Left Ventricular Systolic Function After 3 Months of SGLT2 Inhibitor Therapy in Heart Failure Patients with Reduced Ejection Fraction.

Not much is known about the effects of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) on echocardiographic parameters of left ventricular (LV) systolic function in patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).We prospectively included 59 outpatients with HFrEF: 41 patients received SGLT2i with OMT (SGLT2i+ group), whereas eighteen patients received OMT without SGLT2i (SGLT2i- group). Myocardial work index (MWI), 3D ejection fraction (3D LVEF), and global longitudinal strain (GLS) were measured at baseline and after 3 months following treatment.

Sex-Related Differences in Dilated Cardiomyopathy with a Focus on Cardiac Dysfunction in Oncology.

Purpose Of Review: The aim of this report is to describe the main aspects of sex-related differences in non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathies (DCM), focusing on chemotherapy-induced heart failure (HF) and investigating the possible therapeutic implications and clinical management applications in the era of personalized medicine.

Recent Findings: In cardio-oncology, molecular and multimodality imaging studies confirm that sex differences do exist, affecting the therapeutic cardioprotective strategies and, therefore, the long-term outcomes. Interestingly, compelling evidences suggest that sex-specific characteristics in drug toxicity might predict differences in the therapeutic response, most likely due to the tangled interplay between cancer and HF, which probably share common underlying mechanisms.

Electronic Cigarettes and Cardiovascular Risk: Caution Waiting for Evidence.

Electronic cigarettes use is a growing trend in contemporary societies, with the propensity to compete with traditional tobacco smoking. Some preclinical studies demonstrated the toxic and detrimental effects of electronic cigarettes liquid components. Its impact on human health remains unknown and insufficiently studied.