Effect of adding hydrochlorothiazide to usual treatment of patients with acute decompensated heart failure: a randomized clinical trial.

Acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) is the leading cause of hospitalization in patients aged 65 years or older, and most of them present with congestion. The use of hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) may increase the response to loop diuretics. To evaluate the effect of adding HCTZ to furosemide on congestion and symptoms in patients with ADHF.

Cardiac Surgery in Jehovah's Witness Patients: Experience of a Brazilian Tertiary Hospital.

Introduction: The outcomes of Jehovah's Witness (JW) patients submitted to open heart surgery may vary across countries and communities. The aim of this study was to describe the morbidity and mortality of JW patients undergoing cardiac surgery in a tertiary hospital center in Southern Brazil.

Methods: A case-control study was conducted including all JW patients submitted to cardiac surgery from 2008 to 2016.

Predictors of Total Mortality and Echocardiographic Response for Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy: A Cohort Study.

Background: Clinical studies demonstrate that up to 40% of patients do not respond to cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), thus, appropriate patient selection is critical to the success of CRT in heart failure.

Objective: Evaluation of mortality predictors and response to CRT in the Brazilian scenario.

Methods: Retrospective cohort study including patients submitted to CRT in a tertiary hospital in southern Brazil from 2008 to 2014.

Predictors of serious arrhythmic events in patients with nonischemic heart failure.

Purpose: Risk stratification of serious arrhythmic events in patients with nonischemic heart failure (HF), beyond estimates of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), remains an important clinical challenge. This study aims to determine the clinical value of different noninvasive and invasive tests as predictors of serious arrhythmic events in patients with nonischemic HF.

Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted including 106 nonischemic HF patients who underwent a comprehensive clinical and laboratory evaluation including two-dimensional echocardiography, 24-h Holter monitoring, cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPX), and an invasive electrophysiological study.

Short-term Effects of High-Dose Caffeine on Cardiac Arrhythmias in Patients With Heart Failure: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: The presumed proarrhythmic action of caffeine is controversial. Few studies have assessed the effect of high doses of caffeine in patients with heart failure due to left ventricular systolic dysfunction at high risk for ventricular arrhythmias.

Objective: To compare the effect of high-dose caffeine or placebo on the frequency of supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias, both at rest and during a symptom-limited exercise test.