Favorable Pulse Wave Augmentation Indices and Left Ventricular Diastolic Profile in ß-Thalassemia Minor.

ß-Thalassemia minor (ß-Τm) is associated with rheological and biochemical alterations that can affect cardiovascular function. We aimed to evaluate the elastic arterial properties and the pulse wave augmentation indices in a population of patients with ß-Τm. Seventy-five individuals with ß-Τm (age 55.5 [42.75-65.25], women 48%) and 127 controls (age 57 years [48-63], women 55.1%) underwent comprehensive echocardiographic evaluation and applanation tonometry of the radial and femoral artery. Pulse wave analysis revealed that augmentation pressure, augmentation index (AIx), and heart rate-corrected AIx were significantly lower (median [interquartile range]: 8.75 [4.625-13] vs 11 [6.5-14.5], P = .017; 26.5 [17.5-33.375] vs 30.5 [20.75-37.5], P = .014; and 22.25 [15.125-29.5] vs 27 [20.5-33], P = .008, respectively) in the ß-Τm group compared to controls. The left atrial active emptying volume was significantly lower and the isovolumic relaxation time was shorter in the ß-Τm group compared to the control group (10.2 [7.4-14.4] vs 12.0 [8.6-15.8], P = .040 and 78 [70-90] vs 90 [70-104], P = .034, respectively). ß-Thalassemia minor is associated with favorable pulse wave augmentation indices and left ventricular diastolic function profile in asymptomatic individuals with cardiovascular risk factors.

Efficacy and safety of high dose versus low dose furosemide with or without dopamine infusion: the Dopamine in Acute Decompensated Heart Failure II (DAD-HF II) trial.

AIMS: The role of low-dose dopamine infusion in patients with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) remains controversial. We aim to evaluate the efficacy and safety of high- versus low-dose furosemide with or without low-dose dopamine infusion in this patient population. METHODS AND RESULTS: 161 ADHF patients (78 years; 46% female; ejection fraction 31%) were randomized to 8-hour continuous infusions of: a) high-dose furosemide (HDF, n=50, 20mg/h), b) low-dose furosemide and low-dose dopamine (LDFD, n=56, 5mg/h and 5 µg kg(-1)min(-1) respectively), or c) low-dose furosemide (LDF, n=55, furosemide 5mg/h). The main outcomes were 60-day and one-year all-cause mortality (ACM) and hospitalization for HF (HHF). Dyspnea relief (Borg index), worsening renal function (WRF, rise in serum creatinine (sCr) ≥ 0.3mg/dL), and length of stay (LOS) were also assessed. The urinary output at 2, 4, 6, 8, and 24h was not significantly different in the three groups. Neither the ACM at day 60 (4.0%, 7.1%, and 7.2%; P=0.74) or at one year (38.1%, 33.9% and 32.7%, P=0.84) nor the HHF at day 60 (22.0%, 21.4%, and 14.5%, P=0.55) or one year (60.0%, 50.0%, and 47%, P=0.40) differed between HDF, LDFD, and LDF groups, respectively. No differences in the Borg index or LOS were noted. WRF was higher in the HDF than in LDFD and LDF groups at day 1 (24% vs. 11% vs. 7%, P<0.0001) but not at sCr peak (44% vs. 38% vs. 29%, P=0.27). No significant differences in adverse events were noted. CONCLUSIONS: In ADHF patients, there were no significant differences in the in-hospital and post-discharge outcomes between high- vs. low-dose furosemide infusion; the addition of low-dose dopamine infusion was not associated with any beneficial effects.

Telemonitoring in chronic heart failure: a systematic review.

Heart failure (HF) is a growing epidemic with the annual number of hospitalizations constantly increasing over the last decades for HF as a primary or secondary diagnosis. Despite the emergence of novel therapeutic approached that can prolong life and shorten hospital stay, HF patients will be needing rehospitalization and will often have a poor prognosis. Telemonitoring is a novel diagnostic modality that has been suggested to be beneficial for HF patients. Telemonitoring is viewed as a means of recording physiological data, such as body weight, heart rate, arterial blood pressure, and electrocardiogram recordings, by portable devices and transmitting these data remotely (via a telephone line, a mobile phone or a computer) to a server where they can be stored, reviewed and analyzed by the research team. In this systematic review of all randomized clinical trials evaluating telemonitoring in chronic HF, we aim to assess whether telemonitoring provides any substantial benefit in this patient population.