Heart failure symptoms

BACKGROUND: Emerging evidence has shown that the blood urea nitrogen to serum albumin ratio (BAR) is associated with the severity and prognosis of heart failure. However, its role in idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) remains unclear. This study investigated the associations between BAR and functional status, echocardiographic findings, hemodynamics, and long-term outcomes among patients with IPAH. METHODS: This study included consecutive patients who underwent right heart catheterization (RHC) and were diagnosed with IPAH between January 2013 and January 2018 at Fuwai Hospital...

Left ventricular noncompaction (LVNC) is a rare genetic and congenital disorder characterized by the excessive formation of blood-filled trabeculae and intertrabecular recesses in the uncompressed inner endocardial wall associated with a thin, compact wall, the mesocardium. Although LVNC was described for the first time as long ago as 1984, our understanding of the disease with regard to its genetic pattern, diagnosis, clinical presentation, and treatment is still scanty. LVNC can be present as an isolated condition or associated with congenital heart disease, genetic syndromes, or neuromuscular disease...

Fibroelastoma is a rare cardiac tumor that can cause embolization, stroke, myocardial infarction, heart failure, and cardiac arrest. Here, we report the case of a 45-year-old male who presented with right-sided weakness and fever. He was diagnosed with acute right frontal infarction and was found to have Streptococcus sanguinis bacteremia. Upon confirmation of a positive blood culture after 24 hours, treatment for endocarditis was initiated. Transesophageal echocardiography revealed findings highly suggestive of a papillary fibroelastoma (PFE)...

Introduction: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is characterised by endothelial dysfunction and pathological vascular remodelling, resulting in the occlusion of pulmonary arteries and arterioles, right ventricular hypertrophy, and eventually fatal heart failure. Targeting the apelin receptor with the novel, G protein-biased peptide agonist, MM07, is hypothesised to reverse the developed symptoms of elevated right ventricular systolic pressure and right ventricular hypertrophy. Here, the effects of MM07 were compared with the clinical standard-of-care endothelin receptor antagonist macitentan...

AIMS: The safety and effectiveness of the MitraClip device to treat functional mitral regurgitation (FMR) has been tested in previous clinical trials yielding somewhat heterogeneous results in heart failure (HF) patients. Over time, the MitraClip device system has been modified and clinical practice evolved to consider also less severely diseased HF patients with FMR for this therapeutic option. The RESHAPE-HF2 trial aims to assess the safety and effectiveness of the MitraClip device system on top of medical therapy considered optimal in the treatment of clinically significant FMR in symptomatic patients with chronic HF...

BACKGROUND: Thirst is a frequent and burdening symptom in many patients, especially in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) and/or receiving hemodialysis (HD). As drug therapies are not feasible, non-pharmacological strategies are needed to reduce thirst and thirst-related burden. OBJECTIVES: To identify non-pharmacological interventions aiming to reduce thirst in patients with CHF and/ or HD, to describe intervention components, and to evaluate the effectiveness of these interventions...

BACKGROUND: Right ventricular dysfunction (RVD) and pulmonary hypertension have been recognized as two important prognostic features in patients with left side heart failure. Current literature does not distinguish between right heart failure (RHF) and RVD, and the two terms are used indiscriminately to describe pulmonary hypertension and RVD as well as clinical sign of RHF. Therefore, the right ventricle (RV) adaptation across the whole spectrum of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) values has been poorly investigated...

BACKGROUND: Patients with congenital myopathies may experience respiratory involvement, resulting in restrictive ventilatory dysfunction and respiratory failure. Pulmonary hypertension (PH) associated with this condition has never been reported in congenital ryanodine receptor type 1(RYR1)-related myopathy. CASE PRESENTATION: A 47-year-old woman was admitted with progressively exacerbated chest tightness and difficulty in neck flexion. She was born prematurely at week 28...

PURPOSE: This study aims to highlight presentations, acute findings and imaging phenotypes of patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) within 30 days of a transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). METHODS: A retrospective review of patients diagnosed with aortic valve disease who underwent a TAVR between Jan 2015 and Nov 2021 at a large academic medical center was completed. From an initial 1271 patients, 146 were included based on their presentation to the ED within 30 days post-TAVR procedure...

BACKGROUND: Up to 55 % of students experience test anxiety (TA), which is characterized by intense physiological and psychological symptoms before or during exams, such as anxiety, fear of failure, sweating, or increased heart rate. Furthermore, TA increases graduation times and can result in discontinuance of the graduate program all together. Previous research demonstrated the beneficial effects of combining cognitive behavioral therapy with imagery rescripting, however, treatment programs are comparably long...

INTRODUCTION: Anomalous origin of the right coronary artery from the left sinus of Valsalva (R-ACAOS) is a relatively rare condition that can potentially lead to devastating outcomes. The current study aims to investigate the cardiac-related disorders among patients with incidental R-ACAOS diagnosis through computed tomography angiography (CTA). METHODS: The current cross-sectional study has been conducted on 50 patients diagnosed with R-ACAOS who underwent CTA...

Heart failure (HF) is a major global health problem afflicting millions worldwide. Despite the significant advances in therapies and prevention, HF still carries very high morbidity and mortality, requiring enormous healthcare-related expenditure, and the search for new weapons goes on. Following initial treatment strategies targeting inotropism and congestion, attention has focused on offsetting the neurohormonal overactivation and three main therapies, including angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin II type 1 receptor antagonists, β-adrenoceptor antagonists, and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists, have been the foundation of standard treatment for patients with HF...

We present a clinical case of a 79-year-old male admitted to inpatient care for longstanding asthenia and respiratory symptoms. Associated features were polyserositis, multiple enlarged lymphatic nodules, acute kidney injury, and heart failure. The patient's recent medical history revealed SARS-CoV-2 vaccination a week prior and an upper respiratory tract infection. The laboratory results from thoracentesis were compatible with a transudate, with no immunological stain. Epstein-Barr virus polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was positive...

Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) is a life-saving procedure for patients with severe portal hypertension and persistent variceal bleeding. Stent fracture is a rare and severe complication; however, its cause and mechanisms remain poorly defined. This case helps understand the factors contributing to its occurrence, complications, and subsequent poor outcomes. A 63-year-old male was presented with ruptured bare stent after a TIPS procedure. The upper edge of the bare stent was ruptured, and its fraction subsequently migrated to the entrance of the right atrium...

BACKGROUND: We present a case of a pregnant patient with recurrent angina, in which her symptoms were initially attributed to coronary artery spasm. However, during follow-up, she was diagnosed as having pheochromocytoma, a rare neuroendocrine tumour. CASE SUMMARY: The 35-year-old patient was admitted to the hospital because of chest pain and elevated cardiac troponins after the use of MDMA. Physical examination, electrocardiogram, echocardiography, coronary angiogram, and cardiac MRI were normal...

Objective: To investigate the short-term efficacy and safety of cardiac contractility modulation (CCM) in patients with heart failure. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of patients with heart failure who underwent CCM placement at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University from February to June 2022. With a follow-up of 3 months, CCM sensation, impedance, percent output, and work time were monitored, and patients were compared with pre-and 3-month postoperative left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) values, and 6-minute walk test distance and New York Heart Association (NYHA) cardiac function classification, and the occurrence of complications was recorded...

BACKGROUND: Post-myocardial infarction (MI) ventricular septal perforation (VSP) is a rare but life-threatening complication. Surgical repair is challenging and carries significant risks, particularly in the context of recurrent VSPs. This case study presents a patient with recurrent VSP after initial surgical repair following myocardial infarction. CASE PRESENTATION: A 65-year-old male were re-administered to our hospital due to recurrent VSP. He was during follow up after undergone emergency VSP closure surgery 2 months earlier, utilizing the bovine double patch technique via left ventriculostomy...

BACKGROUND: Sinus of Valsalva aneurysm (SVA) is a rare cardiac anomaly which can be congenital or acquired. Patients with SVA are commonly asymptomatic when the occupying effect of SVA is insignificant, while ruptured SVA usually causes severe symptoms including heart failure and myocardial ischemia. CASE PRESENTATION: We present an unusual case of a 64-year-old female manifesting with exertional dyspnea as well as angina pectoris for three months. Echocardiography and cardiac computed tomographic angiography confirmed unruptured left-coronary and non-coronary SVAs...

AIM: Diagnosing and classifying heart failure (HF) in the oldest-old patients has technical and interpretation issues, especially in the acute setting. We assessed the usefulness of both N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and lung ultrasound (LUS) for confirming HF diagnosis and predicting, among hospitalized HF patients, those with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional study on 148 consecutive patients aged ≥ 80 years admitted to our Internal Medicine and Geriatrics ward with at least one symptom/sign compatible with HF and NT-proBNP ≥ 125 pg/mL...

OBJECTIVES: To uncover the clinical course of fetal isolated non-immune mediated second-degree AVB and determine the factors associated with the spontaneous recovery for fetal non-immune second-degree atrioventricular block (AVB). METHODS: A total of 20 fetuses with isolated, non-immune mediated second-degree AVB were prospectively recruited between 2014 and 2022. These fetuses were divided into the spontaneous recovery group (n=12) and the non-spontaneous recovery group (n=8)...