Circulating fibrocyte levels correlate with left ventricular mass in middle-aged healthy adults without hypertension.

Background: Fibrocytes, circulating bone-marrow derived cells that differentiate into fibroblasts and myofibroblasts, are a major source of hypertensive arterial fibrosis and correlate with left ventricular (LV) mass in subjects with hypertension. We tested whether circulating fibrocytes levels correlate with LV mass in middle-aged adults without hypertension.

Methods: We measured peripheral blood fibrocyte levels and their activated phenotypes in 13 middle-aged, non-hypertensive adults and performed cardiac magnetic resonance imaging to assess LV mass.

Precision Antiplatelet Therapy after Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (Precision PCI) Registry - Informing optimal antiplatelet strategies.

Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) with aspirin and a P2Y receptor inhibitor (clopidogrel, prasugrel, or ticagrelor) is indicated after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) to reduce the risk of atherothrombotic events. Approximately 30% of the US population has a CYP2C19 no-function allele that reduces the effectiveness of clopidogrel, but not prasugrel or ticagrelor, after PCI. We have shown improved outcomes with the integration of CYP2C19 genotyping into clinical care to guide the selection of prasugrel or ticagrelor in CYP2C19 no-function allele carriers.

Evaluating the Effect of Estimating Renal Function With the CKD-EPI 2021 Equation on the ABCD-GENE Score for Clopidogrel Response Prediction.

The ABCD-GENE score was developed to predict poor response to clopidogrel and includes Age, Body mass index, Chronic kidney disease (CKD; estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] < 60 mL/min/1.73 m), Diabetes, and CYP2C19 GENE variants; a score ≥ 10 is predictive of reduced clopidogrel effectiveness after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Estimation of GFR without a race variable via the CKD-EPI Scr 2021 equation is now recommended.

Omega-3 fatty acids in the treatment of heart failure.

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (Ω-3 PUFAs) have garnered increased attention as a therapeutic option in cardiovascular disease. Most of the research to date has focused on their lipid altering effects and clinical benefits in patients with coronary artery disease, however, there are data supporting their use in the treatment of heart failure. We review the mechanisms through which Ω-3 PUFAs exert their positive effects on the cardiovascular system and highlight the observational and treatment studies that assessed their effects in patients with heart failure.