PCI compared with medical therapy in elderly patients with chronic symptomatic coronary artery disease

Objective The aim of this study was to assess quality of results of elderly patients with coronary disease after medical or revascularisation therapy. Methods In this study, we enrolled 103 patients aged 75 years or older with chronic angina in which 47 patients were assigned coronary angiography and revascularisation and 56 patients with optimised medical therapy. The primary endpoint was quality of life after 6 months, as assessed by questionnaire and the presence of major adverse cardiac events (death, non fatal myocardial infarction, or hospital admission for acute coronary syndrome with or without the need for revascularisation). Results After 6 months follow up, angina severity decreased and measures of quality of life increased in both treatment groups( P <0.05 ); however, these improvements were significantly greater after revascularisation( P <0.01 ). Major adverse cardiac events occurred in 30 ( 53.6% ) of patients in the medical group and 9 ( 19.1% ) in the invasive group ( P <0.01 ).Conclusions Patients aged 75 years or older with angina benefit more from revascularisation than from optimised medical therapy in terms of symptom relief and quality of life. Therefore, these patients should be offered invasive assessment despite their high risk profile followed by revascularisation if feasible.

Effect of warming needle moxibustion on pulmonary function of elderly patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Objective To observe the therapeutic effects of warming needle moxibustion on pulmonary function of elderly patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Method Eighty elderly patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were divided randomly into an acupuncture group and a drug group, with forty cases in each group. The patients in the acupuncture group were treated with warming needle moxibustion on specific acupoints. Main acupoints include Zusanli （足三里 ST 36）, Feishu （肺俞 BL 13） and Dingchuan （定喘 EX-B 1）. Matching acupoints include Gaohuang （膏肓 BL 43）, Xinshu （心俞 BL 15）, Dazhui （大椎 GV 14） and Fangmen （风门 BE 12）. The acupoints were punctured with even reinforcing and reducing method. Meanwhile, two moxa stick of warming needle moxibustion were applied separately at the acupoints at back and ST 36. The needles were retained for approximately 0.5 h each time. The treatment was given every other day, 3 times a week and the course of treatment was 8 weeks. Patients in the drug group were treated by seretide inhalation （50 μg salmeterol and 250 μg fluticasone propionate）, twice a day for 8 weeks. The improvement in pulmonary function and the symptom of chills and fever were compared between the two groups. Results After treatment, pulmonary function indices [forced expiratory volume in one second （FEV1）, forced expiratory volume in one second to forced vital capacity （FEVl/FVC）, forced expiratory volume in one second to predicted value ratio （FEV1%） and peak expiratory flow （PEF）] of the patients in both groups were improved significantly compared with that before treatment （P〈0.05）. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups （all P〉0.05）. Improvement in comprehensive scores of the symptom of chill and fever in the acupuncture group was significantly superior to that in the drug group after 4 and 8 weeks of the treatment, respectively （P〈0.05）. Conclusion Warming needle moxibustion was obviously effective on the improvement in pulmonary function of elderly patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Study on the changes in pulmonary artery pressure in elderly Chronic kindney disease patients without end-stage renal disease

Objective To prospectively investigate the characteristics and correlative influential factors for the changes in pulmonary artery hypertension(PAH)in chronic kidney disease(CKD)patients without end-stage renal disease.Methods Complete clinical and laboratory data of133 outpatients without ESRD(CKD stage 2,3 and 4)

The relationship between the expression of transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 and the airway remodeling in elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Objective To investigate the relationship between the expression of trannsient receptor potential vanilloid(TRPV1)and the severity of airway remodeling in elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD).Methods According to airflow obstruction severity,totally 100 cases of elderly patients with