Profile of Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Mortality in Patients with Symptomatic Peripheral Arterial Disease

INTRODUCTION: The present study examines cardiovascular risk factor profiles and 24-month mortality in patients with symptomatic peripheral arterial disease. DESIGN STUDY: Prospective observational study including 75 consecutive patients with PAD (67 ± 9.7 years of age; 52 men and 23 women) hospitalized for planned peripheral vascular reconstruction. Doppler echocardiograms were performed before surgery in 54 cases. Univariate analyses were performed using Student's t-test or Fisher's exact test. Survival analysis at 24-month follow-up was performed using the Cox regression model and Kaplan-Meier method including age and chronic use of aspirin as covariates. Survival curves were compared using the log-rank test. RESULTS: Hypertension and smoking were the most frequent risk factors (52 cases and 51 cases, respectively), followed by diabetes (32 cases). Undertreated dyslipidemia was found in 26 cases. Fasting glycine levels (131 ± 69.1 mg/dl) were elevated in 29 cases. Myocardial hypertrophy was found in 18 out of 54 patients. Thirty-four patients had been treated with aspirin. Overall mortality over 24 months was 24% and was associated with age (HR: 0.064; CI95: 0.014-0.115; p=0.013) and lack of use of aspirin, as no deaths occurred among those using this drug (p<0.001). No association was found between cardiovascular death (11 cases) and the other risk factors. CONCLUSION: There is a high prevalence of uncontrolled (treated or untreated) cardiovascular risk factors in patients undergoing planned peripheral vascular reconstruction, and chronic use of aspirin is associated with reduced all-cause mortality in these patients

Associação entre qualidade do sono e qualidade de vida de profissionais de enfermagem que trabalham em turnos

OBJECTIVE To analyze the association between sleep quality and quality of life of nursing professionals according to their work schedules. METHODS A prospective, cross-sectional, observational study was conducted between January and December 2010, with 264 nursing professionals, drawn from 989 subjects at Botucatu General Hospital and stratified by professional category. The Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index and the WHOQOL-bref were administered to evaluate sleep quality and quality of life, respectively. Self-reported demographic data were collected with a standard form. Continuous variables were reported as means and standard deviations, and categorical variables were expressed as proportions. Associations were evaluated using Spearman’s correlation coefficient. The association of night-shift work and gender with sleep disturbance was evaluated by logistic regression analysis using a model adjusted for age and considering sleep disturbance the dependent variable. The level of significance was p < 0.05. RESULTS Night-shift work was associated with severe worsening of at least one component of sleep quality in the model adjusted for age (OR = 1.91; 95%CI 1.04;3.50; p = 0.036). Female gender was associated with sleep disturbance (OR = 3.40; 95%CI 1.37;8.40; p = 0.008). Quality of life and quality of sleep were closely correlated (R = -0.56; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Characteristics of the nursing profession affect sleep quality and quality of life, and these two variables are associated.OBJETIVO Analisar a associação entre a qualidade do sono e a qualidade de vida dos profissionais de enfermagem segundo organização do trabalho. MÉTODOS Estudo transversal, observacional e prospectivo, com 264 profissionais de enfermagem em Botucatu, SP, entre janeiro e dezembro de 2010. Os sujeitos foram sorteados entre os 989 indivíduos que trabalhavam no Hospital Geral de Botucatu e estratificados por categoria profissional. O Índice de Qualidade de Sono de Pittsburgh e o WHOQOL-bref foram aplicados para avaliar qualidade do sono e qualidade de vida, respectivamente. Os dados demográficos foram coletados por meio de formulário padrão. Variáveis contínuas foram apresentadas como média e desvio padrão e variáveis categóricas, como proporções. As associações foram avaliadas por meio do coeficiente de correlação de Spearman. As associações entre turno e sexo com a qualidade do sono foram analisadas por meio de regressão logística, no modelo corrigido para idade. Distúrbio do sono foi a variável dependente. O nível de significância adotado foi p < 0,05. RESULTADOS Trabalho noturno foi associado com prejuízo importante de pelo menos um componente da qualidade do sono (OR = 1,91; IC95% 1,04;3,50, p = 0,036). O prejuízo da qualidade do sono também se associou com o sexo feminino (OR = 3,40; IC95% 1,37;8,40; p = 0,008). Houve correlação estreita entre a qualidade de vida e qualidade do sono (r = -0,56, p < 0,001). CONCLUSÕES Características próprias da profissão de enfermagem podem afetar a qualidade do sono e a qualidade de vida, e essas duas variáveis estão associadas entre si

Diastolic function and functional capacity after a single session of continuous positive airway pressure in patients with compensated heart failure

OBJECTIVE: The effects of acute continuous positive airway pressure therapy on left ventricular diastolic function and functional capacity in patients with compensated systolic heart failure remain unclear. METHODS: This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial included 43 patients with heart failure and a left ventricular ejection fractio

The Role of Oxidative Stress and Lipid Peroxidation in Ventricular Remodeling Induced by Tobacco Smoke Exposure after Myocardial Infarction

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the roles of oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation in the ventricular remodeling that is induced by tobacco smoke exposure after myocardial infarction.METHODS: After induced myocardial infarction, rats were allocated into two groups: C (control, n=25) and ETS (exposed to tobacco smoke, n=24). After 6 months, survivors were submitted to echocardiogram and biochemical analyses.RESULTS: Rats in the ETS group showed higher diastolic (C = 1.52 +/- 0.4 mm(2), ETS = 1.95 +/- 0.4 mm(2); p=0.032) and systolic (C = 1.03 +/- 0.3, ETS = 1.36 +/- 0.4 mm(2)/g; p=0.049) ventricular areas, adjusted for body weight. The fractional area change was smaller in the ETS group (C = 30.3 +/- 10.1 %, ETS = 19.2 +/- 11.1 %; p=0.024) and E/A ratios were higher in ETS animals (C = 2.3 +/- 2.2, ETS = 5.1 +/- 2.5; p=0.037). ETS was also associated with a higher water percentage in the lung (C = 4.8 (4.3-4.8), ETS = 5.5 (5.3-5.6); p=0.013) as well as higher cardiac levels of reduced glutathione (C = 20.7 +/- 7.6 nmol/mg of protein, ETS = 40.7 +/- 12.7 nmol/mg of protein; p=0.037) and oxidized glutathione (C = 0.3 +/- 0.1 nmol/g of protein, ETS = 0.9 +/- 0.3 nmol/g of protein; p=0.008). No differences were observed in lipid hydroperoxide levels (C = 0.4 +/- 0.2 nmol/mg of tissue, ETS = 0.1 +/- 0.1 nmol/mg of tissue; p=0.08).CONCLUSION: In animals exposed to tobacco smoke, oxidative stress is associated with the intensification of ventricular re-remodeling after myocardial infarction

Effect of physiological overload on pregnancy in women with mitral regurgitation

OBJECTIVES: to evaluate the structural and functional heart abnormalities in women with mitral regurgitation during pregnancy.INTRODUCTION: Women with mitral regurgitation progress well during pregnancy. However, the effects on the heart of the association between pregnancy and mitral regurgitation are not well established.METHODS: This is a case-control, longitudinal prospective study. Echocardiograms were performed in 18 women with mitral regurgitation at the 12th and 36th week of pregnancy and on the 45th day of the puerperium. Twelve age-matched healthy and pregnant women were included as controls and underwent the same evaluation as the study group.RESULTS: Compared with controls, women with mitral regurgitation presented increased left cardiac chambers in all evaluations. Increasing left atrium during pregnancy occurred only in the mitral regurgitation group. At the end of the puerperium, women with mitral regurgitation showed persistent enlargement of the left atrium compared with the beginning of pregnancy (5.0 +/- 1.1 cm vs 4.6 +/- 0.9 cm; p < 0.05). Reduced left ventricular relative wall thickness (0.13 +/- 0.02 vs 0.16 +/- 0.02; p < 0.05) and an increased peak of afterload (278 +/- 55 g/cm(2) vs 207 +/- 28 g/cm(2); p < 0.05) was still observed on the 45th day after delivery in the mitral regurgitation group compared with controls.CONCLUSIONS: Pregnancy causes unfavorable structural alterations in women with mitral regurgitation that are associated with an aggravation of the hemodynamic overload

Quality of Life and its Association with Cardiovascular Risk Factors in a Community Health Care Program Population

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate quality of life in a population that attended a specific community event on health care education, and to investigate the association of their quality of life with the presence of cardiovascular risk factors INTRODUCTION: Interest in health-related quality of life is growing worldwide as a consequence of increasing rates of chronic disease. However, little is known about the association between quality of life and cardiovascular risk factors. METHODS: This study included 332 individuals. Demographics, blood pressure, body mass index, and casual glycemia were evaluated. The brief version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life questionnaire on quality of life was given to them. The medians of the scores obtained for the physical, psychological, emotional, and environmental domains were used as cutoffs to define "higher" and "lower" scores. A multinomial logistic regression model was used to define the parameters associated with lower scores. RESULTS: Diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, and obesity were associated with lower scores in the physical domain. Dyslipidemia was also associeted with lower scores in the psychological domain. Male gender and regular physical activity had protective effects on quality of life. Aging was inversely associated with decreased quality of life in the environmental domain. CONCLUSION: The presence of cardiovascular risk factors is related to a decreased quality of life. Conversely, male gender and regular physical activity had protective effects on quality of life. These findings suggest that exercising should be further promoted by health-related public programs, with a special focus on women