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Query: UMLS:C0018801 (heart failure)
 72,216 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

This review briefly overviews the pathophysiology of dyspnoea and then focuses on discussion of the most frequent causes of chronic and acute dyspnoea in the elderly. The most common causes of dyspnoea in the elderly include heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma. Other causes include parenchymal lung disease, pulmonary vascular diseases, upper airway obstruction and pneumonia. Dyspnoea should not be attributed to aging alone. Careful clinical evaluation and spirometry is indicated, and additional testing may be appropriate. In this article, emphasis is placed on the clinical manifestations of dyspnoea in the elderly and an approach to their differential diagnosis is provided. Discussion of available therapy is beyond the scope of this article.
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PMID:Dyspnoea in the elderly: a clinical approach to diagnosis. 1130 85

Two patients with von Recklinghausen disease (neurofibromatosis type 1) were admitted to the hospital because of progressive heart failure. Both patients had prominent pulmonary hypertension revealed on cardiac catheterization. A lung perfusion scan did not show any gross defect. There were no underlying causes of pulmonary hypertension in either patient, such as chronic lung disease, congenital or acquired heart disease, deep vein thrombosis, or systemic hypercoagulable states. There may be an unrecognized association between von Recklinghausen disease and pulmonary hypertension.
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PMID:von Recklinghausen disease complicated by pulmonary hypertension. 1134 77

Palliative care in the elderly appropriately takes place within a spectrum of curative, rehabilitative, preventive, and chronic disease management interventions, and seeks to optimize quality of life. Setting priorities among numerous legitimate treatment goals is the central task in the care of chronically ill frail individuals. Decision-making can be challenging when the goal of providing comfort comes into conflict with the goal of prolonging life, and should be guided whenever possible by consistently expressed preferences of the patient. The assessment and relief of distressing physical and psychological symptoms should receive active attention at all stages in the care of the frail elderly, both in the context of acute medical and surgical interventions and during the terminal phase of life. Pain and dyspnea are frequently reported by significant proportions of elderly individuals hospitalized for chronic lung disease, heart failure, and cirrhosis as well as for malignancies. In the treatment of dementia, the types of interventions that improve quality of life will differ in the early and late phases of the illness.
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PMID:[Role of palliation in the care of the elderly]. 1150 13

Pulmonary artery hypertension occurs when there is a sustained elevation of the mean pulmonary pressure above normal physiologic values. This may then lead to cor pulmonale or enlargement of the right ventricle due to any lung disease in the absence of left heart failure. When the ability of the right ventricle to compensate is overwhelmed, right-sided heart failure can occur. Pulmonary artery hypertension may be idiopathic (primary) or secondary to a variety of lung parenchymal diseases, airways disease, pulmonary circulatory disorders, systemic illnesses, or thoracic mechanical abnormalities. Treatment strategies for cor pulmonale include supplemental oxygen, assisted mechanical ventilation, digoxin, and diuretics. Pulmonary vasodilator compounds should be used with caution because they can compromise gas exchange in cor pulmonale from secondary pulmonary hypertension. Trials with digoxin and inotropic agents have been evaluated. Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors have not shown significant utility, at least acutely. Anticoagulation may decrease mortality in some patients with pulmonary artery hypertension and cor pulmonale.
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PMID:The management of cor pulmonale. 1172 94

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plays a central role in the life and death of pulmonary vascular endothelial cells. Treatment of neonatal or adult rats with a VEGF receptor blocker destroys lung capillaries by inducing endothelial cell apoptosis and causes emphysema. Human lung tissue samples from patients with endstage emphysema have decreased levels of VEGF messenger RNA and protein and have decreased expression of kinase insert domain-containing receptor (VEGF receptor II). These decreases are associated with a high rate of alveolar septal cell apoptosis, indicating perhaps that decreased VEGF and kinase insert domain-containing receptor expression impairs endothelial cell survival in emphysematous lungs. Combination of VEGF receptor blockade with chronic hypoxia (3-wk exposure) results in obliteration of small precapillary pulmonary arteries by proliferating endothelial cells, severe pulmonary hypertension, and death caused by right-side heart failure. We propose that 1) VEGF receptor blockade causes endothelial cell apoptosis, 2) hypoxic vasoconstriction (shear stress) selects apoptosis-resistant endothelial cells that proliferate and obliterate the lumen, and 3) the vascular remodeling observed is relevant to the structural alterations that characterize severe pulmonary hypertension (including primary pulmonary hypertension) in humans. The endovascular cell growth in human disease and in our model exhibits some similarities with neoplastic cell growth. Chemotherapy strategies can now be employed in the animal model in an attempt to treat established vascular-obliterative lung disease.
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PMID:Janus face of vascular endothelial growth factor: the obligatory survival factor for lung vascular endothelium controls precapillary artery remodeling in severe pulmonary hypertension. 1200 44

When evaluating dyspnea in patients with heart or lung disease it is useful to measure the quantity of ventilation needed to eliminate metabolically produced CO2 (i.e., the ventilatory efficiency). Mathematically, the relationship between ventilation (VE) and CO2 output is determined by the arterial CO2 pressure and the physiologic dead space-tidal volume ratio. We decided to determine how age, sex, size, fitness, and the type of ergometer influenced ventilatory efficiency in normal subjects. Three methods were compared for expressing this relationship: (1) the VE versus CO2 output slope below the ventilatory compensation point, commonly used by cardiologists for estimating the severity of heart failure; (2) the VE/CO2 output ratio at the anaerobic threshold, commonly used by pulmonologists; and (3) the lowest VE/CO2 output ratio during exercise, the latter parameter not previously reported. We studied 474 healthy adults, between 17 and 78 years of age during incremental cycle and treadmill cardiopulmonary exercise tests at three test sites, correcting the total VE for the equipment dead space. The lowest VE/CO2 output ratio was insignificantly different from the ratio at the anaerobic threshold, less variable than that for the slope relationship, and unaffected by the site, ergometer, and gas exchange measurement systems. The regression equation for the lowest VE/CO2 output ratio was 27.94 + 0.108 x age + (0.97 = F, 0.0 = M) - 0.0376 x height, where age is in years and height is in centimeters. We conclude that the lowest VE/CO2 output ratio is the preferred noninvasive method to estimate ventilatory inefficiency.
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PMID:Ventilatory efficiency during exercise in healthy subjects. 1245 Sep 34

A simple blood test useful to the diagnosis and follow-up of congestive heart failure would have a favorable impact on the management of a large populations of patients. Several recent studies have demonstrated that blood levels of Brain Natriuretic Peptide (BNP) may be useful for differentiating heart failure from lung disease in patients presenting to emergency department with dyspnea. Furthermore, BNP might serve as screening test for left ventricular dysfunction (systolic and diastolic), correlates with severity of congestive heart failure and is an independent predictor of outcome. Finally, BNP changes correlate with variations of hemodynamic profile induced by therapy and can be used for a noninvasive tailoring of treatment. These findings make this peptide a potential "white count" for patients with suspected or confirmed heart failure.
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PMID:[Finally a highly specific test for the differential diagnosis of dyspnea: BNP determination]. 1269 69

Ticlopidine-induced lung disease is rare. A 52-year-old man with acute myocardial infarction developed respiratory distress 2 days after receiving ticlopidine for coronary artery stenting. The dosage of ticlopidine was 500 mg orally followed by maintenance of 250 mg twice daily. Chest radiography revealed bilateral haziness predominantly over upper lung fields. He did not respond to treatment for suspected cardiogenic lung edema and mechanical ventilation was instituted. Open lung biopsy documented diffuse alveolar damage. After discontinuing ticlopidine and treatment with systemic corticosteroid, his pulmonary condition improved gradually. Within 2 weeks, the patient was successfully weaned from the ventilator. Although rare, diffuse alveolar damage is a potential side effect of ticlopidine treatment and should be included in the differential diagnoses of heart failure patients taking ticlopidine who respond poorly to optimal therapy.
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PMID:Diffuse alveolar damage associated with ticlopidine use: a case report. 1283 91

Venous thromboembolic disease (VTED) occurs commonly in geriatric medical patients, causing significant morbidity and mortality. Although VTED is preventable, prophylactic anticoagulation is underused. Awareness of the clinical risk factors that contribute to VTED in the elderly is essential for identifying candidates for prophylaxis. Iatrogenic risk factors include venous catheterization, transvenous pacemaker placement, hormone replacement therapy, and immobilization or prolonged bed rest. Medical conditions associated with increased risk include a previous episode of VTED, myocardial infarction, heart failure, severe lung disease, cancer, and neurological conditions associated with paresis. Obstacles to the widespread usage of VTED prophylaxis in geriatric medical patients include the clinically silent nature of VTED, underestimation of the risk and clinical effect of VTED in this population, and concerns about the cost and safety of anticoagulant therapy in this population. Clinical practice guidelines devised specifically for geriatric medical patients facilitate rational use of thromboprophylaxis in this population. The safety, efficacy, cost-effectiveness, and convenience of low-molecular-weight heparins for thromboprophylaxis are reflected in their increasing prominence in clinical practice guidelines and clinical use.
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PMID:Prophylactic anticoagulation for venous thromboembolic disease in geriatric patients. 1451 Nov 71

In contrast to surgical patients, prevention of acute pulmonary thromboembolism has been less well studied in hospitalized medical patients even in Western countries. But some data apparently showed the high prevalence of venous thromboembolism in medical patients. The combination of mechanical prophylactic measures should be indicated for medical patients with risk factors including stroke, cancer, prolonged bedrest, heart failure and severe lung disease. Prospective studies to evaluate the frequency of venous thromboembolism in medical patients with risk factors and the efficacy and safety of each prophylactic measure, especially of pharmacological prophylaxis are necessary to establish the guidelines for prevention of pulmonary thromboembolism for Japanese people.
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PMID:[Prevention of pulmonary thromboembolism in medical patients]. 1457 7


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