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WEBHeart. is an international journal from BMJ and BCS publishing important research and reviews in cardiovascular disease. Heart is an international peer reviewed journal that keeps cardiologists up to date with important research advances in cardiovascular disease. New scientific developments are highlighted in editorials and put in context with ...
Authors - Heart
WEBAuthors. Time to first decision with review: 27 days (median) Total content views: 1.99 million. Impact factor: 5.1. Heart is an international peer reviewed journal that keeps cardiologists up to date with important research advances in cardiovascular disease. New scientific developments are highlighted in editorials and put in context with ...
Treating patients with ventricular ectopic beats | Heart
WEBVentricular ectopic beats (VEBs) are commonly seen in daily clinical practice. They are largely asymptomatic but can cause upsetting symptoms in some patients. In normal hearts, their occurrence is usually associated with no clinical significance. However, there are occasions where the presence of VEBs signifies a susceptibility towards more sinister arrhythmias, especially when heart disease ...
Angina: contemporary diagnosis and management - Heart
WEB### Learning objectives Ischaemic heart disease (IHD) remains the leading global cause of death and lost life years in adults, notably in younger (<55 years) women.1 Angina pectoris (derived from the Latin verb ‘angere’ to strangle) is chest discomfort of cardiac origin. It is a common clinical manifestation of IHD with an estimated prevalence of 3%–4% in UK adults. There are over 250 ...
What is ‘normal’ left ventricular ejection fraction? | Heart
WEBLeft ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) has been a key variable for the diagnosis and management of heart failure over the last three decades. The British Society of Echocardiography recently updated their normal reference intervals for assessment of cardiac dimensions and function.1 They describe four categories of left ventricular function and a ‘normal’ LVEF is defined as ≥55% ...
Calcium and vitamin D supplement: right or wrong? - Heart
WEBIntuitively, one might think that supplementing vitamins and minerals would be the right thing to do especially in older and comorbid people. Every year, billions of dollars are spent in this belief.1 However, we may all be wrong. A present study in this journal demonstrates a significantly increased cardiovascular (CV) mortality in elderly patients supplementing calcium, be it with or without ...
Resting heart rate: what is normal?
WEBResting heart rate (RHR) is a clinical parameter easily measurable with typical value between 50 and 90 beats per minute (bpm) that varies during the day with a night-time decrease.1 RHR can go down to 30 bpm in those with good physical condition, but RHR is also partly genetically determined, with slightly higher values in women than in men.2 The interpretation of RHR by clinicians is ...
Bradyarrhythmias in patients with atrial fibrillation | Heart
WEBThe increasing burden of atrial fibrillation (AF) and significant morbidity/mortality associated with this arrhythmia encourage screening it in clinical practice, as recommended in current guidelines. It means opportunistic screening (in patients over 65 years) or systematic screening (in people above 75 years) by using clinical examination, followed by an ECG, 24-hour ECG monitoring or ...
Multidisciplinary team approach to heart failure management
WEB### Learning objectives Heart failure (HF) is a complex, relapsing, severe chronic disease. It causes multisystem dysfunction and results in a high burden of morbidity, mortality and healthcare costs. It is common, affecting ≥10% of the people aged over 70,1 and despite advances in cardiac care the incidence probably remains stable.2 In the UK, it is estimated to be the primary diagnosis in ...
Management of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction
WEB### Learning objectives Heart failure is a syndrome characterised by a triad of symptoms, signs and objective evidence of cardiac dysfunction. The syndrome is divided into subtypes based on left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Where the LVEF is below 40% this is termed heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). This differentiation from those patients with an LVEF greater than ...