Practice: Heart failure

Individuals with diabetes are not only at high risk of developing heart failure but are also at increased risk of dying from it. Fortunately, antiheart failure therapies such as angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors, β blockers and mineralocorticoid-receptor antagonists work similarly well in individuals with diabetes as in individuals without the disease. Response to intensive glycaemic control and the various classes of antihyperglycaemic agent therapy is substantially less well understood. Insulin, for example, induces sodium retention and thiazolidinediones increase the risk of heart failure...

BACKGROUND: Ultrafiltration is an alternative strategy to diuretic therapy for the treatment of patients with acute decompensated heart failure. Little is known about the efficacy and safety of ultrafiltration in patients with acute decompensated heart failure complicated by persistent congestion and worsened renal function. METHODS: We randomly assigned a total of 188 patients with acute decompensated heart failure, worsened renal function, and persistent congestion to a strategy of stepped pharmacologic therapy (94 patients) or ultrafiltration (94 patients)...

BACKGROUND: Mineralocorticoid antagonists improve survival among patients with chronic, severe systolic heart failure and heart failure after myocardial infarction. We evaluated the effects of eplerenone in patients with chronic systolic heart failure and mild symptoms. METHODS: In this randomized, double-blind trial, we randomly assigned 2737 patients with New York Heart Association class II heart failure and an ejection fraction of no more than 35% to receive eplerenone (up to 50 mg daily) or placebo, in addition to recommended therapy...