@article{VoellerBindlNagelsetal.2022,
  author    = {V{\"o}ller, Heinz and Bindl, Dominik and Nagels, Klaus and Hofmann, Reiner and Vettorazzi, Eik and Wegscheider, Karl and Fleck, Eckart and St{\"o}rk, Stefan and Nagel, Eckhard},
  title     = {The first year of noninvasive remote telemonitoring in chronic heart failure is not cost saving but improves quality of life: the randomized controlled cardiobbeat trial},
  series = {Telemedicine and e-health},
  volume    = {28},
  journal   = {Telemedicine and e-health},
  number    = {11},
  publisher = {Liebert},
  address   = {New Rochelle},
  issn      = {1530-5627},
  doi       = {10.1089/tmj.2022.0021},
  pages     = {1613 -- 1622},
  year      = {2022},
  abstract  = {Introduction: Remote telemonitoring (RTM) for patients with chronic heart failure (HF) holds promise to improve prognosis and well-being beyond the standard of care (SoC). The CardioBBEAT trial assessed the health economic and clinical impact of an interactive bidirectional RTM system (Motiva(R)) versus SoC for patients with HF and a reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), in Germany.Methods: This multicenter, randomized controlled trial enrolled 621 patients with HFrEF (mean age 63.0 +/- 11.5 years, 88\% men). The primary endpoint was the integrated effect of the intervention on total costs and nonhospitalized days alive after 12 months, reported as incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER). Costs (in keuro) were based on actual charges of patients' statutory health insurance. Among secondary outcome measures were mortality and disease-specific quality of life.Results: We found a neutral effect on nonhospitalized days alive (RTM mean 341 +/- 59 days, SoC 346 +/- 45 days; p = 0.298) associated with increased total costs (RTM 18.5 +/- 39.5 keuro, SoC 12.8 +/- 22.0 keuro; p = 0.046). This yielded an ICER of -1.15 keuro/day. RTM did not impact mortality risk. All quality of life scales were consistently and meaningfully improved in the RTM group at 12 months compared to SoC (all p < 0.01).Conclusions: The first 12 months of RTM were not cost-effective compared to SoC in patients with HFrEF, but associated with a relevant improvement in disease-specific quality of life. The balanced assessment of the potential benefit of RTM requires integration of both the societal and patient perspective.ClinTrials.gov (NCT02293252).},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{HeringerWaltherMoreiraWesseletal.2006,
  author    = {Heringer-Walther, Silvia and Moreira, Maria da Consolacao V. and Wessel, Niels and Wang, Yong and Ventura, Pago Moreira and Schultheiss, Heinz-Peter and Walther, Thomas},
  title     = {Does the C-type natriuretic peptide have prognostic value in Chagas disease and other dilated cardiomyopathies},
  series = {Journal of cardiovascular pharmacology},
  volume    = {48},
  journal   = {Journal of cardiovascular pharmacology},
  number    = {6},
  publisher = {Lippincott Williams \& Wilkins},
  address   = {Philadelphia},
  issn      = {0160-2446},
  doi       = {10.1097/01.fjc.0000249892.22635.46},
  pages     = {293 -- 298},
  year      = {2006},
  abstract  = {Atrial natriuretic peptides (ANP) and brain natriuretic peptides (BNP) are powerful neurohormonal indicators of left-ventricular function and prognosis in heart failure (HF). Chagas disease (CD) caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi. remains a major cause of HF in Latin America. We assessed whether the plasma concentration of the third natriuretic peptide, C-type natnuretic peptide (CNP), also has diagnostic and prognostic properties in patients with CD or other dilated cardiomyopathies (DCM). Blood samples were obtained from 66 patients with CD, 50 patients with DCM from other causes, and 30 gender- and age-matched healthy subjects. Patients were subdivided according to the New York Heart Association (NYHA) class. The CNP concentration was determined by radioimmunoassay (Immundiagnostik, Bensheim, Germany). The main duration of follow-up was 31.4 months (range 13 to 54 months), 19 patients had died and 11 patients received a heart transplant. CNP concentrations were only significantly altered in patients with DCM or CD of the NYHA classes III and IV (P < 0.05). The Pearson correlation of echocardiographic data with CNP revealed an association only with the left-ventricular end systolic volume (P = 0.03) in patients with DCM. Furthermore, CNP did not predict mortality or the necessity for heart transplant. Our data are the first to demonstrate the raised levels of the third natriuretic peptide CNP in CD and other DCM Whereas ANP and BNP have a high predictive value for mortality in both diseases, CNP is without any predictive potency.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{TschornKuhlmannRieckmannetal.2020,
  author    = {Tschorn, Mira and Kuhlmann, Stella Linnea and Rieckmann, Nina and Beer, Katja and Grosse, Laura and Arolt, Volker and Waltenberger, Johannes and Haverkamp, Wilhelm and M{\"u}ller-Nordhorn, Jacqueline and Hellweg, Rainer and Str{\"o}hle, Andreas},
  title     = {Brain-derived neurotrophic factor, depressive symptoms and somatic comorbidity in patients with coronary heart disease},
  series = {Acta Neuropsychiatrica},
  volume    = {33},
  journal   = {Acta Neuropsychiatrica},
  number    = {1},
  publisher = {Cambridge Univ. Press},
  address   = {Cambridge},
  issn      = {1601-5215},
  doi       = {10.1017/neu.2020.31},
  pages     = {22 -- 30},
  year      = {2020},
  abstract  = {Objective: Depression and coronary heart disease (CHD) are highly comorbid conditions. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays an important role in cardiovascular processes. Depressed patients typically show decreased BDNF concentrations. We analysed the relationship between BDNF and depression in a sample of patients with CHD and additionally distinguished between cognitive-affective and somatic depression symptoms. We also investigated whether BDNF was associated with somatic comorbidity burden, acute coronary syndrome (ACS) or congestive heart failure (CHF). Methods: The following variables were assessed for 225 hospitalised patients with CHD: BDNF concentrations, depression [Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9)], somatic comorbidity (Charlson Comorbidity Index), CHF, ACS, platelet count, smoking status and antidepressant treatment. Results: Regression models revealed that BDNF was not associated with severity of depression. Although depressed patients (PHQ-9 score >7) had significantly lower BDNF concentrations compared to non-depressed patients (p = 0.04), this was not statistically significant after controlling for confounders (p = 0.15). Cognitive-affective symptoms and somatic comorbidity burden each closely missed a statistically significant association with BDNF concentrations (p = 0.08, p = 0.06, respectively). BDNF was reduced in patients with CHF (p = 0.02). There was no covariate-adjusted, significant association between BDNF and ACS. Conclusion: Serum BDNF concentrations are associated with cardiovascular dysfunction. Somatic comorbidities should be considered when investigating the relationship between depression and BDNF.},
  language  = {en}
}