Shared Lifestyle-Related Risk Factors of Cardiovascular Disease and Cancer: Evidence for Joint Prevention.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer are leading causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide and are the major focus of the World Health Organization's joint prevention programs. While, diverse diseases, CVD and cancer, have many similarities. These include common lifestyle-related risk factors and shared environmental, metabolic, cellular, inflammatory, and genetic pathways. In this review, we will discuss the shared lifestyle-related and environmental risk factors central to both diseases and how the strategies commonly used to prevent atherosclerotic vascular disease can be applied to cancer prevention.

Psychosocial and medical predictors of 14-year mortality and morbidity in male and female coronary artery bypass graft recipients: a prospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: Psychosocial factors may influence mortality and morbidity after coronary bypass surgery (CABG), but it is unclear when, post-surgery, they best predict the outcome, if they interact, or whether results differ for men and women. METHODS: This prospective, observational study assessed depression symptoms, social support, marital status, household responsibility, functional impairment, mortality and need for further coronary procedures over 14 years of follow-up. Data were collected in-hospital post-CABG and at home 1-year later. Mortality and subsequent cardiac procedure data were extracted from a Cardiac Registry. RESULTS: Of 296 baseline participants, 78% (43% were women) completed data at 1-year post-CABG. Long-term survival was shorter with 1-year depression and lower household responsibility but that was not true for the measures taken at baseline [HR for depression = 1.27; 95% CI 1.02-1.59 v. 0.99 (0.78-1.25), and HR = 0.71; 95% CI 0.52-0.97 v. 0.97 (0.80-1.16)] for household responsibility. An interaction between depression symptoms and social support at year 1 [χ2 (11) = 111.05, p < 0.001] revealed a greater hazard of mortality d with increased depression only at mean (HR = 1.67; 95% CI 1.21-2.26) and high social support (HR = 2.23; 95% CI 1.46-3.40). Depression also accounted for increased event recurrence. There were no significant interactions of sex with medical long-term outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: In a sex-balanced sample, depression and household responsibility measured at 1-year post-CABG were associated with significant variance in unadjusted and adjusted predictor models of long-term mortality whereas the same indices determined right after the procedure were not significant predictors.

Electrolyte minerals intake and cardiovascular health.

Appropriate intake of micronutrient, such as electrolyte minerals is critical for the well-being of the cardiovascular health system. However, there are some debates regarding the impacts of dietary and/or supplemental intake of these minerals, on the risk of cardiovascular events and associated risk factors. High sodium intake is adversely associated with the risk of hypertension. Although many reports refered to the positive association of Na intake and cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality, however, other studies indicated that low Na intake is related to higher risk of all-cause mortality and HF-related events. By contrast, dietary potassium, magnesium and calcium have an inverse correlation with cardiovascular events and risk factors, especially with blood pressure. There are some controversies about cardiovascular effects and all-cause mortality of high Ca intake, including no effect, preventive or adverse effect with or without vitamin D. Calcium supplementation might be beneficial for prevention of cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality only in individuals with low intake. Moreover, calcium intake showed a J- or U-shaped association with the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Due to the controversies of the effect of electrolyte minerals especially sodium and calcium intake on cardiovascular events, large scale, well-designed long-term randomized clinical trials are required to evaluate the effect of minerals intake on cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality. In this review, we discuss the role of dietary and or supplemental sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, in cardiovascular health, as well as their clinical applications, benefits, and risks for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease, in general population.

Trace minerals intake: Risks and benefits for cardiovascular health.

Minerals play a major role in regulating cardiovascular function. Imbalances in electrolyte minerals are frequent and potentially hazardous occurrences that may lead to the development of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Transition metals, such as iron, zinc, copper and selenium, play a major role in cell metabolism. However, there is controversy over the effects of dietary and supplemental intake of these metals on cardiovascular risk factors and events. Since their pro-oxidant or antioxidant functions can have different effects on cardiovascular health. While deficiency of these trace elements can cause cardiovascular dysfunction, several studies have also shown a positive association between metal serum levels and cardiovascular risk factors and events. Thus, a J- or U-shaped relationship between the transition minerals and cardiovascular events has been proposed. Given the existing controversies, large, well-designed, long-term, randomized clinical trials are required to better examine the effects of trace mineral intake on cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality in the general population. In this review, we discuss the role of dietary and/or supplemental iron, copper, zinc, and selenium on cardiovascular health. We will also clarify their clinical applications, benefits, and harms in CVDs prevention.

What Do Patients Talk About? A Qualitative Analysis of Online Chat Sessions with Health Care Specialists During a "Virtual" Cardiac Rehabilitation Program.

INTRODUCTION: Cardiac rehabilitation programs (CRPs) are effective at reducing cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, yet attendance in these programs remains low due to geographic constraints. In a previously conducted randomized trial we demonstrated that a virtual CRP (vCRP) delivered over the Internet reduced risk for CVD. The current investigation has reviewed the online chat sessions between participants and healthcare providers (HCP) to describe the content of discussions during the vCRP intervention. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Participants were recruited from two geographically isolated areas in British Columbia, Canada without in-person CRP or a cardiologist serving the area. The vCRP, among other elements, included scheduled one-on-one chat sessions with a dietician, exercise specialist, and nurse to mimic standard CRP consultations. The chat sessions were reviewed for content and themes. Multiple chat sessions between participants and a single care provider were also analyzed to describe how chat content progressed through multiple sessions. RESULTS: A total of 38 participants participated in the vCRP intervention. From the 122 chat sessions between participants and HCP during the vCRP, the main themes identified were Managing Health and Lifestyle, Continuity of Care, and Getting Care from a Distance. Within each theme, sub-themes were also identified. CONCLUSIONS: The vCRP chat sessions fulfilled the role of face-to-face consultations with HCP that are standard in hospital-based CRP and addressed patient concerns, facilitating remote patient-provider interaction and covering topics on exercise, diet, and positive behavior changes to limit risk factors for future heart problems.

Family physician access to specialist advice by telephone: Reduction in unnecessary specialist consultations and emergency department visits.

PROBLEM ADDRESSED: Timely access to specialist care is an important issue for patients with mild to moderate symptoms, and wait times for referrals are currently quite long. OBJECTIVE OF PROGRAM: To provide FPs with quick telephone access to other specialists for treatment advice for patients with nonserious conditions that they would otherwise refer to specialist care. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: The RACE (Rapid Access to Consultative Expertise) program is a telephone hot-line providing FPs and nurse practitioners in the Vancouver, BC, area with timely access to specialist consultations. An evaluation of data from RACE found 60% of RACE calls prevented patients from visiting a specialist and 32% of calls prevented FP referrals to hospital emergency departments. CONCLUSION: Supported by RACE, FPs can more effectively remain the locus of patient care, calling on other specialist expertise when appropriate and providing better coordination of care for their patients. Evaluations to date suggest RACE helps reduce system costs by reducing unnecessary emergency department visits and face-to-face specialist consultations.

Contractile reserve induced with dobutamine echocardiography predicts outcome in patients with left ventricular dysfunction and mitral regurgitation.

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE STUDY: The appropriate management of patients with mitral regurgitation (MR) and left ventricular dysfunction (LVD) is controversial. The study aim was to determine whether the presence of contractile reserve (CR) assessed by dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) was associated with improved outcomes. METHODS: Death and heart transplantation were analyzed as the primary outcomes associated with the presence of CR. A total of 125 consecutive patients (96 males, 29 females; mean age 60 +/- 12 years) with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) < or = 35% and hemodynamically significant MR underwent DSE between 1999 and 2005. CR was defined as an increase in LVEF of > or = 10% during dobutamine infusion. RESULTS: Among 125 patients, 55 (43.0%) showed evidence of CR. Within five years after DSE, 24 patients (34.3%) in the CR- group and seven (12.7%) in the CR+ group had died or required heart transplantation (p < 0.01, log rank). After adjusting for age, baseline LVEF, NYHA class and moderate/severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR), CR remained an independent predictor of time to death or heart transplantation (HR 0.34; 95% CI: 0.15-0.76, p < 0.01). Improvement in the degree of MR was present at one year in 85.0% of CR+ patients, and in 62.5% of CR- patients (p = 0.03). An improvement of 5% in LVEF was noted in the CR+ group, compared to 0% in the CR- group (p = 0.04). CONCLUSION: In patients with advanced LVD and severe MR, CR detected by DSE was associated with significant reductions in the risk of death and heart transplantation.

Regulatory T Cell Biomarkers Identify Patients at Risk of Developing Acute Cellular Rejection in the First Year Following Heart Transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Acute cellular rejection (ACR), an alloimmune response involving CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, occurs in up to 20% of patients within the first year following heart transplantation. The balance between a conventional versus regulatory CD4+ T cell alloimmune response is believed to contribute to developing ACR. Therefore, tracking these cells may elucidate whether changes in these cell populations could signal ACR risk. METHODS: We used a CD4+ T cell gene signature (TGS) panel that tracks CD4+ conventional T cells (Tconv) and regulatory T cells (Treg) on longitudinal samples from 94 adult heart transplant recipients. We evaluated combined diagnostic performance of the TGS panel with a previously developed biomarker panel for ACR diagnosis, HEARTBiT, while also investigating TGS' prognostic utility. RESULTS: Compared with nonrejection samples, rejection samples showed decreased Treg- and increased Tconv-gene expression. The TGS panel was able to discriminate between ACR and nonrejection samples and, when combined with HEARTBiT, showed improved specificity compared with either model alone. Furthermore, the increased risk of ACR in the TGS model was associated with lower expression of Treg genes in patients who later developed ACR. Reduced Treg gene expression was positively associated with younger recipient age and higher intrapatient tacrolimus variability. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated that expression of genes associated with CD4+ Tconv and Treg could identify patients at risk of ACR. In our post hoc analysis, complementing HEARTBiT with TGS resulted in an improved classification of ACR. Our study suggests that HEARTBiT and TGS may serve as useful tools for further research and test development.

Towards rational approaches of health care utilization in complex patients: an exploratory randomized trial comparing a novel combined clinic to multiple specialty clinics in patients with renal disease-cardiovascular disease-diabetes.

BACKGROUND: Optimal utilization of health care resources for patients with chronic conditions is an increasing focus of health care policy researchers and clinicians. Kidney disease, diabetes (DM) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) often coexist within one individual, but current systems are designed to manage individual conditions. We sought to examine if streamlining medical care of complex patients (two or more conditions) is associated with similar, worse or improved outcomes using a randomized controlled study design. METHODS: Patients attending a kidney care clinic (KCC) and at least one other specialty clinic of interest (DM, CVD) were randomly assigned to either the 'combined clinic (CC)' arm, where resources from all three were integrated into one clinic, or to the 'standard care' arm with continued attendance at multiple specialty clinics (MC), including the KCC. The primary outcome was hospitalization rate and sample size was calculated based on non-inferiority. RESULTS: Of 150 subjects enrolled, 11 subjects exited before study commencement: 139 remained for final analysis. Other than older age in the MC group (P = 0.009), the demographics were comparable. Hospitalization rates were not different (95% CI for the difference: 0.013-0.207; P = 0.03). Similar proportions in each group achieved clinical and laboratory targets. Mortality (13%) and dialysis (32%) rates were the same between groups. Differences in the cost of clinic visits alone were $86,400 per year in favor of the CC. CONCLUSIONS: Medical care of complex patients may be delivered in a single combined specialty clinic as compared to multiple disease specific clinics without compromising patient care or important health outcomes, with demonstrable outpatient costs savings.

Does Opium Consumption Have Shared Impact on Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease and Cancer?

Although atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and cancer are seemingly different types of disease, they have multiple shared underlying mechanisms and lifestyle-related risk factors like smoking, unhealthy diet, excessive alcohol consumption, and inadequate physical activity. Opium abuse is prevalent in developing countries, especially the Middle East region and many Asian countries. Besides recreational purposes, many people use opium based on a traditional belief that opium consumption may confer protection against heart attack and improve the control of the risk factors of ASCVD such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. However, scientific reports indicate an increased risk of ASCVD and poor control of ASCVD risk factors among opium abusers compared with nonusers. Moreover, there is accumulating evidence that opium consumption exerts potential carcinogenic effects and increases the risk of developing various types of cancer. We conducted a review of the literature to review the current evidence on the relationship between opium consumption and ASCVD as well as various kinds of cancer. In addition, we will discuss the potential shared pathophysiologic mechanisms underlying the association between opium abuse and both ASCVD and cancer.

High Intensity Interval Training Leads to Similar Inflammatory Activation as Seen With Traditional Training in Chronic Heart Failure.

BACKGROUND: Inflammatory activation has been associated with the severity and progression of chronic heart failure (CHF). Although cardiac rehabilitation is an important therapy, acute bouts of exercise may lead to increases in pro-inflammatory cytokines with exercise intensity mediating these changes. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the acute inflammatory response in patients living with CHF during a randomized trial following Steady State (SS) or High Intensity Interval (HIIT) training. METHODS: Patients living with CHF (n = 14) were stratified (for body mass and aerobic power) and randomized into SS and HIIT cycle exercise. The HIIT exercise training involved 2 min work:recovery phases at 90:40% heart rate reserve. The SS exercise training involved continuous exercise at 65% of heart rate reserve (matched total work). Acute inflammatory markers were evaluated (via ELISA) at baseline, immediately following the bout, and at 6, 24, and 48 h post-exercise. RESULTS: There was limited differences in the changes in inflammatory biomarkers across time between the HIIT and SS groups. Both groups experienced a significant (p < 0.05) change in Interleukin-6 immediately post-exercise. CONCLUSIONS: A single bout of HIIT or SS does not result in excessive inflammatory activation in CHF patients. Acute HIIT and SS result in similar changes in inflammatory markers. These findings have important implications for exercise training and rehabilitation programs in persons living with CHF.

Health expenditures after first hospital admission for heart failure in Nova Scotia, Canada: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Although the frequency of heart failure makes it among the costliest of illnesses, there are scant Canadian data on annual costs of treatment or the costs as the condition advances. Our objective was to estimate mean prevalence- and incidence-based direct medical costs among older adults discharged alive after a first hospital admission for heart failure. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using population-based administrative health databases for Nova Scotia. The cohort comprised persons 50 years of age or older with an incident hospital admission for heart failure between 2009 and 2012. We considered the costs (expressed as 2020 Canadian dollars) of hospital admissions, physician visits and, for patients 65 years of age or older, outpatient cardiac medications. We estimated costs for calendar years, longitudinally and in the last 2 years of life. We analyzed costs from the perspective of a third-party public payer. RESULTS: The cohort consisted of 3327 patients (mean age 77.6 yr; 1605 [48.2%] women). Median survival was 2.5 and 2.2 years among men and women, respectively. Annual prevalence-based costs were about $7100. Mean incidence-based costs ranged between $65 000 and $164 000 in the year after diagnosis and decreased by 90% subsequently. Costs were 4 to 7 times higher in the year before death than in the period from 1 to 2 years before death. INTERPRETATION: The direct medical costs of treating patients with heart failure in Nova Scotia displayed a reverse J shape, with costs highest after diagnosis, declining subsequently and then increasing during the final year of life. Strategies designed to improve the quality of care immediately after diagnosis and during more advanced stages of disease might reduce these costs.

Reduction of cyclosporine following the introduction of everolimus in maintenance heart transplant recipients: a pilot study.

Data are scarce concerning the calcineurin inhibitor dose reduction required following introduction of everolimus in maintenance heart transplant recipients to maintain stable renal function. In a 48-week, multicenter, single-arm pilot study in heart transplant patients >12 months post-transplant, everolimus was started at 1.5 mg/day (subsequently adjusted to target C(0) 5-10 ng/ml). Mycophenolate mofetil or azathioprine was discontinued on the same day and cyclosporine (CsA) dose was reduced by 25%, with a further 25% reduction each time calculated glomerular filtration rate (cGFR) decreased to <75% of baseline. Of 36 patients enrolled, 25 were receiving everolimus at week 48. From baseline to week 48, there was a mean decrease of 44.5%, 50.9% and 44.6% in CsA dose, C(0) and C(2), respectively. Mean cGFR was 68.9 +/- 14.5 ml/min at baseline and 61.6 +/- 11.5 ml/min at week 48 (P = 0.018). The prespecified criterion for stable renal function was met, i.e. a mean decrease

The use of the Internet to remotely monitor patients with heart failure.

Heart failure (HF) results in high hospitalization rates and healthcare costs. Telemonitoring of HF has been shown to result in improved outcomes but usually involves the use of expensive equipment. A more feasible alternative may be the use of a Web site. The purpose of this study is to investigate the use of a Web site designed for HF telemonitoring. Patients newly referred to a heart function clinic were screened for eligibility. Twenty participants were recruited and entered their weight and symptoms onto the Web site for 6 months. A nurse monitored the Web site for changes in participant health status and telephoned the participants as necessary. Self-care, quality of life, 6-minute walk test, and N-terminal prohormone brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) were assessed. Interviews were conducted to assess intervention uptake. Seventeen participants completed the study. A significant change was observed on the maintenance subscale of the Self-Care of Heart Failure Index (p = 0.039). There was a trend toward improvement on the confidence subscale of the Self-Care of Heart Failure Index (p = 0.069), Minnesota Living With Heart Failure((R)) Questionnaire (p = 0.337), 6-minute walk test (p = 0.124), and NT-proBNP (p = 0.210). Participants and nurses demonstrated a favorable uptake of the Web site. A Web site that facilitates the telemonitoring of patients with HF was favorably accepted and its use in this pilot study was associated with improved self-care skills. However, further investigation is warranted in a larger study population.

Rapid access to cardiology expertise: an innovative program to provide telephone support for family physicians.

The increasing incidence of chronic diseases in the Canadian population represents one of the biggest challenges to Canada's healthcare system and its patient population. In 2005, more than one-third of Canadians were burdened with one or more chronic diseases (Broemeling et al. 2008). Moreover, it is estimated that, between 2005 and 2015, two million Canadians will die of causes related to a chronic disease at a cost of more than $9 billion (World Health Organization 2005). An aging population and improvements in the acute care of many diseases predicts that chronic diseases will continue to rise in the foreseeable future. This is a concern as those with a chronic disease use twice the amount of healthcare resources compared to the average adult and have hospital stays that are four times longer than those with acute conditions (Broemeling et al. 2005).

Canadian Real-World Experience of Using Sacubitril/Valsartan in Patients With Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction: Insight From the PARASAIL Study.

BACKGROUND: To determine the effectiveness of sacubitril/valsartan 97/103 mg twice daily (b.i.d.) on tolerability, safety, and quality of life (QoL) in Canadian patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction in a real-life setting. METHODS: In Prospective, Multicenter, Open Label, Post-Approval Study Aimed at Characterizing the Use of LCZ696 at 97 mg Sacubitril/103 mg Valsartan bid in Patients With HFrEF (PARASAIL), an open-label, prospective, phase IV, multicentre study, outpatients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction and New York Heart Association functional class II-III were followed up for 12 months. The suggested starting dose of sacubitril/valsartan was 24/26 mg b.i.d. replacing angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker, with an uptitration to 97/103 mg b.i.d. or as per clinical judgement. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients achieving the target dose of sacubitril/valsartan 97/103 mg b.i.d. after 6 months of treatment. RESULTS: For the 302 patients included, the mean age was 64.47 years, and a majority of patients (82.8%) belonged to New York Heart Association class II. Overall, 195 (64.6%) patients were on maximum dose of sacubitril/valsartan 97/103 mg b.i.d. after 6 months and 62.3% remained on this dose at month 12. Using patient global assessment, patients experienced an improvement in QoL. For Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire scores, a significant decrease from the baseline was observed at weeks 4, 12, and 24 (P < 0.0001 for all), which indicated an improvement in QoL. The patient global assessment and Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire results correlate with moderate but significant changes in Euro quality of life-5D visual analogue scale scores. CONCLUSIONS: Results of the PARASAIL study in a real-life setting have shown that most patients were on sacubitril/valsartan 97/103 mg b.i.d. and the treatment was well tolerated. The patient-reported outcomes showed an overall improvement in patients' QoL.

CONTEXTE: L'objectif était de déterminer, en contexte réel, l'efficacité de l'association sacubitril à 97 mg/valsartan à 103 mg, deux fois par jour, sous l'angle de la tolérabilité, de l'innocuité et de la qualité de vie (QV) chez des patients canadiens atteints d'insuffisance cardiaque avec fraction d'éjection réduite. MÉTHODOLOGIE: Au cours de l'étude multicentrique et prospective sans insu de phase IV PARASAIL ( P rospective, Multicenter, Open L a bel, Post-App r ov a l S tudy Ai med at Characterizing the Use of L CZ696 at 97 mg Sacubitril/103 mg Valsartan bid in Patients With HFrEF), des patients externes atteints d'insuffisance cardiaque de classe fonctionnelle II ou III selon la NYHA (New York Heart Association) avec fraction d'éjection réduite ont été suivis durant 12 mois. La dose initiale recommandée était de 24 mg de sacubitril/26 mg de valsartan, deux fois par jour, à la place d'un inhibiteur de l'enzyme de conversion de l'angiotensine ou d'un antagoniste des récepteurs de l'angiotensine; la dose devait être augmentée à 97 mg de sacubitril/103 mg de valsartan, deux fois par jour, ou selon le jugement du clinicien. Le critère d'évaluation principal était la proportion de patients chez qui la dose cible de 97 mg de sacubitril/103 mg de valsartan, deux fois par jour, se trouvait atteinte après six mois de traitement. RÉSULTATS: L'âge moyen des 302 patients admis était de 64,47 ans. La majorité de ces patients (82,8 %) présentaient une insuffisance cardiaque de classe II selon la NYHA. Globalement, 195 (64,6 %) patients prenaient la dose maximale de 97 mg de sacubitril/103 mg de valsartan, deux fois par jour, après six mois de traitement; 62,3 % continuaient de prendre cette dose à 12 mois de traitement. L'évaluation globale des patients indique une amélioration de leur QV. Les scores au Minnesota Living With Heart Failure Questionnaire avaient significativement diminué par rapport aux scores de départ aux semaines 4, 12 et 24 (p < 0,0001 à tous les temps d'évaluation), ce qui indique une amélioration de la QV. L'évaluation globale des patients et les scores au Minnesota Living With Heart Failure Questionnaire sont corrélés avec des variations modérées, mais significatives des scores de QV à l'échelle visuelle analogique du questionnaire EQ-5D. CONCLUSIONS: Les résultats obtenus en contexte réel au cours de l'étude PARASAIL montrent que la plupart des patients prenaient la dose de 97 mg de sacubitril/103 mg de valsartan, deux fois par jour, et que le traitement était bien toléré. Les résultats rapportés par les patients témoignent d'une amélioration globale de la QV de ces derniers.

HEARTBiT: A Transcriptomic Signature for Excluding Acute Cellular Rejection in Adult Heart Allograft Patients.

BACKGROUND: Nine mRNA transcripts associated with acute cellular rejection (ACR) in previous microarray studies were ported to the clinically amenable NanoString nCounter platform. Here we report the diagnostic performance of the resulting blood test to exclude ACR in heart allograft recipients: HEARTBiT. METHODS: Blood samples for transcriptomic profiling were collected during routine post-transplantation monitoring in 8 Canadian transplant centres participating in the Biomarkers in Transplantation initiative, a large (n = 1622) prospective observational study conducted between 2009 and 2014. All adult cardiac transplant patients were invited to participate (median age = 56 [17 to 71]). The reference standard for rejection status was histopathology grading of tissue from endomyocardial biopsy (EMB). All locally graded ISHLT ≥ 2R rejection samples were selected for analysis (n = 36). ISHLT 1R (n = 38) and 0R (n = 86) samples were randomly selected to create a cohort approximately matched for site, age, sex, and days post-transplantation, with a focus on early time points (median days post-transplant = 42 [7 to 506]). RESULTS: ISHLT ≥ 2R rejection was confirmed by EMB in 18 and excluded in 92 samples in the test set. HEARTBiT achieved 47% specificity (95% confidence interval [CI], 36%-57%) given ≥ 90% sensitivity, with a corresponding area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.69 (95% CI, 0.56-0.81). CONCLUSIONS: HEARTBiT's diagnostic performance compares favourably to the only currently approved minimally invasive diagnostic test to rule out ACR, AlloMap (CareDx, Brisbane, CA) and may be used to inform care decisions in the first 2 months post-transplantation, when AlloMap is not approved, and most ACR episodes occur.

A systematic review of telemonitoring technologies in heart failure.

AIMS: Heart failure (HF) results in characteristic signs and symptoms including oedema and breathing difficulties. Heart failure is particularly suited to telemonitoring, because patients' signs and symptoms can be assessed remotely by healthcare providers, and deterioration can be quickly detected and addressed. In this paper, we review studies conducted in HF telemonitoring, to describe the nature of the modality, the methods, and the results. METHODS AND RESULTS: Articles were obtained through a MedLine search, utilizing the term heart failure in conjunction with the terms telehealth, telecare, telemonitoring, web, Internet, remote monitoring, and self-monitoring. Studies utilizing various modalities, including telephone touch pad, specialized hardware, and websites for participants to enter data were found, with various benefits being reported. Most studies demonstrated improvements in outcome measures, including improved quality of life and decreased hospitalizations. However, not all studies reported the same improvements and in several cases the sample sizes were relatively small. CONCLUSION: Telemonitoring appears to be an acceptable method for monitoring of HF patients. Controlled, randomized studies directly comparing different modalities and evaluating their success and feasibility when used as part of routine clinical care, are now required.

Heart failure disease management program, its contribution to established pharmacotherapy and long-term prognosis in real clinical practice - retrospective data analysis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The prognosis of patients with heart failure (HF) is still generally unfavorable. HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) patients reach target medication doses in very low percentages in daily clinical practice. HF disease management programs (DMP), including nurse and telemedicine support that facilitate achieving target medication doses, may improve the unfavorable prognosis. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the data of 738 patients with HFrEF who were followed in a single HF center during the years 1975-2011, for 6.4 (median) years. DMP, nurse and telemedicine support is established at this center. RESULTS: The group achieved left ventricle (LV) recovery after the HF treatment. The median LV ejection fraction improved from 25.0% at baseline to 50.0% at the time of the latest data collection. The proportion of NYHA II, III and IV classes decreased from 27.6%, 30.2% and 29.7% to 26.6%, 7.2% and 0.1%, respectively while the proportion of NYHA class I increased from 12.5% to 66.1%. Median NT-proBNP decreased from 975.0 to 324.0 pg/mL. The survival of the patient group was favorable; 79.7% survived 18.1 years after diagnosis of HF. A high percentage of the patients received recommended target or higher than target doses of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (82.0%) and beta-blockers (78.1%). CONCLUSION: The established pharmacotherapy resulted from an effective DMP and this contributed to the favorable prognosis.