Assessment of Early Vascular Aging Ambulatory Score (EVAAs): A Large Population-based External Validation Study.

Background: Pulse Wave Velocity (PWV) remains the gold-standard method to assess Early Vascular Aging (EVA) defined by arterial stiffness. However, its high cost, time-consuming process, and need for qualified medical staff shows the importance of identifying alternative methods for the EVA evaluation.

Objective: In order to simplify the process of assessing patient's EVA, we recently developed the Early Vascular Aging Ambulatory score (EVAAs), a simple tool to predict the risk of EVA.

Clinical outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation treated with digoxin, according to the presence of heart failure: Insights from the MISOAC-AF trial.

Background: Digoxin is widely used in atrial fibrillation (AF) and heart failure (HF). However, current evidence regarding its association with clinical outcomes is conflicting.

Aim: To investigate the relationship between digoxin therapy and adverse outcomes in patients with AF, with or without HF, in a contemporary AF cohort.

Renal function and mortality in patients with atrial fibrillation.

Aim: The aim of this study is to examine the association of the presence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) values with mortality in patients with atrial fibrillation.

Methods: This posthoc analysis of a randomized controlled trial consisted of hospitalized patients with atrial fibrillation who were followed up for a median of 2.7 years after discharge.

Reproducibility of masked hypertension and office-based hypertension: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Blood pressure (BP) phenotypes have a prognostic significance for target organ damage in long-term studies. However, it remains uncertain whether a single baseline phenotype classification is reproducible over time and represents accurately the patients' BP status. The aim of this study was to systematically investigate the reproducibility of masked hypertension and office-based hypertension either with ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM) or home BP monitoring (HBPM).

Rhythm control versus rate control in patients with atrial fibrillation and heart failure across the left ventricular ejection fraction spectrum.

Background: Rhythm control and rate control are both employed commonly in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and heart failure (HF), but limited real-world data exist on them. We aimed to compare outcomes between these two strategies across the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) spectrum.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective cohort study used data from the randomized MISOAC-AF trial, including from patients with AF and coexistent HF who were hospitalized and followed up after discharge.

Associations of Atrial Fibrillation Patterns With Mortality and Cardiovascular Events: Implications of the MISOAC-AF Trial.

Aim: This retrospective cohort study aimed to evaluate the prognostic implications of the distinct atrial fibrillation (AF) temporal patterns: first diagnosed, paroxysmal, and persistent or permanent AF.

Methods: In this post hoc analysis of the MISOAC-AF trial (NCT02941978), a total of 1052 patients with AF (median age 76 years), discharged from the cardiology ward between 2015 and 2018, were analyzed. Kaplan-Meier and Cox-regression analyses were performed to compare the primary outcome of all-cause mortality, the secondary outcomes of stroke, major bleeding and the composite outcome of cardiovascular (CV) mortality or hospitalization among AF patterns.

Atrial High-Rate Episodes in Patients with Devices Without a History of Atrial Fibrillation: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Purpose: Atrial high-rate episodes (AHREs) recorded with cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) have been associated with the development of clinical atrial fibrillation (AF) and increase in stroke and death risk. We sought to perform a systematic review with a meta-analysis to evaluate the prevalence of AHREs detected by CIEDs, their association with stroke risk, development of clinical AF, and mortality among patients without a documented history of AF.

Methods: We searched several databases, ClinicalTrials.

Τhe association of heart failure across left ventricular ejection fraction with mortality in atrial fibrillation.

Aims: The aim of this study is to investigate the prognostic implications of the presence of heart failure (HF) across the range of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in patients with comorbid atrial fibrillation (AF).

Methods And Results: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 1063 patients (median age 76 years), discharged from the cardiology ward with a primary or secondary diagnosis of AF between 2015 and 2018. We used Cox proportional-hazards and spline models to examine the association of the presence of HF, across the range of LVEF, with the primary outcome of all-cause mortality.

Effects of Major Antihypertensive Drug Classes on Erectile Function: a Network Meta-analysis.

Purpose: To determine the effect of major antihypertensive classes on erectile function (EF) in patients with or at high risk of cardiovascular disease.

Methods: We performed a systematic review and frequentist network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials assessing the effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, β-blockers, calcium channel blockers, and thiazide diuretics on EF compared to each other and to placebo (PROSPERO: CRD42020189529). Similarly, we performed a network meta-analysis to explore the effect of different β-blockers on erectile function (nebivolol, other vasodilating and non-vasodilating β-blockers, placebo).

Prognostic significance of diabetes mellitus in patients with atrial fibrillation.

Background: There are limited data on the association of diabetes mellitus (DM) and levels of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) with outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF).

Methods: This retrospective cohort study included patients who were recently hospitalized with a primary or secondary diagnosis of AF from December 2015 through June 2018. Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox-regression adjusted hazard ratios (aHR) were calculated for the primary outcome of all-cause mortality and for the secondary outcomes of cardiovascular (CV) mortality and the composite outcome of CV death or hospitalization.

A novel prognostic tool to predict mortality in patients with atrial fibrillation: The BASIC-AF risk score.

Background: This study sought to develop and validate a risk score to predict mortality in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) after a hospitalization for cardiac reasons.

Methods: The new risk score was derived from a prospective cohort of hospitalized patients with concurrent AF. The outcome measures were all-cause and cardiovascular mortality.

Estimated Arterial Stiffness and Prediction of Vascular Aging: The Rising of a New Era.

Arterial stiffness has been associated with cardiovascular events and correlated with cardiovascular risk factors. In the new guidelines of the European Society of Hypertension, the evaluation of arterial stiffness, and specifically carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (c-f PWV), was taken into account for the detailed screening of the hypertensive population. Despite the importance of arterial stiffness as a target organ damage, the measurement is time-consuming, not practical, needs expensive equipment and experienced staff.

The flipside of hydralazine in pregnancy: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

The present systematic review and meta-analysis investigated the effects of hydralazine compared with other antihypertensive drugs in maternal, perinatal and neonatal outcomes of pregnant women with hypertensive disorders. Twenty studies with 1283 participants were included. Of them, 626 received hydralazine and 657 other antihypertensive treatments, such as labetalol, nifedipine, ketanserin, diazoxide, urapidil, isradipine and epoprostenol.

Non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants in nonvalvular atrial fibrillation: a network meta-analysis.

Objectives: We conducted a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) including the comparison of non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) with warfarin for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF).

Design: Network meta-analysis. Two authors independently extracted data.

A systematic review and network meta-analysis of the comparative efficacy of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers in hypertension.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers are drugs commonly used for the treatment of hypertension. However, studies on their comparative efficacy have not been extensively investigated. The current systematic review and network meta-analysis studied the comparative efficacy of the two antihypertensive treatment categories in reducing blood pressure, mortality, and morbidity in essential hypertension patients.