A relutância dos autores brasileiros em publicar em revistas brasileiras é histórica e não mais se justifica. Atualmente, vários periódicos brasileiros estão indexados em bases internacionais, cujas versões em inglês permitem a divulgação de nossos estudos a países estrangeiros. Os autores expressam seu ponto de vista quanto à importância da publicação em revistas brasileiras e citam o exemplo do impacto das publicações do Instituto do Coração - InCor- HC-FMUSP nos últimos dois anos.

The reluctance of Brazilian authors to publish in Brazilian journals is historical and no longer justified. Currently, several Brazilian journals are indexed in international databases, of which English versions allow disclosure of our studies to foreign countries. The authors express their views on the importance of publishing in national journals and cite the example of the impact of publications from Instituto do Coração - InCor-HCFMUSP in the past two years.

La negativa de los autores brasileños en publicar en las revistas brasileñas, es algo que ha pasado a la historia y que no tiene más sentido. Hoy por hoy, varias publicaciones brasileñas están indexadas a las bases de datos internacionales, cuyas versiones en inglés permiten la divulgación de nuestros estudios a países extranjeros. Los autores expresan su punto de vista en cuanto a la importancia de la publicación en las revistas brasileñas y citan el ejemplo del impacto de las publicaciones del Instituto do Coração (InCor) HC-FMUSP en los últimos dos años.

A endocardite infecciosa era fatal até há três gerações. A evolução temporal do conhecimento da doença possibilitou avanços nas técnicas diagnósticas, especialmente na ecocardiografia, a possibilidade de se realizar a cirurgia cardíaca, mesmo com o processo infeccioso em atividade, e novas recomendações de profilaxia por antibióticos antes dos procedimentos de intervenção. Hoje a endocardite infecciosa é curável. Nesta revisão são abordados os aspectos históricos da endocardite, desde as observações de Osler, no século XIX, até a transformação de doença "clinicamente possível" em "clinicamente definida".

Infective endocarditis was a fatal disease three generations ago. Temporal evolution of knowledge made possible important advances in diagnostic techniques, especially in echocardiography, the possibility of cardiac surgery during the active infectious process and new guidelines for antibiotic prophylaxis before interventional procedures. Nowadays, infective endocarditis is curable. In this review, we describe historical aspects of endocarditis, from Osler´s observations in the 19th century to the change from a "clinically possible" to a "clinically defined" disease.

Heart disease is the first killer of women in the modern era, regardless of age, race and of ethnicity, although its prevalence rises after menopause. Modern women have professional and housewife responsibilities, consume excess of fat and carbohydrates, smoke, do not exercise regularly and do not have enough time to rest. This situation leads to overweight, dyslipidemia, arterial hypertension, impaired glucose tolerance and diabetes. Women do not often participate in preventive studies and still undergo less intensive and invasive evaluation and treatment for chest pain when compared to men. However, the rate of coronary death is twice higher in women than in men after myocardial infarction and revascularization procedures. The objective of this review is to analyze the main gender differences regarding symptoms, diagnosis, management and prognosis of coronary heart disease and to discuss the influence of hormonal replacement therapy in the prevention of cardiovascular disease in postmenopausal women.

There is controversy regarding whether obstructive sleep apnea is responsible for triggering myocardial ischemia, arrhythmias and heart rate variability in patients with coronary artery disease. OBJETIVE: The objective of this study was to identify relationships between sleep apnea, myocardial ischemia and cardiac arrhythmia in patients with coronary artery disease. METHODS: Fifty-three patients with stable coronary disease underwent simultaneous polysomnography and electrocardiographic Holter recording. The apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) was defined as the number of apneas/hypopneas per hour of sleep. Patients were divided into a Control group (AHI15, n=23 pts) and an Apnea group (AHI>15, n=30 pts). A subgroup of 13 patients with an AHI>30 (Severe Apnea group) was also studied. We analyzed ischemic episodes (ST-segment depressions >1 mm, > 1 min), heart rate variability and the occurrence of arrhythmias during wakefulness and sleep. RESULTS: Baseline clinical characteristics among the groups were similar except for higher blood pressure in the Apnea groups (p<0.05). Myocardial ischemia was recorded in 39 (73.6%) patients. The number and duration of ischemic episodes significantly decreased during sleep in all groups; during wakefulness, patients with severe apnea exhibited fewer and shorter episodes in comparison with the controls. There were no significant differences in heart rate variability or in the occurrence of arrhythmias among the groups. Malignant ventricular arrhythmias, atrial fibrillation/flutter, bradycardia and high-degree atrioventricular blocks were not detected. CONCLUSION: Obstructive sleep apnea was not related to myocardial ischemia, heart rate variability or arrhythmias in patients with stable coronary artery disease and did not alter the circadian pattern of myocardial ischemia.

Na atualidade, o avanço da ciência médica e o aprimoramento das técnicas de revascularização miocárdica, tanto na área de cirurgia, como na intervenção percutânea, tornaram atrativa a opção inicial pelo tratamento invasivo de pacientes com doença arterial coronária. Desse modo, a cinecoronariografia tem sido cada vez mais indicada. Alguns conceitos têm sido revistos, especialmente em relação aos quadros isquêmicos agudos; o infarto do miocárdio sem supradesnivelamento do segmento ST (antes denominado infarto não-Q) e a angina instável são considerados como "síndromes coronárias agudas instáveis" e a conduta para ambos é equivalente. Constituem indicações prioritárias para a cinecoronariografia: 1) os pacientes com angina limitante, mesmo estável; 2) aqueles com as síndromes agudas instáveis, considerados de alto risco (angina refratária, aumento de troponina, dor associada a novos desnivelamentos do segmento ST ou a insuficiência cardíaca e arritmias graves); 3) pacientes na fase aguda do infarto do miocárdio com supradesnivelamento de ST, que serão submetidos à angioplastia primária ou que evoluem com instabilidade hemodinâmica ou isquemia persistente. Os pacientes considerados de baixo risco clínico (angina de alívio rápido com medicação, ausência de alterações eletrocardiográficas ou laboratoriais ou dor torácica atípica) podem ser estratificados por métodos não-invasivos; se não houver indução de isquemia, a cinecoronariografia não estará indicada e o tratamento clínico bem conduzido é ainda adequado para um grande número de doentes. A indicação de cinecoronariografia para o diagnóstico e prognóstico da doença arterial coronária tem tido limites imprecisos, e freqüentemente ela tem sido empregada como primeiro método na investigação da dor precordial, mesmo quando suas características não se enquadram na clássica "angina do peito". Nesta revisão, os autores discutem as principais indicações de cinecoronariografia nas várias modalidades clínicas da doença arterial coronária, e no diagnóstico diferencial da dor torácica.

Recent advances in Medical Science and the thechnological improvements in the field of myocardial revascularisation, in surgical procedures and in percutaneous interventions, made attractive the initial option for invasive strategies in the management of coronary heart disease. For this reason, coronary arteriography is nowadays more often indicated. Some concepts in coronary heart disease have been reviewed, specially those related to acute coronary syndromes. Non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (previously called non-Q wave myocardial infarction) and unstable angina are now considered "unstable acute coronary syndromes" and both have the same guidelines for management. The main indications for coronary arteriography as the first diagnostic tool are: 1) incapacitating angina, even in stable patients; 2) high-risk patients with unstable coronary syndromes (refractory angina, troponin elevation, new ST- segment deviations, cardiac failure and serious arrythmias); 3) patients with acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction that will be submitted to primary angioplasty or with hemodynamic instability or persistent ischemia. Low-risk patients (angina that promptly subsides after medication, no electrocardiographic or laboratorial changes or atypical chest pain) may be submitted to non-invasive testing for further risk stratification; if no ischemia is detected, coronary arteriography is not indicated and optimized medical treatment is perfectly admitted for a great number of patients. The indications of coronary arteriography for the diagnosis and prognosis of coronary heart disease are not well delimited in clinical practice, and this method is frequently used as the first tool in the investigation of chest pain, even when the characteristics of pain are not exactly those of angina. In this review, the authors discuss the main indications of coronary arteriography in the multiple clinical aspects of coronary heart disease and in the differential diagnosis of chest pain.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the differences between young males and females after acute myocardial infarction. METHODS: We retrospectively studied 236 patients (54 females and 182 males) after acute myocardial infarction and during hospital stay assessed the following parameters: risk factors; the treatment used; the pattern of coronary artery obstruction; left ventricular ejection fraction; complications; and, using a logistic regression model, the factors related to the occurrence of reinfarction and death. RESULTS: No significant difference was observed between the sexes in risk factors, pattern of coronary artery obstruction, and left ventricular function. The time interval between symptom onset and treatment was longer in females (p=0.03), who underwent thrombolysis (p=0.01) and angioplasty (p=0.03) less frequently than males did, but not myocardial revascularization. Female sex (OR = 5.98) and diabetes (OR = 14.52) were independent factors related to the occurrence of reinfarction and death. CONCLUSION: Young males and females after acute myocardial infarction did not differ in coronary risk factors, and clinical and hemodynamic characteristics. Females had their treatment started later, and they underwent chemical thrombolysis and angioplasty less frequently than males did. Female sex and diabetes were related to the occurrence of reinfarction and death.

OBJECTIVE - To study cardiovascular alterations in young patients with no apparent organic disease who underwent electroconvulsive therapy. METHODS - The study comprised 47 healthy patients (22 males and 25 females) with a mean age of 30.3 years, who underwent electroconvulsive therapy. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and continuous electrocardiographic monitoring (Holter monitor) were performed during 24 hours. Blood pressure and heart rate were assessed 4 hours prior to electric shock administration, during electric shock administration, and 3 hours after electric shock administration. Arrhythmias and alterations in the ST segment in 24 hours were recorded. RESULTS - On electroconvulsive therapy, a significant increase in blood pressure and heart rate was observed and the measurements returned to basal values after 25 minutes. Three females had tracings with depression of the ST segment suggesting myocardial ischemia prior to and after electroconvulsive therapy. Coronary angiography was normal. No severe cardiac arrhythmias were diagnosed. CONCLUSION - 1) Electroconvulsive therapy is a safe therapeutic modality in psychiatry; 2) it causes a significant increase in blood pressure and heart rate; 3) it may be associated with myocardial ischemia in the absence of coronary obstructive disease; 4) electroconvulsive therapy was not associated with the occurrence of severe cardiac arrhythmias.