Herz
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Obesity, defined as a body mass index>or=30 kg/m2, is a modern epidemic and is increasing worldwide. Depending on the genetic makeup, lifestyle factors such as high-caloric nutrition, lack of physical activity and certain psychosocial conditions are the main determinants of its manifestation and progression. ⋯ Each treatment program consists of a hypocaloric diet, increase in physical activity, a behavior modification training and, eventually, weight-lowering drugs. An effective treatment of this condition may not only significantly improve most somatic and psychological comorbidities of the patients but also prolong life.
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Review Case Reports Comparative Study
Complex angioplasty up to chronic total occlusion.
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Antiarrhythmic drugs are used in at least 50% of patients who received an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). The potential indications for antiarrhythmic drug treatments in patients with an ICD are generally the following: reduction of the number of ventricular tachycardias (VTs) or episodes of ventricular fibrillation and therefore reduction of the number of ICD therapies, most importantly, the number of disabling ICD shocks. Accordingly, the quality of life should be improved and the battery life of the ICD extended. ⋯ In this situation and when antiarrhythmic drugs are ineffective or have to be stopped because of serious side effects, catheter ablation of both monomorphic stable and pleomorphic and/or unstable VTs using modern electroanatomic mapping systems should be considered. The choice of antiarrhythmic drug treatment and the need for catheter ablation in ICD patients with frequent VTs should be individually tailored to specific clinical and electrophysiological features including the frequency, the rate, and the clinical presentation of the ventricular arrhythmia. Although VT mapping and ablation is becoming increasingly practical and efficacious, ablation of VT is mostly done as an adjunctive therapy in patients with structural heart disease and ICD experiencing multiple shocks, because the recurrence and especially the occurrence of "new" VTs after primarily successful ablation with time and disease progression have precluded a widespread use of catheter ablation as primary treatment.
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In contrast to the adult age group epidemiologic studies on congestive heart failure (CHF) in infancy and childhood are lacking. ⋯ CHF is uncommon in infants and children with congenital or acquired heart disease, but has considerable mortality. As surgical or interventional therapy is well established in nearly all patients with CHD, prognosis is much better compared to adults. A prospective evaluation by a nationwide registry is necessary.