We assessed the hypothesis that non-invasive measurement of stroke volume index can replace invasive measurements in patients with chronic heart failure. Non-invasive impedance cardiography (ICG) measurements together with invasive hemodynamic thermodilution (TD) measurements were performed in 13 patients with severe chronic heart failure (NYHA III-IV). Agreement between ICG and TD ...

BACKGROUND: There is a high prevalence of central sleep apnea (CSA) in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). The present study investigates the hypotheses that CSA in CHF patients reflects heart failure severity as measured by cardiac index (CI), pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP). METHODS: ...

A classification system to detect congestive heart failure (CHF) patients from normal (N) patients is described. The classification procedure uses the k-nearest neighbor algorithm and uses features from the second-order difference plot (SODP) obtained from Holter monitor cardiac RR intervals. The classification system which employs a statistical procedure to obtain ...

BACKGROUND: Patients with severe congestive heart failure (CHF) often have unexplained elevations in serum concentrations of troponin T (TnT), and it is proposed that this is due to cardiac TnT release because of underlying cardiac disease. We investigated whether impaired renal function is an additional underlying phenomenon contributing to increased ...

Recent studies have shown that prescription rates and doses of recommended drugs for chronic heart failure (CHF) are not optimal in daily practice. The aim of the Impact-Reco programme was to analyse prescription rates of CHF drugs in stable outpatients with CHF related to left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction in ...

Sepsis is a potentially lethal condition, and is one of the major causes of death in non-coronary intensive care units. Sepsis syndrome progresses through a number of increasingly severe stages, from systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) through sepsis, severe sepsis and septic shock. Each stage of sepsis is potentially characterized ...

sorafenib, a tyrosine-kinase inhibitor, is widely used in the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. Drug-related toxicities are generally mild but sorafenib, as other similar agents, may induce elevation of systemic arterial blood pressure levels in relation to an interaction with cardiovascular system probably mediated by HIF pathway. This side effect ...

OBJECTIVE: 1. To present RF with all its features during more than 30 years period. 2. To compare RF features in early 80s and today 3. To stress the role of echocardiography in the diagnosis and follow-up of patients with RF and RHD. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective analysis of patients ...

BACKGROUND: Overproduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines is a well established factor in the progression of chronic heart failure (CHF). Changes in cellular immunity have not been widely studied, and the impact of standard medication is uncertain. Here we investigate whether a leukocyte redistribution occurs in CHF and whether this effect is ...

Patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) with periodic breathing (PB) and Cheyne-Stokes respiration (CSR) tend to exhibit higher mortality and poor prognosis. This study proposes the characterization of respiratory patterns in CHF patients and healthy subjects using the envelope of the respiratory flow signal, and autoregressive (AR) time-frequency analysis. In ...

INTRODUCTION: Rapid diagnosis of volume overload in patients with suspected congestive heart failure (CHF) is necessary for the timely administration of therapeutic agents. We sought to use the measurement of respiratory variation of inferior vena cava (IVC) diameter as a diagnostic tool for identification of CHF in patients presenting with ...

BACKGROUND: Amiodarone (AMD) is a strong antiarrhythmic drug but has severe side effects such as pulmonary toxicity. There are no indicators or drugs that can prevent the development of amiodarone-induced pulmonary toxicity (AIPT). METHODS: We collected data for 96 consecutive patients treated with AMD and analyzed clinical factors related to ...

In patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) cachexia as well as Cheyne-Stokes respiration (CSR) are well known disorders. The relationship between CSR and cardiac cachexia however, remains unclear so far. Clinical as well as full-night polysomnographic data from 12 cachectic patients were compared to 13 non-cachectic patients with CHF. The ...

Hypereosinophilic syndromes (HES) constitute a rare and heterogeneous group of disorders, defined as persistent and marked blood eosinophilia associated with evidence of eosinophil-induced organ damage. Cardiac dysfunction is the most frequent result of end-organ damage and is the major cause of morbidity and mortality among patients with HES. Despite patients ...

Extracardiac or genetic abnormalities (EGA) represent a factor in the morbidity of patients with congenital heart disease. We evaluated the way neonates with CHD are screened at our institution and determined the yield for the screening tests. We reviewed the charts of 223 neonates with structural CHD. Subjects were categorized ...

Although there is substantial interest in the use of newer biomarkers to identify patients with chronic heart failure (CHF), recently few investigations have evaluated the incremental usefulness of multiple conventional biomarkers. Combination of several biomarkers simultaneously could enhance risk stratification in CHF. We analyzed 7 biomarkers (brain natriuretic peptide, uric ...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Prognostic survival studies for heart-rate corrected QT interval in patients with chronic heart failure are few; although these patients are known to have a high risk of sudden cardiac death. This study was aimed at determining the mortality risk associated with prolonged QTc in Nigerians with heart ...

Adaptive servo-ventilation as well as continuous and bi-level positive airway pressure seems to effectively treat sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF), and to improve left ventricular function. However, no randomized data show a significant impact of ventilation on survival in patients with CHF. By contrast, ...

Major characteristics of symptomatic patients with heart failure are exercise intolerance, poor prognosis, and poor quality of life (QOL). However, most QOL questionnaires are applicable for patients with mild to moderate heart failure, and are not sufficiently sensitive to discriminate between patients with NYHA classes III and IV. Therefore, it ...

Beta blockers have a proven benefit in the management of patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) and for secondary prevention of coronary events. Current guidelines list such reactive airway diseases (RADs) such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease as relative contraindications to beta-blocker use. However, the co-morbid burden of ...

BACKGROUND: Since the Randomized Aldactone Evaluation Study (RALES), the use of spironolactone is recommended in systolic heart failure (HF) patients that have been in New York Heart Association (NYHA) class III or IV. There is limited information on the use, side effects, and withdrawal rate of spironolactone in routine clinical ...

BACKGROUND: Morbid obesity (MO) is a risk factor for congestive heart failure (CHF). The presence of MO impairs functional status and disqualifies patients for cardiac transplantation. Bariatric surgery (BAS) is a frontline, durable treatment for MO; however, the safety and efficacy of BAS in advanced CHF is unknown. HYPOTHESIS: We ...

BACKGROUND: Heart rate turbulence (HRT) has been shown to predict the prognosis after myocardial infarction (MI), but its prognostic value in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) has not yet been well established. AIM: To evaluate HRT in patients with CHF and assess the prognostic significance of HRT in this ...

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to describe heart rate turbulence (HRT) in advanced heart failure (HF) patients and in a group of patients who underwent heart transplantation (HT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed 24-hour Holter recordings in 20 patients with advanced HF referred to our hospital for HT, ...

OBJECTIVE: Very low accumulation of 123I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (LoMIBG) in the human heart has been reported. This study assessed the frequency and characteristics of LoMIBG in the human heart. METHODS: A total of 2212 patients (male/female ratio 1442/770, mean age 64 +/- 12 years) who underwent MIBG imaging were included. LoMIBG was ...

BACKGROUND: Patients with heart failure have a poor prognosis. However, it has been presumed that patients with heart failure and preserved left ventricular function (LVF) may have a more benign prognosis. OBJECTIVES: We evaluated the clinical outcome of patients with heart failure and preserved LVF compared with patients with reduced ...

The present study aimed to evaluate the association between osteoporosis and CHF in elderly patients and to assess the effect of physical performance, vitamin D levels, inflammatory markers on this association. One hundred and twenty-six consecutive patients aged 65 years and above, with moderate to severe CHF who presented to ...

BACKGROUND: There are limited data describing the prevalence, type, and severity of cognitive impairments (CIs) in the general population with chronic heart failure (HF). The primary purpose of this study was to fill this gap in the literature by comparing the cognitive function of patients with chronic HF and community-dwelling ...

Optimal care of patients with heart failure requires a multifaceted approach that includes guideline-driven, evidence-based therapies, intensive patient education, careful initial and follow-up assessment, and appropriately constructed nutrition prescriptions. Central to the construct of the nutrition prescription is advice regarding sodium consumption. It is intuitively and generally agreed upon that ...

BACKGROUND: Oxygen uptake efficiency slope (OUES) is proposed as an objective index of cardiorespiratory functional reserve. The AIM of the present study was to evaluate the effect of coexisting respiratory diseases on OUES in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) (New York Heart Association class II-III) during incremental exercise testing. ...

Several surveys show that patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) are sub-optimally managed and treatment guidelines are not implemented in clinical practice. To investigate awareness and perceptions of the 2005 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines for CHF. 467 cardiologists from seven European countries completed an on-line interview using a ...

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common problem in male patients with heart failure (HF). However, no study was found that estimates the prevalence of ED by US ethnic groups with HF. We conducted an observational, cross-sectional study of patients enrolled in a HF disease management program in two sites Louisiana ...

PURPOSE: Periodic breathing (PB), characterized by waxing and waning oscillations of ventilation, has been reported in some patients with heart failure. Although PB is usually assessed in sleeping patients, PB has also been observed in awake patients. We tested the hypothesis that PB in awake, resting patients with heart failure ...

AIM: To describe the self-reported fluid intake and its effects on body weight, signs and symptoms of heart failure, quality of life, physical capacity and thirst, in patients with stabilised chronic heart failure. BACKGROUND: Patients with chronic heart failure are often recommended a fluid restriction of 1.5 l/day but there ...

Hyponatremia is the most common electrolyte abnormality found in hospitalized patients with heart failure. It may occur in patients who have hypovolemic, hypervolemic, or euvolemic state. It is usually not corrected by available therapies. It is a major predictor of prognosis, and correction of hyponatremia can be effectively accomplished by ...

BACKGROUND: The progression of heart failure in Chagas' disease has been explained by remodeling, leading to neurohumoral activation, or by the direct parasite damage to parasympathetic neurons during acute phase, leading to early sympathetic activation and progressive heart failure. To help distinguish between these hypotheses we studied muscle sympathetic nerve ...

Anemia is a common comorbidity in patients with heart failure and is associated with worse long-term outcomes. Although the cause of anemia in heart failure is unclear, the weight of evidence suggests that renal dysfunction, along with neurohormonal and proinflammatory cytokine activation in heart failure, favors the development of anemia ...

BACKGROUND: Activation of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) has been reported in congestive heart failure (CHF) conditions. However, it is unknown whether activation of iNOS affects prognosis of CHF patients. We prospectively studied the influence of activation of iNOS in the forearm on the outcome of CHF patients. METHODS AND ...

BACKGROUND: The management of patients with carcinoid heart disease poses two major challenges for the anaesthetist: carcinoid crisis and low cardiac output secondary to right ventricular (RV) failure. Carcinoid crises may be precipitated by the administration of catecholamines and histamine-releasing drugs. METHODS: We analysed a series of 11 patients [six ...

OBJECTIVE: Left heart failure (LHF) is a common and frequently overlooked condition owing to insufficient diagnostic methods. This can potentially delay onset of treatment. Our clinical experience with ventilation/perfusion single photon emission computed tomography (V/P SPECT) indicates that perfusion shows an antigravitational distribution pattern in LHF. The aim of the ...

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to describe the first experience of implanting a new left ventricular assist device in pediatric patients with end-stage heart failure. DESCRIPTION: In two recent prospective, international, multicenter clinical trials, three children (aged </= 16 years) were implanted successfully with the VentrAssist (Ventracor Limited, ...

Sleep disordered breathing (SDB) has a high prevalence and prognostic impact in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). Aim of this study was to investigate variability of SDB parameters in patients with stable CHF. Cardiorespiratory polygraphy was used to determine SDB in two consecutive nights in 50 CHF patients (NYHA ...

The incidence of enalapril-induced cough was evaluated in 199 patients with congestive heart failure. Cough was more frequent in class I or II patients (28%) than in class III (4.1%, p<0.01) and class IV (0%, p<0.01) patients. Brain natriuretic peptide level was lower in patients in the cough (+) group ...

Scanty data exist about the relation between acute heart failure (HF) and acute myocardial infarction (AMI). To assess the impact of HF on outcome in AMI patients treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Out of 2,089 AMI patients, 82% did not present HF, 17% presented HF on admission and ...

BACKGROUND: The benefits of angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) in patients with heart failure who are treated with standard pharmacotherapy, including an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, were demonstrated in 2 large randomized trials. It is currently impossible to determine which patient will benefit from the addition of an ARB. OBJECTIVE: ...

OBJECTIVE: Anorexia nervosa (AN) is considered to have a significant risk for sudden death because of cardiac complications, and abnormalities of the autonomic nervous system might be a cause of cardiac dysfunction. The aim of this study was to investigate autonomic nervous system function in AN patients by analyzing heart ...

Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and beta-blockers make up the cornerstone of therapy for patients with heart failure involving left ventricular dysfunction. These drug classes have been proven to decrease morbidity and mortality in patients with heart failure. Unfortunately, many patients remain symptomatic and experience disease progression despite taking both an ...

Acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) is a common syndrome that precedes over 100,000 hospitalizations in Canada per year (with length of stay in excess of six to eight days), making this the most costly disorder for patients older than 65 years of age. Over 85% of ADHF patients present with ...

This study explored patient-level factors associated with failure to rescue (FTR). The overall incidence of FTR in 5 Midwestern hospitals was 0.03%, which is much lower than reported in other studies. Five key patient parameters were found to be statistically significant, but subtle, indicators of impending FTR. These were changes ...

In patients with dyspnea, prehospital and emergency providers make therapeutic decisions before a diagnosis is established. Inhaled beta-2 agonists are frontline treatment for patients with dyspnea due to asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations. However, these agents have been associated with increased adverse events when administered chronically to ...