Efficacy and Safety of Dapagliflozin in Patients With Acute Heart Failure.

Background: The primary goals during acute heart failure (AHF) hospitalization are decongestion and guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) optimization. Unlike diuretics or other GDMT, early dapagliflozin initiation could achieve both AHF goals.

Objectives: The authors aimed to assess the diuretic efficacy and safety of early dapagliflozin initiation in AHF.

Outcomes of COVID-19 in heart failure, LVAD, and heart transplant patients in an advanced heart failure practice.

Background: Patients with heart failure face increased morbidity and mortality when infected with COVID-19. The objective of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of patients with Heart Failure (HF), Left Ventricular Assist Devices (LVADs), or Heart Transplants (HTx) diagnosed with COVID-19 within an advanced HF practice.

Methods: Out of 2635 patients followed, 96 patients were diagnosed with COVID-19 between March 2020 and January 2021.

Regional Variations in Heart Failure Quality and Outcomes: Get With The Guidelines-Heart Failure Registry.

Background Regional patient characteristics, care quality, and outcomes may differ based on a variety of factors among patients hospitalized for heart failure (HF). Regional disparities in outcomes of cardiovascular disease have been suggested across various regions in the United States. This study examined whether there are significant differences by region in quality of care and short-term outcomes of hospitalized patients with HF across the United States.

Isolated perforation of left coronary cusp after blunt chest trauma.

Left coronary cusp perforation is an extremely rare consequence of blunt chest trauma. A 22-year-old male presented after a motor vehicle accident with dyspnea. Transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) and transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) showed moderate to severe aortic regurgitation with prolapsing right coronary cusp.

Mimicry and antibody-mediated cell signaling in autoimmune myocarditis.

The mechanisms by which autoantibodies against cardiac myosin (CM) may lead to heart dysfunction is unknown. We show that autoantibodies to CM in anti-CM sera and mAbs derived from experimental autoimmune myocarditis targeted the heart cell surface and induced Ab-mediated cAMP-dependent protein kinase A activity. Ab-mediated cell signaling of protein kinase A was blocked by CM, anti-IgG, or by specific inhibitors of the beta-adrenergic receptor (beta-AR) pathway.