2016 ESC Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic heart failure: The Task Force for the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic heart failure of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). Developed with the special contribution of the Heart Failure Association (HFA) of the ESC.

ACC/AHA
: American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association
ACCF/AHA
: American College of Cardiology Foundation/American Heart Association
ACE
: angiotensin-converting enzyme
ACEI
: angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor
ACS
: acute coronary syndrome
AF
: atrial fibrillation

/pdf/2016-esc-guidelines-for-the-diagnosis-and-treatment-of-acute-z18hg30pp1.pdf

2016 ESC Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic heart failure

/pdf/2016-esc-guidelines-for-the-diagnosis-and-treatment-of-acute-53v7yllhiz.pdf

ESC guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic heart failure 2012 : The Task Force for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Acute and Chronic Heart Failure 2012 of the European Society of Cardiology. Developed in collaboration with the Heart Failure Association (HFA) of the ESC

https://anmco.it/uploads/u_cms/media/2014/12/798e9298d77b7b8c9aa0514e43fe95a2.pdf

ESC guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic heart failure 2012: The Task Force for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Acute and Chronic Heart Failure 2012 of the European Society of Cardiology. Developed in collaboration with the Heart Failure Association (HFA) of the ESC.

2018 ESC/ESH Guidelines for the management of arterial hypertension.

/pdf/the-conundrum-of-mitral-valve-etiology-and-the-association-54dxcrf6m2.pdf

The conundrum of mitral valve etiology and the association with clinical outcomes.

https://rihuc.huc.min-saude.pt/bitstream/10400.4/2208/1/Vascular%20effects%20of%20a%20polyphenolic%20fraction%20from.pdf

Vascular effects of a polyphenolic fraction from Oxalis pes-caprae L.: role of α-adrenergic receptors Sub-types

Background:Right ventricular (RV) afterload is an important risk factor for post-heart transplantation (HTx) mortality, and it results from the interaction between pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) and pulmonary compliance (CPA). Their product, the RC time, is believed to be constant. An exception is observed in pulmonary hypertension because of elevated left ventricular (LV) filling pressures.Objective:Using HTx as a model for chronic lowering of LV filling pressures, our aim was to assess the variations in RV afterload components after transplantation.Methods:We retrospectively studied 159 patients with right heart catheterization before and after HTx. The effect of Htx on hemodynamic variables was assessed.Results:Most of the patients were male (76%), and the mean age was 53 ± 12 years. HTx had a significant effect on the hemodynamics, with normalization of the LV and RV filling pressures and a significant increase in cardiac output and heart rate (HR). The PVR decreased by 56% and CPA increased by 86%. The RC time did not change significantly, instead of increasing secondary to pulmonary wedge pressure (PWP) normalization after HTx as expected. The expected increase in RC time with PWP lowering was offset by the increase in HR (because of autonomic denervation of the heart). This effect was independent from the decrease of PWP.Conclusion:The RC time remained unchanged after HTx, notwithstanding the fact that pulmonary capillary wedge pressure significantly decreased. An increased HR may have an important effect on RC time and RV afterload. Studying these interactions may be of value to the assessment of HTx candidates and explaining early RV failure after HTx.

http://www.scielo.br/pdf/abc/v105n3/0066-782X-abc-20150083.pdf

Lowering pulmonary wedge pressure after heart transplant: pulmonary compliance and resistance effect.

The natural history of the LV systolic function (LV-SF) and functional capacity of survivors of heart transplantation (Htx) has not been defined. Some investigators suggest that SF may be different in recipients with different pre-transplant aetiologies: ischaemic or dilated, idiopathic disease. Routine transthoracic echocardiograms (TTE) were performed during a 1-year follow-up in 48 Htx recipients (total 864 examinations; mean 18/patient). Patients were divided into two groups based on pre-transplant diagnosis: ischaemic (CAD-CMP: n=13, age 54+/-1.7 years, 23% females) and idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (ID-CMP: n=35, age 51+/-2.3 years, 26% females). Patients with valvular and toxic aetiology were excluded. All patients underwent left ventriculography (VENT) 12-15 months after Htx. The majority of 1-year survivors of Htx maintained normal LV-SF: mean LVEF 65+/-4% by echocardiography and 68+/-3% by ventriculography, but in the ID-CMP group LVEF was significantly higher: 67+/-4% vs. 62+/-4% (TTE) and 77+/-4% vs. 60+/-4% (VENT), without significant differences in functional capacity (NYHA). 82.9% of ID-CMP patients had LVEF >65% vs. 39% in CAD-CMP. The incidence of acute cellular rejection, freedom from cardiac vasculopathy, renal failure, diabetes, hypertension and pre-transplant alloantibody level was similar. Our study shows a strong correlation between pre-transplant heart disease and the systolic function of the cardiac allograft at 1-year follow-up.

https://rihuc.huc.min-saude.pt/bitstream/10400.4/505/1/Interact%20Cardiovasc%20Thorac%20Surg%20586.pdf

Manuel J. Antunes

Papers

The conundrum of mitral valve etiology and the association with clinical outcomes.

Vascular effects of a polyphenolic fraction from Oxalis pes-caprae L.: role of α-adrenergic receptors Sub-types

Lowering pulmonary wedge pressure after heart transplant: pulmonary compliance and resistance effect.

Cardiac allograft systolic function. Is the aetiology (ischaemic or idiopathic) a determinant of ventricular function in the heart transplant patient

Wytyczne dotycza̧ce zapobiegania, rozpoznawania i leczenia infekcyjnego zapalenia wsierdzia (nowa wersja - 2009)