The impact of positive airway pressure on cardiac status and clinical outcomes in patients with advanced heart failure and sleep-disordered breathing: a preliminary report.

INTRODUCTION: Heart failure (HF) is a major public health problem associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality. Patients with HF exhibit a high prevalence of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). We have investigated the long-term impact of positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy on heart function and clinical outcomes in patients with advanced HF and concomitant SDB. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We assessed 18 patients with advanced HF (New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional classification III-IV) and concomitant SDB (diagnosed with polysomnography) either of obstructive or central type. Eleven patients who received PAP therapy (auto-titrating PAP or adaptive servo-ventilation) for 12 months were compared with seven patients who refused this therapy. All participants were assessed at both baseline and end of follow-up for NYHA functional status, left and right ventricular function, neurohormonal activation, and exercise tolerance. The rates of hospitalization, deaths, and the combination of both were also recorded. RESULTS: Patients treated with PAP achieved better functional status, higher left ventricular ejection fraction, improved longitudinal right ventricular contractile function, lower levels of b-type natriuretic peptide, and greater exercise performance compared to those who remained untreated. PAP-treated group had a significantly lower incidence of the prespecified combined end-point (i.e., hospital admissions and death) than the control group (87.5 vs. 18.2%, p = 0.013). Interestingly, the mortality rate was 28% (two out of seven patients) in the control group, while no deaths were recorded in the PAP-treated group. DISCUSSION: In this preliminary study, we found that treatment of SDB, irrespective of type, in stable patients with advanced HF receiving optimal medical therapy was associated with improvement in cardiac functional status, ventricular contraction, physical performance, and neurohormonal status, leading to better clinical outcomes.

Effects of functional electrical stimulation on quality of life and emotional stress in patients with chronic heart failure secondary to ischaemic or idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy: a randomised, placebo-controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: Functional electrical stimulation (FES) improves exercise capacity and endothelial function in chronic heart failure (CHF) patients. This study evaluates the impact of FES on quality of life and emotional stress in patients with moderate to severe CHF. METHODS: Thirty patients with stable CHF (24 men; NYHA class II-III; left ventricular ejection fraction <35%) were randomly assigned (2:1) to a 6-week FES training program (n=20) or placebo (n=10). Questionnaires addressing quality of life [Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ), functional and overall], and emotional stress [Zung self-rating depression scale (SDS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)], as well as plasma B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and 6-min walking distance test (6MWT) were assessed at baseline and after completion of training protocol. RESULTS: A significant improvement in KCCQ functional (F=76.666, p<0.001), KCCQ overall (F =41.508, p<0.001), BDI (F =17.768, p<0.001) and Zung SDS (F =27.098, p<0.001) was observed in the FES group compared to placebo. Patients in the FES group had also a significant increase in 6MWT (F =19.413, p<0.001) and a trend towards reduction in plasma BNP (F =4.252, p=0.053) compared to placebo. CONCLUSION: FES seems to have a beneficial effect on quality of life, exercise capacity and emotional stress in patients with moderate to severe CHF.

Effects of levosimendan on flow-mediated vasodilation and soluble adhesion molecules in patients with advanced chronic heart failure.

AIM: Endothelial activation and dysfunction may be an important contributor to chronic heart failure (CHF) progression. We sought to investigate whether the calcium sensitizer levosimendan affects beneficially endothelial function and attenuates the deleterious effects of soluble adhesion molecules in patients with advanced CHF. METHODS: Twenty-six advanced CHF patients (mean New York Heart Association class, 2.6+/-0.3; ischemic/dilated, 18/8; mean left ventricular ejection fraction <35%) hospitalized due to syndrome worsening, were randomized (2:1) to receive either a 24-h levosimendan infusion of 0.1 microg/kg/min (n=17) or placebo (n=9). Endothelial function estimated by endothelial-dependent flow-mediated dilatation of the brachial artery (FMD), as well as plasma soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) and soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1), were assessed before and 48 h after therapy. RESULTS: Baseline characteristics and medications were well balanced in the two treatment groups. A significant improvement of FMD (6.4+/-4.4% from 4.8+/-3.0%; p<0.05) with concomitant reduction of plasma concentrations of sICAM-1 (231+/-75 pg/ml from 339+/-157 pg/ml; p<0.05) and sVCAM-1 (1134+/-508 pg/ml from 1386+/-602 pg/ml; p<0.05) were observed only in levosimendan treated patients. CONCLUSION: Levosimendan could be an effective treatment in improving the endothelial function and reducing the detrimental adhesion molecule activation in advanced CHF patients.

Functional electrical stimulation improves endothelial function and reduces peripheral immune responses in patients with chronic heart failure.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown beneficial effects of functional electrical stimulation (FES) on muscle performance and exercise capacity of patients with chronic heart failure. This study evaluates the impact of FES on endothelial function and peripheral markers of immune activation in patients with moderate to severe heart failure. METHODS: Twenty-four patients with a left ventricular ejection fraction of less than 40% and New York Heart Association class II-III symptoms, undergoing optimized drug therapy, were randomly assigned (2 : 1) to a 6-week training programme of FES (n=16) or served as controls (n=8). Endothelial function was assessed by Doppler flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) of the brachial artery before and after the training programme. Peripheral pro-inflammatory/anti-inflammatory markers such as tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, interleukin (IL)-6, soluble intercellular adhesion molecule (sICAM)-1, soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule (sVCAM)-1 and IL-10 were also measured before and after training. RESULTS: A significant improvement on the 6-min walk test (7.5+/-3.3%), Minnesota Living Score (18.2+/-8.6%) and FMD (38.5+/-15.1%) was observed only in the FES-treated group. FES also causes a significant reduction of TNF-alpha (-11.5+/-8.9%), sICAM-1 (-13.1+/-9.8%), and sVCAM-1 (-10.6+/-6.6%), as well as a respective increase in the ratio IL-10/TNF-alpha (37.1+/-29.4%). In the FES group, the percentage improvement in the Minnesota Living Score was significantly correlated with respective changes in circulating TNF-alpha (r=0.624, P<0.01), sVCAM-1 (r=0.665, P<0.001) and the ratio IL-10/TNF-alpha (r=-0.641, P<0.01). CONCLUSION: FES is an exercise training programme that improves endothelial function in patients with chronic heart failure, and also has anti-inflammatory effects.