Pilates in heart failure patients: a randomized controlled pilot trial

Background: Conventional cardiac rehabilitation program consist of 15 min of warm-up, 30 min of aerobic exercise and followed by 15 min calisthenics exercise. The Pilates method has been increasingly applied for its therapeutic benefits, however little scientific evidence supports or rebukes its use as a treatment in patients with heart failure (HF). Purpose: Investigate the effects of Pilates on exercise capacity variables in HF. Methods: Sixteen pts with HF, left ventricular ejection fraction 27 ± 14%, NYHA class I-II were randomly assigned to conventional cardiac rehabilitation program (n = 8) or mat Pilates training (n = 8) for 16 weeks of 30 min of aerobic exercise followed by 20 min of the specific program. Results: At 16 weeks, pts in the mat Pilates group and conventional group showed significantly increase on exercise time 11.9 ± 2.5 to 17.8 ± 4 and 11.7 ± 3.9 to 14.2 ± 4 min, respectively. However, only the Pilates group increased significantly the ventilation (from 56 ± 20 to 69 ± 17 L/min, P= 0.02), peak VO(2) (from 20.9 ± 6 to 24.8 ± 6 mL/kg/min, P= 0.01), and O(2) pulse (from 11.9 ± 2 to 13.8 ± 3 mL/bpm, P= 0.003). The Pilates group showed significantly increase in peak VO(2) when compared with conventional group (24.8 ± 6 vs. 18.3 ± 4, P= 0.02). Conclusions: The result suggests that the Pilates method may be a beneficial adjunctive treatment that enhances functional capacity in patients with HF who are already receiving standard medical therapy.     

Evaluation of a home-based intervention in heart failure patients. Results of a randomized study

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Home-based interventions after hospital discharge in patients with heart failure (HF) have been shown to decrease readmission and mortality rates. The primary aim of this study was to determine the effect of a home-based educational intervention carried out by nursing staff on the readmission rate, emergency department visits, and healthcare costs. PATIENTS AND METHOD: Patients hospitalized with systolic HF were randomly assigned to receive either usual care or a single home-based educational intervention 1 week after discharge. RESULTS: Between July 2001 and November 2002, 70 patients entered the study: 34 in the intervention group and 36 in the control group. During the 6-month follow-up, there were fewer unplanned readmissions in the intervention group than in the control group (0.09 vs 0.94; P<.001), fewer emergency department visits (0.21 vs 1.33; P<.001), and fewer out-of-hospital deaths (2 vs 11; P<.01). Costs were also significantly lower in the intervention group (difference, ; 1190.9; P<.001). Moreover, patient-perceived health status, as indicated by scores on a quality-of-life questionnaire, increased significantly in the intervention group. CONCLUSIONS: In a cohort of patients with systolic HF who received a home-based educational intervention there were significant reductions in the unplanned readmission rate, mortality, and healthcare costs, and better quality of life. Some limitations of the study warrant validation of the resultats in further studies.     

Combination diuretic treatment in severe heart failure: a randomised controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES--(a) To test the hypothesis that a fixed 3 day course of the combination of a thiazide and loop diuretic is as effective as more prolonged treatment in the management of severe resistant cardiac failure. (b) To compare two thiazide diuretics (bendrofluazide and metolazone) in combination with loop diuretics in the treatment of severe resistant cardiac failure. DESIGN--Randomised study with a 2 x 2 factorial design. SETTING--Provincial teaching hospital. PATIENTS--33 consecutive patients (40 episodes) admitted with severe congestive cardiac failure (New York Heart Association class III or IV) unresponsive to intravenous loop diuretics for 48 hours. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--Change in daily weight and serum electrolytes and clinical improvement in heart failure. RESULTS--Diuresis was established during 37 of 40 episodes; of the rest two patients died in hospital. On 36 occasions improvement was sufficient to allow discharge from hospital. Median (range) maximal weight loss was -5.05 (-11.3 to 1.6) kg after the addition of bendrofluazide and -5.6 (-12.2 to 4.8) kg after the addition of metolazone (NS). Area under the body weight loss against time curves showed no significant difference between the two thiazide diuretics. Median (range) maximal weight loss after three days of treatment was -5.4 (-12.2 to 4.8) kg and -5.5 (-10.3 to 1) kg after a more prolonged course of median (range) 5.6 (1 to 13) days (NS). Area under the body weight loss time curves showed no significant difference between the two durations of treatment. Bendrofluazide was associated with fewer electrolyte disturbances. CONCLUSIONS--Bendrofluazide and metolazone were equally effective in establishing a diuresis in patients with severe congestive cardiac failure resistant to loop diuretics. A fixed three day course of the combination was as effective as a longer course.     

Healthcare resource use among heart failure patients in a randomized pilot study of a cognitive training intervention

Objectives

To compare healthcare resource use of patients with heart failure (HF) randomized to the cognitive training intervention and to the health education active control intervention in a randomized controlled pilot study.

Background

Cognitive training interventions may be efficacious and improve patients' memory and abilities to perform instrumental activities of daily living and self-care behaviors that may, in turn, lower healthcare resource use, but the influence of these interventions on healthcare resource use is unknown.

Methods

Thirty-four HF patients were randomized to the computerized plasticity-based cognitive training intervention called Brain Fitness and to the health education active control intervention and completed the study. The primary outcome variable for the study was memory (recall and delayed recall). The secondary purpose of the study that is the focus of this paper was to compare healthcare resource use between the two groups using the third-party payer perspective. Data were collected at baseline and at 8 and 12 weeks after baseline. Healthcare resources were priced at Medicare payment levels for services and average wholesale price for medications.

Results

Average costs of visits, procedures, and medications were similar between groups. Average costs of hospitalizations and tests, and therefore total costs, were half as much in the Brain Fitness group as compared to the active control group, but this difference was not significantly different from zero (p = 0.24).

Conclusions

Larger randomized controlled trials are needed that include analyses of program costs and costs associated with medical and non-medical services in order to fully evaluate efficacy of this intervention.     

Telemonitoring of heart failure patients and their caregivers: a pilot randomized controlled trial

Heart failure (HF) is the leading cause of rehospitalization in older adults. The purpose of this pilot study was to examine whether telemonitoring by an advanced practice nurse reduced subsequent hospital readmissions, emergency department visits, costs, and risk of hospital readmission for patients with HF. One hundred two patient/caregiver dyads were randomized into 2 groups postdischarge; 84 dyads completed the study. Hospital readmissions, emergency department visits, costs, and days to readmission were abstracted from medical records. Participants were interviewed soon after discharge and 3 months later about effects of telemonitoring on depressive symptoms, quality of life, and caregiver mastery. There were no significant differences due to telemonitoring for any outcomes. Caregiver mastery, informal social support, and electronic home monitoring were not significant predictors for risk of hospital readmission. Further studies should address the interaction between the advanced practice nurse and follow-up intervention with telemonitoring of patients with HF to better target those who are most likely to benefit.     

Effect of SGLT-2 inhibitors on cardiovascular outcomes in heart failure patients: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

BackgroundTo investigate the overall effect of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT-2i) on cardiovascular outcomes in a broad spectrum of heart failure (HF) patients, and further stratified by status of ejection fraction and diabetes mellitus.MethodsElectronic databases were searched to identify randomized controlled trials that compared SGLT-2i with placebo in patients with HF. Efficacy outcomes included the composite of cardiovascular death (CVD) or hospitalization for heart failure (HHF), individual CVD, individual HHF, and all-cause mortality (ACM).ResultsA total of 8 large trials comprising 16,460 HF patients were enrolled. Pooled data demonstrated that SGLT-2i significantly reduced the risk for primary composite outcome (CVD or HHF) by 23% (HR: 0.77, 95% CI: 0.72–0.82) in HF patients. Use of SGLT-2i was associated with a statistically significant 32% reduction in HHF (HR: 0.68, 95% CI: 0.62–0.75), a 15% reduction in CVD (HR: 0.85, 95% CI: 0.76–0.94) and a 16% reduction in ACM (HR: 0.84, 95% CI: 0.77–0.92). Sensitivity analyses using Mantel-Haenszel method displayed consistent results. Subgroup analyses demonstrated that SGLT-2i were robustly effective in HFrEF subgroup as well as in HF with absence/presence of T2DM, and displayed a strong trend to be effective in HFpEF. Safety analysis demonstrated SGLT-2i group had a lower proportion of serious adverse events than placebo group (RR 0.89, 95% CI: 0.86–0.93).ConclusionsCompared with placebo, SGLT-2 inhibitors have remarkable cardiovascular benefits in a broad range of HF patients. Beneficial effects were robust in HF patients regardless of T2DM status, and a strong trend to be effective in HFpEF.     

心力衰竭患者利尿剂抵抗的处理策略

<正>心力衰竭是大多数心血管疾病的最终归宿。随着治疗技术和治疗水平的持续改善,越来越多的心血管病患者得以存活下来,从而使得心力衰竭的发生机会越来越大。利尿剂是心力衰竭治疗的基础用药,临床上常常遇到在应用利尿剂的过程中出现利尿效果降低,多称之为利尿剂抵抗。利尿剂抵抗的定义目前尚未统一,但多数学者同意利尿剂抵抗是指每日静脉呋塞米剂量≥80 mg或相当于上述呋塞米的日剂量,但仍不能达到合适的尿量(0.5~1.0 ml·kg-1·     

Potent diuretic effects of prednisone in heart failure patients with refractory diuretic resistance

BACKGROUND: Refractory congestive heart failure (CHF) with diuretic resistance is life-threatening and predicts a short life expectancy. Glucocorticoids have been proven to have potent diuretic effects in animal studies; however, their efficacy in CHF patients with diuretic resistance is not known. METHODS: Thirteen CHF patients with significant volume overload and diuretic resistance who failed to respond to a conventional sequential nephron blockade therapeutic strategy; that is, the coadministration of a thiazide (hydrochlorothiazide) and spironolactone, in combination with loop diuretics, were studied. Prednisone (1 mg/kg daily) was then added to standard care, with other medications unchanged, to determine diuretic efficacy in these CHF patients. Variables included body weight, urine volume, serum electrolytes and renal function. RESULTS: Adding prednisone resulted in striking diuresis with a mean (+/- SD) body weight reduction of 9.39+/-3.09 kg. Prednisone significantly decreased serum creatinine by 52.21+/-48.68 mumol/L and increased glomerular filtration rate by 33.63+/-15.87 mL/min/1.73 m(2) compared with baseline. All patients were discharged from hospital with improved clinical status and renal function, and 11 patients remained alive in the long term. The main side effect of prednisone appeared to be hyperglycemia in diabetic patients. CONCLUSIONS: The present study demonstrated that prednisone can rapidly eliminate volume overload and improve clinical status and renal function in CHF patients with diuretic resistance. Further prospective randomized clinical studies are warranted to confirm its clinical efficacy.     

心力衰竭患者低氯血症与利尿剂抵抗

心力衰竭(heart failure,HF)是各种心脏疾病的严重表现或晚期阶段,有较高的死亡率和再住院率[1].袢利尿剂(loop diuretics,LDs)是缓解充血症状的基石,在 HF 治疗中广泛应用[2-3].LDs的作用取决于其递送到管腔内作用部位(药代动力学)以及与其受体的相互作用(药效学).然而,将近1/...     

Effectiveness of a multidisciplinary disease management program on outcomes in patients with heart failure in China: A randomized controlled single center study

Background

Multidisciplinary disease management programs (MDMP) for patients with heart failure (HF) have been delivered, but evidence of their effectiveness in China is limited.

Comparative effectiveness of furosemide vs torasemide in symptomatic therapy in heart failure patients: A randomized controlled study protocol

Background:We performed this randomized controlled study protocol to investigate the efficacy and adverse effects of furosemide vs torasemide in patients with heart failure (HF).Method:The present study was authorized by the local research ethics committee of Shanxi Cardiovascular Hospital (no. 48736645) and informed consent was obtained from all patients. Patients were enrolled in a consecutive prospective manner on a voluntary basis. Patients who were aged 18 years and older with HF who were eligible to enroll in this randomized trial. All patients had evidence of left ventricular systolic dysfunction, confirmed by echocardiographic or nuclear imaging. The exclusion criteria were left ventricular diastolic dysfunction only, or receipt of medical or pharmaceutical care in other health systems. The primary efficacy end point was the change in procollagen type I carboxyterminal peptide (PICP) serum levels between baseline and final visit. Secondary efficacy variables included parameters related to the clinical course of HF, such as body weight, presence of edema, signs and symptoms of HF, electrocardiogram and echocardiographic evaluation, amino-terminal pro brain-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) serum levels measured by ELISA method, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), heart rate, and renal function.Results:One hundred patients who met the inclusion criteria were included in our study, Table ​Table1Table1 showed the effects of furosemide and torsemide on measures of clinical outcomes.Table 1The effects of furosemide and torsemide on measures of clinical outcomes.