Journal of the American College of Cardiology
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J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. · Sep 2013
Comparative StudyVentricular-arterial coupling, remodeling, and prognosis in chronic heart failure.
The objective of this study was to compare the physiological determinants of ejection fraction (EF)-ventricular size, contractile function, and ventricular-arterial (VA) interaction-and their associations with clinical outcomes in chronic heart failure (HF). ⋯ Left ventricular size, V0, and VA coupling are associated with prognosis in systolic HF, but end-systolic elastance (Eessb) is not. Assessment of VA coupling via Ea/Eessb is an additional noninvasively derived metric that can be used to gauge prognosis in human HF.
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J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. · Sep 2013
Effects of nesiritide and predictors of urine output in acute decompensated heart failure: results from ASCEND-HF (acute study of clinical effectiveness of nesiritide and decompensated heart failure).
This study sought to determine if nesiritide increases diuresis in congestive heart failure patients. ⋯ Nesiritide did not increase urine output in patients with ADHF. Higher diuretic dose was a strong predictor of higher urine output, but neurohormonal activation (as evidenced by blood urea nitrogen concentration) and lower blood pressure limited diuresis.
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J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. · Sep 2013
Clinical TrialThromboembolic complications after cardioversion of acute atrial fibrillation: the FinCV (Finnish CardioVersion) study.
This study sought to explore the incidence and risk factors of thromboembolic complications after cardioversion of acute atrial fibrillation. ⋯ The incidence of post-cardioversion thromboembolic complications is high in certain subgroups of patients when no anticoagulation is used after cardioversion of acute atrial fibrillation. (Safety of Cardioversion of Acute Atrial Fibrillation [FinCV]; NCT01380574).
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J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. · Sep 2013
N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide and its relationship with cardiac function in adults with congenital heart disease.
The aim of this study was to determine the value of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in adults with congenital heart disease (CHD) and investigate its relationship with ventricular function and exercise capacity. ⋯ NT-proBNP levels in adults with CHD clearly differ by diagnosis and are related to echocardiographic parameters and exercise capacity. Disease-specific correlations contribute to the understanding of the main hemodynamic problems per diagnosis. Follow-up data are needed to elucidate the additional prognostic value.