AI talks about the role of AI as a reviewer of medical papers: The peer review process is a cornerstone of scientific integrity, particularly in the field of medicine, where rigorous evaluation ensures that published research is credible, reproducible, and safe for clinical application. However, the growing volume of medical articles submitted for publication, coupled with the complexity of modern research, has strained the traditional peer review system. The use of AI in the peer review of medical articles represents […]

In clinical practice, it is not unusual to come across two relatively serious clinical conditions that occur concomitantly and may justify the patient’s symptoms. For example, associations between aortic stenosis and coronary artery disease, or between aortic stenosis and primary or secondary mitral regurgitation, both moderate to severe, are common in the real world. In the case of patients with low surgical risk, combined treatment is a consensus at the time of surgical intervention despite the consequences of these combined […]

Cardiovascular telerehabilitation – concept CTR is a program that comprises one or more components of traditional CVR, commonly offered in CVR programs at home or outside a hospital/specialized center environment; it is delivered through digital technology (telemonitoring, e-learning, telecoaching). Its objective is to manage CVD and improve different physical, emotional, psychological, and social aspects of patients, especially those located in areas with low levels of access, whether due to their place of residence or difficulty in accessing advanced care., […]

Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) is a complex clinical syndrome characterized by symptoms of dyspnea and worsening functional capacity resulting from reduced cardiac output in patients with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤40%. HFrEF represents an important public health problem, being one of the main causes of hospital admission, with high morbidity and mortality rates. Based on large randomized clinical trials, the standard treatment for patients with HFrEF until the late 1990s consisted of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) […]

Introduction Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is defined as a syndrome with symptoms and signs of heart failure (HF) and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≥ 50%. This simplistic definition may lead to diagnostic errors by mistaking non-cardiac diseases for HFpEF. The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) offers a more comprehensive definition HFpEF, which requires the presence of symptoms and signs of HF, along with evidence of structural and/or functional cardiac abnormalities, and/or elevated natriuretic peptides, with an […]

Heart failure (HF) is the final common pathway of many cardiac disorders. It is highly prevalent, especially in the elderly, and has high morbidity and mortality if not treated properly.– Although the treatment of HF has evolved, the number of affected individuals is still large and represents a burden on the healthcare system, globally and also in Brazil., The number of cases is expected to increase over the coming decades, due to the aging of the population and increased survival […]

Introduction Heart failure (HF) is a progressive medical condition that affects approximately 1-3% of adults, with a significant increase in prevalence in older age groups. More than half of HF patients have a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of ≥ 50%, known as heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). While the overall number of HF cases seems to be stable or even declining, the incidence of HFpEF continues to rise. HFpEF patients differ significantly from those with reduced ejection […]

The ORBITA trial Although the above-mentioned studies have demonstrated some improvement in angina after myocardial revascularization, one of their major limitations is the open nature and a possible placebo effect. In this regard, the ORBITA study showed no benefit of PCI versus a placebo procedure on the primary end-point of an increase in exercise time. ORBITA was a well conducted study that demonstrated the possibility of a placebo component and lack of symptom improvement by PCI. However, several limitations could […]

The Valsalva maneuver (VM) was first described in 1704 as a forceful expiration against the closed nose and glottis., At that time, no observations of the circulatory effects were mentioned. In 1853, Weber et al. described the hemodynamic and circulatory effects related to the VM, and it has been widely used in cardiology since then. The initial applications of the VM focused on the investigation of cardiac autonomic reflex control. Currently, the VM is recommended in echocardiography, in specific scenarios, […]

Introduction Although evidence-based medicine (EBM) has contributed to establishing the foundations of patient care for over 40 years, scientific principles are still often disregarded in clinical decision-making. As a result, EBM may be mistakenly characterized as a barrier that limits the applicability of poorly recognized concepts, otherwise perceived as thoroughly supported by medical literature. The critical analysis of medical publications should not rely on methods estranged from the scientific realm, and EBM provides the means to limit such hazardous misconceptions. […]