202 results match your criteria: "Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine IKEM[Affiliation]"

Aim: To evaluate the efficacy of a fixed-ratio combination of insulin glargine 100 U/mL plus lixisenatide (iGlarLixi) in people with type 2 diabetes (T2D) using derived time-in-range (dTIR).

Methods: Participant-level data from LixiLan-L, LixiLan-O and LixiLan-G were pooled and dTIR (70-180 mg/dL), derived time-above-range (> 180 mg/dL) and derived time-below-range (dTBR; < 70 mg/dL) were calculated from participant seven-point self-monitored blood glucose profiles.

Results: This pooled analysis included data from 2420 participants receiving iGlarLixi (n = 1093), iGlar (n = 836), Lixi (n = 234) or a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) (n = 257).

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Cardioneuroablation has emerged as a potential alternative to cardiac pacing in selected cases with vasovagal reflex syncope, extrinsic vagally induced sinus bradycardia-arrest or atrioventricular block. The technique was first introduced decades ago, and its use has risen over the past decade. However, as with any intervention, proper patient selection and technique are a prerequisite for a safe and effective use of cardioneuroablation therapy.

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The treatment of primary biliary cholangitis: from shadow to light.

Therap Adv Gastroenterol

July 2024

2nd Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Louis Pasteur University Hospital, Pavol Jozef Safarik University, Trieda SNP 1, Kosice 040 11, Slovakia.

Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is a chronic autoimmune cholestatic disease characterized by the destruction of the small intrahepatic bile ducts, which can progress to liver cirrhosis. The gold standard in the treatment of PBC is ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), which is indicated in all patients with PBC because it improves not only biochemical parameters but also patients' survival. An important milestone in the identification of patients at risk is the assessment of biochemical response to UDCA.

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Aims: Reverse ventricular remodelling, defined as a decrease in left ventricular end-systolic volume indexed to body surface area (LVESVI) or an increase in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), is associated with improved clinical outcomes in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). However, the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms remain unclear.

Methods And Results: We evaluated paired core-lab assessed echocardiograms and measurements of 92 biomarkers at baseline and 8 months thereafter in 419 participants with HFrEF.

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Prior research has suggested that GATA6 pericardial macrophages may traffic to the myocardium to prevent interstitial fibrosis after myocardial infarction (MI), while subsequent literature claims that they do not. We demonstrate that GATA6 pericardial macrophages are critical for preventing IL-33 induced pericarditis and attenuate trafficking of inflammatory monocytes and granulocytes to the pericardial cavity after MI. However, absence of GATA6 macrophages did not affect myocardial inflammation due to MI or coxsackievirus-B3 induced myocarditis, or late-stage cardiac fibrosis and cardiac function post MI.

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Objectives: The use of ventricular assist devices (VADs) in children is increasing. However, absolute numbers in individual centres and countries remain small. Collaborative efforts such as the Paedi-European Registry for Patients with Mechanical Circulatory Support (EUROMACS) are therefore essential for combining international experience with paediatric VADs.

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Long-term outcomes after hypothermic oxygenated machine perfusion and transplantation of 1,202 donor livers in a real-world setting (HOPE-REAL study).

J Hepatol

January 2025

Department of Surgery, Section of HPB Surgery and Liver Transplantation, University of Groningen and University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands; UMCG Comprehensive Transplant Center, Groningen, the Netherlands. Electronic address:

Article Synopsis
  • A new study evaluated long-term outcomes of liver transplants from donors treated with hypothermic oxygenated machine perfusion (HOPE) across 22 European centers, involving 1,202 transplant cases from 2012 to 2021.
  • The study showed high 1-, 3-, and 5-year death-censored graft survival rates for both donation after brain death (DBD) and donation after circulatory death (DCD), with low rates of primary non-function (PNF) and ischaemic cholangiopathy (IC).
  • The findings indicate that HOPE treatment effectively improves liver transplant outcomes, regardless of the donor's risk profile, and supports its incorporation into routine clinical practice.
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Prospective, single-arm multicenter, international, observational postmarket study to assess the safety and efficacy of a triangulation platform for treating patients requiring endoscopic gastroplasty.

Gastrointest Endosc

January 2025

Digestive Endoscopy Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Roma, Italy; Centre for Endoscopic Research Therapeutics and Training (CERTT), Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Roma, Italy.

Background And Aims: Gastric restriction techniques have recently emerged as minimally invasive bariatric procedures. Endoscopic sutured gastroplasty (ESG) with the Endomina (Endo Tools Therapeutics, Gosselies, Belgium) triangulation platform proved to be safe and effective for the treatment of class I and II obesity in prospective studies. In this registry, we aimed to further assess on a larger scale the safety and efficacy of the procedure in routine practice with a dedicated device.

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Background: Autologous vein grafts are widely used for bypass procedures in cardiovascular surgery. However, these grafts are susceptible to failure due to vein graft disease. Our study aimed to evaluate the impact of the latest-generation FRAME external support on vein graft remodeling in a preclinical model.

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Aims: Patients with heart failure (HF) display metabolic alterations, including heightened ketogenesis, resulting in increased beta-hydroxybutyrate (β-OHB) formation. We aimed to investigate the determinants and prognostic impact of circulating β-OHB levels in patients with advanced HF and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).

Methods And Results: A total of 867 patients with advanced HFrEF (age 57 ± 11 years, 83% male, 45% diabetic, 60% New York Heart Association class III), underwent clinical and echocardiographic examination, circulating metabolite assessment, and right heart catheterization (n = 383).

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Aims: To describe the baseline characteristics of participants in the FINEARTS-HF trial, contextualized with prior trials including patients with heart failure (HF) with mildly reduced and preserved ejection fraction (HFmrEF/HFpEF). The FINEARTS-HF trial is comparing the effects of the non-steroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist finerenone with placebo in reducing cardiovascular death and total worsening HF events in patients with HFmrEF/HFpEF.

Methods And Results: Patients with symptomatic HF, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≥40%, estimated glomerular filtration rate ≥ 25 ml/min/1.

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Iron deficiency and all-cause mortality after myocardial infarction.

Eur J Intern Med

August 2024

First Medical School, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic; Department of Preventive Cardiology, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic. Electronic address:

Background: Data on the clinical significance of iron deficiency (ID) in patients with myocardial infarction (MI) are conflicting. This may be related to the use of various ID criteria. We aimed to compare the association of different ID criteria with all-cause mortality after MI.

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Introduction: Multiple daily injection insulin regimen (MDI) represents the most intensive insulin regimen used in the management of people with type 2 diabetes (PwT2D). Its efficacy regarding glycaemic control is counterbalanced by the increased risk of hypoglycaemia, frequently observed tendency to weight gain and necessity for frequent glucose monitoring. Recent introduction of novel antidiabetic medications with pleiotropic effects reaching far beyond the reduction of glycaemia (HbA1c), such as the glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA), has significantly widened the therapeutic options available for management of T2D.

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A roadmap for therapeutic discovery in pulmonary hypertension associated with left heart failure. A scientific statement of the Heart Failure Association (HFA) of the ESC and the ESC Working Group on Pulmonary Circulation & Right Ventricular Function.

Eur J Heart Fail

April 2024

Department of Translational Medical Sciences, Interdepartmental Center for Clinical and Translational Research (CIRCET), and Interdepartmental Hypertension Research Center (CIRIAPA), Federico II University, Naples, Italy.

Article Synopsis
  • Pulmonary hypertension (PH) linked to left heart failure (PH-LHF) is a common condition that worsens symptoms, reduces physical ability, and harms right heart function, leading to a poor outlook for patients.
  • Despite various drugs being tested, there are currently no specific treatments for PH-LHF, highlighting significant gaps in understanding its pathophysiology and clinical management.
  • The document calls for improved research on pulmonary venous changes, patient categorization for tailored therapies, and rigorous pre-clinical studies to enhance clinical trials and expand treatment options beyond current methods used for pulmonary arterial hypertension.
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Article Synopsis
  • The STEP-HFpEF and STEP-HFpEF DM trials investigated the effects of the GLP-1 receptor agonist semaglutide on individuals with obesity-related heart failure, showing improvements in symptoms, physical limitations, body weight, and exercise function.
  • A pooled analysis was conducted to assess the effects of semaglutide across various outcomes and determine consistency among different patient subgroups, utilizing data from randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials.
  • Participants were assigned to receive either semaglutide or a placebo for 52 weeks, with primary endpoints focusing on changes in heart failure-related symptoms and body weight, and secondary endpoints assessing physical activity and inflammation markers.
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Article Synopsis
  • A first-in-human trial tested a new pulsed field ablation (PFA) catheter for treating paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF), showing potential benefits over traditional methods.
  • The study involved 85 patients, achieving 100% success in isolating pulmonary veins while maintaining high safety standards and minimal complications during the procedure.
  • Results indicated that the PFA method yielded a 90% durability rate for pulmonary vein isolation and an 81.8% one-year freedom from atrial arrhythmias, suggesting it as an effective treatment option.
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The first-generation Molecular Microscope (MMDx) system for heart transplant endomyocardial biopsies used expression of rejection-associated transcripts (RATs) to diagnose not only T cell-mediated rejection (TCMR) and antibody-mediated rejection (ABMR) but also acute injury. However, the ideal system should detect rejection without being influenced by injury, to permit analysis of the relationship between rejection and parenchymal injury. To achieve this, we developed a new rejection classification in an expanded cohort of 3230 biopsies: 1641 from INTERHEART (ClinicalTrials.

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Article Synopsis
  • A study aimed to create a new score, called the PragueMi score, to predict mortality risk in patients after a myocardial infarction (heart attack) by using heart failure (HF) symptoms along with clinical factors.
  • The study analyzed data from 1,135 patients and found that key variables like age, history of heart failure, and symptoms experienced a month after discharge were crucial for the score.
  • The PragueMi score demonstrated better accuracy in predicting mortality risks at 6 months and 1 year compared to the existing GRACE score.
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Article Synopsis
  • - The Banff Working Group on Liver Allograft Pathology convened in September 2022 with a diverse group of experts to discuss long-term health monitoring of liver transplants, focusing on noninvasive methods and optimizing immunosuppression.
  • - The group considered revising the rejection classification scheme to better identify and communicate late T cell-mediated rejection patterns and related changes, like nodular regenerative hyperplasia.
  • - They emphasized the need for personalized immunosuppression strategies based on individual patient needs and proposed incorporating interface hepatitis and fibrosis staging into the rejection classification, which will undergo further testing and discussion before the next conference.
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Aims: Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) is a well-established strategy for the treatment of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF). Despite randomized controlled trials and real-world data showing the promise of pulsed-field ablation (PFA) for this treatment, long-term efficacy and safety data demonstrating single-procedure outcomes off antiarrhythmic drugs remain limited. The aim of the FARA-Freedom Study was to evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety of PFA using the pentaspline catheter for PAF.

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Determination of the prognosis and treatment outcomes of dilated cardiomyopathy is a serious problem due to the lack of valid specific protein markers. Using in-depth proteome discovery analysis, we compared 49 plasma samples from patients suffering from dilated cardiomyopathy with plasma samples from their healthy counterparts. In total, we identified 97 proteins exhibiting statistically significant dysregulation in diseased plasma samples.

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Renal nerves play a critical role in cardiorenal interactions. Renal denervation (RDN) improved survival in some experimental heart failure (HF) models. It is not known whether these favorable effects are indirect, explainable by a decrease in vascular afterload, or diminished neurohumoral response in the kidneys, or whether RDN procedure per se has direct myocardial effects in the failing heart.

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