Evaluating the applicability of ivabradine in acute heart failure.

Background: While ivabradine has demonstrated benefits in heart rate control and prognosis for chronic heart failure patients, its application in acute decompensated heart failure remains underexplored.

Hypothesis: For patients with acute decompensated heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) who are intolerant to β-blockers or unable to further titrate their dosage, the use of ivabradine is hypothesized to be effective and safe is improving outcomes.

Methods: This retrospective, multicenter database analysis included patients with hospitalized decompensated heart failure with a left ventricular ejection fraction of ≤40% from June 1, 2015 to December 31, 2020.

Recent Advances in Engineering Carriers for siRNA Delivery.

RNA interference (RNAi) technology has been a promising treatment strategy for combating intractable diseases. However, the applications of RNAi in clinical are hampered by extracellular and intracellular barriers. To overcome these barriers, various siRNA delivery systems have been developed in the past two decades.

Creation of Chitosan-Based Nanocapsule-in-Nanofiber Structures for Hydrophobic/Hydrophilic Drug Co-Delivery and Their Dressing Applications in Diabetic Wounds.

Nanofiber meshes (NFMs) loaded with therapeutic agents are very often employed to treat hard-to-heal wounds such as diabetic wounds. However, most of the NFMs have limited capability to load multiple or hydrophilicity distinctive-therapeutic agents. The therapy strategy is therefore significantly hampered.

Comparing angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitors with sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors for heart failure with diabetes mellitus.

Background And Aims: Clinical comparisons of angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitors (ARNI) and sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) treatment in patients with HFrEF and T2DM are limited. This study evaluated the clinical outcomes and treatment benefits of SGLT2i versus ARNI treatment in patients with HFrEF and T2DM in a large real-world data set.

Methods: We identified 1487 patients with HFrEF and T2DM who were undergoing ARNI or SGLT2i treatment for the first time (n = 647 and 840, respectively) between January 1, 2016, and December 31, 2021, and with clinical outcomes of CV death, hospitalization for heart failure (HHF), composite CV outcomes, or renal outcomes.

The cardiovascular and renal effects of glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists in patients with advanced diabetic kidney disease.

Background: To determine whether glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) have cardiovascular and renal protective effects in patients with advanced diabetic kidney disease (DKD) with an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 30 mL/min per 1.73 m.

Methods: In this cohort study, patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and eGFR < 30 mL/min per 1.

Preparation of CO -Based Cationic Polycarbonate/Polyacrylonitrile Nanofibers with an Optimal Fibrous Microstructure for Antibacterial Applications.

Utilizing CO as one of the monomer resources, poly(vinylcyclohexene carbonates) (PVCHCs) are used as the precursor for preparing cationic PVCHCs (CPVCHCs) via thiol-ene click functionalization. Through the functionalization, CPVCHC-43 with a tertiary amine density of 43% relative to the backbone is able to display a significantly antibacterial ability against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus).

Tumor endothelial marker 1 is upregulated in heart after cardiac injury and participates in cardiac remodeling.

Tumor endothelial marker 1 (TEM1) is a transmembrane glycoprotein that appears on mesenchymal lineage-derived cells during embryogenesis, but its expression greatly reduces after birth. Re-upregulation of TEM1 is found in tumor angiogenesis, organ fibrosis and wound healing indicating its potential role in tissue remodeling and repair. The expression level and function of TEM1 in adult heart are unknown.

Carbon Dioxide-Derived Biodegradable and Cationic Polycarbonates as a New siRNA Carrier for Gene Therapy in Pancreatic Cancer.

Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive malignancy associated with poor prognosis and a high tendency in developing infiltration and metastasis. K-ras mutation is a major genetic disorder in pancreatic cancer patient. RNAi-based therapies can be employed for combating pancreatic cancer by silencing K-ras gene expression.

Progressive tricuspid regurgitation and elevated pressure gradient after transvenous permanent pacemaker implantation.

Background: The association of postimplant tricuspid regurgitation (TR) and heart failure (HF) hospitalization in patients without HF and preexisting abnormal TR and TR pressure gradient (PG) remain unclear.

Hypothesis: This study aimed to explore the clinical outcomes of progressive postimplant TR after permanent pacemaker (PPM) implantation.

Methods: A total of 1670 patients who underwent a single ventricular or dual-chamber transvenous PPM implantation at our hospital between January 2003 and December 2017 were included in the study.

Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis With an Inadequate Response to Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs at a Higher Risk of Acute Coronary Syndrome.

Background Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. It is believed that using disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) to control inflammation can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. In this study, we investigated whether patients who responded differently to DMARDs might sustain different cardiovascular events.

Group 2 innate lymphoid cells contribute to IL-33-mediated alleviation of cardiac fibrosis.

The major cause of heart failure is myocardium death consequent to detrimental cardiac remodeling and fibrosis following myocardial infarction. The cardiac protective cytokine interleukin (IL)-33, which signals by ST2 receptor binding, is associated with group 2 innate lymphoid cell (ILC2) activation and regulates tissue homeostasis and repair following tissue injury in various tissues. However, the distribution and role of IL-33-responsive ILC2s in cardiac fibrosis remain unclear.

Correction: Melatonin attenuated the brain damage and cognitive impairment partially through MT2 melatonin receptor in mice with chronic cerebral hypoperfusion.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.20382.

The Interrelationship between Ventilatory Inefficiency and Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction in Terms of Cardiovascular Outcomes in Heart Failure Outpatients.

The relationship between left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and cardiovascular (CV) outcome is documented in patients with low LVEF. Ventilatory inefficiency is an important prognostic predictor. We hypothesized that the presence of ventilatory inefficiency influences the prognostic predictability of LVEF in heart failure (HF) outpatients.

Statins reduce new-onset atrial fibrillation after acute myocardial infarction: A nationwide study.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is an important complication of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The association between AF and serum lipid profile is unclear and statin use for lowering the incidence of new-onset AF remains controversial. The objective of this study was to investigate whether statins confer a beneficial effect on AF after AMI.

The Role of Non-Selective β-Blockers in Compensated Cirrhotic Patients without Major Complications.

: Non-selective β-blockers (NSBB) could prevent decompensation and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in cirrhotic patients with clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH), but remained uncertain for compensated cirrhotic patients without major complications. We aimed to compare the clinical outcomes between propranolol users and non-users of a CC group without major complications. : We conducted this population-based cohort study by using the Taiwanese Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2000.

Incidence and risk factors of colonoscopic post-polypectomy bleeding and perforation in patients with end-stage renal disease.

Background And Aims: Colonoscopic polypectomy in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients are at risks of post-polypectomy bleeding and perforation, but evidences are limited. This study aimed to determine the incident polypectomy complications among ESRD patients.

Methods: In the nationwide ESRD cohort, a propensity score matched case-control study design was conducted to assess risk associated with post-polypectomy bleeding and perforation using the Taiwanese National Health Insurance Research Database from 1997 to 2013 for adults aged 40 years and older; 7011 ESRD and 19 118 non-ESRD patients met the study criteria.

The role of antibiotics in upper gastrointestinal bleeding among cirrhotic patients without major complications after endoscopic hemostasis.

Background And Aim: Antibiotic prophylaxis should be instituted for cirrhotic patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB), but the benefit on compensated patients remains undetermined. We aimed to compare the clinical outcomes between cirrhotic patients without major complications with UGIB with and without antibiotic prophylaxis.

Methods: We conducted this population-based cohort study by using Taiwanese Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2000 (LHID2000, between 1997 to 2013), aged 18 years or older with a hospital discharge diagnosis of cirrhosis (n = 64,506), UGIB (n = 7,784), and endoscopic therapy (n = 2,292).

Risk of Recurrent Peptic Ulcer Disease in Patients Receiving Cumulative Defined Daily Dose of Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs.

The purpose of this population-based case-control study was to clarify the impact of cumulative dosage of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) on recurrent peptic ulcers among chronic users after eradication. We analyzed data of 203,407 adult peptic ulcer disease (PUD) patients from the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan entered between 1997 and 2013. After matching for age/gender frequencies and the length of follow-up time in a ratio of 1:1, the matched case-control groups comprised 1150 patients with recurrent PUD and 1150 patients without recurrent PUD within 3 years of follow-up.

Additional cavotricuspid isthmus block ablation may not improve the outcome of atrial fibrillation ablation.

Aims: Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) is an effective procedure for atrial fibrillation (AF). The role of additional cavotricuspid isthmus (CTI) block ablation remains controversial in AF patients without atrial flutter (AFL). Therefore, this study aimed to explore the clinical outcome of additional CTI block ablation in patients without AFL.

Calcitriol Attenuates Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiac Dysfunction and Inhibits Endothelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition in Mice.

Doxorubicin (Dox) is an effective anti-neoplasm drug, but its cardiac toxicity limits its clinical use. Endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) has been found to be involved in the process of heart failure. It is unclear whether EndMT contributes to Dox-induced cardiomyopathy (DoIC).

Impact of Pharmacist Interventions on the Long-Term Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Myocardial Infarction.

Background: Controlling modifiable risk factors (MRFs) in patients with cardiovascular diseases has been shown to be effective in reducing re-hospitalization rates. The aim of this study was to investigate the rates of controlled MRFs and clinical outcomes after pharmacist interventions in patients with myocardial infarction (MI) after hospital discharge.

Methods: This prospective randomized clinical study was conducted at one medical center in Taiwan, and enrolled patients with MI from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2014.

Diabetes Mellitus: An Independent Risk Factor of In-Hospital Mortality in Patients with Infective Endocarditis in a New Era of Clinical Practice.

Infective endocarditis (IE) is a severe disease with a hospital mortality rate of 17%-25%. Early identification of IE patients with high risk of mortality may improve their clinical outcomes. Patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) who develop infective diseases are associated with worse outcomes.

Late fractionated potentials in catheter ablation for right ventricular outflow tract ventricular arrhythmias.

Background: Endocardial late fractionated potentials during sinus rhythm mapping may reflect abnormal "subendocardial" substrates associated with right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) ventricular arrhythmias (VAs). The aim of this study was to explore the clinical outcomes of catheter ablation guided by these late fractionated potentials for RVOT VAs in patients without structural heart disease.

Methods: From January 2016 to March 2018, 28 patients underwent catheter ablation for RVOT premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) or ventricular tachycardia (VT), guided by the EnSite NavX or Velocity V5.

Liraglutide Inhibits Endothelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition and Attenuates Neointima Formation after Endovascular Injury in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Mice.

Hyperglycaemia causes endothelial dysfunction, which is the initial process in the development of diabetic vascular complications. Upon injury, endothelial cells undergo an endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT), lose their specific marker, and gain mesenchymal phenotypes. This study investigated the effect of liraglutide, a glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, on EndMT inhibition and neointima formation in diabetic mice induced by streptozotocin.

Post-pacemaker implant QRS duration and heart failure admission in patients with sick sinus syndrome and complete atrioventricular block.

Aims: High demand right ventricular pacing may elicit left ventricular systolic dysfunction known as pacing-induced cardiomyopathy, increasing the risks of heart failure (HF) hospitalization. Percentage of demand ventricular pacing is different between patients with sick sinus syndrome (SSS) and those with complete atrioventricular block (CAVB). This study aims to compare the incidence of HF admission and pacing-induced cardiomyopathy between patients with SSS and CAVB.