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Background: Timor‐Leste is one of the poorest countries in the world. The East Timor Hearts Fund is a charitable organisation involving Australian cardiologists providing outreach screening and access to cardiac interventions. Aims: To assess ten years of clinical volume, demographics and patient outcomes. Our intention was to identify existing limitations to facilitate planning for further capacity building over the next decade. Methods: The East Timor Hearts Fund database was sectioned into 2‐year intervals (2009/2010, 2011/2012, 2013/2014, 2015/2016 and 2017/2018). Demographics and clinical outcomes of patients were compared, with subgroup analysis of adult (>18 years old), paediatric and interventional patients. Results: Over 10 years, 2050 patient encounters have occurred; 1119 (54.6%) encounters occurred in 2017/2018; 73.6% of patients were assessed in the capital Dili. Rheumatic and congenital cardiac diseases remain very common (39.1% of adult new patients and 74.2% of paediatric new patients), with 1.4% of new patients exhibiting both pathologies. The number of new patients with rheumatic or congenital heart disease tripled in 2017/2018 compared to 2009/2010 (99 vs 34 patients, P < 0.0001). Paediatric case volume increased over 10‐fold over 10 years (288 new patients in 2017/2018 vs 24 in 2009/2010, P < 0.0001), with corresponding increase in proportion of paediatric interventions (59.4% in 2017/2018 vs 25.0% in 2009/2010, P = 0.027). For patients undergoing intervention (n = 87), post‐procedural complications and mortality are extremely low (3.4% and 1.1%, respectively), with all eligible patients attending at least one post‐procedure appointment. Conclusion: Demand for cardiac services in Timor‐Leste is rising exponentially, with inequitable geographic coverage. Rheumatic and congenital cardiac diseases remain priorities for assessment, and paediatric case volume is increasing. Patients undergoing intervention experience good medical outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: This study aims to determine if traditional markers of disadvantage [female sex, low socio‐economic status (SES), and remoteness] are associated with lower prescription of evidence‐based therapy and higher mortality among patients with moderate–severe heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. Methods and results: We recruited 452 consecutive class II–III heart failure with reduced ejection fraction patients. Baseline clinical data were recorded prospectively. The primary outcome was the association of female sex on overall survival. Secondary outcomes included association between evidence‐based therapy delivery and sex and association of SES and remoteness on heart failure therapy and survival. The Australian Bureau of Statistics generated all indices. Median follow‐up was 37.9 months. One hundred and nine patients (24.3%) were women. There was no difference in overall survival based on sex (hazard ratio = 1.19, 95% confidence interval: 0.74–1.92, 0.48). There was no difference in prescription of beta‐blockers [χ2(1) = 0.91, 0.66], angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitors [χ2(1) = 0.001, 0.97], nor aldosterone antagonists [χ2(1) = 2.71, 0.10]. There was no difference in rates of primary prevention implantable cardioverter‐defibrillator implantation in men compared with women [χ2(1) = 0.35, 0.56]. Neither higher SES nor inner city residence conferred an overall survival benefit. Conclusions: In this Australian cohort of heart failure patients, delivery of care and likelihood of death are comparable between the sexes, SES groups, and rural vs. city residents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The effects of empagliflozin on cardiac structure and function are not known. Aims: To examine the changes in cardiac structure and function following the addition of empagliflozin in patients with type 2 (T2D) diabetes using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging. Methods: Twenty patients attending a specialist diabetes service recommended for treatment with empagliflozin, and 8 control patients with T2D on stable glucose lowering therapy were recruited for cardiac imaging. Participants underwent CMR scans at baseline and 6 months. Inclusion criteria were established T2D, age < 75 years, estimated glomerular filtration rate ≥45 mL/min/1.73 m2. Results: 17 of 20 in the empagliflozin group, and all of 8 in the control group completed the study. Empagliflozin therapy was associated with reduction in left ventricular end diastolic volume 155 mL (137 mL, 174 mL) at baseline to 145 mL (125 mL, 165 mL) at 6 months, P < 0.01, compared with the control group 153 mL (128 mL, 179 mL) at baseline and 158 mL (128 mL, 190 mL), not significant. There were no differences in measures of left ventricular mass, ejection fraction, heart rate or markers of cardiac fibrosis at baseline and 6 months in either group. Conclusions: This is the first CMR study to examine the effects of empagliflozin on cardiac function and structure, showing evidence of reduced end diastolic volume. This is likely to reflect change in plasma volume, and may explain the reduced cardiovascular death and heart failure seen in the EMPA‐REG OUTCOME trial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]