INTRODUCCIÓN: REVISIÓN CRITICA DEL PROBLEMA

CAPÍTULO IV
associations between these levels and clinical status. In particular, we have
sought to ascertain any relationship that might exist between AGE–RAGE levels
and ischaemic aetiology in HF.
Methods
a) Study population
We measured plasma concentrations of AGE and RAGE in 103 consecutive
outpatients attending the HF consulting room of a tertiary hospital (Santiago
University Clinical Hospital, Spain), between July 2008 and April 2009, who
satisfied the following predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. To be included, a
patient had to have a confirmed diagnosis of HF based on clinical criteria and a
structural and/or functional heart anomaly detectable by echocardiography,
according to the diagnostic criteria for HF proposed by the European Society of
Cardiology 6 . Patients with chronic inflammatory or malignant diseases, acute
coronary syndrome and/or who had undergone myocardial revascularization in the
previous three months, were excluded, as were patients with severe kidney
dysfunction, classified according to the criteria of the National Kidney
Foundation 288 [estimated glomerular filtration rate < 30 mL/min/1.73 m2 using the
modification of diet in renal disease 4 (MDRD-4) formula 261 ]. Written informed
consent was obtained from each included subject according to the protocol
approved by the Ethics Committee for Human Studies at Galicia (Spanish region).
For all included patients, detailed information was gathered from medical history
and appropriate physical examination and recorded in a database. In addition,
blood samples were obtained for local laboratory analysis (haemogram, basic
biochemistry and coagulation rate, lipid and thyroid hormone profiles, as well as
specialized parameters such as levels of glycosylated haemoglobin, N terminal pro
brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and cystatin C). An electrocardiogram and
echocardiogram were also performed on each patient at the same visit. Left
ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was calculated according to the modified
Simpson’s method.
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