Attenuated post-exercise heart rate recovery in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: the role of disease severity and beta-blocker treatment.

Objective Sinus tachycardia is frequently reported in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), while there are limited data on post-exercise ability to slow heart rate (i.e. heart rate recovery, HRR) in this group of patients.

Refined balloon pulmonary angioplasty-A therapeutic option in very elderly patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.

Introduction/objectives: Balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) is a developing treatment for inoperable chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). However, to our knowledge there are no published data on BPA in CTEPH subjects aged 75 or over. The aim of the study was to analyze clinical and hemodynamic outcomes of sequential BPA in very elderly patients disqualified from pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA).

Cardiac autonomic function in type 1 and type 2 myotonic dystrophy.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate cardiac autonomic nervous system function using Holter-derived and standard electrocardiographic parameters in patients with myotonic dystrophy (dystrophia myotonica, DM) and no clinically overt heart involvement.

Methods: Eighty-four DM patients without conditions potentially influencing cardiac autonomic function were enrolled in the study: 44 with DM type 1 and 40 with DM type 2 (mean age 34.9 ± 11.

High prevalence of severe coronary artery disease in elderly patients with non-operable chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension referred for balloon pulmonary angioplasty.

Introduction: Balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) is a new emerging catheter-based alternative treatment option for patients with inoperable chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH).

Aim: To show that all elderly CTEPH patients referred for BPA are at higher risk of obstructive coronary artery disease and that, in daily practice, they should undergo invasive coronary angiography.

Material And Methods: Eleven patients at the age of at least 65 years (6 males, 5 females, 77.