Autologous stem/progenitor cells have been investigated for several years as a novel therapy for patients with advanced ischaemic heart disease, particularly those with ongoing angina or heart failure. In particular, for patients with ischaemic cardiomyopathy, autologous bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMCs) have been shown to be safe and possibly effective. However, none of the trials […]
Category: Heart Failure
SCIPIO: Stem cells improve ischaemic cardiomyopathy
Ischaemic heart disease remains the leading cause of heart failure in the Western World, and its prevalence continues to rise. Despite marked advances in the treatment of heart failure, heart muscle death remains irreversible. However, over the last decade the concept of the heart as a terminally differentiated organ has been refuted, and this has […]
Natural history of diastolic heart failure
Heart failure may develop with either reduced or preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), with each form accounting for approximately half of cases. However, time-dependent changes in diastolic function have not been well investigated, and their relationship to clinical heart failure is not well understood. […]
Omega-3 fatty acid levels and congestive heart failure
Long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids have previously been associated with a reduced risk of coronary death, however their effect on other cardiovascular outcomes – such as congestive heart failure (CHF) – are less well established. As CHF is one of the leading causes of hospitalisations, novel targets for its prevention are a priority. […]
STICH examines the role of CABG in heart failure
While the efficacy of CABG in improving both morbidity and mortality in patients with severe coronary artery disease and angina was established in the 1970’s, the majority of patients who took part in these initial ground-breaking studies had normal or near normal ventricular function. The role of CABG in treating patients with poor systolic LV […]
Frusemide strategies in heart failure
While loop diuretics are an acknowledged component of therapy for patients with acute decompensated heart failure, as they were introduced into clinical practice prior to the era of large randomised controlled trials there are few prospective data to guide their use. […]
Candesartan shows superiority in heart failure
In patients with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) have been shown to decrease cardiovascular mortality and hospital admissions for heart failure. However, despite having different affinities for the AT1 receptor and different effects on outcomes, few ARBs have been compared head-to-head. This study aimed to compare the effects of […]
Telemonitoring heart failure
Despite a decade of incremental advances in the treatment of heart failure, readmission rates remain persistently high at 50% at 6 months. Telemonitoring has been championed as a potential strategy to improve outcomes so that clinicians can intervene early if there is evidence of clinical deterioration. Small studies have suggested that this strategy works, and […]
Efficacy of CRT shown in mild-moderate heart failure
Cardiac-resynchronisation therapy (CRT) benefits patients with severe (NYHA III or IV) symptoms of left ventricular systolic dysfunction and a wide QRS complex, reducing both mortality and morbidity, and is often combined with implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapy. Many patients with milder degrees of heart failure (NYHA II or III) are candidates for ICDs but it is […]
Ivabradine—a paradigm SHIFT in heart failure?
A raised resting heart rate is a known risk factor for adverse outcomes in patients with chronic heart failure. In addition, the benefit of many drugs for heart failure appear to be at least in part caused by their ability to lower the heart rate, perhaps thereby attenuating the effect of energy starvation of the […]