Case report: a case of masked subclavian artery stenosis in a haemodialysis patient.

Background: Subclavian artery stenosis is generally screened by a left-right brachial systolic blood pressure difference. However, subclavian artery stenoses are often underdiagnosed due to marginally identified symptoms. In dialysis patients, a relative or absolute contradiction of measuring blood pressure in shunt brachial artery may further limit the disease screening.

Adverse events associated with early initiation of Eplerenone in patients hospitalized for acute heart failure.

Background: The guidelines recommend the initiation or up-titration of heart failure (HF) treatments following an HF hospitalization; however, concerns about adverse events may limit the use of mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs). Patient profiles or disease severity might impact adverse events associated with MRA therapy in acute HF.

Methods: The EARLIER trial included patients with acute HF who were randomized to eplerenone or placebo over 6 months.

Artificial intelligence-derived left ventricular strain in echocardiography in patients treated with chemotherapy.

Global longitudinal strain (GLS) is an echocardiographic measure to detect chemotherapy-related cardiovascular dysfunction. However, its limited availability and the needed expertise may restrict its generalization. Artificial intelligence (AI)-based GLS might overcome these challenges.

Pediatric hypertrophic cardiomyopathy caused by a novel TNNI3 variant.

TNNI3 is a gene that causes hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). A 14-year-old girl who was diagnosed with nonobstructive HCM presented with cardiopulmonary arrest due to ventricular fibrillation. Genetic testing revealed a novel de novo heterozygous missense variant in TNNI3, NM_000363.

Proteomic profiles of left atrial volume and its influence on response to spironolactone: Findings from the HOMAGE trial and STANISLAS cohort.

Aims: High left ventricular filling pressure increases left atrial volume and causes myocardial fibrosis, which may decrease with spironolactone. We studied clinical and proteomic characteristics associated with left atrial volume indexed by body surface area (LAVi), and whether LAVi influences the response to spironolactone on biomarker expression and clinical variables.

Methods And Results: In the HOMAGE trial, where people at risk of heart failure were randomized to spironolactone or control, we analysed 421 participants with available LAVi and 276 proteomic measurements (Olink) at baseline, month 1 and 9 (mean age 73 ± 6 years; women 26%; LAVi 32 ± 9 ml/m).

When to use spironolactone, eplerenone or finerenone in the spectrum of cardiorenal diseases.

Kidney disease frequently coexists with cardiovascular (CV) diseases, and this dual presence significantly amplifies the risk of adverse clinical outcomes. Shared pathophysiological mechanisms and common CV risk factors contribute to the increased expression of mineralocorticoid receptors, which in turn can drive the progression of chronic CV-kidney disorders. The steroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs) spironolactone and eplerenone have demonstrated efficacy in improving patient outcomes in cases of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction or after a myocardial infarction, but have limited value in patients with chronic kidney disease.

Exercise-induced B-lines for the diagnosis of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: a two-centre study.

Background: Diagnosis of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) remains challenging despite the use of scores/algorithms. This study intended to assess the diagnostic value of exercise lung ultrasound (LUS) for HFpEF diagnosis.

Methods: We studied two independent case-control studies of HFpEF patients and control subjects undergoing different exercise protocols: (i) submaximal exercise stress echocardiography (ESE) with LUS performed by expert cardiologists (N = 116, HFpEF = 65.

A machine learning-derived echocardiographic algorithm identifies people at risk of heart failure with distinct cardiac structure, function, and response to spironolactone: Findings from the HOMAGE trial.

Aim: An echocardiographic algorithm derived by machine learning (e'VM) characterizes pre-clinical individuals with different cardiac structure and function, biomarkers, and long-term risk of heart failure (HF). Our aim was the external validation of the e'VM algorithm and to explore whether it may identify subgroups who benefit from spironolactone.

Methods And Results: The HOMAGE (Heart OMics in AGEing) trial enrolled participants at high risk of developing HF randomly assigned to spironolactone or placebo over 9 months.

Associations of childhood adiposity with adult intima-media thickness and inflammation: a 20-year longitudinal population-based cohort.

Background: The associations between childhood adiposity and adult increased carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) have been well established, which might be corroborated by the association between adiposity in children and inflammation in adults. However, longitudinal data regarding biological pathways associated with childhood adiposity are lacking.

Methods: The current study included participants from the STANISLAS cohort who had adiposity measurements at age 5-18 years [ N  = 519, mean (SD) age, 13.

Effect of eplerenone on clinical stability of Japanese patients with acute heart failure.

Background: In the EARLIER (Efficacy and Safety of Early Initiation of Eplerenone Treatment in Patients with Acute Heart Failure) trial, eplerenone did not reduce heart failure (HF) hospitalizations or all-cause mortality in 300 patients admitted for acute HF (AHF). However, the trial might have been underpowered for these endpoints, and a comprehensive overview of the effect of eplerenone on diuretic doses and patients' clinical stability is warranted.

Methods: The EARLIER trial included Japanese patients hospitalized for AHF randomly assigned to eplerenone or placebo over 6 months.

Inductive database to support iterative data mining: Application to biomarker analysis on patient data in the Fight-HF project.

Machine learning is now an essential part of any biomedical study but its integration into real effective Learning Health Systems, including the whole process of Knowledge Discovery from Data (KDD), is not yet realised. We propose an original extension of the KDD process model that involves an inductive database. We designed for the first time a generic model of Inductive Clinical DataBase (ICDB) aimed at hosting both patient data and learned models.

Validation of the MEDIA echo score for the prognosis of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.

There is currently no widely used prognostic score in heart failure (HF) with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). The MEDIA echo score, including four variables (pulmonary arterial systolic pressure > 40 mmHg, inferior vena cava collapsibility index < 50%, average E/e' > 9, and lateral mitral annular s' < 7 cm/s), has been proposed as a useful risk stratification tool. This study aimed at further validating the MEDIA echo score in both hospitalised and ambulatory HFpEF patients.

The association between markers of type I collagen synthesis and echocardiographic response to spironolactone in patients at risk of heart failure: findings from the HOMAGE trial.

Aims: Procollagen type I C-terminal propeptide (PICP) and procollagen type III N-terminal propeptide (PIIINP) are markers reflecting collagen synthesis in cardiac fibrosis. However, they may be influenced by the presence of non-cardiac comorbidities (e.g.

Assessment of Patient Knowledge, Awareness, and Adherence in Heart Failure in a Real-Life Setting: Insights from Data Acquired in Pharmacies.

Background: Patient knowledge is crucial for managing and/or monitoring patients with heart failure (HF). However, "real-life" evidence of knowledge level and awareness in HF is yet to be explored. We assessed unselected HF patients' knowledge and awareness in a pharmacy setting.

A Combination of Chest Radiography and Estimated Plasma Volume May Predict In-Hospital Mortality in Acute Heart Failure.

Patients with heart failure (HF) often display dyspnea associated with pulmonary congestion, along with intravascular congestion, both may result in urgent hospitalization and subsequent death. A combination of radiographic pulmonary congestion and plasma volume might screen patients with a high risk of in-hospital mortality in the emergency department (ED). In the pathway of dyspneic patients in emergency (PARADISE) cohort, patients admitted for acute HF were stratified into 4 groups based on high or low congestion score index (CSI, ranging from 0 to 3, high value indicating severe congestion) and estimated plasma volume status (ePVS) calculated from hemoglobin/hematocrit.

Circulating Biomarkers and Cardiac Structure and Function in Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) increases the risk for abnormalities of the cardiac structure and function, which may lead to heart failure (HF). Studying the association between circulating biomarkers and echocardiographic parameters is important to screen patients with RA with a higher risk of cardiac dysfunction. To study the association between circulating biomarkers and echocardiographic parameters in patients with RA.

Head-to-head comparison of diagnostic scores for acute heart failure in the emergency department: results from the PARADISE cohort.

BREST and PREDICA scores have recently emerged for the diagnosis of acute heart failure (AHF) in the emergency department (ED). This study aimed to perform a head-to-head comparison in a large contemporary cohort. BREST and PREDICA scores were calculated from, respectively, 11 and 8 routine clinical variables recorded in the ED in 1386 patients from the PArADIsE cohort.

Exercise-induced B-lines in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction occur along with diastolic function worsening.

Aims: Pulmonary congestion during exercise assessed by lung ultrasound predicts negative outcome in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). We aimed at assessing predictors of exercise-induced pulmonary B-lines in HFpEF patients.

Methods And Results: Eighty-one I-II NYHA class HFpEF patients (65.

Machine Learning-Derived Echocardiographic Phenotypes Predict Heart Failure Incidence in Asymptomatic Individuals.

Objectives: This study sought to identify homogenous echocardiographic phenotypes in community-based cohorts and assess their association with outcomes.

Background: Asymptomatic cardiac dysfunction leads to a high risk of long-term cardiovascular morbidity and mortality; however, better echocardiographic classification of asymptomatic individuals remains a challenge.

Methods: Echocardiographic phenotypes were identified using K-means clustering in the first generation of the STANISLAS (Yearly non-invasive follow-up of Health status of Lorraine insured inhabitants) cohort (N = 827; mean age: 60 ± 5 years; men: 48%), and their associations with vascular function and circulating biomarkers were also assessed.

Cardiac Remodeling and Diastolic Dysfunction in Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) leads to the development of cardiac remodeling/diastolic dysfunction and vice versa. We intended to determine whether cardiac remodeling/diastolic dysfunction is present at early stages of AF.

Methods: We studied 175 patients with paroxysmal AF, compared with 175 matched control subjects, who had available echocardiography data to investigate the association between echocardiographic variables and AF from the STANISLAS cohort.

Perceived risk profile and treatment optimization in heart failure: an analysis from BIOlogy Study to TAilored Treatment in chronic heart failure.

Background: Achieving target doses of angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitor/angiotensin-receptor blockers (ACEi/ARB) and beta-blockers in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) is often underperformed. In BIOlogy Study to TAilored Treatment in chronic heart failure (BIOSTAT-CHF) study, many patients were not up-titrated for which no clear reason was reported. Therefore, we hypothesized that perceived-risk profile might influence treatment optimization.

Correction: Diagnostic performance of congestion score index evaluated from chest radiography for acute heart failure in the emergency department: A retrospective analysis from the PARADISE cohort.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.