In patients with HF of both reduced and preserved EF, the influences of readily available predictors of mortality can be quantified in an integer score accessible by an easy-to-use website www.heartfailurerisk.org. The score has the potential for widespread implementation in a clinical setting.

Aims To determine the effect of an integrated heart failure management programme, involving patient and family, primary and secondary care, on quality of life and death or hospital readmissions in patients with chronic heart failure. Methods and ResultsThis trial was a cluster randomized, controlled trial of integrated primary/secondary care compared with usual care for patients with heart failure. The intervention involved clinical review at a hospital-based heart failure clinic early after discharge, individual and group education sessions, a personal diary to record medication and body weight, information booklets and regular clinical follow-up alternating between the general practitioner and heart failure clinic. Follow-up was for 12 months. One hundred and ninety-seven patients admitted to Auckland Hospital with an episode of heart failure were enrolled in the study. There was no significant difference between the intervention and control groups for the combined end-point of death or hospital readmission. The physical dimension of quality of life showed a greater improvement in the intervention group from baseline to 12 months compared with the control group ( 11·1 vs 5·8 respectively, 2P=0·015). The main effect of the intervention was attributable to the prevention of multiple admissions (56 intervention group vs 95 control group, 2P=0·015) and associated reduction in bed days.Conclusions This integrated management programme for patients with chronic heart failure improved quality of life and reduced total hospital admissions and total bed days.

AimThe aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between gender and survival of patients with heart failure, using data from both randomized trials and observational studies, and the relative contribution of age, left ventricular systolic function, aetiology, and diabetes to differences in prognosis between men and women. Methods and resultsData from 31 studies (41 949 patients; 28 052 men, 13 897 women) from the Meta-Analysis Global Group In Chronic Heart Failure (MAGGIC) individual patient meta-analysis were used. We performed survival analysis to assess the association of gender with mortality, adjusting for predictors of mortality, including age, reduced or preserved ejection fraction (EF), and ischaemic or non-ischaemic aetiology. Women were older [70.5 ( standard deviation 12.1) vs. 65.6 (standard deviation 11.6) years], more likely to have a history of hypertension (49.9% vs. 40.0%), and less likely to have a history of ischaemic heart disease (46.3% vs. 58.7%) and reduced EF (62.6% vs. 81.6%) compared with men. During 3 years follow-up, 3521 (25%) women and 7232 (26%) men died. After adjustment, male gender was an independent predictor of mortality, and the better prognosis associated with female gender was more marked in patients with heart failure of non-ischaemic, compared with ischaemic, aetiology (P-value for interaction ¼ 0.03) and in patients without, compared with those with, diabetes (P-value for interaction ,0.0001). ConclusionThis large, individual patient data meta-analysis has demonstrated that survival is better for women with heart failure compared with men, irrespective of EF. This survival benefit is slightly more marked in non-ischaemic heart failure but is attenuated by concomitant diabetes.--

After ingestion of red wine with alcohol the brachial artery dilated and the blood flow increased. These changes were not observed following the de-alcoholized red wine and were thus attributable to ethanol. These haemodynamic changes may have concealed an effect on flow-mediated brachial artery dilatation which did not increase after drinking red wine with alcohol. Flow-mediated dilatation of the brachial artery increased significantly after de-alcoholized red wine and this finding may support the hypothesis that antioxidant qualities of red wine, rather than ethanol in itself, may protect against cardiovascular disease.

In patients with chronic HF, the obesity paradox was present in both those with reduced and preserved ventricular systolic function. Mortality in both HF subtypes was U-shaped, with a nadir at 30.0-34.9 kg m(-2).