M Komajda

..This completely new knowledge should lead to the development of new therapeutic strategies...

..We investigated the consequences of adherence to care by cardiologists on the rate of CHF and cardiovascular (CV) hospitalizations and time to CV hospitalization...

..The therapeutic programmes in which multidisciplinary teams are involved reduce the number and duration of hospitalisations and the costs generated by the disease...

..We therefore used ambulatory BP to quantify BP lowering at 6-12 months with rosiglitazone used in combination with metformin or sulfonylureas compared to metformin and sulfonylureas in people with type 2 diabetes...

..The underuse of recommended therapeutic classes including angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors and beta-blockers deserves further investigation...

..Anaemia is a common comorbidity in chronic heart failure (CHF). The predictors of new onset anaemia (NOA) and its long-term prognostic value, particularly in patients treated with beta-blockers, are not known...

..The prescription of betablockers remains marginal. The reason for the underprescription of recommended drugs (International Recommendations) would justify further investigation...

..001), the systolic blood pressure (p less than 0.01), the rate-pressure product (p less than 0.001) and the cardiac index (p less than 0.001) produced by the administration of dobutamine...

..We decided to perform no prognostic testing. CONCLUSION: Our preliminary experience confirms the complexity of the situation and suggests the necessity for a specific procedure to ensure good practice in genetic testing of HCM...

..The endothelin level increased significantly during spasm in Group I patients. The plasma concentration of endothelin appeared to be higher in the basal state and during spasm in patients exhibiting spastic angina...

..Measurement of plasma neurohormones should therefore be considered routinely as a complementary or alternative tool for identifying high-risk patients with moderate CHF...

..Management guidelines for heart failure recommend ACE-I and beta-blockers. The perception of difficult up-titration might have added to the slow uptake of beta-blockers despite their mortality and morbidity benefits...

..However, their diagnostic value remains unknown. The aim of the study was to evaluate the accuracy of these new criteria, using the genetic status as the criterion of reference...

..The recognition of these abnormalities is of value from the therapeutic (mitral valvuloplasty) diagnostic (in borderline cases) and genetic (when the primary nature of the abnormalities is confirmed) points of view...

..Candesartan also significantly reduced the risk of new-onset diabetes and of atrial fibrillation in the CHARM-Overall study...

..The aim of this study was to perform a mutational analysis of LMNA in a large white population of patients affected by dilated cardiomyopathy with or without associated symptoms...

..QT abnormalities have been reported in left ventricular hypertrophy and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy...

....

..However, extensive genetic screening failed to identify a mutation in about a third of cases. One possible explanation is that other diseases, caused by other genes, may mimic HCM...

....

..This review indicates the genes and proteins implicated in the pathogeny of familial dilated cardiomyopathy, and their potential clinical effects...

..The genetic heterogeneity of the disease is a limiting factor in genetic counselling and there are ethical problems related to the absence of effective treatment...

..Candidates for methotrexate therapy should be considered for MRP2 functional testing...

..This study reports a family affected by a new phenotype associated with dilated cardiomyopathy and quadriceps myopathy...

....

..The aim of the present study was to perform a systematic screening of these genes in a large population, to evaluate the distribution of the disease genes, and to determine the best molecular strategy in clinical practice...

..This review focuses on the impact of the molecular data on the understanding of the disease, and considers the emerging issues regarding the impact of molecular testing on the management of patients (or relatives) in clinical practice...

..The purpose of this study was to assess whether plasma B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) provided any additional prognostic information...

..Inhibitors of the enzyme degrading the peptide, neutral endopeptidase, are under evaluation in clinical trials which are at a preliminary stage for the moment...

..Hypertension plays a significant role in the development of this hypertrophy. Left ventricular systolic function is normal but diastolic function is impaired...

..Tolerance seems to be related to neuro-hormonal factors and perhaps to depletion of SH groups. Simultaneous use of nitrates and ACE inhibitors seems to be an interesting therapeutic concept...

..However, new molecules such as vesnarininone or pimobendan are under trial. Finally, in the next few years, the introduction of antagonists to Angiotensin II receptors is eagerly awaited...

..International guidelines are frequently not implemented in the elderly population with heart failure (HF). This study determined the management of octogenarians with HF enrolled in Euro Heart Failure Survey II (EHFS II) (2004-05)...

....

..Here, the aim is to study the management of octogenarians hospitalized for heart failure in Euro Heart Failure Survey I. Heart Failure (HF) is common in older people and associated with poor outcome...

..Here, we performed a mutation analysis of four genes involved in FDCM in a population of idiopathic DCM...

..They presented with apparently idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathies. These cases show that Duchenne muscular dystrophy is an original example of a genetically determined diffuse muscular disease with cardiac involvement...

..57, p less than 0.02), mean pulmonary capillary pressure (r = 0.62, p less than 0.001), cardiac index (r = 0.53, p less than 0.05) and left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (r = 0.58, p less than 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)..

....

..Only randomised, multicentre therapeutic trials in comparable groups of patients can provide information about the effects of medical treatment on the long-term prognosis of cardiac failure...

..Transthoracic and transoesophageal echocardiography should be widely used in acute forms of Q fever and systematic in chronic infections with Coxiella Burnetti...

..The results of this study incite the prescription of high rather than low doses of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor...

..Additional family studies are needed to confirm these findings and to contribute to stratify the prognosis according to the mutation involved...

..Beta-blockers (BB) may influence these levels but it is unclear whether changes in NT-pro BNP reflect concomitant changes in prognosis...

..We assessed fatal and non-fatal HF events and their outcome, and identified HF predictors in the RECORD (Rosiglitazone Evaluated for Cardiac Outcomes and Regulation of glycaemia in Diabetes) trial population...

....

..This new phenotype points out the wide spectrum of neuromuscular and cardiac manifestations associated with lamin A/C mutations, with the functional consequence of this mutation seemingly associated with a disorganization of the lamina...

..49, P = 0.035). These results suggest that the antihypertensive effect of beta-blocking agents could be partly mediated by an increase of ANP release...

..Three of these disorders affect cardiac and/or skeletal muscles with atrio-ventricular conduction disturbances, dilated cardiomyopathy and sudden cardiac death as common features...

..The objective of this paper is to review the available evidence in the absence of the results of large ongoing trials...

..The study investigated the potential role of eight candidate genes in the susceptibility to idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDC)...

..The phospholamban, malic enzyme 1-soluble, and laminin-alpha4 genes were excluded as candidate genes, using single-strand conformation polymorphism or linkage analysis...

..In cases of intolerance, the dosage may be reduced to 20 mg/day or 10 mg/day, or the drug may be withdrawn.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)..

..However, much more information should be available in the next few years, which will provide more evidence on how to use ARAs and in which patients...

..Preliminary data suggest interactions between pharmacological treatment and genetic polymorphisms, which appear to be the first steps towards the application of pharmacogenetics in heart failure...

..Rather, they are meant to serve as a tool to facilitate guideline implementation where data are available and to provide suggested treatment approaches where formal guidelines and definitive evidence are lacking...

....

..This double heterozygosity is not lethal but is associated with a more severe phenotype...

....

..To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a prenatal molecular diagnosis performed in the context of HCM...

..It combines the advantages of increased convenience for the patient and lower costs...

..These findings extend the phenotype associated with the PRKAG2 gene and emphasize an additional cause of familial conduction defect...

..We aimed to assess the outcome of successful PCI with BMS or drug-eluting stenting (DES) in such patients...

..The results show that diagnostic investigations and treatment modalities do not comply with international guidelines. The in-hospital and 12-week mortality rates were high...

..This article reviews a selection of current and investigational agents for the treatment of AHFS, with a main focus on the high-risk patient population with AHFS/LO...

..This analysis evaluates the gender differences in patients hospitalised for acute heart failure (AHF) in the EuroHeart Failure Survey II (EHFS)...

..These patients deserve effective therapeutic options and should be potential targets for future clinical research initiatives...

..A recent meta-analysis raised concern regarding an increased risk of myocardial infarction and death from cardiovascular causes associated with rosiglitazone treatment of type 2 diabetes...

..Evidence-based medicine and clinical guidelines are based on the results of randomized controlled trials. Therefore, we investigated how patients who fulfilled the enrolment criteria of randomized trials were treated in real life...

..This may reflect a lack of adequate organisation of care or co-morbidity contra-indicating therapy...

..We aimed to compare the effects of carvedilol and metoprolol on clinical outcome...

..Atrial fibrillation is common in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). We analysed the risk associated with atrial fibrillation in a large cohort of patients with chronic heart failure all treated with a beta-blocker...

..Beta-blockers with different receptor bindings reduce mortality in patients with chronic heart failure. We compared the effects of the beta1-blocker metoprolol tartrate and the beta1-, beta2-, and alpha1-blocker carvedilol...

..The complexity of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy makes it difficult to accurately determine genotype-phenotype relationships, and the screening and comparison of large affected families carrying the same mutation is warranted...

..CARMEN explored the need for combined treatment for remodelling and order of introduction by comparing the ACE-I enalapril against carvedilol and their combination...

..CONCLUSION: I-PRESERVE is the largest trial in this understudied area and will provide crucial information on the characteristics and course of the syndrome, as well as the efficacy of the angiotensin receptor blocker irbesartan...

..metoprolol tartrate, a beta1-selective blocker, in patients with mild-to-severe chronic heart failure (CHF). Patients on treatment with metoprolol might benefit from switching to carvedilol...

..After 12 weeks, the hemodynamic benefit was maintained. Omapatrilat may be a promising new agent in CHF...

..This study was designed to investigate the loss of well-being, in terms of life-years, overall and in patients randomized to metoprolol versus carvedilol in the Carvedilol Or Metoprolol European Trial (COMET)...

....

..Focusing on gene products located in the sarcomere of cardiomyocytes as disease-causing candidates, we screened the gene encoding the sarcomeric Z-band protein myopalladin (MYPN, OMIM 608517) for mutation...

..The target dose for carvedilol is 25 mg bid and for metoprolol tartrate 50 mg bid. This manuscript outlines the rationale, design and possible outcomes of COMET...

..A mutation is identified in two-thirds of cases, and more frequently in familial forms. Doubts remain concerning the true identity of the sporadic form...

..This cross-sectional study examined the overall clinical characteristics and management of 1252 outpatients with heart failure in 3 countries (Spain, France and Germany)...

....

..Patients with systolic heart failure have generally been excluded from statin trials. Acute coronary events are uncommon in this population, and statins have theoretical risks in these patients...

..We studied the relationship between changes in beta-blocker dose and outcome in patients surviving a HF hospitalisation in COMET...

..However, little is known about the comparative value of these two indexes...

..We explored whether vascular protection by carvedilol could contribute to its superior effects in the treatment of heart failure (HF) compared with metoprolol tartrate in the COMET (Carvedilol Or Metoprolol European Trial) study...

..In addition, a substantial proportion of those who recall the advice follow it incompletely. Younger age and prescription of appropriate pharmacologic treatment are associated with higher rates of recall and implementation...

..0001). CONCLUSIONS: Serial BNP measurements during the treatment of acute HF provide incremental prognostic information over clinical presentation and repetitive echocardiographic examination...

..The purpose of this report is to describe in greater detail the heterogeneity of this population at baseline with particular reference to the impact of symptomatic severity, age and gender on patient characteristics...

..Uncertainty persists about the safety and efficacy of amiodarone for the management of heart failure...