Publications by authors named "Georgiopoulou V"

Objective: Monocyte count and red cell distribution width (RDW) have shown prognostic potential in patients with fibrotic lung diseases. Their kinetics and prognostic usefulness of peripheral blood indices in patients with interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) undergoing surgical lung biopsy for diagnostic reasons have not been studied.

Patients And Methods: We retrospectively included consecutive patients with ILD who underwent surgical lung biopsy for diagnostic purposes Between 07/11/2019 and 11/10/2022.

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Objective: Real-life data for vaccination against COVID-19 are sorely needed. This was a population-based analysis aiming at investigating the hospitalization risk for COVID-19 of 98,982 subjects and compare features of vaccinated and unvaccinated patients.

Patients And Methods: Hospitalized patients with COVID-19 between 01/07/2021 and 11/02/2022 were included in the study.

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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.

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Background: Data on the safety and efficacy profile of tocilizumab in patients with severe COVID-19 needs to be enriched.

Methods: In this open label, prospective study, we evaluated clinical outcomes in consecutive patients with COVID-19 and PaO/FiO < 200 receiving tocilizumab plus usual care versus usual care alone. Tocilizumab was administered at the time point that PaO/FiO < 200 was observed.

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Background: We conducted a pilot study to assess feasibility, on-study retention, trends in natriuretic peptide levels, quality of life, and safety of a 12-week feeding trial with 1500- versus 3000-mg daily sodium meals in high-risk patients with heart failure.

Methods: Of 196 patients with recent (≤2 weeks) hospitalization for heart failure, ejection fraction ≤40%, on optimal medical therapy, functionally independent, and able to communicate, 83 (47%) consented to participate. Of these, 27 (age, 62±11 years; 22 men; 20 white; ejection fraction, 26±8%) had 24-hour urine sodium ≥3000 mg and agreed to randomly receive either 1500-mg (N=12) or 3000-mg (N=15) sodium meals.

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Background: Limited data exist on the association between circulating suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (ST2) and recurrent hospitalizations and emergency department (ED) encounters in outpatients with heart failure (HF). In addition, data on ST2 in African American patients with HF are scarce.

Methods: We evaluated 307 outpatients with HF (age, 57 ± 12 years; 64.

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Limited data exist on the course of left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF) among outpatients with heart failure (HF) and preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and its impact on outcomes. We evaluated 322 consecutive outpatients with confirmed HF, LVEF >40%, no previous LVEF ≤40%, and no specific cardiomyopathies or primary right-sided or valvular heart disease. Median age was 73 years (interquartile range: 63 to 82); 57.

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Background: An operational consensus definition of Stage D heart failure (HF) is currently lacking.

Methods: We evaluated 512 outpatients (median age, 63 years; 35.0% women; 45.

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Article Synopsis
  • This study assessed the prognostic value of INTERMACS profiles in non-inotrope-dependent heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), finding limited existing data on this topic.
  • The research analyzed 3-year outcomes for 969 outpatients, categorizing them into various INTERMACS profiles based on their baseline conditions, revealing significant differences in mortality and hospitalization rates.
  • Results indicated that patients classified with lower INTERMACS profiles had much higher mortality and hospitalization risks compared to stable Stage C patients, highlighting the effectiveness of these profiles for predicting outcomes in this patient group.
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Article Synopsis
  • Patients with heart failure and preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) are typically older and face a high burden of other health conditions, influencing their health outcomes significantly.
  • A study of 445 patients revealed a concerning number of deaths and hospitalizations over two years, with a notable percentage being related to cardiovascular issues, particularly heart failure.
  • Key factors contributing to higher hospitalization rates included marital status, low albumin levels, diabetes, atrial fibrillation, and renal dysfunction, indicating that a comprehensive approach to care might be crucial for better management of these patients.
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Objectives: This study sought to estimate the rate of progression to Stage D heart failure (HF) among outpatients with Stage C HF and to identify risk factors for progression.

Background: The pool of patients who may be candidates for advanced HF therapies is growing.

Methods: We estimated 3-year progression to clinically determined Stage D HF and competing mortality among 964 outpatients with Stage C heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), where ejection fraction is ≤40%.

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Aims: Decreased arylesterase (ArylE) activity of paraoxonase-1, a HDL-associated protein with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, has been associated with increased risk of cardiac events in patients with ischaemic heart failure (HF). We aim to investigate the prognostic significance of changes in serum ArylE activity over time.

Methods And Results: We examined the association between baseline and follow-up serum ArylE activity and HF outcomes (death, cardiac transplantation, or ventricular assist device implantation) in 299 patients with HF enrolled in a prospective cohort study from January 2008 to July 2009, with 145 patients having available follow-up levels at 1 year.

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Introduction: Data on the association between exercise capacity and risk for heart failure (HF) in older adults are limited.

Methods: This study examined the association of exercise capacity, and its change over time, with 10-year mortality and incident HF in 2,935 participants of the Health, Aging, and Body Composition Study without HF at baseline (age, 73.6 [SD=2.

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Importance: Heart failure (HF) guidelines recognize that a subset of patients with HF and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) previously had reduced LVEF but experienced improvement or recovery in LVEF. However, data on these patients are limited.

Objective: To investigate the characteristics and outcomes of adult outpatients with HF and improved or recovered ejection fraction (HFrecEF).

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Article Synopsis
  • The Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9) is a useful tool for assessing depression severity in heart failure (HF) patients, though there is limited data on its effects in this population.
  • In a study of 308 HF outpatients, those with moderate-to-severe depressive symptoms faced significantly higher rates of hospital admissions related to HF and overall, yet less than half were receiving antidepressants.
  • The findings suggest that as depressive symptoms increase, healthcare resource use rises and quality of life declines, indicating the need for interventions to address depression in HF patients for better outcomes.
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Background/objectives: Cystatin-C and beta-2-microglobulin may be superior to serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), or estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in patients hospitalized with heart failure (HF). We compared these renal markers in ambulatory HF patients.

Methods: We prospectively evaluated the association of baseline renal markers and eGFR (by 4 different formulas) with (1) the composite of death or HF-related hospitalization and (2) rates of hospitalizations and emergency department (ED) visits in 166 outpatients with HF (57.

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Article Synopsis
  • Surrogate endpoints are used in about a third of cardiovascular trials, allowing for faster completion and a higher likelihood of meeting primary outcomes.
  • The study analyzed 1,224 trials published from 2001 to 2012, revealing that surrogate endpoints tend to be associated with smaller trial sizes and quicker patient enrollment.
  • Over time, the success rates for trials using clinical endpoints have decreased, while those for surrogate and intermediate endpoints have remained stable, highlighting the need for more research on the implications of surrogate endpoints for actual clinical outcomes.
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Background: Enrollment criteria used in advanced heart failure (HF) clinical trials might identify a common set of widely accepted quantitative characteristics as the basis of a consensus definition for advanced HF, which is currently lacking.

Methods: We reviewed all clinical trials investigating interventions in patients with advanced HF as of July 31, 2015. Eligible publications (N = 134) reported original data from clinical trials explicitly defining advanced HF in adults.

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Background: Vascular endothelial dysfunction may play an important role in the progression of heart failure (HF). We hypothesize that elevated levels of vascular markers, placental-like growth factor, and soluble Fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1) are associated with adverse outcomes in patients with HF. We also assessed possible triggers of sFlt-1 elevation in animal HF models.

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Article Synopsis
  • Clinical trials in cardiology from 2001-2012 showed a shift towards larger, more global studies, with fewer trials meeting their primary objectives.
  • 27% of the trials were in North America, while multiregional trials increased from 26% to over 30%, indicating a trend towards greater international collaboration.
  • Despite the increase in trial size and geographic scope, the enrollment rate per site declined, and the success rate for meeting primary endpoints fell from 69% to 57%.
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Article Synopsis
  • Echocardiography is recommended as an important diagnostic tool in acute heart failure (AHF), but its application is still being defined in both clinical practice and research.
  • Studies suggest that echocardiographic measures can provide meaningful insights into treatment response and patient outcomes, yet there's ongoing research into the best timing and types of measures to use.
  • The full potential of echocardiography in classifying AHF patients and guiding treatment decisions remains unclear, highlighting the need for further exploration in this area.
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