Destination Therapy Strategies of Advanced Heart Failure in Elderly Non-Heart Transplant Candidates: A Propensity Matching Analysis from the LEVO-D and REGALAD Registries.

Heart transplantation (HT) is the gold standard therapy for advanced heart failure (ADHF), and LVADs as destination therapy are an option in non-HT candidates. Most patients with ADHF never receive HT or an LVAD, so alternative strategies are needed. Intermittent levosimendan can reduce HF hospitalizations in ADHF patients in the short term.

Rationale and design of the beta-blockers in tako-tsubo syndrome study: a randomized clinical trial (β-Tako).

Introduction Y Objectives: Tako-tsubo syndrome (TTS) is a cardiac condition that mimics acute coronary syndrome, characterized by transient left ventricular dysfunction in the absence of culprit coronary artery stenosis. Although its etiology remains unknown, reversible microvascular dysfunction secondary to an adrenergic surge is thought to play a role. Treatment is empirical, although most patients receive beta-blockers (BB) in clinical practice.

Prostatic amyloidosis: pathological features of an underdiagnosed condition.

Amyloidosis is a rare disease that can affect genitourinary organs but the involvement of the prostate has been documented in a limited number of cases. We have reviewed morphologic and immunohistochemical features of prostate biopsies or surgical specimens in which an initial diagnosis of amyloidosis was made. Prostatic amyloidosis was diagnosed in 25 patients, 21 of them were needle biopsies (1.

Guideline-directed medical therapy for heart failure in arrhythmia-induced cardiomyopathy with improved left ventricular ejection fraction.

Aims: No study has analyzed the impact of guideline-directed medical therapy in preventing heart failure (HF) relapse in patients with arrhythmia-induced cardiomyopathy (AiCM) following left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) improvement.

Methods And Results: We analyzed data from a single-center cohort of 200 patients admitted for HF, LVEF <50% and cardiac arrhythmia considered by cardiologists to be the precipitating cause of the episode. The primary endpoint was time-to-HF relapse, defined as the composite of readmission for HF, Emergency Department (ED) visit for HF, or significant decline in LVEF.

Derivation and Validation of the PRECISE-HBR Score to Predict Bleeding After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

Background: Accurate bleeding risk stratification after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is important for treatment individualization. However, there is still an unmet need for a more precise and standardized identification of high bleeding risk patients. We derived and validated a novel bleeding risk score by augmenting the PRECISE-DAPT score with the Academic Research Consortium for High Bleeding Risk (ARC-HBR) criteria.

Impact of mechanical circulatory support on outcomes in Takotsubo syndrome complicated by cardiogenic shock: Insights from the RETAKO registry.

Background: Cardiogenic shock (CS) complicates Takotsubo syndrome (TTS), significantly affecting patient outcomes. Since avoiding catecholamines, particularly inotropic agents, is recommended in TTS, temporary mechanical circulatory support (MCS) shows promise as a bridge to recovery. However, there is no prospective data on its use in TTS.

Ramipril After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation in Patients Without Reduced Ejection Fraction: The RASTAVI Randomized Clinical Trial.

Background: Patients with aortic stenosis may continue to have an increased risk of heart failure, arrhythmias, and death after successful transcatheter aortic valve implantation. Renin-angiotensin system inhibitors may be beneficial in this setting. We aimed to explore whether ramipril improves the outcomes of patients with aortic stenosis after transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

Comparison between beta-blockers and calcium channel blockers in patients with atrial fibrillation according to renal function.

Background: Rate control is the most commonly employed first-line management strategy for atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Principal agents used to control heart rate (HR) include beta-blockers (BB) and nondihydropyridine calcium channel blockers (ND-CCB). However, there is a paucity of published studies of the differences between those drugs in CKD patients.

Is pre-diabetes a predictor of events in patients with atrial fibrillation?

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) increases the probability of presenting atrial fibrillation (AF) and it is a predictor of its ischemic stroke. There is limited information of the association between glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels and ischemic, embolic or bleeding events in patients with pre-DM and AF.

Methods: To investigate whether the presence of pre-DM in patients with AF predicts ischemic or bleeding events, myocardial infarction or mortality, we performed a retrospective study with a final cohort of 2993 non-diabetic patients with AF and data of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c).

Relative performance evaluation of four bleeding risk scores in atrial fibrillation patients. What does the new DOAC score provide?

Background: Recently, the direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) score was developed and better predicted major bleeding in DOAC-treated patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) than HASBLED did. Little is known on the new score's performance regarding other bleeding risk in AF.

Methods: We studied 14,672 patients diagnosed with AF between 2014 and 2018.

Renal impairment and outcome in Takotsubo syndrome: Insights from a national multicentric cohort.

Introduction: Data on the association between kidney function and Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) outcomes are scarce and conflictive.

Objective: To assess the impact of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and acute renal failure (ARF) in patients with TTS.

Material And Methods: Patients from the prospective nation-wide (RETAKO) registry were included and divided into quartiles of maximum creatinine (Cr) level during hospitalization.

Prognostic Utility of Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions Shock Stage Approach for Classifying Cardiogenic Shock Severity in Takotsubo Syndrome.

Background: Cardiogenic shock (CS) is a significant complication of Takotsubo syndrome (TTS), contributing to heightened mortality and morbidity. Despite this, the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) staging system for CS severity lacks validation in patients with TTS and CS. This study aimed to characterize a patient cohort with TTS using the SCAI staging system and assess its utility in cases of TTS complicated by CS.

Artificial intelligence-derived risk score for mortality in secondary mitral regurgitation treated by transcatheter edge-to-edge repair: the EuroSMR risk score.

Background And Aims: Risk stratification for mitral valve transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (M-TEER) is paramount in the decision-making process to appropriately select patients with severe secondary mitral regurgitation (SMR). This study sought to develop and validate an artificial intelligence-derived risk score (EuroSMR score) to predict 1-year outcomes (survival or survival + clinical improvement) in patients with SMR undergoing M-TEER.

Methods: An artificial intelligence-derived risk score was developed from the EuroSMR cohort (4172 and 428 patients treated with M-TEER in the derivation and validation cohorts, respectively).