β blockers after myocardial infarction with mildly reduced ejection fraction: an individual patient data meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

Background: The effects of β-blocker therapy on clinical outcomes in patients with myocardial infarction and mildly reduced (40-49%) left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) are largely unknown. Four recently conducted randomised trials tested the efficacy of β blockers after a recent myocardial infarction in patients without reduced LVEF (LVEF ≥40%). However, none were individually powered to assess these effects in the subgroup of patients with mildly reduced LVEF.

Beta-Blockers after Myocardial Infarction without Reduced Ejection Fraction.

Background: Current guideline recommendations for the use of beta-blockers after myocardial infarction without reduced ejection fraction are based on trials conducted before routine reperfusion, invasive care, complete revascularization, and contemporary pharmacologic therapies became standard practice.

Methods: We conducted an open-label, randomized trial in Spain and Italy to evaluate the effect of beta-blocker therapy, as compared with no beta-blocker therapy, in patients with acute myocardial infarction (with or without ST-segment elevation) and a left ventricular ejection fraction above 40%. The primary outcome was a composite of death from any cause, reinfarction, or hospitalization for heart failure.

Effect of beta blocker withholding or withdrawal after myocardial infarction without reduced ejection fraction on ischaemic events: a post hoc analysis from the REBOOT trial.

Background: Current guidelines recommend beta blockers after myocardial infarction (MI) regardless of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), aiming to reduce reinfarction and ventricular arrhythmias. However, recent trials have challenged this practice in patients without reduced LVEF. Whether beta blocker withdrawal in these patients increases short-term or recurrent ischaemic events remains uncertain.

Beta-blockers after myocardial infarction: effects according to sex in the REBOOT trial.

Background And Aims: Recent trials have challenged the guideline recommendation of beta-blockers for post-myocardial infarction (MI) patients without reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Whether these recent findings apply equally to women and men remains unknown.

Methods: Using data from REBOOT (tREatment with Beta-blockers after myOcardial infarction withOut reduced ejection fracTion), the largest randomized trial evaluating the effect of beta-blockers after acute MI with LVEF > 40%, a pre-specified sex-specific subgroup analysis was performed.

Acute heart failure in non-cardiac surgery.

More than 64 million people worldwide have heart failure (HF), and these numbers are expected to rise. Acute HF (AHF) is the leading cause of hospitalization in patients over 65 years old and is linked to high mortality and readmission rates. AHF may also be a frequent complication in patients hospitalized for other medical reasons as well as after cardiac or non-cardiac surgery.

Amphilimus-eluting versus zotarolimus-eluting stents in patients with diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease: extended follow-up of the SUGAR randomised controlled trial.

Background: Patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) have an elevated risk of late events after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The Second-generation Drug-eluting Stents in Diabetes (SUGAR) trial (NCT03321032) compared amphilimus-eluting stents (AESs) and onyx-zotarolimus-eluting stents (O-ZESs) in this population.

Objectives: To report the co-primary endpoint comparing target lesion failure (TLF) between AES and O-ZES at 2 years and the extended follow-up at 3 years.

[Treatment of functionally nonsignificant vulnerable plaques in multivessel STEMI: design of the VULNERABLE trial].

Introduction And Objectives: The optimal treatment of nonculprit angiographic intermediate lesions (diameter stenosis 40%-69%) in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is still unknown. Lesions with fractional flow reserve (FFR) ≤ 0.80 are indicative of ischemia and benefit from revascularization.

Frailty, Multimorbidity, and Polypharmacy: Exploratory Analyses of the Effects of Empagliflozin from the EMPA-KIDNEY Trial.

Background: Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors are recommended treatment for adults with CKD, but uncertainty exists regarding their use in patients with frailty and/or multimorbidity, among whom polypharmacy is common. We derived a multivariable logistic regression model to predict hospitalization (reflecting frailty) and assessed empagliflozin's risk–benefit profile in a post hoc analysis of the double-blind, placebo-controlled EMPA-KIDNEY trial.

Methods: The EMPA-KIDNEY trial randomized 6609 patients with CKD (eGFR ≥20 to <45 ml/min per 1.

Dapagliflozin in Patients Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic-Valve Implantation.

Background: Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors reduce the risk of heart-failure admission among high-risk patients. However, most patients with valvular heart disease, including those undergoing transcatheter aortic-valve implantation (TAVI), have been excluded from randomized trials.

Methods: We conducted this randomized, controlled trial in Spain to evaluate the efficacy of dapagliflozin (at a dose of 10 mg once daily) as compared with standard care alone in patients with aortic stenosis who were undergoing TAVI.

Key priorities for the implementation of the 2023 ESC Guidelines for the management of acute coronary syndromes in low-resource settings.

ESC Guidelines provide best practice, evidence-based recommendations for diagnosing and treating patients with cardiovascular diseases. It is not always possible for best practices to be followed, however, particularly in low-resource settings. To address this issue, a set of guideline-related documents were created to identify key priorities for users in these settings.

2024 Revision of the level of evidence grading system for ESC clinical practice guideline recommendations II: diagnostic tests and prediction models.

The level of evidence (LOE) grading system for European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG) classifies the quality of the evidence supporting a recommendation. However, the current taxonomy does not fully consider the optimal study design necessary to establish evidence for different types of recommendations in ESC guidelines. Therefore, two separate task forces of clinical and methodological experts were appointed by the CPG Committee, with the first tasked with updating the LOE grading system for therapy and prevention and the second responsible for developing a LOE grading system for diagnosis and prediction.

2024 Revision of the level of evidence grading system for ESC clinical practice guideline recommendations I: therapy and prevention.

The level of evidence (LOE) grading system for ESC Clinical Practice Guidelines classifies the quality of the evidence supporting a recommendation. However, the current taxonomy does not fully consider the optimal study design necessary to establish evidence for such recommendations. Therefore, two separate taskforces of clinical and methodological experts were appointed by the Clinical Practice Guidelines Committee, with the first tasked with updating the LOE grading system for therapy and prevention, and the second responsible for developing a LOE grading system for diagnosis and prediction.

European Society of Cardiology quality indicators for the management of acute coronary syndromes: developed in collaboration with the Association for Acute CardioVascular Care and the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions of the ESC.

Aims: Closing the evidence-practice gap for the treatment of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is central to improving quality of care. Under the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) framework, we aimed to develop updated quality indicators (QIs) for the evaluation of quality of care and outcomes for patients with ACS.

Methods And Results: A Working Group of experts including members of the ESC Clinical Practice Guidelines Task Force for ACS, Association for Acute Cardiovascular Care, and European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions followed the ESC methodology for QI development.

Empagliflozin in acute myocardial infarction in patients with and without type 2 diabetes: A pre-specified analysis of the EMPACT-MI trial.

Aims: In the EMPACT-MI trial, empagliflozin reduced heart failure (HF) hospitalizations but not mortality in acute myocardial infarction (MI). Contemporary reports of clinical event rates with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in acute MI trials are sparse. The treatment effect of empagliflozin in those with and without T2DM in acute MI is unknown.

Impact of chronic renin-angiotensin-aldosterone inhibitors on short-term outcomes in patients with acute heart failure presenting to the emergency department. A propensity-matched analysis EAHFE cohort.

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact of chronic treatment with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) on short-term clinical outcomes after an episode of AHF.

Methods: A secondary analysis of patients included in the EAHFE (Epidemiology of Acute Heart Failure in Emergency Departments) cohort, which includes patients diagnosed with AHF in 45 Spanish Emergency Departments (EDs). The primary outcome was all-cause in-hospital mortality.