Heart failure （HF） is a major public health problem worldwide entailing high morbidity and mortality as well as high costs. This chronic syndrome associates with a low functional status and quality of life. Most pa...Heart failure （HF） is a major public health problem worldwide entailing high morbidity and mortality as well as high costs. This chronic syndrome associates with a low functional status and quality of life. Most patients with HF are elderly, constituting up to 80% of patients suffering from this disease with both incidence and prevalence of the condition increasing with age. This is due to the progressive aging of the population as well as improved and better survival after cardiac insults, such as myocardial infarction,展开更多
Background In elderly patients, especially those older than 80 years, atrial fibrillation （AF） is associated with an almost 25% in- creased risk of stroke. Stroke prophylaxis with anticoagulants is therefore highly ...Background In elderly patients, especially those older than 80 years, atrial fibrillation （AF） is associated with an almost 25% in- creased risk of stroke. Stroke prophylaxis with anticoagulants is therefore highly recommended. The prevalence of factors that have been associated with a lower rate of prescription and adherence to anticoagulant therapy in these patients is little known. The objective of this study was to explore the clinical characteristics of elderly subjects, with and without AF, consecutively admitted to an acute geriatric unit, discussing factors that may decrease the persistence on stroke prophylaxis therapy. We also highlight possible strategies to overcome the barriers conditioning the current underuse of oral anticoagulants in this segment of the population. Methods A retrospective observational study was performed on a cohort of elderly patients with and without AF admitted to the Acute Geriatric Unit of San Gerardo Hospital （Monza, Italy）. Results Compared to patients without AF （n = 1216）, those with AF （n = 403） had a higher Charlson Comorbidity Index （3 vs. 2, P 〈 0.001）, number of administered drugs （4 vs. 3, P 〈 0.001）, rate of heart failure （36.5% vs. 12%, P 〈 0.001） and chronic kidney disease （20.6 vs. 13.2, P 〈 0.001）. Many patients with AF were frail （54%） or pre-frail （29%）. Conclusions Elderly patients with AF have higher rates of conditions that affect adherence to traditional anticoagulant therapy （vitamin K antagonists, VKA）. New direct oral anticoagulants （DOAs） can help overcome this problem. In order to prescribe the most appropriate VKA or DOAs, with the best efficacy/safety profile and the highest compliance, a comprehensive geriatric assessment should always accompany the scores for thrombotic and hemorrhagic risk stratification.展开更多
Being distinguished from many greatest American writers, Hemingway is noted as an iron man and his powerful philosophy： “Man can be destroyed, but not defeated”. Among all his works, The Old Man and the Sea is cons...Being distinguished from many greatest American writers, Hemingway is noted as an iron man and his powerful philosophy： “Man can be destroyed, but not defeated”. Among all his works, The Old Man and the Sea is considered to be the masterpiece of Hemingway＇s works and the one that best demonstrates this powerful philosophy. And The Old Man and the Sea is a short novel about an old Cuban fisherman Santiago and his battle with a great marlin. In his masterpiece, Hemingway portrays Santiago with every dominant and strong characteristic, which is the prototype of an iron man. This is one of the basic characteristics of the novel which gives Ernest Hemingway great honor and makes him become one of the authors who define American literature. The Old Man and the Sea is the one that best represents American social life on the period Hemingway lived. In this short novel, a lot of facts are used. Most of the facts come from Hemingway＇s own experience. Reading up the masterpiece, it is evident that the story and the hero are the self-portray of the author himself. With the real life and the literary world perfectly combined, we read Hemingway＇s and we read through Hemingway and his inner world.展开更多
Cardiovascular disease, and in particular ischemic heart disease （IHD）, is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the very elderly （〉 80 years） worldwide. These patients represent a rapidly growing cohort pr...Cardiovascular disease, and in particular ischemic heart disease （IHD）, is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the very elderly （〉 80 years） worldwide. These patients represent a rapidly growing cohort presenting for percntaneous coronary intervention （PCI）, now constituting more than one in five patients treated with PCI in real-world practice. Furthermore, they often have greater ischemic burden than their younger counterparts, suggesting that they have greater scope of benefit from coronary revascularization therapy. Despite this, the very elderly are frequently under-represented in clinical revascularization trials and historically there has been a degree of physician reluctance in referring them for PCI procedures, with perceptions of disappointing outcomes, low success and high complication rates. Several issues have contributed to this, including the tendency for older patients with IHD to present late, with atypical symptoms or non-diagnostic ECGs, and reservations regarding their procedural risk-to-benefit ratio, due to shorter life expectancy, presence of comorbidities and increased bleeding risk from antiplatelet and anticoagulation medications. However, advances in PCI technology and techniques over the past decade have led to better outcomes and lower risk of complications and the existing body of evidence now indicates that the very elderly actually derive more relative benefit from PCI than younger populations. Importantly, this applies to all PCI settings： elective, urgent and emergency. This review discusses the role of PCI in the very elderly presenting with chronic stable IHD, non ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome, and ST-elevation myocardial infarction. It also addresses the clinical challenges met when considering PCI in this cohort and the ongoing need for research and development to further improve outcomes in these challenging patients.展开更多
文摘Heart failure （HF） is a major public health problem worldwide entailing high morbidity and mortality as well as high costs. This chronic syndrome associates with a low functional status and quality of life. Most patients with HF are elderly, constituting up to 80% of patients suffering from this disease with both incidence and prevalence of the condition increasing with age. This is due to the progressive aging of the population as well as improved and better survival after cardiac insults, such as myocardial infarction,
文摘Background In elderly patients, especially those older than 80 years, atrial fibrillation （AF） is associated with an almost 25% in- creased risk of stroke. Stroke prophylaxis with anticoagulants is therefore highly recommended. The prevalence of factors that have been associated with a lower rate of prescription and adherence to anticoagulant therapy in these patients is little known. The objective of this study was to explore the clinical characteristics of elderly subjects, with and without AF, consecutively admitted to an acute geriatric unit, discussing factors that may decrease the persistence on stroke prophylaxis therapy. We also highlight possible strategies to overcome the barriers conditioning the current underuse of oral anticoagulants in this segment of the population. Methods A retrospective observational study was performed on a cohort of elderly patients with and without AF admitted to the Acute Geriatric Unit of San Gerardo Hospital （Monza, Italy）. Results Compared to patients without AF （n = 1216）, those with AF （n = 403） had a higher Charlson Comorbidity Index （3 vs. 2, P 〈 0.001）, number of administered drugs （4 vs. 3, P 〈 0.001）, rate of heart failure （36.5% vs. 12%, P 〈 0.001） and chronic kidney disease （20.6 vs. 13.2, P 〈 0.001）. Many patients with AF were frail （54%） or pre-frail （29%）. Conclusions Elderly patients with AF have higher rates of conditions that affect adherence to traditional anticoagulant therapy （vitamin K antagonists, VKA）. New direct oral anticoagulants （DOAs） can help overcome this problem. In order to prescribe the most appropriate VKA or DOAs, with the best efficacy/safety profile and the highest compliance, a comprehensive geriatric assessment should always accompany the scores for thrombotic and hemorrhagic risk stratification.
文摘Being distinguished from many greatest American writers, Hemingway is noted as an iron man and his powerful philosophy： “Man can be destroyed, but not defeated”. Among all his works, The Old Man and the Sea is considered to be the masterpiece of Hemingway＇s works and the one that best demonstrates this powerful philosophy. And The Old Man and the Sea is a short novel about an old Cuban fisherman Santiago and his battle with a great marlin. In his masterpiece, Hemingway portrays Santiago with every dominant and strong characteristic, which is the prototype of an iron man. This is one of the basic characteristics of the novel which gives Ernest Hemingway great honor and makes him become one of the authors who define American literature. The Old Man and the Sea is the one that best represents American social life on the period Hemingway lived. In this short novel, a lot of facts are used. Most of the facts come from Hemingway＇s own experience. Reading up the masterpiece, it is evident that the story and the hero are the self-portray of the author himself. With the real life and the literary world perfectly combined, we read Hemingway＇s and we read through Hemingway and his inner world.
文摘Cardiovascular disease, and in particular ischemic heart disease （IHD）, is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the very elderly （〉 80 years） worldwide. These patients represent a rapidly growing cohort presenting for percntaneous coronary intervention （PCI）, now constituting more than one in five patients treated with PCI in real-world practice. Furthermore, they often have greater ischemic burden than their younger counterparts, suggesting that they have greater scope of benefit from coronary revascularization therapy. Despite this, the very elderly are frequently under-represented in clinical revascularization trials and historically there has been a degree of physician reluctance in referring them for PCI procedures, with perceptions of disappointing outcomes, low success and high complication rates. Several issues have contributed to this, including the tendency for older patients with IHD to present late, with atypical symptoms or non-diagnostic ECGs, and reservations regarding their procedural risk-to-benefit ratio, due to shorter life expectancy, presence of comorbidities and increased bleeding risk from antiplatelet and anticoagulation medications. However, advances in PCI technology and techniques over the past decade have led to better outcomes and lower risk of complications and the existing body of evidence now indicates that the very elderly actually derive more relative benefit from PCI than younger populations. Importantly, this applies to all PCI settings： elective, urgent and emergency. This review discusses the role of PCI in the very elderly presenting with chronic stable IHD, non ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome, and ST-elevation myocardial infarction. It also addresses the clinical challenges met when considering PCI in this cohort and the ongoing need for research and development to further improve outcomes in these challenging patients.
