INTRODUÇÃO: A ecocardiografia bidimensional é um método de diagnóstico por imagem não invasivo que avalia, de modo eficaz, a função diastólica global e regional do ventrículo esquerdo. O comprometimento da função diastólica ventricular esquerda no lúpus eritematoso sistêmico (LES) é quase sempre silencioso, sugerindo um estado subclínico de disfunção diastólica. OBJETIVO: Este estudo tem por finalidade demonstrar as diversas técnicas ecocardiográficas para a aferição da função diastólica no LES. PACIENTES E MÉTODOS: Foram avaliadas consecutivamente 50 pacientes com LES e 50 controles do sexo feminino, pareadas por sexo e idade. Os exames foram realizados por dois observadores independentes cujos resultados tiveram concordância. RESULTADOS: Não houve diferença significativa da função diastólica global do ventrículo esquerdo entre os grupos, exceto pelo método da velocidade de propagação do fluxo mitral (Vp), que evidenciou diminuição da velocidade de enchimento rápido nas pacientes com LES. Foi detectado maior comprometimento da função diastólica regional nas pacientes com LES, na protodiástole, à altura do anel mitral, mais evidente na porção basal do septo interventricular. CONCLUSÃO: No LES, a disfunção diastólica do ventrículo esquerdo pode ser constatada através da avaliação do Doppler tissular na região do anel mitral e pela velocidade de propagação do fluxo mitral.

INTRODUCTION: Bidimensional echocardiography is a non-invasive imaging diagnostic method that effectively assesses global and regional left ventricular diastolic function. Disruption of left ventricular diastolic function in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is almost always clinically silent, suggesting a subclinical diastolic dysfunction. OBJECTIVE: We evaluate in the the present study the different echocardiographic techniques available to assess the diastolic dysfunction in SLE. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fifty consecutive SLE patients and 50 healthy females, matched by gender and age, were evaluated. Exams were conducted by two independent observers whose results showed concordance. RESULTS: Significant differences in global left ventricular diastolic function between both groups, except for mitral flow propagation velocity (Vp), which showed a reduction in rapid filling in SLE patients, were not observed. Greater involvement of regional diastolic function, in protodiastole, at the level of the mitral ring, especially in the basal area of the interventricular septum, was observed. CONCLUSION: Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in SLE patients can be identified by tissue Doppler of the mitral ring and by mitral flow propagation velocity.

OBJECTIVE: To compare blood pressure measurements taken at home by physicians, nurses, and patients with office blood pressure measurement , ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and home blood pressure measurement. METHODS: A total of 44 patients seen by a home care program were studied. Protocol 1 a) blood pressure was measured by the patient, a physician and a nurse during a regular home visit (Home1); b) home blood pressure measurement was measured for 4 days (HBPM1); c) office blood pressure measurement was measured by a physician, a nurse, and the patient; and by 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. Protocol 2 blood pressure was measured by the patient, a physician, and a nurse during a special home visit in the presence of a physician and a nurse only (Home2); and b) home blood pressure measurement was taken for the second time (HBPM2). Echocardiography, guided by a two-dimensional echocardiograph, was performed. RESULTS: Protocol 1: a) office blood pressure measurement and Home1 were significantly higher than ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, except for systolic and diastolic office blood pressure measurement taken by the patient or a family member, systolic blood pressure taken by a nurse, and diastolic blood pressure taken by a physician. b) ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and HBPM1 were similar. Protocol 2: a) HBPM2 and Home2 were similar. b) Home2 was significantly lower than Home1, except for diastolic blood pressure taken by a nurse or the patient. There were significant relationships between: a) diastolic blood pressure measured by the patient and the thickness of the interventricular septum, posterior wall, and left ventricular mass; and b) ambulatory and HBPM2 diastolic and systolic blood pressure taken by a physician (home2) and left ventricular mass. Therefore, the data indicate that home blood pressure measurement and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring had good prognostic values relative to "office measurement." CONCLUSION: This study showed that the measurement most similar to home blood pressure measurement and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring was blood pressure measured by the patient, and that home blood pressure measurement and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring had good prognostic value relative to "office measurements".

O presente estudo objetivou comparar a eficácia, segurança e tolerabilidade da sibutramina em pacientes obesos. MÉTODO: Selecionamos 61 pacientes obesos (30<IMC<40kg/m²) entre 18-65 anos. Na primeira fase do estudo (30 dias), os pacientes usaram medicação placebo e realizaram os exames de inclusão, enquanto acompanhamos a adesão à dieta hipocalórica prescrita (1200cal/dia) e à medicação. A seguir, na fase duplo-cega (6 meses), comparamos placebo vs sibutramina (10mg/dia). Os critérios para a avaliação da eficácia foram: perda de peso, diminuição do índice de massa corpórea (IMC), circunferência abdominal e de quadril. A avaliação da tolerabilidade foi feita pelo relato dos efeitos adversos, variações da pressão arterial, freqüência cardíaca, perfil metabólico (glicemia de jejum, colesterol total e frações e triglicerídeos), alterações laboratoriais (função hepática e renal) e pelo ecocardiograma com Doppler fluxo realizado em todos os pacientes no início e fim do tratamento. RESULTADOS: Houve uma diminuição maior de peso (7,3kg-8% vs 2,6kg-2,8%) e IMC (7,4% vs 2,1%) no grupo sibutramina do que no grupo placebo. Quando dividimos a perda de peso em quatro subgrupos (aumento de peso, perda<5%, perda entre 5-9,9%, perda >10%) ocorreu perda de peso>5% em 40% dos pacientes em uso da sibutramina vs 12,9% no grupo placebo e ganho de peso em 45,2% dos pacientes em uso de placebo vs 20% no grupo sibutramina. No grupo sibutramina notamos melhora dos níveis de HDL-colesterol (aumento de 17%) e triglicerídeos (diminuição de 12,8%), neste grupo ocorreu também um aumento da pressão arterial sistólica (6,7%-5mmHg). Não houve alteração entre os ecocardiogramas do início e final do acompanhamento e os efeitos adversos não levaram à descontinuação do tratamento. DISCUSSÃO: A sibutramina mostrou-se eficaz na redução de peso, proporcionando um perda de 8% em relação ao peso inicial. Houve boa adesão do paciente ao tratamento prolongado, sem haver descontinuações pelos efeitos adversos. Estes dados confirmam o bom perfil de eficácia, tolerabilidade, e segurança da sibutramina no tratamento da obesidade.

This is a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of sibutramine in the management of obese patients for a 6-month period. METHOD: Sixty-one obese patients (BMI >30, <40 kg/m2), aged 18-65 years were evaluated. In the first phase of the study (30 days), the patients were given a placebo. We monitored compliance with a low-calorie diet (1200 kcal/day) and to the placebo. In the next stage, the double-blind phase (6 months), we compared placebo and sibutramine (10 mg/day). The criteria for evaluating efficacy were weight loss, reduction in body mass index (BMI), and abdominal and hip circumferences. Tolerability was assessed based on reported side effects, variation in arterial blood pressure and heart rate, metabolic profile (fasting glucose, total cholesterol and its fractions, and triglycerides), laboratory tests (renal and hepatic functions), and flow Doppler echocardiogram. RESULTS: We observed a greater weight loss (7.3 kg, 8% vs 2.6 kg, 2.8%) and a reduction in body mass index (7.4% vs 2.1%) in the sibutramine group than in the placebo group. Classifying the patients into 4 subgroups according to weight loss (weight gain, loss <5%, loss of 5% to 9.9%, and loss >10%), we observed a weight loss of >5% in 40% of the patients on sibutramine compared with 12.9% in the placebo group. We also detected weight gain in 45.2% of the placebo group compared to 20% in the sibutramine group. The sibutramine group showed improvement in HDL- cholesterol values (increased by 17%) and triglyceride values (decreased by 12.8%). This group also showed an increase in systolic blood pressure (6.7%, 5 mmHg). There were no changes in echocardiograms comparing the beginning and end of follow-up, and side effects did not lead to discontinuation of treatment. DISCUSSION: Sibutramine proved to be effective for weight loss providing an 8% loss of the initial weight. Compliance to prolonged treatment was good, and side effects did not result in discontinuation of treatment. These data confirmed the good efficacy, tolerability, and safety profiles of sibutramine for treatment of obesity.

OBJECTIVE: To study by doppler echocardiography the cardiac systolic and diastolic functions of health, uncomplicated obese subjects. METHODS: Fifty-nine obese women with an average body mass index (BMI) of 35 kg/m² were evaluated and compared with 19 subjects with an average BMI of 23 kg/m² (control group). RESULTS: In the obese group, a clear tendency was observed toward higher systolic pressure, increased wall thickness and, consequently, myocardial mass, elevation on the circumference stress of the left ventricular wall, and an indisputable presence of diastolic abnormalities. Filling abnormalities were observed with impaired relaxation, with prolonged isovolumic relaxation time (IVRT) and augmented atrium contribution representing early indexes of cardiac dysfunction when systolic performance is still normal. CONCLUSION: Obesity is generally a chronic condition, and doppler echocardiography can be used as a noninvasive instrument for early evaluation of left ventricular diastolic indexes.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi estudar através da ecodopplercardiografia as funções sistólica e diastólica do coração de indivíduos obesos sadios, não complicados, sem diabetes e normotensos. Para tanto, foram avaliados 60 indivíduos obesos com índice de massa corpórea (IMC) médio de 35kg/m² e comparados a grupo controle de 39 indivíduos hígidos com IMC médio de 24kg/m². Os resultados permitiram concluir que no grupo de indivíduos obesos sadios, não complicados e assintomáticos foi encontrada nítida tendência a valores mais elevados da pressão arterial sistólica, um aumento da hipertrofia e consequentemente da massa miocárdica, uma elevação do estresse circunferencial da parede ventricular esquerda e indiscutível presença de uma disfunção diastólica já instalada. Diante desses achados, os autores postulam a necessidade imperativa da realização de uma avaliação semi-ológica mais profunda e específica nos pacientes com real excesso de peso.

The authors analyzed left ventricular systolic and diastolic function of normally obese, uncomplicated, nondiabetic, normotensive subjects by using multiple echo Doppler indices. They evaluated 60 obese individuals with a body mass index (BMI) of 35kg/m² and a control group (BMI = 24kg/m²) of 39 subjects. Our results show that obese group was associated with an increased systolic blood pressure, increased left ventricular mass and augmented systolic circumferencial wall stress. Filling abnormalities were observed with impairment of relaxation prolonged isovolumic relaxation time (IVRT) and augmented atrial contribution represent an early index of cardiac dysfunction when systolic performance is still normal. Obesity is generally a chronic condition and echocardiography as a noninvasive method can be used for repeated assessment of cardiac performance.

OBJETIVO: Estudo ecocardiográfico em recém-nascidos (RN) de grupos de risco para cardiopatia congênita, a fim de se determinar a prevalência que justifique esse exame no período neonatal. MÉTODOS: Estudaram-se, de novembro/91 a abril/93, 156 RN do berçário anexo à Maternidade do HC-FMUSP, sendo RN de mães com cardiopatia congênita ou com diabetes mellitus, crianças de muito baixo peso, com malformações extracardíacas ou presença de sinais cardíacos, caracterizados por sopro, cianose ou arritmia, todos submetidos ao ecocardiograma. RESULTADOS: A prevalência encontrada foi de 21,8%, superior ao da população geral (0,8 a 1,2%), sendo que a maior entre os grupos, de 40,7%, ocorreu no grupo de malformações extracardíacas. CONCLUSÃO: Nossos dados justificam a realização de ecocardiograma em RN pertencentes a um destes grupos de risco para cardiopatia congênita.

PURPOSE: An echocardiographic study was performed in newborns from risk groups, with the aim of to determining prevalence and to evaluate the indications for this test in the neonatal period. METHODS: One hundred fifty six newborns were studied . They were admitted to the Newborn ward of the Department of Obstetric of the HC-FMUSP, in the period of November 91 to April 93, from mothers with congenital heart disease or diabetes, low birth weight newborns, with extracardiac malformations, cardiac signs and/or congenital infections. RESULTS: The observed prevalence was 21.8%, greater than that of the general population (0.8-1.2%). The group composed by 27 children with extracardiac abnormalities presented the largest prevalence when compared with the other groups (40.7%). These data justify the use of echocardiography in high risk newborns for the detection of congenital heart disease.