Epicardial fat in heart failure-Friend, foe, or bystander.

Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) is a fat depot covering the heart. No physical barrier separates EAT from the myocardium, so EAT can easily affect the underlying cardiac muscle. EAT can participate in the development and progression of heart failure with preserved (HFpEF) and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).

Non-coding RNA therapeutics in the treatment of heart failure.

Non-coding RNA (ncRNA) therapeutics can target either ncRNAs or conventional messenger RNA, offering both superior pharmacokinetics and selectivity to conventional therapies and addressing new, previously unexplored pathways. Although no ncRNA has yet been approved for the treatment of heart failure, in this review we present five most promising pathways and agents that either are in human clinical trials or offer great promise in the near future.

Troponin T and Survival following Cardiac Surgery in Patients Supported with Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation for Post-Cardiotomy Shock.

Background: While troponin is an established biomarker of cardiac injury, its prognostic significance in post-cardiotomy cardiogenic shock patients supported by venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (PCCS-VA-ECMO) remains unclear.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the correlation between early post-operative troponin T levels and both short-term and long-term mortality outcomes in this cohort.

Methods: We evaluated 1457 troponin T measurements from 102 PCCS-VA-ECMO patients treated from 2013 to 2018 at a specialized cardio-surgical and transplantation center.

Epicardial fat and ventricular arrhythmias.

The arrhythmogenic role of epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) in atrial arrhythmias is well established, but its effect on ventricular arrhythmias has been significantly less investigated. Since ventricular arrhythmias are thought to cause 75%-80% of cases of sudden cardiac death, this is not a trivial issue. We provide an overview of clinical data as well as experimental and molecular data linking EAT to ventricular arrhythmias, attempting to dissect possible mechanisms and indicate future directions of research and possible clinical implications.

ARTERIAL HYPEROXIA AND MORTALITY IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING VENOARTERIAL EXTRACORPOREAL MEMBRANE OXYGENATION.

Background: Venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) can easily lead to supranormal oxygenation. The impact of hyperoxygenation beyond the early VA-ECMO support phase is unexplored. We sought to investigate its association with short- and long-term mortality.

Clinical and Molecular Aspects of Iron Metabolism in Failing Myocytes.

Heart failure (HF) is a common disease that causes significant limitations on the organism's capacity and, in extreme cases, leads to death. Clinically, iron deficiency (ID) plays an essential role in heart failure by deteriorating the patient's condition and is a prognostic marker indicating poor clinical outcomes. Therefore, in HF patients, supplementation of iron is recommended.

Burden of hospitalizations in newly diagnosed heart failure patients in Poland: real world population based study in years 2013-2019.

Aims: We aim to report trends in unplanned hospitalizations among newly diagnosed heart failure patients with regard to hospitalizations types and their impact on outcomes.

Methods And Results: A nation-wide study of all citizens in Poland with newly diagnosed heart failure based on ICD-10 coding who were beneficiaries of either public primary, secondary, or hospital care between 2013 and 2018 in Poland. Between 1 January 2013 and 31 December 2019, there were 1 124 118 newly diagnosed heart failure patients in Poland in both out- and inpatient settings.

Acute kidney injury after transcatheter aortic valve replacement in the elderly: outcomes and risk management.

Aortic stenosis is the most common cause of valve replacement in Europe and North America with prevalence increasing with age. Transcatheter valve replacement (TAVR) represents an alternative for surgical valve replacement of severely stenotic valves. Despite lower risk of acute kidney injury compared to that associated with surgery, this complication remains prevalent in patients undergoing TAVR.

Patterns of changes in functional and neurocognitive status in elderly patients after transcatheter vs. surgical aortic valve replacements.

Background: Replacement of severely stenotic aortic valve may influence cognitive and physical functioning. The aim of this study was to compare cognitive and functional status after surgical (SAVR) vs. transcatheter aortic valve replacements (TAVR) in the elderly with severe aortic stenosis (AS).

Serum beta-2 microglobulin levels for predicting acute kidney injury complicating aortic valve replacement.

Objectives: Acute kidney injury complicating both transcatheter and surgical aortic valve replacement is associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of serum beta 2 (β2) microglobulin, cystatin C and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin levels in detecting periprocedural acute kidney injury.

Methods: Eighty consecutive patients who were 70 years of age or older and who were having surgical (n = 40) or transcatheter (n = 40) aortic valve replacement were recruited in a prospective study.

Significance of the age of transfused blood for prognosis after transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

INTRODUCTION    Blood transfusion after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is frequently required owing to the high vulnerability of this patient group and procedure-related bleeding. OBJECTIVES    We assessed the impact of postprocedural blood transfusion and the age of transfused red blood cell (RBC) units on prognosis after TAVI. PATIENTS AND METHODS    This was a single-center, observational analysis conducted between the years 2009 and 2014.

Role of β2-microglobulin in postoperative cognitive decline.

Aim: β2-microglobulin (β2M) was proved to affect hippocampal functions in mice.

Materials & Methods: Seventy-one patients undergoing aortic valve replacement were analyzed in prospective observational study. Kidney biomarkers and Mini Mental State Examinations (MMSEs) were performed before procedure, at discharge and after 6 months.