Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter 2 Inhibitor With and Without an Aldosterone Antagonist for Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction: The SOGALDI-PEF Trial.

Background: Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists improved heart failure outcomes in heart failure with mildly reduced ejection fraction or heart failure with preserved ejection fraction; however, their combination was not tested in a randomized manner. Whether the SGLT2i/mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist combination offers benefits compared to SGLT2i alone requires dedicated trials.

Objectives: This study aims to compare the efficacy and safety of dapagliflozin/spironolactone combination vs dapagliflozin alone in heart failure with mildly reduced ejection fraction and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.

Optimizing Vaginal Cuff Closure: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Barbed versus Conventional Sutures in Total Laparoscopic and Robot-assisted Hysterectomies.

Objective: This meta-analysis aimed to compare barbed sutures (BS) and conventional sutures (CS) for vaginal cuff closure in total laparoscopic and robot-assisted hysterectomies, evaluating their impact on operative time, suture time, blood loss, postoperative complications, surgical site infections, and granulation tissue formation.

Data Sources: A comprehensive search of the electronic databases PubMed/MEDLINE and Embase was conducted, covering literature published from 2004 to June 2024.

Methods Of Study Selection: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted, including 24 studies comprising 4.

Impact of right ventricle-pulmonary artery coupling in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

Right ventricle-pulmonary artery (RV-PA) coupling has been linked to clinical outcomes in patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) undergoing transcatheter valve implantation (TAVI). However, the best timing for prognostic assessment remains uncertain. Our aim was to determine the impact of RV longitudinal function parameters and RV-PA coupling on mortality in patients undergoing TAVI.

The extent of postpartum cardiac reverse remodeling is reflected in urine proteome.

The association of postpartum cardiac reverse remodeling (RR) with urinary proteome, particularly in pregnant women with cardiovascular (CV) risk factors who show long-term increased risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality is unknown. We aim to profile the urinary proteome in pregnant women with/without CV risk factors to identify proteins associated with postpartum RR. Our study included a prospective cohort of 32 healthy and 27 obese and/or hypertensive and/or diabetic pregnant women who underwent transthoracic echocardiography, pulse-wave-velocity, and urine collection at the 3rd trimester and 6 months postpartum.

Metabolomics and Cardiovascular Risk in Patients with Heart Failure: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

The associations of plasma metabolites with adverse cardiovascular (CV) outcomes are still underexplored and may be useful in CV risk stratification. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to establish correlations between blood metabolites and adverse CV outcomes in patients with heart failure (HF). Four cohorts were included, involving 83 metabolites and 37 metabolite ratios, measured in 1158 HF patients.

Sex-based differences and risk of recurrence in patients with atrial fibrillation undergoing pulmonary vein isolation.

Introduction: Studies suggest increased likelihood of atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence after catheter ablation (CA) in women than in men, indicating that sex may be an independent risk factor for recurrence. Nevertheless, the influence of sex on AF recurrence and underlying mechanisms remains unclear.

Methods: Retrospective, single-centre study including patients undergoing AF CA between 2017 and 2021.

Prognostic value of flow-status in severe aortic stenosis patients undergoing percutaneous intervention.

Purpose: Low-flow status is a mortality predictor in severe aortic stenosis (SAS) patients, including after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) treatment. However, the best parameter to assess flow is unknown. Recent studies suggest that transaortic flow rate (FR) is superior to currently used stroke volume index (SVi) in defining low-flow states.

The impact of echocardiographic indexation to evaluate cardiac reverse remodeling throughout pregnancy and postpartum.

Introduction And Objectives: Echocardiography guidelines suggest normalizing left ventricular (LV) volumes and mass (LVM) to body size. During pregnancy, continuous weight variation impacts on body surface area (BSA) calculation, limiting the longitudinal analysis of cardiac remodeling (CR) and reverse remodeling (RR) variables. Our aim was to identify the most common indexing methodologies in the literature on pregnant populations through a systematic review; and, to compare four scaling methods: (i) none (absolute values); (ii) indexing to the BSA before pregnancy; (iii) allomeric indexing; and (iv) indexing to BSA measured at the same day of cardiac assessment, using an illustrative example.

Cardiovascular risk factors during pregnancy impact the postpartum cardiac and vascular reverse remodeling.

Pregnant women with cardiovascular risk (CVR) factors are highly prone to develop cardiovascular disease later in life. Thus, recent guidelines suggest extending the follow-up period to 1 yr after delivery. We aimed to evaluate cardiovascular remodeling during pregnancy and determine which CVR factors and potential biomarkers predict postpartum cardiac and vascular reverse remodeling (RR).

Lung ultrasound and diuretic therapy in chronic heart failure: a randomised trial.

Background: Lung congestion is frequent in heart failure (HF) and is associated with symptoms and poor prognosis. Lung ultrasound (LUS) identification of B-lines may help refining congestion assessment on top of usual care. Three small trials comparing LUS-guided therapy to usual care in HF suggested that LUS-guided therapy could reduce urgent HF visits.

Optimization of a Green Microwave-Assisted Extraction Method to Obtain Multifunctional Extracts of sp.

A microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) procedure has been optimized to simultaneously provide multifunctional extracts of sp. leaves with improved antioxidant properties and, for the first time, with optimal antimicrobial activity. Among the solvents evaluated, water was selected as the extractant in order to develop a green procedure and also for its improved bioactive properties (higher TPC and inhibition halo).

The impact of heart failure therapy in patients with mildly reduced ejection fraction: a network meta-analysis.

Background: Recent heart failure (HF) guidelines have re-classified HF patients with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) between 41% and 49% as HF with mildly reduced ejection fraction (HFmrEF). HFmrEF treatment is often considered a grey zone as no randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were conducted exclusively on these patients.

Aims: A network meta-analysis (NMA) was performed to compare treatment effect of mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRA), angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitor (ARNi), angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB), angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors (ACEi), sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i), and beta-blockers (BB) in HFmrEF cardiovascular (CV) outcomes.

Epicardial adipose tissue volume is not an independent predictor of atrial fibrillation recurrence after catheter ablation.

Introduction And Objectives: Previous studies have suggested that epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) could exert a paracrine effect in the myocardium. However, few studies have assessed its role in the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence. This study aimed to evaluate the association between EAT volume, and its attenuation, with the risk of AF recurrence after AF ablation.

Higher coronary artery calcium score is associated with increased risk of atrial fibrillation recurrence after catheter ablation.

Background: Coronary artery calcium score (CACS) is associated with an increased risk of atrial fibrillation (AF) development, but scarce data are available regarding the impact on AF recurrence. This study aims to assess the impact of CACS on AF recurrence following catheter ablation.

Methods: Retrospective study of patients with AF undergoing cardiac computed tomography (CCT) before ablation (2017-2019).

Clinical relevance of the blanking period on late recurrence after catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation.

Introduction: Recurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) within the blanking period after catheter ablation (CA) is traditionally classified as a transient and benign event. However, recent findings suggest that early recurrence (ER) is associated with late recurrence (LR), challenging the predefined "blanking period". We aimed to determine the clinical and procedural predictors of ER and LR after CA and establish the risk of LR in patients who experience ER.

Autophagy and lipid droplets are a defense mechanism against toxic copper oxide nanotubes in the eukaryotic microbial model Tetrahymena thermophila.

The widespread use of inorganic nanomaterials of anthropogenic origin has significantly increased in the last decade, being now considered as emerging pollutants. This makes it necessary to carry out studies to further understand their toxicity and interactions with cells. In the present work we analyzed the toxicity of CuO nanotubes (CuONT) in the ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila, a eukaryotic unicellular model with animal biology.

Heterologous Expression of the Phytochelatin Synthase from and Its Effect on Different Stress Factors in .

Phytochelatins (PCs) are cysteine-rich small peptides, enzymatically synthesized from reduced glutathione (GSH) by cytosolic enzyme phytochelatin synthase (PCS). The open reading frame (ORF) of the gene from the microalgae was heterologously expressed in strain DH5α, to analyze its role in protection against various abiotic agents that cause cellular stress. The transformed strain showed increased tolerance to exposure to different heavy metals (HMs) and arsenic (As), as well as to acidic pH and exposure to UVB, salt, or perchlorate.

Arsenate and arsenite differential toxicity in Tetrahymena thermophila.

A comparative analysis of toxicities of both arsenic forms (arsenite and arsenate) in the model eukaryotic microorganism Tetrahymena thermophila (ciliate protozoa) has shown the presence of various detoxification mechanisms and cellular effects comparable to those of animal cells under arsenic stress. In the wild type strain SB1969 arsenate is almost 2.5 times more toxic than arsenite.

Conversations and Reactions Around Severe Hypoglycaemia (CRASH): Spanish results of a global survey of people with type 1 diabetes or insulin-treated type 2 diabetes and caregivers.

Introduction: Information on experience/management of severe hypoglycaemic events (SHEs) among people with insulin-treated diabetes (PWD) and caregivers (CGs) providing care to PWD was sought.

Materials And Methods: An online cross-sectional survey was conducted in eight countries.

Inclusion Criteria: PWD (aged≥18 years; self-reported type 1 [T1D] or insulin-treated type 2 [T2D] diabetes; experienced ≥1 SHE [hypoglycaemia requiring external assistance] in past 3 years); CGs (layperson aged ≥18 years; caring for PWD meeting all criteria above except age [≥4 years]).

Interactions with Arsenic: Mechanisms of Toxicity and Cellular Resistance in Eukaryotic Microorganisms.

Arsenic (As) is quite an abundant metalloid, with ancient origin and ubiquitous distribution, which represents a severe environmental risk and a global problem for public health. Microbial exposure to As compounds in the environment has happened since the beginning of time. Selective pressure has induced the evolution of various genetic systems conferring useful capacities in many microorganisms to detoxify and even use arsenic, as an energy source.

Factors Associated with Health-Related Quality of Life in Psoriatic Arthritis Patients: A Longitudinal Analysis.

Introduction: Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is considered a multifaceted disease, with patients reporting low health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Data on disease burden are substantial and there exists a need for properly designed studies to learn more about the evolution of HRQoL in this condition. This study aims to identify factors associated to HRQoL evolution in PsA patients followed-up in a real-world setting in Spain.