Acute Hemodynamic Effects of Pacing the His Bundle in Heart Failure
Heart FailureSystolic2 moreCardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) with biventricular pacing (BVP) is indicated for patients with low ejection fraction and persistent symptoms of heart failure despite medical therapy and a wide QRS-complex, preferably with a left bundle branch block. Unfortunately, up to 40 % receiving CRT do not respond with subjective improvement or improved left ventricular ejection fraction from the treatment. There are few therapeutic alternatives in patients not responding to CRT with BVP, and the potential to improve cardiac function in these patients could make a large difference in terms of life quality and prognosis. His-bundle pacing (HBP) can be a suitable alternative, but is likely not possible in all patients with failed CRT. Furthermore, upgrading to HBP does require a surgical procedure and therefore exposes the patients to risk of complications (e.g. infection of the device). Therefore, early identification of the patients who are likely to benefit from an upgrade to HBP would be beneficial. This study aims to evaluate if patients with failed CRT treatment will benefit from hemodynamic improvement if they are treated with temporary HBP, without opening the device-pocket, and exposing the existing pacemaker-device to a risk of infection. A temporary pacemaker lead and pacing sheath will be used, and placed in the heart via a blood vessel on the right side of neck, using local anaesthesia. Acute effects on the pump function of the heart will be measured during rest and during supine bicycle test (the equivalent of moderate physical activity). Factors associated with a beneficial effect will be evaluated on a group basis. If the individual patient experiences an improvement of cardiac function during the test, he/she will be offered an upgrade to HBP and a replacement of the existing device.
The Prognostic Impact of Using High-dose Hydralazine in Severe Systolic Heart Failure With Hemodynamically...
Systolic Heart Failure Stage D (Disorder)Mitral RegurgitationBackground: Severe systolic heart failure would be complicated with low cardiac output and high left ventricular filling pressure and the clinical presentations would be low blood pressure, poor peripheral perfusion, and pulmonary edema. Severe systolic heart failure with hemodynamically significant mitral regurgitation brings even more challenged since the obvious elevation of left atrial pressure induces more pulmonary congestion and backward flow of regurgitation in cases with already low cardiac output and poor peripheral perfusion complicates more severe of low cardiac output. Surgical interventions in those cases aren't strongly recommended due to very high operation risk. In the era of lack of nitroprusside in Taiwan (more than 7 years), hydralazine, a direct vasodilator, is a potential substitute for treatment of those cases. The advantages of hydralazine include 1) different dosage forms are available (10 mg, 25 mg, and 50 mg); 2) short half-life makes it reaching steady blood concentration in short period and allow to up- titrate rapidly and also recover fast while adverse reaction occurs; 3) it is much cheaper than other evidence-based medications. In this study, the investigators try to use rapid up-titration of hydralazine to maximal tolerable dose, almost up to 300-400 mg per day, combined with other evidence-based medications in cases with left ventricular ejection fraction less than 35% and mitral regurgitation severity more than moderate degree and assess the prognostic impact. Objective: Four hundred of patients with severe systolic dysfunction and hemodynamically significant mitral regurgitation, who were admitted for intensive care unit for acute decompensated heart failure, will be enrolled and the participants will be divided into two groups according 1 to 1 randomization process. Control group will receive conventional treatment with tolerable maximal dose of evidence-based medications and study group will use hydralazine with rapid up-titration, if no clinical adverse responses were noted, following by or simultaneously using evidence-based medications. The end-points include in- hospital mortality, 3-year all-cause mortality and heart failure rehospitalization. During follow-up period, any adverse response of high-dose hydralazine including lupus-like syndrome and arthritis will be monitored.
A Registry-based Cluster Randomized Trial to Compare the Effect of Spironolactone vs. Eplerenone...
Systolic Heart FailureObjective The objective is to compare the efficacy of spironolactone and eplerenone on clinical outcome in patients with heart failure and a reduced ejection fraction. Method The study is a crossover cluster randomized trial. Each heart failure clinic in Denmark will be allocated to four periods (clusters): two periods with spironolactone and two periods with eplerenone as first drug. The planned total participation time for each department is 4 years and we estimate that data from 7200 patients will be accrued in this period. Endpoints will be assessed through Danish National Registries.
Parasympathetic Augmentation Via Respiratory Training for Patients With Systolic Heart Failure
Diastolic Heart FailureThis is a prospective, randomized, controlled clinical trial in which participants with NYHA class II or III and symptomatic Heart Failure with reduced Ejection Fraction (HFrEF) (Ejection Fraction (EF) ≤ 45%) will be assigned to one of two treatment groups: standard of care or breathing therapy.
Mechanistic Studies of Nicotinamide Riboside in Human Heart Failure
Heart FailureSystolic2 morePreliminary animal studies by ourselves and others suggest that the dietary supplement, nicotinamide riboside (NR), may improve cardiac function in heart failure (HF) by increasing cellular levels of its metabolite, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+, NADH). This Study will address a key gap in current knowledge by assessing the mechanisms through which raising blood and myocardial NAD+ levels in humans mediates changes in mitochondrial function, protein and epigenetic modifications, as well as inflammation. Human myocardium will be obtained after 4-14 days of oral NR supplementation from advanced heart failure patients undergoing elective left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation. Positive results would provide evidence to proceed with further studies of NR as a mitochondria-targeted metabolic therapy in heart failure.
Pilot Study Lp299v Supplementation in Chronic Heart Failure
Heart FailureHeart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction5 moreThe goal of this study is to determine the impact of 12 weeks of Lp299v supplementation (20 million cfu/day vs. placebo) on exercise capacity, circulating biomarkers of cardiac remodeling, quality of life, and vascular endothelial function in humans with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) who have evidence of residual inflammation based on an elevated C-reactive protein level. This will be done in the setting of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
Evaluate the Effect of Injectable Neucardin on the Cardiac Function of Subjects With Chronic Systolic...
Chronic Systolic Heart FailureA multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase III clinical trial to evaluate the effect of injectable Neucardin on the heart function in male patients with NT-proBNP ≤ 1700 pg/ml and female patients with NT-proBNP ≤ 4000 pg/ml, NYHA II-III chronic systolic heart failure, and to confirm its efficacy and safety.
Effect of Dietary Nitrate Ingestion in Heart Failure
Heart FailureHeart Failure1 moreThis study evaluates the addition of inorganic dietary nitrate to the optimal treatment of patients diagnosed with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. Some vegetables contain large amounts of inorganic nitrate, and research suggests that this nitrate has beneficial effects on the heart and blood vessels. We have shown in lab experiments that nitrate has positive effects on the heart. We wish to test whether dietary nitrate might be useful in halting deterioration and/or improving heart function in patients with heart failure, with a specific focus on a marker of poor outcome in heart failure: high uric acid levels. Half of the patients will receive nitrate-rich beetroot juice, and the other half a nitrate-deplete placebo beetroot juice.
CardiAMP™ Cell Therapy for Heart Failure Trial
Heart FailureSystolicThis is a prospective, multi-center, randomized, controlled, patient- and evaluator-blinded study comparing treatment with the CardiAMP cell therapy to a sham control treatment. A roll-in phase with a maximum of 10 subjects may occur.
Atrial Appendage Micrograft Transplants to Assist Heart Repair After Cardiac Surgery
Ischemic Heart DiseaseIschemic Cardiomyopathy6 moreIschemic heart disease (IHD) leads the global mortality statistics. Atherosclerotic plaques in coronary arteries hallmark IHD, drive hypoxia, and may rupture to result in myocardial infarction (MI) and death of contractile cardiac muscle, which is eventually replaced by a scar. Depending on the extent of the damage, dysbalanced cardiac workload often leads to emergence of heart failure (HF). The atrial appendages, enriched with active endocrine and paracrine cardiac cells, has been characterized to contain cells promising in stimulating cardiac regenerative healing. In this AAMS2 randomized controlled and double-blinded trial, we use the patient's own tissue from the right atrial appendage (RAA) for therapy. A piece from the RAA can be safely harvested upon the set-up of the heart and lung machine at the beginning of coronary artery bypass (CABG) surgery. In the AAMS2 trial, a piece of the RAA tissue is processed and utilized as epicardially transplanted atrial appendage micrografts (AAMs) for CABG-support therapy. In our preclinical evaluation, epicardial AAMs transplantation after MI attenuated scarring and improved cardiac function. Proteomics suggested an AAMs-induced glycolytic metabolism, a process associated with an increased regenerative capacity of myocardium. In an open-label clinical trial, we have demonstrated the safety and feasibility of AAMs therapy. Moreover, as this study suggested increased thickness of the viable myocardium in the scarred area, it also provided the first indication of therapeutic benefit. Based on randomization with estimated enrolment of a total of 50 patients with 1:1 group allocation ratio, the piece of RAA tissue is either perioperatively processed to AAMs or cryostored. The AAMs, embedded in a fibrin matrix gel, are placed on an extracellular matrix sheet (ECM), which is then epicardially sutured in place. The location is determined by preoperative late gadolinium enhancement cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (LGE-CMRI) to pinpoint the ischemic scar. Study blood samples, transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), and LGE-CMRI are performed before and at 6-month follow-up after the surgery. The trial's primary endpoints focus on changes in cardiac fibrosis as evaluated by LGE-CMRI and circulating levels of N-terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP). Secondary endpoints center on other efficacy parameters, as well as both safety and feasibility of the therapy.