Active clinical trials for "Heart Failure"

Heart failure (HF) is one the most common cause of hospitalization and represents the end stage of a variety of heart conditions; it is associated with significant morbidity and mortality.The pathophysiology of HF is centered on increased activity in the adrenergic and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone systems (RAAS), which leads to vasoconstriction and fluid restriction with further deleterious effect on cardiac function. Β-blockers, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs)/angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) and aldosterone antagonists reduce activity in these pathways and have shown prognostic benefit, thus are the foundation of HF therapy.There is a growing body of evidence that variation in proteins within the sympathetic axis and RAAS influence drug response thus increasingly pharmacogenetics of HF research is being sought as a way to optimize HF treatment and advance new drug development in this area.

The HILO-HF Registry is a single centre registry that will be performed to provide information on the usual baseline oxygen saturation (SpO2) in patients presenting to ED with a primary ED diagnosis of AHF

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is the fastest growing form of heart failure with a high morbidity and mortality rate, and is associated with severe exercise intolerance. The mechanisms responsible for the reduced exercise tolerance remain poorly understood. The investigators propose a novel paradigm shift, focusing on peripheral limitations to exercise. In particular, the investigators will test the hypothesis that muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) is elevated in older HFpEF patients compared to healthy controls, and is associated with reduced exercise tolerance. The investigators will also test whether 16-weeks of exercise training will lower MSNA compared to attention control, and correlate with improved exercise tolerance in older HFpEF patients.

Against the background of the European Innovation Partnership on Active & Healthy Ageing, SmartCare aims to define a common set of standard functional specifications for an open ICT platform enabling the delivery of integrated care to older European citizens. In the context of SmartCare, a total of 23 regions and their key stakeholders will define a comprehensive set of integration building blocks around the challenges of data-sharing, coordination and communication. Nine regions will then deploy integrated health & social services to combat a range of threats to independent living commonly faced by older people, while the others will prepare for early adoption, possibly in the framework of new ICT PSP projects. In a rigorous evaluation approach, the deployment sites will produce and document much needed evidence on the impact of integrated care, developing a common framework suitable for other regions in Europe. The organisational and legal ramifications of integrated care will be analysed to support long term sustainability and upscaling of the services. SmartCare services will provide full support to cooperative delivery of care, integrated with self-care and across organisational silos, including essential coordination tools such as shared data access, care pathway design and execution, as well as real time communication support to care teams and multi-organisation access to home platforms. In addition, they will empower all older people according to their mental faculties to take part in effective management of their health, wellness, and chronic conditions, and maintain their independence despite increasing frailty. The SmartCare services build on advanced ICT already deployed in the pioneer regions, including high penetrations of telecare and telemonitoring home platforms. In SmartCare, these platforms are to be opened to cross-sectorial care teams, improving the ability of older people to better manage their chronic conditions at home and deal with their increasing frailty. System integration will be based, whenever possible, on open standards' multivendor interoperability will be strongly encouraged.

HIV-infection is associated not only with a reduced function of the immune system, but also linked with diseases of other organ systems, in particular with the heart. Heart conditions that have been described with HIV include Pericarditis, Pleural effusion Pulmonary hypertension (Venedic classification typ II) Dilated cardiomyopathy Heart failure Myocarditis Bacterial endocarditis Heart valve disorders In addition to previously stated disorders of the heart, the premature atherosclerosis of coronary arteries, a further even more important disease of the heart in this patient population, went into the focus of most HIV-researchers and physicians. Premature atherosclerosis of coronary arteries results in coronary calcification, angina pectoris, myocardial infarction and sudden death. HIV-positive patients are at greater risk for a variety of heart-related conditions, including coronary artery disease. It is assumed, that HIV infection doubles the risk of a heart attack, according to recent research. The reason for this link between HIV and heart-related conditions is unknown, but secondary infections that affect the heart muscle and coronary arteries have a greater chance of occurring in people with compromised immune systems. In addition, the HI-virus itself had been detected in the myocardium and might have an impact on the premature of cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, some of the medications used to treat HIV patients (antiretroviral therapy, ART) are assumed to have heart-related side effects. Therefore, current treatment regimens for HIV infection have to be balanced against the marked benefits of antiretroviral treatment. Nevertheless, prevention of coronary heart disease should be integrated into current treatment procedures of HIV-infected patients. The link between the heart and HIV is well established but not well understood. Therefore, further results are needed for efficient guidelines for the prevention, diagnostic and therapy of HIV-associated cardiovascular diseases.

Patients with heart failure are at an increased risk for thiamin deficiency (TD), for many reasons such as malnutrition and the use of diuretic drugs. Thiamin is a B vitamin that plays an important role in the production of energy in body. Therefore, low levels of thiamin may limit the amount of energy available for the heart to pump blood. Recent thiamin supplementation trials have demonstrated significant improvements in heart function. However, while clinically important, the results of these studies are limited by their small sample sizes, indirect measurement of thiamin status and reliance on hospitalized patients. Therefore, the investigators' goal is to determine the prevalence of thiamin deficiency in ambulatory patients with heart failure by direct measurement of thiamin in red blood cells.

The purpose of the Extension Phase of the COMPASS-HF study is to continue to observe the safety of the Chronicle® Implantable Hemodynamic Monitor (IHM) system and Chronicle ICD system and provide study doctors continued access to the heart pressure information recorded by the Chronicle devices which may be used to help manage heart failure. The Extension Phase of the COMPASS-HF study is limited to people who have already received the investigational system and are currently enrolled in a Chronicle IHM or ICD study.

While trastuzumab has been shown to prevent recurrences of breast cancer, some women may also experience damage to their heart muscle (including heart failure) as a result of their treatment. The investigators hope to learn if standard medications used in heart failure can prevent heart damage caused by trastuzumab in women with breast cancer. The investigators would also like to know if there are any ways to detect this damage earlier using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and blood tests.

The purposed of the study is to evaluate the pharmacokinetics (PK) response of continuous subcutaneous (SQ) infusion of cenderitide, as compared with a single SQ bolus.

Enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) is a noninvasive circulatory assist device that has been as a treatment option for refractory angina in left ventricular (LV) dysfunction. Recently, its potential role in heart failure management has been shown. However, although the concept of EECP was introduced almost four decades ago, and despite growing evidence supporting the clinical benefit and safety of this therapeutic modality, little is firmly established regarding the mechanisms responsible for the benefit of EECP include improvement in endothelial function, promotion of coronary collateralization, enhancement of ventricular function, and peripheral effects. Therefore, the major aim of this study is to provide an alternative treatment, EECP, for those unsuitable for standard procedures, especially for patients whose heart failure was caused by repeated myocardial infarction, called ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICMP), and to evaluate the clinical outcome and the endothelial function before and after 35 hours of EECP treatment.