Fernando Matias

Prevalence of chronic heart failure in Southwestern Europe: the EPICA study.

To estimate the prevalence of chronic heart failure (CHF) in mainland Portugal in 1998.

The diagnosis of heart failure in primary care: value of symptoms and signs.

The value of symptoms and signs in the diagnosis of CHF has rarely been tested in large numbers of patients in the community. The aim of this study was to evaluate the importance of symptoms, signs, and past medical history in the diagnosis of CHF in primary care.

Evaluation of the performance and concordance of clinical questionnaires for the diagnosis of heart failure in primary care

To validate and estimate the performance statistics and concordance of seven clinical questionnaires for the diagnosis of chronic heart failure (HF).

The value of the electrocardiogram and chest X-ray for confirming or refuting a suspected diagnosis of heart failure in the community

There is a common assumption that a normal ECG or a normal heart size on chest X‐ray virtually rules out a diagnosis of heart failure.

Aetiology, comorbidity and drug therapy of chronic heart failure in the real world: the EPICA substudy

Chronic heart failure (CHF) is common and is frequently managed by primary care physicians (PCPs). Despite the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Guidelines, standard treatments for CHF are frequently underutilised, particularly in primary care.