[Utility intervention programs in the evolutional control of patients with heart failure].

Acute heart failure (HF) is a prevalent disease with important socio-economic repercussions. Due to the aging of population, these values will increase in the coming years, so it may be useful to the implementation of intervention programs in these patients to decrease morbidity and mortality. A quasi-experimental prospective study (n = 262) of patients admitted at the Internal Medicine Department of the Hospital Clínico Universitario Lozano Blesa, in Zaragoza, Spain, diagnosed of HF between November 2013 and October 2014 (both dates inclusive) (n = 108) followed up for 1 year was performed.

Melatonin's role in preventing toxin-related and sepsis-mediated hepatic damage: A review.

The liver is a central organ in detoxifying molecules and would otherwise cause molecular damage throughout the organism. Numerous toxic agents including aflatoxin, heavy metals, nicotine, carbon tetrachloride, thioacetamide, and toxins derived during septic processes, generate reactive oxygen species followed by molecular damage to lipids, proteins and DNA, which culminates in hepatic cell death. As a result, the identification of protective agents capable of ameliorating the damage at the cellular level is an urgent need.

Cystatin C-based CKD-EPI equations and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide for predicting outcomes in acutely decompensated heart failure.

Background: In patients with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF), both natriuretic peptides and renal impairment predict adverse outcomes. Our aim was to evaluate the complementary prognosis role of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and the newly developed Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) equations based on cystatin C (CysC) for glomerular filtration rate (GFR) estimation in ADHF patients.

Hypothesis: Renal impairment assessed by CysC-based CKD-EPI equations and natriuretic peptides have complementary prognostic value in ADHF patients.

Comparison of risk prediction with the CKD-EPI and MDRD equations in acute decompensated heart failure.

Background: Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) equations estimate glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) more accurately than the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) equation. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether CKD-EPI equations based on serum creatinine and/or cystatin C (CysC) predict risk for adverse outcomes more accurately than the MDRD equation in a hospitalized cohort of patients with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF).

Methods And Results: A total of 526 subjects with ADHF were studied.

Prognostic value of serum cystatin C and N-terminal pro b-type natriuretic peptide in patients with acute heart failure.

Background: Cystatin C (CysC) is a good prognostic marker in heart failure. However, there is not much information of CysC combined with other biomarkers in acute heart failure (AHF).

Aim: To assess prognostic value of CysC and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in patients hospitalized for AHF with no apparent deterioration of renal function.

[Cystatin C: a protein for heart failure].

Cystatin C (CysC) is an antiprotease useful for measuring kidney function. Beyond such property, it carries significant prognostic information in several fields of cardiovascular diseases. We review data that support CysC as a prognostic factor in cardiovascular diseases among healthy elderly, hypertensive and heart failure patients.

Prostatic tuberculosis: case report.

Context: Tuberculosis of the prostate has mainly been described in immunocompromised patients. However, it can exceptionally be found as an isolated lesion in immunocompetent patients.

Case Report: We report a case of prostatic tuberculosis in a young, healthy and immunocompetent patient with unremarkable findings from intravenous urographic examination.

[Cardiac injury after indirect lightning strike].

Lightning strike is one of the most frequent causes of death due to natural phenomena. In such cases, cardiac injury is the main cause of death, with type of lesion varying by type of impact. We report the case of a 29-year-old woman who was struck indirectly by lightning.