Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 19, 2026

Evaluation of Coronary Flow Reserve After Myocardial Ischemia Reperfusion in Rats
06:32

Evaluation of Coronary Flow Reserve After Myocardial Ischemia Reperfusion in Rats

Published on: June 28, 2019

Cerebrovascular reactivity is impaired in patients with cardiac failure

D Georgiadis1, M Sievert, S Cencetti

  • 1Department of Internal Medicine, Santa-Maria Nuova Hospital, Florence, Italy.

European Heart Journal
|February 10, 2000
PubMed

Insights

Cerebrovascular reactivity is significantly reduced in patients with cardiac failure, correlating with disease severity and impaired left ventricular ejection fraction. This finding highlights potential neurological impacts of heart dysfunction.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Cardiology
  • Physiology

Background:

  • Cardiac failure can impact systemic circulation, potentially affecting brain blood flow.
  • Understanding cerebral blood flow regulation is crucial in managing heart failure patients.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess cerebral vasoreactivity in cardiac failure patients.
  • To determine the relationship between cerebral vasoreactivity and cardiac function variables.

Main Methods:

  • Evaluated 50 heart failure patients and 40 controls using the carbon dioxide technique.
  • Continuously monitored middle cerebral artery flow velocities and end-tidal carbon dioxide.
  • Assessed reproducibility of the cerebrovascular reactivity measurement technique.

Main Results:

  • Cerebrovascular reactivity was significantly diminished in heart failure patients compared to controls.
  • Reduced reactivity was more pronounced in NYHA class IV patients versus NYHA class II and III.
  • A significant correlation was observed between cerebrovascular reactivity and left ventricular ejection fraction.

Conclusions:

  • Patients with cardiac failure exhibit significantly impaired cerebrovascular reactivity.
  • This impairment is directly related to the New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class and left ventricular ejection fraction.
Abstract

More Related Videos

Integration of Brain Tissue Saturation Monitoring in Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing in Patients with Heart Failure04:20

Integration of Brain Tissue Saturation Monitoring in Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing in Patients with Heart Failure

Published on: October 1, 2019

Dynamic Assessments of Coronary Flow Reserve after Myocardial Ischemia Reperfusion in Mice05:07

Dynamic Assessments of Coronary Flow Reserve after Myocardial Ischemia Reperfusion in Mice

Published on: August 25, 2023

Related Concept Videos

Pathophysiology of Cardiac Performance01:29

Pathophysiology of Cardiac Performance

Typical heart performance is influenced by heart rate, rhythm, myocardial contraction, and metabolism or blood flow. The cardiac muscle exhibits distinct electrophysiological features, including pacemaker activity and calcium channel control, which play a vital role in the heart's response to various drugs. The autonomic nervous system, comprising the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches, regulates heart rate. Sympathetic activation increases heart rate, while parasympathetic activation...
Pathophysiology of Heart Failure01:17

Pathophysiology of Heart Failure

Heart failure (HF) is a progressive syndrome involving ventricles that leads to inadequate cardiac output. It can be classified based on location and output or ejection fraction. Ejection fraction (EF) is an essential measurement in the diagnosis and surveillance of HF. Reduced EF corresponds to systolic heart failure (HFrEF). However, HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is becoming increasingly prevalent. Also known as diastolic HF, this form of HF is related to aging. The...
Heart Failure Drugs: Inhibitors of Renin-Angiotensin System01:26

Heart Failure Drugs: Inhibitors of Renin-Angiotensin System

The activation of the sympathetic nervous system and the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) contributes to cardiac remodeling, and inhibiting the RAAS is a pharmacological target in heart failure management. As a result, neurohumoral modulation is a crucial treatment principle for managing heart failure. This approach involves using medications like ACE inhibitors (ACEIs), angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), β-blockers, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs), and neutral...
Heart Failure Drugs: β-Blockers01:22

Heart Failure Drugs: β-Blockers

β-adrenergic antagonists, commonly known as β-blockers, block the effects of sympathetic neurotransmitters such as noradrenaline (NA) and adrenaline (ADR). They have several beneficial effects in heart failure treatment. They reduce heart rate, the force of contraction, and cardiac muscle relaxation. They also slow the atrial-ventricular conduction rate and raise the threshold for arrhythmias. The concentration of β-blockers determines their effects on bronchodilation, vasodilation, and...
Imbalances in Cardiac Output01:26

Imbalances in Cardiac Output

The heart's primary function is to pump blood throughout the body, maintaining a balance between blood sent out (cardiac output) and blood returning (venous return). If this balance is disrupted, it can result in congestive heart failure (CHF), a severe condition where the heart becomes an inefficient pump, leading to inadequate blood circulation.
CHF can occur due to the failure of either side of the heart. Left-side failure leads to pulmonary congestion—the right side continues to send blood...
Cardiac Output II: Effect of Stroke Volume on Cardiac Output01:22

Cardiac Output II: Effect of Stroke Volume on Cardiac Output

Cardiac output (CO), the amount of blood the heart pumps per minute, is a parameter in cardiovascular physiology determined by stroke volume and heart rate. Stroke volume, the amount of blood pushed from one of the ventricles per heartbeat, is influenced by preload, afterload, and contractility.
Preload
Preload refers to the initial elongation of the cardiac myocytes before contraction and is related to the volume of blood filling the heart at the end of diastole, or end-diastolic volume. The...