Ultrastructural characteristics of different stages of human chagasic myocarditis

Myocardial damage was analyzed in the different stages of Chagas' disease. Myocardial biopsies from chagasic patients, whose clinical histories were initially unknown to the examiner, were examined and evaluated by electron microscopy using a table in which 244 characteristics were considered. When the ultrastructural results were associated with their respective clinical reports, it was found that Chagas' disease stages showed significant myocardium damage between stages IA and II: IA (normal EKG and cineventriculogram), 13.0%; IB (early left ventricular damage with normal EKG), 14.5%; II (advanced left ventricular damage, abnormal EKG), 25.5%; stage III (congestive heart failure) showed a decrement to 22.5% if compared with stage II. The acute stage of the illness was characterized by the presence of the parasites within the myocytes which were surrounded by inflammatory cell infiltrate. During Chagas' disease evolution the most affected organelle was the sarcoplasmic reticulum.     

Plasma norepinephrine in Chagas' cardioneuromyopathy: a marker of progressive dysautonomia

Chronic Chagas' disease produces pathologic changes of the cardiovascular, digestive, and autonomic nervous systems. In an attempt to elucidate the nature of the dysautonomia in patients with Chagas' disease, we measured plasma norepinephrine levels, blood pressure, and heart rate, both supine and standing in 26 patients, and compared these values of patients classified according to three clinical subsets of cardiovascular manifestations with the values of nine normal volunteers and 16 patients with nonchagasic heart failure. Results suggested (1) progressive blockade of the alpha receptor in patients with Chagas' disease who have minimal clinical symptoms (group I) and in those who have ECG alterations without congestive symptoms (group II), as reflected by normal or raised plasma norepinephrine levels without change of diastolic blood pressure during standing, which indicates absent postural reflexes; and (2) blockade associated with partial denervation in patients with Chagas' disease who have class III or IV heart failure (group III), as suggested by a lower supine plasma norepinephrine level and a fall in diastolic blood pressure in the upright position. The findings of reduced plasma norepinephrine levels are in contrast to the elevated plasma norepinephrine levels in patients without Chagas' disease with class III and IV heart failure who have sympathetic hyperactivity.     

Prognostic indicators of chronic chagasic cardiopathy

After 104 patients with positive serology for Chagas' disease had been followed for a decade, a selection of 66 patients was made from this number and a total of 25 variables obtained from clinical and paraclinical findings were analyzed, with the purpose of knowing which of these variables may be of help, in time, in determining prognosis. The information was analyzed using the Cox regression model. The patients were classified into groups according to the results in the invasive and noninvasive studies: those with a normal electrocardiogram without heart disease (14 patients) or with early segmental abnormalities of the left ventricle (9 patients); those with an abnormal electrocardiogram and advanced myocardial damage but without signs of congestive heart failure (26 patients); and those with an abnormal electrocardiogram together with congestive heart failure (17 patients). Of these patients, those with electrocardiographic abnormalities correspond to stages of the disease where advanced myocardial damage is proven. There was a 42% mortality during the follow-up of these patients. According to the regression model, the value of the systolic blood pressure is a good predictor of mortality (P = 0.0380) in those with congestive heart failure. When we analyzed jointly the patients with an abnormal electrocardiogram, we found that several variables (systolic blood pressure, the presence of atrial fibrillation, the radiologic cardiothoracic index, and left ventricular end-diastolic volume obtained by the ventriculogram), were negatively correlated with regard to survival. This last model has a chi-square of 11.36 (P = 0.0228). These models allow us to predict the prognosis in this group of patients with Chagas' disease and advanced myocardial damage.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Risk stratification in a Brazilian hospital-based cohort of 1220 outpatients with heart failure: role of Chagas' heart disease

BACKGROUND: Few studies evaluated prognostic factors of outpatients with heart failure of different etiologies including Chagas' heart disease. METHODS: We studied 1220 outpatients with heart failure in functional classes III and IV (NYHA) to evaluate prognostic factors. Patients aged 13-72 years (mean 45.5, standard deviation 11); 952 men (78%) and 268 women (22%) were followed up for 25.6+/-26 months from 1991 to 2000. Heart failure was attributed to idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy in 454 (37%) patients. Etiologies were Chagas' heart disease in 242 (20%) patients, ischemic cardiomyopathy in 212 (17%), hypertensive cardiomyopathy in 170 (14%) and others in 142 (12%). Statistical analyses were performed with Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards methods, following a strategy of noninvasive model as well as in an invasive model to identify the risk of death. RESULTS: Four hundred fifteen (34%) patients died in the follow-up period, 71 (6%) patients underwent heart transplantation and 28 (2%) underwent other surgical interventions. In the noninvasive model, Chagas' heart disease (relative risk compared with other etiologies 2.26 to 2.97), left ventricular end diastolic diameter on echocardiography (relative risk 1.13) and left ventricular ejection fraction on radionuclide angiography (relative risk 0.96) were associated with higher mortality. In the invasive model, Chagas' heart disease (relative risk compared with other etiologies 2.66 to 9.13) was the most important determinant of mortality in association with the cardiac index (relative risk 0.40). CONCLUSIONS: In this cohort of patients with heart failure of different etiologies, Chagas' heart disease was the main prognostic factor for mortality.     

Left ventricular diastolic function in heart failure--a Doppler echocardiography study

Assessment of transmitral flow by Doppler echocardiography allows measurement of changes in left ventricular filling patterns in patients with cardiac disease. Typically a decrease in early diastolic flow velocity and increase in late diastolic flow velocity is found in various cardiac diseases. In order to assess the influence of overt heart failure on transmitral velocity profiles these were measured in 20 patients with a history of myocardial infarction and in 10 normal controls (group I). Of those patients with coronary heart disease 10 patients were in overt heart failure according to clinical and radiological criteria (group II); another 10 patients were compensated after treatment for heart failure (group III). In decompensated group II early diastolic flow velocity (E) was 91.2 cm/s and higher than 67.9 cm/s in group III (p less than 0.05) compared to 68.8 cm/s in the control group. In contrast late diastolic flow (A) at the time of atrial contraction was 41.2 cm/s in group II, 81.3 cm/s in group III, and 65.0 cm/s in group I (p less than 0.05). The ratio between early and late diastolic flow velocities (E/A) was 2.58 in group II, 0.87 in group III, and 1.06 in group I (p less than 0.05). Deceleration halftime was significantly shorter in group II as compared to the other two groups (p less than 0.05). These results can be interpreted as masking of the pathological flow patterns of the underlying heart disease (E/A ratio) by elevated left atrial filling pressure that leads to inversion of the pathologically altered velocity profiles of the underlying heart disease. These results might gain practical value for the care of patients in congestive heart failure if follow-up studies should demonstrate conversion of the flow pattern of group II to that of group III under treatment.     

Carvedilol Enhances the Antioxidant Effect of Vitamins E and C in Chronic Chagas Heart Disease

Background

Chagas disease is still an important endemic disease in Brazil, and the cardiac involvement is its more severe manifestation.

Objective

To verify whether the concomitant use of carvedilol will enhance the antioxidant effect of vitamins E and C in reducing the systemic oxidative stress in chronic Chagas heart disease.

Methods

A total of 42 patients with Chagas heart disease were studied. They were divided into four groups according to the modified Los Andes classification: 10 patients in group IA (normal electrocardiogram and echocardiogram; no cardiac involvement); 20 patients in group IB (normal electrocardiogram and abnormal echocardiogram; mild cardiac involvement); eight patients in group II (abnormal electrocardiogram and echocardiogram; no heart failure; moderate cardiac involvement); and four patients in group III (abnormal electrocardiogram and echocardiogram with heart failure; severe cardiac involvement). Blood levels of markers of oxidative stress were determined before and after a six-month period of treatment with carvedilol, and six months after combined therapy of carvedilol with vitamins E and C. The markers analyzed were as follows: activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione S-transferase and reductase, myeloperoxidade and adenosine deaminase; and the levels of reduced glutathione, thiobarbituric-acid reactive substances, protein carbonyls, vitamin E, and nitric oxide.

Results

After treatment with carvedilol, all groups showed significant decrease in protein carbonyls and reduced glutathione levels, whereas nitric oxide levels and adenosine activity increased significantly only in the less severely affected group (IA). In addition, the activity of most of the antioxidant enzymes was decreased in the less severely affected groups (IA and IB). By combining the vitamins with carvedilol, a reduction in protein damage, in glutathione levels, and in the activity of most of the antioxidant enzymes were observed.

Conclusions

The decrease in oxidative stress levels observed by means of the markers tested was more significant when carvedilol was used in combination with the antioxidant vitamins. The findings suggest that both carvedilol alone and in combination with the vitamins were effective in attenuating the systemic oxidative stress in patients with Chagas heart disease, especially those less severely affected, thus suggesting the possibility of synergism between these compounds.     

Relation of regional sympathetic denervation and myocardial perfusion disturbance to wall motion impairment in Chagas' cardiomyopathy

Impairment of sinus node autonomic control and myocardial perfusion disturbances have been described in patients with chronic Chagas' cardiomyopathy. However, it is not clear how these conditions contribute to myocardial damage. In this investigation, iodine-123 (I-123) meta-iodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) and thallium-201 myocardium segmental uptake were studied in correlation with the severity of left ventricular (LV) dysfunction detected in various phases of Chagas' heart disease. Group I consisted of 12 subjects (43 +/- 4 years, 7 men) with no symptoms and no cardiac involvement on electrocardiogram (ECG) or echocardiography; group II consisted of 13 patients (48 +/- 3 years, 9 men) with abnormal resting ECG and/or echocardiographic segmental abnormalities, and LV ejection fraction of > or = 0.5; group III was comprised of 12 patients (59 +/- 3 years, 10 men) with more severe heart disease, LV dilation, and LV ejection fraction of < 0.5. Eighteen control volunteers (38 +/- 3 years, 9 men) were also included in the study. I-123 MIBG single-photon emission computed tomographic (SPECT) segmental uptake defects were observed in group I (33%), group II (77%), and group III (92%). Quantitative analysis showed mean areas of reduced LV I-123-MIBG uptake: group I was 3.7 +/- 2.1%; group II was 8.3 +/- 2.3%; and group III was 19.0 +/- 3.3%. The differences between group I and both groups II and III were statistically significant (p < 0.001, analysis of variance test). Myocardial perfusion defects (reversible, fixed, and paradox) were observed in group I (83%), group II (69%), and group III (83%). A marked topographic association between perfusion, innervation, and wall motion abnormalities (assessed by gated-SPECT perfusion studies) was observed in all the groups. Defects predominated in the inferior, posterior lateral, and apical LV regions. Thus, extensive impairment of cardiac sympathetic function at the ventricular level occured early in the course of Chagas' cardiomyopathy and was related to regional myocardial perfusion disturbances, before wall motion abnormalities. Both conditions are associated with progression of ventricular dysfunction.     

Chronic Chagas' heart disease in the elderly: a clinicopathologic study

A retrospective study of the medical records of our hospital from 1965 to 1985 was carried out to characterize for the first time chronic Chagas' heart disease in the elderly (more than 70 years old). A total of 25 patients (mean age = 76) were suitable for the study. Congestive heart failure, sudden cardiac death, thromboembolism and atypical chest pain were found in 68, 16, 8 and 8% of cases, respectively. Ventricular premature contractions (60%), right bundle branch block (32%), left anterior hemiblock (28%), atrial fibrillation (28%) and right bundle branch block associated with left anterior hemiblock (20%) were the ECG changes most frequently found. A morphological study was performed on 8 (32%) patients. All of them showed cardiac abnormalities, with apical aneurism being detected in 100% of cases. At autopsy, pulmonary embolism was observed in 3(37%) of these patients who presented with congestive heart failure, ventricular premature contractions and/or intraventricular conduction defect and/or atrial fibrillation. Thus, the characteristics of chronic Chagas' heart disease in the elderly are similar to those found in middle-aged patients. We suggest that these patients are important for the study of the pathogenesis of chronic Chagas' heart disease because they may have less aggressive pathophysiologic mechanisms than middle-aged patients.     

Cardiac levels of norepinephrine, dopamine, serotonin and histamine in Chagas' disease.

Extraction and measurement of biogenic amines (norepinephrine, dopamine, serotonin and histamine) were carried out on human ventricular myocardium obtained from autopsies of individuals divided in the three following groups: chronic Chagas' heart disease (with congestive heart failure: 16 cases, and with sudden and unexpected death: 13 cases); hypertensive heart disease (12 cases); and control patients (with no heart disease: 12 cases). The myocardial samples were obtained from the free walls of left and right ventricles and from the apex. A significant depletion of norepinephrine was detected in those with congestive failure. A poorly elevated level of dopamine was also seen in right ventricular and apical myocardium from those with failure. Left ventricular and apical concentration of serotonin were significantly elevated in the presence of hypertensive heart disease. The most important findings were obtained with histamine, which is increased in both groups of Chagasic patients. We believe that the approach here reported may provide useful informations on the pathogenetic mechanisms, thus far poorly understood, of chronic Chagas' heart disease.     

The role of active myocarditis in the development of heart failure in chronic Chagas' disease: a study based on endomyocardial biopsies

The authors analyze the presence of active myocarditis in endomyocardial biopsies from 38 patients with chronic Chagas' disease diagnosed serologically. The patients were divided into three clinical groups of increasing severity. Group I: 13 patients with normal electrocardiograms, normal chest x-rays, and no symptoms; Group II: 13 patients with abnormal electrocardiograms and no cardiomegaly; and Group III: 12 patients with abnormal electrocardiograms, cardiomegaly and heart failure. In order to diagnose myocarditis activity, two sets of criteria were used: one mainly observing histopathologic aspects of inflammatory cells aggressing cardiac fibers; and the other counting the mean number of lymphocytes per high power microscopic field. The results of both methods showed a higher incidence of active myocarditis in the clinical group with heart failure. The present report clearly shows the important role played by activity of myocarditis in the development of heart failure in chronic Chagas' disease. Therefore, the possibility of using drugs to control early stages of the activity of the inflammatory process is suggested. On the other hand, endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) seems to be an adequate method to evaluate the intensity of the cardiac inflammatory process in Chagas' heart disease.     

Influence of thyroid status on hemoglobin A2 expression

We studied the electrophoretic pattern of hemoglobin (Hb) and red blood cell indices in 128 women divided into four groups: group I, 36 nonanemic hyperthyroid women, divided in two subgroups: 36 with untreated hyperthyroidism (subgroup IA) and 9 made euthyroid by antithyroid drug therapy (subgroup IB); group II, 12 nonanemic women with untreated hypothyroidism; group III, 30 women known to be heterozygous for beta-thalassemia; and group IV, 50 healthy women. The mean (+/- SEM) HbA2 level was higher (P less than 0.001) in subgroup IA (3.21 +/- 0.06%) than in subgroup IB (2.42 +/- 0.09%) and group IV (2.48 +/- 0.04%), but lower (P less than 0.001) than in group III (5.26 +/- 0.12%). The mean HbA2 level was lower (P less than 0.001) in group II (1.99 +/- 0.08%) than in group IV. Hb fetal was detectable in eight patients of subgroup IA and undetectable in subgroup IB and groups II and IV. The mean cellular volume was lower (P less than 0.001) in subgroup IA than in other nonanemic groups. The mean cellular volume was higher (P less than 0.001) in group II than in group IV. Follow-up of nine patients who became euthyroid with treatment showed the normalization of these erythrocyte parameters. These results suggest that thyroid hormones can modulate the synthesis of delta- and gamma-globin chains.     

Comparative study of exercise-induced ventricular arrhythmias in normal subjects and patients with documented coronary artery disease.

The incidence, types and patterns of emergence of treadmill exercise induced ventricular arrhythmias were studied in 482 subjects with and without coronary heart disease. All subjects were free of premature ventricular complexes at rest and were classified into groups on the basis of their clinical status. In Group 1A were 141 patients with chest pain and normal coronary arteriograms and in Group IB 144 age-matched subjects free of clinical evidence of heart disease. Group II consisted of 197 patients with chest pain and arteriographically documented coronary artery disease. Patients in Group IA and II exercised to at least 85% of their predicted maximal heart rate or until chest pain occurred. Subjects in Group IB underwent maximal exercise testing. The total incidence of exercise-induced ventricular arrhythmias was 16% in Group IA, 44% in Group IB and 29% in Group II. However, when exercise heart rate at the time of appearance of ventricular arrhythmias was taken into account the incidence of exercise-induced ventricular arrhythmias up to a heart rate of 130/min was 27% in the patients with documented coronary artery disease (Group II) compared with rates of 9 and 6%, respectively, for Groups IA and IB (P less than 0.001). The incidence rates of multifocal ventricular premature complexes, ventricular tachycardia and ventricular premature complexes at a rate of more than 10/min were also significantly greater at submaximal heart rates in the patients with coronary disease. Patients with three vessel coronary artery disease and abnormal left ventricular wall motion had a significantly greater incidence of exercise-induced ventricular arrhythmias. The incidence of exercise-induced ventricular arrhythmias in patients with coronary disease and a positive S-T segment response was not significantly increased.     

Surgical risk for patients with Chagasic achalasia and its correlation with the degree of esophageal dilation

AIM: To analyze the risk of cardiovascular complications in patients with indication for surgical treatment of Chagasic esophageal achalasia and to correlate the surgical risks with the degree of esophageal dilation, thereby proposing a risk scale index. METHODS: One hundred and twenty-four patients with Chagasic esophageal achalasia, who received surgical treatment at the Hospital das Clinicas of the Federal University of Goias, were included in this study. The patients were mostly related to the postoperative complications due to the cardiovascular system. All the patients were submitted to: (1) clinical history to define the cardiac functional class (New York Heart Association); (2) conventional 12-lead electrocardiogram at rest; and (3) contrast imaging of the esophagus to determine esophageal dilatation according to Rezende's classification of Chagasic megaesophagus. RESULTS: An assessment of the functional classification (FC) of heart failure during the preoperative period determined that 67 patients (54.03%) were assigned functional class I (FC I), 46 patients (37.09%) were assigned functional class II (FC II), and 11 patients (8.87%) were assigned functional class III (FC III). None of the patients were assigned to functional class IV (FC IV). There was a positive correlation between the functional class and the postoperative complications (FC IXFC II: P<0.001; FC IXFC III: P<0.001). The ECG was normal in 44 patients (35.48%) and presented abnormalities in 80 patients (64.52%). There was a significant statistical correlation between abnormal ECG (arrhythmias and primary change in ventricular repolarization) and postoperative complications (P<0.001). With regard to the classification of the Chagasic esophageal achalasia, the following distribution was observed: group II, 53 patients (42.74%); group III, 37 patients (29.83%); and group IV, 34 patients (27.41%). There was a positive correlation between the degree of esophageal dilation and the increase in postoperative complications (grade IIXgrade III achalasia: P<0.001; grade IIXgrade IV achalasia: P<0.001; and grade IIIXgrade IV achalasia: P = 0.017). Analyzing these results and using a multivariate regression analysis associated with the probability decision analysis, a risk scale was proposed as follows: up to 21 points (mild risk); from 22 to 34 points (moderate risk); and more than 34 points (high risk). The scale had 82.4% accuracy for mild risk patients and up to 94.6% for the high risk cases. CONCLUSION: The preoperative evaluation of the cardiovascular system, through a careful anamnesis, an ECG and contrast imaging of the esophagus, makes possible to estimate the surgical risks for Chagas' disease patients who have to undergo surgical treatment for esophageal achalasia.     

Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Chronic Chagas' Disease: Correlation with Endomyocardial Biopsy Findings and Gallium-67 Cardiac Uptake

BACKGROUND: We studied the correlation among cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), gallium-67 myocardial uptake, and right ventricular endomyocardial biopsy results in chronic Chagas' disease. To our knowledge, this represents the first attempt to correlate the histological findings with cardiac MRI and gallium-67 myocardial uptake for noninvasive diagnosis of inflammatory activity associated with Chagas' disease. METHODS: Ten male patients with cardiomyopathy secondary to Chagas' disease were studied (mean age, 47.7 +/- 7 years; congestive heart failure New York Heart Association [NYHA] functional class II [two patients], III [six patients], and IV [two patients]; and mean echocardiographic left ventricular [LV] ejection fraction [EF], 36 +/- 6%). The patients underwent right ventricular endomyocardial biopsy, cardiac MRI, and gallium-67 myocardial uptake testing. The results of this group were compared with those of a control group of patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy who were matched in age (mean age, 46 +/- 10 years), LV function (mean echocardiographic EF, 30 +/- 4%), and NYHA classification (one patient in class II, five patients in class III, and one patient in class IV). RESULTS: All patients with Chagas' disease showed higher signal intensity on MRI after the administration of gadolinium. The intensity of the septal signal changed from 0.90 +/- 0.11 to 1.56 +/- 0.19 (P < 0.001). In the control group, there was no difference in signal intensity with gadolinium (mean septal intensity, 0.94 +/- 0.12 before and 0.99 +/- 0.15 after; NS). On biopsy, eight chagasic patients had evident signs of myocarditis, and two patients had borderline evidence myocarditis. However, only one patient in the control group had a histological diagnosis of borderline myocarditis. Gallium-67 cardiac uptake was positive for myocardial inflammatory process in seven chagasic patients and borderline in one. On the other hand, only one patient in the control group had an uptake that was positive for inflammation, and one had a borderline result. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, the data from this study strongly suggest that myocarditis is frequently found in Chagas' disease. Cardiac MRI appears to be an accurate and alternative method for the diagnosis of inflammatory process associated with Chagas' disease.     

Abnormalities of skeletal muscle metabolism in patients with chronic heart failure: evidence that they are present at rest.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate abnormalities of skeletal muscle metabolism in patients with congestive heart failure. SETTING: A university teaching hospital. METHODS: 43 patients (22 New York Heart Association (NYHA) grade II, 21 grade III) and 10 controls were studied. A forearm model of muscle metabolism was used, with a cannula inserted retrogradely into an antecubital vein of the dominant forearm. Maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) was measured using handgrip dynamometry. Subjects performed handgrip exercise, 5 s contraction followed by 5 s rest for 5 min at 25%, 50%, and 75% of MVC or until exhaustion. Blood was taken at rest and 0 and 2 min after exercise for measurement of lactate and ammonia. After 30 min the procedure was repeated with fixed workloads of 7 kg, 14 kg, and 21 kg. RESULTS: MVC (kg, mean (SEM)) was lower in patients than in controls (control 42.45 (2.3); NYHA II 34.13 (1.3), P = 0.003; NYHA III 33.13 (1.94), P = 0.008). Resting lactate (mmol/l) was higher in patients than controls (control 0.65 (0.06); NYHA II 0.84 (0.08), P = 0.13; NYHA III 1.18 (0.1), P = 0.002). Resting ammonia (mumol/l) was higher in NYHA III (65.7 (6.0)) than in NYHA II (48.0 (3.7), P = 0.016); no difference was found between controls (48.0 (7.1)) and patients. The overall lactate and ammonia response to exercise was greater in NYHA III than in NYHA II and controls (P < 0.05). At volitional exhaustion, peak lactate (mmol/l: NYHA III 3.31 (0.26); NYHA II 2.56 (0.16); controls 2.71 (0.22); P = 0.022 NYHA III v NYHA II) and ammonia (mumol/l: NYHA III) 126.4 (8.97); NYHA II 92.9 (7.23); controls 109 (16.3); P = 0.006 NYHA III v NYHA II) were higher in severe congestive heart failure. CONCLUSIONS: Skeletal muscle metabolism is abnormal at rest in congestive heart failure. During exercise, the degree of metabolic abnormality is related to the symptomatic status of the patient.     

Relationship between electrocardiographically estimated infarct size and clinical findings in inferior myocardial infarction

In 270 patients with acute inferior wall myocardial infarction (MI) and no previous MI, Q- and R-wave changes in leads II, III, and aVF in a 12-lead standard ECG were related to the clinical course during hospitalization and 3-month follow-up. Patients with ECG-defined transmural MI showed a higher incidence of tachycardia, high degree of AV block, congestive heart failure (CHF), and pericarditis than patients with nontransmural MI. In a subgroup including 226 patients, the series was divided into quartiles according to the sum of Q- and R-wave changes in leads II, III, and aVF 4 days after arrival in hospital. A weak correlation between ECG-determined infarct size and the incidence of complications such as congestive heart failure (CHF), need for furosemide, and pericarditis, as well as the duration of hospitalization was observed. It is concluded that ECG-determined infarct size from leads II, III, and aVF in inferior MI is associated with the clinical course, although it cannot predict the outcome in the individual patient.     

Characteristics and prognosis of patients with acute myocardial infarction in relation to occurrence of congestive heart failure

Congestive heart failure is one of the major symptoms accompanyingacute myocardial infarction (AMI). The study aimed to describethe occurrence, characteristics and prognosis of congestiveheart failure in AMI and to compare post-MI patients with andwithout congestive heart failure. The methods used includedbaseline characteristics, initial symptoms, electrocardiogram(ECG), mortality during hospitalization and one year follow-upin consecutive patients with AMI admitted to Sahlgrenska Hospital,Göteborg, Sweden. Congestive heart failure was observed in 51% of the cases. Patientswith congestive heart failure were older, more frequently hada history of previous cardiovascular disease, and, less frequentlyhad chest pain on admission to hospital. They had a higher occurrenceof life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias during initial hospitalization,and their mortality during one year follow-up was 39% as comparedto 17% in patients without congestive heart failure (P<0.001).This difference remained significant when correcting for differencesat baseline. Patients with severe congestive heart failure hada one year mortality of 47% vs 31% in patients with moderatecongestive heart failure (P<0.01). Signs and symptoms of congestive heart failure occur in everysecond patient admitted to hospital due to AMI, and indicatea bad prognosis, which is directly related to the severity ofcongestive heart failure.     

Outcome of coronary artery bypass operations in patients with renal insufficiency with and without renal transplantation

HYPOTHESIS: Renal insufficiency (RI) is associated with an increased risk of morbidity and mortality following coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) operations, particularly among patients who are dependent on dialysis. DESIGN AND SETTING: A retrospective analysis of data collected at a tertiary care center. PATIENTS: One hundred eighty-four consecutive patients with RI who underwent CABG surgery between 1992 and 2004. This group consisted of 152 patients with serum creatinine levels of > or = 1.7 mg/dL (group I) and 32 kidney transplant recipients (group II). Of the patients in group I, 90 were dialysis-free (subgroup IA) and 62 were dialysis-dependent (subgroup IB). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Demographics, perioperative data, and outcomes for each of the three groups were evaluated and compared. RESULTS: Fifty-four percent of the patients were in New York Heart Association classes III and IV, 36% had unstable angina, and 21% had left main coronary disease. The mean ejection fraction was 38%. The median postoperative length of stay in the hospital was 10 days. Of the patients in group IB, 8% required reexploration for bleeding compared to 3% in groups IA and II (p < 0.05). Dialysis was needed postoperatively in five patients in group IA and two patients in group II (5.7%). The raw operative mortality rate was 7.6% and was higher in group IB (9.7%) compared to groups IA and II (6.7% and 6.2%, respectively; p < 0.05). The actuarial 5-year survival rate was higher in group II compared to group I (79% vs 59%, respectively; p < 0.05). The difference in survival rates was more apparent between groups II and IB (79% vs 57%, respectively; p < 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: CABG is associated with an increased rate of perioperative complications and mortality in patients with RI. Dialysis dependence is a major risk factor for patients undergoing CABG surgery. However, with acceptable surgical results, dialysis patients should not be denied CABG surgery. A survival advantage is demonstrated among patients with previous kidney transplants compared to those patients who are dependent on dialysis.     

Comparative evaluation of coronary arteriosclerosis in arterial hypertension and ischemic heart disease. Morphometric analysis of 4062 coronary artery specimens

We performed a postmortem study on 61 hearts from patients who died of acute ischemic heart disease (IA). Chronic ischemic heart disease (IB) and from hypertensive patients who died of heart infarction (IIA) and other hypertensive complications (IIB). Control group consisted of 16 pts. who died of non cardiac diseases. 4062 coronary artery specimens were estimated. Irrespective of the clinical course of ischemic heart disease the mean percent of coronary artery stenosis was similar in both ischemic groups and significantly higher than in control group. In hypertensive pts. who died of heart infarction it was also significantly higher and similar to ischemic pts. We found the highest percent of segments with critical stenosis in the left anterior descending coronary artery in group IA, IB, IIA. It was also significantly higher in the left main coronary artery in the group of ischemic pts. (IA, IB).