-2 with good collateral flow (17/138-12.3% vs 0/14-0%). Kaplan Meier analysis was able to demonstrate more cardiac sudden death events in TIMI 0-2 with poor collateral flow than TIMI 0-2 with good collateral flow or TIMI 3 (x2 = 7.22, p = 0.028), independently of thrombolytic treatment.

[Myocardial bridging. The role of microcirculation, coronary reserve and systolic endothelial injury]. / Puentes miocárdicos. Papel de la microcirculación, reserva coronaria y daño endotelial sistólico.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between myocardial bridging (MB) and ischemic heart disease is still controversial. However, a recent new evidence suggests that this relation is not by chance. PURPOSE: The purpose of our study was to review in a critical manner, the evidence for the relationship between MB and myocardial ischemia and its possible consequences. METHODS: We present 2 cases of our series and review the medical literature from January 1966 to January 1998 published and included in Medline and Current Contents. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The principal findings after this review were: 1) MB is not a normal variant; 2) The clinical impact of MB depends on its anatomical extension and degree of compressive effect; 3) The MB muscle is not similar to myocytes from other cardiac areas; 4) The environment surrounding coronary artery may be a crucial factor in determining whether the MB influences the induction of heart disorders or not; 5) The overshoot due to compressive effect on coronary artery might determine endothelial injury in the microcirculation post-MB; 6) In some cases, the systolic endothelial injury may contribute to release factors that are able to reduce the coronary reserve, resulting in myocardial ischemia; 7) The possible role of PTCA in this disorder still has to be proven. Surgical treatment should be considered when important myocardial ischemia had been demonstrated, even in those asymptomatic cases.

[Percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty with the Inoue balloon. The initial experience and 3-year clinical follow-up at the Instituto Nacional de Cardiología Ignacio Chávez]. / Valvuloplastía mitral percutánea con balón de Inoue. Experiencia inicial y seguimiento clínico a 3 años en el Instituto Nacional de Cardiología "Ignacio Chávez".

In 113 patients with mitral stenosis a balloon mitral valvuloplasty (VMPB) was performed. There were 97 female and 16 male patients. Mean age was 40 +/- 11 with range of 18 and 70 years. 95 patients had sinus rhythm and 18 were on atrial fibrillation. Previous mitral commissurotomy was reported in 13 patients and 5 were pregnant at the moment of the procedure. Patients were carefully selected using both clinical and echocardiographic studies as well as the Wilkins score (SW). Transesophageal echocardiography (ETE) was performed when transthoracic echocardiography was not satisfactory. After right and left catheterization, VMPB was performed. In 106 patients (93.8%) a significant increase of the area mitral valve (AVM) was obtained. Echocardiographic results showed an AVM increase from 0.95 +/- 0.19 to 1.61 +/- 0.34 cm2 (p < 0.0001). Mean mitral gradient (GTM) decreased from 16.18 +/- 4.69 to 9.14 +/- 3.2 mmHg (p < 0.0001). Functional class improved in all patients in the long term. As complications there was severe mitral regurgitation (IM) reported in 6 patients who subsequently underwent mitral valve exchange, 2 of then died during surgery (one of them by bleeding and the other by non reparable rags on the atrium). A patient had cerebrovascular event (EVC) one week after the VMPB. In 3 of them non-significant interatrial communication (CIA) was produced. One patient died two months after the procedure due to bacterial endocarditis (EBSA). VMPB can be considered as a safe and effective treatment to patients with mitral stenosis.

[Changes in the mass and function of the left ventricle after renal transplantation]. / Modificaciones de la masa y función del ventrículo izquierdo después de trasplante renal.

We undertook a study of cardiac function in 13 patients with end-stage renal disease with conventional echocardiography. Measurements in systolic and diastolic function were assessed before and after renal transplantation. Improvement in left ventricular mass was observed (mu +/- SD) from 362.4 +/- 150.2 to 178.4 +/- 62.4 (p less than 0.001), also in left ventricular mass index (left ventricular mass/body surface) from 229 +/- 86.3 to 115.6 +/- 41.3 (p less than 0.001), ejection fraction from 0.44 +/- .196 to 0.64 +/- .165 (p less than 0.01) and velocity of circumferential fiber shortening (mu +/- SD) from 19.5 +/- 11.04 to 31 +/- 11.6. Renal transplantation procedure induce favorable modifications in left ventricular functions. If cardiac dysfunction is present in a end stage renal disease patient, it should be not considered a contraindication for transplantation. We were unable to demonstrate that hemoglobin values play an important role in the development or maintenance left ventricular dysfunction. A prospective, larger and longer trails are needed to clarify the risk factors associated with cardiovascular morbid event.

[Initial phase of the left ventricular ejection (mesosystole) in coronary artery disease]. / La fase inicial de la expulsión del ventrículo izquierdo (mesosístole) en la enfermedad arterial coronaria.

In patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), the ventricular ejection is altered specially the initial phase or the mid-systole. We studied such abnormalities through two-dimensional echocardiography and phonocardiography. We studied 40 patients with CAD and 11 normal subjects, we determined the times and volumes of total, initial and end of systole for to calculate the ejection fraction, integrated ejection and mean ejection rate. The measurements of total systole did not show important differences. In contrast, the initial ejection time (IET), the initial integrated ejection (IIE), the mid-systolic stroke volume (MSV), the mid-systolic ejection fraction (MEF) and the mean mid-systolic ejection rate (MMER) showed significant differences. The CAD group compared with normal subjects, had lower values of IET (P less than 0.05), MSV and MEF (P less than 0.01). The presence of myocardial infarction, the number of arteries with significant obstruction and the elevation of the left ventricular enddiastolic pressure had relationship with decrease in IIE (P less than 0.01) and with amount of MSV, MMER and MSV/end systolic stroke volume ratio (P less than 0.01). On the other hand, patients with angina, specially unstable and in those with ventricular aneurysm, the IIE showed higher values (P less than 0.01) and MSV, MMER, the percentage of mid-systolic ejection fraction and MSV/ESV ratio were lower (P less than 0.01). We conclude that in CAD, the mid-systolic changes are more sensitive than those of the whole systole. In presence of heart failure, the reduced stroke volume is ejected almost totally in the initial period or mid-systole. In patients with ventricular aneurysm or in those with unstable angina is the opposite behavior, the mid-systolic ejection is reduced and the small volume is ejected in the end last period or end systole. These observations could be useful to recognize the damage and the severity of it in CAD.