Rationale and design of the FAIR-HF2-DZHK05 trial: Ferric carboxymaltose assessment of morbidity and mortality in patients with iron deficiency and chronic heart failure.

Aims: While it is widely accepted that intravenous (IV) iron improves functional capacity, symptoms, and cardiovascular outcomes in patients with heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) diagnosed with iron deficiency (ID), three recently published cardiovascular outcome trials (AFFIRM-AHF, IRONMAN and HEART-FID) of IV iron supplementation in HF failed to demonstrate a significant benefit on their respective primary endpoints. Dosing of IV iron after the initial correction of baseline ID - by design or as a result of trial circumstances - was relatively low (i.e.

Platelet membrane-modified exosomes targeting plaques to activate autophagy in vascular smooth muscle cells for atherosclerotic therapy.

Atherosclerosis is one of the leading causes of ischemic cardiovascular disease worldwide. Recent studies indicated that vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) play an indispensable role in the progression of atherosclerosis. Exosomes derived from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have demonstrated promising clinical applications in the treatment of atherosclerosis.

Correlation Between Prognostic Nutritional Index and Heart Failure in Adults with Diabetes in the United States: Study Results from NHANES (1999-2016).

Background: The relationship between diabetes and heart failure significantly impacts public health. This study assessed the prognostic nutritional index (PNI) as a predictor of heart failure risk in adult diabetic patients.

Methods: An analysis was performed on 1823 diabetic adults using data collected from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 1999 and 2016.

Effect of hyperhomocysteinemia on the prognostic value of triglyceride glucose index in patients with acute coronary syndrome.

Background: The prognostic value of triglyceride-glucose (TyG) has been well described in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) promotes insulin resistance and has also been regarded as a potential risk factor for cardiovascular disease. However, the prognostic value of TyG in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and the interaction between TyG and HHcy remain unclear.

Predictive Value of Ocular Fundus Hemorrhage for Severe Coronary Artery Disease Assessed via SYNTAX Score.

The relationship between retinal fundus hemorrhage and the severity of coronary artery lesions remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the incidence of fundus hemorrhage in patients at high risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) and to examine its correlation with the SYNTAX score, a tool used to assess the complexity of coronary artery disease. This retrospective study consecutively enrolled patients undergoing coronary angiography (CAG) at Beijing Anzhen Hospital Hospital from June 2019 to January 2020.

Hypertensive Response to Exercise as an Early Marker of Disease Development.

Arterial hypertension is one of the world's leading risk factors for death and disability. With the number of people living with this disease doubling between 1990 and 2019 from 650 million to 1.3 billion, it is a global burden that increases mortality from cardiovascular and kidney diseases.

Frailty determinants in heart failure: Inflammatory markers, cognitive impairment and psychosocial interaction.

Aims: This study aimed to identify factors associated with frailty in heart failure (HF) patients, focusing on demographic, biochemical and health-related variables. It also explored the correlation between frailty and comorbidities such as malnutrition, cognitive impairment and depression, assessing how these factors interact to influence frailty risk.

Methods: A total of 250 HF patients (mean age 73.

Changes in Phenylacetylglutamine Levels Provide Add-On Value in Risk Stratification of Hypertensive Patients: A Longitudinal Cohort Study.

Background: Despite antihypertensive treatment, some high-risk hypertensive patients still experience major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs). Current risk stratification tools may underestimate the presence of metabolites in hypertension and thereby risk of MACEs.

Objectives: We aimed to explore the potential value of gut microbiota-derived metabolite phenylacetylglutamine (PAGln) in risk stratification of hypertension.

Elevated Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio Predicts Prognosis in Acute Myocarditis.

Background: Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is an easy-to-use inflammatory biomarker. Baseline NLR is independently associated with incident cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality. However, whether this applies to acute myocarditis (AM) has not been evaluated.

Utility of loop diuretics as a marker of risk in clinical trials of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: Analysis from the Swedish Heart Failure Registry.

Aims: It is common in heart failure (HF) trials, especially in HF with preserved (HFpEF) and mildly reduced ejection fraction (HFmrEF), to select for increased risk of outcomes ('enrichment'). We investigated the association between loop diuretic use and common trial outcomes.

Methods And Results: Patients in the Swedish HF Registry with HFmrEF and HFpEF were divided into three groups: no loop diuretic use, 1-40 mg furosemide equivalent, and >40 mg.

Kidney failure-related excess mortality during the first three years of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States: a nation-wide, population-based analysis.

Background: The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has had a detrimental impact on the healthcare system. Patients with kidney failure and related kidney disease are notably vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it remains unclear how mortality trends associated with kidney failure have evolved over the past three years.

Prognostic analysis of acute type A aortic dissection after different surgical interventions: a cohort study.

Background: Acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) requires emergency surgery, but the choice of primary surgery remains controversial. It is believed that simple ascending aorta replacement may lead to higher postoperative survival rate, while the Sun procedure [frozen elephant trunk (FET) + total arch replacement (TAR)] performed in the first stage may obtain better long-term results. The study aimed to compare the outcome of ATAAD patients who underwent the Sun procedure with those without TAR + FET.

Successful heart transplantation after 4 years of bridging with HeartWare HVAD for left ventricular noncompaction in an 11-year-old boy with prohibitively high pulmonary vascular resistance.

End-stage heart failure due to left ventricular noncompaction (LVNC) poses unique challenges for ventricular assist device implantation, like inflow cannula obstruction due to trabeculations. We report a case of an 11-year-old boy with LVNC who underwent successful HeartWare implantation as a bridge to transplant for high pulmonary vascular resistance and had successful heart transplantation after 4 years of HeartWare support.

Transition from Procoagulation to Antiplatelet Effect: Application and Mechanism of Aspirin-Modified Chitosan in Small-Diameter Vascular Grafts.

Chitosan is generally considered to be a procoagulant effect, which may cause adverse phenomena such as blood clotting when used in small-diameter vascular grafts. However, it also shows good biocompatibility and anti-inflammatory properties, which can facilitate vascular reconstruction. Therefore, it is significant to transition the effect of chitosan from coagulation promotion to antiplatelet while still harnessing its bioactivity.

Percutaneous Transvenous Mitral Commissurotomy for Patients with Rheumatic Heart Disease.

Rheumatic heart disease remains common in developing countries. Current guidelines recommend percutaneous mitral commissurotomy (PTMC) as the preferred treatment for patients with rheumatic mitral stenosis (MS). This study reports the clinical outcomes of PTMC for rheumatic MS in contemporary Chinese patients and analyzes prognostic factors.

Efficacy and safety of finerenone in patients with chronic kidney disease and type 2 diabetes by diuretic use: A FIDELITY analysis.

Aims: This post hoc analysis aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of the non-steroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist finerenone by baseline diuretic use in FIDELITY, a pre-specified pooled analysis of the phase III trials FIDELIO-DKD and FIGARO-DKD.

Methods And Results: Eligible patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and chronic kidney disease (CKD; urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio [UACR] ≥30-<300 mg/g and estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] ≥25-≤90 ml/min/1.73 m, or UACR ≥300-≤5000 mg/g and eGFR ≥25 ml/min/1.

Successful bilateral lung transplantation after prolonged ECMO support for aspiration pneumonia in a 79-year-old man.

Aspiration pneumonia is a serious problem in the elderly due to weakened swallowing reflexes or underlying gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). This can lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), which can become life-threatening, sometimes requiring extra corporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support. Lung transplantation is a possible therapeutic option for patients with no signs of lung recovery despite prolonged ECMO support.

Prognostic Value of D-Dimer in Acute Type A Aortic Dissection and Intramural Hematoma: Observations from the Acute Aortic Syndrome Group of the Registry of Acute Non-Traumatic Chest Pain in China.

Background: Acute type A aortic dissection (AAD) and acute type A intramural hematoma (AIMH) are life-threatening conditions with high mortality rates, and prognostic indicators are critical for guiding urgent treatment decisions. We assessed the prognostic significance of admission D-dimer levels in patients with AAD and AIMH.

Methods And Results: The prospective, multicenter, observational study in China recruited participants from 2013 to 2019.

Inhibition of aortic CX3CR1+ macrophages mitigates thoracic aortic aneurysm progression in Marfan syndrome in mice.

The pathogenesis of thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) in Marfan syndrome (MFS) is generally attributed to vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) pathologies. However, the role of immune cell-mediated inflammation remains elusive. Single-cell RNA sequencing identified a subset of CX3CR1+ macrophages mainly located in the intima in the aortic roots and ascending aortas of Fbn1C1041G/+ mice, further validated in MFS patients.

Evidence and perspectives on miRNA, circRNA, and lncRNA in myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury: a bibliometric study.

Objective: miRNA, circRNA, and lncRNA play crucial roles in the pathogenesis and progression of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MI/RI). This study aims to provide valuable insights into miRNA, circRNA, lncRNA, and MI/RI from a bibliometric standpoint, with the goal of fostering further advancements in this area.

Methods: The relevant literature in the field of miRNA, circRNA, lncRNA, and MI/RI was retrieved from the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-E) database within Web of Science.

A microfluidic coculture model for mapping signaling perturbations and precise drug screening against macrophage-mediated dynamic myocardial injury.

Macrophage-mediated inflammation plays a pivotal role in cardiovascular disease pathogenesis. However, current cell-based models lack a comprehensive understanding of crosstalk between macrophages and cardiomyocytes, hindering the discovery of effective therapeutic interventions. Here, a microfluidic model has been developed to facilitate the coculture of macrophages and cardiomyocytes, allowing for mapping key signaling pathways and screening potential therapeutic agents against inflammation-induced dynamic myocardial injury.

Age, creatinine, and ejection fraction score is a risk factor for acute kidney injury after surgical aortic valve replacement.

Background: The incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) increases after surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR). This study aimed to characterize the risk factors of AKI after SAVR.

Methods And Results: We conducted a retrospective registry study based on data from 299 consecutive patients undergoing SAVR.