Medication adherence in heart failure

Non-adherence with medical regimens in heart failure is a significant challenge and serves as a major reason that favorable outcomes associated with various therapies evaluated in clinical trials have not translated to the so-called real-world setting. Non-adherence has complex influences and is clearly associated with poorer outcomes. The approaches that are used or have been proposed to improve drug-taking behavior, such as in-hospital initiation of therapy, simplification of dosing regimens through adoption of combination and long-acting formulations, and improvements in provider–patient communication, are reviewed. Financial Disclosures (disease state, past 5 years, any amount): Paul J. Hauptman, MD, reported that he has received research grants from Abbott Laboratories, Novacardia, Acorn Cardiovascular, Orqis Medical, Novartis, Otsuka, GlaxoSmithKline, and the National Institutes of Health. He was on the Steering Committee of the CASPER Trial, which is designed to examine the impact of a once-daily formulation of carvedilol on compliance. He is/has been on the speaker’s bureau or has received honoraria in the past 5 years from GlaxoSmithKline, King Pharmaceuticals, AstraZeneca, and Johnson & Johnson, and is or has been a consultant for GlaxoSmithKline, Otsuka, BioControl Medical, and Novacardia.     

Nurse-led heart failure clinics improve survival and self-care behaviour in patients with heart failure: results from a prospective, randomised trial.

AIM: The aim of this trial was to prospectively evaluate the effect of follow-up at a nurse-led heart failure clinic on mortality, morbidity and self-care behaviour for patients hospitalised due to heart failure for 12 months after discharge. METHODS: A total of 106 patients were randomly assigned to either follow-up at a nurse-led heart failure clinic or to usual care. The nurse-led heart failure clinic was staffed by specially educated and experienced cardiac nurses, delegated the responsibility for making protocol-led changes in medications. The first follow-up visit was 2-3 weeks after discharge. During the visit the nurse evaluated the heart failure status and the treatment, gave education about heart failure and social support to the patient and his family. RESULTS: There were fewer patients with events (death or admission) after 12 months in the intervention group compared to the control group (29 vs 40, p=0.03) and fewer deaths after 12 months (7 vs 20, p=0.005). The intervention group had fewer admissions (33 vs 56, p=0.047) and days in hospital (350 vs 592, p=0.045) during the first 3 months. After 12 months the intervention was associated with a 55% decrease in admissions/patient/month (0.18 vs 0.40, p=0.06) and fewer days in hospital/patient/month (1.4 vs 3.9, p=0.02). The intervention group had significantly higher self-care scores at 3 and 12 months compared to the control group (p=0.02 and p=0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Follow up after hospitalisation at a nurse-led heart failure clinic can improve survival and self-care behaviour in patients with heart failure as well as reduce the number of events, readmissions and days in hospital.     

Nursing research in heart failure care: a position statement of the american association of heart failure nurses (AAHFN)

Background

Heart Failure (HF) is a public health problem globally affecting approximately 6 million in the United States.

Non‐compliance in patients with heart failure; how can we manage it?

BACKGROUND: Because of the improvement of the pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment in heart failure (HF) patients, the HF related therapeutic regimen is becoming more complicated. Non-compliance with this regimen can result in worsening HF symptoms, sometimes leading to hospitalisation. AIMS: The aims of this systematic literature review are (1) to describe the consequences of non-compliance in HF patients; (2) to summarise the degree of compliance in the various aspects of the therapeutic regimen; and (3) to review interventions that are recommended to improve compliance in HF patients. METHODS: A literature search of the MEDLINE and CINAHL database from 1988 to June 2003 was performed. Studies on compliance with life style recommendations according to the HF Guidelines of the European Society of Cardiology and the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology were included. CONCLUSION: Non-compliance with medication and other lifestyle recommendations is a major problem in patients with HF. Evidence based interventions to improve compliance in patients with HF are scarce. Interventions that can increase compliance and prevent HF related readmissions in order to improve the quality of life of patients with HF need to be developed and tested.     

Nurse-led heart failure clinics in Sweden

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to describe the nurse-led heart failure care in Sweden. METHODS: A postal questionnaire was sent to all 86 hospitals in Sweden treating heart failure patients. All hospitals completed the questionnaire, which contained 20 questions about heart failure nurses, patient education, heart failure clinics, co-operation with primary healthcare and care programmes. RESULTS: Sixty-nine percent of all hospitals (n=86) had nurses specialised in taking care of heart failure patients, in total 148 heart failure nurses. The nurses were involved in patient education and follow-up. There were nurse-led heart failure clinics in 66% of the hospitals. The clinics provided follow-up after hospitalisation, telephone counselling and drug titration. The majority of the heart failure nurses had been delegated the responsibility for making protocol-led changes in medications. Most clinics registered the number of annual visits to the clinic, and the largest clinic had up to 1000 visits. Approximately half of the hospitals had a special care plan for patients with heart failure and an organised co-operation with primary healthcare. CONCLUSION: The first nurse-led heart failure clinic started in Sweden in 1990 and since then the model has been spread to two-thirds of the Swedish hospitals.     

Screening for determinants of self-care in patients with chronic heart failure

Heart failure self-care is vital to achieving clinical stability and improved health outcomes. Yet despite the attention it has been given, in both research and clinical practice, effective self-care remains elusive. It is recognised that there are many patient factors that impact on attaining effective self-care skills. Systematic research is warranted to resolve the knowledge gap of how patients process information and develop the necessary self-care skills. In addition, sound screening tools are needed to assess factors that hinder the development of effective heart failure self-care skills. In this manner, education and support strategies can be applied on an individualised needs basis to enhance health outcomes.     

Mismatch between heart failure patients in clinical trials and the real world

Background

Evidence-based medicine urges physicians to translate results from clinical trials to their patients. This, however, can only work, if real world patients are represented in clinical trials.

Methods

We searched the literature on chronic heart failure (1950-2/2011) for studies designed to detect effects on mortality (mortality studies, MS) and exercise training studies (ETS) as the leading non-pharmaceutical/non-surgical treatment option in order to compare their characteristics with European (Euro Heart Survey on Heart Failure, EHSHF) and North American (Framingham Heart Study, FHS) epidemiological studies.

Results

After an extensive literature search, we identified 207 ETS and 59 MS. Subjects enrolled in ETS were younger (ETS: 62.5 ± 6.6; MS: 63.9 ± 4.6; EHSHF: 71.0 ± 3.5; FHS: 78.0 years), more often male (ETS: 80.9%; MS: 77.3%; EHSHF: 53.0%; FHS: 49.6%; p < 0.001), and had substantially less comorbidities such as diabetes mellitus (ETS: 13.6%; MS: 22.5%; EHSHF: 27.0%; FHS: 25.3%; p < 0.001), or hypertension (ETS: 26.3%; MS: 39.1%; EHSHF: 53.0%; FHS: 46.9%; p < 0.001). Angiotensin converting enzyme-inhibitors, beta-blockers, and angiotensin-receptor-blockers were more commonly used in ETS than in EHSHF (all p < 0.001). Only 16 (10.6%) ETS and 20 (62.5%) MS reported ethnic background.

Conclusion

Heart failure patients in exercise training studies and mortality studies do not represent real world patients. In order to extrapolate data to the general population future exercise training studies as well as mortality studies need to include representative patients. Otherwise, knowledge gained can only be translated to a minority of our patients.     

Linkages between anxiety and outcomes in heart failure

Objective

We investigated the relationship between anxiety and event-free survival (ie, composite endpoint of death, emergency department visits, or hospitalizations) for patients with heart failure (HF), and examined whether behavioral and physiologic mechanisms mediate any association between anxiety and outcomes.

Methods

In this longitudinal study, patients with HF completed the anxiety subscale of the Brief Symptom Inventory, and heart-rate variability and plasma norepinephrine levels were measured. Dietary adherence and medication adherence were measured according to 24-hour urine sodium level and the Medication Event Monitoring System, respectively. Patients were followed at least 1 year for event-free survival.

Results

In total, 147 patients were enrolled. Patients with high anxiety had a shorter (hazard ratio, 2.2; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-4.3; P = .03) period of event-free survival than patients with lower anxiety. Anxiety independently predicted adherence to medication (P = .008), which in turn predicted event-free survival (hazard ratio, 2.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.2-3.3; P = .008). The effect of anxiety (P = .17) on event-free survival was less significant when the regression model included both anxiety and adherence to medication than when the model only included anxiety (P = .03), indicating that adherence to medication mediated the relationship between anxiety and event-free survival.

Conclusion

This is the first study to show that nonadherence to medication links anxiety and event-free survival for patients with HF. Interventions that reduce anxiety and improve adherence may benefit outcomes.     

Non-compliance and knowledge of prescribed medication in elderly patients with heart failure

AIMS: To determine the extent of non-compliance to prescribed medication in elderly patients with heart failure and to determine to what extent patients recall information given regarding their medication. METHODS AND RESULTS: Non-compliance and knowledge of prescribed medication was studied in 22 elderly heart failure patients [mean age 79 +/- 6 (range 70-97); 14 (64%) male], using in-depth interviews performed 30 days after having been prescribed medication. All patients received standardised verbal and written information regarding their medication. Only 12 (55%) patients could correctly name what medication had been prescribed, 11 (50%) were unable to state the prescribed doses and 14 (64%) could not account for when the medication was to be taken, i.e. at what time of day and when in relation to meals the medication was to be taken. In the overall assessment six (27%) patients were found non-compliant and 16 (73%) patients were considered as possibly being compliant with their prescribed medication. CONCLUSIONS: Non-compliance was common in elderly heart failure patients, as were shortcomings in patients knowledge regarding prescribed medication, despite efforts to give adequate information. There exists a need for alternative strategies to improve compliance in these patients.     

Exploring symptoms in chronic heart failure

Symptoms in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) are the cry for help, reflecting not only the physical aspects of the disease but the impact on lifestyle, anxiety, depression and expectations of the patient. Studies consistently show a difference in patients' self-assessed functional classification compared to investigator reported NYHA classification. Moreover, patient self-assessed symptoms have recently been shown to independently predict hospitalisation and mortality over 5 years. Recognition of symptoms and appreciation of their importance justifies the use of a structured assessment in order to provide optimal medical care for patients with CHF. A model of how to structure symptom assessment equally with signs is presented in this paper.     

健康生活方式与不同性别慢性心力衰竭患者再住院风险的相关性

目的探讨健康生活方式与不同性别的慢性心力衰竭(CHF)患者再住院风险的相关性。方法该研究为病例对照研究。入选2017年1月1日至2018年12月31日河南省人民医院及其合作医院心内科出院的CHF患者,根据随访6个月内再住院情况,男女两性分别分为再住院组和对照组。通过电子病历系统收集患者的一般临床资料,并采用问卷调查的方式收集患者健康生活方式相关的情况。健康生活方式包括4项,分别为不吸烟、适度运动、体重指数(BMI)正常及合理膳食。采用多因素logistic回归模型分析不同健康生活方式及其组合对不同性别的CHF患者再住院风险的影响。结果研究共纳入患者2697例,其中男性1308例(再住院组621例,对照组687例),女性1389例(再住院组684例,对照组705例)。男性患者中,再住院组年龄、居住地、婚姻状况、文化程度、平均月收入和医疗保险与对照组比较差异均无统计学意义(P均>0.05)。女性患者中,再住院组年龄、居住地、婚姻状况、文化程度、平均月收入和医疗保险与对照组比较差异亦均无统计学意义(P均>0.05)。无论在男性还是女性CHF患者中,具有4个健康生活方式均可降低再住院风险(男性OR=0.34、95%CI 0.11~0.76、P=0.002,女性OR=0.27、95%CI 0.13~0.79、P=0.012)。无论在男性还是女性CHF患者中,具有不吸烟及其他任意2个健康生活方式的组合均可降低再住院风险,具体为不吸烟、适度运动、BMI正常的男性OR=0.32、95%CI 0.11~0.99、P=0.043,女性OR=0.28、95%CI 0.12~0.93、P=0.032;不吸烟、适度运动、合理膳食的男性OR=0.42、95%CI 0.24~0.98、P=0.044,女性OR=0.40、95%CI 0.12~0.94、P=0.031;不吸烟、BMI正常、合理膳食的男性OR=0.31、95%CI 0.21~0.92、P=0.039,女性OR=0.27、95%CI 0.11~0.87、P=0.014。在女性CHF患者中,健康生活方式两两组合中的不吸烟和适度运动可降低再住院风险(OR=0.23,95%CI 0.19~0.97,P=0.038),而在男性患者中未见到类似结果(OR=0.65,95%CI 0.33~1.84,P=0.315)。结论保持健康生活方式可降低CHF患者再住院风险,而不同性别的患者相关的健康生活方式及其组合可能有所区别。     

Burden of nursing activities during hemodynamic monitoring of heart failure patients

Background

Concerns remain about the burden of nursing care required to implement pulmonary artery pressure monitoring of heart failure patients.

Whole blood endotoxin responsiveness in patients with chronic heart failure: the importance of serum lipoproteins

BACKGROUND: Endotoxin [lipopolysaccharide (LPS)] may be an important stimulus for cytokine release in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). We sought to investigate the relationship between whole blood endotoxin responsiveness and serum lipoprotein concentrations. It is not known if low-dose LPS is sufficient to stimulate immune activation. METHODS AND RESULTS: Whole blood from 32 CHF patients (mean age 66+/-2 years, NYHA class 2.7+/-0.2, five female) and 11 healthy control subjects (mean age 47+/-4 years, six female) was stimulated with LPS at nine different concentrations (0.001 to 10 ng/mL), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha) release was quantified. Reference standard endotoxin at concentrations of 0, 0.6, 1, and 3 EU/ml was added to whole blood from nine CHF patients (age 64+/-9.1 years, all NYHA class II, eight male) and incubated for 6 h, the TNF-alpha production being measured. Serum lipoproteins were quantified using standard techniques. In CHF patients, there was an inverse relationship between whole blood TNF-alpha release and serum cholesterol which was strongest at 0.6 ng/mL of LPS (r=-0.53, p=0.002). A similar although weaker relationship was found for serum HDL. No such correlation was found in healthy subjects or with serum LDL (all r(2)<0.1). Low concentrations of LPS induced a stepwise increase in TNF-alpha release from whole blood to concentrations well above those seen in CHF. CONCLUSIONS: Serum lipoproteins may play an important role in regulating LPS bioactivity in CHF. Very low LPS activity, at levels seen in vivo in CHF, can induce significant TNF-alpha production ex vivo.     

Pharmacological treatment in patients with heart failure: patients knowledge and occurrence of polypharmacy, alternative medicine and immunizations

AIMS: To evaluate in patients with heart failure (HF) due to systolic dysfunction the occurrence of polypharmacy, alternative medicine, immunization against influenza, and patients' knowledge about their medication. METHODS AND RESULTS: Sixty-five patients, 49 men, mean age 60.5+/-12.0 years answered a confidential questionnaire during 2002. Polypharmacy was frequent, 48 (74%) were taking six or more pills per day and 18 (28%) 11 or more. Fifteen patients (23%) used over-the-counter analgesics. Eight patients (12%) used alternative medicine [five women (31%) vs. three men (6%), P=0.02]. Forty-four patients (68%) received immunization against influenza (18 patients <65 years (54%) vs. 25 patients > or =65 years (79%), P=0.03). Half the patients knew that beta-blockers and vasodilators decreased blood pressure, 31 patients receiving diuretics (88%) knew that this drugs help to eliminate liquids, 12 patients (38%) recognized this effect with low dose spironolactone and 23% or less with other drugs. Only 12 patients (42%) treated with acenocoumarol and 13 of those treated with aspirin (32%) recognized the action of these drugs. CONCLUSION: Patients with HF and systolic dysfunction have a poor knowledge about the medication they receive. Polypharmacy, over-the-counter, homeopathic and alternative medicine use is frequent whereas the rate of immunization against influenza is low.