Abstract

For a majority of patients with advanced heart failure, there is a need for complementary, non-pharmacologic interventions that could be easily implemented by health care providers to provide palliative care. Three major pathologic pathways underlying heart failure symptoms have been identified: fluid overload, inflammation, and oxidative stress. Prior research has demonstrated that three nutrients-sodium, omega-3 fatty acids, and lycopene-can alter these pathologic pathways. Therefore, the purposes of this study are to test the effects of a 6-month nutrition intervention of dietary sodium reduction combined with supplementation of lycopene and omega-3 fatty acids on heart failure symptoms, health-related quality of life, and time to heart failure rehospitalization or all-cause death. The aims of this double blind-placebo controlled study are (1) to determine the effects of a 6-month nutrition intervention on symptom burden (edema, shortness of air, and fatigue) and health-related quality of life at 3 and 6 months, and time to heart failure rehospitalization or all-cause death over 12 months from baseline; (2) compare dietary sodium intake, inflammation, and markers of oxidative stress between the nutrition intervention group and a placebo group at 3 and 6 months; and (3) compare body weight, serum lycopene, and erythrocyte omega-3 index between the nutrition intervention group and a placebo group at 3 and 6 months. A total of 175 patients with advanced heart failure will be randomized to either the nutrition intervention or placebo group.

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

4-2013

Notes/Citation Information

Published in Research in Nursing & Health, v. 36, issue 2, p. 120-145.

Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc

This is the accepted version of the following article: Lennie, T. A., Moser, Debra. K., Biddle, M. J., Welsh, D., Bruckner, G. G., Thomas, D. T., Rayens, M. K. and Bailey, A. L. (2013), Nutrition intervention to decrease symptoms in patients with advanced heart failure. Research in Nursing & Health, 36: 120-145, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1002/nur.21524. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.1002/nur.21524

Funding Information

This application was supported in part by National Institutes of Health grants: R01NR009280, R01NR008567, and 1P20NR010679 from National Institute of Nursing Research; and UL1RR033173 [TL1 RR033172, KL2 RR033171] from the National Center for Research Resources.

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