Integrative respiratory and skeletal musculature training in patients with functional class II–IV chronic heart failure and low or intermediate left ventricular ejection fraction: Design and rationale

Respiratory system remodeling plays an important role in the progression of congestive heart failure (CHF). Decreased oxygenation of the respiratory muscles during intense physical exertion in patients with CHF may aggravate respiratory failure and provoke hyperactivation of the inspiratory metaborefl ex, thereby aggravating exercise intolerance due to a decrease in muscular system perfusion. Respiratory muscle training can minimize the eff ects of inspiration metaborefl ex activation and prolong the duration of exercise.Trial design. This is a prospective randomized trial with a sham control. The trial will include 40 adult patients of both genders with NYHA II-III CHF and with ejection fraction (EF) ≤ 49%. Patients will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to either Active or Control group. Active group will receive four-week guided respiratory muscles training followed by 12-week guided aerobic training (treadmill walking). Control group will receive four-week sham respiratory muscles training (THRESHOLD® IMT breathing trainer with level slightly above 0), followed by 12 weeks guided aerobic training (treadmill walking). The primary aim is to compare the eff ect of diff erent training modalities on functional capacity (peak VO2 ). Secondary outcome measures include changes in respiratory muscle strength, serum biomarkers (NT-proBNP and ST2) and Angiotensin II. Health-related quality of life (MLwHFQ.23) and psycho-emotional state of patients also will be assessed.The study also planned an additional analysis with a suitable group of patients who were screened but refused to participate in the study.Conclusion. Heart failure patients often give up exercise due to symptoms of shortness of breath and muscle weakness. We suggest that the training technique based on the inclusion of respiratory muscle training as the fi rst stage of cardiac rehabilitation will positively aff ect the eff ectiveness of subsequent aerobic training in patients with heart failure, by reducing the activity of RAAS and SAS and increasing respiratory effi ciency.

The risk of developing chronic heart failure in patients with hypertension depending on the actual arterial stiffness

Objective. To determine the risk of developing chronic heart failure (CHF) in patients with hypertension (HTN) depending on the actual arterial stiffness.Material and Methods. The study included 175 patients with HTN without a verified diagnosis of heart failure. The average age was 48.5 ± 6.8 years. Patients underwent general clinical examination, volume sphygmoplethysmography assessments of cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI), echocardiography study (left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction, LV diastolic function, LV myocardial mass index, indexed LV volume by echocardiography), and tests for serum N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP). Patients were divided into two groups depending on CAVI. Group 1 included 141 (80.6%) patients with CAVI < 9; group 2 included 34 (19.4%) patients with CAVI > 9.Results. In patients of group 1, the level of NT-proBNP was 0.008 [0.006; 5.770], which was significantly lower than the corresponding value in group 2, where the level of NT-proBNP was 13.08 [0.01; 350.65] ng/mL (p = 0.041). Indicators of odds ratio (OR) and relative risk (RR) were also significant. The chance of developing CHF with CAVI > 9 increased by almost 7 times (OR = 6.9; 95% CI = 2.8–16.8), and OR of CHF onset was 4.1 (95% CI = 2.2–7.6). Sensitivity and specificity rates were 55.9% and 84.4%, respectively. Correlation analysis revealed a medium degree of dependence and direct relationships between NT-proBNP level and CAVI values (r = 0.35; p <0.05).Conclusion. Serum level of NT-proBNP depended on the actual arterial stiffness. Patients with CAVI > 9 indicative of an increase in true arterial stiffness had a greater risk of developing heart failure assessed based on the level of NT-proBNP in the blood. Further studies are required to assess the effects of arterial stiffness, registered within the intermediate values of CAVI index, on the risk of heart failure onset.

Organization of medical and social care for the elderly and senile patients

Population ageing is a natural process characterized by the increase in life expectancy and by a growth in the absolute number and proportion of elderly and senile persons in the population. These demographic changes increase the need for medical and social care among the people of this age group and require the development and implementation of new public policies.

Positive impact of cardiac contractile modulation on myocardial contractility and left ventricular synchronization in a patient with a left ventricular noncompaction

The article provides a clinical case of a 58-year-old man with the fi rst clinical manifestation of chronic heart failure in the presence of a signifi cant decrease in the left ventricular ejection fraction. Left ventricular non-compaction cardiomyopathy was diagnosed by echocardiography. After 12 months, a cardiac contractility modulation device was implanted to the patient in the presence of disease progression despite optimal medical therapy. We assessed the course of disease, quality of life, exercise tolerance, and myocardial contractility of the patient before and six months after surgery. The methods of assessment were collection of patient complaints, physical examination, electrocardiography (ECG), fi lling out the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ), sixminute walk test, spiroergometry, and echocardiography.

Cardiovascular pathology in the clinical practice of primary care physicians on the example of Krasnoyarsk

Introduction. Cardiovascular comorbidity is a relevant problem in modern medicine. Comorbid pathology significantly worsens the quality of life and increases the likelihood of death in cardiovascular patients. The combination of diseases requires a comprehensive examination of the patient and the choice of optimal therapy. This work reviews the structure of cardiovascular comorbidity in outpatient patients of Krasnoyarsk, analyzes the most frequently prescribed medications, and makes conclusions about the need to highlight the problems of combined pathologies in outpatient practice.Aim. To study the structure of cardiovascular comorbidity in outpatient patients in the city of Krasnoyarsk, to assess the frequency of comorbid pathologies in cardiovascular patients, and to analyze the extent of the prescribed therapy.Material and Methods. A one-stage retrospective study analyzed 1,928 ambulatory medical charts of cardiovascular patients who visited the primary care physicians in the polyclinics of Krasnoyarsk in 2018. The material was statistically processed, and diff erences were considered statistically significant at p < 0.05.Results. The prevalence of comorbid pathologies in cardiovascular patients reached 87% and tended to rise with the patients’ age. The study showed that coronary heart disease (CHD) and obesity were associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in agreement with results reported in previous studies. 43.2% of patients achieved a blood pressure level (BP) < 140/80 mm Hg while on antihypertensive therapy. 46.8% of patients achieved total cholesterol (TCh) < 5.0 mmol/L while taking statins. Only 18.5% of T2DM patients and 15.9% of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) who were taking statins had TCh < 4.5 mmol/L. Heart rate (HR) < 70 bpm was reached in about 40% of patients taking b-blockers.Conclusions. Comorbidity prevalence among cardiovascular patients of Krasnoyarsk city was high and tended to increase with the increase in patient age. Arterial hypertension (AH) and T2DM was the most frequent combination among patients with cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Administered antiplatelet, hypolipidemic, and antihypertensive therapies did not fully comply with the current clinical recommendations in regard to the regimen of administration, dosage, and rates of the treatment targets achieved. The study showed that cardiovascular diseases are most frequently combined with T2DM. In this regard, it is necessary to promote the population awareness of the primary and secondary prevention of these comorbid diseases.

Factors determining an unfavorable one-year prognosis of myocardial infarction complicated by left ventricular failure and associated with chronic cerebral ischemia

Aim. To evaluate factors of unfavorable annual prognosis of myocardial infarction (MI) complicated by heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and associated with chronic cerebral ischemia (CCI).Material and Methods. A total of 182 patients with Q wave myocardial infarction complicated by the left ventricular dysfunction concomitant with CCI were included in the study. Of them, 149 (81.9%) patients were men and 33 (18.1%) were women. The mean age was 60.4 (53; 69) years. All patients underwent echocardiography, color duplex scanning of the carotid arteries and examination by an interventional neurologist. Hard endpoints were collected within one year.Results. The majority of the patients included in the study suffered from grade 2 CCI. Atherosclerotic plaques in the brachiocephalic arteries were found in 37.4% of patients; the degree of stenosis did not exceed 50% in all cases. 77 (46.1%) patients achieved hard endpoints within one year. Multivariate logistic regression showed that the most unfavorable predictor of poor 1-year survival was the presence of the positive history of ACVA [RR 7.33 (95% CI 1.97–27.32), p = 0.003], and the most unfavorable predictors of risk of adverse cardiovascular events included prior stroke [RR = 1.92 (95% CI 1.09–3.38), p = 0.025] and carotid atherosclerotic plaques [RR = 2.12 (95% CI 1.34–3.37), p = 0.001].Conclusion. The presence of carotid atherosclerotic plaques and prior stroke affected the long-term prognosis in patients with myocardial infarction complicated by heart failure and chronic cerebral ischemia.

Euvolemia as a criterion of diuretic therapy efficacy in chronic heart failure: Literature review

Chronic heart failure (CHF) is a typical outcome for all pathological processes affecting the cardiovascular system and is diagnosed in 1–2% of the population in developed countries. The strategy for managing patients with CHF involves the prescription of diuretics for the relief of volume retention syndrome in addition to pathogenetic pharmacotherapy. Considering the confl icting data concerning the effects of diuretics on the long-term prognosis and clinical course of CHF, a strict approach to the analysis of risk/benefit ratio is necessary while choosing a specific diuretic and determining its optimal dose and duration of use. The article reviews state-of-theart literature on the assessment of hydration status in patients with CHF. The euvolemia state, in which the optimal volume of fl uid is achieved in the body of a patient with CHF is viewed from the perspective of evaluating the efficacy and relevance of diuretic therapy.

Pulmonary embolism in the presence of chronic heart failure syndrome: A structural-functional state of the cardiovascular system

Aim. To identify the features of the structural-functional state of the cardiovascular system in patients with pulmonary embolism (PE) in the presence of chronic heart failure (CHF) syndrome.Material and Methods. The study included 231 patients diagnosed with PE at admission to the hospital. Patients were further divided into subgroups depending on the verification of the diagnosis by computed tomography and the presence of CHF syndrome.Results and discussion. An increase in pressure in the pulmonary artery system contributed to the formation and aggravation of right ventricular systolic dysfunction, which acquired a greater prevalence and severity in the presence of CHF. This was confirmed by the echocardiographic signs of dysfunction of the right heart including increased linear dimensions of right cardiac chambers, right atrium volume index of 32.3 (29.4–37.9) mL/m2 versus 29.1 (26.6–32.3) mL/m2 (U = 1583.00, p < 0.001); greater prevalence of hemodynamic instability (proportion of patients with fainting or presyncope at hospital admission was 32% in the presence of CHF versus 16.7% without CHF; χ2 = 4,49, p < 0.05); and more significant increases in the laboratory markers of right ventricular dysfunction and injury included in the prediction model of adverse PE outcome [brain natriuretic peptide of 395 (204–789) pg/mL versus 104.2 (38.9–212) pg/mL (U = 1162.00, p < 0.001), high-sensitive troponin of 212 (194.5–297.6) ng/mL versus 184.8 (168.0–194.8) ng/mL (U = 279.50, p < 0.01), myocardial fatty acid-binding protein of 0.37 (0.18–1.2) ng/mL versus 0.2 (0.08–0.3) ng/mL (U = 530.00, p < 0.001), copeptin of 0.2 (0.05–0.92) ng/mL versus 0.09 (0.04–0.15) ng/mL (U = 563.00, p < 0.01), and reduced renal function].

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: Prognostic value of myocardial fibrosis volume as a predictor of chronic heart failure progression

Determining the clinical course of disease in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) with the presence of symptoms of chronic heart failure (CHF) progression remains a complex and unresolved problem.Objective. The objective of the study was to analyze the variants of clinical course in patients with CHF due to progressive LV dysfunction and to evaluate the prognostic role of myocardial fibrosis volume according to late gadolinium enhancement cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) as a predictor of CHF progression to NYHA FC III.Material and Methods. A comprehensive examination including cardiac echocardiography, Holter ECG monitoring, and late gadolinium enhancement CMR, was performed in 124 patients (79 men and 45 women, median age of 46 years) with HCM who were observed in Republican Scientific and Practical Centre “Cardiology”. The median follow-up was 41 months (from 25 to 58 months). The clinical endpoint was progression of CHF symptoms from NYHA FC I–II to class III requiring hospitalization.Results and Discussion. Among 124 patients with HCM, CHF progression requiring hospitalization during the follow-up period was observed in 24 patients with preserved systolic function (LV EF > 50%). The 5-year survival rate was 83% (95% CI 76.5–90.1). As a new marker aimed at identifying patients at risk of CHF progression, the volume of myocardial fibrosis was analyzed using the late gadolinium enhancement cardiac MR. The level of fibrosis, associated with the progression of heart failure, was 20%. The log-rank test and Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed statistically significant diff erences (p = 0.001) in groups with fibrosis volume less than 20% and more than 20%. Event-free survival was 95.2% (95% CI 89.9–100%) and 32.1% (95% CI 17.9–57.4%), respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that the independent factors associated with CHF progression and associated hospitalization were age over 50 years (HR 5.9; 95% CI 2.3–15.1, p < 0.001), atrial fibrillation (AF) episodes (HR 5.6; 95% CI 2.2–14.2, p < 0.001), and percentage of myocardial fibrosis volume ≥20% according to cardiac MR data (HR 23.3; 95% CI 7.3–74.8, p < 0.001).Conclusion. Based on the results of a multi-factor analysis, we identified a group of HCM patients at risk of CHF progression requiring hospitalization. These patients were over 50 years of age, had AF episodes, and a myocardial fibrosis volume ≥20%.

Integrated assessment of cerebral blood flow and cerebrovascular reactivity based on functional tests data in patients with Parkinson’s disease and vascular pathology

Objective. To evaluate cerebral blood flow parameters and cerebrovascular reactivity indices based on data of functional tests in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and vascular pathology.Material and Methods. A total of 148 people were examined, divided into 4 groups: (1) main group comprised 24 patients with idiopathic PD; (2) comparison group 1 included 21 patients with vascular parkinsonism; (3) comparison group 2 included 26 patients with a diagnosis of chronic cerebral ischemia of severity degree 2 with no signs of parkinsonism; and (4) comparison group 3 included 77 patients with PD and cerebrovascular disease. All patients received transcranial duplex scanning of cerebral blood vessels (TCD) through the temporal window (Toshiba Aplio 500, Japan, 2–2.5 MHz sector probe) using standard protocols for the assessment of blood flow velocity characteristics. An assessment of cerebrovascular reactivity (reserve) was performed using the diagnostic and treatment complex “Carbonic”. The range of cerebrovascular and vasomotor hypercapnia reactivity to hypercapnia was evaluated in the “Testing of cerebrovascular reactivity” mode.Results. A comprehensive study of cerebral blood flow parameters using functional tests suggested that the absence of changes in the cerebrovascular reactivity index (VRhyperCO2 ) observed in patients with idiopathic PD may be considered a differential diagnostic criterion for Parkinson’s disease and cerebrovascular pathology with Parkinson’s symptoms.