Clinical and Echocardiographic Assessment of Patients with Dilated Cardiomyopathy

Introduction: Cardiomyopathy is the disorder of the heart muscles which can be dilated, hypertrophic or restrictive type. Dilated cardiomyopathy is caused by genetic and non-genetic causes but many of the causes are still not known. Echocardiography is an important imaging technique to diagnose and manage dilated cardiomyopathy. Aims: This study aims to assess the clinical and echocardiographic findings among patients with dilated cardiomyopathy. Methods: This is a cross-sectional, observational study conducted in Nepalgunj Medical College from January 2021 to June 2021. A total of 61 patients with dilated Cardiomyopathy were enrolled after obtaining written informed consent. Clinical examination and echocardiographic findings were recorded and data analysis was done using Statistical Package for Social Sciences. Results: The participants included 31 men and 30 women with dilated cardiomyopathy. The mean age of the participants was 58.49 + 15.46 years. The most common complaint was shortness of breath 84.5% and the most common clinical presentation was bilateral basal crepitation 98.4%. The patients mostly had diastolic left ventricle internal diameter of 5.5-6 cm and ejection fraction of 21-30%. Mitral regurgitation was observed among most 58(95.1%) of the patients. Conclusion: This study concludes that shortness of breath and bilateral basal crepitation are the most common presentation. Left ventricle dilation, reduced ejection fraction and mitral regurgitation are seen among majority of the patients.

Adaptive support ventilation as an effective treatment option for central sleep apnea in an older adult with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: a case report

Background Adaptive support ventilation (ASV) is a proposed treatment option for central sleep apnea (CSA). Although the effectiveness of ASV remains unclear, some studies have reported promising results regarding the use of ASV in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HfpEF). To illustrate the importance of suspecting and diagnosing sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) in older adults unable to recognize symptoms, we discuss a case in which ASV was effective in a patient with CSA and HfpEF, based on changes in the Holter electrocardiogram (ECG). Case presentation. An 82-year-old man presented to our hospital with vomiting on April 19, 2021. Approximately 10 years before admission, he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes mellitus and recently required full support from his wife for daily activities due to cognitive dysfunction. Two days before admission, his wife was unable to administer insulin due to excessively high glucose levels, which were displayed as “high” on the patient’s glucose meter; therefore, we diagnosed the patient with diabetic ketoacidosis. After recovery, we initiated intensive insulin therapy for glycemic control. However, the patient exhibited excessive daytime sleepiness, and numerous premature ventricular contractions were observed on his ECG monitor despite the absence of hypoglycemia. As we suspected sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), we performed portable polysomnography (PSG), which revealed CSA. PSG revealed a central type of apnea and hypopnea due to an apnea–hypopnea index of 37.6, which was > 5. Moreover, the patient had daytime sleepiness; thus, we diagnosed him with CSA. We performed ASV and observed its effect using portable PSG and Holter ECG. His episodes of apnea and hypopnea were resolved, and an apparent improvement was confirmed through Holter ECG. Conclusion Medical staff should carefully monitor adult adults for signs of or risk factors for SDB to prevent serious complications. Future studies on ASV should focus on older patients with arrhythmia, as the prevalence of CSA may be underreported in this population and determine the effectiveness of ASV in patients with HfpEF, especially in older adults.

Prognostic impact of high-sensitive troponin on 30-day mortality in patients with acute heart failure and different classes of left ventricular ejection fraction

High-sensitive troponin T (hs-TnT) is increasingly used for prognostication in patients with acute heart failure (AHF). However, uncertainty exists whether hs-TnT shows comparable prognostic performance in patients with heart failure and different classes of left ventricular ejection fraction (LV-EF). The aim of the present study was to assess the prognostic value of hs-TnT for the prediction of 30-day mortality depending on the presence of HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), HF with mid-range LV-EF (HFmrEF) and HF with reduced LV-EF (HFrEF) in patients with acutely decompensated HF. Patients admitted to our institution due to AHF were retrospectively included. Clinical information was gathered from electronic and paper-based patient charts. Patients with myocardial infarction were excluded. A total of 847 patients were enrolled into the present study. A significant association was found between HF groups and hs-TnT (regression coefficient -0.018 for HFpEF vs. HFmrEF/HFrEF; p = 0.02). The area under the curve (AUC) of hs-TnT for the prediction of 30-mortality was significantly lower in patients with HFpEF (AUC 0.61) than those with HFmrEF (AUC 0.80; p = 0.01) and HFrEF (AUC 0.73; p = 0.04). Hs-TnT was not independently associated with 30-day outcome in the HFpEF group (OR 1.48 [95%-CI 0.89–2.46]; p = 0.13) in contrast to the HFmrEF group (OR 4.53 [95%-CI 1.85–11.1]; p < 0.001) and HFrEF group (OR 2.58 [95%-CI 1.57–4.23]; p < 0.001). Prognostic accuracy of hs-TnT in patients hospitalized for AHF regarding 30-day mortality is significantly lower in patients with HFpEF compared to those with HFmrEF and HFrEF.

Considerazioni condivise alla luce delle recenti novità nell’ambito dello scompenso cardiaco: ottimizzazione della gestione del paziente con scompenso cardiaco in medicina interna - Dal ricovero al follow-up

Nuova classificazione dello scompenso cardiaco: ridenominazione di Heart failure with mid-range ejection fraction in Heart failure with mildly reduced ejection fraction (HFmrEF), con raccomandazioni terapeutiche più precise in questa fascia di pazienti Il nuovo algoritmo per il trattamento dello scompenso cardiaco a frazione di eiezione ridotta: Simultaneous or Rapid Sequence Initiation of Quadruple Medical Therapy for Heart Failure Ottimizzazione della terapia: l’ospedalizzazione come opportunità. Impiego precoce di sacubitril/valsartan nel paziente ospedalizzato, stabilizzato. Effetti sulla riduzione della mortalità e delle re-ospedalizzazioni. Effetti sul rimodellamento cardiaco. Effetti sulla QoL Sicurezza dell’uso di sacubitril/valsartan anche in presenza di comorbidità e gestione dell’ipotensione Intervento di ottimizzazione della terapia anche nel paziente con scompenso cardiaco cronico ricoverato per altra patologia acuta Terapia delle comorbidità - non cardiovascolari: diabete, iperkaliemia, carenza di ferro e cancro Terapia non farmacologica ed educazione/formazione del paziente e del caregiver Gestione post-ricovero dello scompenso cardiaco: l’ambulatorio divisionale e la rete territoriale

A Preclinical Rat Model of Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction With Multiple Comorbidities

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a common complex clinical syndrome for which there are currently few evidence-based therapies. As patients with HFpEF very often present with comorbidities comprising the metabolic syndrome, we hypothesized, that metabolic syndrome could lead over time to the development of diastolic dysfunction and HFpEF. Obesity-prone rats were exposed to high-fat diet and compared to obesity-resistant rats fed with standard chow. Phenotyping of metabolic syndrome, associated with echocardiographic and cardiac hemodynamic measurements, was performed after 4 and 12 months. Blood and myocardial tissue sampling were performed for pathobiological evaluation. High-fat diet in obesity-prone rats elicited metabolic syndrome, characterized by increased body and abdominal fat weights, glucose intolerance and hyperlipidemia, as well as increased left ventricular (LV) systolic pressure (after 12 months). This was associated with LV diastolic dysfunction (assessed by increased LV end-diastolic pressure) and pulmonary hypertension (assessed by increased right ventricular systolic pressure). Echocardiography revealed significant concentric LV hypertrophy, while LV ejection fraction was preserved. LV remodeling was associated with cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, as well as myocardial and perivascular fibrosis. Circulating levels of soluble ST2 (the interleukin-1 receptor-like) markedly increased in rats with HFpEF, while plasma NT-proBNP levels decreased. RNA-sequencing analysis identified clusters of genes implicated in fatty acid metabolism and calcium-dependent contraction as upregulated pathways in the myocardium of rats with HFpEF. High-fat diet during 12 months in obesity-prone rats led to the development of a relevant preclinical model of HFpEF with multiple comorbidities, suitable for investigating novel therapeutic interventions.

Comparative Efficacy of Medical Treatments for Chronic Heart Failure: A Network Meta-Analysis

Background: The medical treatments of chronic heart failure have made remarkable progress in recent years. It is crucial to determine the optimal drug combination based on current evidence.Methods: A search of PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane CENTRAL databases was conducted for studies on angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitors (ARNIs), sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2is), angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs), angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), beta-blockers (BBs), mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs), and ivabradine (IVA) between 1987 and 2021. The network meta-analysis was performed to compare the efficacy of drug therapies in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).Results: Forty-eight randomized controlled trials (RCTs), which overall included 68,074 patients with HF and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤ 40%, were identified and included in the network meta-analysis. The efficacies of 13 intervention classes, including monotherapies or combinations of ACEI, ARB, ARNI, BB, MRA, SGLT2i, IVA, and placebo, on hospitalization for HF, cardiovascular mortality, and all-cause mortality were compared. Among the 13 included interventions, ARNI+BB+MRA, SGLT2i+ACEI+BB+MRA, and IVA+ACEI+BB+MRA were found to be best in terms of all three outcomes. Compared with placebo, these three drug combinations were associated with significant reductions in the risk of all-cause death, cardiovascular mortality and hospitalization for HF.Conclusions: ARNI+BB+MRA, SGLT2i+ACEI+BB+MRA, and IVA+ACEI+BB+MRA were the top three therapies for patients with HFrEF. The increasing use of combinations of conventional and novel drugs contributed to progressive reductions in hospitalization and mortality in patients with HFrEF.