European journal of heart failure
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Eur. J. Heart Fail. · Jan 2003
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialIntravenous levosimendan treatment is cost-effective compared with dobutamine in severe low-output heart failure: an analysis based on the international LIDO trial.
Levosimendan, a novel calcium sensitiser, improves cardiac performance and symptoms without increasing oxygen consumption, and decreases the mortality of patients with low-output heart failure. ⋯ Although the patients in the levosimendan group were alive for more days and thus at risk of hospitalisation for longer, there was no increase in hospitalisation or hospitalisation costs with levosimendan treatment. The cost per LYS using levosimendan compares favourably with other cost-effectiveness analyses in cardiology.
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Eur. J. Heart Fail. · Jan 2003
Comparative StudyPrognosis of patients with chronic coronary artery disease and severe left ventricular dysfunction. The importance of myocardial viability.
The choice of optimal treatment strategy in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and severe left ventricular (LV) dysfunction is often difficult. The aim of this study was to compare long-term results of patients with chronic CAD, severe heart failure and a defined scope of myocardial viability treated with coronary revascularization, heart transplantation, or kept on medical therapy. ⋯ In patients with CAD, severe LV dysfunction, and the evidence of viability in dysfunctional myocardium, coronary revascularization improves survival. At least 3-years follow-up is necessary to objectively assess the prognostic effect of coronary revascularization.