OBJECTIVE Assessment of habitual physical activity (PA) in patients with heart failure. METHODS This study included 50 patients with heart failure (61.9 ± 4.0 yr). Seven days of PA were assessed by questionnaire (AQ), pedometer, and accelerometer and correlated with prognostic markers including VO(2peak), percent left-ventricular ejection fraction, N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide, a...

The great epidemiological significance and costs associated with chronic heart failure pose a challenge to health systems in Western industrial countries. In the past few years, controlled randomised studies have shown that patients with chronic heart failure benefit from telemedical monitoring; specifically, telemonitoring of various vital parameters combined with a review of the symptoms, dru...

BACKGROUND Proinflammatory cytokines are important mediators in heart failure (HF). Recently, urinary levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) have been determined. AIMS The purpose of this study was to measure the urinary levels of TNF-alpha and IL-6 receptors, sTNF-RI, sTNF-RII, sIL-6R, and the relationship with plasma levels and NYHA classes in HF. METHO...

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of implantation of a left ventricular assist system (LVAS) on the neurohormonal status, exercise capacity and symptomatic state in patients with severe congestive heart failure (CHF). BACKGROUND Severe CHF is characterized by decreased exercise tolerance and activation of several neurohormonal systems. METHODS Parameters of neuroh...

INTRODUCTION The aim of the study was to analyse the risk factors of early and late mortality in patients undergoing the first reoperation for prosthetic valve dysfunction. MATERIAL AND METHODS A retrospective observational study was performed in 194 consecutive patients (M = 75, F = 119; mean age 53.2 ±11 years) with a mechanical prosthetic valve (n = 103 cases; 53%) or bioprosthesis (91; 47...

BACKGROUND The New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification is a strong predictor of mortality and an established instrument for risk stratification in patients with heart disease but data on the validity of this classification in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) are sparse. METHODS In this study, we tested the predictive value of the NYHA in patients with ESRD and compared it with that of ...

AIMS Therapy with i.v. iron in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) and iron deficiency (ID) improves symptoms, functional capacity, and quality of life. We sought to investigate whether these beneficial outcomes are independent of anaemia. METHODS AND RESULTS FAIR-HF randomized 459 patients with CHF [NYHA class II or III, LVEF ≤40% (NYHA II) or ≤45% (NYHA III)] and ID to i.v. iron as fe...

OBJECTIVE To assess health related quality of life of patients with congestive heart failure; to compare their quality of life with the previously characterised general population and in those with other chronic diseases; and to correlate the different aspects of quality of life with relevant somatic variables. SETTING University hospital. PATIENTS AND DESIGN A German version of the generic...

BACKGROUND Controversy exists as to whether secundum atrial septal defects (ASDs) in asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic New York Heart Association (NYHA) class I or II adult patients should be closed. METHODS AND RESULTS Thirty-seven patients (24 females; mean age 49.4 years, range 19 to 76) with a mean pulmonary to systemic flow ratio (Qp:Qs) of 2.1 (1.2 to 3.4) had a maximal oxygen uptake (...

BACKGROUND The tripeptide glutathione (L-gamma-glutamyl-cysteinyl-glycine) is essential to cell survival, and deficiency in cardiac and systemic glutathione relates to heart failure progression and cardiac remodelling in animal models. Accordingly, we investigated cardiac and blood glutathione levels in patients of different functional classes and with different structural heart diseases. MET...