In-hospital and 1-year outcomes of acute heart failure patients according to presentation (de novo vs. worsening) and ejection fraction. Results from IN-HF Outcome Registry.

Background: To investigate the outcomes of hospitalized patients with both de-novo and worsening heart failure (HF) with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (HFpEF) (LVEF ≥ 50%), compared to those with reduced LVEF (HFrEF).

Methods And Results: We studied 1669 patients (22.6% HFpEF) hospitalized for acute HF in the prospective multi-center nationwide Italian Network on Heart Failure (IN-HF) Outcome Registry.

Plasma n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in chronic heart failure in the GISSI-Heart Failure Trial: relation with fish intake, circulating biomarkers, and mortality.

Unlabelled: Treatment with long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) can improve clinical outcomes in patients with heart failure (HF). Circulating levels of n-3 PUFA, an objective estimation of exposure, have never been measured in a large cohort of patients with HF.

Methods: We measured n-3 PUFA in plasma phospholipids at baseline and after 3 months in 1,203 patients with chronic HF enrolled in the GISSI-Heart Failure trial and randomized to n-3 PUFA 1 g/daily or placebo.

Delayed diagnosis of Fabry disease presenting as myocardial ischaemia.

ERRATUM: Hellenic J Cardiol. 2012; 53: 77-79. At the request of the authors, the name of the third author of this Case Report has been changed from Bruno Tuttolomondo to Antonino Tuttolomondo.

Delayed diagnosis of Fabry disease presenting as myocardial ischaemia.

Cardiovascular complications due to the accumulation of globotriaosylceramide in cardiac cells occur in almost all patients affected by Anderson-Fabry disease. Cardiac manifestations include left ventricular hypertrophy, mitral regurgitation, conduction disturbances and myocardial ischaemia. We report a case of Fabry's disease diagnosed several years after the onset of early cardiac symptoms.

Age-dependent prognostic significance of atrial fibrillation in outpatients with chronic heart failure: data from the Italian Network on Congestive Heart Failure Registry.

Objectives: The role of atrial fibrillation (AF) in older patients with heart failure (HF) is controversial because many variables seem to influence their outcome. We investigated the predictivity of AF in 3 age groups of outpatients with HF.

Methods: We analyzed 8,178 outpatients enrolled in the Italian Network on Congestive Heart Failure Registry with HF diagnosed according to the European Society of Cardiology criteria.

[Metabolic syndrome: a true syndrome or only a cluster of risk factors?].

Although the classical cardiovascular risk factors (such as smoking, hypertension and hypercholesterolemia) are becoming gradually more effectively controlled, a continuous increase of the so-called "cardiometabolic risk" linked to obesity and impaired glycemic control is observed. Starting from the beginning of this century, the definition of the "metabolic syndrome" has become very popular to identify a combination of different factors concurring to increase cardiovascular risk. In the medical literature a controversy does exist concerning this question: is the metabolic syndrome a real syndrome or should it be considered a simple cluster of risk factors? In this synthetic review the analysis of the most recent studies suggests that a) the metabolic syndrome causes an increased cardiovascular risk; b) this risk varies in accordance with the number and characteristics of the diagnostic criteria used; and c) the adjustment for the traditional risk factors lowers but does not eliminate entirely the incremental relative risk attributable to the metabolic syndrome.

Programme to improve the use of beta-blockers for heart failure in the elderly and in those with severe symptoms: results of the BRING-UP 2 Study.

Background: Beta-blockers are underused in HF patients, thus strategies to implement their use are needed.

Objectives: To improve beta-blocker use in elderly and/or patients with severe heart failure (HF) and to evaluate safety and outcome.

Methods: Patients with symptomatic HF and age>/=70 years or left ventricular EF<25% and symptoms at rest were enrolled, including those already on beta-blocker treatment.