Pedometer-Based Walking Intervention in Patients With Chronic Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection...
Systolic Heart FailureA multicenter randomized controlled trial, with follow-up at 6 and 12 months. Physically inactive participants with chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction will be randomly assigned to intervention or control arms. The six-month intervention will consist of an individualized pedometer-based walking program with weekly step goals, monthly face-to-face sessions with the physician, and monthly telephone calls with the research nurse. The intervention will be based on effective behavioral principles (goal setting, self-monitoring, personalized feedback). The primary outcome is the change in 6-minute walk distance at 6 months. Secondary outcomes include changes in serum biomarkers levels, pulmonary congestion assessed by ultrasound, average daily step count measured by accelerometry, anthropometric measures, symptoms of depression, health-related quality of life, self-efficacy, and MAGGIC Risk Score.
A Pivotal Trial to Establish the Efficacy and Safety of Algisyl in Patients With Moderate to Severe...
Heart FailureDilated Cardiomyopathy1 moreAUGMENT-HF II is a study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the Algisyl device. The purpose of this study is to investigate Algisyl employed as a method of left ventricular augmentation and restoration in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy. Algisyl will be injected into the myocardium under direct visualization during the surgical procedure. Structural abnormalities in the heart are known to play a central role in HF, and clinical evidence supports a strong causal relationship between cardiac chamber dilation and heart failure. Because dilation, and not contractile dysfunction, appears to be responsible for the severity of the disease, the mitigation or prevention of the deleterious structural abnormalities of the left ventricle appears to be an important therapeutic target for patients with this life threatening illness. Hence, a therapy that specifically reduces LV wall stress, targets LV dilatation and LV remodeling may offer an important new alternative in the treatment of heart failure. Algisyl is being investigated based on evidence that suggests an ability of the implants to reduce wall stress, reshape the LV chamber and reduce the LV chamber size as well as prevent the progressive ventricular dilation and remodeling associated with HF. The physiologic response to progressive exercise using direct measures of ventilation and gas exchange via the cardiopulmonary exercise test is an important diagnostic tool in the management of the patient with HF, quantifying responses to therapy, and as a reliable prognostic utility for predicting outcomes in patients with HF. Numerous studies have established the strong association of peak VO2 with mortality and morbidity risk in HF. Peak VO2 conceptually is considered an overall global marker of cardiopulmonary health and is a reflection of the degree of impairment in ventricular function ( the heart's pumping capacity), oxygen delivery and oxygen utilization. Hence, employing the change in peak VO2 as a primary endpoint in this clinical study provides a strong objective measure that can be interpreted in independent blinded fashion, to evaluate the result of the therapeutic intervention and provide an equally strong assessment of the prognostic implications for patients in the study. This clinical evaluation is intended to provide confirmatory evidence of the effectiveness and safety of the device Algisyl in patients with advanced heart failure.
Utility of Thenar Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) in Pediatric Patients With Heart Failure
Heart FailureThis is a single-center, non-randomized study.The study staff will use the InSpectraTM tissue oxygen saturation (StO2) monitor manufactured by Hutchinson Technology to measure baseline StO2 levels after applying the noninvasive probe to the thenar eminence. After a stable reading is obtained, a blood pressure cuff will be inflated 40 mmHg above the obtained systolic pressure and the rate of desaturation (Rdes; % × sec-1) will be recorded. After 3 minutes or once the StO2 level comes to zero (whichever is earlier), the cuff pressure will be released and the rate of reperfusion (Rres; % × sec-1) will be measured. The investigators hypothesize that heart failure in children causes a baseline lower thenar tissue oxygen saturation (StO2), a faster rate of desaturation (Rdes) and a prolonged rate of reperfusion (Rres). The investigators also hypothesize that these changes will correlate with the severity of heart failure. The results of this study will provide groundwork for studies looking at correlation of therapy modification based on the combination thenar StO2 and clinical presentation.
Noninvasive Diagnostics in Left Ventricular Assist Device Patients
Heart FailureArtificial Heart Device UserStudy Purpose: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the sensitivity/specificity of noninvasive diagnostic methods for the cardiac function that are based on data available from the Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD). These diagnostic methods will be compared to standard clinical diagnostic procedures both at rest and during exercise. Study Design: The study is a prospective interventional cohort study. Patient cohort: Thirty heart failure patients who had or are about to have a LVAD implanted. Data Collection: The acquisition of LVAD data (motor current and speed) and wristwatch accelerometry data concurrently to the documentation of routine clinical examinations, such as cardiac ultrasound, electrocardiography (ECG), cardiac catheterization, and exercise tests, will be performed.
Essential Hypotension and Allostasis Registry
Blood PressureDepression17 moreThe essential arterial hypotension and allostasis registry is a prospective, observational research that has the purpose of demonstrating that essential blood pressure (BP) disorders and the associated comorbidities are a result of the inappropriate allostatic response to daily life stress. This required a functioning brain orchestrating the evaluation of the threat and choosing the response, this is a mind-mediated phenomenon. If the response is excessive it contributes to high BP, if deficient to low BP, and the BP itself will identify the allostatic pattern, which in turn will play an important role in the development of the comorbidities. To do so, consecutive patients of any age and gender that visit a cardiologist's office in Medellin, Colombia, are recruited. Individuals are classified according to their arterial BP and allostasis and follow them in time to see what kind of diseases develops the most (including BP) in the follow up according to the categorization of the characteristic chosen and after adjustment for confounder's variables. In addition, stress events with their date are registered. HYPOTHESIS The causes of the diseases are multifactorial. Physical, biochemical, psychological, social, and cultural dimensions of development dynamically interact to shape the health development process. A person´s health depends on their: Biological and physiologic systems External and internal environment (a) physical, b) internal behavioural and arousal state as registered by the brain. Their interaction. The allostatic mechanisms to the internal and external stressors (allostatic load) involves a network composed by: Functional systems; mediated by: The Autonomic Nervous System The endocrine system The immune system Structural changes: whenever the internal and/or external stressors are long lasting and/or strength enough, they may induce changes in: Epigenetic, endophenotypes, polyphenism. Plasticity The interaction between a) and b). The network response do not affect exclusively the BP, propitiating the development of comorbidities, which may prompt strategies for prevention, recognition and ultimately, treatment. The allostatic model defines health as a state of responsiveness. The concept of psycho-biotype: The allostasis is the result of both: biological (allostasis) and psychological (psychostasis) abilities. It is proposed that both components behave in similar direction and magnitude. Immune disorders may be associated with the development of cancer. High BP population has a higher sympathetic and lower vagal tone, this has been associated with a decrease in the immune´s system function. Resources and energy depletion: Terms like weathering have been used to describe how exposures to different allostatic loads gradually scrape away at the protective coating that keeps people healthy. It is postulated that High BP individuals have more resources and energy.
The Relationship Between XinKang-I and Chronic Heart Failure
Traditional Chinese MedicineBackground: Heart failure is the severe and terminal stage of various heart diseases, which is characterized by high morbidity, mortality and readmission. There are few studies on the relationship between XinKang-I(XK-I) and chronic heart failure. Objective: To explore the relationship between XK-I and chronic heart failure. Methods/design: The trial is a single-center, single-blind, randomized study (1:1). It will recruit 110 patients with chronic heart failure who syndrome of qi deficiency yang deficiency and blood stasis. The intervention group will receive not only Western medicine, but also XK-I. The primary end points will be the changes in oxygen consumption volume of anaerobic threshold (VO2AT), maximum oxygen volume uptake (VO2max), and 6-minute walking distance after 8 weeks of treatment. Both groups will receive 8 weeks of treatment. Ethics and dissemination: Ethical approval was granted by Ethics Committee of Dongguan TCM Hospital. Results will be disseminated via peer-reviewed publications and presentations at international conferences.
Danish Pragmatic Randomized Trial to Evaluate the Effect of HeartLogic-Guided Management on Heart...
Heart FailureThe purpose of the study is to assess the impact of HeartLogic-guided management on clinical outcomes among patients implanted with an eligible cardiac device.
Losartan in Prevention of Radiation-Induced Heart Failure
Breast CancerMyocardial Fibrosis1 moreThis study is being done to see if losartan affects the chances of developing radiation-induced heart failure in patients who are receiving radiation therapy as part of standard of care treatment for breast cancer. The interventions involved in this study are: Losartan Radiation Therapy (standard of care)
Cardiac Power Output in Cardiogenic Shock Patients
Heart FailureCardiogenic ShockThe main purpose of this study is to determine whether differences in myocardial reserve predict clinical outcomes for heart failure patients.
Effect of Short-term Prednisone Therapy on C-reactive Protein in Patients With Acute Heart Failure...
Acute Heart FailureThis is a multicenter, parallel-group, randomized, open-label, controlled trial. Patients with a diagnosis of acute heart failure (AHF) in the emergency department (ED) or after emergency presentation to hospital will be screened and informed of the study. After signed consent, patients will be randomized into the control group (usual AHF treatment) or intervention group (usual AHF treatment + prednisone). Prednisone will be given for 7 days. Patients will be assessed at days 2, 4 or at discharge if earlier, and at day 7 at hospital visit. If the patient has been discharged before day 7, a follow-up visit will be scheduled at day 7 for endpoints assessment followed by a scheduled hospital visit at day 30 and a telephone follow-up at day 90. Study drug will be dispensed for the patient to take home until day 7.