Circulation. Heart failure
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Heart failure with anemia: novel findings on the roles of renal disease, interleukins, and specific left ventricular remodeling processes.
Anemia is a highly prevalent and strong independent prognostic marker in heart failure (HF), yet this association is not completely understood. Whether anemia is simply a marker of disease severity and concomitant chronic kidney disease or represents the activation of other detrimental pathways remains uncertain. We sought to determine which pathophysiological pathways are exacerbated in patients with HF, reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and anemia in comparison with those without anemia. ⋯ http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00834691.
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Comparative Study
Bridge-to-decision therapy with a continuous-flow external ventricular assist device in refractory cardiogenic shock of various causes.
Mortality for refractory cardiogenic shock remains high. In this patient cohort, there have been mixed results in mechanical circulatory support device use as a bridge-to-decision therapy. We evaluated a continuous-flow external ventricular assist device (VAD), CentriMag VAD (Thoratec Corp., Pleasanton, CA), in patients with various causes of refractory cardiogenic shock. ⋯ Bridge-to-decision therapy with CentriMag VAD is feasible in a variety of refractory cardiogenic shock settings. Patients with postcardiotomy shock have inferior survival.
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Several cardiovascular diseases are characterized by an impaired O2 kinetic during exercise. The lack of a linear increase of Δoxygen consumption (VO2)/ΔWork Rate (WR) relationship, as assessed by expired gas analysis, is considered an indicator of abnormal cardiovascular efficiency. We aimed at describing the frequency of ΔVO2/ΔWR flattening in a symptomatic population of cardiac patients, characterizing its functional profile, and testing the hypothesis that dynamic pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular contractile reserve play a major role as cardiac determinants. ⋯ In patients symptomatic for dyspnea, the occurrence of ΔVO2/ΔWR flattening reflects a significantly impaired functional phenotype whose main cardiac determinants are the excessive systolic pulmonary artery pressure increase and the reduced peak right ventricular longitudinal systolic function.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Effect of fixed-dose combination of isosorbide dinitrate and hydralazine on all hospitalizations and on 30-day readmission rates in patients with heart failure: results from the African-American Heart Failure Trial.
Fixed-dose combination of isosorbide dinitrate and hydralazine (FDC-I/H) reduced mortality by 43% and death or first hospitalization for heart failure (HF) by 37% in the African-American Heart Failure Trial (A-HeFT). Reduction in mortality makes it difficult to determine the effect on hospitalizations unless the analysis adjusts for death as a competing risk. ⋯ http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00047775.