title: Clinical trials update from the American Heart Association meeting 2009: HEAAL, FAIR-HF, J-CHF, HeartMate II, PACE and a meta-analysis of dose-ranging studies of beta-blockers in heart failure.
abstract: This article provides information and a commentary on trials relevant to the pathophysiology, prevention, and treatment of heart failure presented at the annual meeting of the American Heart Association held in Orlando, Florida in 2009. Unpublished reports should be considered as preliminary, as analyses may change in the final publication. Patients with heart failure randomized to high-dose losartan treatment (150 mg) in the HEAAL study had a reduced risk of death or heart failure hospitalization compared with patients in the low-dose (50 mg) group. In FAIR-HF, patients with heart failure and concomitant iron deficiency but without severe anaemia who received iron supplementation therapy demonstrated an improvement in symptoms at 24 weeks compared with placebo. The J-CHF study was too small and was stopped too early to provide definitive evidence about the optimal dose of carvedilol for Japanese patients with heart failure. Results from the HeartMate II study suggest that continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices may offer benefits over pulsatile-flow devices for long-term support in patients with advanced heart failure. In the PACE study, atrial synchronized right ventricular pacing induced adverse effects on left ventricular function compared with atrial synchronized biventricular pacing in patients with standard pacing indications and a normal ejection fraction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Hull York Medical School, University of Hull, Castle Hill Hospital, Cottingham, Kingston-upon-Hull HU16 5JQ, UK.
authors.forename: John G F
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Cleland
authors.forename: Alison P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Coletta
authors.forename: Nick
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Freemantle
authors.forename: Daniyal
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: Pawel
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rubis
authors.forename: Andrew L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Clark
mesh_terms: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000368:Aged; D000572:American Heart Association; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002227:Carbazoles / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000077261:Carvedilol; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy; D006353:Heart-Assist Devices; D006801:Humans; D058085:Iron Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019808:Losartan / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D015201:Meta-Analysis as Topic; D008875:Middle Aged; D011412:Propanolamines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D002227:Carbazoles; D058085:Iron Compounds; D011412:Propanolamines; D000077261:Carvedilol; D019808:Losartan