Background: The rate of pacemaker implantation is rising. Given that the life expectancy of the population is projected to increase, a large number of elderly patients are likely to be implanted in the future. As pacemaker batteries can last for 8-10years, an increasing number of pacemaker recipients will require replacement of their devices when they become nonagenarians.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAims: Exercise stress testing (EST) is recommended by guidelines to risk-stratify patients with asymptomatic valvular aortic stenosis (AS), though the role of quantitative exercise-Doppler echocardiography has rarely been studied. This prospective study sought to correlate standard EST results with the haemodynamic measurements made during exercise by Doppler echocardiography.
Methods And Results: We performed rest and semi-supine exercise Doppler echocardiography in 44 consecutive patients (mean age=68+/-12 years) with aortic valve areas
Objectives: The aim of this multicenter study was to evaluate the prognostic impact of a therapeutic strategy using plasma brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels.
Background: The prognosis of chronic heart failure (CHF) remains poor, even among patients treated in specialized departments.
Methods: A total of 220 New York Heart Association functional class II to III patients considered optimally treated with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs), beta-blockers, and diuretics by CHF specialists were randomized to medical treatment according to either current guidelines (clinical group) or a goal of decreasing BNP plasma levels <100 pg/ml (BNP group).