Heart rate variability and functional severity of congestive heart failure secondary to coronary artery disease.

To investigate the behaviour of heart rate variability (HRV) with the advancing severity of heart failure (CHF) we studied 20 normal subjects and 80 coronary artery disease (CAD) patients in sinus rhythm. CAD patients were selected consecutively in order to form four equal groups of 20 subjects with different degrees of CHF according to the New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional classification. In each subject a 24 h ECG Holter tape was recorded and subsequently analysed to obtain measures of heart rate and HRV.

[Study of myocardial perfusion at rest using technetium Tc 99m methoxy-isobutylisonitrile: comparison with labeled microspheres and thallium 201].

In order to evaluate the potential usefulness of 99m technetium (Tc)-methoxy-isobutyl-isonitrile (MIBI) as a myocardial perfusion tracer in man, its myocardial distribution at rest was compared with that of 201thallium (TI). Perfusion images obtained with 99mTc-labelled microspheres, whose myocardial distribution is exclusively coronary flow dependent, were used as reference. The study was performed on twelve patients (10 males and 2 females, mean age 55.

[Echocardiographic features of the St. Jude Medical valve prosthesis (author's transl)].

The St. Jude Medical (SJM) valve is a new low-profile bileaflet prosthesis with central flow, low transvalvular gradients and low thrombogenicity. Echocardiographic features of 212 correctly functioning SJM prostheses implanted in 160 patients were studied.

[Long-term prognosis of survivors from anterior myocardial infarction complicatedy by complete atrio-ventricular block (author's transl)].

Thirteen patients out of 42 affected by acute myocardial infarction complicated by atrio-ventricular block survived the illness and were discharged from hospital. Eight of these patients (60%) died, all in the first six months of follow up: 3 suddenly and 5 in consequence of progressive heart failure. Dead patients were all in III or IV class of the N.