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Systolic heart failure is associated with immune system activation. In preclinical studies, reinjection of autologous blood that has been subjected to ex vivo oxidative stress has favorably modified levels of inflammatory cytokines and attenuated cell death; in a small 6-month pilot study in patients with moderate-to-severe congestive heart failure, this technique lowered all-cause mortality and hospitalization. In a larger test of this concept, researchers randomized 2085 optimally treated patients with NYHA class 2 to 4 CHF (left ventricular ejection fraction <30%) to receive monthly intramuscular injections of either oxidatively stressed anticoagulated whole blood or saline placebo. The maker of the oxidative-stress equipment, which was …