Best practice in psychological activities in cardiovascular prevention and rehabilitation: Position Paper.

Recent guidelines on cardiovascular disease prevention suggest multimodal behavioral interventions for psychosocial risk factors and referral for psychotherapy in the case of clinically significant symptoms of depression and anxiety overall. Accordingly, psychologists of the Italian Association for Cardiovascular Prevention, Rehabilitation and Epidemiology (GICR-IACPR) have reviewed the key components of psychological activities in cardiovascular prevention and rehabilitation (CPR). The aim of this study was to elaborate a position paper on the best practice in routine psychological activities in CPR based on efficacy, effectiveness and sustainability.

Psychological needs and mental health in women aged > or = 65 years after cardiac surgery: an exploratory study.

Background: Recent developments in cardiac care have led to an increase survival even among elderly cardiac patients. Previous studies showed that women have worse health related outcomes compared with men. The main aims of this study are to assess psychological needs and factors promoting mental health among women aged > or = 65 years following heart surgery.

Blood pressure control and treatment adherence in hypertensive patients with metabolic syndrome: protocol of a randomized controlled study based on home blood pressure telemonitoring vs. conventional management and assessment of psychological determinants of adherence (TELEBPMET Study).

Background: Inadequate blood pressure control and poor adherence to treatment remain among the major limitations in the management of hypertensive patients, particularly of those at high risk of cardiovascular events. Preliminary evidence suggests that home blood pressure telemonitoring (HBPT) might help increasing the chance of achieving blood pressure targets and improve patient's therapeutic adherence. However, all these potential advantages of HBPT have not yet been fully investigated.

The biggest evolutionary jump: restructuring of the genome and some consequences.

In this paper, the evolution of the cell is investigated till the level of complexity obtained by protists. Particular attention is paid to the genomic compartment and to the question: why has the genome of prokaryotes remained so small over more than 3 billion years and more than 3 trillion generations? Constraints on their genome evolution may be attributed mainly to: 1) the fact that repetitions of nucleotide sequences longer than 12 to 15 bp are forbidden according to Thomas' principle; 2) the high cost of the control of gene expression by means of regulatory proteins: this cost increases exponentially with chromosome elongation. The formation of chromatin, i.

[Organization of psychological activities in Italian cardiac rehabilitation and prevention. Survey on the implementation of guidelines for psychological activities in cardiac rehabilitation and prevention].

Unlabelled: The present study was developed as part of a comprehensive evaluation of the state of the art of knowledge and implementation of the Italian Guidelines for psychological activities in Cardiac Rehabilitation, published in 2003 by the Working Group of Psychology of the Italian Society of Cardiac Rehabilitation (GICR).

Methods: A questionnaire was designed to collect detailed information on facilities, organization, staffing level, professional background and activities carried out by psychologists working in Italian Cardiac Rehabilitation Units (CRU). Out of 144 Italian CRU (inventory 2004), 107 reported structured psychological programmes.

[ISYDE-Psi first step of the implementation of guidelines for psychology activities in cardiac rehabilitation and prevention. Italian SurveY on CarDiac REhabilitation-Psychology].

The Italian SurveY on CarDiac REhabilitation-Psychology (ISYDE-Psi) was developed, in line with the indications of the Italian National Guidelines Program, as part of a project to implement and apply the guidelines for psychology interventions in cardiac rehabilitation and prevention published in 2003. The Task Force on Psychological Interventions in Cardiac Rehabilitation conducted this pilot survey of the existing situation of Psychology in order to prepare the ground for implementation of the guidelines through interactive training. As part of the evaluation of training requirements a questionnaire was elaborated to gather information on the models of organization of and activities carried out by psychologists working in the surveyed cardiac rehabilitation facilities.

[Alcoholism at the work setting].

Alcoholism is a nation-wide problem because of the variability and severity of its associated phenomena. In Western European countries, according to the WHO, the use of alcohol is the direct or indirect cause of approximately 20% of hospital admissions of male adults of working age. In Italy, the number of lost working days due to sickness is four times greater in drinkers, as is the risk of serious accidents.