The role of complementary and alternative therapies in cardiac rehabilitation: a systematic evaluation.

BACKGROUND: Presently, complementary and alternative medicine, including both therapies and herbal/oral supplements, is used globally. Few studies have examined the use of specific therapies, separate from herbal/oral supplements, in cardiac rehabilitation. This paper presents a systematic evaluation of current research evidence related to use of specific complementary and alternative medicine therapies in secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease, with a view to making recommendations for cardiac rehabilitation. DESIGN AND METHODS: A literature search was conducted using complementary and alternative medicine websites, Medline, Allied and Complementary Medicine, CINAHL, Cochrane databases, EMBASE, SportDiscus, Clinical Evidence, and Evidence-Based Practice to locate research-based scientific evidence related to the use of complementary and alternative medicine in cardiac rehabilitation. Search keywords included heart, cardiac, cardiovascular, coronary, myocardial and rehabilitation, combined with particular therapies. Herbal/oral supplements were not included in this evaluation. RESULTS: Some complementary and alternative medicine therapies may be useful to patients by themselves or coupled with traditional cardiac rehabilitation. Tai chi, as a complement to existing exercise interventions, can be utilized for low and intermediate risk patients. transcendental meditation may be used as a stress reduction technique. There was insufficient evidence found for the use of acupuncture or chelation therapy in cardiac rehabilitation or secondary prevention. CONCLUSIONS: Some complementary and alternative medicine therapies hold promise for patients in cardiac rehabilitation. Further research is essential, however, in all areas of complementary and alternative medicine to confirm its usefulness as an adjunct to cardiac rehabilitation.     

Diabetes im Alter

Zusammenfassung In Deutschland leiden 25% der über 70-Jährigen unter einem Diabetes mellitus. Biologisch ältere, multimorbide und in ihren Funktionen beeinträchtigte geriatrische Patienten benötigen spezielle Vorgehensweisen bei Zielplanung, Allgemeinmaßnahmen und Pharmakotherapie. Auf der Basis der vorhandenen Leitlinien werden gesicherte Erkenntnisse dargestellt und Empfehlungen zu den Besonderheiten der Therapie des geriatrischen Diabetespatienten gegeben. Besonderes Augenmerk liegt dabei auf der Interaktion von geriatrischen Syndromen und Diabetes sowie der Verbesserung der Lebensqualität.     

Bernard–Soulier syndrome in pregnancy

Bernard–Soulier syndrome (BSS) is a rare autosomal recessively inherited bleeding disorder. Pregnancy in patients with BSS is characterized by ante‐, intra‐, or postpartum haemorrhage, which may be delayed and severe. There is no consensus in the management of BSS in pregnancy and so far only 16 pregnancies in nine patients have been described. We report a further three pregnancies in two women with the syndrome. We also outline our management of pregnant patients with BSS.     

Multi-day radon signals with a radioactive decay limb -- occurrence and geophysical significance.

Multi-day signals, generally with duration of 2-10 days, are a prominent temporal variation type of radon (Rn) in geogas in the unsaturated zone. Rare multi-day Rn signals have been found which are characterized by: (a) a declining limb lasting up to 10 days which conforms to the radioactive decay of Rn, (b) recurs at the same location and (c) is recorded in diverse situations-volcanic and seismogenic. It suggested that a Rn blob is injected at a lower level on a steady upward flow of geogas whereby the rise and final fall of the signal are attributed to the edges of the blob while the central Rn-decay segment records the passing of the decaying blob itself. Rn-decay signals are a small subset of multi-day Rn signals which are considered as highly irregular and unusable for the understanding of geophysical processes. In difference, it is concluded that multi-day Rn signals are probably proxies of subtle geodynamic processes at upper crustal levels and are therefore significant for studying such processes.     

Nitrate administration increases blood flow in dysfunctional but viable myocardium, leading to improved assessment of myocardial viability: A PET study.

SPECT with 99mTc-labeled agents is better able to detect viability after nitrate administration. Nitrates induce vasodilation and may increase blood flow to severely hypoperfused but viable myocardium, thereby enhancing tracer delivery and improving the detection of viability. Quantitative data on the changes in blood flow are lacking in SPECT but can be provided by PET. The aim of the present study was to use PET to evaluate whether nitrate administration increases blood flow to chronically dysfunctional but viable myocardium. METHODS: 13N-Ammonia PET was used to quantitatively assess blood flow, and 18F-FDG PET was used as the gold standard to detect viable myocardium. Twenty-five patients with chronic ischemic left ventricular dysfunction underwent 13N-ammonia PET at rest and after nitrate administration. RESULTS: A significant increase in nitrate-enhanced blood flow was observed in viable segments (from 0.55 +/- 0.15 to 0.68 +/- 0.24 mL/min/g, P < 0.05). No statistically significant change in blood flow was observed in nonviable segments (0.60 +/- 0.20 vs. 0.55 +/- 0.18 mL/min/g). A ratio of at least 1.1 for nitrate-enhanced flow to resting flow allowed optimal detection of viable myocardium, yielding a sensitivity of 82% with a specificity of 100%. CONCLUSION: 13N-Ammonia PET showed a significant increase in nitrate-enhanced blood flow in viable myocardium, whereas blood flow remained unchanged after nitrate administration in nonviable myocardium. Nitrate use during myocardial perfusion imaging will lead to improved assessment of myocardial viability.     

The Impact of IMRT and Proton Radiotherapy on Secondary Cancer Incidence

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: There is concern about the increase of radiation-induced malignancies with the application of modern radiation treatment techniques such as intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and proton radiotherapy. Therefore, X-ray scatter and neutron radiation as well as the impact of the primary dose distribution on secondary cancer incidence are analyzed. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The organ equivalent dose (OED) concept with a linear-exponential and a plateau dose-response curve was applied to dose distributions of 30 patients who received radiation therapy of prostate cancer. Three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy was used in eleven patients, another eleven patients received IMRT with 6-MV photons, and eight patients were treated with spot-scanned protons. The treatment plans were recalculated with 15-MV and 18-MV photons. Secondary cancer risk was estimated based on the OED for the different treatment techniques. RESULTS: A modest increase of 15% radiation-induced cancer results from IMRT using low energies (6 MV), compared to conventional four-field planning with 15-MV photons (plateau dose-response: 1%). The probability to develop a secondary cancer increases with IMRT of higher energies by 20% and 60% for 15 MV and 18 MV, respectively (plateau dose-response: 2% and 30%). The use of spot-scanned protons can reduce secondary cancer incidence as much as 50% (independent of dose-response). CONCLUSION: By including the primary dose distribution into the analysis of radiation-induced cancer incidence, the resulting increase in risk for secondary cancer using modern treatment techniques such as IMRT is not as dramatic as expected from earlier studies. By using 6-MV photons, only a moderate risk increase is expected. Spot-scanned protons are the treatment of choice in regard to secondary cancer incidence.     

Minimal-invasive Adrenalektomie beim Phäochromozytom

ZusammenfassungHintergrund Bedingt durch die intraoperative Katecholaminsekretion mit hämodynamischen Veränderungen, einem größeren Tumordurchmesser und einer deutlichen Neovaskularisation ist die Adrenalektomie beim Phäochromozytom im Vergleich zu anderen Nebennierenerkrankungen schwieriger und potenziell komplikationsträchtiger. Ziel unserer Studie war die Frage, ob das Risiko intraoperativer kardiovaskulärer Komplikationen durch das minimal-invasive Vorgehen potenziert wird.Patienten und Methodik Im Zeitraum zwischen Februar 1992 und Mai 2005 wurden in unserer Klinik 82 Eingriffe wegen eines Phäochromozytoms bei 71 Patienten durchgeführt. Davon wurden 8 (1) Patient(en) bi-(tri-)lateral adrenalektomiert und bei 2 Patienten erfolgte eine ipsilaterale Rezidivoperation. Eingeschlossen sind 5 weitere Patienten mit Rezidiv nach Erstoperation vor 1992. Sechsunddreißig Eingriffe erfolgten konventionell (transperitoneal n=35, retroperitoneal n=1) und 46 Operationen endoskopisch (transperitoneal n=28, retroperitoneal n=18), davon keine Konversion zum offenen Vorgehen.Ergebnisse Das mediane Alter zum Zeitpunkt der Operation betrug 45 (24–75) Jahre bei einer Anamnesedauer von 12 (0–180) Monaten. Die offen operierten Phäochromozytome waren mit 5,5 (1–19) cm vs. 3,5 (0,5–8) cm (endoskopisch) signifikant größer (p=0,0011). Patienten mit endoskopischer, insbesondere mit retroperitoneoskopischer Adrenalektomie hatten im Vergleich zum konventionellen Vorgehen intraoperativ höhere systolische und diastolische maximale Blutdruckwerte sowie Spitzen über 200 mmHg (statistisch nicht signifikant). Faktoren mit möglichem Einfluss auf intraoperative hämodynamische Veränderungen waren in der multivariaten Analyse das Geschlecht (p=0,0107), der operative Zugangsweg (p=0,0153), das Patientenalter (p=0,0364) und die Tumorgröße (p=0,0484). Die postoperative stationäre Verweildauer war nach endoskopischer Operation signifikant kürzer (p<0,0001).Schlussfolgerung Die endoskopische Adrenalektomie beim Phäochromozytom ist in der Routine ohne vermehrtes Risiko kardiovaskulärer Komplikationen die Methode der Wahl. Das offene Vorgehen sollte extraadrenalen Befunden oder sehr großen Tumoren mit Malignitätsverdacht vorbehalten bleiben.