Pubblicazioni - Macera Dott.ssa Francesca

• Epidemiology of cardiomyopathies: essential context knowledge for a tailored clinical work-up.
  Eur J Prev Cardiol

  2020 Nov;():. doi: zwaa035.
  
  Pasqualucci Daniele, Iacovoni Attilio, Palmieri Vittorio, De Maria Renata, Iacoviello Massimo, Battistoni Ilaria, Macera Francesca, Olivotto Iacopo, Arbustini Eloisa, Mortara Andrea
  
  Abstract
  
  Cardiomyopathies (CMPs) are primary disorders of myocardial structure and function in the absence of coronary artery disease, hypertension, valvular disease, and congenital heart disease. Knowledge of the incidence and prevalence of CMPs may help clinicians to compare their observations in clinical practice with expected cases per person-year and to avoid under-reporting in clinical context. Currently, available estimates of prevalence and incidence of CMPs are based on clinical data, collected with a wide variability in population-source, and before the genetic testing evolved as a standard diagnostic tool. This review focuses on the epidemiology of CMPs in subjects aged between 18 and 55 years. A structured up-to-date diagnostic flow-chart for CMPs diagnosis and assessment is proposed to avoid misdiagnosis of CMPs in the young population and in subjects with unexplained cardiac disorders.
  
  Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author(s) 2020. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.
  
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• Would You Prescribe Mobile Health Apps for Heart Failure Self-care? An Integrated Review of Commercially Available Mobile Technology for Heart Failure Patients.
  Card Fail Rev

  2020 Mar;6():e13. doi: 10.15420/cfr.2019.11.
  
  Mortara Andrea, Vaira Lucia, Palmieri Vittorio, Iacoviello Massimo, Battistoni Ilaria, Iacovoni Attilio, Macera Francesca, Pasqualucci Daniele, Bochicchio Mario, De Maria Renata
  
  Abstract
  
  Treatment of chronic diseases, such as heart failure, requires complex protocols based on early diagnosis; self-monitoring of symptoms, vital signs and physical activity; regular medication intake; and education of patients and caregivers about relevant aspects of the disease. Smartphones and mobile health applications could be very helpful in improving the efficacy of such protocols, but several barriers make it difficult to fully exploit their technological potential and produce clear clinical evidence of their effectiveness. App suppliers do not help users distinguish between useless/dangerous apps and valid solutions. The latter are few and often characterised by rapid obsolescence, lack of interactivity and lack of authoritative information. Systematic reviews can help physicians and researchers find and assess the 'best candidate solutions' in a repeatable manner and pave the way for well-grounded and fruitful discussion on their clinical effectiveness. To this purpose, the authors assess 10 apps for heart failure self-care using the Intercontinental Marketing Statistics score and other criteria, discuss the clinical effectiveness of existing solutions and identify barriers to their use in practice and drivers for change.
  
  Copyright © 2020, Radcliffe Cardiology.
  
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• [ANMCO/FADOI/SIAARTI/SIC/SIMG/SIMI/SIMEU consensus document: The clinical care pathway of acute heart failure patients from symptom onset to discharge from the emergency department].
  G Ital Cardiol (Rome)

  2019 May;20(5):289-334. doi: 10.1714/3151.31321.
  
  Mortara Andrea, Gabrielli Domenico, Pugliese Francesco Rocco, Corcione Antonio, Perticone Francesco, Fontanella Andrea, Mercuro Giuseppe, Cricelli Claudio, Iacoviello Massimo, D'Ambrosio Gaetano, Guarracino Fabio, Modesti Pietro Amedeo, Vescovo Giorgio, De Maria Renata, Iacovoni Attilio, Macera Francesca, Palmieri Vittorio, Pasqualucci Daniele, Battistoni Ilaria, Alunni Gianfranco, Aspromonte Nadia, Caldarola Pasquale, Campanini Mauro, Caporale Roberto, Casolo Giancarlo, Cipriani Manlio, Di Tano Giuseppe, Domenicucci Stefano, Murrone Adriano, Nardi Federico, Navazio Alessandro, Oliva Fabrizio, Parretti Damiano, Urbinati Stefano, Valente Serafina, Valeriano Valentina, Zuin Guerrino, Metra Marco, Sinagra Gianfranco, Gulizia Michele Massimo, Di Lenarda Andrea
  
  Abstract
  
  Acute heart failure (AHF) represents a relevant burden for emergency departments worldwide. AHF patients have markedly worse long-term outcomes than patients with other acute cardiac diseases (e.g. acute coronary syndromes); mortality or readmissions rates at 3 months approximate 33%, whereas 1-year mortality from index discharge ranges from 25% to 50%.The multiplicity of healthcare professionals acting across the care pathway of AHF patients represents a critical factor, which generates the need for integrating the different expertise and competence of general practitioners, emergency physicians, cardiologists, internists, and intensive care physicians to focus on care goals able to improve clinical outcomes.This consensus document results from the cooperation of the scientific societies representing the different healthcare professionals involved in the care of AHF patients and describes shared strategies and pathways aimed at ensuring both high quality care and better outcomes. The document describes the patient journey from symptom onset to the clinical suspicion of AHF and home management or referral to emergency care and transportation to the hospital, through the clinical diagnostic pathway in the emergency department, acute treatment, risk stratification and discharge from the emergency department to ordinary wards or home. The document analyzes the potential role of a cardiology fast-track and Observation Units and the transition to outpatient care by general practitioners and specialist heart failure clinics.The increasing care burden and complex problems generated by AHF are unlikely to be solved without an integrated multidisciplinary approach. Efficient networking among emergency departments, intensive care units, ordinary wards and primary care settings is crucial to achieve better outcomes. Thanks to the joint effort of qualified scientific societies, this document aims to achieve this goal through an integrated, shared and applicable pathway that will contribute to a homogeneous care management of AHF patients across the country.
  
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• A New Life: Motherhood After Heart Transplantation. A Single-center Experience and Review of Literature.
  Transplantation

  2018 09;102(9):1538-1544. doi: 10.1097/TP.0000000000002281.
  
  Macera Francesca, Occhi Lucia, Masciocco Gabriella, Varrenti Marisa, Frigerio Maria
  
  Abstract
  
  BACKGROUND:
  Pregnancy after heart transplantation (HTx) may expose the recipient to hemodynamic and immunologic risks and the newborn to toxic effects of immunosuppressive therapy. Adequate preconception counseling is crucial to identify optimal timing and to modify immunosuppressive therapy to minimize risks for both the mother and the fetus.
  
  METHODS:
  We describe our experience with 12 pregnancies occurred in 11 women who had undergone HTx at our center.
  
  RESULTS:
  Pregnancies ran without severe complications or rejections, and none of the babies have shown major defects at birth. However, as reported in the literature, weight at birth rated in lower range in most of the newborns, probably due to in utero cyclosporine exposure. Up to now, none of the babies showed clinical signs of heart disease, although more than half of the mothers had an inherited or familial cardiomyopathy.
  
  CONCLUSIONS:
  Despite potential mother and fetal complications, successful pregnancy and delivery are possible after HTx, provided that optimum timing, close monitoring, and therapy adjustments are guaranteed. Becoming a mother appears to be an important achievement for young women after HTx, even when there is a risk to transmit an inheritable heart disease.
  
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• ANMCO/AIOM/AICO Consensus Document on clinical and management pathways of cardio-oncology: executive summary.
  Eur Heart J Suppl

  2017 05;19(Suppl D):D370-D379. doi: 10.1093/eurheartj/sux019.
  
  Tarantini Luigi, Gulizia Michele Massimo, Di Lenarda Andrea, Maurea Nicola, Giuseppe Abrignani Maurizio, Bisceglia Irma, Bovelli Daniella, De Gennaro Luisa, Del Sindaco Donatella, Macera Francesca, Parrini Iris, Radini Donatella, Russo Giulia, Beatrice Scardovi Angela, Inno Alessandro
  
  Abstract
  
  Cardiovascular disease and cancer are leading causes of death. Both diseases share the same risk factors and, having the highest incidence and prevalence in the elderly, they often coexist in the same individual. Furthermore, the enhanced survival of cancer patients registered in the last decades and linked to early diagnosis and improvement of care, not infrequently exposes them to the appearance of ominous cardiovascular complications due to the deleterious effects of cancer treatment on the heart and circulatory system. The above considerations have led to the development of a new branch of clinical cardiology based on the principles of multidisciplinary collaboration between cardiologists and oncologists: Cardio-oncology, which aims to find solutions to the prevention, monitoring, diagnosis and treatment of heart damage induced by cancer care in order to pursue, in the individual patient, the best possible care for cancer while minimizing the risk of cardiac toxicity. In this consensus document we provide practical recommendations on how to assess, monitor, treat and supervise the candidate or patient treated with potentially cardiotoxic cancer therapy in order to treat cancer and protect the heart at all stages of the oncological disease. Cardiovascular diseases and cancer often share the same risk factors and can coexist in the same individual. Such possibility is amplified by the deleterious effects of cancer treatment on the heart. The above considerations have led to the development of a new branch of clinical cardiology, based on multidisciplinary collaboration between cardiologist and oncologist: the cardio-oncology. It aims to prevent, monitor, and treat heart damages induced by cancer therapies in order to achieve the most effective cancer treatment, while minimizing the risk of cardiac toxicity. In this paper, we provide practical recommendations on how to assess, monitor, treat and supervise patients treated with potential cardiotoxic cancer therapies.
  
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• HeartWare-HVAD for end-stage heart failure: a review of clinical experiences with ?50 patients.
  Expert Rev Med Devices

  2017 Jun;14(6):423-437. doi: 10.1080/17434440.2017.1325318.
  
  Botta Luca, De Chiara Benedetta, Macera Francesca, Cannata Aldo, Costetti Alessandro, Voltolini Alessandra, Moreo Antonella, Cipriani Manlio, Frigerio Maria, Russo Claudio Francesco
  
  Abstract
  
  INTRODUCTION:
  Despite the improvements in medical and surgical treatments, the incidence of end-stage heart failure (ESHF) continues to increase. Different mechanical systems have been adopted to support failing left ventricles. Among continuous-flow devices, the HeartWare-HVAD was the first to use a centrifugal pump rather than an axial one. Areas covered: In this review article, we provide an overview of the HeartWare-HVAD as a ventricular assist device for ESHF, discussing indications, echocardiographic assessment, surgical techniques, outcomes, concerns and controversies. Scientific literature was reviewed with a MEDLINE search strategy combining 'HeartWare' or 'HVAD' with 'heart failure'. A total of 263 papers were found using the reported search. From these, 16 were identified to provide the best evidence on the subject reporting outcomes in ?50 patients. Expert commentary: HeartWare-HVAD is a minute device that provides full circulatory support in patients with ESHF. Its main indication remains bridge to heart transplantation (HTx). Median sternotomy is the preferred technique of implantation although less invasive procedures have been described. Early outcomes are satisfactory. Nevertheless, some fearing complications still occur during the mid- and long-term follow-up. Further technical developments and optimal medical management will guarantee better outcomes.
  
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• [ANMCO/AICO/AIOM Consensus document: Clinical and management pathways in cardio-oncology].
  G Ital Cardiol (Rome)

  2017 Jan;18(1):14-66. doi: 10.1714/2628.27023.
  
  Tarantini Luigi, Gulizia Michele Massimo, Di Lenarda Andrea, Maurea Nicola, Abrignani Maurizio Giuseppe, Bisceglia Irma, Bovelli Daniella, De Gennaro Luisa, Del Sindaco Donatella, Macera Francesca, Parrini Iris, Radini Donatella, Russo Giulia, Scardovi Angela Beatrice, Inno Alessandro
  
  Abstract
  
  In Italy, cardiovascular diseases and cancer are the leading causes of death. Both diseases share the same risk factors and, having the highest incidence and prevalence in the elderly, they often coexist in the same individual. Furthermore, the enhanced survival of cancer patients registered in the last decades and linked to early diagnosis and improvement of care, not infrequently exposes them to the appearance of ominous cardiovascular complications due to the deleterious effects of cancer treatment on the heart and circulatory system. The above considerations have led to the development of a new branch of clinical cardiology based on the principles of multidisciplinary collaboration between cardiologists and oncologists: Cardio-oncology, which aims to find solutions to the prevention, monitoring, diagnosis and treatment of heart damage induced by cancer care in order to pursue, in the individual patient, the best possible care for cancer while minimizing the risk of cardiac toxicity. In this consensus document we provide practical recommendations on how to assess, monitor, treat and supervise the candidate or patient treated with potentially cardiotoxic cancer therapy in order to treat cancer and protect the heart at all stages of the oncological disease.
  
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• [Psychological evaluation and support in patients with left ventricular assist devices: preliminary data at 6-month follow-up].
  G Ital Cardiol (Rome)

  2016 Nov;17(11):940-946. doi: 10.1714/2498.26204.
  
  Voltolini Alessandra, Minotti Anna, Verde Alessandro, Cipriani Manlio, Garascia Andrea, Turazza Fabio, Macera Francesca, Perna Enrico, Russo Claudio F, Fumagalli Emilia, Frigerio Maria
  
  Abstract
  
  BACKGROUND:
  Heart disease has an impact on patient's identity and self-perception. Taking into account the wide literature about psychological aspects before and after heart transplant, it clearly emerges that there is a lack of data and results for patients up to implantation of ventricular assist devices (VAD). The aim of the present study was to explore quality of life and factors correlated with psychological adjustment in patients supported with VAD.
  
  METHODS:
  From February 2013 to August 2014, 18 patients (17 male, mean age 57 years) under clinical evaluation before and after VAD implantation were enrolled. During interviews, patients were assessed with EuroQoL-5D questionnaire to monitor improvement of quality of life before implantation and at 3 and 6 months; critical issues, needs and point of views of patients have been described.
  
  RESULTS:
  A significant improvement in the quality of life score was observed at 3 (score 38 [interquartile range 30-40] vs 75 [60-80], p<0.05) and 6 months (38 [30-40] vs 70 [60-80], p<0.05). Overall, patients' psychological state investigated by the test showed a clear and positive trend. All patients need to empower through complete information about the device, related risks and life expectancy. Interdisciplinary approach improved compliance with therapy.
  
  CONCLUSIONS:
  Successful treatment and efficient psychological care are closely related to assessment and continuous clinical support. This approach ensures a better selection of patients and improves their compliance. Further data are needed to support our preliminary observations and to explore long-term quality of life.
  
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• [Treatment of advanced heart failure in women: heart transplantation and ventricular assist devices].
  G Ital Cardiol (Rome)

  2012 May;13(5 Suppl 1):35S-41S.
  
  Cipriani Manlio, Macera Francesca, Verde Alessandro, Bruschi Giuseppe, del Medico Marta, Oliva Fabrizio, Martinelli Luigi, Frigerio Maria
  
  Abstract
  
  Women candidates for heart transplantation are definitely less than men, just 20% of all patients transplanted; even in the INTERMACS registry they represent only 21% of all ventricular assist devices (VAD) implanted. The reasons for this big difference are discussed in this article. Why women are less frequently assessed for unconventional therapies? Are they sicker or just less regarded? Our experience and the literature show us clear epidemiological, clinical and treatment differences that could lead to a lower prevalence of end-stage disease in women of an age suitable for unconventional therapies. Once on the transplant list, women wait less than men for a heart transplant, because they present with more severe disease, have a lower body mass index and undergo less VAD implants. After transplantation women's survival is comparable to men's, although they usually complain of a lower quality of life. Females receive less often a VAD than men. The main reasons for this include presentation with advanced heart failure at an older age than men, worse outcomes related to small body surface area, and lower survival rates on VAD when implanted as bridge to heart transplantation.
  
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• [Management of advanced chronic heart failure].
  G Ital Cardiol (Rome)

  2008 Oct;9(10 Suppl 1):112S-117S.
  
  Oliva Fabrizio, Macera Francesca, Verde Alessandro, Frigerio Maria
  
  Abstract
  
  Because of the progressive ageing of the population and the extensive use of recommended drugs, the number of patients with advanced chronic heart failure constantly increases. Several studies showed the efficacy of neurohormonal antagonists and electric devices in NYHA class III-IV patients; however, there is no agreement on the management of refractory heart failure, especially for patients who are not candidates for heart transplantation, because of age or comorbidity. The treatment with intravenous inotropic agents is considered a palliative care. The growing experience with implant of left ventricular assist devices, on the other hand, is encouraging and suggests more extensive use of these devices, both as bridge to transplant and as destination therapy.
  
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• [Changes in patient survival and quality of life after heart transplantation].
  G Ital Cardiol (Rome)

  2008 Jul;9(7):461-71.
  
  Frigerio Maria, Oliva Fabrizio, Turazza Fabio M, Macera Francesca, Galvanin Silvia, Verde Alessandro, Bruschi Giuseppe, Pedrazzini Giovanna
  
  Abstract
  
  Heart transplantation was performed firstly in 1967, but it became a valuable option in the 1980s, due to the availability of cyclosporine and of the technique for rejection monitoring by means of serial endomyocardial biopsies. Post-transplant survival improved over the years, mainly due to a reduction in early mortality for infection or acute rejection. Expected 1-year and 5-year survivals are around 85% and 70%, respectively. During the past 20-30 years, better therapies for heart failure have been developed, leading to restriction of heart transplant candidacy to truly refractory heart failure. On the contrary, the criteria for donor acceptance have been liberalized, due to the discrepancy between heart transplant candidates and available organs. It must be kept in mind that renal and/or hepatic insufficiency that may be a consequence of heart failure, pulmonary hypertension, and donor age, all remain risk factors for mortality after transplantation. In order to maintain and possibly improve the results of heart transplantation, effective strategies to increase safely the donor pool are of utmost importance. Moreover, long-term post-transplant recipients present new challenges to research and clinical practice. Mechanical circulatory support devices represent a surgical bridge or an alternative to transplantation; their expansion is limited by costs, organizational burden, and by patient difficulties in accepting this therapy.
  
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