Active clinical trials for "Heart Failure"

Heart failure is a condition where the heart does not pump enough blood to the rest of the body. People with heart failure may have another condition called the "metabolic syndrome"( having excess fat in the belly, high blood pressure, high fat in the blood, low level of good cholesterol and high blood sugar). People who have both heart failure and the metabolic syndrome often see many doctors. A new clinic has been formed at Ben Taub General Hospital that includes a specialist in heart failure (cardiologist) and in the metabolic syndrome (endocrinologist) as well as patient teaching. The goal of this study is to randomize patients with the metabolic syndrome who are admitted to the hospital for heart failure to this clinic (collaborative care) versus the usual doctor appointments (usual care). The purpose of this study is to see if collaborative care is better medical care than usual care. Specifically, we will see if patients in collaborative care will have: fewer admissions to hospitals for illness better blood pressure, sugar, fat and heart failure control better patient satisfaction and knowledge about their diseases lower levels of inflammation.

This study will evaluate the tolerability and safety of valsartan in patients with stable, chronic heart failure (NYHA Class ll-lll). The 12-week double blind study has a 2-week (maximum) screening, and a 10-week active treatment phase. In each of the treatment arms (QD and BID), patients are up-titrated to a maximum valsartan total daily dose of 320 mg. Patients remain on their prior CHF standard care therapy throughout the study period, and the up-titration of valsartan is based on patient tolerability.

The purpose of this safety study is to evaluate NATRECOR® hBNP (a recombinant form of the natural human peptide normally secreted by the heart in response to heart failure), in subjects with worsening congestive heart failure for whom inpatient intravenous therapy with medications that influence the tone and caliber of blood vessels is deemed appropriate.

Heart failure is a progressive disease that decreases the pumping action of the heart. This may cause a backup of fluid in the heart and may result in heart beat changes. When there are changes in the heartbeat, sometimes a pacemaker is used to control the rate and rhythm of the heartbeat. In this trial, the researchers will test if pacing both the left and right lower half of the heart (ventricles) will: decrease the number of hospital and clinic visits due to heart failure symptoms extend life delay heart failure symptoms as compared to those who are paced in only one ventricle (the right ventricle)

To test whether treatment with the angiotensin II receptor antagonist Irbesartan improves insulin sensitivity and metabolic profile in patients with chronic heart failure.

The goal of the investigators' study is to further understand the potentially beneficial effects of statin therapy in patients with heart failure. It is hypothesized that statins will 1) increase the heart's pumping ability 2) improve functioning of the sympathetic nervous system and 3) decrease immune activation in heart failure.

The purpose of this study is to determine if Coreg CR is as effective as Coreg IR in improving heart function in subjects with stable chronic heart failure.

The purpose of this study is to determine if reducing blood flow to an exercising muscle during exercise training will enhance the training effect on that muscle in people who have limited exercise because of congestive heart failure

Erythropoietin (EPO) treatment in patients with the severe cardiorenal syndrome increases cardiac performance and decreases progression of renal failure by dampening the main driving forces of the cardiorenal syndrome in part via non-erythropoietic pathways. I. Does EPO administration to patients with the severe cardiorenal syndrome increase cardiac performance and decrease progression of renal disease? II. Does EPO treatment affect the main driving forces of the cardiorenal connection, that is, dampen the activated renin-angiotensin system (RAS), attenuate increased reactive oxygen species (ROS), normalize increased sympathetic activity, and decrease inflammation? III. Does EPO treatment positively affect the cell function of patients with the cardiorenal syndrome: are gene expression signatures of leukocytes positively influenced by EPO treatment, does EPO shift the Jak/STAT pathway to a less pro-inflammatory profile in monocytes, and are function and number of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) affected by treatment with EPO in the cardiorenal syndrome? IV. Can the direct actions of EPO be differentiated from the effects on hemoglobin levels?

The purpose of the study is to determine the effectiveness of a home-delivered variant of the chronic disease self management program in improving health outcomes in patients with chronic conditions.