Advance in the pharmacological and comorbidities management of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: evidence from clinical trials.

The prevalence of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) accounts for approximately 50% of the total heart failure population, and with the aging of the population and the increasing prevalence of hypertension, obesity, and type 2 diabetes (T2DM), the incidence of HFpEF continues to rise and has become the most common subtype of heart failure. Compared with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, HFpEF has a more complex pathophysiology and is more often associated with hypertension, T2DM, obesity, atrial fibrillation, renal insufficiency, pulmonary hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea, and other comorbidities. HFpEF has generally been considered a syndrome with high phenotypic heterogeneity, and no effective treatments have been shown to reduce mortality to date.

Liraglutide ameliorates oxidized LDL-induced endothelial dysfunction by GLP-1R-dependent downregulation of LOX-1-mediated oxidative stress and inflammation.

Objective: To investigate the effects of glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonist liraglutide on endothelial dysfunction in LDL receptor-deficient (LDLR-KO) mice and ox-LDL-challenged human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and its possible mechanism.

Methods: LDLR-KO mice were randomly treated with normal saline, liraglutide, or liraglutide plus a GLP-1R antagonist exendin-9 for four weeks. In parallel, HUVECs were cultured with ox-LDL alone or combined with liraglutide, in the presence or absence of lectin-like ox-LDL receptor-1(LOX-1) overexpression or GLP-1R knockdown.

Predictive value of serum iron on heart failure in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

Background: In clinical practice, heart failure often occurs after acute myocardial infarction, and a new biomarker for its early prediction is urgently needed. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between serum iron and heart failure after acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).

Methods: A total of 41 patients with heart failure after STEMI and 31 controls were included in the study.

Effect of estimated plasma volume status and left atrial diameter on prognosis of patients with acute heart failure.

Objective: Acute heart failure (AHF) is a frequent cardiovascular emergency presenting with high mortality as well as readmission rates. The aim was to investigate the predictive value of estimated plasma volume status (ePVs) and left atrial diameter (LAD) for the prognosis of patients with AHF.

Methods: Clinical profiles were collected from 259 cases of AHF patients at the Affiliated Hospital of Putian University between September 2019 and October 2021.

Carbohydrate antigen 125 combined with N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide in the prediction of acute heart failure following ST-elevation myocardial infarction.

The value of serum carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125) combined with N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in the evaluation of acute heart failure (AHF) after ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) remains unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of CA125 combined with NT-proBNP in predicting AHF following STEMI. A total of 233 patients with STEMI were evaluated, including 39 patients with Killip II-IV and 194 patients with Killip I.

The Value of Sacubitril/Valsartan in Acute Anterior Wall ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction before Emergency Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

Background: Many patients present with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) after acute anterior wall ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of preprocedural sacubitril/valsartan on N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-pro-BNP) and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in patients with acute anterior STEMI undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods: We enrolled patients with acute anterior wall STEMI who underwent emergency PCI at The Affiliated Hospital of Putian University from January 2019 to January 2021.

Predictive Value of Red Blood Cell Distribution Width and Atrial Diameter in Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia and is associated with deleterious consequences. In addition to worsening a patient's quality of life, AF is associated with stroke, heart failure, and increased mortality. Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) has been associated with an increased risk of death and adverse cardiovascular outcomes, while left atrial enlargement has been linked to atrial fibrillation (AF).

The Significance of Apolipoprotein-A in the Long-Term Death of Patients with STEMI.

Objective: To analyze apolipoprotein-A for its predictive value for long-term death in individuals suffering from acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction following percutaneous coronary intervention.

Methods: We selected patients suffering from acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction who underwent emergency PCI at the Affiliated Hospital of Putian University from January 2017 to August 2019. The patients were divided into a high-Apo-A group and low-Apo-A group, and we observed all-cause deaths of patients in the 2 groups within 2 years.

Advances in miR-132-Based Biomarker and Therapeutic Potential in the Cardiovascular System.

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and subsequent heart failure threaten global health and impose a huge economic burden on society. MicroRNA-132 (miR-132), a regulatory RNA ubiquitously expressed in the cardiovascular system, is up-or down-regulated in the plasma under various cardiac conditions and may serve as a potential diagnostic or prognostic biomarker. More importantly, miR-132 in the myocardium has been demonstrated to be a master regulator in many pathological processes of ischemic or nonischemic heart failure in the past decade, such as myocardial hypertrophy, fibrosis, apoptosis, angiogenesis, calcium handling, neuroendocrine activation, and oxidative stress, through downregulating target mRNA expression.

Protective Effects of Sacubitril/Valsartan on Cardiac Fibrosis and Function in Rats With Experimental Myocardial Infarction Involves Inhibition of Collagen Synthesis by Myocardial Fibroblasts Through Downregulating TGF-β1/Smads Pathway.

To investigate the effect and mechanism of sacubitril/valsartan on myocardial fibrosis in rats following experimental myocardial infarction and in TGF-β1-treated myocardial fibroblasts. Male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were subjected to coronary artery ligation to establish myocardial infarction and intragastrically fed vehicle, valsartan (Val, 32 mg/kg, once-daily) or sacubitril/valsartan (Sac/Val, 68 mg/kg, once-daily) for 4 weeks. In parallel, myocardial fibroblasts (MFs) isolated from neonatal SD rats were exposed to hypoxia and treated with TGF-β1 (5 ng/ml) plus vehicle, Val (10-10 M) or Sac/Val (10-10 M).

Predictive value of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio and red cell distribution width on death for ST segment elevation myocardial infarction.

There are many clinical scoring criteria for predicting the risk of death in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), but most of the indicators are complex to calculate and are not suitable for use in primary hospitals. Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and red cell distribution width (RDW) are blood routine indicators that are easy to obtain and may help primary hospitals to evaluate the risk of death in patients with STEMI. Our aim was to explore the predictive value of NLR combined with RDW in the long-term prognosis of patients with STEMI after emergency percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Protective Effects of 1,25 Dihydroxyvitamin D3 against High-Glucose-Induced Damage in Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells Involve Activation of Nrf2 Antioxidant Signaling.

Aim: To explore the protective effects and related mech-anisms of 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3) on en-dothelial dysfunction under hyperglycemic conditions.

Methods: Cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were treated with normal glucose (glucose concentration of 5.5 mmol/L), high glucose (glucose concentration of 33 mmol/L), and high glucose plus 1,25(OH)2D3, respectively.

Effects of body mass index and gender on left atrial size in Chinese hypertensive patients.

Background: Left atrial enlargement (LAE) is a common cardiac structural change in patients with hypertension, and obesity could further promote LAE. However, little is known about the effect of overweight on left atrial size, and if there is a gender difference of the effect. The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of different body mass index (BMI) grades (normal weight, overweight, and obesity) on left atrial size in both male and female patients with hypertension.

Prognostic value of carbohydrate antigen 125 combined with N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide in patients with acute heart failure.

Background: The objective was to explore the value of serum carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125) combined with N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in predicting the clinical prognosis of patients with acute heart failure (AHF).

Methods: We prospectively observed 213 patients with AHF. CA125 (U/ml) and NT-proBNP (pg/ml) were dichotomised based on ROC curve analysised prognostic cutpoints, and a variable with four groups was formed (CA125 and NT-proBNP): C1 = CA125 < 47.

Role of Vitamin D in Patients with Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction.

Heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) presents as the severest phenotype on the spectrum of HF. Although great progress has been made with respect to its treatment over the past 3 decades, morbidity and mortality remain high, posing a big burden on human health. Recent evidence suggests vitamin D has a critical role in maintaining heart health through activation of the vitamin D receptor expressed in cardiomyocytes, and vitamin D deficiency may be implicated in the pathophysiology of HFrEF through activation of the renin-angiotensin system, impaired calcium handling, exaggerated inflammation, secondary hyperparathyroidism, pro-fibrotic properties, and proatherogenic potential.