Publications by authors named "Mehmet Birhan Yilmaz"

Purpose: The management of heart failure (HF) frequently includes gastroprotection via proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) or histamine-2 receptor antagonists (H2RAs). This systematic review evaluates their impact on HF outcomes, including exacerbation, hospitalization, mortality, and major adverse cardiac events (MACE).

Methods: In accordance with PRISMA guidelines, a complete search across databases such as PubMed/Medline, Scopus, and Web of Science was conducted until December 10, 2023.

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Background: In the contemporary management of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), the recommended quadruple guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) consists of angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitor (ARNI), evidence-based beta-blockers (BB), mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRA), and sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT-2i). This study explored the impact of adding implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapy to this comprehensive regimen in HFrEF patients.

Methods: Utilizing deidentified data from the National Electronic Database of the Turkish Ministry of Health, we conducted a nationwide retrospective cohort study on 5450 HFrEF patients receiving quadruple GDMT, including ARNI.

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  • Finerenone, a nonsteroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist, improved outcomes for heart failure patients in the FINEARTS-HF trial but led to elevated serum potassium levels.
  • The study aimed to analyze the frequency of abnormal serum potassium levels (<3.5 mmol/L and >5.5 mmol/L) and the impact of finerenone treatment compared to placebo on patient outcomes.
  • Results showed that participants taking finerenone experienced significantly higher potassium levels over time, with increased risk of levels >5.5 mmol/L and reduced risk of levels <3.5 mmol/L, indicating a notable effect of the drug on potassium regulation.
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Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) still remains as an enigmatic phenomenon. In particular, long-term challenges (including clinical recurrence and persistent symptoms) and specific entities in the setting of TTS have been the evolving areas of interest. On the other hand, a significant gap still exists regarding the proper risk-stratification of this phenomenon in the short and long terms.

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In the recent years, there has been a burgeoning interest in Takotsubo syndrome (TTS), which is renowned as a specific form of reversible myocardial dysfunction. Despite the extensive literature available on TTS, clinicians still face several practical challenges associated with the diagnosis and management of this phenomenon. This potentially results in the underdiagnosis and improper management of TTS in clinical practice.

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Purpose: The relationship between heart failure (HF) and hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in postmenopausal women remains unclear. This paper aimed to elucidate the association between HRT and HF outcomes in postmenopausal women by scrutinizing evidence from clinical trials and observational studies.

Methods: The meta-analysis was systematically executed following the PRISMA guidelines to include studies identified from the electronic databases, including PubMed, EMBASE, EBSCO, ICTRP, and NIH clinical trials.

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  • Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) help lower blood glucose and sodium levels by promoting their excretion in urine, leading to benefits like reduced heart failure (HF) hospitalizations in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and cardiovascular (CV) risks.
  • Clinical trials like DAPA-HF and EMPEROR-Reduced demonstrate that SGLT2i medications (dapagliflozin and empagliflozin) significantly reduce CV mortality and HF hospitalizations in heart failure patients, whether they have T2DM or not.
  • Recent studies, including EMPEROR-Preserved and DELIVER, also support the effectiveness of SGLT2is in treating heart
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  • Steroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists help patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction, but their effectiveness in those with mildly reduced or preserved ejection fraction is unclear, indicating a need for further research on finerenone.
  • In a double-blind study, patients with heart failure (ejection fraction 40% or greater) were assigned to receive either finerenone or a placebo to assess its impact on heart failure events and cardiovascular death.
  • Results showed that finerenone led to fewer worsening heart failure events and a lower overall rate of primary outcome events compared to placebo, although it also carried a higher risk of hyperkalemia.
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(1) Background: Dyslipidaemia and insulin resistance are major risk factors for coronary artery disease (CAD). This study investigated the relationship between plasma atherogenic index (PA-I), triglyceride-glucose index (TGI) and other lipid ratios with the presence and prediction of CAD among different age categories. (2) Methods: The study included 223 participants diagnosed with CAD and those with normal coronary arteries (normal group) by coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA).

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Background: Scientific evidence regarding the impact of different combinations of diabetes medications in heart failure patients with diabetes mellitus (HFwDM) remains limited.

Aim: We aimed to investigate the effect of monotherapy and combination therapy for DM on all-cause mortality in HFwDM under triple guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT).

Method: This nationwide retrospective cohort study included adult HFwDM under triple GDMT between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2022.

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Aims: Digoxin has been used in the treatment for heart failure for centuries, but the role of this drug in the modern era is controversial. A particular concern is the recent observational findings suggesting an increase in all-cause mortality with digoxin, although such observations suffer from biased results since these studies usually do not provide adequate compensation for the severity of disease. Using a nationwide registry database, we aimed to investigate whether digoxin is associated with 1-year all-cause mortality in patients with heart failure irrespective of phenotype.

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Soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) modulation has been scrutinized in several disease states including heart failure (HF). Recently, it was shown that an sGC modulator improved HF-related hospitalization significantly, though, there was no benefit related to mortality. Herein, a comprehensive meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for sGC modulation in HF patients was provided in agreement with the PRISMA statement.

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Background: The association of soluble suppression of tumorigenesis-2 (sST2) levels with prognosis in pulmonary embolism (PE) is unknown.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between sST2 levels in patients with acute PE and 6-month mortality and recurrent hospitalizations.

Methods: This prospective study included 100 patients with acute PE.

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  • Implantable devices help patients with heart failure by working alongside medicines to treat the condition and improve their health.
  • While some devices are supported by strong evidence and show positive effects, others need more research before they can be widely used.
  • The Heart Failure Association and European Heart Rhythm Association suggest a better way to use these devices in care programs to help patients more effectively.
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Major heart failure (HF) trials remain insufficient in terms of assessing the differences in clinical characteristics, biomarkers, treatment efficacy, and safety because of the under-representation of women. The study aimed to present sex-related disparities in HF management, including differences in demographics, co-morbidities, cardiac biomarkers, prescribed medications, and treatment outcomes. The study utilized anonymized data from the Turkish Ministry of Health's National Electronic Database between January 1, 2016, and December 31, 2022.

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Background: Central Illustration: Usefulness of Age, Creatinine and Ejection Fraction - Modification of Diet in Renal Disease Score for Predicting Survival in Patients with Heart Failure Summary of the study design and key findings. ACEF: Age, creatinine and ejection fraction, MDRD: Modified Diet in Renal Disease. While many risk models have been developed to predict prognosis in heart failure (HF), these models are rarely useful for the clinical practitioner as they include multiple variables that might be time-consuming to obtain, they are usually difficult to calculate, and they may suffer from statistical overfitting.

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Objective: The aim of this study is to reveal the perception levels of heart failure (HF) patients about the disease, their adaptation to the disease process, their compliance with the treatment, and their knowledge and thoughts about the disease from the patient's perspective.

Method: Patients with a diagnosis of HF for at least 6 months who applied to the cardiology clinics of 10 different centers were included in this cross-sectional, multicenter and questionnaire-based study. A questionnaire consisting of sections that included demographic information, evaluation of the patient's symptoms, knowledge and experience of clinical follow-up, knowledge of HF, compliance and awareness of treatment was applied to the patients.

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Background: Heart failure (HF) is a common condition that affects 1-3% of the general population. Its prevalence exhibits notable international and intranational disparities, partly explained by socioeconomic status, religion, ethnic diversity, and geographic factors. A comprehensive understanding of the epidemiological symptoms of HF in different regions of Türkiye has yet to be revealed.

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Heart failure (HF) remains a serious health and socioeconomic problem in the Middle East and Africa (MEA). The age-standardized prevalence rate for HF in the MEA region is higher compared to countries in Eastern Europe, Latin America, and Southeast Asia. Also cardiovascular-related deaths remain high compared to their global counterparts.

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Right-sided heart failure and tricuspid regurgitation are common and strongly associated with poor quality of life and an increased risk of heart failure hospitalizations and death. While medical therapy for right-sided heart failure is limited, treatment options for tricuspid regurgitation include surgery and, based on recent developments, several transcatheter interventions. However, the patients who might benefit from tricuspid valve interventions are yet unknown, as is the ideal time for these treatments given the paucity of clinical evidence.

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Background: Data on the burden of heart failure (HF) outside western countries are limited, but available data suggest it may present differently in other countries. The aim of this study was to examine the incidence, prevalence, and survival rates of HF in Türkiye, with a specific focus on how these rates vary according to age, sex, comorbidities, and socioeconomic status (SES).

Methods: We harnessed the extensive National Electronic Database of the Turkish Ministry of Health, covering Turkey's entire population from January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2022, to identify 2,722,151 cases of HF and their associated comorbidities using ICD-10 codes.

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Background: Congestion is the main cause of morbidity and a prime determinant of survival in patients with heart failure (HF). However, the assessment of congestion is subjective and estimation of plasma volume (ePV) has been suggested as a more objective measure of congestion. This study aimed to explore the relationships and interactions between ePV, the severity of congestion and survival using a nationwide registry.

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