Bendopnea is a clinical symptom of advanced heart failure (HF) with uncertain prognostic value. We aimed to evaluate whether bendopnea and the change in oxygen saturation when bending forward (Bending Oxygen Saturation Index -BOSI-) are associated with adverse outcomes in ambulatory chronic heart failure (CHF) patients.

Reflecting both increased venous pressure and reduced cardiac output, abnormal liver tests are common in patients with severe heart failure and are associated adverse clinical outcomes. We aimed to investigate the prognostic significance of abnormal liver tests in ambulatory patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), explore any treatment interaction between bilirubin and sodium-glucose

Cardiac amyloidosis (CA) is now recognized as an important cause of heart failure. Increased wall thickness and diastolic dysfunction of the left ventricle (LV) are the most easily detectable manifestations of CA, but amyloid accumulates in all cardiac structures. Involvement of the left and right atria may be due to the haemodynamic effects of ventricular diastolic dysfunction, the effects of amyloid

Transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) is predominantly diagnosed in men. The few available studies suggest affected women have a more favourable cardiac phenotype. We aimed to characterise sex differences among consecutive patients with non-hereditary and two prevalent forms of hereditary ATTR-CM diagnosed over a 20-year period.

To investigate incidence, predictors and prognostic implications of longitudinal New York Heart Association (NYHA) class changes (i.e. improving or worsening vs. stable NYHA class) in heart failure (HF) across the ejection fraction (EF) spectrum.

To evaluate short-term changes in tricuspid regurgitation (TR) after transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (M-TEER) in secondary mitral regurgitation (SMR), their predictors and impact on mortality.

Worsening renal function may impact long-term outcomes in heart failure (HF). However, little is known about the longitudinal trajectories in renal function in relation to the HF hospitalization or how this high-risk clinical event impacts renal outcomes.

Intravenous iron therapy can improve symptoms in patients with heart failure, anemia and iron deficiency. The mechanisms underlying such an improvement might involve chemoreflex sensing and nocturnal breathing patterns.

We examined the effects of istaroxime in patients hospitalized for acute heart failure (AHF) related Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) stage B pre-cardiogenic shock (CS).

Steroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs) form a cornerstone of the management of heart failure (HF), but little is known about the long-term effects of MRA therapy on kidney function. We evaluated acute and chronic estimated glomerular function (eGFR) slopes in the 2 largest completed trials testing steroidal MRAs in chronic HF.

In vitro modelling the complex (patho-) physiological conditions of the heart is a major challenge in cardiovascular research. In recent years, methods based on three-dimensional (3D) cultivation approaches have steadily evolved to overcome the major limitations of conventional adherent two-dimensional (2D) monolayer cultivation. These 3D approaches aim to study, reproduce or modify fundamental native

This pilot study aimed to assess the potential benefits of CCM in patients with HF with preserved left ventricular (LV) EF (HFpEF).

The HFA-PEFF and H2FPEF scores have been developed to diagnose heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), and hold prognostic value. Their value in patients with HFpEF caused by cardiac amyloidosis (CA) has never been investigated.

Obese patients have lower natriuretic peptides concentrations.

Primary pericardial angiosarcoma is a rare but aggressive cause of cardiac tamponade. Development of pericardial angiosarcoma in patients with a history of carcinoma has not been reported previously. Imaging characteristics of pericardial angiosarcoma remain to be clarified, and hypoechoic mass interrupted with irregular hyperechoic tissue on transthoracic echocardiography may be a sign indicating

Renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system inhibitors (RAASi) are guideline-recommended therapy for individuals with cardiorenal disease. They are associated with increased risk of hyperkalaemia, a common and life-threatening disorder for this population. RAASi-induced hyperkalaemia often leads to dose reduction or discontinuation, reducing cardiorenal protection. Guideline recommendations differ between

The BUDAPEST-CRT Upgrade study is the first prospective, randomized, multicentre clinical trial investigating the outcomes after cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) upgrade in heart failure (HF) patients with intermittent or permanent right ventricular (RV) pacing with wide paced QRS. This report describes the baseline clinical characteristics of the enrolled patients and compares them to cohorts

To assess adherence to guideline recommendations among a large network of Italian cardiology sites in the management of acute and chronic heart failure (HF) and to evaluate if an ad-hoc educational intervention can improve their performance on several pharmacological and non-pharmacological indicators.

Januszkiewicz, Ł., Barra, S., Marijon, E., Providencia, R., de Asmundis, C., Chun, J.K.R., Farkowski, M.M., Conte, G. and Boveda, S. (2022), Major gaps in the information provided to patients before implantation of cardioverter defibrillators: a prospective patient European evaluation. Eur J Heart Fail. Accepted Author Manuscript. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejhf.2600 The above article from the European

Sudden death is a devastating complication of heart failure (HF). Current guidelines recommend an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) for prevention of sudden death in patients with HF and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) specifically those with a left ventricular ejection fraction ≤35% after at least 3 months of optimized HF treatment. The benefit of ICD in patients with symptomatic HFrEF

Herein we report the case of a young man, admitted to the Department of Cardiology and Angiology at Hannover Medical School with shortness of breath and elevated troponin. Few weeks earlier the patient received the first dose of BioNTech's mRNA vaccine (Comirnaty, BNT162b2). After diagnostic work-up revealed giant cell myocarditis, the patient received immunosuppressive therapy. In the present context

Physicians are sometimes reluctant to initiate guideline-directed therapy in patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) due to concerns of adverse events. We explored the risk of hypotension, volume depletion, and acute kidney injury (AKI) on sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors in HFrEF populations.

Systematic evidence on the prevalence and clinical outcome of transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR) is missing. We explored: (i) the prevalence of cardiac amyloidosis in various patient subgroups, (ii) survival estimates for ATTR subtypes, and (iii) the effects of novel therapeutics on the natural course of disease.

This article refers to ‘Durability of benefit after transcatheter tricuspid valve intervention: insights from actigraphy’ by T.J. Stocker et al., published in this issue on pages 1293–1301. Following the tremendous success using transcatheter techniques to treat aortic and mitral valve pathologies over the last decades the interventionalists' mind- and handcraft have shifted toward the tricuspid valve

Sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) may induce an early post-initiation decrease of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), which does not impact the SGLT2i benefits. The occurrence, characteristics, determinants, and clinical significance of an initial eGFR change among patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction require further study. In this study we aimed to describe