European journal of heart failure
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Eur. J. Heart Fail. · Dec 2019
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyRationale and design of the AFFIRM-AHF trial: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial comparing the effect of intravenous ferric carboxymaltose on hospitalisations and mortality in iron-deficient patients admitted for acute heart failure.
Iron deficiency (ID) is a common co-morbidity in heart failure (HF), associated with impaired functional capacity, poor quality of life and increased morbidity and mortality. Treatment with intravenous (i.v.) ferric carboxymaltose (FCM) has shown improvements in functional capacity, symptoms and quality of life in stable HF patients with reduced ejection fraction. The effect of i.v. iron supplementation on morbidity and mortality in patients hospitalised for acute HF (AHF) and who have ID has yet to be established. The objective of the present article is to present the rationale and design of the AFFIRM-AHF trial (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02937454) which will investigate the effect of i.v. FCM (vs. placebo) on recurrent HF hospitalisations and cardiovascular (CV) mortality in iron-deficient patients hospitalised for AHF. ⋯ The AFFIRM-AHF trial will evaluate, compared to placebo, the effect of i.v. FCM on morbidity and mortality in iron-deficient patients hospitalised for AHF.
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Eur. J. Heart Fail. · Jun 2019
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyLung ultrasound integrated with clinical assessment for the diagnosis of acute decompensated heart failure in the emergency department: a randomized controlled trial.
Although acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) is a common cause of dyspnoea, its diagnosis still represents a challenge. Lung ultrasound (LUS) is an emerging point-of-care diagnostic tool, but its diagnostic performance for ADHF has not been evaluated in randomized studies. We evaluated, in patients with acute dyspnoea, accuracy and clinical usefulness of combining LUS with clinical assessment compared to the use of chest radiography (CXR) and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in conjunction with clinical evaluation. ⋯ Integration of LUS with clinical assessment for the diagnosis of ADHF in the emergency department seems to be more accurate than the current diagnostic approach based on CXR and NT-proBNP.
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Eur. J. Heart Fail. · Jun 2019
Multicenter Study Observational StudyBio-adrenomedullin as a marker of congestion in patients with new-onset and worsening heart failure.
Secretion of adrenomedullin (ADM) is stimulated by volume overload to maintain endothelial barrier function, and higher levels of biologically active (bio-) ADM in heart failure (HF) are a counteracting response to vascular leakage and tissue oedema. This study aimed to establish the value of plasma bio-ADM as a marker of congestion in patients with worsening HF. ⋯ Plasma bio-ADM in patients with new-onset and worsening HF is associated with more severe HF and more oedema, orthopnoea, hepatomegaly and jugular venous pressure. We therefore postulate bio-ADM as a congestion marker, which might become useful to guide decongestive therapy.
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Eur. J. Heart Fail. · May 2019
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyA trial to evaluate the effect of the sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitor dapagliflozin on morbidity and mortality in patients with heart failure and reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (DAPA-HF).
Sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors have been shown to reduce the risk of incident heart failure hospitalization in individuals with type 2 diabetes who have, or are at high risk of, cardiovascular disease. Most patients in these trials did not have heart failure at baseline and the effect of SGLT2 inhibitors on outcomes in individuals with established heart failure (with or without diabetes) is unknown. ⋯ DAPA-HF will determine the efficacy and safety of the SGLT2 inhibitor dapagliflozin, added to conventional therapy, in a broad spectrum of patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction.
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Eur. J. Heart Fail. · Jan 2019
Multicenter StudyHeart failure with preserved ejection fraction in Asia.
Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a global public health problem. Unfortunately, little is known about HFpEF across Asia. ⋯ These first prospective multinational data from Asia show that HFpEF affects relatively young patients with a high burden of co-morbidities. Regional differences in types of co-morbidities, cardiac remodelling and outcomes of HFpEF across Asia have important implications for public health measures and global HFpEF trial design.