Alcoholic heart disease

PREVIEW

Although essential tremor is common, its various presentations may be confused with other movement disorders, such as Parkinson's disease and dystonic tremor. In this article, Dr Evidente describes classify cation of tremor, the clinical features of essential tremor, and the differential diagnostic considerations. He also discusses the extensive list of medications used to treat the disorder and the surgical options for severe, drug-resistant cases.     

Pulmonary heart disease

Abstract

Aim: Therapies for type 2 diabetes mellitus that leverage the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor signaling pathway have been shown to reduce rates of hyperglycemia and have beneficial effects on body weight. This post hoc analysis compared the effects of 2 GLP-1 receptor-based therapies, exenatide once weekly (EQW), a GLP-1 receptor agonist, and sitagliptin (sita), a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor, on glucose control across the range of baseline glycated hemoglobin (HbA_1c) levels specified in the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists and American College of Endocrinology treatment algorithm. Materials and Methods: Data from patients treated with either EQW or sita for 26 weeks in 2 randomized, double-blind, comparator-controlled clinical trials were pooled and analyzed. Glycemic endpoints and cardiovascular risk factors were evaluated in subgroups and the overall population. Results: Analysis included 737 patients on background therapies of diet and exercise and/or metformin. While both agents reduced HbA_1c and fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels from baseline, significantly greater reductions in HbA_1c and FBG levels occurred with EQW compared with sita across all baseline HbA_1c level strata, and significantly more patients in the EQW group achieved goal HbA_1c levels compared with the sita group. Patients treated with EQW also experienced significantly greater reductions in body weight and cholesterol levels compared with patients treated with sita. The incidences of the most common adverse events of nausea and diarrhea were higher in the EQW group compared with the sita group, and incidences of these adverse events decreased over time. Both groups experienced a low incidence of minor hypoglycemic events. Conclusion: Significantly greater improvements in HbA_1c and FBG levels were observed in EQW- compared with sita-treated patients across all baseline HbA_1c level strata. Additionally, greater reductions in body weight and some cardiovascular risk factors were observed with EQW treatment compared with sita treatment. Both EQW and sita were generally well tolerated; sita-treated patients experienced fewer adverse events than EQW-treated patients.     

Alcoholic heart disease

Alcoholic heart disease is caused by a lifestyle in which alcoholics are continue to consume an excessive amount of alcohol over a long period of time. Total abstinence is a very effective way to treat them to prevent the development of the final stage of this disease. In contrast, repetitive drinking of massive amount of alcohol is very harmful and causes exacerbation of this disease. From our clinical studies, six candidates were nominated as symptoms of alcoholic heart disease, namely(1) tachyarrhythmias (incidence: 33%), (2) left ventricular hypokinesis(17%), (3) QT interval prolongation(17%), (4) hyperthickened LV wall(13%), (5) LV dilatation with pump failure: alcoholic cardiomyopathy(0.1%), and (6) sudden cardiac death (unknown %). In the beginning of alcoholic heart disease, the patient usually complains of no symptoms, and physical signs are quite poor. Ordinarily, either transient atrial fibrillation and/or left ventricular hypertrophy which is initially documented by electrocardiography or echocardiography is one of the first signals in the diagnosis. Without such early signals, an early diagnosis is impossible. To make a definite diagnosis of alcoholic heart disease, a clinical follow-up is by all means necessary. Improvement of cardiac function after total abstinence, it's worsening after drinking again, and again improvement after abstinence a second time is a diagnostic clue. In this follow-up study, electrocardiography and echocardiography were employed as important ways to gather date. In treatment, total abstinence is essential. To achieve this therapeutic goal, education of the patient is necessary, because approximately 70 per cent of patients with alcoholic heart disease fail to continue abstinence within two years even if they have good training.     

Congenital heart disease

Pediatric congenital heart disease comprises a wide spectrum of structural defects. These lesions present in a limited number of ways. An infant presenting with profound shock, cyanosis, or evidence of congestive heart failure should raise the suspicion of congenital heart disease. Although most congenital lesions are diagnosed in utero, the emergency physician must be aware of these cardinal presentations because many patients present in the postnatal period around the time that the ductus arteriosus closes. Aggressive management of cardiopulmonary instability combined with empiric use of prostaglandin E(1) and early pediatric cardiology consultation is essential for positive outcomes.     

Thyrotoxic heart disease

Patients with tachyarrythmias as a result of thyroid storm have been typically treated with beta-blockers to decrease the heart rate and alleviate beta-receptor mediated symptoms such as anxiety and tremulousness. We report an unusual case of a previously well young man presenting to the emergency department with atrial flutter and who was clinically hyperthyroid. The patient was treated with propanolol to control his heart rate but suffered cardiovascular collapse. Although the patient was successfully resuscitated, he required inotropic support and intra-aortic balloon pump. The use of propanolol should be carefully considered in patients with thyrotoxic cardiomyopathy especially in those with heart failure because of the risk of exacerbation.