ESC heart failure
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Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Background pharmacological therapy in the ANTHEM-HF: comparison to contemporary trials of novel heart failure therapies.
Clinical trials of new heart failure (HF) therapies administer guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) as background pharmacologic treatment (BPT). In the ANTHEM-HF Pilot Study, addition of autonomic regulation therapy to GDMT significantly improved left ventricular function, New York Heart Association (NYHA) class, 6 min walk distance, and quality of life in patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). A post hoc analysis was performed to compare BPT in ANTHEM-HF with two other trials of novel HF therapies: the PARADIGM-HF study of sacubitril-valsartan and the SHIFT study of ivadrabine. All three studies evaluated patients with HFrEF, and the recommendations for use of GDMT were similar. A left ventricular ejection fraction ≤40% was required for entry into ANTHEM-HF and PARADIGM-HF and ≤35% for SHIFT. NYHA 2 or 3 symptoms were required for entry into ANTHEM-HF, and patients with predominantly NYHA 2 or 3 symptoms were enrolled in PARADIGM-HF and SHIFT. ⋯ Background treatment with GDMT in ANTHEM-HF compared favourably with that in two other contemporary trials of new HF therapies. The minimum period of stable GDMT required before randomization was longer, and GDMT remained unchanged for the study's duration. These findings serve to further support the potential role of autonomic regulation therapy as an adjunct to GDMT for patients with HFrEF.
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This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic significance of nutritional status in post-discharge Asians with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). ⋯ Malnutrition was frequently and strongly associated with systemic inflammation in Asian patients hospitalized for acute HFpEF. Our findings also indicate that nutrition may play a pivotal role in metabolic protection in this population.
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We aimed to investigate whether metabolomic profiling of blood can lead to novel insights into heart failure pathogenesis or improved risk prediction. ⋯ Our metabolomic profiling of three community-based cohorts study identified associations of circulating levels of the haem breakdown product urobilin, and sphingomyelin (30:1), a cell membrane component involved in signal transduction and apoptosis, with incident heart failure.
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Multicenter Study
Clinical characteristics of hospitalized heart failure patients with preserved, mid-range, and reduced ejection fractions in Japan.
There are regional differences in the patient characteristics, management, and outcomes of hospitalized patients with heart failure (HF). The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical characteristics and outcomes of Japanese patients who are hospitalized with HF on the basis of the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) stratum. ⋯ Our results revealed different clinical characteristics but similar mortality rates in the HFrEF, HFmrEF, and HFpEF groups. The most common cause of death and re-hospitalization after hospital discharge was HF, but non-cardiac causes also contributed to their prognosis. Integrated management approaches will be required for HF patients.
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Unsuccessful weaning from ventilator after major cardiovascular procedures has been shown to be associated with increased post-operative morbidity and mortality. Our study aimed to identify predictors and clinical implications of prolonged mechanical ventilation (PMV) after left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation. ⋯ Prolonged mechanical ventilation affects nearly half of patients after LVAD implantation. Previous sternotomy, renal function, and platelet counts are associated with increased risk for PMV. PMV is accompanied by decreased survival at 180-day post-implantation and longer hospitalizations.