Project description:Chronic heart failure (CHF) remains the only cardiovascular disease with an increasing hospitalization burden and an ongoing drain on health care expenditures. The prevalence of CHF increases with advancing life span, with diastolic heart failure predominating in the elderly population. Primary prevention of coronary artery disease and risk factor management via aggressive blood pressure control are central in preventing new occurrences of left ventricular dysfunction. Optimal therapy for CHF involves identification and correction of potentially reversible precipitants, target-dose titration of medical therapy, and management of hospitalizations for decompensation. The etiological phenotype, absolute decrease in left ventricular ejection fraction and a widening of QRS duration on electrocardiography, is commonly used to identify patients at increased risk of progression of heart failure and sudden death who may benefit from prophylactic implantable cardioverter-defibrillator placement with or without cardiac resynchronization therapy. Patients who transition to advanced stages of disease despite optimal traditional medical and device therapy may be candidates for hemodynamically directed approaches such as a left ventricular assist device; in selected cases, listing for cardiac transplant may be warranted.
Project description:Congestion, or fluid overload, is a classic clinical feature of patients presenting with heart failure patients, and its presence is associated with adverse outcome. However, congestion is not always clinically evident, and more objective measures of congestion than simple clinical examination may be helpful. Although diuretics are the mainstay of treatment for congestion, no randomised trials have shown the effects of diuretics on mortality in chronic heart failure patients. Furthermore, appropriate titration of diuretics in this population is unclear. Research is required to determine whether a robust method of detecting - and then treating - subclinical congestion improves outcomes.
Project description:Heart failure (HF) is a global phenomenon, and the overall incidence and prevalence of the condition are steadily increasing. Medical therapies have proven efficacious, but only a small number of pharmacological options are in development. When patients cease to respond adequately to optimal medical therapy, cardiac resynchronization therapy has been shown to improve symptoms, reduce hospitalizations, promote reverse remodelling, and decrease mortality. However, challenges remain in identifying the ideal recipients for this therapy. The field of mechanical circulatory support has seen immense growth since the early 2000s, and left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) have transitioned over the past decade from large, pulsatile devices to smaller, more-compact, continuous-flow devices. Infections and haematological issues are still important areas that need to be addressed. Whereas LVADs were once approved only for 'bridge to transplantation', these devices are now used as destination therapy for critically ill patients with HF, allowing these individuals to return to the community. A host of novel strategies, including cardiac contractility modulation, implantable haemodynamic-monitoring devices, and phrenic and vagus nerve stimulation, are under investigation and might have an impact on the future care of patients with chronic HF.
Project description:BACKGROUND:Chronic heart failure (CHF) is the most common reason for hospital admissions in Germany. For the National Disease Management Guideline (NDMG) on CHF, a multidisciplinary expert panel revised the chapters on drug therapy, invasive therapy, and care coordination, following the methods of evidence-based medicine. METHODS:Recommendations are based on international guideline adaptations or systematic literature search. They were developed by a multidisciplinary expert panel, approved in a formal consensus procedure, and tested in open consultation, as specified by the requirements for S3 guidelines. RESULTS:The pharmacological treatment is based on ACE inhibitors, beta-blockers and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists as well as diuretics to treat fluid retention, if present. Sacubitril/Valsartan and ivabradine showed positive effects on mortality in large but methodologically limited RCT. They are recommended if established combination therapy is not sufficient for symptom control, or if drugs are not tolerated/contraindicated. The indications for pacemakers or defibrillators have been confined to patient subgroups in which clinical trials have shown a clear benefit. Moreover, the goals of treatment and the patient's expectations should be aligned with each other. Structured care programs, specialized nurses, remote, or telephone monitoring showed moderate effects on patient related outcomes in RCT. CONCLUSION:All patients with heart failure are suggested to be enrolled in a structured program (e.g., a disease management program) including coordinated multidisciplinary care and continuous educational interventions. In patients with a poor prognosis, more intensive care is recommended, e.g. specialized nurses, or telephone support.
Project description:Circulating levels of the BNP system can help in the diagnosis of cardiovascular disease and provide prognostic information not only for patients who have HF but also for the general population and other patient groups. Changes over time also carry prognostic information, and studies are assessing BNP-guided treatment strategies. With the identification of circulating molecular forms of BNP, new insights regarding the biology of the BNP system are emerging that may improve the diagnostic and prognostic value of BNP. Likewise, accounting for rs198389 (a common single nucleotide polymorphism that increases BNP levels) may help to further refine the use of components of the BNP system as biomarkers.
Project description:Acute heart failure (AHF) is a life-threatening medical condition, where urgent diagnostic and treatment methods are of key importance. However, there are few evidence-based treatment methods. Interestingly, despite relatively similar ways of management of AHF throughout the globe, mid-term outcome in East Asia, including South Korea is more favorable than in Europe. Yet, most of the treatment methods are symptomatic. The cornerstone of AHF management is identifying precipitating factors and specific phenotype. Multidisciplinary approach is important in AHF, which can be caused or aggravated by both cardiac and non-cardiac causes. The main pathophysiological mechanism in AHF is congestion, both systemic and inside the organs (lung, kidney, or liver). Cardiac output is often preserved in AHF except in a few cases of advanced heart failure. This paper provides guidance on AHF management in a time-based approach. Treatment strategies, criteria for triage, admission to hospital and discharge are described.
Project description:Telemonitoring (TM) aims to predict and prevent worsening heart failure (HF) episodes and improve self-care, patient education, treatment adherence and survival. There is a growing number of TM options for patients with HF, but there are numerous challenges in reaching positive outcomes. Conflicting evidence from clinical trials may be the result of the enormous heterogeneity of TM devices tested, differences in selected patient populations and variabilities between healthcare systems. This article covers some basic concepts of TM, looking at the recent advances in the most frequently used types of TM and the evidence to support its use in the care of people with HF.
Project description:Purpose of reviewHeart failure is highly prevalent in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in this population. Heart failure therapies proven to benefit the general population may have different risk-benefit profiles in patients with concurrent CKD, plausibly because of the unique pathophysiology of heart failure in this population. The present review highlights recent advances in heart failure treatment as they apply to patients with CKD.Recent findingsSeveral recent publications have shown possible benefits of established heart failure therapies to improve clinical outcomes in patients with CKD; while others conclude neutral or even harmful effects of heart failure therapies in CKD patients. Novel heart failure therapies show promise to improve outcomes in the general population and should be evaluated in future studies to further elucidate the efficacy and safety of these novel therapies specifically in patients with CKD.SummaryKnowledge of heart failure treatment to improve clinical outcomes in the CKD population remains limited. Future studies should focus on patients with CKD to evaluate the generalizability of heart failure therapies to this patient population.
Project description:Chronic heart failure (CHF) is a progressive and debilitating disease with a broad symptom profile, intermittently marked by periods of acute decompensation. CHF patients are encouraged to self-manage their illness, such as adhering to medical regimens and monitoring symptoms, to optimise health outcomes and quality of life. In so doing, patients are asked to collaborate with their health service providers with regard to their care. However, patients generally do not self-manage well, even with specialist support. Moreover, self-management interventions are yet to demonstrate morbidity or mortality benefits. Social network approaches to self-management consider the availability and mobilisation of all resources, beyond those of only the patient and healthcare providers. Used in conjunction with e-health platforms, social network approaches may offer a means by which to optimise self-management programmes of the future.
Project description:BackgroundOur overall goal is to improve clinical care for inpatients with chronic heart failure (CHF). A retrospective assessment of CHF patients admitted to our hospital over the past decade (2005 vs. 2014) indicated a need for better strategies to evaluate clinical treatment, implement best practices and achieve optimal patient outcome. To that purpose, we developed a standardized plan to improve in-hospital treatment of acute decompensated CHF patients.Methods & resultsRetrospective chart reviews were conducted to compare three cohorts of CHF patients admitted to the University Hospital of Lund at different time points over a 12-year period: 2005 (365 patients), 2014 (172 patients) and 2017-2018 (57 patients). Little improvement was seen between 2005 and 2014 with respect to one-year mortality (35% vs. 34%) and adequate treatment with recommended medications, e.g., use of renin-angiotensin system blockers (45% vs. 51%). A standardized treatment plan was devised to improve outcomes. A third cohort, treated under the plan (2017-2018), was compared with the 2014 cohort. One-year mortality (18% vs. 34%) and 30-day readmission (5% vs. 30%) were dramatically decreased, and adherence to medication guidelines was achieved. Key elements of the plan included well-defined treatment procedures, enhanced communication and teamwork, education, adequate time for treatment (5 days) and post-discharge follow-up as necessary. Natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels were useful for assessing patient status, prognosis and response to treatment.ConclusionDevelopment of a standard plan for clinical management of acute decompensated CHF patients resulted in significant improvements in patient outcome, as reflected in decreased rates of 30-day readmission and one-year mortality.