A 34-year longitudinal study on long-term cardiac outcomes in DM1 patients with normal ECG at baseline at an Italian clinical centre.

Cardiac conduction and/or rhythm abnormalities (CCRA) are the most frequent and life-threatening complications in DM1. In order to determine prevalence, incidence, characteristics, age of onset and predictors of CCRA, CCRA progression and sudden cardiac death (SCD) in DM1, we collected ECG/24hECG-Holter data from a yearly updated 34-year database of a cohort of 103 DM1 patients without cardiac abnormalities at baseline, followed for at least 1 year. Fifty-five patients developed CCRA [39 developed conduction abnormalities (CCA) and 16 rhythm abnormalities (CRA)], which progressed in 22.

P-wave duration in lead aVR and the risk of atrial fibrillation in hypertension.

Background: Hypertension entails atrial remodeling that affect P-wave (PW) duration on electrocardiogram (ECG). PW indices (e.g.

Atrial natriuretic Peptide single nucleotide polymorphisms in patients with nonfamilial structural atrial fibrillation.

Background: Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) has antihypertrophic and antifibrotic properties that are relevant to AF substrates. The -G664C and rs5065 ANP single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) have been described in association with clinical phenotypes, including hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy. A recent study assessed the association of early AF and rs5065 SNPs in low-risk subjects.

Common genetic variants in selected Ca²⁺ signaling genes and the risk of appropriate ICD interventions in patients with heart failure.

Purpose: Defective Ca²⁺ handling in failing cardiomyocites predisposes patients with heart failure (HF) to ventricular arrhythmia. We investigated whether gene variants of Ca²⁺ handling proteins are associated with the occurrence of ventricular tachycardia/fibrillation (VT/VF) in HF patients implanted with a primary prevention implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD).

Methods: One hundred thirty-six patients with HF were followed from ICD implantation to the time of first appropriate ICD intervention for VT > 170 bpm.

Occurrence of hypotension in older participants. Which 24-hour ABPM parameter better correlate with?

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of hypotension in older participants and to identify which 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring parameter better correlated with the occurrence of hypotension.

Methods: We studied 588 elderly participants (mean age 78.7 ± 7.

Plasma osteopontin reveals left ventricular reverse remodelling following cardiac resynchronization therapy in heart failure.

Background: Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) promotes left ventricular (LV) reverse remodelling and affects myocardial collagen turnover in heart failure (HF) patients. Osteopontin (OPN) is a matrix glycoprotein required for the activation of fibroblasts upon TGF-β1 stimulation. In humans, plasma OPN and OPN-expressing lymphocytes correlate with the severity of HF.

Extracellular matrix remodelling in myocardial hypertrophy and failure : focus on osteopontin.

Cardiac remodelling refers to molecular and cellular changes of the myocardium, as well as adapting alterations in size, shape and function of the heart in response to changing loading conditions. It represents the final common pathway of different heart diseases, and is recognized as a crucial aspect of cardiac and myocardial dysfunction and a well established determinant of the clinical course of heart failure.Osteopontin is an extracellular matrix glycoprotein secreted by osteoblasts, osteoclasts, macrophages, T cells, vascular smooth muscle cells, fibroblasts and cardiomyocytes.