Electrocardiographic and Autonomic Nervous System Changes after Changes in the Posture of Children and Adolescents with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

Background: Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is a rare inherited neuromuscular disease. At first, cardiac involvement may be asymptomatic. Therefore, assessing patients using non-invasive methods can help detect any changes.

Clinical and Autonomic Profile, and Modified Calgary Score for Children and Adolescents with Presumed Vasovagal Syncope Submitted to the Tilt Test.

Background: In the pediatric population, syncope is mainly from vasovagal (VVS) origin. Its evaluation must be done by clinical methods, and the tilt test (TT) can contribute to the diagnosis.

Objectives: To analyze the clinical profile, Calgary and modified Calgary scores, response to TT and heart rate variability (HRV) of patients aged ≤ 18 years with presumed VVS.

The First Brazilian Cardiovascular Registry of Atrial Fibrillation: Primary Results of the RECALL Study.

Background: It is estimated that atrial fibrillation (AF) affects approximately 1.5 million people in Brazil; however, epidemiological data are limited. We sought to evaluate the characteristics, treatment patterns, and clinical outcomes in patients with AF in Brazil by creating the first nationwide prospective registry.

Vasoactive Biomarkers in Patients With Vasovagal Syncope During Head-Up Tilt Test: A Case-Control Study.

Background: Vasovagal syncope (VVS) is the most common cause of syncope. Some stages of its pathophysiological mechanisms remain unclear. Vasoactive substances such as nitric oxide metabolites (NOx) and endothelin (ET) may be involved during acute orthostatic stress.

Cardiac and Vascular Causes of Syncope and Atherosclerosis.

Purpose Of Review: Among the most common causes of cardiac syncope are arrhythmias and ischemic heart disease, both of which can coexist. The purpose of this review is to discuss the main causes of cardiac and vascular syncope related to atherosclerosis, its epidemiological and clinical aspects, warning signs, and initial approach.

Recent Findings: Cardiac syncope may have a frequency of up to 34% in elderly people.

Anticoagulation in Atrial Fibrillation Associated with Mitral Stenosis.

Rheumatic valve disease is present in 0.4 % of the word population, mainly in lowincome countries. Rheumatic mitral stenosis affects more women and between 40 to 75 % of patients may have atrial fibrillation (AF), more frequently in upper-middle income countries.

Clinical Profile and Outcome of Patients with Cardiac Implantable Electronic Device-Related Infection.

Background: In recent years, the incidence of infections related to cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIED) has increased sharply, impacting mortality.

Objective: To verify the proportion of patients with CIED infection; to analyze their clinical profile and the variables related to the infection and its progression.

Methods: Retrospective and longitudinal observational study including 123 patients with CIED infection among 6406 procedures.

Effects of Radiotherapy in Coronary Artery Disease.

Purpose Of Review: This review describes the effects of radiotherapy (RT) on coronary artery disease, its mechanisms, and clinical and laboratory evidence and discusses ways to minimize radiation-induced coronary atherosclerosis.

Recent Findings: Radiation-induced cardiac toxicity is known in patients undergoing thoracic RT. One of the damages occurs in the coronary arteries, with accelerated atherosclerosis manifesting decades later.

Atrial Fibrillation and Risk of Dementia: Epidemiology, Mechanisms, and Effect of Anticoagulation.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is one of the cardiovascular risk factors for dementia. Several longitudinal studies have reported an association between AF and dementia independently of stroke history. Although the mechanisms underlying this association are not fully understood, proposed mechanisms include cerebral hypoperfusion, inflammation, genetic factors, cerebral microbleeds, and recurrent silent cerebral ischemia.

How Heart Rate Should Be Controlled in Patients with Atherosclerosis and Heart Failure.

Purpose Of Review: Resting heart rate is an independent risk factor for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in patients with heart failure. The main objectives are to discuss the prognosis of heart rate, its association with coronary atherosclerosis, and the modalities of control of the heart rate in sinus rhythm and in the rhythm of atrial fibrillation in patients with chronic heart failure.

Recent Findings: As a therapeutic option for control heart rate, medications such as beta-blockers, digoxin, and finally ivabradine have been studied.

High-density lipoprotein-cholesterol functionality and metabolic syndrome: Protocol for review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and MetS-related stroke is set to increase dramatically in coming decades. MetS is a complex disease that includes endothelial dysfunction, insulin resistance, diabetes, hypertension, ectopic obesity, and dyslipidaemia and an increased risk of cardiovascular events. One function of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (HDL-C) is the cholesterol-efflux pathway, which is the pathway where cholesterol is removed from macrophages within the arterial walls back into the bloodstream and out to the liver.

Epicardial adipose tissue and carotid artery disease: Protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Atherosclerosis is now widely recognized as a multifactorial disease with outcomes that arise from complex factors such as plaque components, blood flow, and inflammation. Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) is a metabolically active fat depot, abundant in proinflammatory cytokines, and has been correlated with the extent and severity of carotid artery disease (CD). The locations most frequently affected by carotid atherosclerosis are the proximal internal carotid artery (ie, the origin) and the common carotid artery bifurcation.

Epicardial adipose tissue and metabolic syndrome: An update protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and MetS-related stroke is set to increase dramatically in coming decades. MetS is a complex disease that includes endothelial dysfunction, insulin resistance, diabetes, hypertension, ectopic obesity, and dyslipidaemia, and an increased risk of cardiovascular events. However, there are no systematic analyses, or well-conducted meta-analyses to evaluate the relationship between epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) and (MetS).

Metabolic syndrome and risk of stroke: Protocol for an update systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: The metabolic syndrome is composed of several cardiovascular risk factors and has a high prevalence throughout the world. However, there are no systematic analyses or well-conducted meta-analyses to evaluate the relationship between metabolic syndrome and stroke. The aim of this study is to examine this association of metabolic syndrome with stroke in different ages and sex.

Statins in adult patients with HIV: Protocol for a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Background: Patients with HIV have been found to suffer from lipid abnormalities, including elevated levels of total and LDL-cholesterol as well as triglyceride levels. Abnormal lipid levels are associated with an increased risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, which are significant causes of mortality among the general population. Therefore, the objective of the current study is to conduct a systematic review with network meta-analysis to compare the effects of statins classes on HIV patients.

Heart Rate and its Variability Assessed by Spectral Analysis in Elderly Subjects with Orthostatic Hypotension: A Case-Control Study.

Background: The prevalence of orthostatic hypotension (OH) increases with age and is associated with changes in autonomic regulation of blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR).

Objective: to assess HR and HR variability (HRV) in elderly subjects with OH and determine OH predictors.

Methods: a total of 105 patients aged ≥ 60 years, 39 with OH (case group) and 66 without OH (control group) (age-matched) were studied.

Thromboembolism and bleeding risk scores and predictors of cardiac death in a population with atrial fibrillation.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common arrhythmia, with risk of systemic embolism and death. It presents rheumatic etiology in up to 32% of developing countries, whose anticoagulation and evolution data are scarce.

Objectives: to determine the predictors of cardiac death considering the clinical profile, thromboembolism and bleeding scores of patients with AF of a single center, with high prevalence of rheumatic heart disease.

Analysis of Heart Rate Variability Before and During Tilt Test in Patients with Cardioinhibitory Vasovagal Syncope.

Background: Cardioinhibitory vasovagal response is uncommon during the tilt test (TT). Heart rate variability (HRV) by use of spectral analysis can distinguish patients with that response.

Objective: To compare the HRV in patients with cardioinhibitory vasovagal syncope (case group - G1) with that in patients without syncope and with negative response to TT (control group - G2).

Influence of Inflammation and Atherosclerosis in Atrial Fibrillation.

Background: Inflammation markers have been associated with cardiovascular diseases including atrial fibrillation. This arrhythmia is the most frequent, with an incidence of 38/1000 person-years.

Purpose Of Review: The aims of this study are to discuss the association between inflammation, atherosclerosis and atrial fibrillation and its clinical implications.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation of adults with in-hospital cardiac arrest using the Utstein style.

Objective:: The objective of this study was to analyze the clinical profile of patients with in-hospital cardiac arrest using the Utstein style.

Methods:: This study is an observational, prospective, longitudinal study of patients with cardiac arrest treated in intensive care units over a period of 1 year.

Results:: The study included 89 patients who underwent cardiopulmonary resuscitation maneuvers.

The Current Indication for Pacemaker in Patients with Cardioinhibitory Vasovagal Syncope.

The most frequent cause of syncope is vasovagal reflex. It is associated with worse quality of life, depression, fatigue and physical injury. Recurrence of vasovagal syncope is an aggravating, reaching the rate of 69%.

Atrial Fibrillation: Epidemiology and Peculiarities in the Elderly.

The prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF) increases with age and two-thirds of patients with AF aged over 75 years. In addition, comorbidities are frequent in the elderly and worsen the prognosis. There are poorer quality of life, increased number of hospitalizations and cardiovascular events.

Atrial fibrillation in the elderly.

The prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF) increases with age and two-thirds of patients with AF aged over 75 years. In addition, co-morbidities are frequent in the elderly and worsen the prognosis. There are poorer quality of life, increased number of hospitalizations and cardiovascular events.