What Are Effective Program Characteristics of Self-Management Interventions in Patients With Heart Failure? An Individual Patient Data Meta-analysis.

Background: To identify those characteristics of self-management interventions in patients with heart failure (HF) that are effective in influencing health-related quality of life, mortality, and hospitalizations.

Methods And Results: Randomized trials on self-management interventions conducted between January 1985 and June 2013 were identified and individual patient data were requested for meta-analysis. Generalized mixed effects models and Cox proportional hazard models including frailty terms were used to assess the relation between characteristics of interventions and health-related outcomes.

Do Self-Management Interventions Work in Patients With Heart Failure? An Individual Patient Data Meta-Analysis.

Background: Self-management interventions are widely implemented in the care for patients with heart failure (HF). However, trials show inconsistent results, and whether specific patient groups respond differently is unknown. This individual patient data meta-analysis assessed the effectiveness of self-management interventions in patients with HF and whether subgroups of patients respond differently.

Prognostic value of N-terminal pro C-type natriuretic peptide in heart failure patients with preserved and reduced ejection fraction.

Aims: A-type and B-type natriuretic peptides are established markers in chronic heart failure (HF). C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) belongs to the same peptide family, but is predominantly localized in the endothelium. The prognostic role of CNP in heart failure has not been established.

Incremental prognostic power of novel biomarkers (growth-differentiation factor-15, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, galectin-3, and high-sensitivity troponin-T) in patients with advanced chronic heart failure.

Elevated natriuretic peptides provide strong prognostic information in patients with heart failure (HF). The role of novel biomarkers in HF needs to be established. Our objective was to evaluate the prognostic power of novel biomarkers, incremental to the N-terminal portion of the natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in chronic HF.

Galectin-3 is an independent marker for ventricular remodeling and mortality in patients with chronic heart failure.

Background: Galectin-3 (Gal-3) is a recently discovered marker for myocardial fibrosis and elevated levels are associated with an impaired outcome after short-term follow-up in heart failure (HF) patients. However, whether Gal-3 is related to cardiac remodeling and outcome after long-term follow-up is unknown. Therefore, we determined the utility of Gal-3 as a novel biomarker for left ventricular remodeling and long-term outcome in patients with severe chronic HF.

Prognostic value of galectin-3, a novel marker of fibrosis, in patients with chronic heart failure: data from the DEAL-HF study.

Aims: Biomarkers are increasingly being used in the management of patients with chronic heart failure (HF). Galectin-3 is a recently developed biomarker associated with fibrosis and inflammation, and it may play a role in cardiac remodeling in HF. We determined its prognostic value in patients with chronic HF.

Adequacy of endogenous erythropoietin levels and mortality in anaemic heart failure patients.

Aims: We examined the adequacy of endogenous erythropoietin (EPO) levels for the degree of anaemia in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) and its relation to prognosis.

Methods And Results: We studied 74 anaemic CHF patients from a cohort of 240 patients. The adequacy of endogenous EPO levels was assessed by derived observed/predicted (O/P) ratio.

Heart failure programmes in countries with a primary care-based health care system. Are additional trials necessary? Design of the DEAL-HF study.

Background: Several randomised studies of heart failure (HF) management programmes in the United States, Australia and Europe have shown a considerable reduction in hospitalisation rates for HF. In this article, a comprehensive review of these studies will be provided and their applicability to countries, with a primary care-based healthcare system, will be discussed. In addition, the design of the Deventer-Alkmaar HF Project (DEAL-HF), a randomised study of the effect of a nurse and physician-directed intervention over 1 year in The Netherlands, will also be presented.