Luciano Bernardi, associate professor of internal medicine, a Peter Sleight, professor, bGabriele Bandinelli, physician, c Simone Cencetti, physician, c Lamberto Fattorini, physician, cJohanna Wdowczyc-Szulc, assistant professor of cardiology, d Alfonso Lagi, physician. c a Dipartimento di Medicina Interna, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy, b Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9DU, c Dipartimento di Medicina Interna, Unit? Ospedaliera S Maria Nuova, 50100 Florence, Italy, d Department of Cardiology, University of Gdansk, 80-211 Gdansk, Poland