Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) has become a reference standard for the measure-ment of cardiac volumes, function, and mass. This study aims to reconstruct three dimen-sional modeling of the left ventricle (LV...Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) has become a reference standard for the measure-ment of cardiac volumes, function, and mass. This study aims to reconstruct three dimen-sional modeling of the left ventricle (LV) in pa-tients with heart failure (HF) using CMRtools and thereby derive the LV functional indices. CMR images were acquired in 41 subjects (6 females) with heart failure (HF) and 12 normal controls (4 females). Five comparisons were made (i) nor-mal and dilated heart failure subjects, (ii) male and female normal heart, (iii) male and female dilated heart, (iv) male normal and dilated heart failure and (v) female normal and dilated heart failure. In HF, a significant higher values of EDV (320 刡 79 vs. 126 刡 22 ml, P<0.0001), ESV (255 刡 68 vs. 54 刡 12 ml, P<0.00001) and lower values of EF (20 刡 7 vs. 58 刡 5 %) were found compared that of normal control. There were significant difference on LV EDV and ESV between sex in both normal and HF subjects.展开更多
Fifty-six patients with chest pain underwent selective coronaryangiography,radionuclide ventriculography (RNV) and frequency domaincardiography (FCG) to evaluate left ventricular function in coronary artery dis-ease (...Fifty-six patients with chest pain underwent selective coronaryangiography,radionuclide ventriculography (RNV) and frequency domaincardiography (FCG) to evaluate left ventricular function in coronary artery dis-ease (CAD).The sensitivity,specificity and accuracy of FCG were 87.5%,77.8%and 82.9%,respectively,which were slightly less than those of RNV (92.5%,88.9% and 90.8%,respectively).The changes of FCG scores were negatively corre-lated with changes of LVEF (r=-0.586,P【0.01),and TS (r=-0.679,P【0.01).These results indicate that FCG may be useful for the evaluation of leftventricular function in patients with CAD.展开更多
The present study investigated the application of echocardiography to evaluation of cardiac dyssynchrony in patients with congestive heart failure（CHF）. A total of 348 consecutive CHF patients who were admitted for ...The present study investigated the application of echocardiography to evaluation of cardiac dyssynchrony in patients with congestive heart failure（CHF）. A total of 348 consecutive CHF patients who were admitted for cardiac resynchronization（CRT） and presented with low ejection fraction（EF） and wide QRS duration were enrolled in this study, along with 388 healthy individuals. Dyssynchrony was assessed based on filling time ratio（FT/RR）, left ventricular pre-ejection delay（PED）, interventricular mechanical delay（IVMD）, longitudinal opposing wall delay（LOWD） and radial septal to posterior wall delay（RSPWD）. Response to CRT was defined as a ≥15% increase in EF. The results showed that FT/RR was decreased while PED, IVMD, LOWD and RSPWD were increased in the CHF group compared with the control group（P〈0.01）. In the CHF group, FT/RR was negatively correlated with the QRS duration, LV end-diastolic diameter（LVESd）, LV end-diastolic volume（LVEDV） and LV end-systolic volume（LVESV）（P〈0.01）, but positively with the LVEF（P〈0.01）. Additionally, PED, IVMD, LOWD and RSPWD were positively correlated with the QRS duration, LVESd, LVEDV and LVESV（P〈0.01）, but negatively with the LVEF（P〈0.01）. The CHF group was divided into three subgroups according to the varying degrees of LVEF. FT/RR decreased successively from the LVEF-1 group to the LVEF-2 group to the LVEF-3 group, while the PED, IVMD, LOWD and RSPWD successively increased in the same order（P〈0.01）. The CHF group was divided into three subgroups according to the varying degrees of QRS duration, and FT/RR decreased successively in a sequence from the QRS-1 group to the QRS-2 group to the QRS-3 group, while the PED, IVMD, LOWD and RSPWD successively increased in the same order（P〈0.01）. Speckle tracking radial dyssynchrony ≥130 ms was predictive of an EF response in patients in QRS-1 group（78% sensitivity, 83% specificity）, those in QRS-2 group（83% sensitivity, 77% specificity） and in QRS-3 group（89% sensitivity, 79% specificity）. In conclusion, echocardiography is a convenient and sensitive method for evaluating cardiac dyssynchrony in patients with CHF.展开更多
Approximately 50% of all heart failure patients in the US are above 75 years of age, which is almost similar to most European countries and the Middle and the Far East. Even though aging is an independent molecular pr...Approximately 50% of all heart failure patients in the US are above 75 years of age, which is almost similar to most European countries and the Middle and the Far East. Even though aging is an independent molecular process with a multitude of genetic predetermination and biochemical mediations, aging itself does not automatically result in cardiac insufficiency. On the other hand, with increasing age, cardioprotective mechanisms in response to stress are lost, and progressive cardiomyocyte degeneration with replace- ment fibrosis is often seen in older hearts, even though the exact triggers are not completely understood. Older patients with heart failure have distinct features that require special attention in diagnosis as well as therapy. The elderly more frequently suffer from multiple co-morbidities and might have atypical clinical presentations. Several precautions are essential in the treatment of heart failure in the elderly due to co-existing morbidities and the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic changes related to increased age. Also, treatment expectations, compliance, mental status and cognitive function might play a major role regarding optimized treatment and monitoring options in the elderly suffering from heart failure. This review summarizes current issues of heart failure management in the elderly.展开更多
Background The effects of trimetazidine on patients with dilated cardiomyopathy（DCM） and left bundle branch block（LBBB） are not clear. Methods Sixty consecutive patients with DCM, LBBB and heart dysfunction（35% ...Background The effects of trimetazidine on patients with dilated cardiomyopathy（DCM） and left bundle branch block（LBBB） are not clear. Methods Sixty consecutive patients with DCM, LBBB and heart dysfunction（35% ≤ LVEF ≤ 45%） were randomly allocated to heart failure therapy plus trimetazidine group（20 mg three times a day; 30 patients） or heart failure therapy alone group（30 patients）. During follow-up of 6months, QRS morphology, plasma NT-proBNP, 6-minute walk test（6MWT） and echocardiographic indexes were measured. Results At the 6th month, a significant functional improvement was noted in patients receiving trimetazidine added to heart failure treatment. In patients from the trimetazidine group, an increase of left ventricular ejection fraction（LVEF） was noted（from 38 ± 5.5% to 47 ± 7.1%, P = 0.020）. The increase of LVEF in the trimetazidine group was associated with a more significant reduction of the left ventricular endsystolic diameter（LVESD） compared with the control group at 6-month follow-up. The NT-pro BNP levels decreased significantly in the trimetazidine group（3.11 ± 0.47 at baseline and 2.77 ± 0.45 at 6-month followup, P 〈 0.01） and the 6MWT increased significantly in the trimetazidine group（325 ± 44 m at baseline and419 ± 56 m at 6-month follow-up, P 〈 0.01）. The differences in NT-pro BNP levels（2.77 ± 0.45 vs 2.96 ±0.46, P = 0.036） and 6MWT（419 ± 56 m vs 366 ± 54 m, P = 0.032） between the two groups were significant at 6-month follow-up. Conclusions Trimetazidine can improve LV function caused by DCM and LBBB. The positive effects of trimetazidine on LV function are especially evident in patients with optimization of drug therapy for heart failure, which strongly suggests an additive effect of these therapy modalities.展开更多
文摘Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) has become a reference standard for the measure-ment of cardiac volumes, function, and mass. This study aims to reconstruct three dimen-sional modeling of the left ventricle (LV) in pa-tients with heart failure (HF) using CMRtools and thereby derive the LV functional indices. CMR images were acquired in 41 subjects (6 females) with heart failure (HF) and 12 normal controls (4 females). Five comparisons were made (i) nor-mal and dilated heart failure subjects, (ii) male and female normal heart, (iii) male and female dilated heart, (iv) male normal and dilated heart failure and (v) female normal and dilated heart failure. In HF, a significant higher values of EDV (320 刡 79 vs. 126 刡 22 ml, P<0.0001), ESV (255 刡 68 vs. 54 刡 12 ml, P<0.00001) and lower values of EF (20 刡 7 vs. 58 刡 5 %) were found compared that of normal control. There were significant difference on LV EDV and ESV between sex in both normal and HF subjects.
文摘Fifty-six patients with chest pain underwent selective coronaryangiography,radionuclide ventriculography (RNV) and frequency domaincardiography (FCG) to evaluate left ventricular function in coronary artery dis-ease (CAD).The sensitivity,specificity and accuracy of FCG were 87.5%,77.8%and 82.9%,respectively,which were slightly less than those of RNV (92.5%,88.9% and 90.8%,respectively).The changes of FCG scores were negatively corre-lated with changes of LVEF (r=-0.586,P【0.01),and TS (r=-0.679,P【0.01).These results indicate that FCG may be useful for the evaluation of leftventricular function in patients with CAD.
文摘The present study investigated the application of echocardiography to evaluation of cardiac dyssynchrony in patients with congestive heart failure（CHF）. A total of 348 consecutive CHF patients who were admitted for cardiac resynchronization（CRT） and presented with low ejection fraction（EF） and wide QRS duration were enrolled in this study, along with 388 healthy individuals. Dyssynchrony was assessed based on filling time ratio（FT/RR）, left ventricular pre-ejection delay（PED）, interventricular mechanical delay（IVMD）, longitudinal opposing wall delay（LOWD） and radial septal to posterior wall delay（RSPWD）. Response to CRT was defined as a ≥15% increase in EF. The results showed that FT/RR was decreased while PED, IVMD, LOWD and RSPWD were increased in the CHF group compared with the control group（P〈0.01）. In the CHF group, FT/RR was negatively correlated with the QRS duration, LV end-diastolic diameter（LVESd）, LV end-diastolic volume（LVEDV） and LV end-systolic volume（LVESV）（P〈0.01）, but positively with the LVEF（P〈0.01）. Additionally, PED, IVMD, LOWD and RSPWD were positively correlated with the QRS duration, LVESd, LVEDV and LVESV（P〈0.01）, but negatively with the LVEF（P〈0.01）. The CHF group was divided into three subgroups according to the varying degrees of LVEF. FT/RR decreased successively from the LVEF-1 group to the LVEF-2 group to the LVEF-3 group, while the PED, IVMD, LOWD and RSPWD successively increased in the same order（P〈0.01）. The CHF group was divided into three subgroups according to the varying degrees of QRS duration, and FT/RR decreased successively in a sequence from the QRS-1 group to the QRS-2 group to the QRS-3 group, while the PED, IVMD, LOWD and RSPWD successively increased in the same order（P〈0.01）. Speckle tracking radial dyssynchrony ≥130 ms was predictive of an EF response in patients in QRS-1 group（78% sensitivity, 83% specificity）, those in QRS-2 group（83% sensitivity, 77% specificity） and in QRS-3 group（89% sensitivity, 79% specificity）. In conclusion, echocardiography is a convenient and sensitive method for evaluating cardiac dyssynchrony in patients with CHF.
文摘Approximately 50% of all heart failure patients in the US are above 75 years of age, which is almost similar to most European countries and the Middle and the Far East. Even though aging is an independent molecular process with a multitude of genetic predetermination and biochemical mediations, aging itself does not automatically result in cardiac insufficiency. On the other hand, with increasing age, cardioprotective mechanisms in response to stress are lost, and progressive cardiomyocyte degeneration with replace- ment fibrosis is often seen in older hearts, even though the exact triggers are not completely understood. Older patients with heart failure have distinct features that require special attention in diagnosis as well as therapy. The elderly more frequently suffer from multiple co-morbidities and might have atypical clinical presentations. Several precautions are essential in the treatment of heart failure in the elderly due to co-existing morbidities and the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic changes related to increased age. Also, treatment expectations, compliance, mental status and cognitive function might play a major role regarding optimized treatment and monitoring options in the elderly suffering from heart failure. This review summarizes current issues of heart failure management in the elderly.
基金supported by Science and Technology Key Foundation of Guangdong Province(No.2010B031600166)the Science and Technology Foundation of Guangdong Province(No.2011B061300072)the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province(No.7001020)
文摘Background The effects of trimetazidine on patients with dilated cardiomyopathy（DCM） and left bundle branch block（LBBB） are not clear. Methods Sixty consecutive patients with DCM, LBBB and heart dysfunction（35% ≤ LVEF ≤ 45%） were randomly allocated to heart failure therapy plus trimetazidine group（20 mg three times a day; 30 patients） or heart failure therapy alone group（30 patients）. During follow-up of 6months, QRS morphology, plasma NT-proBNP, 6-minute walk test（6MWT） and echocardiographic indexes were measured. Results At the 6th month, a significant functional improvement was noted in patients receiving trimetazidine added to heart failure treatment. In patients from the trimetazidine group, an increase of left ventricular ejection fraction（LVEF） was noted（from 38 ± 5.5% to 47 ± 7.1%, P = 0.020）. The increase of LVEF in the trimetazidine group was associated with a more significant reduction of the left ventricular endsystolic diameter（LVESD） compared with the control group at 6-month follow-up. The NT-pro BNP levels decreased significantly in the trimetazidine group（3.11 ± 0.47 at baseline and 2.77 ± 0.45 at 6-month followup, P 〈 0.01） and the 6MWT increased significantly in the trimetazidine group（325 ± 44 m at baseline and419 ± 56 m at 6-month follow-up, P 〈 0.01）. The differences in NT-pro BNP levels（2.77 ± 0.45 vs 2.96 ±0.46, P = 0.036） and 6MWT（419 ± 56 m vs 366 ± 54 m, P = 0.032） between the two groups were significant at 6-month follow-up. Conclusions Trimetazidine can improve LV function caused by DCM and LBBB. The positive effects of trimetazidine on LV function are especially evident in patients with optimization of drug therapy for heart failure, which strongly suggests an additive effect of these therapy modalities.
