Journal of cardiac failure
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Long-term outcomes with ambrisentan monotherapy in pulmonary arterial hypertension.
This study evaluated long-term outcomes in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) undergoing treatment with ambrisentan monotherapy, a selective oral endothelin-1 receptor antagonist. ⋯ Ambrisentan monotherapy led to improvements in catheterization, 6MWD, and RV ejection fraction, and shows promise as a long-term treatment for pulmonary arterial hypertension.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Baseline plasma NT-proBNP and clinical characteristics: results from the irbesartan in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction trial.
N-terminal B type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is usually elevated in heart failure (HF) patients with reduced ejection fraction (EF). Less is known about NT-proBNP in HF with preserved EF (HF-PEF). We measured baseline NT-proBNP in 3562 HF-PEF enrolled patients in the Irbesartan in Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction trial. ⋯ Most HF-PEF patients have elevated NT-proBNP levels. The NT-proBNP concentrations were related to baseline characteristics generally associated with worse outcomes for HF patients.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Patients' self-assessed functional status in heart failure by New York Heart Association class: a prognostic predictor of hospitalizations, quality of life and death.
Clinician-assigned New York Heart Association (NYHA) class is an established predictor of outcomes in heart failure. This study aims to test whether patients' self-assessment of functional status by NYHA class predicts hospital admissions, quality of life, and mortality. ⋯ SA-NYHA class is predictive of hospitalization, quality of life, and mortality among patients with heart failure.
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Among patients with heart failure, sleep-disordered breathing is a common problem, with a prevalence ranging from 24% to 76%. Encompassed within the general category of sleep-disordered breathing are 2 types of sleep apnea: obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) occurs when the oropharyngeal musculature relaxes, causing a collapse of the upper airway, and central sleep apnea occurs when the brain stem fails to stimulate breathing. ⋯ It is important to distinguish the type of sleep-disordered breathing a patient may have. Further studies are needed to elucidate the effects of CPAP and other therapies.