Optimal Maintenance Strategy for Patients with Improved Left Ventricular Function Following Sacubitril/Valsartan Therapy.

: Optimal pharmacological treatment following left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) improvement remains largely unknown. This study compared the clinical outcomes of patients with heart failure (HF) with improved EF (HFimpEF) based on the maintenance of sacubitril/valsartan (S/V) or transition to a renin-angiotensin system blocker (RASB). : A total of 354 patients with recovered LVEF of at least 40% after S/V treatment from a single center were retrospectively analyzed.

Exploring Strategies to Improve Outcomes in Patients With Giant Cell Myocarditis: A Case Series of Five Biopsy-Proven Cases.

Giant cell myocarditis (GCM) is a rare but severe disease with high morbidity and mortality, often requiring heart transplantation (HT). While immunosuppressive therapy has improved outcomes, recurrence after HT remains high, and long-term survival without transplantation is also limited. This case series presents five biopsy-confirmed GCM cases, highlighting clinical characteristics and strategies to improve prognosis.

External assessment of an artificial intelligence-enabled electrocardiogram for aortic stenosis detection.

Aims: To assess the performance of an artificial intelligence-enabled electrocardiogram (AI-ECG) algorithm in identifying patients with moderate to severe aortic stenosis (AS) in an Asian cohort from a tertiary care centre.

Methods And Results: We identified a randomly selected patients ≥60 years old who underwent echocardiography and ECG within in 31 days between 2012 and 2021 at the Samsung Medical Center in Korea. Patients with previous cardiac surgery, prosthetic valves, or pacemakers were excluded.

Post-Transplant Lymphoproliferative Disorder Presenting as Biventricular Failure After Heart Transplantation.

Background: The diagnosis of post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) is challenging because of its diverse clinical presentations.

Case Summary: A 65-year-old man, previously stable 61 months after heart transplantation for dilated cardiomyopathy, presented with biventricular failure and worsening dyspnea. Given the acute decline in graft function, acute rejection was suspected, and rejection therapy was initiated.

Role of bariatric surgery in patients with advanced heart failure.

Background: Although bariatric surgery (BaS) is an important treatment option to treat obesity in general, the safety and efficacy of BaS in patients with advanced heart failure (HF) are not well known.

Objectives: To describe the trajectory of patients with advanced HF who underwent BaS and cardiac replacement therapy.

Setting: Single-tertiary academic hospital.

Impact of obesity on long term post heart transplantation outcomes.

Background: Obesity is an ongoing pandemic, and the rising trend of body mass index (BMI) in heart transplant (HTx) recipients is well known. However, the long term post-HTx outcomes of obese patients are not clearly documented.

Aims: We aimed to investigate long term post-transplant outcomes in obese patients.

Efficacy and safety of SGLT2 inhibitors in patients with heart failure according to kidney function: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction And Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors throughout the spectrum of kidney function in patients with heart failure (HF).

Methods: This meta-analysis included randomized controlled trials comparing SGLT2 inhibitors with placebo in patients with HF stratified by renal function. Literature from inception to June 8, 2024 was searched.

Impact of coronary artery calcium on progression of diastolic dysfunction: a cohort study.

Background: The relationship between coronary artery calcium (CAC) and progression of diastolic dysfunction (DD) during longitudinal follow-up is uncertain. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and progression of DD according to severity of CAC and understand their synergistic effect on mortality.

Methods: This was a population-based cohort study.

Microvascular Resistance Reserve and Prognosis After Heart Transplantation.

Background: Impaired microcirculatory function after heart transplantation is associated with increased risk for acute cellular rejection. Microvascular resistance reserve (MRR) is a novel index for assessing microcirculatory function, irrespective of epicardial coronary artery stenosis, but it has not been validated in transplanted hearts.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic impact of MRR in heart transplantation.

Prognostic Value of Ambulatory Status at Transplant in Older Heart Transplant Recipients: Implications for Organ Allocation Policy.

Background: Shortage of organ donors in the Republic of Korea has become a major problem. To address this, it has been questioned whether heart transplant (HTx) allocation should be modified to reduce priority of older patients. We aimed to evaluate post-HTx outcomes according to recipient age and specific pre-HTx conditions using a nationwide prospective cohort.

Is early use of sodium-glucose cotransporter type 2 inhibitor (SGLT2i) necessary even in diabetic patients without cardiovascular disease: a prospective study regarding the effect of SGLT2i on left ventricular diastolic function.

Background: There are insufficient studies to determine whether sodium-glucose cotransporter type 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) will help reduce early diabetic cardiomyopathy, especially in patients without documented cardiovascular disease.

Methods: We performed a single center, prospective observation study. A total of 90 patients with type 2 diabetes patients without established heart failure or atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease were enrolled.

Discontinuation rates, clinical effects and provocation factors of SGLT-2 inhibitor in the real world.

Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors are the only medications that improve clinical outcomes regardless of baseline left ventricular ejection fraction. Despite the recognized effectiveness of SGLT-2 inhibitors, there remains a paucity of research on the discontinuation of these medications. The objective of this study is to analyze the rate of discontinuation of SGLT-2 inhibitors, to evaluate the impact of discontinuation on the clinical outcome, and to identify the factors associated with discontinuation.

The importance of kidney response over hematologic response in predicting kidney outcome in amyloid light-chain amyloidosis.

Background: Light chain amyloidosis, characterized by amyloid fibril deposition in multiple organs, often leads to progression to endstage kidney disease. This study aimed to identify predictors of kidney survival in patients with kidney amyloidosis, focusing on hematologic and kidney response.

Methods: This retrospective study included 138 patients diagnosed with kidney amyloidosis between 2011 and 2019.

The Korean Organ Transplant Registry (KOTRY): Third Official Adult Heart Transplant Report.

Background And Objectives: The Korean Organ Transplant Registry (KOTRY) provided data for this third official report on adult heart transplantation (HT), including information from 709 recipients.

Methods: Data from HTs performed at seven major centers in Korea between March 2014 and December 2020 were analyzed, focusing on immunosuppression, acute rejection, cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV), post-transplant survival, and mechanical circulatory support (MCS) usage.

Results: The median ages of the recipients and donors were 56.

Clinical impact of diastolic dysfunction and atrial fibrillation before and after initiating hemodialysis in patients with end-stage kidney disease.

Background: Diastolic dysfunction with left ventricular hypertrophy and myocardial fibrosis is an important characteristic of uremic cardiomyopathy in end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). Few studies explored the relationship between changes in diastolic dysfunction and the risk of mortality or cardiovascular outcome in patients with ESKD. We investigated the clinical impact of diastolic dysfunction and atrial fibrillation (AF) on patients starting hemodialysis (HD).

Diagnostic Pitfall and Clinical Characteristics of Variant Versus Wild-Type Transthyretin Amyloid Cardiomyopathy in Asian Population: The Korean Nationwide Cohort Study.

Background: Transthyretin amyloidosis cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) is an under-recognized cause of heart failure (HF) with clinical phenotypes that vary across regions and genotypes. We sought to characterize the clinical characteristics of ATTR-CM in Asia.

Methods: Data from a nationwide cohort of patients with ATTR-CM from six major tertiary centres in South Korea were analysed between 2010 and 2021.

Impacts of Pre-transplant Panel-Reactive Antibody on Post-transplantation Outcomes: A Study of Nationwide Heart Transplant Registry Data.

Background And Objectives: The number of sensitized heart failure patients on waiting lists for heart transplantation (HTx) is increasing. Using the Korean Organ Transplantation Registry (KOTRY), a nationwide multicenter database, we investigated the prevalence and clinical impact of calculated panel-reactive antibody (cPRA) in patients undergoing HTx.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 813 patients who underwent HTx between 2014 and 2021.

Temporal Trends, Risk Factors, and Clinical Outcomes of De Novo Lymphoproliferative Disorders After Heart Transplantation.

Background: Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in heart transplant (HTx) recipients. However, previous studies of PTLD after HTx are limited to single-center analyses or extrapolated from all solid organ transplantations.

Objectives: The authors analyzed the temporal trends, risk factors, and clinical outcome of de novo PTLD specifically after HTx.

Early stroke after left ventricular assist device implantation: role of right heart failure.

Background: Both stroke and right heart failure (RHF) are common and serious complications after left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation. The objective of this study was to evaluate relation between stroke and RHF early after LVAD implantation.

Methods: This is a retrospective observational cohort study.