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Query: UMLS:C0018799 (heart disease)
 34,133 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease (RF/RHD) and congenital heart disease cause considerable disability and mortality among children, especially in developing countries. In the Shimla Hills of northern India, integrated first-level symptom-based screening for cardiovascular diseases has been conducted in 15,080 schoolchildren aged 5-16 years, with good results. Histories of fever, sore throat, swollen or painful joints, breathlessness, fatigue, and involuntary movements were noted. A physician then looked for objective evidence of RF/RHD, congenital heart disease, or functional murmur in all of the children. When any of those conditions was suspected, the cases were referred to a cardiologist at a tertiary care center, where detailed investigations were conducted. There were 45 cases of RF/RHD, 912 of functional murmur, and 34 of congenital heart disease. Traditional secondary prophylaxis programs for RF/RHD usually exclude congenital heart disease cases even though they also need treatment. This strategy used in Shimla Hills is more ethical and cost-effective than screening programs concerned exclusively with the control of RF/RHD.
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PMID:Integrated community-based screening for cardiovascular diseases of childhood. 961 Feb 50

Atrial tachycardias, in particular atrial flutter after surgery for congenital heart disease, is associated with a high mortality. Treatment with various antiarrhythmic drugs and/or antitachycardia pacemakers is not very successful. Sotalol, a Class III drug, has shown to be a promising drug in adults with atrial tachycardias. However, the experience with sotalol in children after surgery for congenital heart disease is limited. Therefore, we describe our results here. Between December 1990 and February 1997, 26 children with atrial tachycardias, most of them with atrial flutter or fibrillation (n = 20), after surgery for congenital heart disease were treated with sotalol orally. The age of the children at the start of treatment was 7.5 +/- 5.8 years (mean +/- SD). The time interval between surgery and the start of atrial tachycardia ranged from 1 day to 14.3 years (3.8 +/- 3.8 years). Conversion to sinus rhythm was achieved in 16 out of 22 hemodynamically stable children with a dosage of 4.0 +/- 1.6 mg/kg per day. The six children without sinus rhythm on sotalol and four hemodynamically unstable patients were treated prophylactically with sotalol after DC cardioversion for their tachycardias. Two children complained of mild transient fatigue. Heart rate decreased during therapy (95 +/- 33 vs 81 +/- 21 beats/min; P = 0.01). QTc-intervals did not change. Proarrhythmias such as torsades de pointes were not encountered. Two children with a preexistent sick sinus syndrome showed aggravation of bradycardia and needed pacemaker implantation. The percentage of children with a recurrence-free interval of 1 and 2 years was 96% and 81%, respectively, for all atrial tachycardias, and 92% and 66% for atrial flutter. The recurrences of atrial tachycardias during the follow-up period, which ranged from 0.1-6.1 years (2.5 +/- 1.8 years) could be treated with only an increase of the dosage of sotalol in all but one patient. We conclude that sotalol is an effective drug for the treatment and prevention of atrial tachycardia in children after surgery for congenital heart disease.
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PMID:Sotalol for atrial tachycardias after surgery for congenital heart disease. 927 23

Objective assessment of subjective symptoms in patients with chronic heart disease (CHF) is useful not only in determining severity and prognosis, but also in evaluating the effects of therapy. Recently anaerobic threshold (AT) was introduced as an objective index for functional capacity. We began by evaluating the AT for assessing functional capacity in patients with CHF, using the cardiopulmonary exercise test. In this study, patients with CHF tended to show low values of VO2 at AT. Furthermore, VO2 at AT was decreased in accordance with the increasing severity of the NYHA classification. These results indicate that VO2 at AT can be used as an objective and reliable index for evaluating the functional capacity in patients with CHF. Decreased functional capacity is a major clinical problem in patients with CHF and is associated with skeletal muscle fatigue and/or dyspnea. Secondly, we observed the oxygenation of both working skeletal and respiratory muscles during exercise, using near-infrared spectroscopy to study the factors contributing to exercise limitation of CHF. In this study, the oxygenation profile of exercising skeletal muscle was similar to that of respiratory muscle, but the former showed anaerobic metabolism at an earlier stage of exercise than the latter. In patients with CHF this phenomenon was more prominent than that in normal subjects. These results indicate that near-infrared spectroscopy might be useful in objective assessment of subjective symptoms, namely skeletal muscle fatigue and dyspnea, in patients with CHF.
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PMID:[Objective assessment of subjective symptom in chronic heart failure]. 949 36

We reviewed clinical presentation, investigations, therapy, prognosis and outcome of 232 patients with primary (AL) cardiac amyloidosis. There were 142 men and 90 women. Median age at presentation was 59 years (range 29-85). AL heart disease was unusual both in patients under the age of 40 (3.0%) and in non-Caucasians (6.5%). Fatigue and weakness were the commonest presenting symptoms. Hallmark features of periorbital ecchymoses and macroglossia were present in 12.5% and 27.2%, respectively. AL cardiac amyloidosis was unusual in isolation (3.9%), and most frequently patients had features of multiorgan dysfunction; heavy proteinuria and features of malabsorption predominating in this respect. Heart involvement represents the worst prognostic indicator, with a median survival from diagnosis of 1.08 years, falling to 0.75 years with the onset of heart failure. Current therapeutic procedures appear to prolong survival, with left ventricular wall thickness, mass and ejection fraction on echocardiography and late potentials on signal averaged electrocardiography of use in prognostic stratification. Cardiac involvement from AL amyloidosis is rapidly fatal. It should be suspected in all patients with heart failure who have wall thickening on echo, normal chamber sizes, low EKG voltages and evidence suggesting a multisystem disease.
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PMID:The clinical features of immunoglobulin light-chain (AL) amyloidosis with heart involvement. 957 96

The incidence of cardiovascular events during travel is rising with the age of the population and number of traveling seniors. Cardiovascular events are the second most frequent reason for medical evacuation and the cause of 50% of deaths recorded during commercial air travel. In most cases the underlying disorder is coronary artery disease which is readily destabilized by stress and fatigue associated with travel. Inflight conditions that can cause problems include altitude-related hypoxia, pressurization, and cramped seating in most sections of the plane. Upon arrival the traveler is exposed to a variety of climatic, food, and environmental factors that can trigger manifestations of latent heart disease. Prophylactic drugs for tropical infectious disease (especially antimalarials of the quinidine group) should be used with caution due to possible adverse interaction with medications used to treat heart disease. A pre-travel examination is necessary to ascertain cardiovascular status and define simple preventive precautions.
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PMID:[Cardiovascular risk for the traveler]. 961 52

To investigate the possible effects of long commuting time and extensive overtime on daytime cardiac autonomic activity, the short-term heart rate variability (HRV) both at supine rest and at standing rest of 223 male white-collar workers in the Tokyo Megalopolis was examined. Workers with a one-way commute of 90 min or more exhibited decreased vagal activity at supine rest and increased sympathetic activity regardless of posture, and those doing overtime of 60 h/month or more exhibited decreased vagal activity and increased sympathetic activity at standing rest. These findings suggest that chronic stress or fatigue resulting from long commuting time or extensive overtime caused these individuals to be in a sympathodominant state. Although these shifts in autonomic activities are not direct indicators of disease, it can be hypothesized that they can induce cardiovascular abnormalities or dysfunctions related to the onset of heart disease. Assessment of the daily and weekly variations in HRV as a function of daily life activities (such as working, commuting, sleeping, and exercising) among workers in Asia-Pacific urban areas might be one way of studying the possible effects of long commuting time, and extensive overtime, on health.
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PMID:Long commuting time, extensive overtime, and sympathodominant state assessed in terms of short-term heart rate variability among male white-collar workers in the Tokyo megalopolis. 970 98

Despite the well-established benefits of breastfeeding, there is little literature about breastfeeding the infant with a congenital cardiac defect. This paper describes the experience of 12 mothers of infants with cardiac defects. These mothers responded to an informal survey and described numerous obstacles to success such as maternal fatigue, anxiety, separation from infant, institutional policy, and lack of support from health care providers. Mothers compared sources of help and identified coping strategies. Perceived benefits of breastfeeding included decreased illness, decreased stress, feeling part of the infant's health care team, and maintaining a relationship with the infant. Recommendations for assisting the mother nursing an infant with congenital heart disease are included.
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PMID:Breastfeeding the infant/child with a cardiac defect: an informal survey. 1020 30

Since the mid-1980s resistance training has become an accepted part of the exercise rehabilitation process for patients eligible for traditional cardiac rehabilitation programs. A growing number of studies have demonstrated the safety of resistance training in Phase III/IV programs (Phase III--community based, beginning 6-12 wk posthospital discharge; a typical patient would be clinically stable with a functional capacity of > or = 5 METs; Phase IV--long-term maintenance) and more recently in Phase II (beginning within 3 wk posthospital discharge and lasting up to 3 months). Evidence is consistent that this form of training provokes fewer signs and symptoms of myocardial ischemia than aerobic testing and training, perhaps because of a lower heart rate (HR) and higher diastolic pressure combining to produce improved coronary artery filling. The major role of resistance training in heart disease patients is to promote increased dynamic muscle strength. Increases in muscular strength have been associated with increased peak exercise performance, improved submaximal endurance, and reduced ratings of perceived leg effort. Two studies show that resistance training may result in improved self-efficacy for strength and exercise tasks and improved quality of life parameters such as total mood disturbance, depression/dejection, fatigue/inertia, and emotional health domain scores. The data on risk factor modification are somewhat equivocal. Studies on blood lipid profiles have mostly been contaminated by confounders, and the effects on blood pressure (BP) are inconsistent. There are encouraging reports that resistance training may increase glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity, independent of changes in body fat or aerobic capacity. Future studies are needed in patients with congestive heart failure and orthotopic heart transplantation; muscle weakness is common in these groups and makes them excellent candidates to benefit from this form of exercise.
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PMID:Role of resistance training in heart disease. 978 66

Infants with cyanotic congenital heart disease (CCHD) often have reduced weight gain compared with infants in control groups. Our purpose was to conduct a longitudinal study of energy intake, resting energy expenditure (REE), and total energy expenditure (TEE) of a group of infants with CCHD. We hypothesized that increased REE and TEE and decreased energy intake in these infants would lead to reduced growth. Ten infants with uncorrected CCHD and 12 infants in a control group were studied at 2 weeks of age and again at 3 months. Indirect calorimetry was used to determine REE; the doubly labeled water method was used to determine TEE and intake. At 2 weeks and 3 months of age, infants with CCHD weighed significantly less than infants in the control group. No significant difference was seen in energy intake or REE between groups during either period. TEE was slightly but not statistically increased in the CCHD group at 2 weeks (72.6 +/- 17.4 vs 59.8 +/- 10.9 kcal/kg/d) and significantly increased at 3 months (93.6 +/- 23.3 vs 72.2 +/- 13.2 kcal/kg/d, P </=.03). We conclude that increased TEE but not increased REE is a primary factor in the reduced growth in infants with CCHD.
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PMID:Increased energy expenditure in infants with cyanotic congenital heart disease. 984 39

This report examines health care costs in the panel of one HMO physician in relation to enrollee health status. High cost enrollees, 15% of the practice panel, accounted for 64% of total costs. For all 722 patients included in the study, the components of costs were: ambulatory visits, 40% of total costs; impatient care, 31%; pharmacy services, 10%; radiology services, 5%; and laboratory services, 4%. Patients with severe physical disease (8% of all enrollees) accounted for about one-third of total costs, while those with moderate physical disease (27% of all enrollees) accounted for an additional one-third. Patients treated for 12 chronic conditions accounted for almost two-thirds of total costs. These conditions were (in order of the contribution of patients with each condition to total costs): hypertension, cancer, abdominal pain, heart disease, diabetes, back pain, headache, depression, arthritis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, fatigue, and anxiety. Enrollees treated for one or more of these 12 conditions (37% of the practice panel) accounted for 61% of the high cost enrollees and 63% of total costs. Controlling health care costs will require cost effective systems of care for these common chronic conditions. At present, HMOs typically rely on individual providers to manage these common chronic conditions on a case by case basis, rather than organizing clinic-and HMO-wide systems of care. HMO research and quality improvement programs aimed at improving cost effectiveness might productively focus on how practice teams, clinics and the delivery system as a whole could improve the management of the common chronic conditions which affect high cost enrollees.
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PMID:High cost HMO enrollees. Analysis of one physician's panel. 1011 59


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