Previous studies of non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndromes (NSTE ACSs) complicated by heart failure (HF) have focused primarily on patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction defined by an ejection fraction (EF) <40%. Little is known about HF with preserved systolic function (EF > or =40%) in the NSTE ACS population. We identified high-risk patients with NSTE ACS (ischemic el...

Cardiovascular disease (CVD), especially heart failure (HF) as its common final pathway, is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Furthermore, oxidative and inflammatory processes represent fundamental underlying mechanisms for the development and progression of HF. Of interest, in recent years the development of markers with diagnostic and prognostic value for this pathology ...

BACKGROUND Galectin-3 (GAL-3), a β-galactoside-binding protein, is a new clinical biomarker believed to reflect cardiac remodeling/fibrosis in patients with heart failure (HF). Plasma GAL-3 is inversely related to renal function. It is not known whether the relationship between renal function and GAL-3 is influenced by clinical decompensation, type of HF, or the presence or absence of clinical ...

BACKGROUND National guidelines recommend heart failure (HF) disease management programs to facilitate adherence to evidence-based practices. This study examined the influence of dedicated HF clinics on delivery of guideline-recommended therapies for cardiology practice outpatients with HF and reduced left ventricular ejection fraction. METHODS IMPROVE HF, a prospective cohort study, enrolled ...

BACKGROUND One of the primary reasons for hospitalisation among elderly individuals with heart failure (HF) is poor self-care. Self-awareness of having HF may be a key-element in successful self-care. The prevalence of self-awareness of HF, and how it is affected by age-and HF-related factors, remains poorly understood. The aims of the present study were to determine the prevalence of self-awar...

Heart failure (HF) clinics have had an important role in optimal HF management and the effectiveness of these clinics has been studied intensively. A HF clinic is one of the various ways to organize a HF disease management program. There is good evidence that HF disease management can improve outcomes in HF patients, but it is not clear what the optimal components of these programs are and what...

C57BL/6 mice develop signs and symptoms comparable, in part, to the human metabolic syndrome. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of exercise training on carbohydrate metabolism, lipid profile, visceral adiposity, pancreatic islet alterations, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in C57BL/6 mice. Animals were fed one of two diets during an 8-week period: standard (SC,...

BACKGROUND During heart failure (HF), cardiac metabolic substrate preference changes from fatty acid (FA) toward glucose oxidation. This change may cause progression toward heart failure. We hypothesize that a diet rich in FAs may prevent this process, and that dietary ω3-FAs have an added antiarrhythmic effect based on action potential (AP) shortening in animals with HF. METHODS AND RESULTS ...

Circulating dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPPIV) activity correlates with cardiac dysfunction in humans and experimental heart failure (HF) models. Similarly, inflammatory markers are associated with poorer outcomes in HF patients. However, the contributions of DPPIV to inflammation in HF remain elusive. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate whether the cardioprotective effects of DPPIV inhibit...

BACKGROUND Heart failure (HF) is an important predictor of poor outcome after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, limited data exist about the clinical significance of HF in the coronary reperfusion era and the impact of its timing on hospital outcomes. The objective of this study was to determine the clinical impact of HF complicating AMI in the National Registry of Myocardial Infarcti...