Psychometric Analysis of the Heart Failure Somatic Perception Scale in Japanese Patients With Heart Failure.

Background: Patients with heart failure (HF) experience a wide variety of symptoms. Appropriate recognition of symptoms is important in HF care. The Heart Failure Somatic Perception Scale (HFSPS) measures the presence of HF symptoms and the degree to which physical symptoms are bothersome.

The AppCare-HF randomized clinical trial: a feasibility study of a novel self-care support mobile app for individuals with chronic heart failure.

Aims: We evaluated a self-care intervention with a novel mobile application (app) in chronic heart failure (HF) patients. To facilitate patient-centred care in HF management, we developed a self-care support mobile app to boost HF patients' optimal self-care.

Methods And Results: We conducted a multicentre, randomized, controlled study evaluating the feasibility of the self-care support mobile app designed for use by HF patients.

Current state of knowledge and information sharing among home healthcare professionals involved in heart failure management.

Background: The current state of knowledge related to disease management of heart failure (HF) and information coordination practices provided by non-physician healthcare professionals such as nurses and therapists working at home-visit nursing stations in Japan are not well known.

Methods: A questionnaire survey of healthcare professionals working at home-visit nursing stations was conducted in Kochi Prefecture. Data collected from 151 nurses and therapists were analyzed.

Associations of multidimensional fatigue with the physical, psychological, and situational factors in outpatients with heart failure: a cross-sectional study.

Aims: Fatigue, a distressing symptom in patients with heart failure (HF), is associated with progress and health outcomes. Fatigue has been identified as having multidimensions, but a few studies have used a multidimensional fatigue scale. Many factors related to HF, including physical, psychological, and situational factors, may impact fatigue.

Somatic Changes Perceived by Patients With Heart Failure During Acute Exacerbation: A Qualitative Study Using Text Mining.

Background: Patients with heart failure (HF) often inadequately perceive their symptoms. This may be because the medical terms do not match the somatic changes experienced by patients. To improve symptom perception, healthcare professionals must understand the somatic changes as perceived by patients.

Diagnostic performance of nutritional indicators in patients with heart failure.

Aims: The aim of this study was to compare the diagnostic performance of the nutritional indicators, the mini nutritional assessment-short form (MNA-SF), the geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI), and the controlling nutritional status (CONUT), in heart failure (HF) patients.

Methods And Results: Nutritional status was prospectively assessed by the aforementioned three nutritional indicators in 150 outpatients with HF who were then followed for 1 year. The prevalence of patients with the nutritional risk as assessed by the MNA-SF, GNRI, and CONUT scores was 50.

Impact of citrus fruit intake on the mental health of patients with chronic heart failure.

Background: The full impact of the intake of citrus fruits on the risk of depression in individuals with chronic heart failure (HF) is unknown. Here, we examined the associations between the estimated habitual intakes of citrus fruits and depressive symptoms in patients with chronic HF.

Methods: We enrolled 150 stable outpatients with chronic HF who had a history of worsening HF.

Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Hospitalized Patients With Heart Failure From the Large-Scale Japanese Registry Of Acute Decompensated Heart Failure (JROADHF).

Background: With aging population, the prevalence and incidence of heart failure (HF) have been increasing worldwide. However, the characteristics and outcomes of patients with HF in an era of aging are not well established in Japan.

Methods and results: The Japanese Registry Of Acute Decompensated Heart Failure (JROADHF), a retrospective, multicenter, nationwide registry, was designed to study the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients hospitalized with HF throughout Japan in 2013.

Impact of Inadequate Calorie Intake on Mortality and Hospitalization in Stable Patients with Chronic Heart Failure.

Malnutrition is highly prevalent in patients with heart failure (HF), but the precise impact of dietary energy deficiency on HF patients' clinical outcomes is not known. We investigated the associations between inadequate calorie intake and adverse clinical events in 145 stable outpatients with chronic HF who had a history of hospitalization due to worsening HF. To assess the patients' dietary pattern, we used a brief self-administered diet-history questionnaire (BDHQ).

Multidisciplinary Cardiac Rehabilitation and Long-Term Prognosis in Patients With Heart Failure.

Background: Exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation (CR) improves health-related quality of life and exercise capacity in patients with heart failure (HF). However, CR efficacy in patients with HF who are elderly, frail, or have HF with preserved ejection fraction remains unclear. We examined whether participation in multidisciplinary outpatient CR is associated with long-term survival and rehospitalization in patients with HF, with subgroup analysis by age, sex, comorbidities, frailty, and HF with preserved ejection fraction.

Perceptions of physicians and nurses concerning advanced care planning for patients with heart failure in Japan.

Background: The importance of advance care planning (ACP) has been recognized in the palliative care of patients with heart failure. It is necessary for dissemination of ACP to characterize the perceptions of physicians and nurses towards ACP and to promote mutual understanding. The aim of this study is to investigate the perceptions of physicians and nurses concerning ACP for patients with heart failure.

Spironolactone use is associated with improved outcomes in heart failure with mid-range ejection fraction.

Aims: Spironolactone has been shown to improve outcomes in patients with heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction (EF). We investigated whether the discharge use of spironolactone could be associated with better long-term outcomes among patients with HF with mid-range EF (HFmrEF).

Methods And Results: We analysed HFmrEF (left ventricular EF 40-49%) patients enrolled in the Japanese Cardiac Registry of Heart Failure in Cardiology, which prospectively studied the clinical characteristics, treatments, and long-term outcomes of patients hospitalized due to HF.

Nationwide Survey of Multidisciplinary Care and Cardiac Rehabilitation for Patients With Heart Failure in Japan - An Analysis of the AMED-CHF Study.

Background: The purpose of this study was to clarify the implementation rate of multidisciplinary heart failure (HF) care and cardiac rehabilitation (CR) in Japan, as well as the relationship between implementation rates and characteristics of the facility.

Methods and results: Survey participants were cardiologists who are members of the Japan Heart Failure Society and belonged to 1 of 845 medical institutions that are members of the Japan Heart Failure Society, as of April 2016. A total of 288 institutions (34.

Electrocardiographic Left Ventricular Hypertrophy Is Independently Associated With Better Long-Term Outcomes in Dilated Cardiomyopathy Patients.

Electrocardiogram (ECG) findings of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH; ECG-LVH) are observed in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), but the prognostic importance is unclear. The present study assessed the impact of QRS voltage on long-term outcomes, including mortality and rehospitalization, in patients with DCM using a database of patients hospitalized for worsening heart failure (HF). We analyzed a total of 261 patients with DCM in the Japanese Cardiac Registry of Heart Failure in Cardiology (JCARE-CARD), a prospective cohort studying the characteristics and treatments in a broad sample of HF patients.

Simple Risk Score to Predict Survival in Acute Decompensated Heart Failure - AB Score.

Background: Prognosis after acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) is poor. An appropriate risk score that would allow for improved care and treatment of ADHF patients after discharge, however, is lacking.

Methods and results: We used 2 HF cohorts, the NARA-HF study and JCARE-CARD, as derivation and validation cohorts, respectively.

Symptom Perception, Evaluation, Response to Symptom, and Delayed Care Seeking in Patients With Acute Heart Failure: An Observational Study.

Background: Exacerbation of heart failure (HF) requires early intervention to prevent hospital admission and to reduce mortality. Early care seeking requires that patients perceive symptoms, accurately evaluate perceived symptoms, and respond appropriately. How perception, evaluation, and response to symptoms are associated with delay in seeking care for worsening symptoms has rarely been studied.

Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction Predicts Severity of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Patients With Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillators.

Background: Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICD) have provided effective therapy for fatal arrhythmia. However, ICD patients are known to develop psychological problems, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), if they have experienced potentially fatal arrhythmia and ICD shocks. Little is known about the factors influencing PTSD in ICD patients.

Influence of primary and secondary prevention indications on anxiety about the implantable cardioverter-defibrillator.

Background: Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) have been established for primary and secondary prevention of fatal arrhythmias. However, little is known about the influence of ICD indications on quality of life (QOL) and psychological disturbances. This study aimed to examine whether there were differences in QOL and psychological distress in patients that have an ICD for primary or secondary prevention of fatal arrhythmias.

Health literacy is independently associated with self-care behavior in patients with heart failure.

Objective: Health literacy (HL) has been recognized as an important concept in patient education and disease management for heart failure (HF). However, previous studies on HL have focused predominantly on the relationships between functional HL (the ability to read and write), comprehensive HL including the ability to access information (communicative HL), and the ability to critically evaluate information (critical HL). Self-care behavior has not been evaluated.

Development and Validation of a Heart Failure-Specific Health Literacy Scale.

Background: Health literacy (HL) is an important concept for patient education and disease management with heart failure (HF). However, research on HL has predominantly focused on functional HL (ability to read and write). The World Health Organization advocates evaluating comprehensive HL, including the ability to access information (communicative HL) and critically evaluate that information (critical HL).