Iron deficiency in heart failure patients: the French CARENFER prospective study.

Aims: Iron deficiency (ID) is reported as one of the main co-morbidities in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF), which then influences quality of life and prognosis. The CARENFER study aimed to assess the prevalence of ID in a large panel of heart failure (HF) patients at different stages of the disease.

Methods And Results: This prospective cross-sectional nationwide study was conducted in 48 medical units in France in 2019.

An innovative solid oral nutritional supplement to fight weight loss and anorexia: open, randomised controlled trial of efficacy in institutionalised, malnourished older adults.

Background And Objective: To evaluate the impact of a solid nutritional supplement on the weight gain of institutionalised older adults>70 years with protein-energy malnutrition. The innovation of these high-protein and high-energy cookies was the texture adapted to edentulous patients (Protibis®, Solidages, France).

Design: An open, multicentre, randomised controlled trial.

Permanent left atrial pacing therapy may improve symptoms in heart failure patients with preserved ejection fraction and atrial dyssynchrony: a pilot study prior to a national clinical research programme.

Aims: Our group has recently shown that in some patients, heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFPEF) may be explained by 'atrial dyssynchrony syndrome' (ADS) due to interatrial conduction delay (IACD), a short left atrioventricular interval (LAVI), and increased left atrial (LA) stiffness. Our primary objective was to evaluate LA pacing therapy as a new treatment to restore left ventricular active filling in patients with no other known causes for HF than ADS.

Methods And Results: Six patients with severe HFPEF with IACD (P wave duration >120 ms in lead II), short LAVI during electrophysiological studies (<70 ms), a restrictive filling pattern (E/e' >15), and no standard indication for a pacemaker were implanted with a lead screwed inside the coronary sinus for active LA pacing.

Atrial dyssynchrony syndrome: an overlooked phenomenon and a potential cause of 'diastolic' heart failure.

Aims: The purpose of the present study was too explore the role of interatrial dyssynchrony in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFPEF).

Methods And Results: For the case study we selected seven patients with severe HFPEF, with interatrial block on electrocardiogram (ECG), and a delayed and interrupted A wave on mitral Doppler. Echocardiographic left atrial (LA) volumes/functions, mitral E/A and E/e' ratios, mitral A wave duration/deceleration time, and interatrial mechanical delays (IAMDs) at tissue Doppler, were studied.

Congenital complete absence of the left pericardium: a rare cause of chest pain or pseudo-right heart overload.

Background: Congenital defects of the pericardium are rare and poorly known cardiac malformations. Most of them are left-sided and asymptomatic and are usually incidentally diagnosed.

Aims: To describe the clinical, electrocardiographic, and imaging features of total absence of the left pericardium.