Microalbuminuria in systolic and diastolic chronic heart failure patients

Background: Microalbuminuria is considered a major risk factor predisposing to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Microalbuminuria levels in patients with or without diabetes have been associated with a higher risk of chronic heart failure (HF). However, there are limited data regarding prevalence of microalbuminuria in chronic heart failure and its prognostic value. The aim of this study was to assess the occurence of microalbuminuria in chronic heart failure patients as well as its association with clinical, echocardiographic, and body composition markers. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, we included 72 chronic heart failure patients (NYHA I-III) on standard HF therapy. All patients had an echocardiogram and body composition by vector bioelectric impedance analysis (measured by Body Stat Quad Scan). Results: The studied population consisted of 64% men at mean age of 62.6 ± 15.1 years. Patients were divided into systolic and diastolic HF groups. Microalbuminuria was observed in 40% of diastolic and 24% systolic HF patients (p = 0.04). Microalbuminuria was present in more patients with volume overload (80 vs. 21.9%, p = 0.002), with a worse phase angle and lower serum albumin (4.7 vs. 5.9° and 3.5 vs. 4.0 mg/dl, p = 0.02) and higher pulmonary arterial pressure compared with patients without microalbuminuria in systolic HF patients. There was no significant association between frequency of microalbuminuria and ejection fraction. In the diastolic HF group, the presence of microalbuminuria was not associated with any known risk factor. Conclusions: Microalbuminuria was more frequent in diastolic than systolic HF patients. In systolic HF patients microalbuminuria was associated with factors known to be markers of worse prognosis. (Cardiol J 2008; 15: 143-149

Prognostic value of cardiac troponin T elevation is independent of renal function and clinical findings in heart failure patients

Background: The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence and prognostic value of elevated cardiac troponin (cTnT) and its association with clinical characteristics according to renal function status in patients with stable heart failure. Methods: In a prospective observational study, 152 consecutive patients from the Heart Failure Clinic of the INCMNSZ were followed for a period of 42 months. All underwent clinical evaluation, echocardiography, and determination of body composition by electric bioimpedance to identify hypervolemia. Concentrations of cTnT were quantified by immunoassay with electrochemoluminescence and &#8805; 0.02 ng/mL levels were considered elevated. Also glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was estimated using the Cockcroft-Gault equation. Results: Elevated cTnT was significantly associated with increased all-cause mortality in the observational period even after adjusting for eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 and clinical findings such as hypertension, functional class, loop diuretics, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, pulmonary pressure and hypervolemia in Cox regression analysis with a hazard ratio of 4.58 (95% confidence interval: 1.84&#8211;11.45). Conclusions: Heart failure patients with elevated cardiac-specific troponin T are at increased risk of death independently of the presence of chronic kidney disease. (Cardiol J 2010; 17, 1: 42-48

Influencia de un programa de intervención para reducir factores de riesgo cardiovascular en escolares /

\ua0tesis que para obtener el grado de Doctor en Ciencias Medicas Odontológicas y de la Salud, presenta Eloisa Colín Ramírez ; asesor Antonio R. Villa Romero, Lilia Castillo Martínez, Arturo Orea Tejeda. 197 páginas :\ua0ilustraciones. Doctorado en Ciencias Medicas Odontológicas y de la Salud\ua0UNAM, Facultad de Medicina,\ua0200

Comportamiento diferencial de la tensión arterial de pacientes con síncope neuro-cardiogénico en la fase inicial de la prueba de inclinación

El síncope neurocardiogénico (SNC) se diagnostica por medio de la prueba de inclinación (Pl). Estas pruebas son prolongadas aunque se conocen predictores tempranos de su resultado. Material y métodos: Se realizó un estudio en los pacientes que fueron sometidos a Pl por síncope en estudio. Se cuantificó la tensión arterial (TA) basal y se comparó con la TA al momento de terminar la inclinación a 70°. Resultados: Se realizaron 185 estudios en los que la TA sistólica en los pacientes con prueba negativa se elevó un 0.9%, mientas que en aquéllos con prueba positiva bajó un 2.3% (p = 0.2). La presión diastólica aumentó 34% en los pacientes con Pl negativa y 14.9% en los pacientes con prueba positiva (p = 0.02). Se calculó un riesgo relativo de 1.45 para Pl positiva cuando había disminución de la lectura de TA sistólica y elevación de la diastólica de acuerdo al porcentaje de cambio (IC95%: 1.1 a 7.8). Conclusiones: La combinación de reducción de la TA sistólica con elevación de la diastólica al terminar la inclinación del paciente, se asocia con un incremento del riesgo de tener una Pl positiva. Estos cambios se deben posiblemente a una estimulación simpática diferencial

Active Surveillance of Antimicrobial Resistance and Carbapenemase-Encoding Genes According to Sites of Care and Age Groups in Mexico: Results from the INVIFAR Network

We analyzed the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) data of 6519 clinical isolates of Escherichia coli (n = 3985), Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 775), Acinetobacter baumannii (n = 163), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n = 781), Enterococcus faecium (n = 124), and Staphylococcus aureus (n = 691) from 43 centers in Mexico. AMR assays were performed using commercial microdilution systems (37/43) and the disk diffusion susceptibility method (6/43). The presence of carbapenemase-encoding genes was assessed using PCR. Data from centers regarding site of care, patient age, and clinical specimen were collected. According to the site of care, the highest AMR was observed in E. coli, K. pneumoniae, and P. aeruginosa isolates from ICU patients. In contrast, in A. baumannii, higher AMR was observed in isolates from hospitalized non-ICU patients. According to age group, the highest AMR was observed in the ≥60 years age group for E. coli, E. faecium, and S. aureus, and in the 19–59 years age group for A. baumannii and P. aeruginosa. According to clinical specimen type, a higher AMR was observed in E. coli, K. pneumoniae, and P. aeruginosa isolates from blood specimens. The most frequently detected carbapenemase-encoding gene in E. coli was blaNDM (84%)