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Aim. To study the effectiveness of virtual reality (VR) relaxation to correct symptoms of depression, anxiety, emotional and cognitive disorders in patients with heart failure (HF).Material and methods. The study included 100 patients with HF aged 21 to 83 years. A main group of 58 people was randomly selected, each of whom received a course of 5 daily VR sessions of a relaxation program. Patients in the control group underwent VR sessions containing distracting visual images without a relaxation program. During the study, mental status of all patients was assessed using questionnaires sensitive to the cognitive and emotional areas.Results. After completing five daily VR sessions with a relaxation program, patients with HF noted a decrease in stress (p=0,031) and improved sleep (p=0,002), and 2 days after completing the VR course — improved well-being (p=0,006), mood (p=0,001), sleep (p=0,003) and decreased stress (p=0,005). In addition, patients in the main group had improved daily activities (p=0,004), pain/discomfort (p=0,007), anxiety/depression (p=0,016) and general well-being (p=0,009).Conclusion. VR relaxation is effective for reducing stress, improving mental status and cognitive functioning in patients with HF.

Acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) is based on multilevel pathological pathways, which include hemodynamic overload and venous stasis. Determination of the volemic status is one of the most important tasks in managing such patients. Despite the availability of modern diagnostic markers (physical examination, chest x-ray, and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) assessment), they do not accurately assess the degree of fluid overload, and therefore there remains a need to find a new, accurate and simple technology for assessing pulmonary congestion. The urgency of this problem has led to the development of a novel non-invasive remote dielectric sensing (ReDS) technology, which is a quantitative method for measuring the total volume of lung fluid by determining the tissue dielectric properties. The use of this technology makes it possible to quickly, non-invasively and quantitatively measure the fluid content in the lungs, makes it possible to optimize the treatment regimen and reduces the number of readmissions. This article presents the results of studies on the efficacy, safety and prospects for using a ReDS technology for the quantitative measurement of total lung fluid in patients with ADHF.

Heart failure (HF) and atrial fibrillation (AF) are the most common cardiovascular conditions in clinical practice and frequently coexist. The number of patients with HF and AF is increasing every year.Aim. To analyze the effect of clinical course and management of HF and AF on the outcomes.Material and methods. The data of 1,003 patients from the first Russian register of patients with HF and AF (RIF-CHF) were analyzed. The endpoints included hospitalization due to decompensated HF, cardiovascular mortality, thromboembolic events, and major bleeding. Predictors of unfavorable outcomes were analyzed separately for patients with HF with preserved ejection fraction (AF+HFpEF), mid-range ejection fraction (AF+HFmrEF), and reduced ejection fraction (AF+HFrEF).Results. Among all patients with HF, 39% had HFpEF, 15% — HFmrEF, and 46% — HFrEF. A total of 57,2% of patients were rehospitalized due to decompensated HF within one year. Hospitalization risk was the highest for HFmrEF patients (66%, p=0,017). Reduced ejection fraction was associated with the increased risk of cardiovascular mortality (15,5% vs 5,4% in other groups, p

Chronic heart failure (CHF) and atrial fibrillation (AF) can rightly be called the epidemic of the XXI century, which are associated with high morbidity and mortality of patients. Common risk factors and pathophysiological mechanisms explain the frequent combination of CHF and AF. So far, a number of issues related to management of these patients, remains unresolved. Data on compliance with clinical guidelines and the prevalence of long-term anticoagulant therapy in this group of patients in our country is limited. The first Russian register of CHF and AF (RIF-CHF) is initiated in order to better address this problem. The results allow to develop the most rational therapeutic and diagnostic strategies and, ultimately, to improve the clinical outcomes of such severe patients.

Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MCRA) are part of standard medical therapy for heart failure (HF). The clinical efficacy of MCRA in patients with systolic HF has been proven by randomized clinical trials. The efficacy of this drug group in patients with chronic HF with preserved left ventricular systolic function and the advent and practical introductions of safer new-generation MCRA remain to be answered.