| 1. |
- Bergström, Anders, 1960-, et al.
(författare)
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Effect of carvedilol on diastolic function in patients with diastolic heart failure and preserved systolic function. Results of the Swedish Doppler-echocardiographic study (SWEDIC)
- 2004
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Ingår i: Eur J Heart Fail. - : Wiley. - 1388-9842 .- 1879-0844. ; 6:4, s. 453-61
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- AIM: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of carvedilol on diastolic function (DF) in heart failure patients with preserved left ventricular (LV) systolic function and abnormal DF. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We randomised 113 patients with diastolic heart failure (DHF) (symptomatic, with normal systolic LV function and abnormal DF) into a double blind multi-centre study. The patients received either carvedilol or matching placebo in addition to conventional treatment. After uptitration, treatment was continued for 6 months. Two-dimensional and Doppler echocardiography were used for quantification of LV function at baseline and at follow-up. Four different DF variables were evaluated by Doppler echocardiography: mitral flow E:A ratio, deceleration time (DT), isovolumic relaxation time (IVRT) and the ratio of systolic/diastolic pulmonary venous flow velocity (pv-S/D). Primary endpoint was change in the integrated quantitative assessment of all four variables during the study. RESULTS: Ninety-seven patients completed the study. A mitral flow pattern reflecting a relaxation abnormality was recorded in 95 patients. There was no effect on the primary endpoint, although a trend towards a better effect in carvedilol treated patients was noticed in patients with heart rates above 71 beats per minute. At the end of the study, there was a statistically significant improvement in E:A ratio in patients treated with carvedilol (0.72 to 0.83) vs. placebo (0.71 to 0.76), P<0.05. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with carvedilol resulted in a significant improvement in E:A ratio in patients with heart failure due to a LV relaxation abnormality. E:A ratio was found to be the most useful variable to identify diastolic dysfunction in this patient population. This effect was observed particularly in patients with higher heart rates at baseline.
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| 3. |
- Cline, Charles, et al.
(författare)
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The management of heart failure in Sweden.
- 2002
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Ingår i: European Journal of Heart Failure. - 1879-0844. ; 4:3, s. 373-376
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Heart failure is a major concern to health care providers in Sweden due to its increasing prevalence and the rising health care costs. Heart failure affects more than 160000 Swedes, approximately 2% of the population. The costs for the management of heart failure have been calculated to be approximately SEK 2.500 million (Euro 275 million) which is 2% of the total health care budget. Most heart failure patients are managed by primary care physicians but hospitalisation is common and heart failure is the most common cause for hospitalisation in patients over 65 years of age. National diagnostic and treatment guidelines are not completely adhered to. Echocardiography is performed in a little more than 30% of patients in primary care probably due to poor access. In hospitals echocardiography is more easily available and routinely used for diagnosis. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and beta-blockers appear to be under prescribed. Nurse-led heart failure clinics are being widely established in an attempt to curtail costs and improve management.
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| 4. |
- Dahlström, Ulf, 1946-
(författare)
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Can natriuretic peptides be used for the diagnosis of diastolic heart failure?
- 2004
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Ingår i: European Journal of Heart Failure. - : Wiley. - 1388-9842 .- 1879-0844. ; 6:3, s. 281-287
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Many patients with heart failure have stiff hearts with an increased wall thickness and small volumes leading to diastolic dysfunction. Different definitions for diastolic heart failure have been proposed but today there is no generally accepted definition and there are few large controlled studies telling us how it should be managed. Natriuretic peptides (BNP or NT-proBNP) might be used to detect patients with diastolic dysfunction especially in those patients having a restrictive filling pattern or pseudo-normalised mitral flow pattern and in those, who are symptomatic. However, patients with relaxation abnormalities and mild symptoms or asymptomatic may have normal levels of the natriuretic peptides indicating no or only slight elevation of the left ventricular filling pressures. Thus low levels cannot be used as a rule out diagnosis of diastolic dysfunction.
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| 5. |
- Jaarsma, Tiny, et al.
(författare)
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Design and methodology of the COACH study : a multicenter randomised Coordinating study evaluating Outcomes of Advising and Counselling in Heart failure
- 2004
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Ingår i: European Journal of Heart Failure. - : Wiley. - 1388-9842 .- 1879-0844. ; 6:2, s. 227-233
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: While there are data to support the use of comprehensive non-pharmacological intervention programs in patients with heart failure (HF), other studies have not confirmed these positive findings. Substantial differences in the type and intensity of disease management programs make it impossible to draw definitive conclusions about the effectiveness, optimal timing and frequency of interventions. AIMS: 1. To determine the effectiveness of two interventions (basic support vs. intensive support) compared to 'care as usual' in HF patients, on time to first major event (HF readmission or death), quality of life and costs. 2. To investigate the role of underlying mechanisms (knowledge, beliefs, self-care behaviour, compliance) on the effectiveness of the two interventions. METHODS: This is a randomised controlled trial in which 1050 patients with heart failure will be randomised into three treatment arms: care as usual, basic education and support or intensive education and support. Outcomes of this study are; time to first major event (HF hospitalisation or death), quality of life (Minnesota Living with HF Questionnaire, RAND36 and Ladder of Life) and costs. Data will be collected during initial admission and then 1, 6, 12, and 18 months after discharge. In addition, data on knowledge, beliefs, self-care behaviour and compliance will be collected. RESULTS: The study started in January 2002 and results are expected at the end of 2005. CONCLUSIONS: This study will help health care providers in future to make rational and informed choices about which components of a HF management program should be expanded and which components can possibly be deleted.
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| 7. |
- Jaarsma, Tiny
(författare)
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Heart failure management programs : how far should we go?
- 2003
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Ingår i: European Journal of Heart Failure. - 1388-9842 .- 1879-0844. ; 5:3, s. 215-216
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- An increasing number of management programs for heart failure patients, aimed at optimising individual care, have been described and evaluated during the last decade. The existence and content of heart failure management programs differs between and within countries, depending on the patient population, national health care systems and level of education of nurses. Recently heart failure management programs in Sweden and the Netherlands were described and a variation in the content of these programs was found [1–3].In general, heart failure management programs differ in 3 ways: content (which components are involved); intensity (how often is the patient contacted) and the organisational model.
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| 8. |
- Jacobsson, Anna, et al.
(författare)
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Malnutrition in patients suffering from chronic heart failure; the nurse's care
- 2001
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Ingår i: European Journal of Heart Failure. - Amsterdam : Elsevier. - 1388-9842 .- 1879-0844. ; 3:4, s. 449-456
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Chronic heart failure is associated with a bad prognosis with considerably shortened survival and repeated hospitalisations. Patients suffering from heart failure also have symptoms that can affect their food intake, for example, tiredness when strained, breathing difficulties and gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea, loss of appetite and ascites. Pharmacological therapy can lead to a loss of appetite, which will make the intake of food inadequate to fill the required energy and nutritional needs. The nurse's interest in and knowledge of diet issues can improve these patients' nutritional status, The aim of this literature review was to describe the nurse's interventions regarding malnutrition in patients suffering from chronic heart failure. The literature search gave 13 articles, which were analysed, and sentences whose content was related to the aim were identified. Three areas of content appeared; drug treatment and consequences, gastrointestinal effects, and information and education. The results show that the nutritional status of these patients can be significantly improved by means of simple nursing interventions. Future research should focus on controlled experimental studies to evaluate differences in body weight, body mass index and quality of life between patients suffering from chronic heart failure, who are taking part in a fully enriched nutrition intervention, and patients suffering from chronic heart failure, who are eating their normal diet.
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| 9. |
- Jernberg, Tomas, et al.
(författare)
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NT-proBNP in unstable coronary artery disease : experiences from the FAST, GUSTO IV and FRISC II trials
- 2004
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Ingår i: European Journal of Heart Failure. - : Wiley. - 1388-9842 .- 1879-0844. ; 6:3, s. 319-325
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Risk stratification is important in patients with unstable coronary artery disease (CAD), i.e. unstable angina or non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction. This article focuses on the emerging role of N-terminal pro brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and the results from the FAST, GUSTO IV and FRISC II trials. METHODS: In the FAST study, NT-proBNP was measured on admission in 755 patients admitted because of symptoms suggestive of unstable CAD. Follow up was performed after 40 months. The GUSTO IV and the FRISC II-trials included patients with unstable CAD and NT-proBNP was analyzed in 6806 and 2019 patients, with follow up after 1 and 2 years, respectively. RESULTS: In the FAST study, patients in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th NT-proBNP quartile had a relative risk of subsequent death of 4.2 (1.6-11.1), 10.7 (4.2-26.8) and 26.6 (10.8-65.5), respectively. In the GUSTO IV trial, increasing quartiles of NT-proBNP were related to short and long term mortality which at 1 year was; 1.8%, 3.9%, 7.7% and 19.2% (P<0.001), respectively. In multivariable analyses including well-known predictors of outcome, NT-proBNP level was independently associated to mortality in all three studies. In the FRISC II trial, the NT-proBNP level, especially if combined with a marker of inflammation, identified those with the greatest benefit from an early invasive strategy. CONCLUSION: NT-proBNP is strongly associated with mortality in patients with suspected or confirmed unstable CAD and, combined with a marker of inflammation, seems helpful in identifying those with greatest benefit from an early invasive strategy.
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| 10. |
- Johansson, Saga, et al.
(författare)
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Incidence of newly diagnosed heart failure in UK general practice
- 2001
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Ingår i: European Journal of Heart Failure. - 1388-9842 .- 1879-0844. ; 3:2, s. 225-231
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- AIM To estimate the incidence rate of heart failure in the general population and to assess risk factors associated with the occurrence of newly diagnosed heart failure. METHODS From the source population that was derived from the UK General Practice Research Database, we identified patients aged 40--84 years newly diagnosed with heart failure in 1996, and estimated incidence rates. We sent questionnaires to a random sample of heart failure patients (N=1200) and performed a nested case-control analysis to assess risk factors for heart failure. RESULTS The overall incidence rate for heart failure was 4.4 per 1000 person-years in men and 3.9 per 1000 person-years in women. The incidence increased steeply with age in both sexes. The relative risk of heart failure was 2.1 (95% C.I.: 1.7--2.6) among men compared with women less than 65 years old and 1.3 (95% C.I.: 1.2--1.4) above the age of 65. Slightly more than half of the cases were categorized in NYHA III--IV at the time of the first diagnosis. Within one month of initial diagnosis 62% of the men and 50% of the women were referred to specialists and/or hospitalized for heart failure. Smoking, hypertension, diabetes, obesity were independently associated with heart failure as well as history of distant dyspnoea. Coronary heart disease was the most common cause of heart failure with a greater relative prevalence in men than women. CONCLUSION Incident heart failure cases mainly comprised elderly men and women frequently burdened with several diseases in general practice. Women had a lower incidence of heart failure than men. However, traditional risk factors such as smoking, hypertension, obesity, diabetes and dyspnoea appeared to confer the same relative increase in heart failure risk among women and men.
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