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Background: Randomized controlled trials (RCT) generalizability may be limited due to strict patient selection. Objective: In a real‐world heart failure (HF) population, we assessed eligibility for sacubitril/valsartan based on PARADIGM‐HF (sacubitril/valsartan effective)/PARAGON‐HF [sacubitril/valsartan effective in mildly reduced ejection fraction (EF)]. Methods: Outpatients from the Swedish HF Registry (SwedeHF) were analysed. In SwedeHF, EF is recorded as <30, 30–39, 40–49 and ≥50%. In PARAGON‐HF, sacubitril/valsartan was effective with EF ≤ 57% (i.e. median). We defined reduced EF/PARADIGM‐HF as EF < 40%, mildly reduced EF/PARAGON‐HF ≤ median as EF 40–49%, and normal EF/PARAGON‐HF > median as EF ≥ 50%. We assessed 2 scenarios: (i) criteria likely to influence treatment decisions (pragmatic scenario); (ii) all criteria (literal scenario). Results: Of 37 790 outpatients, 57% had EF < 40%, 24% EF 40–49% and 19% EF ≥ 50%. In the pragmatic scenario, 63% were eligible in EF < 50% (67% for EF < 40% and 52% for 40–49%) and 52% in EF ≥ 40% (52% for EF ≥ 50%). For the literal scenario, 32% were eligible in EF < 50% (38% of EF < 40%, 20% of EF 40–49%) and 22% in EF ≥ 40% (25% for EF ≥ 50%). Eligible vs. noneligible patients had more severe HF, more comorbidities and overall worse outcomes. Conclusion: In a real‐world HF outpatient cohort, 81% of patients had EF < 50%, with 63% eligible for sacubitril/valsartan based on pragmatic criteria and 32% eligible based on literal trial criteria. Similar eligibility was observed for EF 40–49% and ≥50%, suggesting that our estimates for EF < 50% may be reproduced whether or not a higher cut‐off for EF is considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excess of cardiovascular risk among patients with chronic inflammatory diseases has been attributed to increased arterial stiffness. Hypercholesterolaemia has been demonstrated to promote a low-grade inflammatory status. The objective of the present study was to define, in hypercholesterolaemia, the influence of plasma lipids, low-grade inflammation, and indices of adiposity on aortic pulse wave velocity, a measure of arterial stiffness and cardiovascular risk. Anthropometric characteristics, plasma lipids, C-reactive protein and aortic pulse wave velocity were measured in 85 subjects (60 patients with newly diagnosed never-treated hypercholesterolaemia and 25 age- and sex-matched normocholesterolaemic controls). Plasma C-reactive protein and aortic pulse wave velocity were significantly higher among hypercholesterolaemic patients than in controls ( P < 0·05 for both). Aortic pulse wave velocity was associated with age ( r = 0·24, P = 0·04), body mass index ( r = 0·33, P = 0·006), waist ( r = 0·42, P < 0·001) and hip ( r = 0·32, P = 0·007) circumferences, as well as with systolic ( r = 0·34, P = 0·003) and diastolic ( r = 0·30, P = 0·01) blood pressures, plasma C-reactive protein ( r = 0·51, P < 0·001), total cholesterol ( r = 0·45, P < 0·001), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol ( r = 0·46, P < 0·001). In the multivariate analysis, waist circumference and C-reactive protein levels predicted increased aortic stiffness, independently of traditional cardiovascular risk factors. The degree of independent association between cholesterol, systolic blood pressure and aortic stiffness increased when indices of adiposity and inflammation were excluded from the multivariate analysis. Comparable results were obtained when the analyses were restricted to hypercholesterolaemic patients. Low-grade systemic inflammation and abdominal fat, more than traditional risk factors, are major determinants of reduced arterial distensibility in hypercholesterolaemia. Eur J Clin Invest 2004; 34 (5): 335 –341 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The management of cytological samples can significantly impact diagnostic interpretation. Cell blocks (CB) are a popular method due to their ability to provide additional morphological information and be used for immunocytochemistry and molecular tests. Recently, a new CB technique called the synthetic matrix CytoMatrix (CM) has been introduced, which can gather and hold cytological material within its three-dimensional structure., Methods: In this study, 40 cytological samples from patients with melanoma metastases were analyzed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of CM compared to another CB method used in the laboratory. The researchers assessed the morphological adequacy of the two techniques, as well as their performance in immunocytochemical analysis and molecular., Results: This study showed that CM was quicker and equally effective compared to the other method, with the laboratory technician having less of an impact on the CM approach across all passages. Additionally, all CMs were adequate, whereas the other method was adequate in 90% of cases. Immunocytochemistry confirmed the diagnosis of melanoma metastases in all cases, and all 40 CMs and 36 of the other method were adequate for fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis., Conclusion: CM is a low-time-consuming technology that is unaffected by technicians during all setup phases, making it simpler to standardize the procedure. Moreover, a low loss of diagnostic cells ensures greater benefits for morphological analysis, immunocytochemistry, and molecular testing. Overall, the study highlights the potential of CM as a valuable technique for managing cytological samples., (© 2023 The Authors. Cancer Cytopathology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Cancer Society.)

Background Heart failure (HF) has a dramatic impact on worldwide health care systems that is determined by the growing prevalence of and the high exposure to cardiovascular and noncardiovascular events. Prognosis remains poor. We sought to compare a large population with HF across the ejection fraction (EF) spectrum with a population without HF for patient characteristics, and HF, cardiovascular, and noncardiovascular outcomes. Methods and Results Patients with HF registered in the Swedish HF registry in 2005 to 2018 were compared 1:3 with a sex-, age-, and county-matched population without HF. Outcomes were cardiovascular and noncardiovascular mortality and hospitalizations. Of 76 453 patients with HF, 53% had reduced EF, 23% mildly reduced EF, and 24% preserved EF. Compared with those without HF, patients with HF had more cardiovascular and noncardiovascular comorbidities and worse socioeconomic status. Incidence of cardiovascular and noncardiovascular events was higher in people with HF versus non-HF, with increased risk of all-cause (hazard ratio [HR], 2.53 [95% CI, 2.50-2.56]), cardiovascular (HR, 4.67 [95% CI, 4.59-4.76]), and noncardiovascular (HR, 1.49 [95% CI, 1.46-1.52]) mortality, 2- to 5-fold higher risk of first/repeated cardiovascular and noncardiovascular hospitalizations, and ~4 times longer in-hospital length of stay for any cause. Patients with HF with reduced EF had higher risk of HF hospitalizations, whereas those with HF with preserved EF had higher risk of all-cause and noncardiovascular hospitalization and mortality. Conclusions Patients with HF exert a high health care burden, with a much higher risk of cardiovascular, all-cause, and noncardiovascular events, and nearly 4 times as many days spent in hospital compared with those without HF. These epidemiological data may enable strategies for optimal resource allocation and HF trial design.

Background Follow-up in a nurse-led heart failure ( HF ) clinic is recommended in HF guidelines, but its association with outcomes remains controversial, with previous studies including few and highly selected patients. Thus, large analyses of "real-world" samples are needed. Aims were to assess: (1) independent predictors of and (2) prognosis associated with planned referral to nurse-led HF clinics. Methods and Results We analyzed data from the SwedeHF (Swedish HF Registry) using multivariable logistic regressions to identify independent predictors of planned referral to a nurse-led HF clinic and multivariable Cox regressions to test associations between planned referral and outcomes (all-cause death, HF hospitalization, and their composite). Of 40 992 patients, 39% were planned to be referred to a follow-up in a nurse-led HF clinic. Independent characteristics associated with planned referral were shorter duration of HF , clinical markers of more-severe HF, such as lower ejection fraction, higher New York Heart Association class and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide, and lower blood pressure, as well as cohabitating versus living alone, male sex, fewer comorbidities, and more use of HF treatments. After adjustments, planned referral to a nurse-led HF clinic was associated with reduced mortality and mortality/ HF hospitalization, but not HF hospitalization alone. Conclusions In this nation-wide registry, 39% of our identified HF cohort was planned to be referred to a nurse-led HF clinic. Planned referral reflected more-severe HF , but also sex- and family-related factors, and it was independently associated with lower risk of death, but not of HF hospitalization.

For many years, the right ventricle (RV) has been considered a passive chamber with a relatively insignificant role in the overall functionality of the heart. More recently, the role of performance of RV in the clinical presentation and long-term prognosis of multiple pathological states, such as congenital heart diseases, chronic heart failure, pulmonary hypertension, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Despite echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance are the 2 most commonly used imaging techniques for noninvasive assessment of RV, nuclear imaging provides new opportunities for comprehensive evaluation of RV from a single study, because it can assess right ventricular perfusion and metabolism as well as morphology and ejection fraction. In this review, we summarize the application of radionuclide techniques (nuclear cardiology) for evaluation of the RV, focusing on its emerging role in the assessment of right ventricular perfusion and metabolism., (© 2014, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)