Examines the role of physicians in explaining the results of clinical trials evaluating the effectiveness of amlodipine in the treatment of heart failure. Reluctance of physicians to prescribe beta-blockers in heart f...
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Examines the role of physicians in explaining the results of clinical trials evaluating the effectiveness of amlodipine in the treatment of heart failure. Reluctance of physicians to prescribe beta-blockers in heart failure; Trend among physicians of prescribing amlodipine in heart failure based on its survival effects in patients with nonischemic cardiomyopathy.
Head down tilting is widely used to increase preload and to induce intrathoracic blood pooling similar to microgravity. During daily routine, this venous pooling is performed by rising the legs up. In this study, both...
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Head down tilting is widely used to increase preload and to induce intrathoracic blood pooling similar to microgravity. During daily routine, this venous pooling is performed by rising the legs up. In this study, both these approaches have been compared by invasive measurement using a right heart catheter. In patients with moderate coronary artery disease, diagnostic right heart catheterization was performed by the Swan-Ganz-techniques. All measurements were performed with head down tilting (-6-degrees) and with "leg up" position. Patients then received Nitrogycerin to countermeasure the preload changes. Pressures in the pulmonary artery as well as in the wedge position increased significantly during leg up and HDT. However, changes were significantly more pronouced in the "leg up" position than during HDT. No changes were observed for arterial blood pressure, cardiac output, stroke volume and resistances. Nitroglycerin during HDT lowered blood pressure and pressures in the pulmonary artery and in PCW-position and reduced cardiac output significantly. Both approaches of volume loading of the heart induced significant changes and increases of preload. However, changes were more pronounced during the "leg up" position than during HDT. It is questioned whether HDT with -6-degrees is appropriate to truly reflect hemodynamic alterations during simulated weightlessness.
Treatment with beta blockers results in improvement in functional status, and reduces mortality in patients with heart failure, A number of differences in the results noted could be due to additional properties of the...
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Treatment with beta blockers results in improvement in functional status, and reduces mortality in patients with heart failure, A number of differences in the results noted could be due to additional properties of the specific beta blockers studied: absence of cardioselectivity, and existence of a vasodilator effect and of an associated antioxidant effect, We studied the effects of celiprolol, a cardioselective beta blocker with a stimulant effect on beta 2 receptors. One hundred thirty-two patients presenting with chronic heart failure of various etiologies, with an ejection fraction of <40% and New York Heart Association cardiac functional status grades II acid III were included in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. The maximum dose of celiprolol (100 mg) was attained after 1 month. The study lasted 1 year. The primary evaluation criterion was functional class as evaluated using the Goldman questionnaire. There was no difference in efficacy between the 2 treatment groups in terms of functional class (p = 0.56). With regard to the secondary evaluation criteria, an improvement in DiBianco functional score was seen with celiprolol (p = 0.03), as well as a significant reduction in heart rate (p = 0.01). Ejection fraction increased in both groups (p = 0.15). There was no difference regarding improvement in left ventricular volume as determined at echocardiography or in exercise capacity. The safety profile of celiprolol was excellent. There was no difference in terms of cardiovascular mortality (2 receiving celiprolol vs 4 placebo), onset of arrhythmias (2 receiving celiprolol vs 3 placebo), worsening of heart failure (26 receiving celiprolol vs 23 placebo), or noncardiovascular adverse events (9 receiving celiprolol vs 14 placebo). The absence of a significant efficacy of celiprolol, a beta blocker with vasodilator properties, but exerting stimulation of beta 2 receptors, suggests an unfavorable role of this latter property in heart failure. However
Maximal oral vasodilator therapy resulted in long-term reduction of initially elevated pulmonary vascular resistance in 10 of 13 patients with severe heart failure who tolerated inotrope-supported uptitration of after...
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Maximal oral vasodilator therapy resulted in long-term reduction of initially elevated pulmonary vascular resistance in 10 of 13 patients with severe heart failure who tolerated inotrope-supported uptitration of afterload reduction. Eleven patients were unable to tolerate vasodilator therapy and required inotropic support for successful cardiac transplantation.
Congestive heart failure (CHF) is characterized by generalized thought to contribute to progressive circulatory failure and influence survival.(1,2) Among the major manifestations of neuroendocrine activation are prof...
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Congestive heart failure (CHF) is characterized by generalized thought to contribute to progressive circulatory failure and influence survival.(1,2) Among the major manifestations of neuroendocrine activation are profound abnormalities in autonomic control, characterized by sympathetic overactivity(2) and parasympathetic withdrawal.(3) Analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) has been used to study autonomic function in patients with CHF, and provides independent information on the risk of death in ambulatory patients.(4-6) Moreover, HRV analysis has been used to document the beneficial modulating effect of agents such as angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and beta blockers(7) on autonomic balance. Previous studies on the effect of pharmacologic therapy on HRV parameters have been performed in stable patients with chronic CHF, documenting an improvement within weeks to months. The present study examines baseline HRV parameters of patients with acutely decompensated CHF requiring hospitalization and evaluates the acute effects of medical therapy on HRV parameters.
In 29 patients with advanced heart failure, therapy tailored to hemodynamic goals was attempted using an initial infusion of dobutamine and nitroglycerin (the latter in those with pulmonary hypertension) followed by e...
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In 29 patients with advanced heart failure, therapy tailored to hemodynamic goals was attempted using an initial infusion of dobutamine and nitroglycerin (the latter in those with pulmonary hypertension) followed by escalating doses of oral vasodilators. In the 23 patients who were weaned from inodilator therapy, significant improvements in hemodynamic parameters and a low 90-day hospital readmission rate were documented.
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