Rosa dos Ventos Multicenter Cohort Study of Patients with Reduced or Mildly Reduced Ejection Fraction Heart Failure in Brazil: Rationale and Design.

Background: Brazil is a country with different biomes and social disparities. There are limited data available on regional differences and prognosis of heart failure (HF) in the country.

Objective: The Rosa dos Ventos study aims to investigate regional differences and the current prognosis of HF outpatients with reduced or mildly reduced ejection fraction in Brazil.

Enhancing risk assessment in Chagas cardiomyopathy: Electrophysiology study stratified by Rassi score.

Background: Chagas cardiomyopathy (CCM) is increasingly prevalent in developed countries due to migration from endemic areas. Accurate risk stratification is crucial due to the variable clinical course of CCM.

Objective: To analyze the association between Rassi score progression and electrophysiology study (EPS) changes in CCM patients.

Corticosteroid Therapy and Vascular Complications in Patients Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: A Meta-analysis With Meta-regression.

Background: Corticosteroid use is associated with vascular fragility, prolonged wound healing, and infections. Therefore, we sought to compare outcomes between patients with aortic stenosis undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement who were using corticosteroids versus those who were not.

Methods: This is a study-level meta-analysis and meta-regression of observational studies.

Long-term Survival Following Heart Transplantation for Chagas Versus Non-Chagas Cardiomyopathy: A Single-center Experience in Northeastern Brazil Over 2 Decades.

Unlabelled: Data on post-heart transplant (HT) survival of patients with Chagas cardiomyopathy (CC) are scarce. We sought to evaluate post-HT survival in patients with CC as compared with other causes of heart failure across different eras of HT.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective, cohort study of 376 adult HT recipients between October 1997 and November 2019.

Relationship Between Myocardial Injury During Index Hospitalization for SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Longer-Term Outcomes.

Background Myocardial injury in patients with COVID-19 is associated with increased mortality during index hospitalization; however, the relationship to long-term sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 is unknown. This study assessed the relationship between myocardial injury (high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T level) during index hospitalization for COVID-19 and longer-term outcomes. Methods and Results This is a prospective cohort of patients who were hospitalized at a single center between March and May 2020 with SARS-CoV-2.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of delayed coronary artery access for coronary angiography with or without percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients who underwent transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).

Coronary artery disease (CAD) and severe aortic valve stenosis frequently coexist. Given the progressive nature of CAD, silent or non-significant CAD may become symptomatic or functionally relevant years after TAVR. However, there is a paucity of data documenting the feasibility of either coronary angiography and/or PCI after TAVR.

Heart transplantation candidacy.

Purpose Of Review: Timely referral of eligible candidates for consideration of advanced therapies, such as a heart transplantation or mechanical circulatory support is essential. The characteristics of heart transplantation candidates have changed significantly over the years, leading to a more complex evaluation process. The present review summarizes recent advances in the evaluation process for heart transplantation eligibility.

Mechanical circulatory support devices in advanced heart failure: 2020 and beyond.

Substantial progress in the field of mechanical circulatory support (MCS) has expanded the treatment options for patients with advanced-stage heart failure (HF). Currently available MCS devices can be implanted percutaneously or surgically. They can also be configured to support the left, right, or both ventricles, offering varying levels of circulatory support.

Cocaine use in organ donors and long-term outcome after heart transplantation: An International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation registry analysis.

Background: Cardiac allografts from donors with a history of cocaine use (DHCU) are often discarded owing to concerns regarding organ quality. We investigated long-term outcomes of de novo adult heart transplantation (HTx) using DHCU.

Methods: Using the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation Thoracic Organ Transplant Registry, we identified 24,430 adult recipients of primary, deceased donor, heart-alone transplants between January 1, 2000, and June 30, 2013.

The impact of statin therapy on neurological events following left ventricular assist system implantation in advanced heart failure.

Background: Stroke is a leading cause of disability and death in advanced heart failure patients supported with a continuous-flow left ventricular assist system (CF-LVAS). Statins (HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors) reduce the risk of major cardiovascular and neurological events such as stroke, but their impact has not been evaluated in patients implanted with a CF-LVAS. We sought to explore the association between use of statin therapy and subsequent occurrence of neurological events, particularly stroke, following CF-LVAS implantation.

Chagas Cardiomyopathy in Latin America Review.

Purpose Of Review: Chagas cardiomyopathy is a major public health disease in Latin America and, due to migration, is becoming a worldwide health and economic burden. This review sought to present the clinical and epidemiological aspects of Chagas cardiomyopathy, as well as some specific features and principles of treatment. We also retrospectively assessed our institutional experience with mechanical circulatory support in refractory heart failure due to Chagas cardiomyopathy over a 10-year period.

Systemic effects of controlled exposure to diesel exhaust: a meta-analysis from randomized controlled trials.

Introduction: Ambient air pollution is associated with adverse cardiovascular events. This meta-analysis aimed to investigate the short-term association between air pollution and cardiovascular effects on healthy volunteers.

Methods: We searched databases to identify randomized trials with controlled human exposures to either of two models for studying ambient particulate matter: diesel-exhaust or concentrated ambient particles.

Effects of reducing exposure to air pollution on submaximal cardiopulmonary test in patients with heart failure: Analysis of the randomized, double-blind and controlled FILTER-HF trial.

Background: Air pollution exposure could mitigate the health benefits of exercise in patients with heart failure (HF). We tested the effects of a respiratory filter on HF patients exposed to air pollution during exercise.

Methods And Results: Ancillary analysis of the FILTER-HF trial, focused on the exercise outcomes.

Respiratory Filter Reduces the Cardiovascular Effects Associated With Diesel Exhaust Exposure: A Randomized, Prospective, Double-Blind, Controlled Study of Heart Failure: The FILTER-HF Trial.

Objectives: The goal of this study was to test the effects of a respiratory filter intervention (filter) during controlled pollution exposure.

Background: Air pollution is considered a risk factor for heart failure (HF) decompensation and mortality.

Methods: This study was a double-blind, randomized to order, controlled, 3-way crossover, single-center clinical trial.

Role of vascular inflammation in coronary artery disease: potential of anti-inflammatory drugs in the prevention of atherothrombosis. Inflammation and anti-inflammatory drugs in coronary artery disease.

Coronary artery disease (CAD) and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) are inflammatory pathologies, involving interleukins (ILs), such as IL-1β, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and acute phase proteins production, such as for C reactive protein (CRP). The process begins with retention of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and its oxidation inside the intima, with the formation of the "foam cells." Toll-like receptors and inflamassomes participate in atherosclerosis formation, as well as in the activation of the complement system.

The effect of maternal hypercholesterolemia on the placenta and fetal arteries in rabbits.

Purpose: To investigate the degree of placental permeability in dyslipidemic rabbits and the consequent vascular dysfunction in fetuses of female rabbits with high lipoprotein levels.

Methods: Fifteen adult females New Zealand White rabbits were divided into two groups. Group 1(n=5) - hypercholesterolemic diet with 0.