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Anemia is an independent risk factor for adverse patient outcomes. There are no guidelines for management of anemia in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF), despite its high incidence. Four objectives were defined by the International Anemia Management and Clinical Outcomes Expert Panel (AMCO), a multinational group of interdisciplinary experts identified by the Society for the Advancement of Blood Management (SABM) to: determine the prevalence of anemia in outpatients; to determine the prevalence of hospital-acquired anemia; to assess the impact of anemia management on clinical outcomes such as quality of life and functional status; and to provide recommendations for primary care physicians and specialists for the diagnosis, evaluation, and management of anemia in patients with CHF...

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BACKGROUND: Omega 6 plays a vital role in many physiological functions but there is controversy concerning its effect on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. There is conflicting evidence whether increasing or decreasing omega 6 intake results in beneficial effects. OBJECTIVES: The two primary objectives of this Cochrane review were to determine the effectiveness of:1. Increasing omega 6 (Linoleic acid (LA), Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), Dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid (DGLA), Arachidonic acid (AA), or any combination) intake in place of saturated or monounsaturated fats or carbohydrates for the primary prevention of CVD...

BACKGROUND: Nitrates are commonly prescribed to enhance activity tolerance in patients with heart failure and a preserved ejection fraction. We compared the effect of isosorbide mononitrate or placebo on daily activity in such patients. METHODS: In this multicenter, double-blind, crossover study, 110 patients with heart failure and a preserved ejection fraction were randomly assigned to a 6-week dose-escalation regimen of isosorbide mononitrate (from 30 mg to 60 mg to 120 mg once daily) or placebo, with subsequent crossover to the other group for 6 weeks...

The prevalence of atrial fibrillation and the risk of stroke display an age-related increase in the chronic kidney disease (CKD) population. Evidence from large randomized controlled trials conducted in the general population supports the use of anticoagulation to reduce the risk of stroke in the setting of non-valvular atrial fibrillation. However, data in the non-dialysis-dependent and dialysis-dependent CKD populations are limited largely to observational studies, which demonstrate conflicting results regarding the risk-benefit profile of anticoagulation...

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The burden of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in general and heart failure (HF) in particular continues to increase worldwide. CVD are major contributors to death and morbidity and recognized as important drivers of healthcare expenditure. Chronic overactivity of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) plays a key role in human hypertension and HF pathophysiology. RAAS is fundamental in the overall regulation of cardiovascular homeostasis through the actions of hormones, which regulate vascular tone, and specifically blood pressure through vasoconstriction and renal sodium and water retention...

BACKGROUND: Loop diuretics are an essential component of therapy for patients with acute decompensated heart failure, but there are few prospective data to guide their use. METHODS: In a prospective, double-blind, randomized trial, we assigned 308 patients with acute decompensated heart failure to receive furosemide administered intravenously by means of either a bolus every 12 hours or continuous infusion and at either a low dose (equivalent to the patient's previous oral dose) or a high dose (2...

Approximately 50 % of patients with heart failure have diastolic heart failure (HFPEF) with the major predisposing risk factors age, inactivity, obesity, insulin resistance (IR), type-2 diabetes, and hypertension. The prognosis of HFPEF is comparable to that of systolic heart failure, but without any specific or effective treatment. This review presents a biomathematically corrected diagnostic approach for quantification of diastolic dysfunction (DD) via the age dependency of diastolic function. Pathophysiological mechanisms for DD in the cardiometabolic syndrome (CMS) are mainly based on downstream effects of IR including insufficient myocardial energy supply...

Importance: The Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT) demonstrated the benefit of lowering systolic blood pressure (SBP) to 120 mm Hg, yet other trials, such as Heart Outcomes Prevention Evaluation-3 (HOPE-3), did not find consistent benefit. How to incorporate these results into the treatment of those with elevated SBP in the general population is not clear. Objectives: To assess the representativeness of SPRINT and HOPE-3 relative to patients in the United States and to explore the cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk profiles of various populations with elevated SBP...

Atrial fibrillation is found in a third of all ischaemic strokes, even more after post-stroke atrial fibrillation monitoring. Data from stroke registries show that both unknown and untreated or under treated atrial fibrillation is responsible for most of these strokes, which are often fatal or debilitating. Most could be prevented if efforts were directed towards detection of atrial fibrillation before stroke occurs, through screening or case finding, and treatment of all patients with atrial fibrillation at increased risk of stroke with well-controlled vitamin K antagonists or non-vitamin K antagonist anticoagulants...

In our daily anaesthetic practice, we are confronted with an increasing number of patients treated with either antiplatelet or anticoagulant agents. During the last decade, changes have occurred that make the handling of antithrombotic medication a challenging part of anaesthetic perioperative management. In this review, the authors discuss the most important antiplatelet and anticoagulant drugs, the perioperative management, the handling of bleeding complications, and the interpretation of some laboratory analyses related to these agents...

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common cardiac rhythm disturbance and is associated with a 5-fold increased risk of stroke. The most important risk factors for stroke in patients with AF are previous stroke and age ≥ 75 years. Canadian guidelines recommend anticoagulant therapy for patients with AF who are older than the age of 65 years, but the elderly often remain undertreated, primarily because of concerns regarding bleeding. Non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants appear to be safer, at least as efficacious, and more convenient than warfarin, and are a cost-effective alternative for elderly patients with AF...

Echocardiography is pivotal in the diagnosis and management of the shocked patient. Important characteristics in the setting of shock are that it is non-invasive and can be rapidly applied.In the acute situation a basic study often yields immediate results allowing for the initiation of therapy, while a follow-up advanced study brings the advantage of further refining the diagnosis and providing an in-depth hemodynamic assessment. Competency in basic critical care echocardiography is now regarded as a mandatory part of critical care training with clear guidelines available...

Acute myocardial infarction has traditionally been divided into ST elevation or non-ST elevation myocardial infarction; however, therapies are similar between the two, and the overall management of acute myocardial infarction can be reviewed for simplicity. Acute myocardial infarction remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, despite substantial improvements in prognosis over the past decade. The progress is a result of several major trends, including improvements in risk stratification, more widespread use of an invasive strategy, implementation of care delivery systems prioritising immediate revascularisation through percutaneous coronary intervention (or fibrinolysis), advances in antiplatelet agents and anticoagulants, and greater use of secondary prevention strategies such as statins...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Despite advances in cardiac therapy, heart failure (HF) remains a progressive, highly symptomatic, and deadly disease that places great demands on patients, caregivers, and healthcare systems. Palliative care is a multidisciplinary approach to care that focuses on communication, shared decision making, and advance care planning; provides relief from pain and other distressing symptoms; integrates psychological and spiritual aspects of care; and offers a support system to help families cope during illness and bereavement...

Acute decompensated heart failure (HF) is one of most common reasons for hospitalization among individuals older than 65 years. A thorough evaluation, including history, physical examination, and laboratory assessment, is required to optimize care of these patients. In uncertain cases, serum brain-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) or N-terminal proBNP level, stress testing, and/or invasive coronary angiography may be helpful in establishing the diagnosis. The hospital setting provides an opportunity to identify etiologies and stabilize the patient...

Heart failure (HF) is a complex clinical condition. The newer guidelines have phased out the designations of systolic and diastolic HF and replaced them with the more physiologically applicable classifications of HF with reduced or preserved ejection fraction (EF). Although the numbers of new patients within these two groups are similar, patient characteristics and risk factors often differ. There also are differences in the incidence of HF among racial and ethnic groups, with blacks having the highest incidence...