Julio Yoshio Takada

Electrocardiographic and Blood Pressure Alterations During Electroconvulsive Therapy in Young Adults

OBJECTIVE To study cardiovascular alterations in young patients with no apparent organic disease who underwent electroconvulsive therapy. METHODS The study comprised 47 healthy patients (22 males and 25 females) with a mean age of 30.3 years, who underwent electroconvulsive therapy. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and continuous electrocardiographic monitoring (Holter monitor) were performed during 24 hours. Blood pressure and heart rate were assessed 4 hours prior to electric shock administration, during electric shock administration, and 3 hours after electric shock administration. Arrhythmias and alterations in the ST segment in 24 hours were recorded. RESULTS On electroconvulsive therapy, a significant increase in blood pressure and heart rate was observed and the measurements returned to basal values after 25 minutes. Three females had tracings with depression of the ST segment suggesting myocardial ischemia prior to and after electroconvulsive therapy. Coronary angiography was normal. No severe cardiac arrhythmias were diagnosed. CONCLUSION 1) Electroconvulsive therapy is a safe therapeutic modality in psychiatry; 2) it causes a significant increase in blood pressure and heart rate; 3) it may be associated with myocardial ischemia in the absence of coronary obstructive disease; 4) electroconvulsive therapy was not associated with the occurrence of severe cardiac arrhythmias.

Long-Term Prospective Study of the Influence of Estrone Levels on Events in Postmenopausal Women with or at High Risk for Coronary Artery Disease

Background. The link between endogenous estrogen, coronary artery disease (CAD), and death in postmenopausal women is uncertain. We analyzed the association between death and blood levels of estrone in postmenopausal women with known coronary artery disease (CAD) or with a high-risk factor score for CAD. Methods. 251 postmenopausal women age 50–90 years not on estrogen therapy. Fasting blood for estrone and heart disease risk factors were collected at baseline. Women were grouped according to their estrone levels (<15 and ≥15 pg/mL). Fatal events were recorded after 5.8 ± 1.4 years of followup. Results. The Kaplan-Meier survival curve showed a significant trend (P = 0.039) of greater all-cause mortality in women with low estrone levels (<15 pg/mL). Cox multivariate regression analysis model adjusted for body mass index, diabetes, dyslipidemia, family history, and estrone showed estrone (OR = 0.45; P = 0.038) as the only independent variable for all-cause mortality. Multivariate regression model adjusted for age, body mass index, hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, family history, and estrone showed that only age (OR = 1.06; P = 0.017) was an independent predictor of all-cause mortality. Conclusions. Postmenopausal women with known CAD or with a high-risk factor score for CAD and low estrone levels (<15 pg/mL) had increased all-cause mortality.

In-hospital death in acute coronary syndrome was related to admission glucose in men but not in women

BackgroundAdmission hyperglycaemia is associated with mortality in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), but controversy exists whether hyperglycaemia uniformly affects both genders. We evaluated coronary risk factors, gender, hyperglycaemia and their effect on hospital mortality.Methods959 ACS patients (363 women and 596 men) were grouped based on glycaemia ≥ or < 200 mg/dL and gender: men with glucose < 200 mg/dL (menG-); women with glucose < 200 mg/dL (womenG-); men with glucose ≥ 200 mg/dL (menG+); and women with glucose ≥ 200 mg/dL (womenG+). A logistic regression analysis compared the relation between gender and glycaemia groups and death, adjusted for coronary risk factors and laboratory data.Results groupmenG- had lower mortality than menG + (OR = 0.172, IC95% 0.062-0.478), and womenG + (OR = 0.275, IC95% 0.090-0.841); womenG- mortality was lower than menG + (OR = 0.230, IC95% 0.074-0.717). No difference was found between menG + vs womenG + (p = 0.461), or womenG- vs womenG + (p = 0.110). Age (OR = 1.067, IC95% 1.031–1.104), EF (OR = 0.942, IC95% 0.915-0.968), and serum creatinine (OR = 1.329, IC95% 1.128-1.566) were other independent factors related to in-hospital death.ConclusionsDeath was greater in hyperglycemic men compared to lower blood glucose men and women groups, but there was no differences between women groups in respect to glycaemia after adjustment for coronary risk factors.

Assessment of the cardiovascular effects of electroconvulsive therapy in individuals older than 50 years

To evaluate the impact of electroconvulsive therapy on arterial blood pressure, heart rate, heart rate variability, and the occurrence of ischemia or arrhythmias, 38 (18 men) depressive patients free from systemic diseases, 50 to 83 years old (mean: 64.7 +/- 8.6) underwent electroconvulsive therapy. All patients were studied with simultaneous 24-h ambulatory blood pressure and Holter monitoring, starting 18 h before and continuing for 3 h after electroconvulsive therapy. Blood pressure, heart rate, heart rate variability, arrhythmias, and ischemic episodes were recorded. Before each session of electroconvulsive therapy, blood pressure and heart rate were in the normal range; supraventricular ectopic beats occurred in all patients and ventricular ectopic beats in 27/38; 2 patients had non-sustained ventricular tachycardia. After shock, systolic, mean and diastolic blood pressure increased 29, 25, and 24% (P < 0.001), respectively, and returned to baseline values within 1 h. Maximum, mean and minimum heart rate increased 56, 52, and 49% (P < 0.001), respectively, followed by a significant decrease within 5 min; heart rate gradually increased again thereafter and remained elevated for 1 h. Analysis of heart rate variability showed increased sympathetic activity during shock with a decrease in both sympathetic and parasympathetic drive afterwards. No serious adverse effects occurred; electroconvulsive therapy did not trigger any malignant arrhythmias or ischemia. In middle-aged and elderly people free from systemic diseases, electroconvulsive therapy caused transitory increases in blood pressure and heart rate and a decrease in heart rate variability but these changes were not associated with serious adverse clinical events.

BNP and Admission Glucose as In-Hospital Mortality Predictors in Non-ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction

Objectives. Admission hyperglycemia and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) are associated with mortality in acute coronary syndromes, but no study compares their prediction in-hospital death. Methods. Patients with non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI), in-hospital mortality and two-year mortality or readmission were compared for area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity (SEN), specificity (SPE), positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and accuracy (ACC) of glycemia and BNP. Results. Respectively, AUC, SEN, SPE, PPV, NPV, and ACC for prediction of in-hospital mortality were 0.815, 71.4%, 84.3%, 26.3%, 97.4%, and 83.3% for glycemia = 200 mg/dL and 0.748, 71.4%, 68.5%, 15.2%, 96.8% and 68.7% for BNP = 300 pg/mL. AUC of glycemia was similar to BNP (P = 0.411). In multivariate analysis we found glycemia ≥200mg/dL related to in-hospital death (P = 0.004). No difference was found in two-year mortality or readmission in BNP or hyperglycemic subgroups. Conclusion. Hyperglycemia was an independent risk factor for in-hospital mortality in NSTEMI and had a good ROC curve level. Hyperglycemia and BNP, although poor in-hospital predictors of unfavorable events, were independent risk factors for death or length of stay >10 days. No relation was found between hyperglycemia or BNP and long-term events.

Warfarin doses for anticoagulation therapy in elderly patients with chronic atrial fibrillation

OBJECTIVE: Anticoagulation is a challenge for the prophylaxis of thromboembolic events in elderly patients with chronic atrial fibrillation. Stable anticoagulation is defined as the time within >70% of the therapeutic range. However, the dosage required to achieve stable anticoagulation remains unknown. The aim of this study was to analyze the warfarin dose necessary for the maintenance of stable oral anticoagulation therapy in elderly patients. METHODS: We analyzed 112 consecutive outpatients with atrial fibrillation who were ≥65 years of age, had received anticoagulation therapy with warfarin for more than 1 year and had a stable international normalized ratio between 2.0 and 3.0 for ≥6 months. The international normalized ratio was measured in the central laboratory using the traditional method. RESULTS: The patients were stratified according to the following age groups: <75 or ≥75 years and <80 or ≥80 years. The mean daily doses of warfarin were similar for patients <75 or ≥75 years (3.34±1.71 versus 3.26±1.27 mg/day, p = 0.794) and <80 or ≥80 years (3.36±1.49 versus 3.15±1.23 mg/day, p = 0.433). In 88 (79%) patients, the daily warfarin dose was between 2 and 5 mg/day; in 13 (11%) patients, the daily warfarin dose was <2.0 mg/day; and in 11 (10%) patients, the daily warfarin dose was >5.0 mg/day. The correlation between the daily warfarin dose and the international normalized ratio was 0.22 (p = 0.012). CONCLUSION: Stable anticoagulation was achieved in 80% of patients who received doses of 2 to 5 mg/day of warfarin, and the mean daily dose was similar across the age groups analyzed.

Giant obstructive left atrial myxoma resembling mitral valve stenosis

Primary tumors of the heart are rare, with an incidence between 0.0017% and 0.19% in unselected patients at autopsy. Approximately 75% of the tumors are benign, and nearly half of them are myxomas (1) Atrial myxoma is the most common benign cardiac neoplasm, and its origin has been ascribed to a multipotential mesenchymal cell (2) Myxomas commonly occur between the third and sixth decades of life and are three times more frequent in women (3) There are two distinctive forms of the tumors: solid and ovoid myxomas and soft and papillary myxomas. Solid tumors are more likely to present with symptoms of congestive heart failure (CHF), while papillary tumors are more likely to embolize to the cerebral and other peripheral vessels (4) At the time of diagnosis, 92% of the patients have symptoms of CHF (5) Atrial myxoma may mimic valvular heart disease, cardiac insufficiency, cardiomegaly, bacterial endocarditis, disturbances of ventricular and supraventricular rhythm, syncope, and systemic or pulmonary embolism (3) The purpose of this paper is to present a case report of atrial myxoma mimicking severe mitral valve stenosis at cardiac auscultation and the importance of echocardiograpy in the diagnosis.

Hora da admissão na unidade de emergência e mortalidade hospitalar na síndrome coronária aguda

BACKGROUND: The relationship between admission time to an emergency service and in-hospital outcomes in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is controversial. Admission during off-hours would be associated with worse prognosis. OBJECTIVE: To assess the influence of admission time on prolonged hospitalization and mortality for ACS patients, regarding regular hours (7AM-7PM) and off-hours (7PM-7AM). METHODS: The study assessed prospectively 1,104 consecutive ACS patients. In-hospital mortality and length of hospital stay > 5 days were the outcomes analyzed. RESULTS: Admission during regular hours was greater as compared with that during off-hours (63% vs. 37%; p 5 days were as follows: age [OR 1.042 (95%CI: 1.025 - 1.058), p < 0.001]; ejection fraction (EF) [OR 0.977 (95%CI: 0.966 - 0.988), p < 0.001]; NSTEMI [OR 1.699 (95%CI: 1.221 - 2.366), p = 0.001]; and smoking [OR 1.723 (95%CI: 1.113 - 2.668), p = 0.014]. Predictive factors for in-hospital mortality were as follows: age [OR 1.090 (95%CI: 1.047 - 1.134), p < 0.001]; EF [OR 0.936 (95%CI: 0.909 - 0.964), p < 0.001]; and surgical treatment [OR 3.781 (95%CI: 1.374 - 10.409), p = 0.01]. CONCLUSION: Prolonged length of hospital stay and in-hospital mortality in ACS patients do not depend on admission time.

A influência da mídia nos atendimentos cardiológicos de urgência: o caso Bussunda

INTRODUCTION: Social turmoil associated with catastrophes such as flooding, earthquakes or air raids bring about an increased incidence of acute myocardial infarction. Premature death of media personalities with a strong public appeal may cause similar phenomena. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the impact of this media coverage on the emergency service at a Heart Hospital in Brazil (InCor). METHODS: Demographic profiles of patients collected from the InCors database were analyzed in the days following the death of an important TV personality (Group B). These patients were compared to a Control Group represented by those attended during the first semester of 2006. RESULTS: When compared to the Control Group, Group B disclosed the following significant statistical changes: patients were younger and more of them were male. These findings reflect a change of profile in the control group tending to a greater similarity with the characteristics of the TV personality (man, 43 years old). These changes remained significant for four days (age) and one day (gender). Furthermore, the greater demand for the cardiologic emergency service was not followed by an increased number of deaths and hospitalizations for acute myocardial infarction. CONCLUSION: Media exposure on the circumstances of premature death by myocardial infarction of an important TV personality was associated with an increase in the number and a change in the profile of the patients seeking the emergency room at the InCor Heart Hospital. Differently from a situation such as catastrophes, this phenomenon was not followed by an increase in the incidence of myocardial infarction

The involvement of multiple thrombogenic and atherogenic markers in premature coronary artery disease

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association of atherogenic and thrombogenic markers and lymphotoxin-alfa gene mutations with the risk of premature coronary disease. METHODS: This cross-sectional, case-control, age-adjusted study was conducted in 336 patients with premature coronary disease (<50 years old) and 189 healthy controls. The control subjects had normal clinical, resting, and exercise stress electrocardiographic assessments. The coronary disease group patients had either angiographically documented disease (>50% luminal reduction) or a previous myocardial infarction. The laboratory data evaluated included thrombogenic factors (fibrinogen, protein C, protein S, and antithrombin III), atherogenic factors (glucose and lipid profiles, lipoprotein(a), and apolipoproteins AI and B), and lymphotoxin-alfa mutations. Genetic variability of lymphotoxin-alfa was determined by polymerase chain reaction analysis. RESULTS: Coronary disease patients exhibited lower concentrations of HDL-cholesterol and higher levels of glucose, lipoprotein(a), and protein S. The frequencies of AA, AG, and GG lymphotoxin-alfa mutation genotypes were 55.0%, 37.6%, and 7.4% for controls and 42.7%, 46.0%, and 11.3% for coronary disease patients (p = 0.02), respectively. Smoking, dyslipidemia, family history, and lipoprotein(a) and lymphotoxin-alfa mutations in men were independent variables associated with coronary disease. The area under the curve (C-statistic) increased from 0.779 to 0.802 (p<0.05) with the inclusion of lipoprotein(a) and lymphotoxin-alfa mutations in the set of conventional risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: The inclusion of lipoprotein(a) and lymphotoxin-alfa mutations in the set of conventional risk factors showed an additive but small increase in the risk prediction of premature coronary disease.