Abstract
In a group of 13 patients with severe heart failure, both forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) significantly improved after intensive medical therapy (FVC: from 77 +/- 17 to 92 +/- 20%, p < 0.001; FEV1: from 65 +/- 15 to 81 +/- 15%, p < 0.001) in the absence of change in M-mode echo cardiac dimension and left ventricular systolic function; on the other hand, a change of indices of left ventricular filling by Doppler transmitral flow was documented (E/A ratio: from 3.6 +/- 1.2 to 1.65 +/- 1.5, p < 0.01; early filling deceleration time: from 94 +/- 39 to 178 +/- 78 ms, p < 0.01), indicating a reduction of pulmonary capillary pressure; this probably positively affected pulmonary interstitial edema and bronchial wall congestion, thus enhancing pulmonary function.
MeSH terms
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Adult
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Aged
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Captopril / therapeutic use
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Cardiovascular Agents / therapeutic use*
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Digoxin / therapeutic use
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Dobutamine / therapeutic use
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Drug Therapy, Combination
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Echocardiography, Doppler / drug effects*
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Forced Expiratory Volume / drug effects*
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Forced Expiratory Volume / physiology
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Furosemide / therapeutic use
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Heart Failure / diagnostic imaging
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Heart Failure / drug therapy*
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Heart Failure / physiopathology
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Hemodynamics / drug effects*
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Hemodynamics / physiology
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Humans
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Isosorbide Dinitrate / analogs & derivatives
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Isosorbide Dinitrate / therapeutic use
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Male
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Middle Aged
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Nitroglycerin / therapeutic use
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Nitroprusside / therapeutic use
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Vasodilator Agents / therapeutic use
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Vital Capacity / drug effects*
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Vital Capacity / physiology
Substances
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Cardiovascular Agents
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Vasodilator Agents
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Nitroprusside
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Dobutamine
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Digoxin
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Furosemide
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Captopril
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Nitroglycerin
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Isosorbide Dinitrate
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isosorbide-5-mononitrate