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José Ramón González-Juanatey,1 Josep Comín-Colet,2 Domingo Pascual Figal,3 Antoni Bayes-Genis,4 Jose Maria Cepeda,5 José M García-Pinilla,6,7 Antonio García-Quintana,8 Luis Manzano,9 Jose Luis Zamorano10 1Cardiology Department, Hospital Clínico Universitario Santiago de Compostela, Centro de investigación Biomédica en Red Enfermedades Cardiovasculares (CIBERCV), Santiago de Compostela, Spain; 2Cardiology Department, Hospital Universitario de Bellvitge, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain; 3Cardiology Department, Hospital Virgen de la Arrixaca, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain; 4Cardiology Department, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain; 5Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Vega Baja, Orihuela, Alicante, Spain; 6Cardiology Department, Hospital Universitario Virgen de la Victoria, IBIMA, Málaga, Spain; 7Department of Medicine and Dermatology, Universidad de Málaga, Málaga, Spain; 8Cardiology Department, Hospital Universitario de Gran Canaria Doctor Negrín, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain; 9Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Universidad de Alcalá, Madrid, Spain; 10Cardiology Department, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, SpainCorrespondence: José Ramón González-Juanatey, Email Jose.Ramon.Gonzalez.Juanatey@sergas.esAbstract: Heart failure (HF) is a progressive condition with periods of apparent stability and repeated worsening HF events. Over time, unless optimization of HF treatment, worsening HF events become more frequent and patients enter into a cycle of recurrent events with high morbidity and mortality. In patients with HF there is an activation of deleterious neurohormonal pathways, such as the renin angiotensin aldosterone system and the sympathetic system, and an inhibition of protective pathways, including natriuretic peptides and guanylate cyclase. Therefore, HF burden can be reduced only through a holistic approach that targets all neurohormonal systems. In this context, vericiguat may play a key role, as it is the only HF drug that activates the nitric oxide-soluble guanylate cyclase-cyclic guanosine monophosphate system. On the other hand, it has been described relevant disparities in the management of HF population. Consequently, it is necessary to homogenize the management of these patients, through an integrated patient-care pathway that should be adapted at the local level. In this context, the development of new technologies (ie, video call, specific platforms, remote control devices, etc.) may be very helpful. In this manuscript, a multidisciplinary group of experts analyzed the current evidence and shared their own experience to provide some recommendations about the therapeutic optimization of patients with recent worsening HF, with a particular focus on vericiguat, and also about how the integrated patient-care pathway should be performed.Keywords: heart failure, worsening heart failure, patient-care pathway, vericiguat

Damià Valero-Bover,1,2 David Monterde,2,3 Gerard Carot-Sans,1,2 Miguel Cainzos-Achirica,4,5 Josep Comin-Colet,6– 8 Emili Vela,1,2 Montse Clèries,1,2 Júlia Folguera,1,2 Sònia Abilleira,9 Miquel Arrufat,3 Yolanda Lejardi,3 Òscar Solans,2,10 Toni Dedeu,11 Marc Coca,1,2 Pol Pérez-Sust,1 Caridad Pontes,1,2,12 Jordi Piera-Jiménez1,2,13 1Catalan Health Service, Barcelona, Spain; 2Digitalization for the Sustainability of the Healthcare System (DS3) – Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques de Bellvitge (IDIBELL), Barcelona, Spain; 3Catalan Institute of Health, Barcelona, Spain; 4Center for Outcomes Research, Houston Methodist, Houston, TX, USA; 5Johns Hopkins Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA; 6Cardiology Department, Bellvitge University Hospital (IDIBELL), Barcelona, Spain; 7Department of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain; 8CIBER Cardiovascular (CIBERCV), L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain; 9CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Barcelona, Spain; 10Health Department, eHealth Unit, Barcelona, Spain; 11WHO European Centre for Primary Health Care, Almaty, Kazakhstan; 12Department of Pharmacology, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; 13Faculty of Informatics, Telecommunications and Multimedia, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Barcelona, SpainCorrespondence: Jordi Piera-Jiménez, Catalan Health Service, Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes 587, Barcelona, 08007, Spain, Tel +34 93 403 85 85, Email jpiera@catsalut.catPurpose: To assess the contribution of age and comorbidity to the risk of critical illness in hospitalized COVID-19 patients using increasingly exhaustive tools for measuring comorbidity burden.Patients and Methods: We assessed the effect of age and comorbidity burden in a retrospective, multicenter cohort of patients hospitalized due to COVID-19 in Catalonia (North-East Spain) between March 1, 2020, and January 31, 2022. Vaccinated individuals and those admitted within the first of the six COVID-19 epidemic waves were excluded from the primary analysis but were included in secondary analyses. The primary outcome was critical illness, defined as the need for invasive mechanical ventilation, transfer to the intensive care unit (ICU), or in-hospital death. Explanatory variables included age, sex, and four summary measures of comorbidity burden on admission extracted from three indices: the Charlson index (17 diagnostic group codes), the Elixhauser index and count (31 diagnostic group codes), and the Queralt DxS index (3145 diagnostic group codes). All models were adjusted by wave and center. The proportion of the effect of age attributable to comorbidity burden was assessed using a causal mediation analysis.Results: The primary analysis included 10,551 hospitalizations due to COVID-19; of them, 3632 (34.4%) experienced critical illness. The frequency of critical illness increased with age and comorbidity burden on admission, irrespective of the measure used. In multivariate analyses, the effect size of age decreased with the number of diagnoses considered to estimate comorbidity burden. When adjusting for the Queralt DxS index, age showed a minimal contribution to critical illness; according to the causal mediation analysis, comorbidity burden on admission explained the 98.2% (95% CI 84.1– 117.1%) of the observed effect of age on critical illness.Conclusion: Comorbidity burden (when measured exhaustively) explains better than chronological age the increased risk of critical illness observed in patients hospitalized with COVID-19.Keywords: COVID-19, comorbidities, comorbidity burden, risk assessment, hospitalized patients, case-mix tool

David Monterde,1,2 Gerard Carot-Sans,2,3 Miguel Cainzos-Achirica,4,5 Sònia Abilleira,1,6 Marc Coca,2,3 Emili Vela,2,3 Montse Clèries,2,3 Damià Valero-Bover,2,3 Josep Comin-Colet,7– 9 Luis García-Eroles,2,3 Pol Pérez-Sust,3 Miquel Arrufat,1 Yolanda Lejardi,1 Jordi Piera-Jiménez2,3,10 1Catalan Institute of Health, Barcelona, Spain; 2Digitalization for the Sustainability of the Healthcare System (DS3), Sistema de Salut de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain; 3Servei Català de la Salut, Barcelona, Spain; 4Center for Outcomes Research, Houston Methodist, Houston, TX, USA; 5Johns Hopkins Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA; 6CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Barcelona, Spain; 7Department of Cardiology, Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain; 8Bioheart-Cardiovascular Diseases Research Group (Idibell), L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain; 9Department of Clinical Sciences, School of Medicine, Universität de Barcelona - UB, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain; 10Open Evidence Research Group, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Barcelona, SpainCorrespondence: Jordi Piera-JiménezServei Català de la Salut (CatSalut), Travessera de les Corts, 131-159 (Edifici Olímpia), Barcelona, 08028, SpainTel +34 634283110Email jpiera@catsalut.catBackground: Comorbidity burden has been identified as a relevant predictor of critical illness in patients hospitalized with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, comorbidity burden is often represented by a simple count of few conditions that may not fully capture patients’ complexity.Purpose: To evaluate the performance of a comprehensive index of the comorbidity burden (Queralt DxS), which includes all chronic conditions present on admission, as an adjustment variable in models for predicting critical illness in hospitalized COVID-19 patients and compare it with two broadly used measures of comorbidity.Materials and Methods: We analyzed data from all COVID-19 hospitalizations reported in eight public hospitals in Catalonia (North-East Spain) between June 15 and December 8 2020. The primary outcome was a composite of critical illness that included the need for invasive mechanical ventilation, transfer to ICU, or in-hospital death. Predictors including age, sex, and comorbidities present on admission measured using three indices: the Charlson index, the Elixhauser index, and the Queralt DxS index for comorbidities on admission. The performance of different fitted models was compared using various indicators, including the area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUROCC).Results: Our analysis included 4607 hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Of them, 1315 experienced critical illness. Comorbidities significantly contributed to predicting the outcome in all summary indices used. AUC (95% CI) for prediction of critical illness was 0.641 (0.624– 0.660) for the Charlson index, 0.665 (0.645– 0.681) for the Elixhauser index, and 0.787 (0.773– 0.801) for the Queralt DxS index. Other metrics of model performance also showed Queralt DxS being consistently superior to the other indices.Conclusion: In our analysis, the ability of comorbidity indices to predict critical illness in hospitalized COVID-19 patients increased with their exhaustivity. The comprehensive Queralt DxS index may improve the accuracy of predictive models for resource allocation and clinical decision-making in the hospital setting.Keywords: comorbidity, multimorbidity, COVID-19, hospitalization, risk

Santiago Jiménez-Marrero,1,2 Miguel Cainzos-Achirica,1– 4 David Monterde,5 Luis Garcia-Eroles,5 Cristina Enjuanes,1,2 Sergi Yun,1,2,6 Alberto Garay,1,2 Pedro Moliner,1,2 Lidia Alcoberro,1,2 Xavier Corbella,2,6,7 Josep Comin-Colet1,2,8 1Community Heart Failure Program, Department of Cardiology, Bellvitge University Hospital, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain; 2Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain; 3Johns Hopkins Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA; 4School of Medicine and Health Sciences, International University of Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain; 5Healthcare Information and Knowledge Unit, Catalan Health Service, Barcelona, Spain; 6Department of Internal Medicine, Bellvitge University Hospital, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain; 7Hestia Chair in Integrated Health and Social Care, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain; 8Department of Clinical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, SpainCorrespondence: Josep Comin-ColetHospital Universitari de Bellvitge, Department of Cardiology, 19th Floor, Feixa Llarga s/n, 08907 Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, SpainTel +34932607078Email jcomin@bellvitgehospital.catBackground: The aims of the present analysis are to estimate the prevalence of five key chronic cardiovascular, metabolic and renal conditions at the population level, the prevalence of renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system inhibitor (RAASI) medication use and the magnitude of potassium (K+) derangements among RAASI users.Methods and Results: We used data from more than 375,000 individuals, 55 years of age or older, included in the population-based healthcare database of the Catalan Institute of Health between 2015 and 2017. The conditions of interest were chronic heart failure (CHF), chronic kidney disease (CKD), diabetes mellitus, ischemic heart disease and hypertension. RAASI medications included angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs) and renin inhibitors. Hyperkalemia was defined as K+ levels > 5.0 mEq/L and hypokalemia as K+ < 3.5 mEq/L. The prevalence of chronic cardiovascular, metabolic and renal conditions was high, and particularly that of hypertension (prevalence ranging from 48.2% to 48.9%). The use of at least one RAASI medication was almost ubiquitous in these patients (75.2– 77.3%). Among RAASI users, the frequency of K+ derangements, mainly of hyperkalemia, was very noticeable (12% overall), particularly in patients with CKD or CHF, elderly individuals and users of MRAs. Hypokalemia was less frequent (1%).Conclusion: The high prevalence of K+ derangements, and particularly hyperkalemia, among RAASI users highlights the real-world relevance of K+ derangements, and the importance of close monitoring and management of K+ levels in routine clinical practice. This is likely to benefit a large number of patients, particularly those at higher risk.Keywords: chronic heart failure, chronic kidney disease, heart failure, hyperkalemia, hypertension, potassium

David Monterde,1 Miguel Cainzos-Achirica,2,3 Yolima Cossio-Gil,4,5 Luis García-Eroles,6 Pol Pérez-Sust,7 Miquel Arrufat,1 Candela Calle,8 Josep Comin-Colet,3,9 César Velasco4,5 1Catalan Institute of Health, Barcelona, Spain; 2Johns Hopkins Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA; 3Bellvitge University Hospital, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain; 4Vall d’Hebron Hospital, Barcelona, Spain; 5Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Barcelona, Spain; 6Catalan Health Service, Barcelona, Spain; 7Catalan Health Department, Barcelona, Spain; 8Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO), Barcelona, Spain; 9University of Barcelona, Barcelona, SpainCorrespondence: David MonterdeDepartment of Statistics, Information Systems, Catalan Institute of Health, Gran via De Les Corts Catalanes 587, Barcelona 08007, SpainTel +34 934824642Email dmonterde@gencat.catBackground: Accurate risk adjustment is crucial for healthcare management and benchmarking.Purpose: We aimed to compare the performance of classic comorbidity functions (Charlson’s and Elixhauser’s), of the All Patients Refined Diagnosis Related Groups (APR-DRG), and of the Queralt Indices, a family of novel, comprehensive comorbidity indices for the prediction of key clinical outcomes in hospitalized patients.Material and Methods: We conducted an observational, retrospective cohort study using administrative healthcare data from 156,459 hospital discharges in Catalonia (Spain) during 2018. Study outcomes were in-hospital death, long hospital stay, and intensive care unit (ICU) stay. We evaluated the performance of the following indices: Charlson’s and Elixhauser’s functions, Queralt’s Index for secondary hospital discharge diagnoses (Queralt DxS), the overall Queralt’s Index, which includes pre-existing comorbidities, in-hospital complications, and principal discharge diagnosis (Queralt Dx), and the APR-DRG. Discriminative ability was evaluated using the area under the curve (AUC), and measures of goodness of fit were also computed. Subgroup analyses were conducted by principal discharge diagnosis, by age, and type of admission.Results: Queralt DxS provided relevant risk adjustment information in a larger number of patients compared to Charlson’s and Elixhauser’s functions, and outperformed both for the prediction of the 3 study outcomes. Queralt Dx also outperformed Charlson’s and Elixhauser’s indices, and yielded superior predictive ability and goodness of fit compared to APR-DRG (AUC for in-hospital death 0.95 for Queralt Dx, 0.77– 0.93 for all other indices; for ICU stay 0.84 for Queralt Dx, 0.73– 0.83 for all other indices). The performance of Queralt DxS was at least as good as that of the APR-DRG in most principal discharge diagnosis subgroups.Conclusion: Our findings suggest that risk adjustment should go beyond pre-existing comorbidities and include principal discharge diagnoses and in-hospital complications. Validation of comprehensive risk adjustment tools such as the Queralt indices in other settings is needed.Keywords: benchmarking, case-mix, comorbidity, discrimination, multimorbidity, Queralt’s indices, risk

BACKGROUND: The prognosis in elderly patients with advanced chronic heart failure (CHF) and cardio-renal anemia syndrome (CRAS) is ominous, and treatment alternatives in this subset of patients are scarce. METHODS AND RESULTS: To assess the long-term influence of combined therapy with intravenous (IV) iron and erythropoietin (rHuEPO) on hemoglobin (Hb), natriuretic peptides (NT-proBNP), and clinical outcomes in elderly patients with advanced CHF and mild-to-moderate renal dysfunction and anemia (CRAS) who are not candidates for other treatment alternatives, 487 consecutive patients were evaluated. Of them, 65 fulfilling criteria for entering the study were divided into 2 groups and treated in an open-label, nonrandomized fashion: intervention group (27, combined anemia therapy) and control group (38, no treatment for anemia). At baseline, mean age was 74 +/- 8 years, left ventricular ejection fraction was 34.5 +/- 14.1, Hb was 10.9 +/- 0.9 g/dL, creatinine was 1.5 +/- 0.5 mg/dL, NT-proBNP was 4256 +/- 4952 pg/mL, and 100% were in persistent New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class III or IV. At follow-up (15.3 +/- 8.6 months), patients in the intervention group had higher levels of hemoglobin (13.5 +/- 1.5 vs. 11.3 +/- 1.1; P < .0001), lower levels of natural log of NT-proBNP (7.3 +/- 0.8 vs. 8.0 +/- 1.3, P = .016), better NYHA functional class (2.0 +/- 0.6 vs. 3.3 +/- 0.5; P < .001), and lower readmission rate (25.9% vs. 76.3%; P < .001). In the multivariate Cox proportional hazards model, combined therapy was associated with a reduction of the combined end point all-cause mortality or cardiovascular hospitalization (HR 95%CI 0.2 [0.1-0.6]; P < .001). CONCLUSION: Long-term combined therapy with IV iron and rHuEPO may increase Hb, reduce NT-proBNP, and improve functional capacity and cardiovascular hospitalization in elderly patients with advanced CHF and CRAS with mild to moderate renal dysfunction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Complete heart block (CHB) is a rare complication of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), mainly seen during an acute flare-up of the disease or after high-dose long-term treatment with antimalarial drugs, although anti-Ro and anti-RNP antibodies have also been implied by some authors. A 40-y-old woman developed CHB in the context of an acute flare-up of SLE, first diagnosed three years ago, having recently commenced hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) treatment. Anti-Ro and anti-RNP antibodies were also positive. No features of myocarditis were found. A temporary pacemaker was required and complete resolution was achieved on steroid therapy with withdrawal of antimalarial therapy. The characteristics of previous cases are well publicised and discussion focuses on the possible aetiology and pathogenesis of the present case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Olatz Urbina,1 Olivia Ferrández,1 Sònia Luque,1 Santiago Grau,1,2 Sergi Mojal,3 Rosa Pellicer,1 Marta Riu,4 Esther Salas,1 Josep Comin-Colet5 1Pharmacy Department, Hospital Universitari del Mar, Barcelona, Spain; 2Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; 3Department of Statistics, Institut Hospital del Mar d’Investigacions Mèdiques, Barcelona, Spain; 4Department of Epidemiology and Health Services Evaluation, CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Hospital Universitari del Mar, Barcelona, Spain; 5Heart Failure Unit, Cardiology Department, Hospital Universitari del Mar, Barcelona, Spain Background: Because of the high incidence of drug-related problems (DRPs) among hospitalized patients with cardiovascular diseases and their potential impact on morbidity and mortality, it is important to identify the most susceptible patients, who therefore require closer monitoring of drug therapy.Purpose: To identify the profile of patients at higher risk of developing at least one DRP during hospitalization in a cardiology ward.Method: We consecutively included all patients hospitalized in the cardiology ward of a teaching hospital in 2009. DRPs were identified through a computerized warning system designed by the pharmacy department and integrated into the electronic medical record.Results: A total of 964 admissions were included, and at least one DRP was detected in 29.8%. The variables associated with a higher risk of these events were polypharmacy (odds ratio [OR]=1.228; 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.153–1.308), female sex (OR=1.496; 95% CI=1.026–2.180), and first admission (OR=1.494; 95% CI=1.005–2.221).Conclusion: Monitoring patients through a computerized warning system allowed the detection of at least one DRP in one-third of the patients. Knowledge of the risk factors for developing these problems in patients admitted to hospital for cardiovascular problems helps in identifying the most susceptible patients. Keywords: cardiovascular diseases, patient safety, drug therapy monitoring, computerized provider order entry, clinical pharmacist, pharmacy warning system

Aims: Combination of hypertonic saline solution (HSS) with intravenous loop diuretics has been suggested to improve diuretic response in patients hospitalized for heart failure (HF). The efficacy and safety of this approach in the ambulatory setting remain unexplored., Methods and Results: In this multicentre, double-blind, randomized study, we allocated ambulatory patients with worsening heart failure (WHF) to a 1-h infusion of intravenous furosemide ( iv Furosemide)-HSS versus iv Furosemide. The primary endpoint was the volume of diuresis at 3 h. Secondary endpoints included 3-h natriuresis and weight variation, 7-day congestion data, kidney function and electrolytes, and 30-day clinical events. Overall, 167 participants (median age: 81 years, 30.5% female) were randomized across 13 sites between December 2020 and March 2023. There were no differences in 3-h diuresis between treatments ( iv Furosemide-HSS: 1099 ml vs. iv Furosemide: 1103 ml, p = 0.963), 3-h natriuresis (∆ +2.642 mEq/L, p = 0.559), or 3-h weight (∆ +0.012 kg, p = 0.920). Patients in the iv Furosemide-HSS arm experienced significant weight decrease at 7 days (Δ -0.586 kg, p = 0.048). There were no between-treatment differences in clinical congestion score, biomarkers, inferior vena cava diameter, or the presence of lung ultrasound B-lines. At 30 days, 26.5% of the patients in the iv Furosemide-HSS group versus 33.3% in the iv Furosemide group experienced WHF (hazard ratio 0.76, p = 0.330). The incidence of death from any cause or HF hospitalization was 6% of patients in the iv Furosemide-HSS group and 8.3% of patients in the iv Furosemide group (hazard ratio 0.69, p = 0.521). The incidence of worsening kidney function or metabolic derangements was not significantly different in the two arms., Conclusions: A single infusion of iv Furosemide-HSS did not improve 3-h diuresis or congestion parameters in patients with ambulatory WHF. This therapy showed an appropriate safety profile., (© 2024 European Society of Cardiology.)

Background: Frequent monitoring of patients declined during the COVID-19 pandemic, harming patients with chronic diseases who critically needed correct monitoring. We evaluated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) receiving treatment with vitamin K antagonists (VKA) or non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOAC) in clinical practice in Spain., Methods: This observational, retrospective study analyzed prevalent patients treated with NOAC/VKA on 14/03/2019 (pre-COVID-19 period) and 14/03/2020 (COVID-19 period), who were followed up to 12 months. The study also considered incident patients who started treatment with NOAC/VKA between 15/03/2019 and 13/03/2020 (pre-COVID-19 period) and from 15/03/2020 to 13/03/2021 (COVID-19 period). Demographic characteristics, comorbidities, effectiveness, treatment patterns, and healthcare resource utilization were considered., Results: Prevalent patients amounted to 12,336 and 13,342 patients, whereas 1,612 and 1,602 incident patients were included in the pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19 periods, respectively. Prevalent patients treated with VKA had more strokes, thromboembolism, and major bleeding compared to those receiving NOAC, particularly during the COVID-19 period. NOAC patients had a 12 % lower risk of death than those on treatment with VKA (Hazard ratio = 0.88 [95 % CI: 0.81 - 0.95], p = 0.033). In addition, VKA patients were less persistent after 12 months than NOAC patients (pre-COVID-19 period: 52.1 % vs. 78.9 %, p < 0.001; COVID-19 period: 49.2 % vs. 80.3 %, p < 0.001), and required more healthcare visits and hospitalizations than those on treatment with NOAC., Conclusion: Compared to VKA, NOAC seems to have reduced the incidence of severe events and the use of healthcare resources for NVAF, particularly during the pandemic., Competing Interests: The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: ASM is an employee of Atrys Health SA, who was paid consultant to BMS in connection with this manuscript. DVL, JSM, MICA and AE are employees of Bristol Myers Squibb and have BMS stocks. JCC and ODS declare to have received fees as coordinator investigators of this study by Bristol Myers Squibb., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Cardiovascular disease is a common problem in cancer patients that is becoming more widely recognized. This may be a consequence of prior cardiovascular risk factors but could also be secondary to the anticancer treatments. With the goal of offering a multidisciplinary approach to guaranteeing optimal cancer therapy and the early detection of related cardiac diseases, and in light of the recent ESC Cardio-Oncology Guideline recommendations, we developed a Cardio-Oncology unit devoted to the prevention and management of these specific complications. This document brings together important aspects to consider for the development and organization of a Cardio-Oncology program through our own experience and the current evidence.

Aim: The LeoDOR trial explored the efficacy and safety of intermittent levosimendan therapy in the vulnerable phase following a hospitalization for acute heart failure (HF)., Methods and Results: In this prospective multicentre, double-blind, two-armed trial, patients with advanced HF were randomized 2:1 at the end of an index hospitalization for acute HF to intermittent levosimendan therapy or matching placebo for 12 weeks. All patients had left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤30% during index hospitalization. Levosimendan was administered according to centre preference either as 6 h infusion at a rate of 0.2 μg/kg/min every 2 weeks, or as 24 h infusion at a rate of 0.1 μg/kg/min every 3 weeks. The primary efficacy assessment after 14 weeks was based on a global rank score consisting of three hierarchical groups. Secondary clinical endpoints included the composite risk of tiers 1 and 2 at 14 and 26 weeks, respectively. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the planned number of patients could not be recruited. The final modified intention-to-treat analysis included 145 patients (93 in the combined levosimendan arm, 52 in the placebo arm), which reduced the statistical power to detect a 20% risk reduction in the primary endpoint to 60%. Compared with placebo, intermittent levosimendan had no significant effect on the primary endpoint: the mean rank score was 72.55 for the levosimendan group versus 73.81 for the placebo group (p = 0.863). However, there was a signal towards a higher incidence of the individual clinical components of the primary endpoint in the levosimendan group versus the placebo group both after 14 weeks (hazard ratio [HR] 2.94, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.12-7.68; p = 0.021) and 26 weeks (HR 1.64, 95% CI 0.87-3.11; p = 0.122)., Conclusions: Among patients recently hospitalized with HF and reduced LVEF, intermittent levosimendan therapy did not improve post-hospitalization clinical stability., (© 2023 The Authors. European Journal of Heart Failure published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of European Society of Cardiology.)

Introduction and Objectives: Low socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with poor outcomes in patients with heart failure (HF). We aimed to examine the influence of SES on health outcomes after a quality of care improvement intervention for the management of HF integrating hospital and primary care resources in a health care area of 209 255 inhabitants., Methods: We conducted a population-based pragmatic evaluation of the implementation of an integrated HF program by conducting a natural experiment using health care data. We included all individuals consecutively admitted to hospital with at least one ICD-9-CM code for HF as the primary diagnosis and discharged alive in Catalonia between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2019. We compared outcomes between patients exposed to the new HF program and those in the remaining health care areas, globally and stratified by SES., Results: A total of 77 554 patients were included in the study. Death occurred in 37 469 (48.3%), clinically-related hospitalization in 41 709 (53.8%) and HF readmission in 29 755 (38.4%). On multivariate analysis, low or very low SES was associated with an increased risk of all-cause death and clinically-related hospitalization (all Ps <.05). The multivariate models showed a significant reduction in the risk of all-cause death (HR, 0.812; 95%CI, 0.723-0.912), clinically-related hospitalization (HR, 0.886; 95%CI, 0.805-0.976) and HF hospitalization (HR, 0.838; 95%CI, 0.745-0.944) in patients exposed to the new HF program compared with patients exposed to the remaining health care areas and this effect was independent of SES., Conclusions: An intensive transitional HF management program improved clinical outcomes, both overall and across SES strata., (Copyright © 2023 Sociedad Española de Cardiología. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Background ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction complicated with no reflow after primary percutaneous coronary intervention is associated with adverse outcomes. Although several hyperemic drugs have been shown to improve the Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction flow, optimal treatment of no reflow remains unsettled. Saline infusion at 20 mL/min via a dedicated microcatheter causes (flow-mediated) hyperemia. The objective is to compare the efficacy of pharmacologic versus flow-mediated hyperemia in patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction complicated with no reflow. Methods and Results In the RAIN-FLOW (Treatment of Slow-Flow After Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention With Flow-Mediated Hyperemia) study, 67 patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction and no reflow were randomized to receive either pharmacologic-mediated hyperemia with intracoronary adenosine or nitroprusside (n=30) versus flow-mediated hyperemia (n=37). The angiographic corrected Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction frame count and the minimal microcirculatory resistance, as assessed with intracoronary pressure-thermistor wire, dedicated microcatheter, and thermodilution techniques, were compared after study interventions. Both Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction frame count(40.2±23.1 versus 39.2±20.7; P =0.858) and minimal microcirculatory resistance (753.6±661.5 versus 993.3±740.8 Wood units; P =0.174) were similar between groups. Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction 3 flow was observed in 26.7% versus 27.0% ( P =0.899). Flow-mediated hyperemia showed 2 different thermodilution patterns during saline infusion indicative of the severity of the no reflow phenomenon. In-hospital death and nonfatal heart failure were observed in 10.4% and 26.9%, respectively. Conclusions Both treatments showed similar (and limited) efficacy restoring coronary flow. Flow-mediated hyperemia with thermodilution pattern assessment allowed the simultaneous characterization of the no reflow degree and response to hyperemia. No reflow was associated with a high rate of adverse outcomes. Further research is warranted to prevent and to treat no reflow in patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction. Registration URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT04685941.