INTRODUCTION The prognosis of patients hospitalized with acute heart failure (AHF) is poor and risk stratification may help clinicians guide care. The objectives of the Acute Heart Failure Database (AHEAD) registry are to assess patient characteristics, etiology, treatment and outcome of AHF. METHODS The AHEAD main registry includes patients hospitalized for AHF in seven centers with a Cathet...

BACKGROUND Anaemia is common among patients with heart failure (HF) and is an important prognostic marker. AIM We sought to determine the prognostic importance of anaemia in a large multinational pooled dataset of prospectively enrolled HF patients, with the specific aim to determine the prognostic role of anaemia in HF with preserved and reduced ejection fraction (HF-PEF and HF-REF, respecti...

AIMS Acute heart failure (AHF) is associated with poor prognosis and requires recurrent hospitalizations. However, studies on AHF characteristics, treatment, and prognostic factors are few. Our aim was to investigate the characteristics, treatment, and 1-year prognosis of AHF and identify prognostic factors in different clinical groups. METHODS AND RESULTS We conducted a prospective multicent...

substantial portion of patients with symptomatic heart failure (HF) have been reported to have relatively normal or preserved left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF).1 ‘HF with preserved EF’ has been defined as the presence of typical HF symptoms and signs of an EF of more than 40 or 50%. Previous studies, including our own, showed that HF patients with preserved EF are older, more often f...

AIMS Proximal aortic stiffness may be more important than carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cf-PWV) in the pathogenesis of heart failure. The present study investigated the associations of common carotid artery (CCA) stiffness, which might be a surrogate for proximal aortic stiffness, with left ventricular (LV) structure and function, and the development of acute heart failure (AHF). METHO...

As we emerge from the tremendous progress of the last century, we can take genuine pride in the advances of modern treatments in reducing the morbidity and mortality of cardiovascular diseases, such as hypertension, myocardial infarction, and chronic heart failure. Unfortunately, acute heart failure (AHF) remained largely ignored during this period of discovery, with little research into its ep...

Although therapy with mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs) is recommended for patients with chronic heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction and in post-infarction HF, it has not been studied well in acute HF (AHF) despite being commonly used in this setting. At high doses, MRA therapy in AHF may relieve congestion through its natriuretic properties and mitigate the effects of...

BACKGROUND The determinants of prognosis in patients with heart failure and preserved ejection fraction (HF-PEF) are poorly documented. METHODS AND RESULTS We evaluated data from 4128 patients in the I-PRESERVE trial (Irbesartan in Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction Study). Multivariable Cox regression models were developed using 58 baseline demographic, clinical, and biological v...

In 2012 there were a number of important advances within the clinical arena of heart failure. Recent new evidence was dissected, analysed, synthesized, and incorporated into the new European Society of Cardiology Heart Failure Guideline 2012 which will facilitate the translation of clinical research in heart failure into improved patient care. In addition there were new therapeutic treatment tr...

BACKGROUND Limited data exist about the magnitude of and the factors associated with prognosis within 1 year for patients discharged from the hospital after acute decompensated heart failure. Data are particularly limited from the more generalizable perspective of a population-based investigation and should be further stratified according to currently recommended ejection fraction (EF) findings...