Left ventricular geometry in normal and post-anterior myocardial infarction patients: sphericity index and 'new' conicity index comparisons.

Background: Anterior myocardial infarction leads a sequence of structural changes that alter the size and the shape of the left ventricle. Efforts to assess shape have been made by global left ventricular (LV) chamber analysis (sphericity index, SI) but this analysis does not detect regional shape abnormalities like those at the apical level, which precede global ventricular dilatation.

Objective: The present study will introduce a new analysis of regional apical changes in 52 normal subjects and in 92 patients with previous anterior myocardial infarction.

Heart surgery and quality of life: a prospective study on ischemic patients.

Objective: Recently, an interest has developed in the use of quality of life instruments to provide a more comprehensive assessment of the impact of disease and treatments on patients' everyday lives over time, particularly in the cardiovascular field. To evaluate changes in quality of life of patients with a coronary heart disease and undergoing heart surgery and to identify patients on which to concentrate stronger rehabilitative intervention, an observational prospective study with repeated measurements has been designed.

Methods: A total of 259 consecutive coronary heart disease patients (211 males, 48 females, aged 63 (S.

[Dynamic electrocardiography for identification of temporally altered activity in pacemakers (author's transl)].

Four cases of subjects with implanted pacemakers are reported. The patients temporarily presented suspected symptoms of altered activity of the pacemakers. On the other hand usual tests demonstrated a regular activity of the pacemakers.