Publications by authors named "V Mercurio"

Despite the considerable progress that has been made with regard to the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases, heart failure (HF) remains a particularly important cause of recurring hospitalizations, with relevant social and healthcare costs, and it is a significant cause of mortality; as such, there is a need for continuous efforts to improve our understanding of its complex pathophysiology and refine relevant therapeutic strategies [...

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Background: Sacubitril/valsartan (S/V) is a cornerstone treatment for heart failure (HF). Beneficial effects on hospitalization rates, mortality, and left ventricular remodeling have been observed in patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Despite the positive results, the influence of S/V on renal function during long-term follow-up has received little attention.

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Background: Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) represent a deep revolution of the therapeutic approach to heart failure (HF), preventing its insurgence but also improving the management of the disease and slowing its natural progression. To date, few studies have explored the effectiveness of SGLT2i and, in particular, Dapagliflozin in a real-world population. Therefore, in this observational prospective study, we evaluated Dapagliflozin's effectiveness in a real-world HF population categorized in the different hemodynamic profiles.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the effects of dapagliflozin, a sodium glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor, on cardiac changes in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).
  • In a cohort of 300 patients, nearly half showed significant improvements in heart function metrics after 6 months of treatment, and the rate of elevated left ventricular filling pressures dropped dramatically.
  • These positive changes in heart structure and function contributed to fewer hospitalizations related to heart failure and a notable decrease in natriuretic peptide levels over 12 months.
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Risk stratification has gained an increasing role in predicting outcomes and guiding the treatment of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). The most predictive prognostic factors are three noninvasive parameters (World Health Organization functional class, 6-min walk distance and natriuretic peptides) that are included in all currently validated risk stratification tools. However, suffering from limitations mainly related to reduced specificity of PAH severity, these variables may not always be adequate in isolation for guiding individualised treatment decisions.

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