Publications by authors named "Brian Rizzon"
Background: Pre-hospital triage with ECG-transmission may reduce time to reperfusion in patients with ST-elevation acute myocardial infarction (STEMI). Less, however, is known on potential benefit of ECG-transmission triage in mountain areas, with complex orography.
Methods: Patients admitted for STEMI and primary coronary angioplasty (pPCI) in a mountain area served by a single cathlab and triaged with ECG-transmission were enrolled in the study and compared with controls: patients' demographics and time to coronary wire were recorded.
Purpose: Increased sympathetic nervous system activation via the beta-adrenergic pathway influences the evolution of idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. We assessed the effects of beta-adrenergic receptor variants on heart failure in idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy.
Methods: We prospectively analyzed 171 consecutive patients (mean [+/- SD] age, 49 +/- 14 years; 129 men) with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy who were receiving conventional treatment.
Objectives: We sought to evaluate whether changes in resting baroreflex control of heart rate are a distinctive feature of healthy subjects with a history of syncope prone to a positive tilt-test response.
Background: The mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of vasovagal syncope (VVS) are still poorly understood; in particular, the contribution of arterial baroreflex control of heart rate is matter of discussion.
Methods: A passive tilt-table test was performed in 312 consecutive, otherwise healthy subjects (age 36 +/- 15 years) with unexplained syncope and 100 control subjects.
Natriuretic peptide system plays a well-defined role in the regulation of blood pressure and fluid volume. Although the effects of natriuretic peptides (atrial natriuretic peptide, brain natriuretic peptide and C-type natriuretic peptide) are mediated by specific biologic receptors, their plasma level is influenced by clearance receptors. It has been demonstrated that in hypertensive subjects plasma levels of natriuretic peptides are impaired; furthermore peptide receptor polymorphisms have been shown to be significantly associated with hypertension and cardiac hypertrophy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: The value of interventricular and intraventricular echocardiographic asynchrony parameters in predicting reverse remodeling after cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) was investigated.
Background: Cardiac resynchronization therapy has been suggested as a promising strategy in patients with severe heart failure and left bundle branch block (LBBB), but the entity of benefit is variable and no criteria are yet available to predict which patients will gain.
Methods: Interventricular and intraventricular mechanical asynchrony was evaluated in 20 patients (8 men and 12 women, 63 +/- 10 years) with advanced heart failure caused by ischemic (n = 4) or nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (n = 16) and LBBB (QRS duration of at least 140 ms) using echocardiographic Doppler measurements.
Background: Asymptomatic reductions in arterial pressure have been reported to occur before the onset of tilt-induced syncope. We investigated the predictive value of these reductions for a positive tilt result.
Methods And Results: In a first study, 238 consecutive healthy subjects with unexplained syncope underwent a passive tilt table test.