The Cardiovascular Risk Awareness and Health Lifestyle of Italian Women.

Background: Cardiovascular (CV) disease is the leading cause of death in women, but few of them are aware of the CV risks (CVRs). Most women are not aware of all the CV risk factorsand their knowledge often still does not improve their lifestyle. Methods: The Carin Women is a survey conducted among Italian women by filling out a questionnaire in the waiting rooms of clinics. The aim was to determine the level of awareness of women's cardiovascular risk, knowledge of risk factors, and lifestyle. A total of 5590 questionnaires were completed in two different periods. Results: Median age was 56 (IQR 46-65); BMI was 25 (IQR 22-29). Schooling, marital status, and rate of risk conditions were assessed; 311 women (5.57%) had already suffered a cardiovascular event. The relationship between the CV events and the number of traditional risk factors was significant. A similar curve, but without significant differences, was reported for non-traditional risk factors. From the total number of women, 23% with a high CVR and 62% with a very high CVR underestimated thei risk regardless of their level of education. Up to 43% of women underestimated female CV risk compared to male risk. Women showed a good knowledge of traditional risk factors, but only a few of them had a healthy lifestyle: 21.86% were smokers, only 45.88% performed sufficient physical activity, 27.55% did not recognize they were overweight, and only 30.4% consumed more than two daily portions of fruit and vegetables. Most women (86%) need more information about CVR. Conclusions: Italian women underestimate female CVRs and their own CVR.

High prevalence of cardiac post-acute sequelae in patients recovered from Covid-19. Results from the ARCA post-COVID study.

Background: Many data were published about Long-Covid prevalence, very few about the findings of new cardiac alterations (NCA) in COVID-19-recovered people. ARCA-post-COVID is an observational study designed to investigate the prevalence of NCA in patients recovered from Covid-19.Methods: from June 2020 to December 2022, we enrolled 502 patients with a positive nasopharyngeal swab for SARS-CoV2 and a subsequent negative one. We performed anamnesis, lab-test, and routine cardiological tests (ECG, Holter, TTE). Results: The median age was 56 years (IQR 44-67); women were 52.19%; in the acute phase 24.1% of patients were treated in a medical department, 7.2% in the ICU and the others at home. At the visit, 389 patients (77.49%) complained of a broad range of symptoms. We reported patients' characteristics according to the course of the disease and the persistence of symptoms. NCA were found in 138 patients (27.49%): among them 60 cases (11.95%) of pericardial effusion. Patients with NCA were older (median 60y, IQR: 47-72, vs median 56y, IQR 42-65), had a higher prevalence of smokers (27% vs 17%; p0.014), CAD (11% vs 6%; p0.048) and stroke/TIA (3.6% vs 0.3%; p0.002) and a lower prevalence of hypercholesterolemia (18% vs 30%; p0.007). The prevalence of NCA seems constant with different subtypes of the virus. Conclusion: the prevalence of NCA in patients who recovered from COVID-19 is high and constant since the beginning of the pandemic; it is predictable based on hospitalization and long-lasting symptoms (9.64%-42.52%). Patients with one of these characteristics should undergo cardiological screening.

Right ventriculo-arterial coupling assessed by two-dimensional strain: A new parameter of right ventricular function independently associated with prognosis in chronic heart failure patients.

AIM OF THE STUDY: To evaluate whether right ventriculo-arterial coupling obtained by the estimation of the two-dimensional right ventricular (RV) longitudinal strain and of the pulmonary arterial systolic pressure (PASP) could improve prognostic stratification of chronic heart failure (CHF) outpatients. METHODS: CHF outpatients in a stable clinical condition and in conventional therapy were enrolled. The global RV longitudinal strain (RV-GLS) and the strain of the RV free wall (RV-fwLS) were evaluated. PASP was estimated on the basis of tricuspid regurgitation velocity and the estimated central venous pressure. Both RV-GLS and RV-fwLS were then indexed for PASP. RESULTS: Of the 315 patients evaluated, 69 died during follow-up. Both RV-GLS/PASP and RV-fwLS/PASP were significantly associated with an increased risk of death at univariate (HR: 0.43; 95%CI: 0.34-0.56; p<0.001 and HR: 0.44; 95% CI: 0.34-0.57; p<0.001, respectively) and multivariate analysis (HR: 0.66; 95% CI: 0.49-0.89; p: 0.008 and HR: 0.65; 95% CI: 0.49-0.85; p: 0.002, respectively) after correction for age, NYHA class, mean arterial pressure, left ventricular ejection fraction, natremia, glomerular filtration rate and NT-proBNP. CONCLUSIONS: Indexing RV function, assessed by speckle-tracking analysis, with an estimation of pulmonary systolic arterial pressure provides a parameter of ventricular arterial coupling that is independently associated with an increased risk of mortality.

The Renal Arterial Resistance Index Predicts Worsening Renal Function in Chronic Heart Failure Patients.

BACKGROUND/AIM: The renal arterial resistance index (RRI) is a Doppler measure, which reflects abnormalities in the renal blood flow. The aim of this study was to verify the value of RRI as a predictor of worsening renal function (WRF) in a group of chronic heart failure (CHF) outpatients. METHODS: We enrolled 266 patients in stable clinical conditions and on conventional therapy. Peak systolic velocity and end diastolic velocity of a segmental renal artery were obtained by pulsed Doppler flow, and RRI was calculated. Creatinine serum levels were evaluated at baseline and at 1 year, and the changes were used to assess WRF occurrence. RESULTS: During follow-up, 34 (13%) patients showed WRF. RRI was associated with WRF at univariate (OR: 1.13; 95% CI: 1.07-1.20) as well as at a forward stepwise multivariate logistic regression analysis (OR: 1.09; 95% CI: 1.03-1.16; p = 0.005) including the other univariate predictors. CONCLUSIONS: Quantification of arterial renal perfusion provides a new parameter that independently predicts the WRF in CHF outpatients. Its possible role in current clinical practice to better define the risk of cardiorenal syndrome progression is strengthened.

Echocardiographic diagnosis of the different phenotypes of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) is an inherited cardiovascular disorder of great genetic heterogeneity and has a prevalence of 0.1 - 0.2 % in the general population. Several hundred mutations in more than 27 genes, most of which encode sarcomeric structures, are associated with the HCM phenotype. Then, HCM is an extremely heterogeneous disease and several phenotypes have been described over the years. Originally only two phenotypes were considered, a more common, obstructive type (HOCM, 70 %) and a less common, non-obstructive type (HNCM, 30 %) (Maron BJ, et al. Am J Cardiol 48:418 -28, 1981). Wigle et al. (Circ 92:1680-92, 1995) considered three types of functional phenotypes: subaortic obstruction, midventricular obstruction and cavity obliteration. A leader american working group suggested that HCM should be defined genetically and not morphologically (Maron BJ, et al. Circ 113:1807-16, 2006). The European Society of Cardiology Working Group on Myocardial and Pericardial Diseases recommended otherwise a morphological classification (Elliott P, et al. Eur Heart J 29:270-6, 2008). Echocardiography is still the principal tool for the diagnosis, prognosis and clinical management of HCM. It is well known that the echocardiographic picture may have a clinical and prognostic impact. For this reason, in this article, we summarize the state of the art regarding the echocardiographic pattern of the HCM phenotypes and its impact on clinical course and prognosis.

Galectin-3 Serum Levels Are Independently Associated With Microalbuminuria in Chronic Heart Failure Outpatients.

BACKGROUND: Galectin-3 (Gal-3) is a novel biomarker reflecting inflammation status and fibrosis involving worsening of both cardiac and renal functions. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between Gal-3 serum levels and microalbuminuria in a group of chronic heart failure (CHF) outpatients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We enrolled CHF outpatients having stable clinical conditions and receiving conventional therapy. All patients underwent clinical evaluation, routine chemistry analysis, echocardiography, and evaluation of the urinary albumin/creatinine ratio (UACR). RESULTS: Among the patients enrolled, 61 had microalbuminuria (UACR, 30-299) and 133 normoalbuminuria (UACR, < 30). Patients with normoalbuminuria showed significantly higher levels of Gal-3 than those without (19.9 ± 8.8 vs. 14.6 ± 5.5 ng/mL). The stepwise regression analysis indicated that Gal-3 was the first determinant of microalbuminuria (odds ratio [OR]: 1.08; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.02 - 1.14, P = 0.012), followed by diabetes (OR 2.14; 95% CI: 1.00 - 4.57; P = 0.049) and high central venous pressure (OR 2.80; 95% CI: 1.04 - 7.58; P= 0.042). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate an independent association between Gal-3 levels and microalbuminuria, an early marker of altered renal function. This suggests the possible role of Gal-3 in the progression of cardiorenal syndrome in CHF outpatients.

Right Ventricular Longitudinal Strain Measures Independently Predict Chronic Heart Failure Mortality.

The assessment of right ventricular (RV) function still remains a challenge. Two-dimensional (2D) speckle tracking has recently been proposed to evaluate right ventricular function by analyzing myocardial deformation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of 2D systolic strain measures of RV in predicting mortality in patients with chronic heart failure (HF). We enrolled 332 outpatients in a stable clinical condition and in conventional therapy. A right ventricular-focused four-chamber view was analyzed by 2D speckle tracking to evaluate the global longitudinal strain of RV (RV-GLS) and the strain of RV free wall (RV-fwLS). During a mean follow-up of 36 ± 26 months, 64 patients died. Both RV-GLS and RV-fwLS were associated with all-cause mortality in univariate (HR: 1.16; 95% CI: 1.10-1.23; P < 0.001; C-index: 0.72; and HR: 1.10; 95% CI: 1.06-1.15; P < 0.001; C-index: 0.68, respectively) as well as multivariate analysis (HR: 1.13; 95% CI: 1.05-1.21; P:0.001; C-index: 0.85; and HR: 1.07; 95% CI: 1.02-1.12; P:0.004; C-index: 0.84, respectively). In conclusion, our findings demonstrate the role of RV 2D strain measures to independently predict mortality. These data highlight the clinical usefulness of this echocardiographic approach in the daily management of HF outpatients.

Evaluation of chronic kidney disease in chronic heart failure: From biomarkers to arterial renal resistances.

Chronic kidney disease and its worsening are recurring conditions in chronic heart failure (CHF) which are independently associated with poor patient outcome. The heart and kidney share many pathophysiological mechanisms which can determine dysfunction in each organ. Cardiorenal syndrome is the condition in which these two organs negatively affect each other, therefore an accurate evaluation of renal function in the clinical setting of CHF is essential. This review aims to revise the parameters currently used to evaluate renal dysfunction in CHF with particular reference to the usefulness and the limitations of biomarkers in evaluating glomerular dysfunction and tubular damage. Moreover, it is reported the possible utility of renal arterial resistance index (a parameter associated with abnormalities in renal vascular bed) for a better assesment of kidney disfunction.

The independent association between altered renal arterial resistance and loop diuretic dose in chronic heart failure outpatients.

BACKGROUND: In chronic heart failure (CHF) patients there is a wide variability in the minimal effective diuretic dose. The aim of this study is to evaluate whether renal resistance index (RRI) is associated to baseline diuretic dose and the changes at one year. METHODS AND RESULTS: 250 outpatients in a stable condition and in conventional therapy were enrolled. Baseline RRI was calculated by renal arterial Doppler. The total daily dose of loop diuretics was assessed at baseline and after one year. High diuretic dose (HDD) was defined as a daily furosemide equivalent dose > 100 mg. RRI was independently associated with baseline HDD at univariate (OR 1.39; 95% CI: 1.233-1.58; p < 0.001) and multivariate analysis (OR 1.27; 95% CI: 1.09-1.49; p: 0.002) after correction for other univariate predictors (age, NYHA class, left ventricular ejection fraction, tricuspid annulus peak of systolic excursion, NT-proBNP, glomerular filtration rate by EPI formula and central venous pressure). Moreover, baseline RRI was independently associated to one year stable increase in loop diuretic dose at univariate and multivariate regression analyses. CONCLUSIONS: RRI is independently associated with high dose loop diuretics and their increase during a mid-term follow-up thus suggesting its usefulness in detecting an altered diuretic response in CHF outpatients.

The renal arterial resistance index: a marker of renal function with an independent and incremental role in predicting heart failure progression.

AIMS: The renal arterial resistance index (RRI) is a measure of renal blood flow obtained by Doppler ultrasonography, which has been demonstrated to reflect both vascular and parenchymal renal abnormalities. The aim of the study was to evaluate clinical correlates and the prognostic relevance of RRI in a group of patients affected by chronic heart failure (CHF). METHODS AND RESULTS: We enrolled 250 CHF outpatients in a stable clinical condition and receiving conventional therapy. Peak systolic velocity and end-diastolic velocity of a segmental renal artery were obtained by pulsed Doppler flow. Then the RRI was calculated. Standard renal function assessment was obtained by the measurement of creatinine serum levels and the estimation of the glomerular filtration rate (GFR). During follow-up (21.4 ± 11.3 months), 41 patients experienced heart failure progression (hospitalization and/or heart transplantation and/or death due to worsening heart failure). Considered as a continuous variable, RRI was associated with events at univariate [hazard ratio (HR) 1.14; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.09-1.19; P < 0.001] as well as at multivariate Cox regression analysis (HR 1.08; 95% CI 1.02-1.13; P = 0.004) after correction for independent predictors of the reference model. When the RRI was added to the reference model including GFR, a significant improvement of reclassification according to both category-free net reclassification improvement (NRI, 47%; 95% CI 13-80%; P = 0.006) and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI, 0.034; 95% CI 0.006-0.061; P = 0.016) was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Quantification of arterial renal perfusion provides a new parameter that independently predicts CHF patient outcome, thus strengthening its possible role in current clinical practice in order to better characterize renal function and stratify patients' prognosis.

Heart failure in elderly: progress in clinical evaluation and therapeutic approach.

Chronic heart failure (CHF) represents a major and growing health problem, due to its high incidence and prevalence, its poor prognosis and its impact on health-care costs. Although CHF patients are mainly elderly, few studies were aimed at testing the efficacy of diagnostic and therapeutic approaches in this population. The difficulty in CHF diagnosis among the elderly is related to different factors, such as: the frequent presence of co-morbidity conditions mimicking or masking heart failure signs and symptoms; the different diagnostic cut-offs of natriuretic peptides; and the need to correctly evaluate diastolic function in order to assess CHF with preserved ejection fraction. Furthermore, the therapy of elderly CHF patients has not been well defined, considering the few studies involving very aged patients and the absence of a therapeutic strategy demonstrated to improve prognosis of CHF patients with preserved ejection fraction. The aim of this review is to focus on the most recent issues concerning the diagnosis and therapy of elderly patients affected by CHF.

Independent role of left ventricular global longitudinal strain in predicting prognosis of chronic heart failure patients.

AIMS: To evaluate the independent prognostic role of two-dimensional (2D) strain measures reflecting global longitudinal left ventricular (LV) systolic function in outpatients affected by chronic heart failure (CHF). METHODS AND RESULTS: Global longitudinal LV systolic strain (GLS) was assessed in 308 outpatients affected by CHF, by analyzing standard views with 2D speckle tracking technique. During a mean follow-up of 26 ± 13 months 37 patients died (29 due to cardiovascular causes), 10 patients underwent heart transplantation, and 75 patients experienced at least 1 episode of hospitalization due to acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF). Thirty-one patients without a history of major ventricular arrhythmic events experienced the occurrence of ventricular fibrillation and/or tachycardia or sudden death was observed. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that GLS was significantly associated with all-cause mortality (HR: 1.15; 95%CI: 1.02-1.30; P: 0.026), cardiovascular death (HR: 1.20; 95%CI: 1.04-1.39; P: 0.011), cardiovascular death or heart transplantation (HR: 1.24; 95%CI: 1.09-1.41; P: 0.001), ADHF-related hospitalizations (HR: 1.15; 95%CI: 1.05-1.25; P: 0.003), and arrhythmic events (HR: 1.17; 95%CI: 1.03-1.33; P: 0.018). CONCLUSIONS: Quantifying LV longitudinal systolic function in CHF outpatients on the basis of 2D speckle tracking analysis provides a new parameter that independently predicts patient outcome, thus, strengthening its possible role in current clinical practice.