title: Amino acids and derivatives, a new treatment of chronic heart failure?
abstract: Amino acids play a key role in multiple cellular processes. Amino acids availability is reduced in patients with heart failure (HF) with deleterious consequences on cardiac and whole-body metabolism. Several metabolic abnormalities have been identified in the failing heart, and many of them lead to an increased need of amino acids. Recently, several clinical trials have been conducted to demonstrate the benefits of amino acids supplementation in patients with HF. Although they have shown an improvement of exercise tolerance and, in some cases, of left ventricular function, they have many limitations, namely small sample size, differences in patients' characteristics and nutritional supplementations, and lack of data regarding outcomes. Moreover recent data suggest that a multi-nutritional approach, including also antioxidants, vitamins, and metals, may be more effective. Larger trials are needed to ascertain safety, efficacy, and impact on prognosis of such an approach in HF.
authors.affiliation: Cardiology, Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences, and Public Health, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Carubelli
authors.forename: Anna Isotta
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Castrini
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lazzarini
authors.forename: Mihai
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gheorghiade
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Metra
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lombardi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D017079:Exercise Tolerance / Q000502:physiology; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids