Despite >100 clinical trials, only 2 new drugs had been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of chronic heart failure in more than a decade: the aldosterone antagonist eplerenone in 2003 and a fixed dose combination of hydralazine-isosorbide dinitrate in 2005. In contrast, 2015 has witnessed the Food and Drug Administration approval of 2 new drugs, both for the trea...

Disorders of potassium homeostasis can potentiate the already elevated risk of arrhythmia in heart failure. Heart failure patients have a high prevalence of chronic kidney disease, which further heightens the risk of hyperkalemia, especially when renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors are used. Acute treatment for hyperkalemia may not be tolerated in the long term. Recent data for pati...

BACKGROUND Increased rates of myocardial infarction, heart failure, arrhythmias, and death occur in patients with chronic kidney disease. We sought to evaluate the processes of care and outcomes in patients with chronic kidney disease presenting to an emergency department with chest discomfort. METHODS We enrolled 817 consecutive patients who underwent evaluation for a possible acute myocardi...

Adams, S. G., Smith, P. K., Allan, P. F., Anzueto, A., Pugh, J. A., & Cornell, J. E. (2007). Systematic review of the chronic care model in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease prevention and management. Archives of Internal Medicine, 167(6), 551-551-561. While implementation of the chronic care model (CCM) has been shown to be an effective preventative strategy to improve outcomes in diabetes...

Chronic diseases are nowadays the major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Patients with end-stage chronic organ failure may suffer daily from distressful physical and psychological symptoms. The objective of the present study is to systematically review studies that examined daily symptom prevalence in patients with end-stage chronic organ failure, with attention to those that include...

results after training, the mean scores of awareness, attitude and practice among patients in the case group were respectively 8.93 ± 2.32, 47.69 ± 2.21, and 66.04 ± 3.44 (p < 0.0001). the mean score difference of attitude in the intervention group was 17.78 ± 7.0, and 3.30 ± 6.85 in the control. the mean score difference of practice in the intervention group was 26.57 ± 6.37, and 2.08 ± 7.16in...

the clinical and economic importance of heart failure is widely recognized.   the incidence of heart failure is on the increase, particularly with the aging of the population around the world.   it is time for a paradigm shift in heart failure management. alternative non-pharmacological strategies to remodel the failing ventricle will shape a major portion of heart failure therapy in the decade...

Severe pain is highly prevalent, with rates of 40% to 70% in patients with advanced cancer, liver disease, heart failure, human immunodeficiency virus, and renal failure. Wide variations in pain assessment and reporting methods and the measurement of multiple symptoms should be addressed in future studies. Regarding psychological approaches, determining whether hypnotherapy or other individual ...