Measurement of Natriuretic Peptides in Patients with Suspected Heart Failure to Prevent Overuse of Echocardiography - a Pilot Study.

Background: European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines recommend measuring natriuretic peptides (BNP or NT-proBNP) in patients with suspected heart failure (HF) as a first-line tool. HF should be ruled-out if concen-trations of NT-proBNP are below 300 ng/L and 125 ng/L for acute HF and chronic HF, respectively.

Methods: Patients with suspected HF referred for transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) were enrolled; NT-pro-BNP concentrations were obtained from medical charts (measurement < 48 hours) or prospectively measured on the day of TTE.

Real-life contemporary vitamin K antagonist is still associated with very low time in therapeutic range despite strict international normalized ratio monitoring: Results of big data analysis.

What Is Known And Objective: This study aimed to determine the results of INR monitoring in patients on vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) and the time in therapeutic range (TTR) in 'real-world' settings.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of 836,857 INR measurements performed in adults from February 2010 to August 2015 in two districts in the French Brittany region.

Results: Of the 836,857 INR measurements, 94.

Routine use of natriuretic peptides: Lessons from a big data analysis.

Background: Natriuretic peptides have broad indications during heart failure and the detection of left ventricular dysfunction in high-risk patients. They can also be used for the diagnosis/management of other cardiac diseases. However, very little is known regarding their use in routine practice.

Multiple biomarkers measurement to estimate the duration of atrial fibrillation.

Background: An accurate estimation of the duration of atrial fibrillation is critical for its safe management. Recent studies suggested that copeptin, carbohydrate antigen-125, galectin-3 and growth differentiation factor-15 are increased in atrial fibrillation. We examined the ability of these markers to identify patients presenting with atrial fibrillation of ≤48 versus >48 h duration.

[Elderly heart failure patient, quality or quantity of life?].

Heart failure is a serious and common disease in the elderly. It causes repeated hospitalizations with a progressive overall decline. It is often difficult at an advanced stage of the disease to "choose" between quality and quantity of life for both patients and their families and caregivers.

ADL-dependency, D-Dimers, LDH and absence of anticoagulation are independently associated with one-month mortality in older inpatients with Covid-19.

Background: To assess factors associated with one-month mortality among older inpatients with Covid-19.

Results: The mean age was 78 ± 7.8 years, 55.

Prognostic and diagnostic value of elevated serum concentration of procalcitonin in patients with suspected heart failure. A review and meta-analysis.

Purpose: The diagnostic and prognostic significance of procalcitonin remains uncertain in HF patients. We reviewed and performed a meta-analysis of studies that measured PCT in HF patients, with or without infection.

Materials And Methods: We identified seven studies (9514 patients, 5810 with diagnoses of HF) eligible for our analysis, out of 247 examined.

Atrial fibrillation in CLL patients treated with ibrutinib. An international retrospective study.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) occurs in 5-9% of patients treated with ibrutinib for chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL); the clinical consequences and optimal management are unclear. We retrospectively studied 56 CLL patients who received ibrutinib and developed AF. Median time to onset was 3·8 months.

Reduced inotropic reserve is predictive of further degradation in left ventricular ejection fraction in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Aims: Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), an inherited X-linked muscular disease, is associated with dilated cardiomyopathy that is responsible for death in 40% of patients. Our objective was to determine whether inotropic reserve is predictive of LV trend over time.

Methods And Results: A total of 69 DMD patients (age 12.

[Interpretation of mild elevation of high-sensitivity cardiac troponins].

Measurements of cardiac troponins (cTn) are yet considered the gold standard method in patients with chest pain. Very recently, high-sensitivity (hs)cTn emerged and allow to measure very low concentrations of cTn. The aim of these assays was the better detection of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI).