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 […]
Tag: Heart Failure
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. […]
Remote haemodynamic monitoring of heart failure
Despite improvements in therapy, hospitalisations for heart failure have risen over the past three decades. More recently, implantable systems for monitoring of intracardiac and pulmonary artery pressures have been developed. […]
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 […]
Surgical ventricular reconstruction for heart failure
Surgical ventricular reconstruction is a technique which has been developed to reconstruct dysfunctional myocardial segments; it is usually performed in conjunction with coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Previous studies of this technique have not been randomised and have been limited to observational studies. […]
Depression worsens outcomes in heart failure
Depressive symptoms are prominent in elderly hospitalized patients with heart failure and have been associated with decreased functional status, increased hospital readmissions and greater mortality. However, little is known about the characteristics of heart failure patients prone to depression and their treatment. […]