Abstract Background Spirometry is underused in heart failure (HF) and the extent to which each defect associates with exercise capacity and prognosis is unclear. Objective To determine the distinct relationship of continuous %predicted FVC (ppFVC) and FEV1/FVC with: 1) maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), exercise performance; and 2) prognosis for the composite of cardiovascular death, heart transplantation or left ventricular assist device implant. Methods A cohort of 111 HF participants (AHA stages C/D) without diagnosed pneumopathy, […]

Introduction Beginning on December 31, 2019, in China, the coronavirus (Sars-Cov-2) has been the target of studies in the most diverse medical fields, with cardiology as one of the major pillars of evolution. Chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease dramatically increase the negative outcome of infected patients. According to data from the American College of Cardiology (ACC), in this profile of the general population, hospitalization levels resulting from COVID-19 hit 50% […]

Clinical Case A 64-year-old woman with a history of Diabetes and Hypertension was admitted to the emergency department with acute dyspnea and chest pain. Physical examination revealed hypertension, sinus tachycardia (150 bpm), acute pulmonary edema and poor extremity perfusion. In the context of respiratory failure and hemodynamic instability, she required invasive mechanical ventilation. Blood works showed increased levels of hs-TroponinT (rising from 800 to 1600 ng/L) and the ECG showed poor R wave progression and incomplete right bundle branch block. […]

Clinical aspects The case reported is of a 36-year-old pregnant woman with repaired complex congenital heart disease, with a mechanical mitral valve prosthesis implanted 28 years before, paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, and a history of thromboembolism, a triad that characterizes a high thromboembolic risk. Notwithstanding, the patient maintained the adequate anticoagulation goal (INR = 3) until the pregnancy diagnosis, when the anticoagulation regimen of warfarin was replaced by enoxaparin due to the risk of fetal warfarin syndrome, which occurs between the […]

Clinical aspects We report the case of a 28-year female patient denying any previous morbidity, who had acute PTE and progressively developed significant functional impairment and signs suggestive of chronic PTE during follow-up until death. Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is the third most frequent cause of cardiovascular disease in the general population, with an annual incidence of 100 to 200 cases per 100000 inhabitants, acute PTE being its most severe clinical presentation. The prevalence and incidence of spontaneous VTE in young […]