BackgroundThe independent prognostic impact of diabetes mellitus (DM) and prediabetes mellitus (pre‐DM) on survival outcomes in patients with chronic heart failure has been investigated in observational registries and randomized, clinical trials, but the results have been often inconclusive or conflicting. We examined the independent prognostic impact of DM and pre‐DM on survival outcomes in the GISSI‐HF (Gruppo Italiano per lo Studio della Sopravvivenza nella Insufficienza Cardiaca‐Heart Failure) trial.Methods and ResultsWe assessed the risk of all‐cause death and the composite of all‐cause death or cardiovascular hospitalization over a median follow‐up period of 3.9 years among the 6935 chronic heart failure participants of the GISSI‐HF trial, who were stratified by presence of DM (n=2852), pre‐DM (n=2013), and non‐DM (n=2070) at baseline. Compared with non‐DM patients, those with DM had remarkably higher incidence rates of all‐cause death (34.5% versus 24.6%) and the composite end point (63.6% versus 54.7%). Conversely, both event rates were similar between non‐DM patients and those with pre‐DM. Cox regression analysis showed that DM, but not pre‐DM, was associated with an increased risk of all‐cause death (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.28–1.60) and of the composite end point (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.13–1.32), independently of established risk factors. In the DM subgroup, higher hemoglobin A1c was also independently associated with increased risk of both study outcomes (all‐cause death: adjusted hazard ratio, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.02–1.43; and composite end point: adjusted hazard ratio, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.01–1.29, respectively).ConclusionsPresence of DM was independently associated with poor long‐term survival outcomes in patients with chronic heart failure.Clinical Trial Registration URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00336336.

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) after bone marrow transplantation (BMT) is an uncommon complication presumably associated with extensive endothelial cell damage due to Cyclosporine, total body irradiation, or other drugs. While the majority of patients with primary TTP, which is considered to be an autoimmune process, respond to plasma exchange, TTP after BMT has a very poor prognosis. A total of 7 patients out of 307 patients who underwent BMT were diagnosed with TTP during 1989-1999. The diagnosis of TTP was made based on thrombocytopenia and microhemangiopathic hemolytic anemia characterized by an elevated LDH and the presence of schistocytes on the peripheral blood smear. Five patients were treated with plasma exchange (PE) using fresh frozen plasma and/or cryoprecipitate poor plasma as replacement fluid. One patient was treated using a protein A column. One patient did not receive plasma exchange because the 125 patient was clinically stable and was discharged. It was hard to assess the efficacy of PE due to the multiplicity of the patients' clinical condition and laboratory data. At least 4 patients did not respond to PE and 2 patients were not able to be evaluated due to multi organ failure. However, all patients died. It is not clear at this moment if PE for patients with TTP after BMT is truly beneficial.

Although older age is associated with non-prescription of BB, BB can be implemented in an outpatient HF clinic with nurse specialist support even in elderly patients. although lower doses are achieved than in younger subjects.

The authors describe a series of 49 patients with subungual exostoses, four of them in fingers, the rest in the toes. They present a new and simple technique of extirpation that can be done as an office procedure and with immediate restoration of function.

A case of chromomycosis caused by Fonsecaea pedrosoi is described in a woman who had lived in Angola for 23 years.