Prevalence and prognostic significance of anemia in patients with congestive heart failure treated with standard vs high doses of enalapril.

Background: Anemia is common in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF), although its etiology and pathophysiology remain largely unexplained. The purpose of this study was to examine the prognostic significance of a low hematocrit (Hct) in patients with CHF and the possible role of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition in anemia development.

Methods: Hct was measured at the time of enrollment of 160 patients with CHF, mean age 56 +/- 12 years, in New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class 2.

Lowering of furosemide dosage after clinical stabilization in patients with congestive heart failure.

Objectives: This study was performed to examine the safety of reducing the long-term doses of furosemide administered to patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) stabilized on a standard medical treatment.

Methods And Results: Twenty-nine patients with advanced CHF were treated with enalapril, digoxin, nitrates, and furosemide, as needed to alleviate their symptoms, and remained clinically stable for at least 3 months on those doses. Subsequently, the daily dose of furosemide was reduced to 1/3 of the previous dose, while the concomitant therapy was unchanged.

Indium-111 monoclonal antimyosin cardiac scintigraphy in suspected acute myocarditis: evolution and diagnostic impact.

Background: This study examined the evolution of the heart to lung (H/L) ratio of monoclonal antimyosin antibody (MAA) uptake in patients with suspected acute myocarditis (AM) and its time-dependent diagnostic value in conjunction with echocardiographic findings.

Methods: The study included 20 patients with a short history (<4 months) of heart failure symptoms and normal coronary arteries. All patients underwent cardiac antimyosin scintigraphy, echocardiography, right-heart catheterization and endomyocardial biopsy.