Hypertension Management in the Elderly: What is the Optimal Target Blood Pressure?

Hypertension is a common disease in the elderly associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Due to the complexity of this population, the optimal target of blood pressure (BP) control is still controversial. In this article, we conduct a literature review of trials published in English in the last 10 years which were specifically designed to study the efficacy and safety of various BP targets in patients who are 70 years or older. Using these criteria, we found that the benefits in the positive studies were demonstrated even with a minimal BP control (systolic BP [SBP] <150 mmHg) and continued to be reported for a SBP <120 mmHg. On the other hand, keeping SBP <140 mmHg seemed to be safely achieved in elderly patients. Although the safety of lowering SBP to <120 mmHg is debated, Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial study has shown no increased risk of falls, fractures, or kidney failure in elderly patients with SBP lower than this threshold. While the recent guidelines recommended to keep BP <130/80 mmHg in the elderly, more individualized approach should be considered to achieve this goal in order to avoid undesirable complications. Furthermore, further studies are required to evaluate BP target in very old patients or those with multiple comorbidities.

Cardiac manifestations of Familial Mediterranean fever.

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is autoinflammatory disorder characterized by sporadic attacks of fever, peritonitis, pleuritis, and arthritis. It is mainly seen in patients from Mediterranean origins, but it is now reported more frequently in Europe and North America due to immigration. To analyze the data on the cardiovascular manifestations in FMF patients, we searched PubMed using the terms "Familial Mediterranean Fever" or "FMF" in combination with other key words including "cardiovascular diseases" "pericardial diseases" "atherosclerosis" "coronary artery diseases" "cardiomyopathy" "pulmonary hypertension" or "valvular diseases." suggested several mechanisms to explain the cardiac involvements in FMF including the ongoing inflammation and the amyloid deposits in the heart and vessels' walls at the advanced stages of FMF. The course of these manifestations varies widely, but it can associate with poor prognosis in some cases such as with pulmonary hypertension. Interestingly, Colchicine, which is the cornerstone therapy of FMF, plays a vital role in treating and preventing some of these disorders. In this article, In this article, we will discuss the incidence, pathophysiology, and prognosis of the various cardiac manifestations affecting FMF patients.

Surviving sudden cardiac death secondary to anomalous left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery: a case report and literature review.

Anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery (ALCAPA) is an uncommon type of congenital coronary anomaly. In adults, the clinical picture of ALCAPA varies widely between being asymptomatic, presenting similarly to other heart diseases, or as malignant arrhythmias. Patients who have cardiac arrest are usually young and do not exhibit prior warning symptoms. In this article we describe a case of a 22-year-old healthy male, who experienced cardiac arrest during exertion. He was then diagnosed with ALCAPA, which was surgically corrected.

Advanced age and the clinical outcomes of transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

Aortic valve stenosis (AS) is common in the elderly. Although surgical replacement of the valve has been the gold standard of management, many patients have been excluded from surgery because they were very old, frail, or had co-morbidities that increased operative risks. In the last decade, transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has emerged as a new treatment option suitable for these patients. This article reviews the available literature on the role of TAVI in elderly patients with severe aortic stenosis. Published studies showed that elderly individuals who underwent TAVI experienced better in-hospital recovery, and similar short and mid-term mortality compared to those underwent surgical treatment of AS. However, long-term outcomes of TAVI in elderly patients are still unknown. The available data in the literature on the effect of advanced age on clinical outcomes of TAVI are limited, but the data that are available suggest that TAVI is a beneficial and tolerable procedure in very old patients. Some of the expected complications after TAVI are reported more in the oldest patients such as vascular injures. Other complications were comparable in TAVI patients regardless of their age group. However, very old patients may need closer monitoring to avoid further morbidities and mortality.

Inpatient rehabilitation outcomes for patients receiving left ventricular assist device.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate outcomes of patients participating in inpatient rehabilitation program after left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation. DESIGN: Medical records of 94 patients who received LVADs between January 1, 2008, and June 30, 2010, at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, were retrospectively reviewed for demographic data, and inpatient rehabilitation functional outcomes were measured by the Functional Independence Measure scale. RESULTS: After successful implantation of LVAD, the patients were either discharged directly home from acute care (44%) or admitted to inpatient rehabilitation (56%). The patients admitted to inpatient rehabilitation were older than those discharged home. They were also more medically complex and more likely to have the LVAD placed as destination therapy. At discharge, significant improvement occurred in 17 of the 18 activities evaluated by the Functional Independence Measure scale. The mean total Functional Independence Measure scale score at admission was 77.1 compared with a score of 95.2 at discharge (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Approximately half of the patients who received LVAD therapy were admitted in the inpatient rehabilitation. After the implantation of LVAD and inpatient rehabilitation, significant functional improvements were observed. Further studies addressing the role of inpatient rehabilitation for LVAD patients are warranted.

Bleeding complication of triple therapy of rivaroxaban, prasugrel, and aspirin: a case report and general discussion.

Hemorrhagic side effects are the bane of oral anticoagulation. Despite careful selection of medications and close monitoring, some adverse events are unavoidable. The available literature about the risks of triple oral anticoagulation therapy versus dual antiplatelet therapy does not address all of the medication combinations currently available. This report describes a patient with atrial fibrillation and recent stent placement who developed severe, recurrent epistaxis on aspirin, prosugrel, and rivaroxaban. We believe this is the first case report of severe bleeding with this combination, and it may help provide insights into the risk for other patients.

Is exercise training safe and beneficial in patients receiving left ventricular assist device therapy?

Because a limited number of patients receive heart transplantation, alternative therapies, such as left ventricular assist device (LVAD) therapy, have emerged. Published studies have shown that LVAD implantation, by itself, improves exercise tolerance to the point where it is comparable to those with mild heart failure. The improvement in exercise capacity is maximally achieved 12 weeks after LVAD therapy and can continue even after explantation of the device. This effect varies, depending on the type of LVAD and exercise training. The available data in the literature on safety and benefits of exercise training in patients after LVAD implantation are limited, but the data that are available suggest that training trends to be safe and have an impact on exercise capacity in LVAD patients. Although no studies were identified on the role of cardiac rehabilitation programs in the management of LVAD patients, it appears that cardiac rehabilitation programs offer an ideal setting for the provision of supervised exercise training in this patient group.

Advanced age and the clinical outcomes of transcatheter aortic valve implan-tation / 老年心脏病学杂志（英文版）

Aortic valve stenosis (AS) is common in the elderly. Although surgical replacement of the valve has been the gold standard of management, many patients have been excluded from surgery because they were very old, frail, or had co-morbidities that increased operative risks. In the last decade, transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has emerged as a new treatment option suitable for these patients. This article reviews the available literature on the role of TAVI in elderly patients with severe aortic stenosis. Published studies showed that elderly individuals who underwent TAVI experienced better in-hospital recovery, and similar short and mid-term mortality compared to those underwent surgical treatment of AS. However, long-term outcomes of TAVI in elderly patients are still unknown. The available data in the literature on the ef-fect of advanced age on clinical outcomes of TAVI are limited, but the data that are available suggest that TAVI is a beneficial and tolerable procedure in very old patients. Some of the expected complications after TAVI are reported more in the oldest patients such as vascular in-jures. Other complications were comparable in TAVI patients regardless of their age group. However, very old patients may need closer monitoring to avoid further morbidities and mortality.

Primary cardiac pleomorphic sarcoma presenting as back pain in an 18-year-old man.

Soft-tissue sarcoma is the most prevalent primary malignant cardiac tumor. This sarcoma usually presents with cardiac manifestations secondary to local obstruction or arrhythmias; very rarely does it present with initial symptoms of distant metastasis. We discuss the unusual case of an 18-year-old man who emergently presented with acute-on-chronic back pain. Imaging revealed a lesion on the 12th thoracic vertebra and a large mass arising from the left atrium. The cardiac mass was resected, and immunohistochemical analysis revealed it to be a pleomorphic sarcoma that had metastasized to the spine. The patient died 2 years later of diffuse metastases. In addition to the patient's case, we discuss the nature and treatment of cardiac sarcoma.

Pericarditis in takotsubo cardiomyopathy: a case report and review of the literature.

Case. A 64-year-old Caucasian woman was brought to the emergency department with severe dysphagia and left chest pain for last 4 days. Initial evaluation revealed elevated ST segment in precordial leads on EKG with elevated cardiac enzymes. Limited echocardiogram showed infra-apical wall hypokinesia. Cardiac angiography was done subsequently which showed nonflow limiting mild coronary artery disease. Takotsubo cardiomyopathy was diagnosed and she was treated medically. On the third day of admission, a repeat ECG showed diffuse convex ST-segment elevations in precordial leads, compatible with acute pericarditis pattern of EKG. Decision was made to start colchicine empirically for possible pericarditis. Follow-up EKG in 2 days showed decreased ST-segment elevations in precordial leads. The patient was discharged with colchicine and a follow-up echocardiogram in 4 weeks demonstrated a normal ejection fraction with no evidence of pericarditis. Conclusion. Acute pericarditis can be associated either as a consequence of or as a triggering factor for Takotsubo cardiomyopathy. It is vital for physicians to be aware of pericarditis as a potential complication of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy.

Isolated left main coronary artery stenosis after thoracic radiation therapy: to operate or not to operate.

Radiation therapy of neoplasms involving the chest or mediastinum results in a wide spectrum of cardiac complications including coronary artery disease, which can present in patients with few or no traditional cardiac risk factors. We report a case of radiation induced coronary artery disease in a 60-year-old female with a history of stage IIIA nonsmall cell lung carcinoma which was diagnosed eight years earlier and treated with chemotherapy and radiotherapy. She presented to the hospital with atypical chest pain that had occurred intermittently over the preceding week. Her initial electrocardiogram and cardiac enzymes were within normal limits. However, following an indeterminate exercise nuclear stress test, she developed chest pain and elevated cardiac enzymes. Coronary angiography demonstrated 90% stenosis of the left main coronary artery ostium, without any evidence of atherosclerotic disease or stenosis in other coronary arteries. She underwent surgical revascularization, which revealed dense adhesions surrounding the heart. During surgery, she developed severe bleeding and died. Coronary artery disease can present within years of radiation exposure, and ostial lesions are typical. Treatment is often challenging because of the effects of radiation on other tissues and the risks of revascularization procedures. Therefore, a multidisciplinary team approach should be considered.