Selenium and Chronic Heart Failure

Selenium and Chronic Heart Failure

To the Editor: We read with interest the article by Inoko et al about selenium deficiency,1 but we do not agree with the interpretation of the data. Selenium deficiency was identified as a factor in the etiology of heart failure syndromes in areas of very low selenium intakes, such as China, where an endemic selenium-responsive cardiomyopathy is called Keshan disease.2 Similar cases of cardiomy...

Advanced Chronic Heart Failure and Heart Transplantation

Anemia and Chronic Heart Failure

Anemia is a common comorbidity in patients with heart failure and is associated with worse long-term outcomes. Although the cause of anemia in heart failure is unclear, the weight of evidence suggests that renal dysfunction, along with neurohormonal and proinflammatory cytokine activation in heart failure, favors the development of anemia of chronic disease, with defective iron utilization, ina...

Chronic heart failure and micronutrients.

Heart failure (HF) is associated with weight loss, and cachexia is a well-recognized complication. Patients have an increased risk of osteoporosis and lose muscle bulk early in the course of the disease. Basal metabolic rate is increased in HF, but general malnutrition may play a part in the development of cachexia, particularly in an elderly population. There is evidence for a possible role fo...

Chronic Heart Failure and Inflammation

Heart failure (HF) is primarily a clinical diagnosis that develops secondary to either left ventricular (LV) systolic and diastolic dysfunctions. Despite significant advancements in medical therapies designed to both prevent HF development and treat HF once established, the prognosis of patients after their first hospital admission is poor. Worldwide, 2% to 17% of patients die during their firs...