scholarly journals Role and efficacy of cardiac rehabilitation in patients with heart failure

2019 ◽  
Vol 89 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Teresa La Rovere ◽  
Egidio Traversi

Despite improvements in treatments, the prognosis of heart failure remains poor. Elderly patients with heart failure are burdened with multiple co-morbidities and polypharmacy. Multidisciplinary disease-management programs are recommended as standard care for patients at high risk of hospitalization. Cardiac rehabilitation is defined a coordinated multidimensional intervention that integrates the basic elements in multidisciplinary management programs with a continuing program of physical activity and exercise training. Cardiac rehabilitation services can be provided on an inpatient or outpatient basis according to the clinical characteristics and severity of the disease. Data support the usefulness of inpatient cardiac rehabilitation interventions soon after hospitalization for acute decompensated heart failure as a “transition care service” to overcome the particularly high risk “vulnerable” phase. Although in the elderly, physical activity is conditioned by the general clinical conditions, the presence of comorbidities and frailty, several data underscore the importance of improving exercise capacity in the elderly vulnerable patient.

2018 ◽  
Vol 54 (6) ◽  
pp. 351-357 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian C. Bohn ◽  
Rim M. Hadgu ◽  
Hannah E. Pope ◽  
Jerrica E. Shuster

Background: Thiazide diuretics are often utilized to overcome loop diuretic resistance when treating acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF). In addition to a large cost advantage, several pharmacokinetic advantages exist when administering oral metolazone (MTZ) compared with intravenous (IV) chlorothiazide (CTZ), yet many providers are reluctant to utilize an oral formulation to treat ADHF. The purpose of this study was to compare the increase in 24-hour total urine output (UOP) after adding MTZ or CTZ to IV loop diuretics (LD) in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Methods and Results: From September 2013 to August 2016, 1002 patients admitted for ADHF received either MTZ or CTZ in addition to LD. Patients were excluded for heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) (n = 469), <24-hour LD or UOP data prior to drug initiation (n = 129), or low dose MTZ/CTZ (n = 91). A total of 168 patients were included with 64% receiving CTZ. No significant difference was observed between the increase in 24-hour total UOP after MTZ or CTZ initiation (1458 [514, 2401] mL vs 1820 [890, 2750] mL, P = .251). Conclusions: Both MTZ and CTZ similarly increased UOP when utilized as an adjunct to IV LD. These results suggest that while thiazide agents can substantially increase UOP in ADHF patients with HFrEF, MTZ and CTZ have comparable effects.


Circulation ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 142 (Suppl_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shunsuke Tamaki ◽  
Takahisa Yamada ◽  
Tetsuya Watanabe ◽  
Takashi Morita ◽  
Yoshio Furukawa ◽  
...  

Background: A four-parameter risk model including cardiac iodine-123 metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) imaging and readily available clinical parameters has been recently developed for the prediction of 2-year cardiac mortality risk in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) using a Japanese CHF database consisting of 1322 patients. However, there is no information available on the usefulness of 2-year MIBG-based cardiac mortality risk score for the prediction of post-discharge prognosis in patients with heart failure with preserved LVEF (HFpEF) who are admitted with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF). Methods and Results: Patients' data were extracted from The Prospective mUlticenteR obServational stUdy of patIenTs with Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (PURSUIT-HFpEF) study, which is a prospective multicenter observational registry for ADHF patients with LVEF ≥50% in Osaka. We studied 239 patients who survived to discharge. Cardiac MIBG imaging was performed just before discharge. The 2-year cardiac mortality risk score was calculated using four parameters, including age, LVEF, NYHA functional class, and the cardiac MIBG heart-to-mediastinum ratio on delayed image. The patients were stratified into three groups based on the 2-year cardiac mortality risk score: low- (<4%), intermediate- (4-12%), and high-risk (>12%) groups. The endpoint was all-cause death. During a follow-up period of 1.6±0.8 years, 33 patients had all-cause death. Multivariate Cox analysis showed that 2-year MIBG-based cardiac mortality risk score was an independent predictor of all-cause death (p=0.0009). There was significant difference in the rate of all-cause death among the three groups stratified by 2-year cardiac mortality risk score (Figure). Conclusions: In this multicenter study, the 2-year MIBG-based cardiac mortality risk score was shown to be useful for the prediction of post-discharge clinical outcome in HFpEF patients admitted for ADHF.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna M Maw ◽  
Carolina Ortiz-lopez ◽  
Megan A Morris ◽  
Christine Jones ◽  
Elaine Gee ◽  
...  

AbstractAcute decompensated heart failure is the leading admitting diagnosis in patients 65 and older with more than 1 million hospitalizations per year in the US alone. Traditional tools to evaluate for and monitor volume status in patients with heart failure, including symptoms and physical exam findings, are known to have limited accuracy. In contrast, point of care lung ultrasound is a practical and evidenced-based tool for monitoring of volume status in patients with heart failure. However, few inpatient clinicians currently use this tool to monitor diuresis. We performed semi-structured interviews of 23 hospitalists practicing in 5 geographically diverse academic institutions in the US to better understand how hospitalists currently assess and monitor volume status in patients hospitalized with heart failure. We also explored their perceptions and attitudes toward adoption of lung ultrasound. Hospitalist participants reported poor reliability and confidence in the accuracy of traditional tools to monitor diuresis and expressed interest in learning or were already using lung ultrasound for this purpose. The time required for training and access to equipment that does not impede workflow were considered important barriers to its adoption by interviewees.


2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amit Chaturvedi ◽  
Sarabmeet Singh Lehl ◽  
Monica Gupta ◽  
Sreenivas Reddy

Aims: To evaluate the outcomes of heart failure in the elderly (60 years or older) by Short Physical Performance Battery scores at six months of discharge. Methods: One hundred elderly patients with heart failure were evaluated at discharge, at 3 and 6 months after discharge by Short Physical Performance Battery. Results: Of the 100 patients discharged from hospital, mean age was 65.13 ± 6.3 years, 65 percent were males, Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction was present in 77%, and 26 (26%) had died by six months. Readmissions were mainly due to acute decompensated heart failure or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease exacerbations. There was a good correlation between Short Physical Performance Battery and Ejection fraction. The Short Physical Performance Battery scores were low at discharge but improved over six months in those who were alive. All those who died at six months had a baseline Short Physical Performance Battery score of 6 or less. Conclusion: The Short Physical Performance Battery can identify heart failure patients at discharge who have a high risk of short term mortality. A multi-disciplinary intervention may be useful in improving outcomes.


Author(s):  
Sebastian Feickert ◽  
Giuseppe D’Ancona ◽  
Monica Murero ◽  
Hüseyin Ince

Abstract Background  Heart failure patient management guided by invasive intra-cardiac and pulmonary pressure measurements through permanent intra-cardiac micro-sensors has recently been published as a strategy to individualize the therapy of patients with chronic heart failure to reduce re-hospitalization and optimize quality of life. Furthermore, the use of telemedicine could have an important impact on infective disease spread during the current coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic. Case summary  Emergent hospitalization of a patient with acute on chronic heart failure, who is currently in self-isolation as a result of his comorbid profile that exposes him to high risk for severe course and mortality in case of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection was prevented using a last generation telemedicine tool. Discussion  Further implementation of invasive telemedicine could prevent hospitalization for acute decompensated heart failure and consecutive exposure to a potential hospital infection with SARS-CoV-2 in high-risk patients.


2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth C. Bilchick ◽  
Nathaniel Chishinga ◽  
Alex M. Parker ◽  
David X. Zhuo ◽  
Mitchell H. Rosner ◽  
...  

Background: Plasma volume (PV) is contracted in stable patients with heart failure (HF) due to decongestion strategies. On the other hand, increased PV can adversely affect the trajectory of HF. We therefore examined the effects of increased percentage change in PV (%ΔPV), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and %ΔPV stratified by BUN and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) on survival after discharge in patients hospitalized for acute decompensated HF (ADHF). Methods: We used the Strauss-Davis-Rosenbaum formula to calculate the %ΔPV between baseline and hospital discharge in a cohort from the Evaluation Study of Congestive Heart Failure and Pulmonary Artery Catheterization Effectiveness trial (ESCAPE). Kaplan-Meier curves were constructed for survival over 6 months. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to obtain adjusted hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for the associations between survival after discharge and %ΔPV, BUN, and %ΔPV stratified by BUN and GFR. Results: Of the 324 patients included in our study (age 56.1 ± 13.6 years, 26.5% female), those with increased or no %ΔPV at discharge were less likely to survive at 6 months compared with those having reduced %ΔPV (log rank, p = 0.0093). Increased %ΔPV (HR 1.08 per 10% increase; 95% CI: 1.02-1.14) and increased BUN at discharge (HR 1.02 per mg/dL; 95% CI: 1.01-1.03) were independently associated with worse survival. Decreasing %ΔPV had a greater association with improved survival in patients with discharge BUN <31 mg/dL (p = 0.02) and discharge GFR >40 mL/min/1.73 m2 (p = 0.047). Conclusions: Increased %ΔPV and BUN at discharge predicted worse 6-month survival in patients with ADHF. Decreased %ΔPV with low BUN or high GFR at discharge was associated with improved survival.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document