European journal of heart failure
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Eur. J. Heart Fail. · Aug 2014
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyEfficacy and safety of the pulsed infusions of levosimendan in outpatients with advanced heart failure (LevoRep) study: a multicentre randomized trial.
The aim of this study was to determine whether intermittent ambulatory treatment with levosimendan would improve functional capacity, quality of life, and event-free survival in patients with advanced heart failure. ⋯ Intermittent ambulatory treatment with levosimendan in patients with advanced heart failure did not improve significantly functional capacity or quality of life as compared with placebo. An adequately powered, event-driven trial is warranted to enlarge on our findings.
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Eur. J. Heart Fail. · Aug 2014
ReviewThe role of intravenous vasodilators in acute heart failure management.
Acute heart failure is a major cause of emergency hospital admission, with significant impact on health resources and patient outcomes. With no new treatments for over 20 years, the advent of new innovative therapies may facilitate a radical change in our approach to such patients. In this article, we examine the current evidence for the use of current intravenous vasodilators in AHF management, and review the potential of novel therapies currently in development.
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Eur. J. Heart Fail. · Aug 2014
Growth-differentiation factor 15 and osteoprotegerin in acute myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock: a biomarker substudy of the IABP-SHOCK II-trial.
This study investigates the role of osteoprotegerin (OPG) and growth-differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15) as predictors of outcome in cardiogenic shock (CS) complicating acute myocardial infarction. The novel biomarkers OPG and GDF-15 have shown prognostic impact in various cardiovascular diseases including myocardial infarction. In acute myocardial infarction complicated by CS, the diagnostic and prognostic impact of these biomarkers has not been investigated yet. OPG and GDF-15 may have additional prognostic impact on early prognosis assessment, being potentially useful for decision-making in CS. ⋯ GDF-15 on admission is a significant independent predictor of short-term mortality in infarct-related CS. Trail registration: NCT00491036.
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Eur. J. Heart Fail. · Aug 2014
Symptoms of anxiety and depression and risk of heart failure: the HUNT Study.
Symptoms of anxiety and depression often co-exist with cardiovascular disease, yet little is known about the prospective risk for heart failure (HF) in people with symptoms of depression and anxiety. We aimed to study these prospective associations using self-reported symptoms of anxiety, depression, and mixed symptoms of anxiety and depression (MSAD) in a large population sample. ⋯ Symptoms of depression, but not symptoms of anxiety or MSAD, were associated with increased risk for HF in a dose-response manner. The increased risk could not be fully explained by cardiovascular or socio-economic risk factors, or by co-morbid AMI.