Mortality in patients after a recent myocardial infarction: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial of azimilide using heart rate variability for risk stratification.

BACKGROUND: Depressed left ventricular function (LVF) and low heart rate variability (HRV) identify patients at risk of increased mortality after myocardial infarction (MI). Azimilide, a novel class III antiarrhythmic drug, was investigated for its effects on mortality in patients with depressed LVF after recent MI and in a subpopulation of patients with low HRV. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 3717 post-MI patients with depressed LVF were enrolled in this randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study of azimilide 100 mg on all-cause mortality. Placebo patients with low HRV had a significantly higher 1-year mortality than those with high HRV (>20 U; 15% versus 9.5%, P<0.0005) despite nearly identical ejection fractions. No significant differences were observed between the 100-mg azimilide and placebo groups for all-cause mortality in either the "at-risk" patients identified by depressed LVF (12% versus 12%) or the subpopulation of "high-risk" patients identified by low HRV (14% versus 15%) or for total cardiac or arrhythmic mortality. Significantly fewer patients receiving azimilide developed atrial fibrillation than did patients receiving placebo (0.5% versus 1.2%, P<0.04). The incidences of torsade de pointes and severe neutropenia (absolute neutrophil count < or =500 cells/microL) were slightly higher in the azimilide group than in the placebo group (0.3% versus 0.1% for torsade de pointes and 0.9% versus 0.2% for severe neutropenia). CONCLUSIONS: Azimilide did not improve or worsen the mortality of patients after MI. Low HRV independently identified a subpopulation at high risk of mortality.

Testosterone therapy in women with chronic heart failure: a pilot double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study.

OBJECTIVES: The primary objective of this study was to assess the effect of a 6-month testosterone supplementation therapy on functional capacity and insulin resistance in female patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). BACKGROUND: Patients with CHF show decreased exercise capacity and insulin sensitivity. Testosterone supplementation improves these variables in men with CHF. No study has evaluated the effects of testosterone supplementation on female patients with CHF. METHODS: Thirty-six elderly female patients with stable CHF, (ejection fraction 32.9 ± 6) were randomly assigned (2:1 ratio) to receive testosterone transdermal patch (T group, n = 24) or placebo (P group, n = 12), both on top of optimal medical therapy. At baseline and after 6 months, patients underwent 6-min walking test (6MWT), cardiopulmonary exercise test, echocardiogram, quadriceps maximal isometric voluntary contraction, dynamic quadriceps isokinetic strength (peak torque), and insulin resistance assessment by homeostasis model. RESULTS: Distance walked at 6MWT as well as peak oxygen consumption significantly improved in the T group, whereas they were unchanged in the P group (p < 0.05 for all comparisons). The homeostasis model was significantly reduced in the T group in comparison with the P group (-16.5% vs. +5%, respectively; p < 0.05). Maximal voluntary contraction and peak torque increased significantly in the T group but did not change in the P group. Increase in distance walked at 6MWT was related to the increase in free testosterone levels (r = 0.593, p = 0.01). No significant changes in echocardiographic parameters were observed in either group. No side effects requiring discontinuation of T were detected. CONCLUSIONS: Testosterone supplementation improves functional capacity, insulin resistance, and muscle strength in women with advanced CHF. Testosterone seems to be an effective and safe therapy for elderly women with CHF.

La ecocardiografía en la valoración y seguimiento pre y postoperatorio de la insuficiencia aórtica crónica / Echocardiography in the evaluation and pre and post-operative follow-up of chronic aortic insufficiency

En la insuficiencia aórtica crónica (IAoC) es difícil precisar el momento en que la sobrecarga volumétrica determina el deterioro miocárdico que desencadena los síntomas. A través de la comparación pre y postoperatoria se pretende conocer la utilidad de la ecocardiografía para definir el momento operatorio de la IAoC. Se estudian 13 pacientes con IAoC (con gradiente sistólico ventrículo - aorta menor de 20 mmHg), operados para substitución valvular aórtica y con seguimiento promedio de 13.7 meses. Dos pacientes fallecieron en el postoperatorio inmediato. Todos los restantes mostraron disminución de la cardiomegalia y pasaron a clase funcional I. El ecocardiograma mostró en el postoperatorio, reducción significativa (P<0,01) de los diámetros del ventrículo izquierdo y aumento de la fracción de expulsión (P<0.05). El acortamiento fraccional (AF) y la velocidad media de acortamiento circunferencial no mostraron cambios significativos. El índice diámetro sistólico final sobre velocidad normalizada de la pared posterior (DSF/VNPP) disminuyó significativamente y la velocidad media de relajación circunferencial (VMRC) aumentó (P<0.001) después del tratamiento quirúrgico. En el preoperatorio el DSF/VNPP y la VMRC tuvieron buena correlación con la presión diastólica final del ventrículo izquierdo (r=0.891 y -0.885 respectivamente). No se observó diferencia en la evolución de los pacientes con AF disminuído. Se concluye que el índice DSF/VNPP y la VMRC permiten tener una mejor valoración del volumen residual, de la ley de Frank-Starling y de la distensibilidad como expresiones de la función ventricular y ambos son útiles para precisar el momento en que es conveniente el cateterismo preoperatorio de los pacientes con IAoC