Identifying low-risk in patients with worsening heart failure with short hospital stay: A comparison of risk scores in predicting 30-day risk events.

Introduction: Heart failure (HF) is a leading cause of hospitalization worldwide, with high mortality rates and significant economic burden. To address the issue outpatient strategies (day-care diuretics) to avoid unplanned ED visits and reduce HF hospitalizations. However, the identification of low risk patients worsening heart failure (WHF) who could benefit from outpatient treatment remains poorly documented.

Atrial fibrillation in transthyretin amyloidotic cardiomyopathy: prevalence and echocardiographic predictors.

Background: Conduction disorders and arrhythmias frequently accompany cardiac amyloidosis (CA), with atrial fibrillation (AF) being the most prevalent manifestation. The prevalence of AF varies across different types of CA, with transthyretin (TTR) type showing the highest prevalence upon diagnosis.

Methods: A retrospective, observational analysis was conducted to evaluate the prevalence of AF and to identify echocardiographic predictors related to the development of AF in our population of patients with transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis (TTR-CA).

Inferior vena CAVA and lung ultraSound-guided therapy in acute heart failure: A randomized pilot study (CAVAL US-AHF study).

Background: The optimal assessment of systemic and lung decongestion during acute heart failure is not clearly defined. We evaluated whether inferior vena cava (IVC) and pulmonary ultrasound (CAVAL US) guided therapy is superior to standard care in reducing subclinical congestion at discharge in patients with AHF.

Methods: CAVAL US-AHF was an investigator-initiated, single-center, single-blind, randomized controlled trial.

In-hospital initiation of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors in patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction: 90-day prescription patterns and clinical implications.

Introduction: Safety and early clinical benefit make sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor (SGLT2-i) therapy suitable for in-hospital initiation in patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Despite randomized controlled trials and guideline recommendations, they are underused, and clinical inertia may play a role.

Objectives Primary: To assess the impact of initiating SGLT-2i at discharge on 90-day prescription rates in patients with HFrEF during hospitalization for acute heart failure (AHF).

Veno-arterial ECMO ventricular assistance as a direct bridge to heart transplant: A single center experience in a low-middle income country.

Introduction: The use of veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) as a direct bridge to heart transplantation (BTT) is not common in adults worldwide. BTT with ECMO is associated with increased early/mid-term mortality compared with other interventions. In low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), where no other type of short-term mechanical circulatory support is available, its use is widespread and increasingly used as rescue therapy in patients with cardiogenic shock (CS) as a direct bridge to heart transplantation (HT).

Evaluation of vital signs through a mobile application in patients with heart failure: a opportunity for remote titration?

Background: Virtual consultations have increased exponentially, but a limitation is the inability to assess vital signs (VS). This is particularly useful in patients with heart failure (HF) for titrating prognosis-modifying medication. This issue could potentially be addressed by a tool capable of measuring blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) accurately, remotely, and conveniently.

[Impact of a multidisciplinary team "ECMO Team" on the prognosis of patients undergoing veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for refractory cardiogenic shock and cardiac arrest].

Objectives: Veno-arterial Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA ECMO) is a salvage intervention in patients with cardiogenic shock (CS), and cardiac arrest (CA) refractory to standard therapies. The design of ECMO Teams has achieved the standardization of processes, although its impact on survival and prognosis is unknown.

Objective: We aimed to analyze whether the creation of an ECMO Team has modified the prognosis of patients undergoing VA ECMO for refractory CS or CA.

Endomyocardiofibrosis in the Americas Collaborative Study: The EMF-SIAC Registry.

Endomyocardiofibrosis (EMF) is a restrictive cardiomyopathy characterized by subendocardial fibrosis due to eosinophilic myocardial infiltration. EMF may commonly present with heart failure (HF) or atrial fibrillation (AF). Immunosuppression can be effective in early stages, but not in the chronic phase.

[Telemonitoring and a real-time alert system in heart failure: a preliminary pilot study of feasibility, acceptability and efficacy].

Introduction: There is growing evidence that telemonitoring (TM) in heart failure (HF) seems to improve their outcome. TM platforms have not been designed and evaluated in Argentina. The objective was to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, usability and preliminary efficacy of a HF TM platform.

Multiparameters associated to successful weaning from VA ECMO in adult patients with cardiogenic shock or cardiac arrest: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA ECMO) is a form of temporary mechanical circulatory support and simultaneous extracorporeal gas exchange for acute cardiorespiratory failure, including refractory cardiogenic shock (CS) and cardiac arrest (CA). Few studies have assessed predictors of successful weaning (SW) from VA ECMO. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to identify a multiparameter strategy associated with SW from VA ECMO.

IGFBP-7 and Outcomes in Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction: Findings From DAPA-HF.

Background: Insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-7 (IGFBP-7) has been proposed as a potential prognostic biomarker in heart failure (HF), but the association between elevation in IGFBP-7 and HF outcomes in ambulant patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) is unknown.

Objectives: The authors addressed this question in a post hoc analysis of the DAPA-HF (Dapagliflozin and Prevention of Adverse Outcomes in Heart Failure) trial.

Methods: The primary outcome was a composite of cardiovascular death or a worsening HF event.

Risk stratification, prognosis, and survival in a pulmonary arterial hypertension cohort in Latin America. A multicenter study.

Background: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) guidelines suggest that achieving a low-risk profile should be the treatment goal. Our aim was to assess a risk assessment strategy based on three non-invasive variables from the ESC/ERS 2015 guidelines in a Latin American cohort.

Methods: 92 incident patients (mean [SD] age 47, 77% female, 53% idiopathic PAH) were included in this retrospective, multicenter study.

Design and rationale of the inferior vena CAVA and Lung UltraSound-guided therapy in Acute Heart Failure (CAVAL US-AHF Study): a randomised controlled trial.

Background: Between 25% and 30% of patients hospitalised for acute heart failure (AHF) are readmitted within 90 days after discharge, mostly due to persistent congestion on discharge. However, as the optimal evaluation of decongestion is not clearly defined, it is necessary to implement new tools to identify subclinical congestion to guide treatment.

Objective: To evaluate if inferior vena cava (IVC) and lung ultrasound (CAVAL US)-guided therapy for AHF patients reduces subclinical congestion at discharge.

SCAI Cardiogenic Shock Classification for Predicting In-Hospital and Long-Term Mortality in Acute Heart Failure.

Background: SCAI classification in cardiogenic shock is simple and suitable for rapid assessment. Its predictive behavior in patients with primary acute heart failure (AHF) is not fully known. We aimed to evaluate the ability of the SCAI classification to predict in-hospital and long-term mortality in AHF.

Liver tests and outcomes in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction: findings from DAPA-HF.

Aims: Reflecting both increased venous pressure and reduced cardiac output, abnormal liver tests are common in patients with severe heart failure and are associated with adverse clinical outcomes. We aimed to investigate the prognostic significance of abnormal liver tests in ambulatory patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), explore any treatment interaction between bilirubin and sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors and examine change in liver tests with SGLT2 inhibitor treatment.

Methods And Results: We explored these objectives in the Dapagliflozin And Prevention of Adverse outcomes in Heart Failure (DAPA-HF) trial, with focus on bilirubin.

Differences in health policies for drug availability in pulmonary arterial hypertension and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension across Latin America.

Treatment for pulmonary arterial hypertension and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension in Latin America differs between countries, with regard to disease etiology, health insurance coverage, and drug availability. A group of experts from Latin America, met to share regional experiences and propose possible lines of collaboration. The available evidence, regional clinical practice data, and the global context of the proceedings of the 6th World Symposium on Pulmonary Hypertension, held in Nice, France, in February 2018, were analyzed.

Efficacy of Dapagliflozin in Black Versus White Patients With Heart Failure and Reduced Ejection Fraction.

Objectives: This study sought to investigate the efficacy and safety of dapagliflozin in Black and White patients with heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) enrolled in DAPA-HF (Study to Evaluate the Effect of Dapagliflozin on the Incidence of Worsening Heart Failure or Cardiovascular Death in Patients With Chronic Heart Failure).

Background: Black patients may respond differently to certain treatments for HFrEF than White patients.

Methods: Patients with New York Heart Association functional class II to IV with an ejection fraction of ≤40% and elevated N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide were eligible for DAPA-HF.

New combined risk score to predict atrial fibrillation after cardiac surgery: COM-AF.

Background And Aims: Atrial fibrillation frequently occurs in the postoperative period of cardiac surgery, associated with an increase in morbidity and mortality. The scores POAF, CHA2DS2-VASc and HATCH demonstrated a validated ability to predict atrial fibrillation after cardiac surgery (AFCS). The objective is to develop and validate a risk score to predict AFCS from the combination of the variables with highest predictive value of POAF, CHA2DS2-VASc and HATCH models.

[Relevance of right ventricle in the clinical management of pulmonary arterial hypertension].

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) requires structured processes of diagnosis and risk stratification, being the function of the right ventricle (RV) a hallmark prognosis determinant. The main therapeutic goals in PAH are to improve and try to revert RV dysfunction and maintaining a low risk. Currently, there are multiple treatments with different mechanisms of action, the combination of which in double or triple therapy has shown improved results compared to monotherapy.

Efficacy of dapagliflozin in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction according to body mass index.

Aims: In heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), there is an 'obesity paradox', where survival is better in patients with a higher body mass index (BMI) and weight loss is associated with worse outcomes. We examined the effect of a sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitor according to baseline BMI in the Dapagliflozin And Prevention of Adverse-outcomes in Heart Failure trial (DAPA-HF).

Methods And Results: Body mass index was examined using standard categories, i.