Multiple alcohol septal ablations in a young patient with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

A 16 year old female with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy was treated with alcohol ablation for NYHA class III symptoms on medical therapy. Three months later, patient underwent a second alcohol ablation procedure for continued symptoms. Follow-up, for 4 years now, continues to show resolution of symptoms. (Cardiol J 2007; 14: 301-304

Wielokrotna ablacja alkoholowa przegrody międzykomorowej u młodej pacjentki z kardiomiopatią przerostową

U 16-letniej pacjentki z kardiomiopatią przerostową, dotychczas leczonej za pomocą farmakoterapii (nasilenie objawów wstępnie oceniono jako III stopień wg skali NYHA), przeprowadzono zabieg ablacji alkoholowej przegrody międzykomorowej mięśnia sercowego. Trzy miesiące później z powodu utrzymujących się dolegliwości klinicznych chorą poddano drugiej z kolei ablacji alkoholowej przegrody międzykomorowej mięśnia sercowego. W 4-letniej obserwacji odnotowano ustąpienie objawów klinicznych. (Folia Cardiologica Excerpta 2007; 2: 448–451

Baseline characteristics of patients in the reduction of events with darbepoetin alfa in heart failure trial (RED-HF)

<p>Aims: This report describes the baseline characteristics of patients in the Reduction of Events with Darbepoetin alfa in Heart Failure trial (RED-HF) which is testing the hypothesis that anaemia correction with darbepoetin alfa will reduce the composite endpoint of death from any cause or hospital admission for worsening heart failure, and improve other outcomes.</p> <p>Methods and results: Key demographic, clinical, and laboratory findings, along with baseline treatment, are reported and compared with those of patients in other recent clinical trials in heart failure. Compared with other recent trials, RED-HF enrolled more elderly [mean age 70 (SD 11.4) years], female (41%), and black (9%) patients. RED-HF patients more often had diabetes (46%) and renal impairment (72% had an estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL/min/1.73 m2). Patients in RED-HF had heart failure of longer duration [5.3 (5.4) years], worse NYHA class (35% II, 63% III, and 2% IV), and more signs of congestion. Mean EF was 30% (6.8%). RED-HF patients were well treated at randomization, and pharmacological therapy at baseline was broadly similar to that of other recent trials, taking account of study-specific inclusion/exclusion criteria. Median (interquartile range) haemoglobin at baseline was 112 (106–117) g/L.</p> <p>Conclusion: The anaemic patients enrolled in RED-HF were older, moderately to markedly symptomatic, and had extensive co-morbidity.</p&gt

Pollution, Health and Life Expectancy: How Environmental Policy Can Promote Growth

This article investigates the influence of environmental policy on growth assuming that the channel of transmission relies on the link between pollution, health and the survival probability, in an overlapping generations model à la Blanchard (1985) where growth is driven by a mechanism à la Romer (1986). We demonstrate that environmental policy has an ambiguous effect on growth in the steady-state when the detrimental impact of pollution on health and lifetime is taken into account: for low levels of taxation, environmental policy promotes growth while it is harmful to growth for high levels. Furthermore, we show that the environmental policy is more likely to promote growth (i.e. it stimulates growth for a wider range of environmental taxes) when public expenditures in health and/or the impact of pollution on health are important. Finally, using numerical simulations, we find that for the value of parameters chosen the environmental policy will be more likely to harm growth when agents smooth consumption over time