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- Agvall, Björn, 1963-, et al.
(författare)
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Cost of heart failure in Swedish primary healthcare
- 2005
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Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0281-3432 .- 1502-7724. ; 23, s. 227-232
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives. To calculate the cost for patients with heart failure (HF) in a primary healthcare setting. Design. Retrospective study of all available patient data during a period of one year. Setting. Two healthcare centers in Linköping in the southeastern region of Sweden, covering a population of 19 400 inhabitants. Subjects. A total of 115 patients with a diagnosis of HF. Main outcome measures. The healthcare costs for patients with HF and the healthcare utilization concerning hospital days and visits to doctors and nurses in hospital care and primary healthcare. Results. The mean annual cost for a patient with HF was SEK 37 100. There were no significant differences in cost between gender, age, New York Heart Association functional class, and cardiac function. The distribution of cost was 47% for hospital care, 22% for primary healthcare, 18% for medication, 5% for nursing home, and 6% for examinations. Conclusion. Hospital care accounts for the largest cost but the cost in primary healthcare is larger than previously shown. The total annual cost for patients with HF in Sweden is in the range of SEK 5.0–6.7 billion according to this calculation, which is higher than previously known.Read More: http://informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02813430500197647
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| 2. |
- Agvall, Björn, 1963-, et al.
(författare)
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Patients in primary health care diagnosed and treated as heart failure, with special reference to gender differences
- 2001
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Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0281-3432 .- 1502-7724. ; 19:1, s. 14-19
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective - The aim of the present study was to describe patients considered to have had heart failure (HF), or were being treated for HF, in a defined area in primary health care, e.g. diagnostic procedures, aetiologic diseases and management, and to evaluate whether there is a difference between the genders. Design - Descriptive retrospective investigation. Setting - ┼tvidaberg community situated in southeast Sweden, 12 400 inhabitants. Patients - 256 patients treated for symptomatic HF. Main outcome measures - Prevalence, aetiology, diagnostic procedures and management of HF and differences between the genders. Results - The diagnosis of HF was based on an objective evaluation of cardiac function in only 31% of the patients. Ischaemic heart disease (IHD) was the predominant associated disease, followed by hypertension. Therapy included diuretics (84%), angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors (56%) and digoxin (40%). Only 52% had optimal doses of ACE inhibitors. Women had a significantly higher mean age and their diagnoses were based on an objective diagnostic test (echocardiography) in only 20%. Women were prescribed ACE inhibitors to a lesser extent (43%) than men (64%) and with a lower optimal dose (44% versus 56% in men). Conclusion - There is still room for improvement in the management of HF in primary health care, especially in women, where the diagnosis is not generally based on an objective evaluation of cardiac function and where the treatment to a lesser extent than in men includes ACE inhibitors.
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| 3. |
- Ahlström, Christer, 1977-, et al.
(författare)
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Assessment of Suspected Aortic Stenosis by Auto Mutual Information Analysis of Murmurs
- 2007
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Ingår i: Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, 2007. EMBS 2007. - 9781424407873 ; , s. 1945-1948
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Mild sclerotic thickening of the aortic valve affects 25% of the population, and the condition causes aortic valve stenosis (AS) in 2% of adults above 65 years. Echocardiography is today the clinical standard for assessing AS. However, a cost effective and uncomplicated technique that can be used for decision support in the primary health care would be of great value. In this study, recorded phonocardiographic signals were analyzed using the first local minimum of the auto mutual information (AMI) function. The AMI method measures the complexity in the sound signal, which is related to the amount of turbulence in the blood flow and thus to the severity of the stenosis. Two previously developed phonocardiographic methods for assessing AS severity were used for comparison, the murmur energy ratio and the sound spectral averaging technique. Twenty-nine patients with suspected AS were examined with Doppler echocardiography. The aortic jet velocity was used as a reference of AS severity, and it was found to correlate with the AMI method, the murmur energy ratio and the sound spectral averaging technique with the correlation coefficient R = 0.82, R = 0.73 and R = 0.76, respectively.
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| 4. |
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| 5. |
- Alehagen, Urban, 1951-, et al.
(författare)
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Elevated D-dimer level is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular death in out-patients with symptoms compatible with heart failure
- 2004
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Ingår i: Thrombosis and Haemostasis. - 0340-6245 .- 2567-689X. ; 92:6, s. 1250-1258
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- D-dimer, a marker of fibrin turnover, exhibits many interesting properties as a biological marker of thrombosis. Some of the properties of D-dimer might also be used to provide additional information about patients with heart failure. In this study, we evaluate the prognostic information acquired from D-dimer concerning increased risk of cardiovascular mortality in an elderly population with symptoms associated with heart failure. A cardiologist examined 458 elderly patients, out of 548 invited, attending primary care for symptoms of dyspnoea, fatigue and/or peripheral oedema and assessed NYHA functional class and cardiac function. Abnormal systolic function was defined as EF <40% on Doppler echocardiography. Abnormal diastolic function was defined as reduced E/A ratio and/or an abnormal pattern of pulmonary venous flow. Blood samples were drawn, and BNP and D-dimer were analysed. D-dimer was analysed using an automated micro-latex assay. A statistical analysis was performed to identify the prognostic value of increased plasma concentration of D-dimer. Results showed that during a median follow-up period of 5.5 years, 68 (14%) patients died of cardiovascular disease. No gender difference was noted. A plasma concentration of D-dimer >0.25mg/L increased the risk almost 4-fold. In conclusion, D-dimer is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular mortality that may be used to risk-stratify patients with heart failure. © 2004 Schattauer GmbH, Stuttgart.
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| 6. |
- Alehagen, Urban, 1951-, et al.
(författare)
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Reference intervals and decision limits for B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and its precursor (Nt-proBNP) in the elderly
- 2007
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Ingår i: Clinica Chimica Acta. - : Elsevier BV. - 0009-8981 .- 1873-3492. ; 382:1-2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Elderly patients have the highest prevalence of heart failure (HF). The aims of the study were to establish a reference interval for B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and (Nt-proBNP) in elderly people, and to identify clinically relevant decision limits based on long-term outcome. Methods: Plasma concentrations of BNP and Nt-proBNP were measured from two elderly populations: 218 healthy subjects (mean age 73 years, population I), and 474 patients (mean age 73 years, population II) with symptoms associated with HF. Study population II was followed for 6 years with registration of all cardiovascular mortality. Results: An association between both BNP and Nt-proBNP concentrations and age was found. The upper limit for the reference intervals in the healthy elderly (population I) was: BNP ≤ 28 pmol/L (≤ 97 ng/L), and Nt-proBNP ≤ 64 pmol/L (≤ 540 ng/L). Based on cardiovascular mortality, decision limits for BNP (∼ 50 pmol/L, ∼ 170 ng/L) and Nt-proBNP (∼ 200 pmol/L, ∼ 1700 ng/L) (population II) were determined. Conclusions: Besides establishing reference intervals for BNP and Nt-proBNP in an elderly population, a higher clinically relevant decision limit for BNP and Nt-proBNP was identified, indicating additive prognostic information of the peptides on top of measurements by echocardiography. Therefore, both reference intervals and decision limits should be included in clinical practice. © 2007.
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
- Alehagen, Urban, 1951-, et al.
(författare)
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Utility of the amino-terminal fragment of pro-brain natriuretic peptide in plasma for the evaluation of cardiac dysfunction in elderly patients in primary health care
- 2003
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Ingår i: Clinical Chemistry. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0009-9147 .- 1530-8561. ; 49:8, s. 1337-1346
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: The aims of this study were to measure the N-terminal fragment of pro-brain natriuretic peptide (proBNP) in plasma in medical conditions commonly found in primary care and to evaluate the utility of these measurements in identifying impaired cardiac function in elderly patients with symptoms associated with heart failure.Methods: We studied 415 patients (221 men and 194 women; mean age, 72 years) who had contacted a primary healthcare center for dyspnea, fatigue, and/or peripheral edema. One cardiologist evaluated the patients in terms of history, physical examination, functional capacity, electrocardiography, and suspicion of heart failure. Plasma N-terminal proBNP was measured by an in-house RIA. An ejection fraction ≤40% by Doppler echocardiography was regarded as reduced cardiac function. Abnormal diastolic function was defined as an abnormal mitral inflow defined as reduced ratio of peak early diastolic filling velocity to peak filling velocity at atrial contraction (E/A ratio), or as abnormal pulmonary venous flow pattern.Results: Patients with impaired functional capacity, impaired systolic function, and/or impaired renal function had significantly increased N-terminal proBNP concentrations. By multiple regression analysis, N-terminal proBNP concentrations were also influenced by ischemic heart disease, cardiac enlargement, and certain medications but not by increased creatinine. No gender differences were observed. Patients with isolated diastolic dysfunction attributable to relaxation abnormali-ties had lower concentrations than those with normal cardiac function, whereas those with pseudonormal E/A ratios or restrictive filling patterns had higher concentrations.Conclusions: Plasma N-terminal proBNP concentrations increase as a result of impaired systolic function, age, impaired renal function, cardiac ischemia and enlargement, and certain medications. Values are high in diastolic dysfunction with pseudonormal patterns, but not in patients with relaxation abnormalities. An increase in plasma N-terminal proBNP might be an earlier sign of abnormal cardiac function than abnormalities identified by currently used echocardiographic measurements.
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| 10. |
- Basic, Carmen, 1975, et al.
(författare)
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Young patients with heart failure: clinical characteristics and outcomes. Data from the Swedish Heart Failure, National Patient, Population and Cause of Death Registers
- 2020
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Ingår i: European Journal of Heart Failure. - : Wiley. - 1388-9842 .- 1879-0844. ; 22:7, s. 1125-1132
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aims The prevalence and hospitalizations of patients with heart failure (HF) aged <55 years have increased in Sweden during the last decades. We aimed to compare characteristics of younger and older patients with HF, and examine survival in patients All patients >= 18 years in the Swedish Heart Failure Register from 2003 to 2014 were included. Data were merged with National Patient and Cause of Death Registers. Among 60 962 patients, 3752 (6.2%) were <55 years, and were compared with 7425 controls from the Population Register. Compared with patients >= 55 years, patients <55 years more frequently had registered diagnoses of obesity, dilated cardiomyopathy, congenital heart disease, and an ejection fraction <40% (9.8% vs. 4.7%, 27.2% vs. 5.5%, 3.7% vs. 0.8%, 67.9% vs. 45.1%, respectively; allP < 0.001). One-year all-cause mortality was 21.2%, 4.2%, and 0.3% in patients >= 55 years, patients <55 years, and controls <55 years, respectively (allP < 0.001). Patients <55 years had a five times higher mortality risk compared with controls [hazard ratio (HR) 5.48, 95% confidence interval (CI) 4.45-6.74]; the highest HR was in patients 18-34 years (HR 38.3, 95% CI 8.70-169; bothP < 0.001). At the age of 20, the estimated life-years lost was up to 36 years for 50% of patients, with declining estimates with increasing age. Conclusion Patients with HF <55 years had different comorbidities than patients >= 55 years. The highest mortality risk relative to that of controls was among the youngest patients.
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