Aims: Patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) exhibit detrimental changes in skeletal muscle that contribute to their impaired physical performance. This study investigates the possibility of counteracting these changes by chronic low-frequency electrical stimulation (CLFS) of left and right thigh muscles.
Methods And Results: (mean+/-SD) 32 CHF patients (53+/-10 years) with an LVEF of 22+/-5%, NYHA II-IV, undergoing optimized drug therapy, were randomized in a CLFS group (CLFSG) or a control group (controls).
Background: Given the high incidence of sudden death in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) and the efficacy of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators, an appropriate tool for the prediction of sudden death is desirable. B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) has prognostic significance in CHF, and the stimuli for its production cause electrophysiological abnormalities. This study tests BNP levels as a predictor of sudden death.
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