Active clinical trials for "Heart Failure"

Heart failure (HF) is a complex syndrome characterized by myocardial dysfunction and an impaired regulatory function of multiple organ systems which were resulted from impaired cardiac output and consequently impaired perfusion of target organ. In cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET), the investigators found there is periodic oscillation in minute ventilation of some patient. With periodic breathing (PB), clear oscillations in oxygen uptake, carbon dioxide output, tidal volume and left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF) were also noted. Exertional hyper-ventilation that is caused by HF may further induce vasoconstriction during exercise and lead to further dysfunction of end-organ and muscle. Reduced end-organ perfusion/oxygenation may critically limit exercise performance. Hypoxic change during nadir phase of PB may deteriorate the exercise limitation. Physical training can have beneficial effects which can effectively counteract the progression of deleterious compensatory mechanisms of HF. Whether exercise yields the same beneficial effect on ventilation oscillation and inefficacy is not clear. The investigators will observe the real-time cardiac and hemodynamic change respond to exercise with periodic breathing change. The investigators expect that these results obtained from this study can aid in determining appropriate exercise intervention to improve aerobic fitness as well as simultaneously improve hemodynamic control in patients with HF. A quasi-experimental design will be used in this investigation. 60 HF patients will be recruited from Chang Gung Medical Foundation, Keelung Branch after they have provided informed consent. These subjects will be divided into PB (n=30) and non-PB groups (n=30) by their expression of CPET. Patients from each groups received the same therapy and trace course for 2years including CV clinics, CPET and polysomnography. The investigators will measure subjects' physical fitness, oxygen transport and utilization of exercising skeletal muscles, cardiovascular functions and hemodynamics, blood cell parameters, RBC deformity and aggregation, plasma biomarkers of myocardial damage, oxygen stress and quality of life at pre-training stage and following the 6th , 12th, 18th, 24th months of the tracing program. Experimental results were analyzed by descriptive statistics, independent t-test, and repeated measure ANOVA. The investigators study the above parameter to realize the physiological response to exercise of these patients and discover the appropriate exercise intensity for prescription for EPB.

The reduction in effort tolerance as result of a decreased efficiency in ventilation is common both in patients affected by COPD (McKenzie) and chronic heart failure (CHF) (Ribeiro, Frankenstein). One of the most common cause is the reduced respiratory muscle strength and endurance. Some studies have evaluated the effect of a specific training on the muscular strength both in pulmonary (Battaglia, Powell) and cardiac patients (Winkelmann, Chiappa). Moreover, only few studies investigated a specific training for such patients (Koppers, Sherer) because of the complicated equipment needed to prevent hypocapnia. Up to date, portable and economic systems for isocapnic hyperpnea have been developed for respiratory muscle training. Primary aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the respiratory muscle training -by the technique of the isocapnic hyperpnea- on the effort tolerance and endurance in patients with COPD and CHF Secondary aims were: A.to quantify the number of patients with deficit of respiratory muscles endurance and B.to verify different response of training between COPD and CHF patients

This study will assess the renal hemodynamic effect of RLX030 infusion in subjects with chronic heart failure. In addition safety and effects on renal function and biomarkers will be assessed.

Heart failure (HF) greatly increases mortality and lowers quality of life (QOL). HF is the most common indication for readmission in older adults and the most frequent reason for 30-day readmission. Medications and restriction of dietary sodium constitute crucial therapy to lower HF recurrence. However, adherence to medications and dietary recommendations is low in HF patients. Nonadherence is often due to an interaction among the environment, the patient and providers. In the VALOR in Heart Failure Study, we will assess a novel quality improvement program (QIP) to improve HF care using a pretest-posttest design. This interdisciplinary theory-based prospective experimental study will target improving HF treatment using patient-based behavioral and checklist intervention, as well as provider and system-targeted checklists and treatment defaults (posttest or intervention phase); this will be compared to current best practice (CBP) evaluated in the pretest (pretest or pre-intervention) phase. It is hypothesized that the QIP, which intervenes on patient, provider and system levels, will improve QOL and lower HF recurrence compared to CBP.

This is a prospective, open-labeled, multi-centric trial to evaluate the effect of bisoprolol (between low dose and high dose) on surrogate markers of heart failure in Korea.

The purpose of this Phase 1 study is to assess the safety, tolerability, and preliminary efficacy of single escalating doses of ACRX-100 delivered via endomyocardial injection in adults with ischemic heart failure.

Metoprolol succinate is a beta1-selective beta-blocker, becoming non-selective at higher doses, while carvedilol is non-selective. We examined whether metoprolol remained beta1-selective compared to carvedilol during dose up-titration in Class C heart failure (HF) Beta-blocker naïve patients. METHODS: Twenty-five NYHA FC II-III HF patients were randomized to carvedilol or metoprolol. Patients were studied at baseline and after 2 weeks of up-titration (metoprolol at 25, 50, 100, and 200 mg daily; carvedilol IR at 3.125, 6.25, 12.5, 25 mg and 50mg twice daily). Beta2- blockade was determined by an infusion of terbutaline at 6 mg/kg over 1 hour. Glucose and potassium levels were serially measured at baseline, every 15 minutes for the 1st hour and 30 minutes for 2nd hour post-infusion. The median area under the curve (AUC) for glucose and potassium changes were calculated.

The technique of transplanting progenitor cells into a region of damaged myocardium, termed cellular cardiomyoplasty, is a potentially new therapeutic modality designed to replace or repair necrotic, scarred, or dysfunctional myocardium. Ideally, graft cells should be readily available, easy to culture to ensure adequate quantities for transplantation, and able to survive in host myocardium; often a hostile environment of limited blood supply and immunorejection. Whether effective cellular regenerative strategies require that administered cells differentiate into adult cardiomyocytes and couple electromechanically with the surrounding myocardium is increasingly controversial, and recent evidence suggests that this may not be required for effective cardiac repair. Most importantly, transplantation of graft cells should improve cardiac function and prevent adverse ventricular remodeling. To date, a number of candidate cells have been transplanted in experimental models, including fetal and neonatal cardiomyocytes, embryonic stem cell-derived myocytes, tissue engineered contractile grafts, skeletal myoblasts, several cell types derived from adult bone marrow, and cardiac precursors residing within the heart itself. There has been substantial clinical development in the use of whole bone marrow and skeletal myoblast preparations in studies enrolling both post-infarction patients, and patients with chronic ischemic left ventricular dysfunction and heart failure. The effects of bone-marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have also been studies clinically. Currently, bone marrow or bone marrow-derived cells represent highly promising modality for cardiac repair. The totality of evidence from trials investigating autologous whole bone marrow infusions into patients following myocardial infarction supports the safety of this approach. In terms of efficacy, increases in ejection fraction are reported in the majority of the trials. Chronic ischemic left ventricular dysfunction resulting from heart disease is a common and problematic condition; definitive therapy in the form of heart transplantation is available to only a tiny minority of eligible patients. Cellular cardiomyoplasty for chronic heart failure has been studied less than for acute MI, but represents a potentially important alternative for this disease.

This study is designed to assess the safety and tolerability of Cardiac Repair Cells (CRCs) compared to standard-of-care in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM).

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of intravenous (IV) clevidipine as compared with standard of care IV antihypertensive agents for blood pressure (BP) lowering in patients with acute heart failure and elevated BP.