American Journal of Cardiovascular Drugs : Drugs, Devices, and Other Interventions

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BACKGROUND: GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) have emerged as an effective therapeutic class for weight loss. However, the efficacy of these agents in reducing cardiovascular endpoints among patients living with obesity or overweight is unclear. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing GLP-1 RAs versus placebo in patients with obesity or overweight. We searched PubMed, Cochrane, and Embase databases...

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease remains a significant global health concern, with high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels contributing to an increased risk. Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) further complicates its management, necessitating additional lipid-lowering therapies. Evinacumab, an angiopoietin-like protein 3 monoclonal antibody, has emerged as a potential treatment, particularly for patients with FH, by effectively reducing LDL-C and triglyceride levels...

PURPOSE: The American Heart Association recommended sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) for the management of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). However, little is known about their real-world in-class comparative safety in patients with HFpEF. We aimed to assess the comparative safety of SGLT2i in the risk of urinary tract infection (UTI) or genital infection separately or as a composite outcome among patients with HFpEF. METHODS: This cohort study using MarketScan® Commercial and Medicare supplemental databases (2012-2020) included patients aged ≥ 18 years with a diagnosis of HFpEF who initiated SGLT2i therapy...

AIM: The efficacy and safety of bivalirudin when used concurrently with glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors (GPI) is uncertain. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of bivalirudin versus heparin in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and to explore the impact of differential use (greater and balanced) of GPI. METHODS: Online databases were queried from inception to March 2023 to identify eight randomized controlled trials (n = 22,483) for inclusion...

OBJECTIVE: Vericiguat is a new medication to demonstrate clinical efficacy in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) after worsening heart failure (WHF) events, but its cost-utility was unknown. We aimed to assess the cost-utility of combining the application of vericiguat with standard treatment in HFrEF patients who had WHF events. METHODS: A multistate Markov model was implemented to mimic the economic results of HFrEF patients who had WHF events in China after receiving vericiguat or placebo...

BACKGROUND: Metformin and sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors have demonstrated cardiovascular benefits but their comparative effects on mortality in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) are unknown. Hence, we evaluated and compared lifetime benefits arising from metformin or SGLT2 inhibitors in T2DM patients with CVD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Studies published in the PubMed, EMBASE and CENTRAL databases before 28 October 2023 were retrieved...

BACKGROUND: Landmark clinical trials have expended the indications for the direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs), but contemporary data on usage and expenditure patterns are lacking. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess annual trends in oral anticoagulant (OAC) utilization and expenditure across the United States (US) from 2014 to 2020. METHODS: We utilized the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) to study the trends of use and expenditures of warfarin, dabigatran, rivaroxaban, apixaban, and edoxaban between 2014 and 2020 in the US...

AIM: Statin therapy is considered the gold standard for treating hypercholesterolemia. This updated meta-analysis aims to compare the efficacy and safety of a low/moderate-intensity statin in combination with ezetimibe compared with high-intensity statin monotherapy in patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). METHODS: A systematic search of two databases (PubMed and Cochrane CENTRAL) was conducted from inception to January 2023 and a total of 21 randomized clinical trials (RCTs) were identified and included in the analysis...

In this comprehensive state-of-the-art review, we provide an evidence-based analysis of current drug therapies for patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) in the acute and chronic phases with concurrent hypertension. Additionally, we explore the latest developments and emerging evidence on the efficacy, safety, and clinical outcomes of common and novel drug treatments in the management of HFpEF with concurrent hypertension. During the acute phase of HFpEF, intravenous diuretics, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs), and vasodilators are pivotal, while in the chronic phase, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers have proven effective in enhancing clinical outcomes...

BACKGROUND: Data are limited regarding guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) treatment patterns in patients with worsening heart failure (HF). METHODS: We used administrative claims databases in Germany and the USA to conduct a retrospective cohort study of patients with worsening HF. Two cohorts of patients with prevalent HF and a HF hospitalization (HFH) from 2016 to 2019, alive at discharge (N = 75,140 USA; N = 47,003 Germany) were identified. Index date was the first HFH during the study period...

AIMS: Digoxin has been used in the treatment for heart failure for centuries, but the role of this drug in the modern era is controversial. A particular concern is the recent observational findings suggesting an increase in all-cause mortality with digoxin, although such observations suffer from biased results since these studies usually do not provide adequate compensation for the severity of disease. Using a nationwide registry database, we aimed to investigate whether digoxin is associated with 1-year all-cause mortality in patients with heart failure irrespective of phenotype...

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The delayed titration of guideline-directed drug therapy (GDMT) is a complex event influenced by multiple factors that often result in poor prognosis for patients with heart failure (HF). Individualized adjustments in GDMT titration may be necessary based on patient characteristics, and every clinician is responsible for promptly initiating GDMT and titrating it appropriately within the patient's tolerance range. This review examines the current challenges in GDMT implementation and scrutinizes titration considerations within distinct subsets of HF patients, with the overarching goal of enhancing the adoption and effectiveness of GDMT...

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BACKGROUND: The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) provided a focused update to the 2021 Guideline for the Management of Heart Failure, now providing a 1A recommendation for intravenous iron in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and iron deficiency (ID). However, the findings from randomized controlled trials (RCT) are mixed. This systematic review of RCTs aims to provide an update and synthesize the evidence addressing the association of intravenous iron with patient-based outcomes in patients with HFrEF and ID...

Hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease and the leading cause of death in Colombia. While the rate of hypertension awareness in Colombia is generally high, rates of treatment initiation, adherence, and blood pressure (BP) control are suboptimal. Major international hypertension guidelines recommend starting treatment with a combination of antihypertensive agents, and the use of a single-pill combination (SPC) to maximize adherence. In contrast, Colombian hypertension guidelines recommend starting treatment with diuretic monotherapy in most patients, and only initiating combination therapy in those with BP > 160/100 mmHg...

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death and disability worldwide. It is essential to develop novel interventions to prevent/delay CVDs by targeting their fundamental cellular and molecular processes. Melatonin is a small indole molecule acting both as a hormone of the pineal gland and as a local regulator molecule in various tissues. It has multiple features that may contribute to its cardiovascular protection. Moreover, melatonin enters all cells and subcellular compartments and crosses morphophysiological barriers...

BACKGROUND: The DAPA-HF and DELIVER trials demonstrated the clinical benefits of dapagliflozin in heart failure (HF) patients across the entire ejection fraction (EF) spectrum. However, further investigation is needed for the real-world application of dapagliflozin in HF patients. This study examines the proportion of real-world HF patients eligible for dapagliflozin and evaluates the cost-effectiveness of adding dapagliflozin to current HF therapy. METHODS: Data from the nationwide prospective registry, the Korean Acute Heart Failure (KorAHF) registry, were used to determine dapagliflozin eligibility based on the enrollment criteria of the DAPA-HF/DELIVER trials...

INTRODUCTION: oral anticoagulant (DOAC) agents are becoming the anticoagulation strategy of choice for most clinical risks for which they are indicated. However, residual uncertainty remains regarding their use in preventing stroke in patients with low bodyweight [< 60 kg or body mass index (BMI) < 18 kg/m2 ]. We have carried out pooled systematic analyses of published studies to determine the efficacy and safety of these agents compared with warfarin in stroke prevention in patients with low bodyweight...