Alfonso Sforza

Classes of antihypertensive medications and blood pressure control in relation to metabolic risk factors.

Objective Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is associated with uncontrolled blood pressure (BP), despite use of aggressive therapy. This study was performed to assess whether the use of different classes of antihypertensive drugs might influence this association. Methods We evaluated risk of uncontrolled BP (BP ≥ 140/90 mmHg under antihypertensive treatment) at the time of the last available visit, after a mean follow-up of 5 years in 4612 hypertensive patients without prevalent cardiovascular disease (43% women, 53 ± 11 years) from the Campania Salute Network. Results At the time of the first visit, prevalence of MetS was associated with 43% increased risk of follow-up uncontrolled BP, independent of significant confounders and without a significant impact of specific classes of antihypertensive medications. At the time of the last available visit, patients with MetS had more often uncontrolled BP, despite more aggressive treatment. After adjusting for demographics, risk factors and number of antihypertensive medications, risk of uncontrolled BP was reduced with increased prescription of diuretics [DRTs; odds ratio (OR) 0.73, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.62–0.86], renin–angiotensin system blockers [RAS-blockers (Angiotensin-converting enzyme-inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers); OR 0.77, 95% CI 0.66–0.91] and statins (OR 0.79, 95% 0.68–0.92, all P < 0.05), without significant impact of the other classes of medications. Conclusion Despite the use of increased number of medications, hypertensive patients with MetS are at higher risk of uncontrolled BP. Among classes of antihypertensive medications, increased prescriptions of DRTs, RAS-blockers and also statins decrease the probability of poor BP control.

Effect of diabetes and metabolic syndrome on myocardial mechano-energetic efficiency in hypertensive patients. The Campania Salute Network

Reduced myocardial mechano-energetic efficiency (MEE), estimated as stroke volume/heart rate ratio per g of left ventricular (LV) mass (LVM), and expressed in μl s−1 g−1 (MEEi), is a strong predictor of cardiovascular (CV) events, independently of LV hypertrophy and other confounders, including type II diabetes (DM). Decreased MEEi is more frequent in patients with diabetes. In the present analysis we evaluated the interrelation among MEEi, DM and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in the setting of arterial hypertension. Hypertensive patients from the Campania Salute Network, free of prevalent CV disease and with ejection fraction >50% (n=12 503), were analysed. Coexistence of MetS and DM was ordinally categorized into 4 groups: 8235 patients with neither MetS nor DM (MetS−/DM−); 502 without MetS and with DM (MetS−/DM+); 3045 with MetS and without DM (MetS+/DM−); and 721 with MetS and DM (MetS+/DM+). After controlling for sex, systolic blood pressure, body mass index, relative wall thickness (RWT), antihypertensive medications and type of antidiabetic therapy, MEEi was 333 μl s−1 g−1 in MetS−/DM−, 328 in MetS−/DM+, 326 in MetS+/DM− and 319 in MetS+/DM+ (P for trend <0.0001). In pairwise comparisons (Sidak-adjusted), all conditions, except MetS−/DM+, were significantly different from MetS−/DM− (all P<0.02). No statistical difference was detected between MetS−/DM+ and MetS+/DM−. Both MetS and DM are associated with decreased MEEi in hypertensive patients, independently to each other, but the reduction is statistically less evident for MetS−/DM+. MetS+/DM+ patients have the lowest levels of MEEi, consistent with the alterations of energy supply associated with the combination of insulin resistance with insulin deficiency.

Type of myocardial infarction presentation in patients with chronic kidney disease

BACKGROUND AND AIM Association of coronary and renal disease has been frequently found in epidemiological studies. Whether ECG-graphic presentation of myocardial infarction [S-T Elevated MI (STEMI) or Non S-T Elevated MI (NSTEMI)] is related to the degree of renal dysfunction is still unclear. METHODS AND RESULTS We examined 146 patients with acute myocardial infarction, consecutively entering the Coronary Care Unit of our ward. At entry, patients underwent clinical, ECG-graphic and echocardiographic examination, and blood samples were withdrawn for cardiac markers and general biochemistry. GFR was calculated using the CKD-EPI equation. STEMI was found in 71 cases and NSTEMI in 75 cases. Renal function was normal in 61 patients (stage 1), mildly impaired (<90 mL/min/1.73 m(2) and ≥ 60 mL/min/1.73 m(2)) in 60 (stage 2) and moderately to severely impaired (GFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m(2)) in 25 cases (stages 3-4). Patients were, thereafter, clustered into two groups (stages 1-2 and stages 3-4). Compared to stage 1-2 subjects, stages 3-4 patients were older, were more likely to be diabetic and had more frequently previous cardiovascular diseases. The probability of presentation of NSTEMI for stage 3-4 patients was 4-fold greater than for stage 1-2 patients (p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS These data support the evidence that 1) NSTEMI is associated with more severe kidney dysfunction, likely due to more severe and/or longer lasting exposition to risk factors; 2) cardiac and renal impairment are strongly associated. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01636427.

Preclinical Systolic Dysfunction in Patients with Stage 3 Chronic Kidney Disease

AbstractIntroduction: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with increased cardiovascular risk and mortality. We evaluated whether stage 3 (s3)-CKD is associated with abnormalities of the cardiovascular system. Methods: Thirty-nine asymptomatic s3-CKD patients, free of prevalent cardiovascular disease, were compared with 44 control subjects with comparable prevalence of hypertension (66% vs 69% in s3-CKD). In addition to standard echocardiographic parameters, we computed non-invasive effective arterial elastance (EAE, in mmHg/mL/beat), systolic left ventricular elastance (LVe, in mmHg/mL) and myocardial mechanic efficiency (MME, in mL/sec), using previously reported formulas. Results: s3-CKD and controls were comparable for age, sex, lipid profile and prevalence of diabetes mellitus and smoking habit. Left ventricular (LV) mass, geometry and stroke work were similar in the two groups, with both ejection fraction and midwall shortening (mS) significantly reduced in the CKD group (both p < 0.001). Within the s3-CKD group, 36% had clear-cut depressed mS. EAE and peripheral resistance were higher in s3-CKD than in controls (both p < 0.005), and MME was reduced in CKD (p < 0.005), an impairment even clearer after controlling for LV mass, and increasing with increasing values of LV mass (p < 0.001). In addition, at a given level of peripheral resistance, LV geometry was less concentric in s3-CKD than in controls (p < 0.05). Conclusions: s3-CKD asymptomatic patients show a peculiar cardiovascular phenotype, characterized by impaired mechano-energetic efficiency and reduced midwall mechanics, in the presence of inadequately compensating LV concentric remodelling. Whether these characteristics might result in higher cardiovascular risk in s3-CKD should be investigated.

A challenging diagnosis of dyspnea: A case report of contralateral reexpansion pulmonary edema

Reexpansion pulmonary edema (RPE) is an uncommon complication of thoracentesis or chest drainage. It occurs in the ipsilateral or contralateral lung. Causes, pathogenesis and therapy are not well understood especially for contralateral RPE. We describe a case of fatal contralateral RPE in a 59-years-old woman with right lung cancer underwent ultrasound-guided thoracentesis for massive pleural effusion and severe dyspnea. Pathogenesis of contralateral RPE is probably multifactorial and in this case is mostly due to the overperfusion of the healthy lung and consequent capillary damage. The right therapy for this condition is not known.

Electrocardiographic features of hyperkalemia during acute kidney injury in a patient with pacemaker

We describe a case of a 79-year-old man with pacemaker who presented to the Emergency Department due to asthenia and acute confusional state. He had a history of atrial fibrillation, anemia and colostomy and he was on treatment with diuretics. The electrocardiogram (ECG) showed pacemaker-induced ventricular activity, QRS complexes excessively wide with sine-wave appearance, tall and peaked T waves, without electrically evident atrial activity. Potassium concentration on arterial blood gas analysis was 8.8 mmol/L. ECG abnormalities disappeared after therapy with calcium chloride and spontaneous cardiac activity reappeared.

Assessment of left atrial size in addition to focused cardiopulmonary ultrasound improves diagnostic accuracy of acute heart failure in the Emergency Department

Acute dyspnea is one of the main reasons for admission to Emergency Department (ED). Availability of ultraminiaturized pocket ultrasound devices (PUD) adds diagnostic power to the clinical examination. The aim of this study was to identify an integrated ultrasound approach for diagnosis of acute heart failure (acute HF), using PUD and combining evaluation from lung, heart and inferior vena cava (IVC).

Uncommon case of pericardial effusion

We present the case of a 59-year-old patient with severe aortic stenosis, asymptomatic mild to moderate pericardial effusion and no major risk factors for poor prognosis. He underwent four-week course of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (ibuprofen 600 mg TID) with no improvement of the effusion. After complete diagnostic work-up and examination, we discovered that he had a prostate cancer with bone metastasis. On the bone scintigraphy, there was particular involvement of ribs and sternum. We decided to treat our patient with an association of docetaxel and hormone therapy, after six months we observed a reduction in the pericardial effusion. Even in the presence of a patient without risk factor of poor prognosis, pericardial effusion can be the first sign of occult neoplasia.