Early Detection Screening of Cognitive Decline in Patients Over 60 Years: ELDERCARE Study.

Background: Dementia is the fourth leading cause of death in people >  65 years old in western countries.

Objective: This cross-sectional assisted survey aimed to evaluate a multidisciplinary team approach of specialists of the Associazione Geriatri Extraospedalieri a favore di Anziani Svantaggiati and pharmacists to facilitate progress in the early identification and management of cognitive decline in patients >  60 years.

Methods: A multidisciplinary team conducted this cross-sectional assisted survey.

Retrospective study on the benefits of combined Memantine and cholinEsterase inhibitor treatMent in AGEd Patients affected with Alzheimer's Disease: the MEMAGE study.

Background: Combined therapy of memantine and acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs) in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) may be associated with higher benefits than either monotherapy.

Objective: This retrospective multicentric study conducted in seven Italian Ambulatory Centers for Dementia assessed the efficacy and safety of memantine 20 mg/day administered for 6 months in addition to an AChEI in AD patients with worsened cognitive functions and behavioral disorders.

Methods: A total number of 240 patients (61.

Diastolic abnormalities in systemic sclerosis: evidence for associated defective cardiac functional reserve.

Objective: To investigate the pattern of diastolic abnormalities in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) and the relationship between impaired ventricular filling and systolic function.

Methods: Twenty four patients with SSc underwent M-mode and two dimensional echocardiography using echo-Doppler and gated blood pool cardiac angiography, both at rest and after exercise.

Results: An impaired diastolic relaxation of the left ventricle was detected in 10 of the 24 patients with SSc.

Effects of intravenous digoxin on pulmonary venous and transmitral flows in patients with chronic heart failure of different degrees.

Acute effects of digoxin on diastole were evaluated noninvasively by combining data simultaneously obtained by Doppler echocardiograms (echo-Doppler) of transmitral and pulmonary venous flow curves in 38 patients with dilated and failing hearts, who had been stable for at least 7 days before the study. According to the resting ejection fraction (EF), patients were subdivided into Group 1 (EF < 30%: n = 20, mean EF values 23 +/- 8%) and Group 2 (EF > or = 30%: n = 18, mean EF values 40 +/- 3%). Significant differences were observed at rest between the two groups in both transmitral (shorter deceleration time and isovolumic relaxation time and increased peak E and E/A ratio in Group 1 vs.

Effects of short-term oral digoxin on left ventricular diastolic filling in patients with ventricular dysfunction. An echo-Doppler study.

34 patients with ventricular dysfunction (18 in NYHA class II and 16 in NYHA class III heart failure) whose clinical status was stabilized by diuretics and systemic vasodilators, entered a randomized trial to compare the effects of short-term oral digoxin and active placebo on left ventricular diastolic function, non invasively evaluated by echo-Doppler transmitral left ventricular filling flow. At baseline patients were subdivided by reversal--the ratio of peak early (E) and late (A) transmitral filling velocities--E/A < 1 (group I) or normal--E/A > or = 1 (group II) echo-Doppler E/A ratio; group II exhibited a shorter deceleration time (125 +/- 20 ms vs 198 +/- 38 ms, p > 0.05) and isovolumic relaxation time (64 +/- 15 ms vs 93 +/- 10 ms; p < 0.