European journal of heart failure
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Eur. J. Heart Fail. · Jun 2005
Plasma NT-proBNP is a potential marker of disease severity and correlates with symptoms in patients with chronic rheumatic valve disease.
A noninvasive marker of disease severity and presence of symptoms is required in patients with chronic rheumatic valve disease (RVD). ⋯ NT-proBNP levels in patients with chronic RVD are a potential marker of disease severity and correlates with symptoms.
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Eur. J. Heart Fail. · Mar 2005
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Clinical TrialPatients with heart failure in primary health care: effects of a nurse-led intervention on health-related quality of life and depression.
To determine the effects of a nurse-led intervention designed to improve self-management of patients with heart failure in a primary health care setting regarding health-related quality of life and depression. ⋯ A nurse-led intervention directed toward patients with heart failure in a primary health care setting resulted in limited effects between the groups, although the physical and mental status were retained during 12 months of follow-up to a greater extent than in the control group.
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Eur. J. Heart Fail. · Mar 2005
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialRandomised controlled trial of cardiac rehabilitation in elderly patients with heart failure.
Heart failure, a condition predominantly affecting the elderly, represents an ever-increasing clinical and financial burden for the NHS. Cardiac rehabilitation, a service that incorporates patient education, exercise training and lifestyle modification, requires further evaluation in heart failure management. ⋯ Cardiac rehabilitation, already widely established in the UK, offers an effective model of care for older patients with heart failure.
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Eur. J. Heart Fail. · Mar 2005
ReviewLife-saving or life-prolonging? Interpreting trial data and survival curves for patients with congestive heart failure.
Chronic heart failure is responsible for considerable suffering and mortality throughout the world. Clinical trials have consistently demonstrated the benefits of pharmacological therapies such as angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and beta-adrenoceptor blockers. ⋯ The time benefit in survival is not usually reported in clinical trials, which are conducted over fixed time points and report risk reductions during this period only. In this paper, we discuss the use of prolongation of life statistics as an outcome measure in clinical trials and review simple techniques for calculating the lifetime benefit of pharmacological intervention in heart failure using data from a number of major studies
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Eur. J. Heart Fail. · Jan 2005
B-type natriuretic peptide and its precursor in cardiac venous blood from failing hearts.
Plasma concentrations of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP-32) and its precursor (proBNP) are increased in chronic heart failure. Accordingly, BNP-32 and proBNP are both being implemented as clinical markers. ⋯ The BNP-32 and proBNP concentrations are closely related in venous cardiac blood. The findings suggest an overall constitutive secretion of processed proBNP, i.e. an N-terminal precursor fragment and BNP-32, in chronic heart failure.