The emerging challenge of endocarditis after transcatheter aortic valve implantation: time for innovative treatment approaches.

SUMMARYInfective endocarditis (IE) is a life-threatening infection that has nearly doubled in prevalence over the last two decades due to the increase in implantable cardiac devices. Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is currently one of the most common cardiac procedures. TAVI usage continues to exponentially rise, inevitability increasing TAVI-IE.

Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) in the Management of Heart Failure: A Narrative Review.

Assessing for volume overload is a key component of both short and long-term management of heart failure patients. Physical examination findings are neither sensitive nor specific for detecting congestion, and subclinical congestion may not be evident at the time of examination. Point of care ultrasound (POCUS) is an efficient and non-invasive way to assess heart failure patients for volume overload.

Sacubitril/Valsartan and Cognitive Outcomes in Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction.

Background: Recent trial data refute concerns about neurocognitive off-target effects of neprilysin inhibition with sacubitril and suggest benefit in patients with heart failure and ejection fraction >40%. We hypothesized that sacubitril/valsartan is associated with improved cognitive outcomes in patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to compare 3-year cognitive outcomes in patients with HFrEF who receive sacubitril/valsartan vs angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs).

Thromboembolism in peripartum cardiomyopathy: a systematic review.

Background: Women with peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) are at an increased risk of arterial and venous thromboembolic events. The review summarizes the evidence on the incidence of thromboembolic complications in women with PPCM, diagnostic approaches, related outcomes, and effects of therapies that have been used.

Methods: English articles were retrieved from Web of Science and PubMed using search terms to capture studies related to PPCM (or postpartum cardiomyopathy) and all combinations of thrombosis- and embolism-related keywords.

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement in heart failure.

Patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) may develop heart failure (HF), the presence of which has traditionally been deemed as a final stage in AS progression with poor outcomes. The use of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has become the preferred therapy for most patients with AS and concomitant HF. With its instant afterload reduction, TAVR offers patients with HF significant haemodynamic benefits, with corresponding changes in left ventricular structure and improved mortality and quality of life.

Biomarkers and Strain Echocardiography for the Detection of Subclinical Cardiotoxicity in Breast Cancer Patients Receiving Anthracyclines.

The optimal surveillance and management strategies for breast cancer patients receiving anthracycline therapy are limited by our incomplete understanding of the role of biomarkers heralding the onset of cardiotoxicity. The purpose of this study was to determine whether there is a temporal correlation between cardiac biomarkers and subclinical left ventricular dysfunction in breast cancer patients receiving anthracycline chemotherapy. Thirty-one females between 46 and 55 years old with breast cancer treated with anthracycline chemotherapy were prospectively enrolled.

Ischemic cardiomyopathy: epidemiology, pathophysiology, outcomes, and therapeutic options.

Ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM) is the most prevalent cause of heart failure (HF) in developed countries, with significant morbidity and mortality, despite constant improvements in the management of coronary artery disease. Current literature on this topic remains fragmented. Therefore, this review aimed to summarize the most recent data on ICM, focusing on its definition, epidemiology, outcomes, and therapeutic options.

Endotoxemia Correlates with Kidney Function and Length of Stay in Critically Ill Patients.

Introduction: Endotoxin is a key driver of sepsis, which frequently causes acute kidney injury (AKI). However, endotoxins may also be found in non-bacteremic critically ill patients, likely from intestinal translocation. Preclinical models show that endotoxins can directly injure the kidneys, and in COVID-19 patients, endotoxemia correlated with AKI.

Seroprevalence of Chagas Disease among People of Latin American Descent Living in Suffolk County, Long Island, New York.

This cross-sectional study estimated a one-time point seroprevalence rate of Chagas disease among people of Latin American descent in Suffolk County, Long Island, New York. Subjects who met the inclusion criteria were screened using the Chagas Detect Plus Rapid Test (InBios, Seattle, WA) with confirmation via Trypanosoma cruzi enzyme immunoassay and T. cruzi immunoblot assay.

Markers of Iron Metabolism and Outcomes in Patients with Heart Failure: A Systematic Review.

Iron deficiency (ID) in conjunction with heart failure (HF) poses a challenge for clinicians and is associated with worse HF outcomes. Treatment of ID with IV iron supplementation for patients with HF has demonstrated benefits in quality of life (QoL) and HF-related hospitalizations. The aim of this systematic review was to summarize the evidence linking iron metabolism biomarkers with outcomes in patients with HF to assist in the optimal use of these biomarkers for patient selection.

Contemporary Data on the Status and Medical Management of Acute Heart Failure.

Purpose Of Review: Acute heart failure (AHF) is among the leading causes for unplanned hospital admission. Despite advancements in the management of chronic heart failure, the prognosis of AHF remains poor with high in-hospital mortality and increased rates of unfavorable post-discharge outcomes. With this review, we aim to summarize current data on AHF epidemiology, focus on the different patient profiles and classifications, and discuss management, including novel therapeutic options in this area.

Procalcitonin as a Potential Biomarker in the Study of Babesiosis Caused by .

Procalcitonin is gaining momentum in the study of protozoal sepsis, but its utility as a biomarker has yet to be fully discovered in human babesiosis. A total of 33 cases of acute babesiosis dating between 2012 and 2019 were retrospectively collected from Stony Brook University Hospital (SBUH) and Stony Brook South Hampton Hospital (SHH), both of which are located on Long Island, NY. Cases were cross-referenced for the need for ICU admission, and the procalcitonin levels were measured by the use of BRAHMS Elecsys assay at SBUH and BRAHMS Architect assay at SHH.

Five-Year Cardiovascular Outcomes after Infective Endocarditis in Patients with versus without Drug Use History.

Background: Disparities in treatment and outcomes of infective endocarditis (IE) between people who use drugs (PWUD) and non-PWUD have been reported, but long-term data on cardiovascular and cerebrovascular outcomes are limited. We aim to compare 5-year rates of mortality, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events after IE between PWUD and non-PWUD. Methods: Using data from the TriNetX Research Network, we examined 5-year cumulative incidence of mortality, myocardial infarction, heart failure, atrial fibrillation/flutter, ventricular tachyarrhythmias, ischemic stroke, and intracranial hemorrhage in 7132 PWUD and 7132 propensity score-matched non-PWUD patients after a first episode of IE.

Tocilizumab versus baricitinib in hospitalized patients with severe COVID-19: an open label, randomized controlled trial.

Objective: Randomized controlled trials comparing tocilizumab and baricitinib in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are needed. This was an open-label, randomized controlled trial aiming to address this unmet need.

Methods: To determine whether baricitinib was non-inferior to tocilizumab, we assessed whether the upper boundary of the two-sided 95% CI of the hazard ratio (HR) did not exceed 1.

Midterm outcomes of mitral valve repair versus replacement in elderly patients: A propensity score-matched analysis.

Background: Current literature reports better short-term mortality rates in mitral valve repair over replacement in elderly patients. However, valve durability, postoperative complications, and reintervention rates in these cohorts remain understudied. As such, we aimed to investigate 5-year rates of mortality and reoperation after initial mitral repair or replacement in elderly patients.

COVID-19 Vaccines and Myopericarditis: A Nuanced Story.

Vaccination has been a life-saving public health tool in the COVID-19 pandemic, with an estimated 19 [...

The prognostic value of right ventricular ejection fraction by cardiovascular magnetic resonance in heart failure: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) is considered the gold standard for the assessment of right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF). Previous studies have suggested that RVEF may be a predictor of adverse outcomes in heart failure (HF). In this study, we aimed to systematically review the prognostic value of RVEF, evaluated by CMR, across the spectrum of left ventricular systolic function in patients with HF.