Active clinical trials for "Heart Failure"

Rationale: Parvovirus B19 (PVB19) persistence in the heart has been associated with progressive cardiac dysfunction and evolution to dilated cardiomyopathy. Objective: Whether high dose of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) in addition to conventional heart failure therapy achieves virus reduction, thereby resulting in improvement of cardiac function. Study design: A interventional study of virus presence and cardiac functional capacity before and after IVIg therapy. Study population: Patients with idiopathic cardiomyopathy and symptomatic heart failure for more than 1 year and a significant PVB19 viral load in endomyocardial biopsies (EMB) and treated with high dose of IVIg were included. Intervention (if applicable): Patients were treated with a total dose of 2 g/kg of immune globulin administered as 0.5 g/kg IV over a period of 6 hours on each of 4 consecutive days. Main study parameters/endpoints: EMBs: virus (PVB19, enteroviruses, adenoviruses, Epstein-Barr virus, human herpes virus-6 and cytomegalovirus), inflammation (lymphocytes an macrophages) and fibrosis. Cardiac functional capacity: NYHA classification, echocardiographic evaluation (left ventricular ejection fraction, end-systolic diameter, end-diastolic diameter).

In patients with both COPD and CHF, moderate chronic hypoxemia is caused by a combination of intrapulmonary and extrapulmonary factors. The hypothesis of this study is that adequate medical therapy for both conditions can correct the moderate hypoxemia by improving the underlying mechanisms without the need of LTOT. If this hypothesis is correct, the study will provide a valuable information to the Italian Agency of drugs (Agenzia Italiana del Farmaco, AIFA) to reduce the inappropriate use of LTOT for COPD patients with moderate hypoxemia and CHF, and will help the Italian National Health Service to reduce both the direct and indirect costs of unnecessary LTOT.

The aim of the study is to compare clinical management of patients with acute decompensation of heart failure, hospitalized in non cardiological ward, with the use of a mobile team including a cardiologist with portable echocardiography and standard care. The hypothesis is that a mobile team will lead to shorter hospitalization.

The purpose of this study is to test the ability of a new X-ray technique called CT angiography to identify significant narrowing of the coronary arteries compared to traditional coronary angiogram.

In patients with chronic heart failure ACE-inhibitor treatment improves lung diffusion and prevents pulmonary edema after fluid overload. In the western country, 3 population types of ACE genotypes exist (DD, ID, II). It is unknown whether the ACE genotype influences the response to fluid overload in ACE-inhibitor treated chronic heart failure patients.

The goal of this study is to test the efficacy of a financial incentives-based telehealth intervention to reduce 30- and 90-day heart failure (HF) readmissions by tracking and increasing adherence to patient self-care - specifically by incentivizing adherence to prescribed cardiac medication regimen and daily self-weighing. Patients randomized to the treatment arm will be given a cellular-connected scale to use at home, as well as a mobile app on their smartphone that tracks their adherence to daily self-weighing through the scale and cardiac medications via patient photo submission. The health care team will intervene if a sudden increase in weight is detected (2 lbs/day or 5 lbs/week). Financial incentives of $150 are offered for full adherence over 90 days. Each day where the patient does not step on the scale and complete a medication check-in will result in a deduction of $2 per day from the incentive amount to be paid out. The control group will receive the usual discharge instructions as prescribed by their health care team.

This study tests the hypothesis that endogenous bradykinin contributes to effects of a combined angiotensin receptor blocker/neprilysin inhibitor (LCZ696 or Entresto)

To assess the effectiveness of pharmacist's provided education in HF patients, in improving patients' knowledge and self-efficacy, and to assess the impact of this intervention on the rate of hospital readmission and emergency visits at 30-days, 60-days and 90-days after discharge.

Heart failure is a cardiac structural or functional disorder that, despite normal filling pressures, leads to inability to deliver enough oxygen to meet the metabolic needs o tissue. Heart failure is a serious chronic condition that affects a large proportion of the adult population in the world causing high mortality, leading to exercise intolerance and reduced health-related quality of life. Patients included in the cardiac rehabilitation program slow down disease progression, hospitalization decreases, quality of life improves and health expenditures decrease. Despite the frequent use of upper extremities in daily living activities, studies investigating the effect of upper extremity aerobic training on daily living activities, functional exercise capacity and other outcomes are limited. No studies have investigated the effect of upper extremity aerobic exercise training on physical activity level, functional and maximal exercise capacity and other measures in patients with heart failure.

AcoustiCareTM is a non-invasive clinical tool used for the detection of intracardiac pressures using heart sounds in patients with heart failure.