Translational and Clinical Aspects of Metabolic, Anabolic and Endothelial Dysfunction in Heart Failure

In patients with HF cardiac output, metabolism and endothelial function will be studied during and after treatment with ghrelin infusion (single dose). The following parameters will be collected: routine clinical parameters, endothelial function, cardiac structure and function by echocardiography, non-invasively assessed cardiac output and hemodynamics, serologic and of cardiac and renal function, sympathetic and RAS activation, metabolism, anabolic hormone function, inflammation, fibrosis, oxidative stress and apoptosis. 15 patients each group in are adequate to detect a difference between groups and before vs after ghrelin administration in metabolism, anabolic function and endothelial function with a power of 90% and two-sided significance of 5%.