Profile and Prognostic Impact of Multimorbidity in Elderly Patients with Heart Failure: Are there Differences between Men and Women?

Purpose Of Review: Heart failure (HF) represents a pathology in constant growth, but, despite the fact that a significant proportion of its population is comprised of elderly patients, they are not adequately represented in clinical trials or registries. They constitute a heterogeneous population with their particularities and interaction of the multiple comorbidities that characterize this age group, which makes the clinical course, prognosis and outcomes of the disease different.

Recent Findings: Compared to men, women with HF tend to be older, with a greater burden of non-cardiovascular comorbidities, less ischemic heart disease and preserved ventricular function in most cases.

Left Atrial Peak Systolic Strain as an Indicator Pathway of Diastolic Dysfunction of the Left Ventricle.

Background: Left atrial peak systolic strain (LA-PSS) imaging is an emerging index of left atrial function, and it was shown to be decreased in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (EF). We aimed to determine whether LA-PSS could be used as an additional diagnostic parameter to current existing guidelines for the presence of left ventricle diastolic dysfunction (LVDD).

Materials And Methods: A total of 190 consecutive adult patients with cardiovascular risk factors and normal left ventricle EF with no prior history of heart failure were included in the study.

ST-Segment Elevation Acute Myocardial Infarction Associated to Covid-19 Vaccination in A Healthy Young Adult with Normal Coronary Arteries.

Despite the beneficial effects of anti-COVID-19 vaccination, monitoring its safety has identified potential cardiac adverse events, mainly myocarditis and pericarditis. The case of a healthy 32-year-old male patient who developed acute myocardial infarction (AMI) 48 hours after the second dose of anti-COVID-19 mRNA vaccine (BNT162b2) is reported. This is the first reported case in the literature of an AMI associated to post-COVID-19 vaccination with mRNA vaccine (BNT162b2) in a healthy young adult without coronary risk factors and normal coronary arteries.

Role of the Electrocardiographic MVP Risk Score (Morphology-Voltage-P Wave Duration) in Predicting the Development of Atrial Fibrillation in Patients With Systemic Arterial Hypertension.

Background: There is a global tendency to emphasize the prevention and early diagnosis of diseases that have a great impact on public health. Atrial fibrillation (AF) has a prevalence affecting 1.5-2% of the general population.

The relation between QRS complex fragmentation and segmental abnormalities of the myocardial contractility in patients with coronary artery disease.

Background: Fragmented QRS (fQRS) is defined as any QRS complex with duration of less than 120 ms (ms) and at least one notch in the R or S wave in two or more leads belonging to the same coronary territory. The fQRS represents a delay in ventricular conduction caused by a myocardial scar associated to arrhythmic events.

Methods: This is a descriptive, retrospective, cross-sectional study of a total of 123 patientsadmitted with ischemic heart disease.

Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation of Vagal Mechanism with Episodes of Wide QRS Complex Tachycardia Due to Gouaux-Ashman's Phenomenon.

A 38-year-old male patient consulted for nocturnal palpitations described as fast chest pounding that woke him up from sleep. A physical examination yielded no remarkable findings. A 24-hour Holter ECG monitoring demonstrated nocturnal episodes of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) with the coexistence of wide QRS complex tachycardia.

The Association Between Atrial Fibrillation and Endurance Physical Activity: How Much is too Much?

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia in middle-aged athletes. Physical exercise performed in a regular basis has been shown to be beneficial for cardiovascular health. Moderate physical exercise, aside from producing a nice, peaceful and well-being sensation, has been associated with a reduced risk of AF.

Association of QRS Complex Fragmentation with QT Interval Prolongation in Patients with Ischemic Heart Disease.

Background: The fragmented QRS complex (FQRS) was found to be associated to malignant ventricular arrhythmias and sudden death in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and other entities. There is scant data available correlating the presence of FQRS with QT interval prolongation in patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD).

Methods: A descriptive, retrospective, cross-sectional study was performed in 123 patients with IHD to analyze and correlate the presence of FQRS with QT interval prolongation in the conventional 12-leads electrocardiogram in patients with documented chronic IHD.

Myocardial Fibrosis as a Pathway of Prediction of Ventricular Arrhythmias and Sudden Cardiac Death in Patients With Nonischemic Dilated Cardiomyopathy.

The mechanism of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in patients with nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (NIDCM) is mostly due to sustained ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation. The clinical guidelines for the therapeutic management of this set of patients are mostly based on left ventricular ejection fraction value which has a low specificity to differentiate the risk of SCD from the risk of mortality associated with heart failure or other comorbidities. Moreover, since SCD can occur in patients with normal or mildly depressed ejection fraction, it is necessary to identify new markers to improve the prognostic stratification of SCD.

Atrioventricular Nodal Catheter Ablation in Atrial Fibrillation Complicating Congestive Heart Failure.

The development of atrial fibrillation (AF) during the course of the evolution of heart failure (HF) worsens the clinical outcomes and the prognosis accounting for an enormous economic burden on healthcare. AF is considered to be an independent predictor of morbidity and mortality increasing the risk of death and hospitalization in 76% in HF patients. Despite the good clinical results obtained with conventional pharmacological agents and different new drugs, the optimal medical treatment can fail in the intention to improve symptoms and quality of life of HF patients with severe left ventricular dysfunction and AF with uncontrolled ventricular rate.