Circulation. Heart failure
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Presence of atrial fibrillation is independently associated with adverse outcomes in patients hospitalized with heart failure: an analysis of get with the guidelines-heart failure.
It is unclear if the presence of atrial fibrillation (AF) on admission is associated with worse in-hospital outcomes in patients hospitalized with heart failure (HF). This study evaluated the clinical characteristics, management, length of stay, and mortality of HF patients with and without AF. ⋯ In patients hospitalized with HF, AF is present in one-third and is independently associated with adverse hospital outcomes and longer length of stay. Whether prompt restoration of sinus rhythm would improve outcomes in patients hospitalized with HF and new-onset or paroxysmal AF is unclear and requires further study.
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Decline in heart transplant wait list mortality in the United States following broader regional sharing of donor hearts.
A change in allocation algorithm in July 2006 allowed broader regional sharing of donor hearts in the United States (US). We assessed if the allocation change has been associated with a decline in wait list mortality in the US. ⋯ The risk of death on the wait list or becoming too sick to transplant has decreased by 17% in the US since the allocation algorithm allowing broader regional sharing was implemented in 2006. The shift in hearts to sicker candidates has not resulted in higher in-hospital or first year post-transplant mortality.
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Comparative Study
Left ventricular systolic and diastolic function in obstructive sleep apnea: impact of continuous positive airway pressure therapy.
Previous studies in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) were limited by study cohorts with comorbidities that confound assessment of left ventricular (LV) systolic and diastolic function. We comprehensively evaluated LV function using 2-dimensional echocardiography (2DE), tissue Doppler imaging (TDI), and 3-dimensional echocardiography (3DE) in subjects moderate-severe OSA, who were compared with disease (patients with hypertension, no OSA) and healthy control subjects. ⋯ Moderate to severe OSA causes structural and functional changes in V function and are comparable to that seen in hypertension. These abnormalities significantly improve after CPAP therapy.
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In pulmonary arterial hypertension (PH), sympathetic adrenergic activity is highly elevated. Sympathetic overactivity is a compensatory mechanism at first, but might be detrimental for cardiac function in the long run. We therefore investigated whether chronic low-dose treatment with bisoprolol (a cardioselective β-blocker) has beneficial effects on cardiac function in experimental PH. ⋯ In experimental PH, treatment with bisoprolol delays progression toward right heart failure, and partially preserves RV systolic and diastolic function. These promising results suggest a therapeutic role for β-blockers in PH that warrants further clinical investigation.
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Multicenter Study
Quantifying cardiac hemodynamic stress and cardiomyocyte damage in ischemic and nonischemic acute heart failure.
The early and noninvasive differentiation of ischemic and nonischemic acute heart failure (AHF) in the emergency department (ED) is an unmet clinical need. ⋯ At presentation to the ED, patients with ischemic AHF exhibit more extensive hemodynamic cardiac stress and cardiomyocyte damage than patients with nonischemic AHF. However, the overlap is substantial, resulting in poor diagnostic accuracy.