Iron deficiency from the standpoint of cardiac rehabilitation: novel therapeutic opportunities.

Anemia is one of the most frequent comorbidities found in patients with coronary artery disease and chronic heart failure (CHF) who are being followed in cardiac rehabilitation facilities. The more frequent type of anemia is caused by iron deficiency (IDA, iron-deficiency anemia): this review summarizes the state of the art of this topic. First of all, the mechanisms of IDA will be analyzed.

Longitudinal profile of NT-proBNP levels in ischemic heart failure patients undergoing surgical ventricular reconstruction: The Biomarker Plus study.

Background: Plasma concentrations of natriuretic peptides have been shown to predict prognosis in heart failure (HF) patients with left ventricle (LV) dysfunction. It is still unclear if measurements after cardiac surgery are associated with any effect on the outcome. We aimed to prospectively investigate the longitudinal profile of serial evaluations of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels in ischemic HF patients undergoing Surgical Ventricular Reconstruction (SVR) and how NT-proBNP levels at different time-points are associated with the outcome.

Patterns and determinants of functional and absolute iron deficiency in patients undergoing cardiac rehabilitation following heart surgery.

Background Anaemia and iron deficiency are frequent following major surgery. The present study aims to identify the iron deficiency patterns in cardiac surgery patients at their admission to a cardiac rehabilitation programme, and to determine which perioperative risk factor(s) may be associated with functional and absolute iron deficiency. Design This was a retrospective study on prospectively collected data.

Myocardial Revascularization for Patients With Diabetes: Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting or Percutaneous Coronary Intervention?

Patients affected by diabetes usually have extensive coronary artery disease. Coronary revascularization has a prominent role in the treatment of coronary artery disease in the expanding diabetic population. However, diabetic patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting or percutaneous coronary intervention experience worse outcomes than nondiabetic patients.

[The Italian Survey on Cardiac Rehabilitation - 2013 (ISYDE.13-Directory): national availability and organization of cardiac rehabilitation facilities].

Background: The Italian Association for Cardiovascular Prevention, Rehabilitation and Epidemiology (GICR-IACPR) and the Italian Society of Cardiologists of Accredited Hospitals (SICOA) developed the ISYDE.13 survey with the purpose to take a detailed snapshot of number, distribution, facilities, staffing levels, organization, and program details of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) units in Italy.

Methods: The study was carried out using a web-based questionnaire running on the GICR-IACPR website for 4 weeks from September 2 to 29, 2013.