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Query: UMLS:C0018801 (heart failure)
 72,216 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Bioengineering the regenerative heart may provide a novel treatment for heart failure. On May 14, 2002, a 55-year-old man suffering from ischemic myocardial infarction received 25 injections carrying 465 million cGMP-produced pure myoblasts into his myocardium after coronary artery bypass grafting. As on August 28, 2002, his EKG was normal and showed no arrhythmia. His ejection fraction increased by 13%. He no longer experienced shortness of breath and angina as he did before the treatment. Three myogenesis mechanisms were elucidated with 17 human/porcine xenografts using cyclosporine as immunosuppressant. Some myoblasts developed to become cardiomyocytes. Others transferred their nuclei into host cardiomyocytes through natural cell fusion. As yet others formed skeletal myofibers with satellite cells. De novo production of contractile filaments augmented the heart contractility. Human myoblasts transduced with VEGF165 gene produced six times more capillaries in porcine myocardium than in placebo. Xenograft rejection was not observed for up to 20 weeks despite cyclosporine discontinuation at 6 weeks. Pros and cons of autografts vs. allografts are compared to guide future development of heart cell therapy.
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PMID:Human VEGF165-myoblasts produce concomitant angiogenesis/myogenesis in the regenerative heart. 1552 78

Acute heart failure has recently become a very common syndrome. Therefore, even if you are not a cardiologist, you should know how to diagnose and treat it. A basic technique is here summarized. Diagnosis of heart failure can be performed from a simple criteria including coarse crackles, an extra-sound (S3), a distention of the cervical vein, cardiomegaly, pulmonary edema, and serum levels of B-type natriuretic peptide (100 pg/ml<). After diagnosis, the severity should be assessed by the degrees of both pulmonary edema and cardiac output. For these evaluations, a Swan-Ganz catheter might not be needed, since we can evaluate them clinically, i.e., physical examinations and auscultation. We can then treat the patient with heart failure with a vasodilator and/or diuretics. If the blood pressure is low, we can administer a low dose of an inotropic agent. But an inotropic agent should be withdrawn as early as possible, because they can occasionally have deleterious effects. Finally, please bear in mind that the elimination of several triggers, e.g., infection, transient cessation of medication, and physical or metal stress, and also the detection of early symptoms of heart failure, e.g., shortness of breath on exertion, fatigue, increase in body weight, and appetite loss, are very important for the prevention of acute heart failure.
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PMID:[Diagnostic and therapeutic technique for acute heart failure]. 1567 66

Spontaneous rupture of an abdominal aortic aneurysm into a retroaortic left renal vein is an uncommon occurrence. A 55-year-old woman presented with shortness of breath, vomiting, and diffuse abdominal pain that had radiated to her back and legs for the preceding 10 days. A pulsatile abdominal mass, hematuria, renal insufficiency, and heart failure were present at the initial evaluation. Computed tomography showed an infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm that communicated with a retroaortic left renal vein. After urgent surgical repair, cardiac and renal function were dramatically improved. To the best of our knowledge, this is the 1st reported case of a woman with such a fistula. We review treatments reported in the literature.
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PMID:Aorta-left renal vein fistula in a woman. 1574

A 52-year-old woman with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) presented with shortness of breath. Echocardiography and cardiac catheterization demonstrated a discrete left ventricular aneurysm (LVA) with normal coronary arteries. Although her heart failure symptomatically improved with medical therapy, she suffered an embolic stroke from a thrombus within the LVA. She was treated with anticoagulation and rehabilitation for 6 weeks. Reevaluation with echocardiography demonstrated persistent depressed LV function and mural thrombus within the LVA. Surgical resection of the LVA was performed with evacuation of the thrombus and local repair of the LV.
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PMID:Surgical resection of a lupus-related left ventricular aneurysm in a patient with normal coronary arteries: case report. 1576 24

In elderly patients, an inadequately treated high blood pressure often leads to hypertrophied cardiomyocytes with various defects in gene expression. Due to a decreased expression of the transcription factor PPARalpha, fatty acid oxidation is reduced. If it can be compensated by an increased glucose oxidation, it has been considered as a favorable process. Nonetheless, reduced PPARalpha influences ensue involving e. g. anti-inflammatory mechanisms. The question arises thus whether drugs can normalize reduced PPARalpha effects without increasing fatty acid oxidation. As lead compound of these "fatty acid oxidation inhibitors with PPARalpha activation", the carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1 inhibitor etomoxir was characterized. An increased expression and activity of the Ca (2+) pump of sarcoplasmic reticulum, a faster relaxation and a slowed progression of heart failure was observed in animal experiments. It should, therefore, be examined whether the impaired function of pressure overloaded hypertrophied cardiomyocytes of particularly elderly patients should be a therapeutic target before progression of heart failure, neuroendocrine activation and symptoms such as shortness of breath occur.
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PMID:[Metabolism and the hypertrophied heart of the elderly]. 1577 59

Veterans with chronic heart failure (HF) are frequently elderly, have numerous comorbid chronic medical illnesses, frequent hospitalizations, and have high rates of cardiovascular events. Within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), primary care providers are required to manage the majority of HF patients because access to cardiac specialty care within the VHA may be limited. We designed and implemented a care-coordinated, nurse-directed home telehealth management program for veterans with difficult-to-manage or new onset chronic systolic HF. An in-home telehealth message device was provided to the patient at enrollment, and patients received daily HF-specific education via the nurse coordinator and/or the device throughout their continuum of care. We collected demographic characteristics, clinical characteristics, and outcome data at the time of enrollment and at nearly 6 months after enrollment. A total of 92 patients were enrolled, with complete data available on 73. The mean patient age was 67 years, the mean left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was 23%, and nearly all patients (99%) were men. After enrollment, significant improvements were found in blood pressure (129/73 to 119/69 mm Hg, p < 0.05), weight (196 to 192 pounds, p < 0.01), and shortness of breath rating (0-10 scale, 4.0 to 2.7, p = 0.02). Average daily doses of fosinopril (24 to 35 mg/d, p < 0.01) and metoprolol (84 to 94 mg/d, p = 0.05) were also improved. The total number of inpatient hospital days were reduced while on the home telehealth program (from 630 for the previous year to 122 for the duration of the program) with only 31% of the hospitalizations related to HF while on the program. Our nurse-directed, care coordinated home telehealth management program was associated with improved early outcomes in a group of elderly male veterans with chronic HF.
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PMID:Early outcomes of a care coordination-enhanced telehome care program for elderly veterans with chronic heart failure. 1578 17

The purposes of this study were to describe the quality of life (QOL) of terminally ill patients in a home-based hospice program and to examine the relationship between QOL data and patients' symptom distress, ability to function, interpersonal communication (support from family and friends), well-being (their affairs in order), and transcendence (religious comfort/support) as recorded in their charts. QOL was measured by the Missoula-Vitas Quality of Life Index (MVQOLI), an instrument designed specifically for use with terminally ill patients. The study was conducted over a three-year period with 129 terminally ill patients enrolled in a home-based hospice program of care. The MVQOLI was administered to patients within 20 days of their admission to hospice. A retrospective chart review was conducted to determine patients' levels of symptom distress, ability to function, social support, whether or not their affairs were in order, and religious comfort/support. The mean age of participants in this study was 67, with 54.3 percent male and 45.7 percent female. Cancer was the primary diagnosis for 92.2 percent of the sample, and 35 percent of these patients had a diagnosis of lung cancer. Of the 7.8 percent non-cancer diagnoses, five were diagnosed with AIDS, four with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and one with chronic heart failure. The results of this study revealed positive scores on the five dimensions of the MVQOLI QOL scale, indicating that within 20 days of admission to hospice, patients rated their QOL as good to very good. Data obtained from the chart review also indicated that patients did not experience a great deal of symptom distress (e.g., pain, nausea, shortness of breath, and restlessness). A significant correlation existed between age and QOL; number of interventions and pain levels; and marital status, well-being, interpersonal relationships, and transcendence. Shortness of breath and well-being were significantly correlated with QOL. There was no significant correlation between gender, race, or closeness to death and the five dimensions of the MVQOLI and chart review assessments.
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PMID:The quality of life of hospice patients: patient and provider perceptions. 1585 87

Disease management programs (DMP) have been recently introduced in the German statutory healthcare sector by federal law. These compulsory programs are aimed at enhancing guideline-based treatment by primary care physicians. Based on a systematic analysis of disease models and deficits in healthcare delivery, patient-oriented DMP offer an alternative approach. Their standardized services include care calls, written educational material, reminder systems, health reports, and optional telemetric monitoring. As an example of this approach, the medical results of 151 patients participating in a comprehensive chronic heart failure (CHF) program were evaluated. Within the observation period of 12 months, the number of patients receiving appropriate prescriptions (ACE inhibitors, diuretics, or beta blockers) rose significantly. In many patients there was a remission of CHF key symptoms (leg edema, shortness of breath, dizziness). The daily weight monitoring was particularly appreciated by the patients. For further development of patient-oriented DMP in the German healthcare system, it will be crucial that financial savings can be convincingly demonstrated besides the clinical benefits. These include quality of life, particularly for those chronic conditions in which patient self-management has a large impact on disease course.
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PMID:[Patient-oriented healthcare programs. Concepts and practical experience in the field of chronic heart failure]. 1599 85

Progression of chronic heart failure depends on various additional pathophysiologic factors like blood pressure, arrhythmias, congestion. Early detection of any alteration using telemonitoring of multiple vital parameters may avoid severe decompensation requiring hospital admission. The feasibility and the clinical outcome using a new telemonitoring device for recording multiple vital parameters and allowing communication on individual state of health is investigated. Twenty-four patients with chronic heart failure (mean age 65 years, mean LV ejection fraction 35%) requiring at least one hospital admission during the past year were investigated. Twice a day, the vital-parameters were measured (weight, blood pressure, heart rate and rhythm, oxygen saturation, respiration rate) and patients information on well being, shortness of breath, medication, and request for contact were received. Intra-individual comparison was carried out between the 12 month before inclusion in this study and 12 month under telemonitoring surveillance (extrapolated, if necessary). Performing over 10 500 measurements during 5751 patient days, critical events were diagnosed for 55 events concerning relative weight gain (43 episodes), blood pressure (6), decrease in oxygen saturation (3), new onset of atrial fibrillation with tachyarrhymia (3). Of these, 45 events were controlled on an outpatient basis by changing medication or external cardioversion. Only 10 patients required re-admission. Thus, the number of admission to the hospital could be reduced by 62%, those of days spent in hospital by 69%. Non-invasive telemonitoring of multiple vital parameters combined with patients statements on their health condition and out-patient treatment on the basis of these findings is found to be an effective and reliable approach to avoid hospital readmission for patients with chronic heart failure.
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PMID:[Monitoring multiple cardiovascular paramaters using telemedicine in patients with chronic heart failure]. 1617 41

Erythropoietin is a hypoxia-induced hormone that is a major regulator of normal erythropoiesis. Over the last decade, the production of recombinant human erythropoietin has revolutionized the treatment of anemia associated with chronic renal failure, and has led to a greater understanding of anemia pathophysiology and to the elucidation of the interactions of erythropoietin, iron, and erythropoiesis. Anemia has been shown to be independently associated with increased mortality and disease progression. Potential survival benefits associated with correction of anemia have expanded considerably the indications of erythropoietin use in various patient populations and are leading to consideration of earlier, more aggressive treatment of mild to moderate anemia. The results of such treatment are promising in a variety of new clinical settings, including anemia associated with congestive heart failure. Furthermore, the erythropoietin receptor is widely distributed in the cardiovascular system, including endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells and cardiomyocytes and preclinical studies have established erythropoietin to be a pleiotropic cytokine with anti-apoptotic activity and tissue-protective actions in the cardiovascular system, beyond correction of hemoglobin levels. Despite some potential adverse effects, such as hypertension, and the occurrence of erythropoietin resistance, early studies in heart failure patients with anemia suggest that erythropoietin therapy is safe and effective in reducing left ventricular hypertrophy, enhancing exercise performance and increasing ejection fraction. Anemia is found in about one-third of all cases of congestive heart failure (CHF). The most likely common cause is chronic renal insufficiency, which is present in about half of all CHF cases. However, anemia can occur in CHF without renal insufficiency and is likely to be due to excessive cytokine production. The anemia itself can worsen cardiac function, both because it causes cardiac stress through tachycardia and increased stroke volume, and because it can cause a reduced renal blood flow and fluid retention, adding further stress to the heart. Long-standing anemia of any cause can cause left ventricular hypertrophy, which can lead to cardiac cell death through apoptosis and worsen CHF. Therefore, a vicious circle, cardio-renal anemia syndrome, is set up wherein CHF causes anemia, and the anemia causes more CHF and both damage the kidneys worsening the anemia and the CHF further and increasing mortality. There is now evidence that early correction of the CHF anemia with subcutaneous erythropoietin and intravenous iron improves shortness of breath and fatigue, cardiac function, renal function and exercise capacity, reducing the need for hospitalization and improving quality of life. In the present review we discuss the data on current clinical use of erythropoietin in cardiovascular disease, with the main focus on the treatment of congestive heart failure, and summarize the advances and progress made in the understanding of the hematopoietic and pleiotropic effects of erythropoietin in the cardiovascular system.
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PMID:Erythropoietin in heart failure and other cardiovascular diseases: hematopoietic and pleiotropic effects. 1624 29


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