An electronic consultation program impacts on heart failure patients' prognosis: implications for heart failure care.

Aims: e-consults are asynchronous, clinician-to-clinician exchanges that answer focused, non-urgent, patient-specific questions using the electronic medical record. We instituted an e-consultation programme (2013-2019) for all general practitioners (GPs) referrals to cardiologists that preceded patients' in-person consultations when considered. In our study, we aimed to analyse the clinical characteristics, 1 year prognosis and the prognostic determinants of patients with a previous diagnosis of HF referred for an e-consult, categorized by their previous HF-related hospitalization status (recent hospitalization, <1 year before; remote hospitalization, >1 year before or never been hospitalized because of HF), and to analyse the impact of reducing the time elapsed between e-consultation and response by the cardiologist in terms of prognosis.

Early angiography in elderly patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome: The cardio CHUS-HUSJ registry.

Background: In elderly patients with non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTEACS), while routine invasive management is established in high-risk NSTEACS patients, there is still uncertainty regarding the optimal timing of the procedure.

Methods: This study analyzes the association of early coronary angiography with all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, heart failure (HF) hospitalization, and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in patients older than 75 years old with NSTEACS. This retrospective observational study included 7811 consecutive NSTEACS patients who were examined between the years 2003 and 2017 at two Spanish university hospitals.

Long term prognostic benefit of complete revascularization in elderly presenting with NSTEMI: real world evidence.

The benefit of complete revascularization in elderly patients with non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI), and multivessel disease remains debated (MVD). The aim of our study was to determine the current long-term prognostic benefit of complete revascularization in this population. A retrospective cohort study of 1722 consecutive elderly NSTEMI patients was performed.

Prognostic benefit from an early invasive strategy in patients with non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTEACS): evaluation of the new risk stratification in the NSTEACS European guidelines.

Objectives: The objective of our work is to evaluate the prognostic benefit of an early invasive strategy in patients with high-risk NSTACS according to the recommendations of the 2020 clinical practice guidelines during long-term follow-up.

Methods: This retrospective observational study included 6454 consecutive NSTEACS patients. We analyze the effects of early coronary angiography (< 24 h) in patients with: (a) GRACE risk score > 140 and (b) patients with "established NSTEMI" (non ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction defined by an increase in troponins) or dynamic ST-T-segment changes with a GRACE risk score < 140.

Systemic sclerosis: a rare cause of heart failure?

Systemic sclerosis (SS) is a chronic disease in which there may be multisystem involvement. It is rare (estimated prevalence: 0.5-2/10000) with high morbidity and mortality, and there is as yet no curative treatment.

Coronary Artery Dominance and Long-term Prognosis in Patients With ST-segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction Treated With Primary Angioplasty.

Introduction And Objectives: The long-term prognostic significance of coronary artery dominance pattern in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction is poorly characterized. We investigated the prognosis of such patients according to whether they had right dominance, left dominance, or codominance.

Methods: This was a retrospective study of 767 patients, who were admitted to hospital between 2007 and 2012 with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

Mortality and cardiovascular morbidity within 30 days of discharge following acute coronary syndrome in a contemporary European cohort of patients: How can early risk prediction be improved? The six-month GRACE risk score.

Objectives: Given the increasing focus on early mortality and readmission rates among patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), this study was designed to evaluate the accuracy of the GRACE risk score for identifying patients at high risk of 30-day post-discharge mortality and cardiovascular readmission.

Methods: This was a retrospective study carried out in a single center with 4229 ACS patients discharged between 2004 and 2010. The study endpoint was the combination of 30-day post-discharge mortality and readmission due to reinfarction, heart failure or stroke.

Acute pulmonary edema in patients with decompensated heart failure. Role of underlying cardiopathy on the prognosis.

Aims: To investigate the impact of acute pulmonary edema (APE) on the prognosis of patients hospitalized with congestive heart failure (CHF) and if the underlying cardiopathy influences the survival of these patients.

Method And Results: All patients admitted to the cardiology department of a tertiary hospital with CHF between 1991 and 2002 were included in the present study. APE was diagnosed in 176 of 1659 patients.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors prescription is associated with longer survival among patients hospitalized for congestive heart failure who have preserved systolic function: a long-term follow-up study.

Background: The use of inhibitors of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) is strongly indicated by a diagnosis of congestive heart failure (CHF) with deteriorated systolic function (SF), but their effects on patients with CHF but no systolic deterioration have not been clarified. We focused this study on the evaluation of the influence of ACE inhibitors on survival among CHF patients with preserved SF, but also determined the effect of these drugs on the prognosis of our patients with deteriorated SF.

Method And Results: We studied 416 patients, aged 72.

[Anemia as a new predictor of mortality in patients hospitalized with congestive heart failure].

Background And Objective: The search for novel and modifiable risk factors in heart failure (HF), a condition with still high mortality and morbidity rates, can open new strategies for treatment of a growing number of patients. We decided to evaluate the prevalence of anemia and determine its influence on the prognosis of hospitalized HF patients.

Patients And Method: 557 consecutive patients hospitalized for HF between 31st January 2000 and 31st December 2002 in a Cardiology Department of a tertiary hospital were studied.

Atrial fibrillation in patients hospitalized for congestive heart failure: the same prognostic influence independently of left ventricular systolic function?

Unlabelled: Atrial fibrillation (AF) was described to be associated with an adverse prognosis in several studies of heart failure (HF). However, it is not clear whether it directly increased mortality or is only a marker for severity of HF.

Aims: To determine the influence of AF on mortality of HF patients distinguishing between patients with preserved and deteriorated systolic function (SF).

[Influence of sex on mortality in hospitalized patients with congestive heart failure and preserved or depressed systolic function].

Introduction And Objectives: There is some controversy about the impact of sex on mortality in patients with heart failure. Moreover, little is known about its influence on prognosis in patients with preserved systolic function. The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of sex on survival in patients with heart failure, including subgroups with preserved or depressed left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF).

Influence of diabetes on the survival of patients hospitalized with heart failure: a 12-year study.

Aim: To investigate the influence of diabetes mellitus (DM) on the prognosis of heart failure (HF) patients, focussing specifically on aetiology and patients with preserved left ventricular systolic function (LVSF), which to date has not been fully investigated.

Method And Results: 1659 Patients hospitalized for HF between 1991 and 2002 in the Cardiology Department of a tertiary hospital, aged 69+/-12 years, 60% male were studied prospectively. Arterial hypertension was present in 54% of patients, DM in 26% and ischaemic cardiomyopathy in 51%.

[Long-term trends in drug prescription for hospitalized patients with congestive heart failure. Influence of type of dysfunction].

Introduction And Objectives: To evaluate changes in drug prescription during 1991-2002 in patients hospitalized for congestive heart failure (CHF) with preserved or depressed left ventricular (LV) systolic function.

Patients And Method: A total of 1252 CHF patients (mean age, 69.4 (11.

Long-term improvement of QT dispersion is unaffected by short-term changes in blood pressure during treatment of systemic hypertension with enalapril.

Background: We report the reduction of QT and QTc dispersion in patients treated for 7 years with enalapril for systemic hypertension with left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy. We assess the correlation between QT dispersion and LV mass during this period and at the end of an 8-week period of suspension of enalapril treatment after 5 years.

Methods: Twenty-four previously untreated patients with this condition took enalapril (20 mg twice daily) for 7 years, except during an 8-week period following 5-year follow-up.