Active clinical trials for "Heart Failure"

To compare the effectiveness and safety of diuretics add-on strategy in chronic heart failure patients

The aim of this trial is to compare the efficacy of NICaS-directed treatment strategy to the common treatment strategy (based on clinical judgment) on morbidity and mortality in patients with decompensated congestive heart failure, and accordingly to assess whether the NICaS system can optimize and individualize the treatment of decompensated heart failure patients. A prospective randomized controlled trial in which Known HF patients, with reduced EF <40%, admitted due to decompensated HF, will be randomly assigned, in a 1:1: ratio, to either: 1) Control group that will be treated in the cardiology and internal medicine departments according to the guidelines for the management of Heart Failure. 2) Hemodynamic group patients will be examined in the cardiology and internal medicine departments and treated according to the NICaS system in addition to current guidelines. Patients in this group will be tested within 12 hours from hospitalization and thereafter on an everyday basis until discharge. For all patients randomized, therapy will be tailored to the ultimate goal of discharge on an oral medical regimen to provide better relief of CHF symptoms, to reduce filling pressures and to maintain adequate perfusion. These goals are the same for both groups, but in the control group therapy will be adjusted according to clinical assessment alone, while in the NICaS-directed group, actual measurement of hemodynamics will be used to supplement clinical assessment.

The aim of the present study is to measure heart-focused anxiety, general anxiety, depression, PTSD and quality of life as well as type D personality in patients with heart failure before and after the implantation of a cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) and/or assist device (AD).

The primary aim of this study is to assess the changes on the shape and function of the left ventricle in patients with severe mitral valve regurgitation due to congestive heart failure and cardiomyopathy who undergo mitral valve reconstruction with a Geoform ring. Three-dimensional echocardiogram will be used for precise evaluation of the shape and function of the ventricle.

Radio Contrast Induced Nephropathy (RCIN) remains a well recognized complication in patients undergoing diagnostic or interventional procedures requiring radiographic contrast agents. Recent studies have shown benefit in administering Sodium Bicarbonate over normal saline( the uniformly accepted prophylaxy) in preventing RCIN.But most studies have excluded patients with history of pulmonary edema, severe heart failure(NYHA 3-4), uncontrolled hypertension or ejection fraction less than 30%. Therefore the aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of sodium bicarbonate solved in half saline compared with infusion of half saline in prevention of RCIN in these groups of patients.

Recent meta-analysis reported reduction in mortality and hospitalization of HF patients.However, important issues in DMP for HF remain to be resolved. DMP are not homogeneous concerning methodology and in general included only elderly patients; most were tested in high-risk HF patients discharged from hospital; quality of life results are controversial; few reports included long-term results; some protocols had limited enrollment of screened patients, and it was suggested that could be less effective when patients are already followed by HF specialist.Improved survival was associated with cardiologist care as well with multidisciplinary teams providing specialized follow-up.Whether both together could benefits HF is not well defined. Also, no studies reported the long-term effects of a cyclic repetitive reeducation program.We tested whether a DMP that consisted of a long-term repetitive education program associated with a telephone monitoring could benefit HF outpatients in usual ambulatory care already under care of cardiologist with experience in HF

Informal caregivers, assisted by health information technology may help to fill the gaps in VA care management of heart failure patients by enhancing support for patients' treatment adherence, behavior changes, and symptom monitoring.

The primary objective of this study is to determine the efficacy of ICD therapy compared with control on the endpoint of death from any cause in patients with heart failure of non-ischemic oetiology.

Increased levels of NT-proBNP are known to increase the risk of cardiac events in diabetic patients. The other way around, patients with normal values have an excellent prognosis on short-term. We intend in our study to proof the hypothesis, whether it is possible to decrease NT-proBNP levels by intensified cardiac prevention care We aim those patients, who already have elevated levels, although no history of a cardiac disease. This decrease in NT-proBNP should be translated consequently in a decrease in cardiac events

Individuals who were a part of the investigators Screen-HF study (NCT00400257) whose BNP level are in the top quintile will be offered participation in this study. Participants will be randomised to receive either spironolactone or placebo for three years. Participants will then be monitored for indications of heart failure. It is anticipated that the medication will reduce the development of heart failure in this group.