Active clinical trials for "Heart Failure"

In this study we investigate the clinical value and efficacy of OptiVol (TM) impedance measurements by Medtronic (R) ICD's. We aim to determine sensitivity and positive predictive value for detecting heart failure. We also investigate if left ventricular filling pattern measured by echocardiography and/or brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) level can be used to improve the positive predictive value of the Optivol alert

People with heart failure (HF) symptoms who are seen in the emergency department (ED) are often admitted to the hospital even though it may not be necessary. This study will gather information from HF patients seen in the ED to develop a decision-making tool that will help doctors predict the risk of HF-related death or serious complications. Improving the ability of ED doctors to effectively and safely manage low-risk HF patients should lead to fewer unnecessary hospitalizations.

The intent of this feasibility study is to collect and analyze intra-thoracic impedance measurements from a CRT-D device in a heart failure population.

To investigate the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in patients with Heart Failure. To investigate if vitamin D levels are correlated to the degree of Heart Failure.

The purpose of this study is to determine if children with heart disease where there is only one pumping chamber("ventricle") have proteins (biomarkers") in the blood that can be used to monitor the function of their heart.

The purpose of this study is to determine whether outpatient therapeutic management guided by impedance cardiography (ICG), in addition to standard clinical assessment, will result in a longer time in days to the first heart failure hospitalization than therapy guided by clinical assessment alone.

Background: Anemia in chronic heart failure (CHF) is directly linked to increased mortality and reduced exercise capacity. The pathomechanism for the development of anemia in CHF is not well understood. Impairment of iron homeostasis is discussed to be one of the major triggers in anemia of chronic disease. Hepcidin was recently described as the central regulator of iron homeostasis. Main hypothesis: Plasma hepcidin levels are altered in anemic CHF patients compared to non anemic controls and might be a main contributing factor of anemia in CHF. Iron regulator-hypothesis High levels of cytokines in CHF patients cause up-regulation of hepcidin, which in turn leads to low iron uptake causing anemia. In this case venous hepcidin and hemoglobin concentrations should both correlate with cytokine levels. Erythropoietin regulator-hypothesis Dysregulation of the erythropoietin system results in anemia, which represses hepcidin. This leads to a negative correlation between hemoglobin and hepcidin in plasma. Methods: 100 consecutive patients diagnosed with systolic CHF will be prospectively included in the study. Iron status will be assessed and hepcidin, erythropoietin as well as interleukin-1, interleukin-6 and soluble TNF alpha receptor levels will be measured by ELISA. Patients will be followed up for one year and mortality, rehospitalization and worsening of CHF will be documented.

The purpose of this prospective observational cohort study is to evaluate multimodal monitoring technologies in the perioperative care of cardiac surgical patients. Right ventricular pressure tracings, near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and transthoracic ultrasonography will be studied for their ability to detect and predict complications such as right ventricular failure, renal failure and respiratory failure.

The WEARIT-III registry enrolls subjects with ischemic cardiomyopathy and heart failure (including NYHA II, III, IV and an ejection fraction ≤ 35%) who wear a medically prescribed ZOLL LifeVest Wearable Defibrillator. The primary objective of the WEARIT-III Registry is to prospectively document the clinical course of high-risk cardiac patients with heart failure and ischemic cardiomyopathy prescribed with Wearable Cardioverter Defibrillator (WCD), such as left ventricular function recovery, arrhythmia, Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD), Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (CRT), Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD), heart transplantation, and to assess the benefit of WCD in heart failure patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy.

An interventional study to empower congestive heart failure patients who have a cardiac resynchronization therapy-cardiac implantable electronic device (CRT-CIED) by using a personal health record (PHR) to directly message them their device data and send alerts based on percent left ventricular pacing.