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Gary S Francis

Publications and source records attributed to Gary S Francis.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2007

Risk stratification for patients undergoing nonurgent percutaneous coronary intervention using N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide: a Clopidogrel for the Reduction of Events During Observation (CREDO) substudy.

BACKGROUND: The utility of N-terminal pro-BNP (NT-proBNP) measurement as a prognostic marker during nonurgent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has been suggested in several studies. The comparative prognostic values between NT-proBNP levels and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in the nonurgent PCI setting are unclear. METHODS: CREDO was a double blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial comparing 2 clopidogrel regimens before and after nonurgent PCI. Baseline NT-proBNP levels and LVEF were measured in 1468 subjects using the Roche Elecsys proBNP assay (Roche Diagnostics, Indianapolis, IN), and the 1-year combined end point of death/myocardial infarction (MI)/stroke was analyzed according to NT-proBNP quartiles in impaired and preserved LVEF. RESULTS: In this patient cohort (mean age 61.6 +/- 10 years, 22% with LVEF < 50%), the median NT-proBNP level was 131 pg/mL. Increasing quartiles of NT-proBNP were associated with a higher rate of death, MI, and the combined end point (but not stroke) at 1 year, including those with LVEF > or = 50% (P < .001 for trend). This prognostic power for death and MI remained robust even when adjusted for other clinical or biochemical markers including cardiac troponin, creatinine clearance, and high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hazard ratio 1.249, P = .006). Despite its robust prognostic value, baseline NT-proBNP levels did not identify patients with enhanced benefit from pre-procedural and prolonged clopidogrel therapy. CONCLUSIONS: In patients undergoing a nonurgent PCI, NT-proBNP levels may provide important prognostic value for death and MI, even in patients with preserved cardiac function, However, NT-proBNP levels were unable to identify patients with enhanced benefit from pre-procedural and prolonged clopidogrel therapy.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

Enhanced external counterpulsation improves exercise tolerance in patients with chronic heart failure.

OBJECTIVES: The PEECH (Prospective Evaluation of Enhanced External Counterpulsation in Congestive Heart Failure) study assessed the benefits of enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) in the treatment of patients with mild-to-moderate heart failure (HF). BACKGROUND: Enhanced external counterpulsation reduced angina symptoms and extended time to exercise-induced ischemia in patients with coronary artery disease, angina, and normal left ventricular function. A small pilot study and registry analysis suggested benefits in patients with HF. METHODS: We randomized 187 subjects with mild-to-moderate symptoms of HF to either EECP and protocol-defined pharmacologic therapy (PT) or PT alone. Two co-primary end points were pre-defined: the percentage of subjects with a 60 s or more increase in exercise duration and the percentage of subjects with at least 1.25 ml/min/kg increase in peak volume of oxygen uptake (VO2) at 6 months. RESULTS: By the primary intent-to-treat analysis, 35% of subjects in the EECP group and 25% of control subjects increased exercise time by at least 60 s (p = 0.016) at 6 months. However, there was no between-group difference in peak VO2 changes. New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class improved in the active treatment group at 1 week (p < 0.01), 3months (p < 0.02), and 6 months (p < 0.01). The Minnesota Living with Heart Failure score improved significantly 1 week (p < 0.02) and 3 months after treatment (p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: In this randomized, single-blinded study, EECP improved exercise tolerance, quality of life, and NYHA functional classification without an accompanying increase in peak VO2.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

Heart failure, chronic diuretic use, and increase in mortality and hospitalization: an observational study using propensity score methods.

AIMS: Non-potassium-sparing diuretics are commonly used in heart failure (HF). They activate the neurohormonal system, and are potentially harmful. Yet, the long-term effects of chronic diuretic use in HF are largely unknown. We retrospectively analysed the Digitalis Investigation Group (DIG) data to determine the effects of diuretics on HF outcomes. METHODS AND RESULTS: Propensity scores for diuretic use were calculated for each of the 7788 DIG participants using a non-parsimonious multivariable logistic regression model, and were used to match 1391 (81%) no-diuretic patients with 1391 diuretic patients. Effects of diuretics on mortality and hospitalization at 40 months of median follow-up were assessed using matched Cox regression models. All-cause mortality was 21% for no-diuretic patients and 29% for diuretic patients [hazard ratio (HR) 1.31; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.11-1.55; P = 0.002]. HF hospitalizations occurred in 18% of no-diuretic patients and 23% of diuretic patients (HR 1.37; 95% CI 1.13-1.65; P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Chronic diuretic use was associated with increased long-term mortality and hospitalizations in a wide spectrum of ambulatory chronic systolic and diastolic HF patients. The findings of the current study challenge the wisdom of routine chronic use of diuretics in HF patients who are asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic without fluid retention, and are on complete neurohormonal blockade. These findings, based on a non-randomized design, need to be further studied in randomized trials.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction: recommendations on triage of patients to heart attack centers: is it time for a national policy for the treatment of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction?

Despite substantial progress in the diagnosis and treatment of acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), implementation of this knowledge into routine clinical practice has been variable. It has become increasing clear that primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is the preferred method of reperfusion if it can be performed in a timely manner. Recent European data suggest that transfer for direct PCI may also be preferable to fibrinolytic therapy. We believe it is time to establish a national policy for treatment of patients with STEMI to develop a coordinated system of care similar to that of the level 1 trauma system.

Electrocardiography↗
PubMed2005

Evaluation study of congestive heart failure and pulmonary artery catheterization effectiveness: the ESCAPE trial.

CONTEXT: Pulmonary artery catheters (PACs) have been used to guide therapy in multiple settings, but recent studies have raised concerns that PACs may lead to increased mortality in hospitalized patients. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether PAC use is safe and improves clinical outcomes in patients hospitalized with severe symptomatic and recurrent heart failure. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: The Evaluation Study of Congestive Heart Failure and Pulmonary Artery Catheterization Effectiveness (ESCAPE) was a randomized controlled trial of 433 patients at 26 sites conducted from January 18, 2000, to November 17, 2003. Patients were assigned to receive therapy guided by clinical assessment and a PAC or clinical assessment alone. The target in both groups was resolution of clinical congestion, with additional PAC targets of a pulmonary capillary wedge pressure of 15 mm Hg and a right atrial pressure of 8 mm Hg. Medications were not specified, but inotrope use was explicitly discouraged. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary end point was days alive out of the hospital during the first 6 months, with secondary end points of exercise, quality of life, biochemical, and echocardiographic changes. RESULTS: Severity of illness was reflected by the following values: average left ventricular ejection fraction, 19%; systolic blood pressure, 106 mm Hg; sodium level, 137 mEq/L; urea nitrogen, 35 mg/dL (12.40 mmol/L); and creatinine, 1.5 mg/dL (132.6 micromol/L). Therapy in both groups led to substantial reduction in symptoms, jugular venous pressure, and edema. Use of the PAC did not significantly affect the primary end point of days alive and out of the hospital during the first 6 months (133 days vs 135 days; hazard ratio [HR], 1.00 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 0.82-1.21]; P = .99), mortality (43 patients [10%] vs 38 patients [9%]; odds ratio [OR], 1.26 [95% CI, 0.78-2.03]; P = .35), or the number of days hospitalized (8.7 vs 8.3; HR, 1.04 [95% CI, 0.86-1.27]; P = .67). In-hospital adverse events were more common among patients in the PAC group (47 [21.9%] vs 25 [11.5%]; P = .04). There were no deaths related to PAC use, and no difference for in-hospital plus 30-day mortality (10 [4.7%] vs 11 [5.0%]; OR, 0.97 [95% CI, 0.38-2.22]; P = .97). Exercise and quality of life end points improved in both groups with a trend toward greater improvement with the PAC, which reached significance for the time trade-off at all time points after randomization. CONCLUSIONS: Therapy to reduce volume overload during hospitalization for heart failure led to marked improvement in signs and symptoms of elevated filling pressures with or without the PAC. Addition of the PAC to careful clinical assessment increased anticipated adverse events, but did not affect overall mortality and hospitalization. Future trials should test noninvasive assessments with specific treatment strategies that could be used to better tailor therapy for both survival time and survival quality as valued by patients.

Catheterization, Swan-Ganz↗
PubMed2005

Pathophysiologic targets in the early phase of acute heart failure syndromes.

An episode of acute heart failure syndromes (AHFS) can be defined as a rapid or gradual onset of signs and symptoms of heart failure (HF) in hospital admission and can arise from a variety of pathophysiologic mechanisms. This article reviews our current understanding of the pathophysiology of AHFS in order to identify potential therapeutic targets. Most patients with AHFS present with either normal systolic blood pressure or elevated blood pressure. Patients who present with elevated systolic blood pressure usually have pulmonary congestion and a relatively preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), and have symptoms that typically develop abruptly, these patients often are elderly women. Patients with normal systolic blood pressure presenting with systemic congestion and reduced LVEF are usually younger, with a history of chronic HF, and have symptoms that develop gradually over days or weeks. Accordingly, most episodes of AHFS can be classified as either "vascular" failure or "cardiac" failure. In addition to the abnormal hemodynamics (increase in pulmonary capillary wedge pressure and/or decrease in cardiac output) that characterize patients with AHFS, myocardial injury--which may be related to a decrease in coronary perfusion and/or further activation of neurohormones and renal dysfunction (ie, the cardiorenal syndrome)--probably contributes to short-term and post-discharge cardiac events. Patients with AHFS also have significant cardiac and non-cardiac underlying conditions that contribute to the pathogenesis of AHFS, including coronary artery disease (ischemia, hibernating myocardium, and endothelial dysfunction), hypertension, atrial fibrillation, and type 2 diabetes mellitus. The goals of therapy for AHFS should be not only to improve symptoms and hemodynamics, but also to preserve or improve renal function and prevent myocardial damage.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2005

ACC/AHA 2005 Guideline Update for the Diagnosis and Management of Chronic Heart Failure in the Adult: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines (Writing Committee to Update the 2001 Guidelines for the Evaluation and Management of Heart Failure): developed in collaboration with the American College of Chest Physicians and the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation: endorsed by the Heart Rhythm Society.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Heart rate response during dipyridamole stress as a predictor of mortality in patients with normal myocardial perfusion and normal electrocardiograms.

Although it is well established that a blunted chronotropic response to exercise is associated with a higher risk of death, recent data suggest a similar association between mortality risk and blunted heart rate response to vasodilatory stress. We investigated the heart rate response to dipyridamole-induced stress as a predictor of death in the setting of normal myocardial perfusion and a normal electrocardiogram. We followed 1,087 patients for 8 years (range 5.7 to 11.8) who underwent dipyridamole vasodilator stress and had normal perfusion scans and electrocardiograms. None had heart failure, known left ventricular systolic dysfunction, pacemaker implantation, or valve disease. Heart rate response was assessed as the ratio of heart rate at peak stress to heart rate at rest. The primary end point was all-cause mortality. Quartile values for the peak-to-rest heart rate ratio were <1.19, 1.19 to 1.30, 1.31 to 1.44, and >1.44. There were 246 deaths. Death rates according to quartiles of heart rate ratio were 103 of 271 (38%), 64 of 272 (24%), 52 of 272 (19%), and 27 of 272 (10%). After adjusting for age, gender, heart rate at rest, blood pressure response, standard cardiovascular risk factors, and other confounders, a blunted heart rate response remained predictive of death (adjusted hazard ratio for lowest vs highest quartile 3.3, 95% confidence interval 2.1 to 5.1, p <0.0001). When considered as a continuous variable, the logarithm of the heart rate ratio was the strongest predictor of death, aside from age. Thus, among patients who have normal myocardial perfusion and normal electrocardiograms, a blunted heart rate response to vasodilator stress is predictive of a marked increase in risk of death.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

Why do patients fail to receive beta-blockers for chronic heart failure over time? A "real-world" single-center, 2-year follow-up experience of beta-blocker therapy in patients with chronic heart failure.

BACKGROUND: The longitudinal pattern of beta-blocker use in a heart-failure practice setting has not been explored. Previous studies have not specifically addressed the use of beta-blockers over time to determine the rate of use and reasons for discontinuation. The long-term compliance rate for beta-blocker drugs outside the context of a clinical trial has not been established. METHODS: We prospectively followed a cohort of 500 consecutive patients between March and May 2001, with a clinical diagnosis of chronic heart failure seen in a specialized heart failure clinic and determined the longitudinal pattern of beta-blocker use and clinical outcomes over a 2-year period. RESULTS: The final cohort consists of 340 patients with a complete 2-year follow-up data (mean age 61 +/- 14 years, 69% men, 53% with ischemic etiology, mean ejection fraction 27.6 +/- 15%). At 6, 12, and 24 months, beta-blocker utilization rates were maintained in 69%, 70%, and 74% of patients, respectively. Of the 120 confirmed initial non-beta-blocker users, 28 (23%) were subsequently started on beta-blocker, despite suspected relative contraindications in 53% of patients. Over a period of 2 years, the discontinuation rate was 10%, with failure to restart a beta-blocker after hospitalization as the most common reason for beta-blocker discontinuation. CONCLUSION: Utilization rates of beta-blockers in our heart failure clinic have remained constant at approximately 70% throughout a 2-year follow-up. Of those who discontinued beta-blockers (10%), the most common documented cause was failure to restart beta-blockers after hospitalization.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗
PubMed2005

Treating heart failure with enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP): design of the Prospective Evaluation of EECP in Heart Failure (PEECH) trial.

BACKGROUND: Enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) treatment can improve exercise tolerance in patients with ischemic heart disease; however, the possible benefits of EECP in patients with stable heart failure (HF) and left ventricular dysfunction (LVD) are unclear. An open pilot study showed significant increases in exercise tolerance in HF patients undergoing EECP. Thus a larger, controlled study of EECP in patients with stable HF (New York Heart Association [NYHA] classes II and III) and LVD was undertaken. METHODS AND RESULTS: The PEECH trial is a controlled, randomized, single-blind, parallel-group, multicenter study of 187 patients with symptomatic but stable HF (NYHA classes II and III) and an LV ejection fraction < or =35% was designed to assess the efficiency of EECP in patients with stable HF. Medical therapy is optimized in all patients based on the recommendations of the Heart Failure Society of America ("Usual Care"), and then randomized between 2 treatment groups; UC or EECP (35 hours over 7 weeks). CONCLUSION: Efficacy measures include standard exercise tolerance tests on a treadmill (modified Naughton protocol), with measurements of peak oxygen uptake and exercise duration time; quality of life questionnaires; NYHA classification; and neurohormonal markers of HF.

Counterpulsation↗
PubMed2005

Comparative sensitivities between different plasma B-type natriuretic peptide assays in patients with minimally symptomatic heart failure.

Plasma B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) assays have become widely used to diagnose and manage patients with heart failure. However, differences in assay characteristics may have important implications when BNP is used as a screening test for heart failure at a specific cutoff value. We performed a prospective comparison of 2 commercially available assays--one that is a laboratory-based, microparticle enzyme immunoassay (MEIA) that uses EDTA plasma specimens and one that is a point-of-care (POC), single-use fluorescence immunoassay that uses EDTA--anticoagulated whole blood or plasma specimens-in patients with heart failure and healthy controls. Despite the overall concordance between different SNP assays for the diagnosis of heart failure, their sensitivities may differ when compared at the approved diagnostic cutoff value of 100 pg/mL. At this cutoff value, the MEIA on AxSYM demonstrated greater sensitivity than POC Triage BNP assay in minimally symptomatic patients with heart failure. Therefore, for screening purposes, cutoff values for plasma BNP or N-terminal pro-BNP levels should be specific for each assay to optimize test performance. These findings suggest that there is a relationship between the decision statistics used in screening for left ventricular dysfunction and the type of diagnostic assay used.

Adult↗