Real-world adoption of left bundle branch area pacing: Insights from the Conduction-System pacing Italian Network Group (C-SING).

Background And Objective: Left bundle branch area pacing (LBBAP) is increasingly used for treating bradycardia and heart failure. However, real-world data are limited. The Conduction-System Pacing Italian Network Group (C-SING) collected prospective data on LBBAP procedures in a nationwide context.

The effects of Dapagliflozin in a real-world population of HFrEF patients with different hemodynamic profiles: worse is better.

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.

Contemporary Use of Drug-Coated Balloons for Coronary Angioplasty: A Comprehensive Review.

The interventional treatment of coronary artery disease (CAD) has undergone significant improvements thanks to technological innovations. Nowadays, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation is the standard of care for the treatment of CAD. Nevertheless, the non-negligible incidence of in-stent restenosis (ISR) and suboptimal results in various anatomical settings has led to the development of drug-coated balloons (DCBs).

Single suture-mediated closure system after transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve implantation: A single-center real-world experience.

Background: Despite the use of two crossed Perclose ProGlide™ (Abbott Vascular Devices) is the most widespread technique to close the main arterial access in transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TF-TAVI), the safest and most effective strategy still remains much debated.

Aims: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the performance of a single Perclose ProGlide suture-mediated closure device to obtain femoral hemostasis after sheathless implantation of self-expanding transcatheter heart valves through their 14 F-equivalent fix delivery systems.

Methods: This prospective observational study included 439 patients undergoing TF-TAVI at the "Montevergine" Clinic of Mercogliano, Italy.

Sirolimus-Coated Balloon in Femoropopliteal Steno-Occlusive Disease: Efficacy, Safety, and 1-Year Outcomes. An All-Comers Registry.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of the novel SLR (SELUTION sustained-limus-release) drug-coated balloon (DCB) in the treatment of the femoropopliteal steno-occlusive disease.

Materials And Methods: From February 2021 to March 2022, 80 consecutive patients (age: 69.5±8.

Fluoroscopy Time as a New Predictor of Short-Term Outcomes after Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement.

Background: Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is an almost totally cine-fluoroscopic guided procedure. The amount of radiation used during the procedure is strictly related to the fluoroscopy time (FT), that has already been demonstrated to be associated with outcomes and complexity of coronary procedures. The aim of our study is to demonstrate the relationship between FT and the short-term outcomes after TAVR defined by to the Valve Academic Research Consortium (VARC)-2 and -3 consensus documents.

Intracardiac echocardiography-guided pulsed-field ablation for successful ablation of atrial fibrillation: a propensity-matched analysis from a large nationwide multicenter experience.

Background: Intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) is increasingly employed in atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation procedures, with the potential to enhance procedural efficacy. Nevertheless, there is currently a lack of evidence assessing the impact of ICE on the efficiency, effectiveness, and safety outcomes in the context of novel pulsed-field ablation (PFA) for AF.

Purpose: We aimed to assess whether the use of ICE could improve procedural parameters in a large population undergoing AF ablation with FARAPULSE™ catheter.

Coronary features across the spectrum of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (CAD-OHCA study).

Aim: We hypothesized that adult patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) and ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) requiring prolonged resuscitation have more severe coronary artery disease (CAD) than those responding rapidly, and more severe CAD than patients with STEMI without OHCA.

Methods: Consecutive conscious and comatose OHCA patients with STEMI after reestablishment of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), and patients with refractory OHCA undergoing veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (E-CPR OHCA) were compared to STEMI without OHCA (STEMI no OHCA). CAD severity was assessed by a single physician blinded to the resuscitation method, time to ROSC and level of consciousness.

Functional and Clinical Importance of SGLT2-inhibitors in Frailty: From the Kidney to the Heart.

SGLT2 (sodium-glucose cotransporter 2) enables glucose and sodium reabsorption in the kidney. SGLT2-inhibitors (also known as gliflozins, which include canagliflozin, dapagliflozin, empagliflozin, and ertugliflozin) act by increasing glycosuria, thereby reducing glycemia. These drugs are critical to reach and keep glycemic control, a crucial feature, especially in patients with comorbidities, like frail individuals.

Surgical Mortality Risk Scores in Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation: Is Their Early Predictive Value Still Strong?

Background: Surgical mortality risk scores, even if not properly designed and rarely tested in the transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) setting, still guide the heart team in managing significant aortic stenosis.

Methods: After splitting 1763 consecutive patients retrospectively based on their mortality risk thresholds, the composite endpoint early safety (ES) was adjudicated according to Valve Academic Research Consortium (VARC)-2 and -3 consensus documents.

Results: ES incidence was higher if VARC-2 rather than VARC-3 defined.

Assessing the impact of transcatheter aortic valve replacement on myocardial work indices and left ventricular diastolic function in aortic valve stenosis patients.

Background: Aortic valve stenosis (AS) is the most common valvular heart disease worldwide. When timely intervention is performed, aortic valve replacement can improve patients' quality and duration of life. Load-independent left ventricular (LV) functional assessments, such as myocardial work indices (MWIs) and LV diastolic function parameters, could help clinicians decide on the optimal timing of intervention.

L-Arginine in diabetes: clinical and preclinical evidence.

L-Arginine (L-Arg), is a semi-essential amino acid involved in the formation of nitric oxide. The functional relevance of L-Arg in diabetes mellitus has been evaluated both in animal models and in human subjects. In the literature there are several lines of evidence indicating that L-Arg has beneficial effects in diabetes and numerous studies advocate its administration to attenuate glucose intolerance in diabetic patients.

Carotid Artery Stenting Using Five-French Distal Radial Vascular Access.

Carotid artery stenting (CAS) is usually performed through a femoral vascular access using 6-9 Fr guiding catheters. We investigated whether a systematic distal radial approach using 5 Fr guiding sheaths was a safe and effective alternative to transfemoral approach for CAS. From July 2020 to October 2022, two operators at our center systematically performed CAS using a 5 Fr distal radial approach in consecutive patients.

Patent foramen ovale occlusion with the Cocoon PFO Occluder. The PROS-IT collaborative project.

Background: The Cocoon patent foramen ovale (PFO) Occluder is a new generation nitinol alloy double-disk device coated with nanoplatinum, likely useful in patients with nickel hypersensitivity. Early results and mid-term outcomes of this device in percutaneous PFO closure are missing.

Aims: To assess the preliminary efficacy and safety profile of PFO closure with Cocoon device in an Italian multi-center registry.

Early acute kidney injury after transcatheter aortic valve implantation: predictive value of currently available risk scores.

Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is a frequent complication associated with adverse outcomes and mortality. Various scores have been developed to predict this complication in the coronary setting. However, none have ever been tested in a large TAVI population.

Combined therapy with rotational atherectomy and drug coated balloon for superficial femoral artery in-stent restenosis: safety, efficacy, and two-year results of a single center experience.

Background: The primary patency rate of superficial femoral artery (SFA) after percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) has improved with the use of self-expanding stents. However, occurrence of in-stent restenosis (ISR) still represents a frequent problem. Despite different studies have assessed the role of atherectomy and drug coated balloons (DCBs), no long-term data exist about combined use.

The hemodynamic performance of balloon-expandable aortic bioprostheses in the elderly: a comparison between rapid deployment and transcatheter implantation.

Background: Surgical aortic valve replacement with a rapid deployment valve (RDV) is a relatively recent treatment option. The aim of this study was to compare the hemodynamic performance of balloon-expandable (BE)-RDVs and BE-transcatheter heart valves (THVs) in a high surgical risk and frail-elderly population.

Methods: BE-THVs and BE-RDVs were implanted in 138 and 47 patients, respectively, all older than 75 years and with a Canadian Study of Health and Aging category of 5 or above.