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A Pacing-Controlled Procedure for the Assessment of Heart Rate-Dependent Diastolic Functions in Murine Heart Failure Models
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Published on: July 21, 2023

[Management of heart failure in Piedmont Region]

Nicolò Montali1, Marco Bobbio, Enrico Cerrato

  • 1Cardiologia Universitaria Osp. Molinette (TO), Via Santorre di Santarosa 19-I-10131 Torino, Italy. nicolo.montali@gmail.com

Monaldi Archives for Chest Disease = Archivio Monaldi Per Le Malattie Del Torace
|March 7, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Outpatient chronic heart failure (CHF) management in Piedmont shows high medication use but limited instrumental evaluations. This contrasts with international guidelines, suggesting potential areas for improved diagnostic resource allocation in CHF care.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Public Health
  • Health Services Research

Context:

  • Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a growing concern in industrialized nations, marked by high incidence and reduced survival.
  • Effective medical service organization and resource management are critical challenges in managing CHF.
  • This study focuses on resource utilization for CHF in outpatient settings in Piedmont, Italy.

Purpose:

  • To quantitatively evaluate the use of diagnostic and therapeutic resources for congestive heart failure (CHF) patients in Piedmont's outpatient departments.
  • To assess the alignment of current resource use with international guidelines for CHF management.

Summary:

  • A cross-sectional study analyzed data from 547 CHF patients across 12 outpatient departments.
  • Patients had a mean age of 66.1 years, mean ejection fraction of 36.6%, with coronary artery disease being the most common etiology.
  • High rates of medication prescription (ACE inhibitors, beta-blockers, aldosterone antagonists) were observed, alongside relatively low utilization of instrumental evaluations like echocardiography and coronary angiography.

Impact:

  • Findings indicate that outpatients with chronic heart failure in Piedmont receive substantial pharmacotherapy.
  • The study highlights a lower-than-recommended number of instrumental diagnostic evaluations for CHF patients.
  • This suggests a potential gap between current clinical practice and international guidelines, impacting resource allocation and patient care optimization.
Abstract

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