Early Use of Ivabradine in Heart Failure

ST2 serum level

Repeated ST2 measurements appeared to be a strong predictor of outcome especially in patients with acute HF. Also, ST2 levels in patients with acute HF are significantly higher than in patients with chronic HF and fall rapidly over days to weeks during HF treatment. This lack of reduction in ST2 level during acute HF treatment is predictive of mortality. So, persistently high levels of ST2 were associated with increased mortality risk

Time frame: 3 months

The effect on patient quality of life using Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire

The questionnaire is comprised of 21 important physical, emotional and socioeconomic ways heart failure can adversely affect a patient's life. the patient marks a 0 (zero) to 5 scale to indicate how much each itemized adverse of heart failure has prevented the patient from living as he or she wanted to live during the past 4 weeks. it is simply scored by summation of all 21 responses.The simple sum of the responses that ranges from 0 to 105 is a measurement of heart failure severity as indicated by its adverse effect on the respondent's life during the past month

Time frame: 3 months of follow-up.

NYHA class assessment

This classification provides a simple way of classifying the extent of heart failure. It classifies patients in one of four categories based on their limitations during physical activity; the limitations/symptoms are in regard to normal breathing and varying degrees in shortness of breath

Time frame: 3 months

Heart rate

Measuring heart rate

Time frame: 3 months