Characteristics associated with mortality in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)-heart failure coexistence.

AimTo investigate if cardiac/pulmonary functional tests and variables obtained from clinical practice (body mass index, dyspnea, functional class, clinical judgment of disability to perform an exercise test and previous hospitalization rate) are related to mortality in patients with overlap chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and chronic heart failure (CHF). BACKGROUND: Although the coexistence of COPD and CHF has been growingly reported, description of survival predictors considering the presence of both conditions is still scarce. METHODS: Using a cohort design, outpatients with the previous diagnosis of COPD and/or CHF that performed both spirometry and echocardiography in the same year were followed-up during a mean of 20.

Six-minute walk distance is not related to quality of life in patients with non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis.

Objective: To evaluate physical performance on the six-minute walk test (6MWT) in patients with non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis and to investigate its relationship with quality of life (QoL). To identify predictors of exercise performance, we also investigated whether six-minute walk distance (6MWD) is associated with clinical and spirometric findings.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study involving patients with non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis (age, > 18 years), with at least one respiratory symptom for > 2 years and an FEV1 < 70% of predicted.

Serum procollagen type III is associated with elevated right-sided filling pressures in stable outpatients with congestive heart failure.

Elevated filling pressures are associated with heart failure deterioration, but mechanisms underlying this association remain poorly understood. We sought to investigate whether or not elevated filling pressures are associated with increased collagen turnover, evaluated by procollagen type III aminoterminal peptide (PIIINP) levels, in stable systolic heart failure. Eighty patients with heart failure with severe systolic dysfunction (ejection fraction 26 +/- 7%) were included.

A hemodynamically oriented echocardiography-based strategy in the treatment of congestive heart failure.

Background: The therapeutic applicability of echocardiographic evaluations remains poorly defined in heart failure (HF). We hypothesized that an individualized echocardiography-guided strategy would be feasible and significantly reduce morbidity compared with the conventional clinically oriented treatment.

Methods And Results: We conducted a single-center clinical trial comparing an echocardiography-guided strategy aimed at achieving a near-normal hemodynamic profile and a conventional clinically oriented strategy for HF management.

Reliability and prognostic value of traditional signs and symptoms in outpatients with congestive heart failure.

Background: Previous validation studies of congestive heart failure (CHF) signs and symptoms were performed in acute settings. Few data have supported the validity of CHF clinical findings during the chronic stages of the disease. This study was designed to evaluate the reliability and prognostic value of traditional signs and symptoms in stable CHF outpatients.