Trends in Cardiovascular Disease-Related Mortality in Texas.

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is associated with high mortality in the United States, but the burden of CVD mortality is unevenly distributed between demographic and geographic subgroups, with poor characterization of state-specific trends. In this study, the disparities in CVD-related mortality trends in Texas and the United States from 1999 to 2019 were assessed.

Methods: Trends in CVD-related mortality were evaluated through analysis of the Multiple Causes of Death Files from the National Center for Health Statistics.

Demographic and clinical risk factors of developing clinically-recognized varicose veins in older adults.

Introduction: Varicose veins are common in older adults and are associated with adverse clinical outcomes such as deep venous thrombosis. Established risk factors for varicose veins include female sex, height, and obesity, but other risk factors are relatively uncharacterized.

Methods: This was a prospective cohort analysis of 6241 participants aged 66-70 years from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study.

Rising mortality rates linked to type-2 diabetes and obesity in the United States: An observational analysis from 1999 to 2022.

Background: The prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and obesity are increasing in the United States. However, population-level data for mortality trends due to T2D and obesity are limited. This study aims to assess these death trends among adults in the United States categorized by sex, race, and geographical location.

Robust Magnetoelectric Backscatter Communication System for Bioelectronic Implants.

Wireless communication technologies for bioelectronic implants enable remote monitoring for diagnosis and adaptive therapeutic intervention without the constraints of wired connections. However, wireless data uplink from millimeter-scale devices deep in the body struggles to achieve low power consumption while maintaining large misalignment tolerances. Here, we report a passive wireless backscatter communication system based on magnetoelectric transducers that consumes less than 0.

GLP-1 Receptor Agonist in Non-obese Patients with Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus and Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction.

Background: Glucagon like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA) promote weight loss and improve heart failure-related symptoms, quality of life, and functional capacity in patients with obesity and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). However, their clinical effectiveness in non-obese patients with diabetes and HFpEF is understudied.

Methods: The TriNetX research network was used to identify adult patients (≥18 years) with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction ((Left ventricular ejection fraction ≥45%), elevated brain natriuretic peptide (≥150pg/mL) or N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide(≥450pg/mL) and a body mass index (BMI) <30 kg/m2 on or before August 31, 2022.

Ultrathin rubbery bio-optoelectronic stimulators for untethered cardiac stimulation.

Untethered electrical stimulation or pacing of the heart is of critical importance in addressing the pressing needs of cardiovascular diseases in both clinical therapies and fundamental studies. Among various stimulation methods, light illumination-induced electrical stimulation via photoelectric effect without any genetic modifications to beating cells/tissues or whole heart has profound benefits. However, a critical bottleneck lies in the lack of a suitable material with tissue-like mechanical softness and deformability and sufficient optoelectronic performances toward effective stimulation.

Diuretic efficiency of a single dose of subcutaneous versus oral furosemide after heart failure hospitalization across diuretic resistance strata: A pilot randomized controlled trial.

Aims: Diuretic resistance (DR) in heart failure (HF) is associated with worse outcomes. Furoscix®, a self-administered subcutaneous (sc) furosemide injection administered via on-body infusor, is approved for HF congestion relief. However, its efficacy in patients with DR post-HF hospitalization remains unknown.

Conservative Approach versus Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Patients with Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection from a National Population-Based Cohort Study.

Background: Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is a rare and often underdiagnosed cause of acute coronary syndrome (ACS), predominantly affecting younger women without traditional cardiovascular risk factors. The management of SCAD remains a subject of debate, likely secondary to inconclusive evidence. This study aims to compare the clinical outcomes of SCAD patients treated with optimal medical therapy (OMT) versus those who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) using a national population-based cohort.

The Role of Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter-2 Inhibitors in Adults With Transthyretin Cardiac Amyloidosis: A Single-Center Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: Cardiac amyloidosis (CA) is an infiltrative cardiomyopathy with limited treatment options. Barring mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists, most classes of guideline-directed medical therapy including renin-angiotensin-aldosterone inhibitors and beta blockers are avoided in CA due to intolerance and the risk of potentiating orthostatic hypotension. Few studies have explored the safety and utility of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) in CA.

Integration of Palliative Care into Heart Failure Care: Consensus-Based Recommendations from the Heart Failure Society of America.

Heart failure (HF) is characterized by significant symptoms, compromised quality of life, frequent hospital admissions, and high mortality rates; palliative care (PC) is, therefore, highly relevant for patients with HF and their clinicians. Multiple guidelines and consensus statements recommend the provision of PC alongside HF management. However, few resources exist to guide the integration of PC into HF care, for both primary PC (provided by HF clinicians in the course of HF care) and specialty PC (provided by PC specialists).

Comparative Study of Non-invasive Mouse Models of Pancreatitis.

Background And Aims: Although a relevant animal model is essential for studying human diseases, one has yet to be established for mouse pancreatitis. Early non-invasive models of mouse pancreatitis have serious limitations.

Methods: In this study, we compared the efficiency, consistency, and reproducibility of inducing pancreatitis in 3 non-invasive mouse models of pancreatitis in Wistar albino mice: (1) L-arginine-induced model (2 intraperitoneal injections of 4 g/kg body weight of L-arginine spaced 1 h apart), (2) caerulein-induced model (6 intraperitoneal injections of 50 µg/kg body weight of caerulein at hourly intervals), and (3) caerulein + LPS (lipopolysaccharide)-induced model (6 intraperitoneal doses of 50 µg/kg body weight of caerulein at hourly intervals, along with an LPS [10 mg/kg body weight] injection immediately after the last caerulein injection).

Anesthetic Considerations for Repair of Thoracoabdominal Aortic Aneurysms.

Anesthetic management of open thoracoabdominal aneurysm (TAAA) repair poses a number of challenges for even the most experienced of cardiovascular anesthesiologists. This procedure encompasses a large number of unique anesthetic techniques, including one-lung ventilation, invasive hemodynamic monitoring, left-heart bypass, massive transfusion, selective renal and visceral perfusion, and central nervous system monitoring with CSF drainage. In this article, we aim to describe the anesthetic management for thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair, including preoperative workup, intraoperative management, as well as postoperative concerns in the intensive care unit.

Intensive Lifestyle Intervention, Cardiac Biomarkers, and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Diabetes: Look AHEAD Cardiac Biomarker Ancillary Study.

Background: N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) are associated with cardiovascular outcomes and are recommended for measurement in type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, the effects of an intensive lifestyle intervention (ILI) targeting weight loss on cardiac biomarkers and the prognostic association of changes in these biomarkers with risk of adverse cardiovascular outcomes in T2D are not well-established.

Objectives: This study sought to evaluate the effects of an ILI on cardiac biomarkers and the association of changes in cardiac biomarkers with risk of cardiovascular outcomes in T2D.

Atrial Fibrillation in Young Patients: Insights From the National Inpatient Sample.

Background: The burden of atrial fibrillation (AF) hospitalizations in young patients is not well characterized. We aimed to study the burden, comorbidities, outcomes, and resource utilization of AF hospitalizations in young patients.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of all primary AF hospitalizations in patients 18-45 years of age using the National Inpatient Sample data from January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2019.

Anesthetic Considerations for Endovascular Repair of the Thoracic Aorta.

Thoracic aorta pathologies, especially those of the ascending aorta and aortic arch, were traditionally approached via open surgical repair. This carries risk of ischemic end-organ damage and other complications. Endovascular repair of ascending aorta and aortic arch pathologies is becoming more successful and widespread, thereby posing numerous challenges to the anesthesiologist.