Pressure overload.
Heart Fail Clin. 2012 Jan;8(1):21-32
Authors: Frohlic…

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Volume overload.
Heart Fail Clin. 2012 Jan;8(1):33-42
Authors: Carabello…

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Ischemia/Infarction.
Heart Fail Clin. 2012 Jan;8(1):43-51
Authors: Jugdu…

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Cardiomyopathies: classification, diagnosis, and treatment.
Heart Fail Clin. 2012…

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A review on the putative association between Beta-blockers and depression.

Heart Fail Clin. 2011 Jan;7(1):89-99

Authors: Verbeek DE, van Riezen J, de Boer RA, van Melle JP, de Jonge P

Several kinds of systematic studies have been conducted verifying the putative association between ?-blockers and depressive symptoms. However, many of these studies had important limitations in their design. In most of the studies, no effect of ?-blockers on depressive symptoms was seen. Because individual susceptibility cannot be ruled out, clinicians must stay vigilant, especially with patients who have a positive personal or family history and who have been prescribed lipophilic ?-blockers. However, fear for depression should not be the reason for reluctance in prescribing ?-blockers to cardiovascular patients.

PMID: 21109212 [PubMed - in process]

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Left Ventricular Noncompaction: A New Form of Heart Failure.

Heart Fail Clin. 2010 Oct;6(4):453-469

Authors: Towbin JA

In this article the newly classified cardiomyopathy known as left ventricular noncompaction is discussed. This genetic inherited form of heart disease has substantial risk of heart failure, stroke, metabolic derangement, arrhythmias, and sudden cardiac death. The disorder seems to occur because of an arrest of the normal process of development, and the genes identified to date seem to encode for cytoskeletal or sarcomeric proteins. These features are outlined.

PMID: 20869646 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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Treatment with Iron of Patients with Heart Failure With and Without Anemia.

Heart Fail Clin. 2010 Jul;6(3):305-312

Authors: Jelani QU, Attanasio P, Katz SD, Anker SD

Iron deficiency is a common cause of anemia in otherwise healthy individuals and plays an important role in the development of anemia within the heart failure patient population. Iron-deficient heart failure patients experience worse symptoms and are less exercise tolerant than those without iron deficiency. These symptoms may occur even before clinical anemia is evident. This article reviews studies of the benefits of the use of intravenous iron to treat iron deficiency in anemic and nonanemic heart failure patients and an overview of the physiology and pathophysiology of iron metabolism in chronic heart failure.

PMID: 20630405 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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Future Directions in Management of Anemia in Heart Failure.

Heart Fail Clin. 2010 Jul;6(3):385-395

Authors: Agarwal AK, Katz SD

Anemia in patients with heart failure (HF) may be caused by several factors, including hemodilution, iron or erythropoietin deficiency, and chronic kidney disease. Published pilot studies of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) and intravenous iron therapy in anemic heart failure patients demonstrate improvement in surrogate markers of functional capacity and quality of life, and reasonable safety profile during short-term use. However, the long-term safety of ESA in treatment of anemia in patients with HF remains a concern due to documented harmful side effects of ESA in anemic patients with advanced chronic kidney disease and cancer. Ongoing prospective clinical outcomes studies of ESA and intravenous iron therapies will provide important data that may pave the way for new avenues in the treatment of anemia in the future.

PMID: 20630412 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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Atrial Fibrillation in Congestive Heart Failure.

Heart Fail Clin. 2010 Apr;6(2):187-200

Authors: Lubitz SA, Benjamin EJ, Ellinor PT

Atrial fibrillation and congestive heart failure are morbid conditions that have common risk factors and frequently coexist. Each condition predisposes to the other, and the concomitant presence of the two identifies individuals at increased risk for mortality. Recent data have emerged that help elucidate the complex genetic and nongenetic pathophysiological mechanisms that contribute to the development of atrial fibrillation in individuals with congestive heart failure. Clinical trial results offer insights into the noninvasive prevention and management of these conditions, although newer technologies, such as catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation, have yet to be studied extensively in patients with congestive heart failure.

PMID: 20347787 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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Racial differences in heart failure therapeutics.

Heart Fail Clin. 2010 Jan;6(1):65-74

Authors: Ishizawar D, Yancy C

Heart failure in African Americans has a phenotype that is distinct from that in non-African Americans and that demonstrates increased importance of hypertensive etiologies. Trial data demonstrate that African Americans receive significant benefit from beta blockade. Despite differences in the heart failure phenotype, therapy of heart failure in African Americans remains largely the same as in white heart failure cohorts, with the notable exception of the added benefits provided by combination of hydralazine and isosorbide dinitrate (HYD-ISDN), now regarded as highly indicated therapy by both the Heart Failure Society of America and the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association heart failure guideline committees. HYD-ISDN in fixed combination is the first cardiovascular drug approved for a single ethnic or racial subset-self-designated African Americans.

PMID: 19945062 [PubMed - in process]

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Related Articles

Natriuretic peptides in the diagnosis and management of acute heart failure.

Heart Fail Clin. 2009 Oct;5(4):489-500

Authors: Mohammed AA, Januzzi JL

The emergence of BNP or NT-proBNP testing has improved the management of acutely decompensated heart failure patients significantly by aiding in early recognition, prognostication, and treatment. Furthermore, their logical application may not only reduce healthcare costs but also potentially reduce adverse clinical outcomes. This article reviews the understanding of utilizing natriuretic peptide testing to correctly diagnose and manage acute heart failure.

PMID: 19631174 [PubMed - in process]

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Related Articles

Natriuretic peptides in the diagnosis and management of chronic heart failure.

Heart Fail Clin. 2009 Oct;5(4):501-14

Authors: Boerrigter G, Costello-Boerrigter LC, Burnett JC

Circulating levels of the BNP system can help in the diagnosis of cardiovascular disease and provide prognostic information not only for patients who have HF but also for the general population and other patient groups. Changes over time also carry prognostic information, and studies are assessing BNP-guided treatment strategies. With the identification of circulating molecular forms of BNP, new insights regarding the biology of the BNP system are emerging that may improve the diagnostic and prognostic value of BNP. Likewise, accounting for rs198389 (a common single nucleotide polymorphism that increases BNP levels) may help to further refine the use of components of the BNP system as biomarkers.

PMID: 19631175 [PubMed - in process]

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Related Articles

Newer biomarkers in heart failure.

Heart Fail Clin. 2009 Oct;5(4):579-88

Authors: Gupta S, Drazner MH, de Lemos JA

The pathophysiology of heart failure is complex, and the list of biomarkers representing distinct pathophysiologic pathways is growing rapidly. This article focuses on some promising newer biomarkers that have contributed to a better understanding of pathophysiologic mechanisms involved in heart failure but for which less data are currently available: osteoprotegerin, galectin-3, cystatin C, chromogranin A, and the adipokines adiponectin, leptin, and resistin. Despite the intriguing early information from these newer markers, none is ready for routine clinical use. Much additional study is needed to determine how these biomarkers will fit into diagnostic and treatment algorithms for patients who have heart failure.

PMID: 19631181 [PubMed - in process]

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Related Articles

Implantable hemodynamic monitors.

Heart Fail Clin. 2009 Apr;5(2):261-70

Authors: Tallaj JA, Singla I, Bourge RC

The evaluation and management of volume status in patients with heart failure is a challenge for most clinicians. In addition, such an evaluation is possible only during a personal clinician-patient interface. The ability to acquire hemodynamic data continuously with the help of implanted devices with remote monitoring capability can provide early warning of heart failure decompensation and thus may aid in preventing hospitalizations for heart failure. The data obtained also may improve the understanding of the disease process. It is important for the clinician treating patients who have heart failure to become acquainted with this type of technology and learn to interpret and use these data appropriately. This article reviews the implantable hemodynamics monitors currently available.

PMID: 19249694 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Related Articles

Role of the pulmonary artery catheter in diagnosis and management of heart failure.

Heart Fail Clin. 2009 Apr;5(2):241-8

Authors: Kahwash R, Leier CV, Miller L

The pulmonary artery catheter will likely earn a place in the history of medicine as one of the most useful tools that shaped our understanding and management of various diseases. An intense assessment of its application in nonacute and nonshock decompensated heart failure has been provided by the ESCAPE trial, a landmark investigation that showed an overall neutral impact of pulmonary artery catheter-guided therapy over therapy guided by clinical evaluation and judgment alone. The current guidelines reserve the use of a pulmonary artery catheter for the management of refractory heart failure and select conditions. The pulmonary artery catheter remains a useful instrument in clinical situations when clinical and laboratory assessment alone is insufficient in establishing the diagnosis and pathophysiologic condition, and in guiding effective, safe therapy.

PMID: 19249692 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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