Prognostic value of the duke activity Status Index Questionnaire in predicting mortality in patients with chronic heart failure: 36-month follow-up study.

Background: The Duke Activity Status Index (DASI) questionnaire has been the focus of numerous investigations - its discriminative and prognostic capacity has been continuously explored, supporting its use in the clinical setting, specifically during rehabilitation in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF).However, studies exploring optimal DASI questionnaire threshold scores are limited.

Objective: To investigate optimal DASI questionnaire thresholds values in predicting mortality in a CHF cohort and assess mortality rates based on the DASI questionnaire using a thresholds values obtained.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus negatively affects the functional performance of 6-min step test in chronic heart failure: a 3-year follow-up study.

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and chronic heart failure (CHF) present a decrease in functional capacity due to the intrinsic nature of both pathologies. It is not known about the potential impact of T2DM on functional capacity when assessed by 6-min step test (6MST) and its effect as a prognostic marker for fatal and non-fatal events in patients with CHF.

Objective: to evaluate the coexistence of T2DM and CHF in functional capacity through 6MST when compared to CHF non-T2DM, as well as to investigate the different cardiovascular responses to 6MST and the risk of mortality, decompensation of CHF and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) over 36 months.

Association of cardiovascular risk factors and myocardial hypertrophy in women with preeclampsia history.

Aims: A historic of preeclampsia (PE) has been associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) in women. There are substantial evidences that cardiovascular changes resulting from PE can persist even after pregnancy end. Therefore, the aims was to evaluate the prevalence of myocardial hypertrophy in young women 12 months after PE event as well as try to identify risk factors for these changes.

Phenotyping cardiopulmonary exercise testing measures in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction: A comparison between Italy and Brazil.

Background: While patients with heart failure (HF) with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (HFrEF) constitutes a global health crisis the incidence, prevalence and prognosis of the disease may differ depending on the continent and country.

Objective: To profile, analyze and compare cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) data of patients with HFrEF between Italian and Brazilian cohorts.

Methods: In this observational study, a total of 630 patients with clinical and functional diagnosis of HFrEF (315 patients from Brazil and 315 patients from Italy) performed CPET.

The six-minute step test can predict COPD exacerbations: a 36-month follow-up study.

The six-minute step test (6MST) has been shown to be effective in assessing exercise capacity in individuals with COPD regardless of severity and, despite its easy execution, accessibility and validity, information on the prognostic power of this test remains uncertain. The aim of this study is to investigate whether the 6MST can predict the occurrence of exacerbations in patients with COPD. This is a prospective cohort study with a 36-month follow-up in patients with COPD.

Discriminative value of pulse wave velocity for arterial stiffness and cardiac injury in prediabetic patients.

Background: Prediabetes (PD) is defined as impaired fasting glucose and/or impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and may be associated with high risk of cardiovascular injury. It is recommended that PD patients be screened for signs of arterial stiffness and cardiovascular injury to reinforce therapeutic strategies.

Objectives: To identify pulse wave velocity values discriminative for arterial stiffness and cardiovascular injury in PD patients.

Effect of a Physical Exercise Program on the Inflammatory Response, Cardiac Functions, Functional Capacity, and Quality of Life in Patients with Sickle Cell Disease.

Introduction: The beneficial effects of physical exercise on functional capacity and inflammatory response are well-known in cardiovascular diseases; however, studies on sickle cell disease (SCD) are limited. It was hypothesized that physical exercise may exert a favorable effect on the inflammatory response of SCD patients, contributing to an improved quality of life. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a regular physical exercise program on the anti-inflammatory responses in SCD patients.

Life-space mobility in older adults with Alzheimer's-type dementia.

Background: Mobility is an important component of functioning. Motor and cognitive impairment in older people with Alzheimer's disease can exert a negative impact on life-space mobility.

Objective: To compare life-space mobility in older adults with mild and moderate Alzheimer-type dementia and those without dementia and determine associations with health factors.

Comparing cardiac function and structure and their relationship with exercise capacity between patients with stable COPD and recent acute exacerbation: a cross-sectional study.

Objective: Patients with COPD are prone to cardiac remodeling; however, little is known about cardiac function in patients recovering from an acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD) and its association with exercise capacity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cardiac function and structure and to compare their relationship with exercise capacity in patients with a recent AECOPD and patients with clinically stable COPD.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study including 40 COPD patients equally divided into two groups: recent AECOPD group (AEG) and clinically stable COPD group (STG).

Is the six-minute step test able to reflect the severity and symptoms based on cat score?

Background: This is the first study to investigate the performance of 6MST in COPD patients divided into different symptom severity groups based on the CAT questionnaire score.

Objectives: To evaluate the relationship between the degree symptomatology using the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) Assessment Test (CAT) with the six- minute step test (6MST) in COPD patients.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study in which 59 patients with COPD were evaluated.

Obstructive sleep apnea reduces functional capacity and impairs cardiac autonomic modulation during submaximal exercise in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A follow-up study.

Background: Functional capacity and heart rate variability (HRV) are important prognostic markers in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSA). However, the impact of the overlap of these diseases and the one-year clinical follow-up has not yet been evaluated.

Objectives: To assess whether the presence of OSA can impair functional performance and cardiac autonomic control during exercise in patients with COPD; and to verify whether the overlap of these diseases could lead to worse clinical outcomes during the one-year follow-up.

Role of arterial stiffness and endothelial dysfunction on lower limb performance in older adults with type 2 diabetes: A cross-sectional study.

Aim: To verify whether arterial stiffness and endothelial dysfunction influence lower limb muscle strength and gait speed in older adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Methods: Cross-sectional study including seventy-eight older adults with T2DM (aged 67 ± 6 years and 42 % male). Arterial stiffness was assessed using pulse wave velocity (PWV), while endothelial function was measured by flow-mediated dilation (FMD).

Retraction notice to "Use of ivermectin in the treatment of Covid-19: A pilot trial" [Toxicol. Rep. 8 (2021) 505-510].

[This retracts the article DOI: 10.1016/j.toxrep.

Responses to incremental exercise and the impact of the coexistence of HF and COPD on exercise capacity: a follow-up study.

Our aim was to evaluate: (1) the prevalence of coexistence of heart failure (HF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in the studied patients; (2) the impact of HF + COPD on exercise performance and contrasting exercise responses in patients with only a diagnosis of HF or COPD; and (3) the relationship between clinical characteristics and measures of cardiorespiratory fitness; (4) verify the occurrence of cardiopulmonary events in the follow-up period of up to 24 months years. The current study included 124 patients (HF: 46, COPD: 53 and HF + COPD: 25) that performed advanced pulmonary function tests, echocardiography, analysis of body composition by bioimpedance and symptom-limited incremental cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) on a cycle ergometer. Key CPET variables were calculated for all patients as previously described.

The Role of Extracellular Matrix in the Experimental Acute Aortic Regurgitation Model in Rats.

Background: Mechanisms involved in cardiac remodelling by aortic regurgitation (AR) and the moment when cardiac dysfunction begins are largely unknown. This study aimed to investigate cardiac morphology and function after 1, 4, 8, and 12 weeks of experimental AR in Wistar rats. Extracellular matrix was also investigated as the potential mechanism that underlies the AR remodelling process.

Reliability and validity of six-minute step test in patients with heart failure.

Exercise intolerance is the hallmark consequence of advanced chronic heart failure (HF). The six-minute step test (6MST) has been considered an option for the six-minute walk test because it is safe, inexpensive, and can be applied in small places. However, its reliability and concurrent validity has still not been investigated in participants with HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).

Noninvasive ventilation can modulate heart rate variability during high-intensity exercise in COPD-CHF patients.

Objective: to assess the acute effects of non-invasive ventilation (NIV) during high-intensity exercise on heart rate variability (HRV) responses in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and Chronic heart failure (CHF) patients.

Methods: This was randomized, double blinded and controlled study. Fourteen patients with COPD-HF diagnosis were evaluated.

Green Tea () Extract Increased Topoisomerase II, Improved Antioxidant Defense, and Attenuated Cardiac Remodeling in an Acute Doxorubicin Toxicity Model.

Experimental studies have shown the action of green tea in modulating cardiac remodeling. However, the effects of green tea on the cardiac remodeling process induced by doxorubicin (DOX) are not known. Therefore, this study is aimed at evaluating whether green tea extract could attenuate DOX-induced cardiac remodeling, assessed by cardiac morphological and functional changes and associated with the evaluation of different modulators of cardiac remodeling.

Vitamin D Supplementation Induces Cardiac Remodeling in Rats: Association with Thioredoxin-Interacting Protein and Thioredoxin.

Background: Vitamin D (VD) has been shown to play an important role in cardiac function. However, this vitamin exerts a biphasic "dose response" curve in cardiovascular pathophysiology and may cause deleterious effects, even in non-toxic doses. VD exerts its cellular functions by binding to VD receptor.

Cardiovascular benefits of a home-based exercise program in patients with sickle cell disease.

Background: Physical inactivity is an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The benefits of exercise in patients with chronic diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, are well established. For patients with sickle cell disease, medical recommendation was to avoid physical exercise for fear of triggering painful crises or increasing the impairment of the cardiopulmonary function.

Use of ivermectin in the treatment of Covid-19: A pilot trial.

Objectives: In this randomized open-label trial pilot study we assessed the antiviral effects and safety of various doses of ivermectin in patients with mild clinical symptoms of COVID-19.

Methods: Patients were randomly assigned to receive standard of care (SOC) treatment at hospital admission; SOC plus ivermectin 100 mcg/kg; SOC plus ivermectin 200 mcg/kg; or SOC plus ivermectin 400 mcg/kg. The primary assessed endpoint was the proportion of patients who achieved two consecutive negative SARS-CoV-2 RT PCR tests within 7 days of the start of the dosing period.

Eccentric Left Ventricular Hypertrophy and Left and Right Cardiac Function in Chronic Heart Failure with or without Coexisting COPD: Impact on Exercise Performance.

Aim: Our aim was to assess: 1) the impact of the eccentric left ventricular hypertrophy (ELVH) on exercise performance in patients diagnosed with chronic heart failure (CHF) alone and in patients with co-existing CHF and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and 2) the relationship between left and right cardiac function measurements obtained by doppler echocardiography, clinical characteristics and primary measures of cardiorespiratory fitness.

Methods: The current study included 46 patients (CHF:23 and CHF+COPD:23) that performed advanced pulmonary function tests, echocardiography and symptom-limited, incremental cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) on a cycle ergometer.

Results: Patients with CHF+COPD demonstrated a lower work rate, peak oxygen uptake (VO), oxygen pulse, rate pressure product (RPP), circulatory power (CP) and ventilatory power (VP) compared to those only diagnosed with CHF.