Cardiac Remodeling, Circulating Biomarkers and Clinical Events in Patients with a History of Atrial Fibrillation. Data from the GISSI-AF Trial.

Purpose: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia and has an increasing impact on public health because of its morbidity and mortality. Clinical and diagnostic tests to predict the recurrence of arrhythmia and clinical events before AF becomes permanent are still an open issue.

Methods: 307 out of 1442 patients in sinus rhythm, at high risk of recurrence of AF enrolled in the GISSI-AF study, participated in a substudy with echocardiographic and biohumoral evaluation at baseline and at 12-month follow-up.

Clinical correlates of complicated grief among individuals with acute coronary syndromes.

Objective: The study aimed at exploring bereavement and complicated grief (CG) symptoms among subjects without a history of coronary heart disease (CHD) at the time of a first acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and to evaluate the relationship of CG symptoms and ACS.

Method: Overall, 149 subjects with ACS (namely, acute myocardial infarct with or without ST-segment elevation or unstable angina), with no previous history of CHD, admitted to three cardiac intensive care units were included and evaluated by the Structured Clinical Interview for Complicated Grief (SCI-CG), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, and the 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (MOS-SF-36).

Results: Of the total sample of 149 subjects with ACS, 118 (79.

Influence of depression and anxiety on circulating endothelial progenitor cells in patients with acute coronary syndromes.

Objectives: Circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are related to endothelial function and progression of coronary artery disease. There is evidence of decreased numbers of circulating EPCs in patients with a current episode of major depression. We investigated the relationships between the level of circulating EPCs and depression and anxiety in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

Impact of depression on circulating endothelial progenitor cells in patients with acute coronary syndromes: a pilot study.

Aims: Depression has been identified as a risk factor for an adverse prognosis and reduced survival in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The number of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) is an independent predictor of clinical outcomes in patients with ACS. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of depression on EPC levels in patients with ACS.

[Clinical and organizational evidence of the efficacy and effectiveness from cardiac rehabilitation: an update].

The increasing evidence on the favourable cost/effectiveness impact of the comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation program for the treatment of a wide spectrum of cardiovascular conditions have imposed to healthcare services a major attention on a critical analysis of the results in different clinical indications and delivery organisations. The Regional Health Agency of Liguria, in the occasion of drawing up regional guidelines directed to define the clinical indications and the effectiveness of the cardiac rehabilitation delivery model (in-patients, out-patients and home-based) and its requisites, indications and procedures, has updated the reference guidelines (PLNG and SIGN) with the evidence provided by the more recent literature, focusing its attention on the clinical and, in particular, organizational effectiveness. The document, on the base of these evidences, provides some effective proposals and some organizational advices.

Clinical features and prognosis associated with a preserved left ventricular systolic function in a large cohort of congestive heart failure outpatients managed by cardiologists. Data from the Italian Network on Congestive Heart Failure.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical characteristics, 1-year prognosis and therapeutic approach of heart failure with a preserved left ventricular systolic function in a large multicenter registry of patients referred to specialized heart failure clinics.

Methods: The study population consisted of 5164 outpatients (mean age 62 +/- 12 years, 78.8% male, 28.