Impacts of a Prescribed Physical Activity Program for People with Chronic Diseases Living in Community Settings in France.

Background: Sedentary behavior and physical inactivity are modifiable risk factors at the forefront of prevention and health promotion strategies. The health benefits of physical activity (PA) have been widely demonstrated in chronic diseases and have led to the prescription of adapted PA. To date, French scientific data are insufficient to evaluate the effectiveness of prescribing adapted PA.

A new integrative approach combining right heart catheterization and echocardiography to stage aortic stenosis-related cardiac damage.

Introduction: Although staging of the extent of aortic stenosis (AS)-related cardiac damages is usually performed via echocardiography, this technique has considerable limitations in assessing pulmonary artery and right chamber pressures. The present hypothesis-generating study sought to explore the efficacy of a staging system of cardiac damage based on echocardiographic and invasive [right heart catheterization (RHC)] hemodynamic parameters in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI).

Methods: We studied 90 symptomatic patients with severe AS in whom echocardiographic and invasive evaluation by RHC was obtained prior to TAVI.

Sparse holographic imaging for an integrated augmented reality near-eye display.

Diffraction is the main physical effect involved in the imaging process of holographic displays. In the application of near-eye displays, it generates physical limits that constrain the field of view of the devices. In this contribution, we evaluate experimentally an alternative approach for a holographic display based mainly on refraction.

Can an Eight-Session Multicomponent Physical Exercise Program Reduce Fall Risk and Fear of Falling among the Elderly?

In older populations, falls are responsible for decrease autonomy and increased pain and injuries. With aging, fall risk is multifactorial and associated with sarcopenia, impaired balance, falls themselves and psychological factors such as fear of falling. The objectives of the present study were: (a) to test the effects of a short multicomponent physical exercise program on fall risk and fear of falling; and (b) to analyze the relationship between fall risk and fear of falling.

Multi-user volumetric 360° display based on retro-reflective transparent surfaces.

We present in details the development of a 360° volumetric display based on the use of a transparent projection surface. The optical scheme derives from the Pepper's ghost configuration, known as holographic display. Our optical system requires high angular diffusion efficiency and an innovative transparent retro-reflective surface has been developed for that purpose.

[Pilot study on the effects of an adapted physical activity program focused on the quality of life and risk indicators for falls in independent dwelling-women over 65 years].

Unlabelled: Falls can have multiple detrimental consequences in the elderly, and this is particularly relevant for women. To prevent the risk of falling, intervention programmes based on physical exercises focusing on balance appear to be the most efficient, which explains the multiplication of this type of action at the local level. However, these actions are very rarely evaluated.

Clinical significance of electrocardiographic markers of myocardial damage prior to aortic valve replacement.

Background: Pre-operative myocardial fibrosis and remodeling impact on outcomes after aortic valve replacement (AVR). We aimed at investigating the prognostic impact of preoperative electrocardiographic (ECG) markers of left ventricular (LV) myocardial damage, i.e.

Global and regional myocardial function and outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve implantation for aortic stenosis and preserved ejection fraction.

Aim: To investigate the effects of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) on early recovery of global and segmental myocardial function in patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and to determine if parameters of deformation correlate with outcomes.

Methods: The echocardiographic (strain analysis) and outcome (hospitalizations because of heart failure and mortality) data of 62 consecutive patients with preserved LVEF (64.54 ± 7.

Pulmonary Hypertension with Valvular Heart Disease: When to Treat the Valve Disease and When to Treat the Pulmonary Hypertension.

Purpose Of Review: This article will review the current guidelines for therapeutic intervention in (pulmonary hypertension) PH related to left heart disease (PH-LHD).

Recent Findings: The 6th World Symposium on Pulmonary Hypertension (WSPH) recommended that the mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) should be lowered to 20 mmHg. In several randomized controlled trials performed in patients with PH-LHD, pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH)-specific drug therapy demonstrated no evidence of beneficial effects.

Experimental validation of self-focusing image formation for retinal projection display.

The augmented reality (AR) industry requires both aesthetic designs and high performances of AR devices. This complex dilemma challenges R&D groups from all over the world to improve existing systems or propose new, breakthrough designs. The unconventional concept of direct retinal projection display may be one.

Impact of aortic stenosis on layer-specific longitudinal strain: relationship with symptoms and outcome.

Aims: The present study sought to assess the impact of aortic stenosis (AS) on myocardial function as assessed by layer-specific longitudinal strain (LS) and its relationship with symptoms and outcome.

Methods And Results: We compared 211 patients (56% males, mean age 73 ± 12 years) with severe AS and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≥50% (114 symptomatic, 97 asymptomatic) with 50 controls matched for age and sex. LS was assessed from endocardium, mid-myocardium, and epicardium by 2D speckle-tracking echocardiography.

Correlation between non-invasive myocardial work indices and main parameters of systolic and diastolic function: results from the EACVI NORRE study.

Aims: The present study sought to evaluate the correlation between indices of non-invasive myocardial work (MW) and left ventricle (LV) size, traditional and advanced parameters of LV systolic and diastolic function by 2D echocardiography (2DE).

Methods And Results: A total of 226 (85 men, mean age: 45 ± 13 years) healthy subjects were enrolled at 22 collaborating institutions of the Normal Reference Ranges for Echocardiography (NORRE) study. Global work index (GWI), global constructive work (GCW), global work waste (GWW), and global work efficiency (GWE) were estimated from LV pressure-strain loops using custom software.

Angioedema: a rare and sometimes delayed side effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors.

The effects of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors result from the inhibition of the ACE (kininase II) to ultimately influence both the renin-angiotensin system and the degradation of the bradykinin (BK) metabolism. ACE inhibitors block the degradation of BK and substance P by ACE. In addition, an active metabolite of BK (Des-Arg9-BK) is catalysed by kininase I and its degradation is controlled in part by the conversion enzyme.

Coronary chronic total occlusion intervention: utility or futility.

Despite an incidence of about 18-52% of the patients undergoing coronary angiography, chronic total occlusions (CTO) are rarely revascularised by percutaneous angioplasty (PCI). Nevertheless, current evidence suggests that successful CTO angioplasty improves symptoms, quality of life and long-term survival. During the last decade, the improvement of specific tools and techniques for these complex procedures, and the increasing experience of operators, have led to the achievement of success and complication rates almost equivalent to non-CTO angioplasty.

[Why to treat a total chronic coronary occlusion?].

Despite an incidence of about 15% of the patients undergoing coronary angiography, total chronic occlusions (CTO) are rarely revascularized by percutaneous angioplasty (PCI). Nevertheless, current evidence suggest that successful CTO-PCI improve symptoms, quality of live and long-term survival. During the last years, improvement of specific techniques for these complexes procedures and increasing experience of operators allow actually to obtain success and complications rates almost equivalent to non-CTO lesions angioplasty.

Echo-Doppler estimation of left ventricular filling pressure: results of the multicentre EACVI Euro-Filling study.

Aims: The present Euro-Filling report aimed at comparing the diagnostic accuracy of the 2009 and 2016 echocardiographic grading algorithms for predicting invasively measured left ventricular filling pressure (LVFP).

Method And Results: A total of 159 patients who underwent simultaneous evaluation of echo estimates of LVFP and invasive measurements of LV end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) were enrolled at nine EACVI centres. Thirty-nine (25%) patients had a reduced LV ejection fraction (<50%), 77 (64%) were in NYHA ≥ II, and 85 (53%) had coronary artery disease.

Pulmonary Hypertension in Aortic Stenosis and Mitral Regurgitation: Rest and Exercise Echocardiography Significance.

Valvular heart disease is a common cause of increased mean pulmonary artery pressure (PAP). Aortic stenosis and mitral regurgitation are frequently accompanied by pulmonary hypertension (PH), especially when they are severe and symptomatic. In asymptomatic patients, PH is rare, though the exact prevalence is unknown and mainly stems from the severity of the valvular heart disease and the presence of diastolic dysfunction.

3D echocardiographic reference ranges for normal left ventricular volumes and strain: results from the EACVI NORRE study.

Aim: To obtain the normal ranges for 3D echocardiography (3DE) measurement of left ventricular (LV) volumes, function, and strain from a large group of healthy volunteers.

Methods And Results: A total of 440 (mean age: 45 ± 13 years) out of the 734 healthy subjects enrolled at 22 collaborating institutions of the Normal Reference Ranges for Echocardiography (NORRE) study had good-quality 3DE data sets that have been analysed with a vendor-independent software package allowing homogeneous measurements regardless of the echocardiographic machine used to acquire the data sets. Upper limits of LV end-diastolic and end-systolic volumes were larger in men (97 and 42 mL/m2) than in women (82 and 35 mL/m2; P < 0.

Echocardiographic reference ranges for normal cardiac Doppler data: results from the NORRE Study.

Aims: Reference values for Doppler parameters according to age and gender are recommended for the assessment of heart physiology, specifically for left ventricular (LV) diastolic function. In this study, we report normal reference ranges for Doppler parameters obtained in a large group of healthy volunteers. Echocardiographic data were acquired using state-of-the-art cardiac ultrasound equipment following Doppler acquisition and measurement protocols approved by the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging.

Clinical significance of exercise pulmonary hypertension in secondary mitral regurgitation.

In patients with heart failure, exercise echocardiography can help in risk stratification and decision making. The prognostic significance of exercise pulmonary hypertension (PH) in patients with secondary mitral regurgitation (MR) remains unknown. The aim of the present study was to assess the prognostic value of exercise PH in patients with secondary MR and narrow QRS intervals.