European journal of heart failure
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Eur. J. Heart Fail. · Jul 2013
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative StudyThe effect of intravenous ferric carboxymaltose on red cell distribution width: a subanalysis of the FAIR-HF study.
Red cell distribution width (RDW), a measure of variability in red blood cell size, is a novel prognostic marker in chronic heart failure (CHF). Iron deficiency contributes to elevated RDW. In the FAIR-HF trial, i.v. ferric carboxymaltose (FCM) improved the 6 min walk test (6MWT) distance in iron-deficient CHF patients. We studied the effect of FCM on RDW and the relationship between RDW and 6MWT distance. ⋯ Iron deficiency in CHF is associated with high RDW, even after adjustment for the presence of anaemia. Treatment with i.v. FCM in iron-deficient CHF patients decreases RDW.
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Eur. J. Heart Fail. · Jul 2013
Comparative StudyImpact of right ventricular reserve on exercise capacity and survival in patients with pulmonary hypertension.
Pulmonary hypertension is a clinical syndrome characterized by a progressive increase in pulmonary vascular resistance leading to right ventricular failure and death. Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) are key subgroups of this disorder with comparable clinical and pathological findings. Resting pulmonary haemodynamics correlate only moderately with functional parameters and do not predict prognosis in these patients sufficiently accurately. We therefore correlated exercise haemodynamics with peak oxygen uptake (peakVO2) and determined their prognostic significance. ⋯ The ability of the right ventricle to increase the cardiac index during exercise is an important determinant of exercise capacity in patients with pulmonary hypertension. It also predicts prognosis and might therefore be useful in the clinical assessment of these patients.