Modulation of neurohormonal activity after treatment of children in heart failure with carvedilol

2003 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 333-336 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro Giardini ◽  
Roberto Formigari ◽  
Gabriele Bronzetti ◽  
Daniela Prandstraller ◽  
Andrea Donti ◽  
...  

Background:In adults with heart failure, neurohormonal overstimulation is related to the progression of the disease, and influences prognosis. β-blockers, which modulate neurohormonal activation, now play an essential role in the pharmacological management of heart failure in adults, but their use in children is very limited.Patients and Methods:To investigate the effects of carvedilol administration on neurohormonal activation and left ventricular function, carvedilol was added to standard treatment for heart failure in 9 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy due to heart muscle disease. Standard treatment has been in place for at least 1 month. The protocol consisted in a baseline evaluation to assess neurohormonal activation, and echocardiographic evaluation of left ventricular function. This was followed by a final evaluation at 12 months from carvedilol loading. Carvedilol was started at 0.05 mg/kg/day, and increased every two weeks until the target dose of 0.8 mg/kg/day was reached.Results:Carvedilol administration was associated with a significant reduction in plasma norepinephrine (p = 0.00001), dopamine (p = 0.0001), aldosterone (p = 0.00001) and activation of the renin-angiotensin system (p = 0.0006). Similar reductions in vanilmandelic and homovanillic acid were noted. After 12 months, a positive remodeling took place, with significant reductions in end-diastolic (p = 0.004) and end-systolic diameters (p = 0.009), and an increase in left ventricular ejection fraction (p = 0.001). No adverse effects needing reduction or interruption in the dosage were noted in the run-in phase, nor in the period of maintenance.Conclusion:Carvedilol is a safe complement to standard therapy for heart failure in children, allowing a significant reduction of neurohormonal activation with evident benefits on both ventricular function and the clinical condition.

Author(s):  
Demosthenes G. Katritsis ◽  
Bernard J. Gersh ◽  
A. John Camm

Definition, aetiology, and management of heart failure in the context of a preserved left ventricular function are discussed.


Open Heart ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. e001587
Author(s):  
Anudeep K Dodeja ◽  
Francesca Siegel ◽  
Katherine Dodd ◽  
Marwan Ma'ayeh ◽  
Laxmi S Mehta ◽  
...  

BackgroundWomen with cardiomyopathy (CM) are often advised against pregnancy due to risk for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). However, the impact of CM subtype on maternal MACE is not understood, and so we sought to evaluate the influence of CM phenotype on maternal outcomes, as well as the effect on immediate and late left ventricular function.MethodsWe evaluated all pregnant women in our high-risk maternal cardiovascular programme (2009–2019). Composite maternal MACE included: death, inotrope use, left ventricular assist device, orthotopic heart transplant and/or escalation in transplant listing status, acute decompensated heart failure and sustained ventricular arrhythmia.ResultsAmong 875 women followed, 32 had CM (29±7 years old, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) 41%±12%): 3 ischaemic CM (ICM), 10 peripartum CM (PPCM) and 19 non-ICM (NICM). MACE events occurred in 6 (18%) women (PPCM: 2 (33%), NICM: 4 (67%)). There was no difference in LVEF at baseline, however, women with MACE had significantly lower LVEF both early (LVEF: 27±5% vs . 41±2%, p<0.05) and late post partum (LVEF: 28±5% vs . 44±2%, p<0.01).ConclusionsIn this contemporary cohort of women with CM, maternal MACE rates were lower than previously reported, and were less common in PPCM as compared with ICM and NICM. Heart function in women with MACE was negatively impacted immediately after delivery and in late postpartum follow-up, suggesting that pregnancy itself likely has influence on future left ventricular function in women with underlying CM.


2011 ◽  
pp. 36-42
Author(s):  
Hung Viet Bui ◽  
Thi Cu Nguyen

Objective: In Vietnam, obesity is increasing particularly in many large cities. Adult cardiovascular diseases are often derived from cardiovascular disorders during the children period. The implementation of early measures to prevent atherosclerosis, such as weight control, better lipid control will reduce the cardiovascular complications, such as hypertension (HTA), coronary heart diseases and some other diseases. Materials and Methods: Overweight - obese children from 5 to 15 years old who visited the Children's Hospital in Can Tho from May 2009 to May 2010. Total number of patients were chosen as 50 children. Method: Descriptive cross-sectional. Children in the study underwent Doppler ultrasound exam to evaluate cardiac morphology and cardiac function. Results: There were increases in left ventricular systolic diameter, left ventricular diastolic diameter, LV mass in overweight-obese children in the study compared with controls at all ages (p <0.05 ). Left ventricular ejection fraction in overweight-obese children in the study was lower than the control group at all ages (p> 0.05). The average rate of left ventricular shortening of overweight-obese children in the study was 34.8 ± 4.5(%). There was no difference in the rate of shortening of the left ventricle in overweight-obese children in the study compared with controls (p>0.05). There was no relationship between variation in morphology and left ventricular function with the degree of overweight-obesity in this study. Conclusion: The study showed that disturbances in morphology and left ventricular function in overweight-obese children but did not find a strong association with the disorder degree of overweight-obesity.


2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (Supplement_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
K.V Bunting ◽  
S Gill ◽  
A Sitch ◽  
S Mehta ◽  
K O'Connor ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction Echocardiography is essential for the management of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), but current methods are time consuming and lack any evidence of reproducibility. Purpose To compare conventional averaging of consecutive beats with an index beat approach, where systolic and diastolic measurements are taken once after two prior beats with a similar RR interval (not more than 60 ms difference). Methods Transthoracic echocardiography was performed using a standardized and blinded protocol in patients enrolled into the RAte control Therapy Evaluation in permanent AF randomised controlled trial (RATE-AF; NCT02391337). AF was confirmed in all patients with a preceding 12-lead ECG. A minimum of 30-beat loops were recorded. Left ventricular function was determined using the recommended averaging of 5 and 10 beats and using the index beat method, with observers blinded to clinical details. Complete loops were used to calculate the within-beat coefficient of variation (CV) and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for Simpson's biplane left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), global longitudinal strain (GLS) and filling pressure (E/e'). Results 160 patients (median age 75 years (IQR 69–82); 46% female) were included, with median heart rate 100 beats/min (IQR 86–112). For LVEF, the index beat had the lowest CV of 32% compared to 51% for 5 consecutive beats and 53% for 10 consecutive beats (p&lt;0.001). The index beat also had the lowest CV for GLS (26% versus 43% and 42%; p&lt;0.001) and E/e' (25% versus 41% and 41%; p&lt;0.001; see Figure for ICC comparison). Intra-operator reproducibility, assessed by the same operator from two different recordings in 50 patients, was superior for the index beat with GLS bias −0.5 and narrow limits of agreement (−3.6 to 2.6), compared to −1.0 for 10 consecutive beats (−4.0 to 2.0). For inter-operator variability, assessed in 18 random patients, the index beat also showed the smallest bias with narrow confidence intervals (CI). Using a single index beat did not impact on the validity of LVEF, GLS or E/e' measurement when correlated with natriuretic peptides. Index beat analysis substantially shortened analysis time; 35 seconds (95% CI 35 to 39 seconds) for measuring E/e' with the index beat versus 98 seconds (95% CI 92 to 104 seconds) for 10 consecutive beats (see Figure). Conclusion Index beat determination of left ventricular function improves reproducibility, saves time and does not compromise validity compared to conventional quantification in patients with heart failure and AF. After independent validation, the index beat method should be adopted into routine clinical practice. Comparison for measurement of E/e' Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): National Institute of Health Research UK


2014 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenjuan Bai ◽  
Hui Li ◽  
Hong Tang ◽  
Qing Zhang ◽  
Ye Zhu ◽  
...  

The aims of this study were i) to evaluate mitral and aortic annuli excursion, and aortomitral angle (AMA) during the cardiac cycle in healthy adults using two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography, ii) to assess two annuli dynamics and coupling behaviors as an integral, and iii) to detect the relation between two annuli and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). A total of 74 healthy adults underwent transthoracic echocardiography. In the parasternal long-axis view, a number of points were extracted, including right coronary aortic annular, aortomitral fibrous junction, and posterior mitral annular points. The annuli excursion and AMA were measured using a speckle tracking-derived software during the cardiac cycle. During the isovolumic contraction and the isovolumic relaxation phase, annuli excursion and AMA remain stable for a short time. During the systole, annuli excursion increased sharply to the maximum, while AMA narrowed quickly to the minimum value. During the diastole, there are three patterns of decrease in annuli excursion and AMA expansion in different phases. The annuli excursion of three points correlates well with the LVEF (right coronary aortic annulus excursion, r=0.71, P<0.05; non-coronary aortic annulus excursion, r=0.70, P<0.05; posterior mitral annulus excursion, r=0.82, P<0.05). Moreover, there are positive correlations between annuli excursion and the variation of AMA (r=0.60, P<0.05). The annuli excursion and AMA have various regular patterns in healthy adults. The interactions of mitral and aortic annuli correlate with the left ventricular function. Our findings may have relevance to the evaluation of left ventricular function and presurgical planning of patients with valvular diseases.


2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tobias Hüppe ◽  
Heinrich Volker Groesdonk ◽  
Thomas Volk ◽  
Stefan Wagenpfeil ◽  
Benedict Wallrich

Abstract Background Transthoracic echocardiography is the primary imaging modality for diagnosing cardiac conditions but medical education in this field is limited. We tested the hypothesis that a structured theoretical and supervised practical course of training in focused echocardiography in last year medical students results in a more accurate assessment and more precise calculation of left ventricular ejection fraction after ten patient examinations. Methods After a theoretical introduction course 25 last year medical students performed ten transthoracic echocardiographic examination blocks in postsurgical patients. Left ventricular function was evaluated both with an eye-balling method and with the calculated ejection fraction using diameter and area of left ventricles. Each examination block was controlled by a certified and blinded tutor. Bias and precision of measurements were assessed with Bland and Altman method. Results Using the eye-balling method students agreed with the tutor’s findings both at the beginning (88%) but more at the end of the course (95.7%). The variation between student and tutor for calculation of area, diameter and ejection fraction, respectively, was significantly lower in examination block 10 than in examination block 1 (each p < 0.001). Students underestimated both the length and the area of the left ventricle at the outset, as complete imaging of the left heart in the ultrasound sector was initially unsuccessful. Conclusions A structured theoretical and practical transthoracic echocardiography course of training for last year medical students provides a clear and measurable learning experience in assessing and measuring left ventricular function. At least 14 examination blocks are necessary to achieve 90% agreement of correct determination of the ejection fraction.


2009 ◽  
Vol 297 (5) ◽  
pp. H1760-H1766 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine F. Notarius ◽  
Beverley L. Morris ◽  
John S. Floras

Many heart failure (HF) patients exhibit paradoxical forearm vasodilation when central blood volume is reduced by lower body negative pressure (LBNP). We tested the hypothesis that this response results from reflex sympathetic withdrawal. We recorded simultaneously forearm blood flow, muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA), and plasma norepinephrine (PNE) during four random applications of LBNP, −5, −10, −20, and −40 mmHg, in 12 men with HF (mean left ventricular ejection fraction = 24 ± 2%) and 10 healthy, normal, age-matched men (N). Compared with N, MSNA burst frequency ( P = 0.001) and PNE ( P = 0.005) were significantly higher in the HF group, both at rest and during LBNP. As anticipated in N, LBNP −40 mmHg significantly increased MSNA (+14.2 ± 2.5 bursts/min; P < 0.05) and PNE (+0.83 ± 0.22 nmol/l; P < 0.05) and decreased forearm vascular conductance (FVC) (−11.7 ± 3.2 ml·min−1·mmHg−1; P < 0.05). In the HF group, LBNP elicited similar increases in MSNA (+11.5 ± 2.0; P < 0.05) and PNE (+0.85 ± 0.12; P < 0.05), without affecting FVC significantly (−4.1 ± 2.4; P = 0.01 vs. N, interaction P = 0.03). However, within the HF group, responses were bimodal: LBNP −40 mmHg increased MSNA in all subjects ( P < 0.001), yet the six patients with nonischemic or dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) exhibited significant vasoconstriction (decrease in FVC; P = 0.001), whereas the six patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM) exhibited significant vasodilation (increase in FVC; P < 0.02 vs. DCM and N; interaction P = 0.02). Cold pressor testing increased MSNA and decreased FVC in ICM ( n = 4). Thus paradoxical forearm vasodilator responses to LBNP in HF are not mediated by reflex sympathetic withdrawal. ICM and DCM patients differ qualitatively in their vascular responses to hypotensive LBNP.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giulia Mingrone ◽  
Anna Astarita ◽  
Lorenzo Airale ◽  
Ilaria Maffei ◽  
Marco Cesareo ◽  
...  

Background: Carfilzomib improves the prognosis of multiple myeloma (MM) patients but significantly increases cardiovascular toxicity. The timing and effect of Carfilzomib therapy on the left ventricular function is still under investigation. We sought to assess the echocardiographic systo-diastolic changes, including global longitudinal strain (GLS), in patients treated with Carfilzomib and to identify predictors of increased risk of cardiovascular adverse events (CVAEs) during therapy.Methods: Eighty-eight patients with MM performed a baseline cardiovascular evaluation comprehensive of transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) before the start of Carfilzomib therapy and after 6 months. All patients were clinically followed up to early identify the occurrence of CVAEs during the whole therapy duration.Results: After Carfilzomib treatment, mean GLS slightly decreased (−22.2% ± 2.6 vs. −21.3% ± 2.5; p &lt; 0.001). Fifty-eight percent of patients experienced CVAEs during therapy: 71% of them had uncontrolled hypertension, and 29% had major CVAEs or CV events not related to arterial hypertension. GLS variation during therapy was not related to an increased risk of CVAEs; however, patients with baseline GLS ≥ −21% and/or left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤ 60% had a greater risk of major CVAEs (OR = 6.2, p = 0.004; OR = 3.7, p = 0.04, respectively). Carfilzomib led to a higher risk of diastolic dysfunction (5.6 vs. 13.4%, p = 0.04) and to a rise in E/e′ ratio (8.9 ± 2.7 vs. 9.7 ± 3.7; p = 0.006).Conclusion: Carfilzomib leads to early LV function impairment early demonstrated by GLS changes and diastolic dysfunction. Baseline echocardiographic parameters, especially GLS and LVEF, might improve cardiovascular risk stratification before treatment.


Circulation ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 118 (suppl_18) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lars R Herda ◽  
Christiane Trimpert ◽  
Astrid Hummel ◽  
Ute Nauke ◽  
Pfeiffersche Stiftungen ◽  
...  

Recent data indicate that cardiac antibodies play an active role in the pathogenesis of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), and may contribute to cardiac dysfunction of DCM patients. Previous studies have suggested that immunoadsorption with subsequent IgG substitution (IA/IgG) improves left ventricular function in DCM. The potential influence of this immunomodulatory therapy on cardiopulmonary exercise remains to be elucidated. 60 patients with DCM ( n = 60, NYHA II-IV, left ventricular ejection fraction ≤ 45%) underwent either IA/IgG ( n = 30), or were followed up without IA ( n = 30). IA/IgG was performed in one course of five consecutive days. After three months we compared echocardiographic assessment of left ventricular function and spiroergometric exercise parameters in both groups. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) improved significantly in the IA/IgG group from 33.0 ± 1.2% to 40.1 ± 1.5% (p < 0.001 vs. control, p < 0.001 vs. baseline). In the control group, spiroergometric exercise parameters did not change during follow-up. In contrast, patients receiving IA/IgG improved significantly in the following parameters: peak oxygen uptake (peak VO 2 ; 17.3 ± 0.9 ml/min/kg to 21.8 ± 1.0 ml/min/kg; p < 0.01 vs. control, p < 0.01 vs. baseline), oxygen pulse (10.7 ± 0.7 ml/bpm to 13.6 ± 0.7 ml/bpm; p < 0.05 vs. control, p < 0.01 vs. baseline), and anaerobic threshold (VO 2 AT; 10.3 ± 0.5 ml/min/kg to 13.2 ± 0.5 ml/min/kg; p < 0.001 vs. control, p < 0.001 vs. baseline). The ventilatory response to exercise (V E /VCO 2 slope) decreased after IA/IgG therapy from 32.3 ± 1.5 to 28.7 ± 0.9 (p = 0.18 vs. controls, p = 0.02 vs. baseline), whereas there was no significant change in the control group after 3 months. IA/IgG therapy in DCM patients may induce improvement in echocardiographic and cardiopulmonary exercise parameters.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document