Actuality. Impaired kidney function adversely influences both immediate and remote prognosis for patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). However, early detection and prediction of acute kidney injury (AKI) are understudied.

The aim of study was to investigate hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) as a biomarker for early diagnosis of AKI and determining prognosis in patients with acute decompensated CHF (ADCHF).

Materials and methods: 84 patients admitted for ADCHF (18 women; mean age, 61.4±7.1) were evaluated. ADCHF was diagnosed in accordance with SEHF guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of chronic heart failure (RCS, 2016). AKI was diagnosed according to KDIGO criteria (2012). HIF-1, N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NТ-proBNP), and erythropoietin were measured in blood serum. The follow-up period lasted for 12 months.

Results: AKI was diagnosed in 27 (32.1 %) patients. Level of HIF-1 was 1.27±0.63 ng / ml; NТ-proBNP – 2469.6 (interquartile range (IQR), 1312.2; 3300.0) pg / ml; eryhthropoietin – 56.0 mIU / ml (IQR, 13.2; 68.1). No correlation was found between HIF-1 and glomerular filtration rate, NТ-proBNP, or erythropoietin. Differences in biomarker levels were not observed between patients with and without AKI; however, HIF-1 was higher in the group of deceased patients than in the group of survived patients (1.64±0.9 vs. 1.17±0.44 ng / ml, р=0.004), which was not observed for NТ-proBNP and erythropoietin.

Conclusion. AKI was observed in every third patient with ADCHF. In ADCHF, HIF-1 was not correlated with the kidney function; however, a relationship was found between the HIF-1 level and prediction for patients with CHF.

Actuality. In the Russian Federation, there has been an increase in the number of patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) of the III–IV functional class, who are characterized by frequent development of acute decompensation of СHF and frequent repeated hospitalizations. This dictates the need to create a system of effective control over the conduct of drug therapy and physical rehabilitation after discharge from the hospital at the outpatient stage.

Objective: to identify the differences between the two strategies for monitoringatients with CHF after decompensation and to determine the effectiveness of treatment, rehabilitation measures and life prognosis depending on the observation in the system of the specialized City Center for Treatment of CHF (Heart failure clinic) and in real outpatient practice.

Materials and methods: The study included 648 patients hospitalized with decompensation in the inpatient unit of the Center for Treatment CHF. Group 1 consisted of 412 patients who, after discharge, continued rehabilitation and follow-up in the outpatient department of the Center for Treatment CHF. Group 2–326 patients who, after discharge, preferred observation in another outpatient departments of Nizhny Novgorod.

Results: After 1 year of observation, the overall mortality rate in group 2 was 14.83 %, and in group 1–4.13 %, (odds ratio (OR) = 4.0, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 2.2–7.4; p <0.001). Cardiovascular mortality was also higher in group 2: 11.4 % versus 3.3 % (OR = 3.8, 95 % CI 2.0–7.4; p <0.001), as well as mortality from decompensation: 7.6 % versus 2.1 % (OR = 3.8, 95 % CI 1.7–8.7; p <0.001). In group 2, non-fatal cardiovascular complications were more common: 5.1 % versus 1.6 % (OR = 3.2, 95 % CI 1.2–8.3; p = 0.01), as well as fatal and nonfatal stroke, pulmonary thromboembolism, venous thromboembolic complications – 6.3 % versus 1.4 % (OR = 4.4, 95 % CI 1, 7–11.6; p <0.001). An increase in the proportion of rehospitalized patients with CHF during the year in group 2 compared with group 1 was recorded: 50.3 % and 31.8 % of patients, respectively (OR = 2.2, 95 % CI 1.5–3.2; p<0.001). Physical activity of patients who were observed in Center for Treatment CHF the was significantly higher than among patients who were treated in another outpatient departments.

Conclusion: Management of patients with CHF after decompensation in Heart failure clinic showed better results in comparison with the standard approach: the risks of general, cardiovascular mortality and nonfatal cardiovascular complications were statistically significantly lower. Patients with CHF who refused to be seen at Heart failure clinic were more often hospitalized again during the year.

Aim. To prove that diagnostic algorithm based on additional measurement of serum C-reactive protein (CRP) for administration of systemic antibacterial therapy (ABT) to patients with suspected community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and concomitant chronic heart failure (CHF) does not influence outcomes of disease.

Materials and methods. This open, single-center, randomized, prospective, noninferiority study included 160 adult patients with documented functional class II–IV CHF who had been admitted with a preliminary diagnosis of non-severe CAP. Patients were randomized at 1:1 to two groups; group 1 – with additional measurement of CRP (n=80) and group 2 – with the use of routine diagnostic methods (n=80). In group 1, systemic ABT was administered only when serum CRP was >28.5 mg / l (threshold level of the biomarker calculated at the previous stage of the study); group 2 received a standard treatment. Noninferiority test result for both algorithms was evaluated by the number of patients with clinical success on days 12–14 (primary endpoint). Non-inferiority margin was δ=–13.5 %. In addition secondary endpoints (early clinical response on days 3–5; early in-hospital adverse events (development of complications; admission to intensive care unit (ICU); death), death, recurrent CAP or CHF worsening with readmission at 28 day; mortality at 90 and 180 days) were estimated. Standard statistical tools were used for all intergroup comparisons.

Results: 76 patients of each group reached the primary endpoint. Systemic ABT was administered to 51 (67.1 %) patients in group 1 and 76 (100 %) patients in group 2 (p<0.05). Both groups were comparable (p>0.05) regarding all endpoints: clinical success, 70 (92.1 %) vs. 69 (90.8 %), Δ=1.3 % (one-sided 97.5 % CI: – 8.25 % for non-inferiority margin δ=–13.5 %); early clinical response, 66 (86.8 %) vs. 68 (89.5 %); admission to ICU, 1 (1.3 %) vs. 1 (1.3 %); development of complications, 20 (26.3 %) vs. 22 (28.9 %); readmission, 5 (6.6 %) vs. 6 (7.9 %); in-hospital mortality, 2 (2.6 %) vs. 1 (1.3 %), mortality at 28 day, 3 (3.9 %) vs. 2 (2.6 %), at 90 day, 5 (6.6 %) vs. 4 (5.3 %), at 180 day, 8 (10.5 %) vs. 9 (11.8 %) cases, respectively.

Conclusion: additional measurement of serum CRP in patients with CHF and suspected non-severe CAP was able to reduce rate of systemic ABT administration without outcomes and prognosis worsening.

Aim. To elucidate clinical and diagnostic features of chronic heart failure (CHF) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Materials and methods. The study included 239 patients with COPD and 42 patients with CHF without COPD. The first subgroup consisted of 60 patients with a history of myocardial infarction (MI) and the second subgroup consisted of 79 patients without a history of MI. A general clinical examination, EchoCG, measurements of N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), galectin 3, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) were performed for all patients.

Results. The risk group for excluding HF as a cause of progressive dyspnea in COPD patients consisted of patients with the bronchitic phenotype who belonged to GOLD groups C and D with frequent exacerbations, increased hsCRP, reduced oxygen saturation, and impaired exercise tolerance. Patients with a history of MI constituted a special group of risk. Measuring specific biomarkers, primarily BNP or NT-proBNP, is recommended to confirm the presence/absence of CHF and to evaluate CHF severity in patients with these risk factors.

Conclusion. A combination of COPD and CHF produces a number of clinical and, specifically, diagnostic problems, which have not been completely solved so far.

Relevance. Radiation therapy (RT) plays an important role in oncology, improving the immediate and long-term results of treatment of a number of tumors. One of the most significant complications of RT are lesions of the heart valves.

Objective. To study the variants of valve damage that occur in patients who received radiation therapy for cancer.

Patients and methods. A group of patients who, during the period from 1978 to 2002, underwent chemo-radiation therapy (CRT) for Hodgkin's lymphoma (LH) of 2–4 stages with damage to the intrathoracic lymph nodes: 71 patients, 60 of whom did not go to the cardiologist and were invited to be examined, 11 were hospitalized due to clinically significant cardiovascular pathology (CHF, myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, valvular defect, AV block). The study methods included: standard clinical and laboratory examination, spirometry, 24‑hour ECG monitoring, echocardiography, in some patients single-photon myocardial emission tomoscintigraphy (SPECT), and CT scan of the chest organs. In 60 patients, a stress test on an ECG-controlled treadmill was performed, in 18 patients – a maximum stress test on a treadmill with a gas analysis – ergospirometry.

Results and discussion. Valve pathology was detected in 49.3 % of cases, most often (in 46.5 %) mitral regurgitation (MR) occurred, primarily due to MR of the 1 st degree, which had no clinical significance. Pathology of the aortic valve (12.7 % of patients) was represented mainly by mild regurgitation (11.3 %). Aortic stenosis was diagnosed in 4.2 % of patients. In the studied cohort of patients, predominantly non-severe valve lesions were detected. In addition, examples of patients with clinically significant valve valvular lesions are presented.

Heart failure is one of the main health care problems all over the world. Although, there are many drugs with proven effectiveness and hi-tech devices, there is a continuous process of searching new possibilities in heart failure prophylaxis going on because of huge economic burden and impact on life quality. Developing of atrial fibrillation in heart failure patients increases the risks of hospitalization and all-cause mortality. Appearance of new Optimizer Smart® system of cardiac contractility modulation is a perspective way of treatment in patients with heart failure and atrial fibrillation, who are not a candidate or have not got a good result from cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT).

The review discusses mechanisms for the development of the pathology of the respiratory system in patients with CHF, such as various types of periodic respiration, pulmonary hypertension due to the pathology of the left chambers of the heart, and remodeling of the respiratory musculature. The role of chemo- and baroreceptors of the carotid zone, as well as the hyperactivation of the respiratory muscle metaboreflex in the development of the pathology of the respiratory system, and the mediated exacerbation of CHF are discussed.