[Hospital admissions for congestive heart failure in Piedmont, Italy: 1996-2001 trend].

Background: Since epidemiological studies on congestive heart failure (CHF) have shown somewhat contradictory results, detailed analyses of local trends may be useful in order to plan health strategies.

Methods: All patients discharged from public hospitals between 1996 and 2001 with a DRG 127 were evaluated. For patients living in the city of Turin, 1- and 12-month survival analysis was performed.

Influence of treatment delay on long-term left ventricular function in patients with acute myocardial infarction successfully treated with primary angioplasty.

Background: Myocardial salvage has been shown to be dependent on the time elapsed from the onset of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) to reperfusion. The aim of this study was to evaluate the importance of time to reperfusion for left ventricular function recovery after primary angioplasty (percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty [PTCA]) for AMI.

Methods: Ninety-five patients undergoing long-term successful PTCA for AMI were studied.

Evidence of functional alterations in sympathetic activity after myocardial infarction.

To assess whether the presence of areas of efferent sympathetic denervation might contribute to alterations in sympathetic and vagal neural regulatory activities observed after myocardial infarction, we attempted to correlate the changes in the spectral components of RR variability with the I-123 MIBG and Thallium-201 uptake defects. Ten patients with first and uncomplicated myocardial infarction were studied. Thallium-201 and I-123 MIBG scintigraphy as well as spectral analysis of heart rate variability were performed 7 days, 4, 12 and 30 months after the acute event.