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Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text. Background: The net clinical benefit of cardiac disease-modifying drugs might be influenced by the interaction of different domains of disease burden. We assessed the relative contribution of cardiac, comorbid, and demographic factors in heart failure (HF) and how their interplay might influence HF prognosis and efficacy of sacubitril/valsartan across the spectrum of left ventricular ejection fraction. Methods: We combined data from 2 global trials that evaluated the efficacy of sacubitril/valsartan compared with a renin-angiotensin antagonist in symptomatic HF patients (PARADIGM-HF [Prospective Comparison of Angiotensin Receptor Neprilysin Inhibitor With an Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitor to Determine Impact on Global Mortality and Morbidity in Heart Failure; n=8399] and PARAGON-HF [Prospective Comparison of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitor With Angiotensin Receptors Blockers Global Outcomes in Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction; n=4796]). We decomposed the previously validated Meta-Analysis Global Group in Chronic Heart Failure risk score into cardiac (left ventricular ejection fraction, New York Heart Association class, blood pressure, time since HF diagnosis, HF medications), noncardiac comorbid (body mass index, creatinine, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, smoking), and demographic (age, gender) categories. Based on these domains, an index representing the balance of cardiac to noncardiac comorbid burden was created (cardiac-comorbid index). Clinical outcomes were time to first HF hospitalization or cardiovascular deaths and all-cause mortality. Results: Higher scores of the cardiac domain were observed in PARADIGM-HF (10 [7–13] versus 5 [3–6], P <0.001) and higher scores of the demographic domain in PARAGON-HF (10 [8–13] versus 5 [2–9], P <0.001). In PARADIGM-HF, the contribution of the cardiac domain to clinical outcomes was greater than the noncardiac domain (P <0.001), while in PARAGON-HF the attributable risk of the comorbid and demographic categories predominated. Individual scores from each sub-domain were linearly associated with the risk of clinical outcomes (P <0.001). Beneficial effects of sacubitril/valsartan were observed in patients with preponderance of cardiac over noncardiac comorbid burden (cardiac-comorbid index >5 points), suggesting a significant treatment effect modification (interaction P <0.05 for both outcomes). Conclusions: Domains of disease burden are clinically relevant features that influence the prognosis and treatment of patients with HF. The therapeutic benefits of sacubitril/valsartan vary according to the balance of components of disease burden, across different ranges of left ventricular ejection fraction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes a case study of a tumorlike cardiac fungal mycetoma caused by Scedosporium apiospermum presenting as ventricular tachycardia associated with hemodynamic instability. Topics discussed include a clinical history of the patient, findings of laboratory and radiographic examinations done on the patient, and patient outcome. Also cited are the characteristics of mycetoma.

Background: Dietary vitamin K is thought to be an important factor that interferes with anticoagulation stability, but the clinical applicability of this interaction has not been evaluated adequately in prospective studies., Methods and Results: In a randomized controlled trial that enrolled outpatients with a recent international normalized ratio (INR) outside the therapeutic target, we compared 2 strategies to optimize long-term oral anticoagulation: (1) a conventional approach based on changes in anticoagulant prescription and (2) a dietary vitamin K-guided strategy based on simple modifications of the amount of vitamin K-rich foods ingested per week. The primary efficacy end point was the percentage of patients who achieved a prespecified INR target at 90 days after randomization. Study population (n=132) predominantly included men with mechanical heart prostheses (58%) or atrial fibrillation (35%). Over time, patients allocated to the vitamin K-guided strategy reached the prespecified INR more frequently so that after 90 days of follow-up, 74% were on target compared with 58% of patients managed conventionally (P=0.04). Patients allocated to the dietary vitamin K-guided strategy had the same magnitude and direction of INR variation as those observed with the conventional approach in the short term (15 days) for both underanticaogulated and overanticoagulated patients. Minor bleeding or use of parenteral vitamin K were also marginally less frequent in patients managed according to the dietary intervention (1 [1.5%] versus 7 [11%]; P=0.06)., Conclusions: A vitamin K-guided management strategy to adjust long-term oral anticoagulation is feasible and safe and may result in an increased chance of reaching target levels of INR.