To assess serum levels of carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125) in patients with chronic congestive heart failure (CHF) and to assess any correlation with clinical symptoms and echocardiographic indices. We enrolled 77 male patients (mean age: 73+/-10 years) admitted to the Cardiology Emergency Department (ED) with cardiac symptoms requiring hospitalization. Diagnosis ...

INTRODUCTION: We sought to evaluate the behavior of C2 values and their correlation with acute rejection episodes and cyclosporine (CyA) side effects in heart transplant patients whose immunosuppressive therapy, was monitored with C0 trough levels. METHODS: Sixty stable patients who had received heart transplants from 3 months to 60 months ...

We studied patients with valvular heart disease to investigate whether chronic preoperative treatment with angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors modulates the effect of phenylephrine (PE) on anaesthesia-induced hypotension. Sixty-five patients were enrolled in the study and hypotension developed after anaesthesia in 36 (18 in the control group and 18 in the ...

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this analysis was to determine if there were differences in ventricular reverse remodeling and 6-month outcome with cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) among specific subgroups enrolled in the Multicenter InSync Randomized Clinical Evaluation (MIRACLE) Study. BACKGROUND: Analysis of major subgroups receiving CRT is important in determining who ...

OBJECTIVE: beta-Blockers require careful initiation and titration when used in patients with heart failure. Some patients tolerate beta-blocker therapy initiation without difficulty, whereas in other patients this period presents clinical challenges. We tested the hypothesis that polymorphisms at codons 389 (Arg389Gly) and 49 (Ser49Gly) of the beta(1)-adrenergic receptor would be ...

BACKGROUND: In patients with chronic kidney disease, the adverse cardiovascular effects of anemia have been well established. New data are emerging to suggest anemia may represent an important treatable cause of cardiac morbidity and mortality in patients with heart failure. To improve the understanding of the problem of anemia in ...

OBJECTIVES: We sought to evaluate the effects of angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) on cardiac sympathetic nerve activity (CSNA) in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) with a preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). BACKGROUND: Approximately 50% of patients with CHF have preserved LVEF. It is reported that ARB therapy improves ...

A platform built around three information entities (patient, health-care_agent, and central_station) was designed to enable patients with chronic heart disease (in stable condition; emergency situations were excluded deliberately) to complete specifically defined protocols for out-of-hospital follow-up and monitoring. The patients belonged to one of four specific risk groups: arterial hypertension, ...

AIMS: Inflammatory cytokines may play a pathogenic role in heart failure (HF). CD40-CD40 ligand (CD40L) interactions are important in atherogenesis and based on its role in inflammation we sought to evaluate the role of CD40L in human HF. METHODS AND RESULTS: Serum levels of soluble (s) CD40L were measured in ...

CONTEXT: The premise of the problem-oriented medical record is that an accurately defined problem list will directly result in more thorough and efficient patient care. However, little empirical evidence exists demonstrating improved patient outcomes as a result of an adequately structured problem list. OBJECTIVE: To determine the impact of problem ...

BACKGROUND: The medical management of heart failure (HF) in clinical practice varies considerably by country and by medical specialty. AIM: To assess the treatment of HF patients admitted to Internal Medicine departments, and to evaluate out-patient management prior to admission, by specialty. DESIGN: Prospective cross-sectional multi-centre survey. METHODS: Of 55 ...

INTRODUCTION: Survival of patients with congenital heart disease has dramatically improved after surgical repair became available 40 years ago. Instead of a mortality of 85% during childhood following the natural course, over 85% of these infants are now expected to reach adulthood. However, data on long-term outcome is scarce due ...

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate insulin resistance and systemic inflammation in older patients with systolic (SHF) or diastolic heart failure (DHF). PATIENTS: 52 non-diabetic patients (> 70 and < 90 years old) with chronic heart failure (CHF) and hospitalised within the previous six months for heart failure were studied, together with a ...

Recent studies have demonstrated the inefficacy of nutritional supplements containing various combinations of vitamins and minerals for otherwise healthy elderly people and patients with ischemic heart disease. However, patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) have, up until recently, been excluded from such studies. CHF has a high mortality and morbidity ...

We measured serum interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R), tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a), Fas receptor (sFas), nitric oxide (NO), and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) activity in 45 patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) of different etiologies. The relatioship between these bioindices and the severity of heart failure was analysed. Patients were classified according ...

Because of the improvement of the pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment in heart failure (HF) patients, the HF related therapeutic regimen is becoming more complicated. Non-compliance with this regimen can result in worsening HF symptoms, sometimes leading to hospitalisation. The aims of this systematic literature review are (1) to describe the ...

For the diagnosis and management of heart failure, it would be useful to have a simple point-of-care test for assessing ventricular function that could be performed by a nurse. An impedance cardiography (ICG) parameter called systolic amplitude (SA) can serve as an indicator of left ventricular systolic function (LVSF). This ...

AIMS: Development of heart failure depends on systemic and molecular abnormalities among which are the activation of neurohormonal systems and the increase of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). This study assessed the relationship between catecholamines and active MMPs in vivo in patients with severe congestive heart failure (CHF) and in vitro in ...

A survey of members of the Heart Failure Society of America revealed that despite their lack of approval by the United States Food and Drug Administration, nitrates are widely used in patients with chronic congestive heart failure (CHF). Most members reported using nitrates in patients with ischemic (90%) and nonischemic ...

Twenty-two patients (19 men) with heart failure (16 ischemic, 6 dilated cardiomyopathy; mean age of 67 +/- 6 years) in New York Heart Association classes I (2 patients), II (18 patients), and III (2 patients) under optimal therapy were strictly monitored after carvedilol supplementation. The Tei index decreased significantly from ...

Impaired endothelium-dependent and independent vasodilator responses in chronic heart failure (CHF) have been well described. Previous studies involved younger patients and omitted medications prior to study. We explored if new therapeutic interventions would restore vasodilator responses in typical patients with chronic heart failure. 24 patients and 15 controls were recruited, ...

BACKGROUND: Despite their known benefits, beta-blockers (BBL) are not yet widely prescribed for heart failure, especially in the primary care setting. We wanted to identify patient characteristics that could guide primary care physicians in deciding whether they or a cardiologist should initiate BBL. A second objective was to determine the ...

In patients with severe congestive heart failure (CHF), removal of edema by hemofiltration is associated with significant clinical and hemodynamic improvement, correction of hyponatremia, restoration of urine output and diuretic responsiveness, and with a striking fall in neurohormonal activation. Through these effects, hemofiltration is able to interrupt the progression of ...

Nesiritide (B-type natriuretic peptide) is one of the newest therapies available in the treatment of adults with decompensated congestive heart failure (CHF). It rapidly improves hemodynamics and induces diuresis in adult patients with moderate to severe CHF. This report details our experience with nesiritide in 4 pediatric cases in 3 ...

BACKGROUND: Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) has been proposed as a treatment for patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) and prolonged QRS durations. Previous studies have predominantly included patients with left bundle-branch block (LBBB). The Multicenter InSync Randomized Clinical Evaluation (MIRACLE) investigators assessed the efficacy of CRT in patients with CHF ...

The ultimate goal of heart failure (HF) treatment is to improve the prognosis of patients. Previous basic, clinical, and population studies have advanced the modern treatment of HF, but efficacy is still limited especially in 'real world' patients. There are 2 approaches to solve this crucial issue. First is the ...

PURPOSE: Although exercise training is established as an integrated part of treatment regimes in both patients with transmural myocardial infarction (MI) and chronic congestive heart failure (CHF), there is no consensus yet on the appropriateness of water exercises and swimming. One reason is the lack of information concerning both central ...

BACKGROUND: Congestive heart failure results in an increase in systemic venous pressure that is transmitted to the inferior vena cava and to the hepatic veins. This can cause GI vascular and mucosal congestion. The aim of this study was to define upper-GI mucosal changes in patients with congestive heart failure. ...

AIM: To investigate the clinical characteristics and prognostic factors of a consecutive series of patients with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP). METHODS: Clinical data of SAP patients admitted to our hospital from January 2003 to January 2004 were retrospectively reviewed. Collected data included the age, gender, etiology, length of hospitalization, APACHE ...

The care of the end-stage patient has not been extensively studied, and little is known about best care practices. Therefore, using new definitions for mode of death due to heart failure, we performed a retrospective chart review of records from a university-based heart failure disease management program to characterize the ...

Black patients who have heart failure (HF) may have a larger proportion of HF with preserved ejection fraction (PEF) than white patients because of the greater prevalence and severity of hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy in blacks. However, studies have not systematically evaluated differences by race in patients who have ...

Anaemia is frequently found in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) and has been associated with an increase in mortality and morbidity, impaired cardiac and renal function and a reduced quality of life (QoL) compared with non-anaemic CHF patients. Correction of anaemia with recombinant human erythropoietin (epoetin) has been associated ...

BACKGROUND: Patients with heart failure have high levels of central sympathetic outflow and also have a high prevalence of sleep-related breathing disorders, predominantly central sleep apnea. The options for treating central sleep apnea in heart failure are limited and include theophylline. Whether theophylline alters sympathetic activity in heart failure patients ...

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine whether rosiglitazone is associated with the onset or worsening of chronic heart failure (CHF) when administered to patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who receive insulin. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort analysis. SETTING: Veterans Affairs medical center. SUBJECTS: One hundred thirty-nine patients who received insulin for treatment of ...

BACKGROUND: The importance of repeated clinical assessments of patients with heart failure is widely accepted. The frequency of such follow-up is not established and is likely to depend on the natural history and variability of patients' health status and the availability and use of appropriate treatments. METHODS AND RESULTS: We ...

AIMS: To define the clinical characteristics, co-morbidities, treatment, and clinical outcomes of patients with varying degrees of heart failure (HF) complicating ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), and to identify patients at high risk for HF following fibrinolysis. METHODS AND RESULTS: 15,078 STEMI patients enrolled in a worldwide fibrinolytic trial (InTIME-II) were ...

To prospectively evaluate the prognostic significance of spatial dispersion of QRS duration (S-QRSd) on a signal-averaged electrocardiogram in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF), we studied 114 consecutive stable outpatients with radionuclide left ventricular ejection fraction <40%. Cardiac and sudden deaths were significantly more often observed in patients with than ...

BACKGROUND: Patients with severe congestive heart failure (CHF) become refractory to conventional medical therapy, leading to recurrent rehospitalizations. We examined the impact of intermittent outpatient ultrafiltration (UF), using either peritoneal dialysis or hemofiltration, on long-term clinical outcomes in patients with refractory CHF. METHODS AND RESULTS: We analyzed clinical and hemodynamic ...

Ventricular assist devices (VAD) have benefited patients with end-stage heart failure as a bridge to heart transplantation (HTx). We present our experience of HTx in the presence of device-related infection (DRI) including driveline exit site with pocket infections. From May 1996 to April 2003, mechanical circulatory support with the HeartMate ...

Carverdilol has a variable outcome in treating patients with chronic heart failure. This prospective single-center study evaluated the predictors of clinical variables in determining favorable outcomes in treating chronic heart failure patients with carvedilol. The relation between clinical variables and maintenance doses of carvedilol was also determined. Seventy chronic heart ...

A 53-year-old man was admitted to Keio University Hospital because of serious dyspnea and edema of the lower extremities. Eighteen months previously, the patient had complained of chest discomfort, and was then admitted for the first time to our hospital for evaluation of chest pain. Electrocardiography showed poor R wave ...

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Cardiac sympathetic nerve dysfunction is related to poor clinical outcome in patients with several different heart diseases. However, it is not clear whether cardiac sympathetic nerve activity is useful for predicting the onset of congestive heart failure (CHF) in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). The aim of this ...

Recent data show that a high percentage of patients with systolic left ventricular dysfunction have sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), contributing to the incidence of morbidity and mortality in heart failure. This study examines the prevalence of sleep disorders in stable heart failure patients regardless of ejection fraction. On three consecutive days ...

BACKGROUND: Heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) is essential for cellular recovery, survival and maintenance of cellular function. Research into the possible use of Hsp70 as a cytoprotective therapeutic agent is ongoing. Chronic heart failure (CHF) is a state associated with systemic inflammation, particularly in patients with cardiac cachexia. We hypothesised ...

OBJECTIVE: To determine association of hyperhomocysteinemia with myocardial infarction and conventional risk factors for ischemic heart disease. DESIGN: A non-interventional comparative case control study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: The study was conducted at the department of Chemical Pathology and Endocrinology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Rawalpindi and Armed Forces ...

BACKGROUND: Heart rate variability (HRV) as an indirect autonomic assessment provides prognostic information when measured over short time periods in patients with heart failure. Long-term continuous HRV can be measured from an implantable device, but the clinical value of these measurements is unknown. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 397 ...

BACKGROUND: Although ACE inhibitors are underprescribed for heart failure, factors associated with their use are not well described. Furthermore, the effectiveness of ACE inhibitors has been questioned in some populations, potentially contributing to underuse. Our objectives were to assess the correlates of ACE inhibitor use and the relationship between ACE ...

BACKGROUND: Mitral regurgitation (MR) may develop in patients with advanced systolic congestive heart failure (CHF) without organic mitral valve disease and contribute to worsening symptoms and survival. Surgical mitral annuloplasty improves symptoms in patients with advanced CHF, and percutaneous approaches to mitral annuloplasty are being developed. Our objective was to ...

A decreased LFP (low-frequency power) spectral component of HRV [HR (heart rate) variability] is a risk factor for sudden death in patients with CHF (chronic heart failure). In the present study, we evaluated factors (age, arterial pressures and HR) influencing LFP and HFP (high-frequency power) components in short-term recordings during ...

OBJECTIVES: We studied the effects of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) on heart failure (HF) patients with central sleep apnea (CSA). BACKGROUND: Patients with advanced HF often suffer from CSA with Cheyne-Stokes respiration. Cardiac resynchronization therapy improves myocardial function and exercise capacity in HF patients with conduction disturbances. The relationship between ...