Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text Freely available
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (20)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Davey, P.P.
Right arrow Articles by Ashrafian, H.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Davey, P.P.
Right arrow Articles by Ashrafian, H.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Q J Med 2000; 93: 305-311
© 2000 Association of Physicians

Commentary

New therapies for heart failure: is thalidomide the answer?

P.P. Davey and H. Ashrafian

From the Nuffield Department of Medicine, Oxford University, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK

The syndrome of advanced heart failure is associated with considerable morbidity and mortality. Ideas about the reasons for the progressive nature of the heart failure syndrome have changed over the years, with the initial view that progression was principally due to pump failure (the ‘haemodynamic’ hypothesis), giving way to more modern views, which implicate neuro-endocrine activation (including catecholamine excess, renin-angiotensin system activation, etc.). More recently, an excess of inflammatory cytokines has been found in advanced heart failure and implicated in the progression of the disease. Amongst the cytokines found, TNF-{alpha} seems to be particularly important. The principle therapeutic action of thalidomide appears to be reduction of TNF-{alpha} levels. We therefore suggest that there may be a role for thalidomide, or its derivatives, in the management of advanced heart failure.

Address correspondence to Dr P.P. Davey, Nuffield Department of Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9DY. e-mail: patrick.davey{at}ndm.ox.ac.uk


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 J Am Coll CardiolHome page
J. E. Fildes, S. M. Shaw, N. Yonan, and S. G. Williams
The Immune System and Chronic Heart Failure: Is the Heart in Control?
J. Am. Coll. Cardiol., March 24, 2009; 53(12): 1013 - 1020.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.