Impact of glycemic and blood pressure variability on surrogate measures of cardiovascular outcomes in type 2 diabetic patients.

Objective: The effect of glycemic variability (GV) on cardiovascular risk has not been fully clarified in type 2 diabetes. We evaluated the effect of GV, blood pressure (BP), and oxidative stress on intima-media thickness (IMT), left ventricular mass index (LVMI), flow-mediated dilation (FMD), and sympathovagal balance (low frequency [LF]/high frequency [HF] ratio) in 26 type 2 diabetic patients (diabetes duration 4.41±4.

Endocardial vagal atrioventricular node stimulation in humans: reproducibility on 18-month follow-up.

Aims: Control of atrioventricular (AV) node conduction by means of high-frequency stimulation (HFS) of efferent AV node vagal stimulation (AVNS) fibres enables the ventricular rate (VR) to be modulated during atrial fibrillation (AF). The aims of this study were to verify, on 18-month follow-up, the reproducibility of the dromotropic effect obtained on implantation and the long-term reliability of the system in patients who received an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) with a standard atrial lead positioned at a location suitable for AVNS.

Methods And Results: We enrolled 12 patients with paroxysmal or persistent AF who were candidates for ICD.

Primary prevention implantation of cardioverter defibrillator without defibrillation threshold testing: 2-year follow-up.

Background: Even though the intraoperative threshold testing of the implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) may cause hemodynamic impairment or be unfeasible, it is still considered required standard practice at the time of implantation. We compared the outcome of ICD recipients who underwent defibrillation threshold testing (DFT) with that of patients in whom no testing was performed.

Methods: A total of 291 subjects with ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy received transvenous ICDs between January 2000 and December 2004 in five Italian cardiology centers.

Ventricular dyssynchrony: 12-month evaluation in ischemic versus nonischemic CRT patients.

Objective: Few data exist about the potential differences in the dyssynchrony status of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) candidates stratified by etiology of heart failure, and about the evolution of dyssynchrony at long-term follow-up. We provided a description of intra-ventricular dyssynchrony at baseline, 6 months and 12 months in ischemic and nonischemic CRT patients.

Methods: Tissue Doppler Imaging was performed in 35 CRT candidates (18 ischemic, 17 nonischemic) at baseline, and at 6-month and 12-month follow-up.

Limited thoracotomy as a second choice alternative to transvenous implant for cardiac resynchronisation therapy delivery.

Aims: Left ventricular (LV) pacing via transvenous implantation has an overall success rate ranging from 88% to 92%. The aim of this study was to assess whether LV pacing via limited thoracotomy would be feasible and safe when used on a routine basis for those cases in which standard transvenous procedures proved to be ineffective or unsatisfactory.

Methods And Results: We enrolled 33 patients (8 females, 65+/-10 years) who experienced a transvenous implantation failure.