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.

Advancements and Challenges in Acute Heart Failure Management in Korea: Initial Report and Insights from the Korean Heart Failure III Registry.

Background: Heart failure (HF) is a major global health burden. Building on two prior national registries, the Korean Heart Failure III (KorHF III) registry provides a contemporary evaluation of clinical characteristics, treatment patterns, and outcomes in patients hospitalized with acute HF (AHF) in Korea.

Methods And Results: KorHF III prospectively enrolled 7,351 AHF patients from 47 tertiary hospitals between March 2018 and December 2022, with a 2-year follow-up.

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.

Comparison of Natriuretic Peptide Levels in Sinus Rhythm and Atrial Fibrillation in Acute Heart Failure.

Background And Objectives: In chronic heart failure (HF), natriuretic peptide (NP) levels are higher in atrial fibrillation (AF) compared to sinus rhythm (SR). However, due to the loss of atrial contraction, AF patients are prone to hemodynamic decompensation at earlier stages. Since NP levels reflect disease severity, acutely decompensated AF patients may exhibit lower NP levels compared to SR patients, who retain greater hemodynamic reserve.

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.

Disparities in Heart Transplantation Allocation and Outcomes by Blood Type in Korea (2010-2022).

Background And Objectives: This study aimed to elucidate the influence of recipient blood type on heart transplant allocation dynamics in Korea, focusing on donor matching, wait times, and post-transplant survival from 2010 to 2022.

Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, we examined 1,745 heart transplant recipients classified by blood types: A (n=631), B (n=488), AB (n=256), and O (n=370). Parameters studied encompassed donor and recipient ages, donor blood type compatibility, organ type, emergency status, waiting periods, and survival rates up to one year post-transplant.

Utility of Non-HLA Autoantibodies in Predicting Graft Survival After Heart Transplantation.

Background: The presence of antibodies to donor-specific HLAs is a well-known risk factor associated with heart transplantation (HTx) outcomes. Recently, non-HLA antibodies were reported to be associated with HTx outcomes.

Methods: We evaluated the association between the presence of non-HLA antibodies with early (≤1 y) and long-term graft failure in 192 patients undergoing HTx in 4 large transplant centers in Korea.

A Phase III Randomized, Double-Blind, Active-Controlled, Multicenter Study on the Efficacy and Safety of Ezetimibe/Atorvastatin/Amlodipine Combination in Patients With Comorbid Primary Hypercholesterolemia and Essential Hypertension.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of triple combination of ezetimibe (Eze)/atorvastatin (Ato) 10/40 mg + amlodipine (Aml) 10 mg therapy for lowering the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and blood pressure compared with either Eze/Ato 10/40 mg or Aml 10 mg therapies in patients with comorbid primary hypercholesterolemia and essential hypertension.

Methods: This was a randomized, multicenter, double-blind, active-controlled, Phase III clinical trial. Participants underwent a wash-out period (2 weeks for nonfibrate medications, 6 weeks for fibrates) followed by 4 weeks of therapeutic lifestyle changes.

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.

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.

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.

Temporal Trends in Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes for Peripartum Cardiomyopathy: The Nationwide Multicenter Registry Over 20 Years.

Background: Although peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a fatal disease affecting young patients and fetuses, little is known about its recent prognosis and risk factors. This study investigated temporal trends in clinical characteristics and outcomes for PPCM in a nationwide multicenter registry.

Methods And Results: The study population comprised 340 patients (mean age, 33 years) who were diagnosed with PPCM between January 2000 and September 2022 in 26 tertiary hospitals in South Korea.

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.

The Third Nationwide Korean Heart Failure III Registry (KorHF III): The Study Design Paper.

Unlabelled: With advancements in both pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatments, significant changes have occurred in heart failure (HF) management. The previous Korean HF registries, namely the Korea Heart Failure Registry (KorHF-registry) and Korean Acute Heart Failure Registry (KorAHF-registry), no longer accurately reflect contemporary acute heart failure (AHF) patients. Our objective is to assess contemporary AHF patients through a nationwide registry encompassing various aspects, such as clinical characteristics, management approaches, hospital course, and long-term outcomes of individuals hospitalized for AHF in Korea.