Rationale and Design of Prospective, Multicenter, Double-Arm Clinical Trial to Investigate the Efficacy of Tofogliflozin on Left Ventricular Diastolic Dysfunction in Patients with Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (TOP-HFPEF Trial).

Background: Recent large clinical trials have revealed that sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors improve cardiovascular outcomes not only in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, but also in patients with heart failure with mildly reduced or preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). However, the effect of SGLT2 inhibitors on left ventricular (LV) diastolic function is still controversial.

Methods And Results: The TOP-HFPEF trial (Efficacy of Tofogliflozin on Left Ventricular Diastolic Dysfunction in Patients with Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus) is a multicenter, double-arm, open-label, confirmatory, investigator-initiated clinical study to investigate the effect of SGLT2 inhibitor on LV diastolic function in patients with HFpEF and type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Efficacy of azilsartan on left ventricular diastolic dysfunction compared with candesartan: J-TASTE randomized controlled trial.

Characterized by ventricular and vascular stiffness, heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) has led to high morbidity and mortality. As azilsartan is an angiotensin receptor blocker with the highest myocardial and vascular affinities, azilsartan may improve the left ventricular (LV) diastolic function in patients with hypertension and either HFpEF or HF with mildly reduced ejection fraction (HFmrEF) more than candesartan. In this randomized, open-label trial, we randomly assigned 193 hypertensive patients with HF and LV ejection fraction ≥ 45% to 20 mg of azilsartan (n = 95) or 8 mg of candesartan (n = 98), once daily for 48 weeks.

Usefulness of transpedal intervention for inferior epigastric artery bleeding following catheter ablation: a case report.

Background: Cardiovascular interventions may result in access-site complication, including inferior epigastric artery (IEA) bleeding. The IEA injury is generally treated through surgery and transcatheter embolization; however, additional complications should be avoided in the bailout procedure. Here, we present a case of catheter ablation complicated by IEA haemorrhage that we managed by transcatheter embolization using a transpedal intervention (TPI).

Effects of trunk stretching using an exercise ball on central arterial stiffness and carotid arterial compliance.

Purpose: Acute or regular stretching exercises reduce arterial stiffness, but whether stretching exercises per se can reduce central arterial stiffness remain controversial. Recent studies have suggested that mechanical stimulation of arteries can directly modulate arterial stiffness, rather than causing systemic effects. Thus, this study aimed to examine the effects of trunk stretching using an exercise ball on central arterial stiffness and carotid arterial compliance.