Publications by authors named "Anna Kallvikbacka-Bennett"
Aims: Congestion is a cardinal feature of untreated heart failure (HF) and might be detected by ultrasound (US) before overt clinical signs appear.
Methods And Results: We investigated the prevalence and clinical associations of subclinical congestion in 238 patients with at least one clinical risk factor for HF (diabetes, ischaemic heart disease, or hypertension) using three US variables: (i) inferior vena cava (IVC) diameter; (ii) jugular vein distensibility (JVD) ratio (the ratio of the jugular vein diameter during the Valsalva manoeuvre to that at rest); (iii) the number of B-lines from a 28-point lung US. US congestion was defined as IVC diameter > 2.
Background: Cachexia is common in patients with chronic heart failure and is associated with poor prognosis. How best to measure body composition is not clear.
Methods And Results: We characterized body composition in 120 patients with chronic heart failure: mean (SD) age 70 (10) years, left ventricular ejection fraction 44 (10) %, and median (Q1-Q3) N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide 845 (355-1368) ng/L.
Background: The total atrial conduction time can be measured as the time from the onset of the P wave on the ECG to the peak of the A wave recorded at the mitral annulus using tissue Doppler imaging (A'; P-A'TDI); when prolonged, it might predict incident atrial fibrillation.
Methods: We measured P-A'TDI in outpatients with heart failure and sinus rhythm enrolled in the SICA-HF programme.
Results: P-A'TDI measured at the lateral mitral annulus was longer in patients with HF with reduced [LVEF<50%, N = 141; 126 (112-146) ms; P = 0.
The original article [1] contains an error in the presentation of Table 4.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- Patients with chronic heart failure often show signs of congestion even if they appear symptom-free during check-ups, indicating a prevalence of hidden congestion in this group.
- In a study with 342 patients, 71% exhibited at least one sign of congestion through clinical assessments or ultrasound, and significant numbers remained undiagnosed despite having concerning test results.
- The findings suggest that recognizing these congestion signs may help predict patient outcomes, but further research is needed to determine if addressing these issues can lead to better management of heart failure.
Background: Patients with chronic conditions, such as heart failure, swim regularly and most rehabilitation exercises are conducted in warm hydrotherapy pools. However, little is known about the acute effects of warm water immersion (WWI) on cardiac haemodynamics in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF).
Methods: Seventeen patients with CHF (NYHA I and II; mean age 67 years, 88% male, mean left ventricular ejection fraction 33%) and 10 age-matched normal subjects were immersed up to the neck in a hydrotherapy pool (33-35 °C).
Background: Higher cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is associated with lower morbidity and mortality in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). The mechanisms for this are not fully understood. A more favourable cardiometabolic risk factor profile may be responsible; however, few studies have comprehensively evaluated cardiometabolic risk factors in relation to CRF amongst patients with CHD.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAims: To assess the clinical value of measuring right atrial pressure (RAP) using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF).
Methods And Results: RAP was measured non-invasively using NIRS over the external jugular vein (Venus 1000, Mespere LifeSciences, Canada) in ambulatory patients with CHF enrolled in the Studies Investigating Co-morbidities Aggravating Heart Failure (SICA-HF) programme. Comparing 243 patients with CHF (mean age 71 years; mean left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) 45%, median NT-proBNP 788 ng/L) to 49 controls (NT-proBNP ≤125 ng/L), RAP was 7 [interquartile range (IQR) 4-11] mmHg vs.
Background: Diuretics are the mainstay of treatment for congestion but concerns exist that they adversely affect prognosis. We explored whether the relationship between loop diuretic use and outcome is explained by the underlying severity of congestion amongst patients referred with suspected heart failure.
Method And Results: Of 1190 patients, 712 had a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤50 %, 267 had LVEF >50 % with raised plasma NTproBNP (>400 ng/L) and 211 had LVEF >50 % with NTproBNP ≤400 ng/L; respectively, 72 %, 68 % and 37 % of these groups were treated with loop diuretics including 28 %, 29 % and 10 % in doses ≥80 mg furosemide equivalent/day.
Aims: Jugular venous distension is a classical sign of heart failure (HF) but it can be difficult to assess clinically.
Methods And Results: Outpatients with HF and control subjects were assessed. Internal jugular vein diameter (JVD) was measured using a linear high-frequency ultrasound probe (10 MHz) at rest, after a Valsalva manoeuvre and during deep inspiration.
Background: Pulmonary hypertension is associated with poor outcome in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) and may be a therapeutic target. Our aims were to develop a noninvasive model for studying pulmonary vasoreactivity in CHF and characterize sildenafil's acute cardiovascular effects.
Methods And Results: In a crossover study, 18 patients with CHF participated 4 times [sildenafil (2 × 20 mg)/or placebo (double-blind) while breathing air or 15% oxygen] at rest and during exercise.
Background: Increased jugular venous pressure, reflecting the increased right atrial pressure, is a classical sign of heart failure (HF) but clinical assessment may be difficult.
Methods: In ambulatory patients with HF and control subjects, jugular vein diameter (JVD) was measured using a linear high-frequency ultrasound probe (10 MHz) at rest, during a Valsalva manoeuvre and during deep inspiration. JVD ratio was calculated as diameter during Valsalva to that at rest.
Many patients have clinical, structural or bio-marker evidence of heart failure (HF) but a normal left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF; HeFNEF). Measurement of global longitudinal strain (GLS) may add diagnostic and prognostic information. Patients with symptoms suggesting heart failure and LVEF ≥50% were studied: 76 had no substantial cardiac dysfunction (left atrial diameter (LAD) <40 mm and amino-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NTproBNP) <400 ng/l); 99 had "possible HeFNEF" (LAD ≥40 mm or NTproBNP ≥400 ng/l); and 138 had "definite HeFNEF" (LAD ≥40 mm and NTproBNP ≥400 ng/L).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Prevalence, predictors, and prognostic value of right ventricular (RV) function measured by the tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) symptoms with a broad range of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) are unknown.
Methods And Results: Of 1,547 patients, mean (±SD) age was 71 ± 11 years, 48% were women, median (interquartile range [IQR]) TAPSE was 18.5 (14.
Aims: The prognostic value of signs of congestion in patients suspected of having chronic heart failure (CHF) is unknown. Our objectives were to define their prevalence and specificity in diagnosing CHF and to determine their prognostic value in patients in a community heart failure clinic.
Methods And Results: Analysis of referrals to a community clinic for patients with CHF symptoms.
Aims: The epidemiology of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in patients with heart failure (HF) is poorly described. Our aim was to investigate the determinants and prognostic significance of PAH in a large representative outpatient population with HF.
Methods And Results: Routine measurement of right ventricular tricuspid pressure gradient (RVTG) was attempted among unselected, consecutive referrals to an HF clinic.
Objective: Recent trials suggest that using ergot-derived dopamine agonists such as cabergoline in the treatment of Parkinson's disease is associated with an increased risk of valvular heart disease. However, the dose of cabergoline used to treat hyperprolactinaemia is considerably less than that used in Parkinson's disease.
Design And Methods: A cross-sectional comparative assessment.