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Objectives: Ivabradine is a selective heart rate-lowering agent that acts by inhibiting the pacemaker current If in sinoatrial node cells. Patients with coronary artery disease and left ventricular dysfunction are at high risk of death and cardiac events, and the BEAUTIFUL study was designed to evaluate the effects of ivabradine on outcome in such patients receiving optimal medical therapy. This report describes the study population at baseline. Methods: BEAUTIFUL is an international, multicentre, randomized, double-blind trial to compare ivabradine with placebo in reducing mortality and cardiovascular events in patients with stable coronary artery disease and left ventricular systolic dysfunction (ejection fraction <40%). Results: A total of 10,917 patients were randomized. At baseline, their mean age was 65 years, 83% were male, 98% Caucasian, 88% had previous myocardial infarction, 37% had diabetes, and 40% had metabolic syndrome. Mean ejection fraction was 32% and resting heart rate was 71.6 bpm. Concomitant medications included beta-blockers (87%), renin-angiotensin system agents (89%), antithrombotic agents (94%), and lipid-lowering agents (76%). Conclusions: Main results from BEAUTIFUL are expected in 2008, and should show whether ivabradine, on top of optimal medical treatment, reduces mortality and cardiovascular events in this population of high-risk patients. Copyright © 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims The impact on outcome of the implementation of European guidelines for the treatment of chronic heart failure (CHF) has not been evaluated. We investigated the consequences of adherence to care by cardiologists on the rate of CHF and cardiovascular (CV) hospitalizations and time to CV hospitalization. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: The Valsartan Heart Failure Trial (Val-HeFT) is the first large-scale randomized, multinational clinical study to assess the efficacy and safety of valsartan, an angiotensin II receptor blocker, added to conventional therapy, including angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, in heart failure patients. A total of 5010 patients with an ejection fraction <40% have been randomized to either valsartan titrated to 160 mg b.i.d. or to placebo.Aims: Baseline characteristics of patients in Val-HeFT are presented and compared with other major clinical trials in heart failure.Methods: Baseline data were collected and summary statistics calculated.Results: The study population has a mean age of 62.7 years and is 80% male, 90.3% white, 6.9% black, and 2.8% Asian. Antecedent coronary heart disease is reported in 57.2% of patients. Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors are prescribed for 92.7% of patients, diuretics for 85.8%, digoxin for 67.3%, and beta-blockers for 35.6%. Subgroup comparisons by age, sex, race and ejection fraction quartile show small differences in baseline characteristics.Conclusion: Overall the Val-HeFT population is generally representative of the population of patients with mild to moderate heart failure in industrialized countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]