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Partial or complete imaging resolution of left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) has gone by many names in the past few decades, including LV recovery, remission, reverse remodeling, and, most recently, improvement. This phenomenon has been described in a variety of clinical scenarios, including removal of an acute myocardial insult, unloading with durable LV assist devices, and treatment with various devices as well as pharmacotherapies, termed guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT). Irrespective of definition, systolic improvement is associated with improved clinical outcomes compared to persistent systolic dysfunction. In the past few years, systolic improvement has been distinguished from HFrEF as a new clinical entity referred to as HF with improved EF (HFimpEF). Given the relative novelty of this condition, there is a paucity of data with regard to the clinical trajectory and management of this population. In this review, we describe the history of myocardial improvement terminology and explore notable findings that have led to the delineation of HFimpEF. Additionally, we highlight the importance of understanding LV trajectory and the potential opportunity for new GDMT management for clinicians when treating patients with HFimpEF., Competing Interests: Dr. Wilcox is a consultant for Abbott, Abiomed, Astra Zeneca, and Boehringer Ingelheim. The other authors have no competing interests to declare., (Copyright: © 2024 The Author(s).)

Left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction represents a highly treatable cause of heart failure (HF). A substantial proportion of patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction (EF;HFrEF) demonstrate improvement in LV systolic function (termed HF with improved EF [HFimpEF]), either spontaneously or when treated with guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT). Although it is a relatively new HF classification, HFimpEF has emerged in recent years as an important and distinct clinical entity. Improvement in LVEF leads to decreased rates of mortality and adverse HF-related outcomes compared to patients with sustained LV systolic dysfunction (HFrEF). While numerous clinical and imaging factors have been associated with HFimpEF, identification of which patients do and do not improve requires further investigation. In addition, patients improve at different rates, and what determines the trajectory of HFimpEF patients after improvement is incompletely characterized. A proportion of patients maintain improvement in LV systolic function, while others experience a recrudescence of systolic dysfunction, especially with GDMT discontinuation. In this review we discuss the contemporary guideline-recommended classification definition of HFimpEF, the epidemiology of improvement in LV systolic function, and the clinical course of this unique patient population. We also offer evidence-based recommendations for the clinical management of HFimpEF and provide a roadmap for future directions in understanding and improving outcomes in the care of patients with HFimpEF., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Dr. Pensa reports no disclosures. Dr. Shah is supported in part by grants from the National Institutes of Health and the American Heart Association. In the past 12 months, Dr. Shah has served as a consultant for Amgen and Cytokinetics. Dr. Shah is a co-inventor on a patent for ex-RNAs signatures of cardiac remodeling. Dr. Khan is supported in part by grants from the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Wilcox is supported in part by grants from the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Wilcox serves as a consultant/advisory board for Astra Zeneca, Abiomed, Abbott, Boehringer Ingelheim and Cytokinetics., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: Multiple guidelines recommend specialty palliative care (PC) for patients with heart failure (HF), including patients with left ventricular assist devices (LVADs). However, the degree of integration and clinicians' perceptions of PC in HF care remain incompletely characterized., Methods and Results: A 36-item survey was sent to 2109 members of the Heart Failure Society of America. Eighty respondents (53% physicians), including 51 respondents from at least 42 medical centers, completed the survey, with the majority practicing in urban (76%) academic medical centers (62%) that implanted LVADs (81%). Among the 42 unique medical centers identified, respondents reported both independent (40%) and integrated (40%) outpatient PC clinic models, whereas 12% reported not having outpatient PC at their institutions. A minority (12%) reported that their institution used triggered PC referrals based on objective clinical data. Of respondents from LVAD sites, the majority reported that a clinician from the PC team was required to see all patients prior to implantation, but there was variability in practices. Among all respondents, the most common reasons for PC referral in HF were poor prognosis, consideration of advanced cardiac therapies or other high-risk procedures and advance-care planning or goals-of-care discussions. The most frequent perceived barriers to PC consultation included lack of PC clinicians, unpredictable HF clinical trajectories and limited understanding of how PC can complement traditional HF care., Conclusion: PC integration and clinician perceptions of services vary in HF care. More research and guidance regarding evidence-based models of PC delivery in HF are needed., (Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common atrial arrhythmia and is subcategorized into numerous clinical phenotypes. Given its heterogeneity, investigations into the genetic mechanisms underlying AF have been pursued in recent decades, with predominant analyses focusing on early onset or lone AF. Linkage analyses, genome-wide association studies (GWAS), and single gene analyses have led to the identification of rare and common genetic variants associated with AF risk. Significant overlap with genetic variants implicated in dilated cardiomyopathy syndromes, including truncating variants of the sarcomere protein titin, have been identified through these analyses, in addition to other genes associated with cardiac structure and function. Despite this, widespread utilization of genetic testing in AF remains hindered by the unclear impact of genetic risk identification on clinical outcomes and the high prevalence of variants of unknown significance (VUS). However, genetic testing is a reasonable option for patients with early onset AF and in those with significant family history of arrhythmia. While many knowledge gaps remain, emerging data support genotyping to inform selection of AF therapeutics. In this review, we highlight the current understanding of the complex genetic basis of AF and explore the overlap of AF with inherited cardiomyopathy syndromes. We propose a set of criteria for clinical genetic testing in AF patients and outline future steps for the integration of genetics into AF care., (© 2022 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) is a target for development of antineurodegenerative agents. Most nNOS inhibitors mimic l-arginine and have poor bioavailability. 2-Aminoquinolines showed promise as bioavailable nNOS inhibitors but suffered from low human nNOS inhibition, low selectivity versus human eNOS, and significant binding to other CNS targets. We aimed to improve human nNOS potency and selectivity and reduce off-target binding by (a) truncating the original scaffold or (b) introducing a hydrophilic group to interrupt the lipophilic, promiscuous pharmacophore and promote interaction with human nNOS-specific His342. We synthesized both truncated and polar 2-aminoquinoline derivatives and assayed them against recombinant NOS enzymes. Although aniline and pyridine derivatives interact with His342, benzonitriles conferred the best rat and human nNOS inhibition. Both introduction of a hydrophobic substituent next to the cyano group and aminoquinoline methylation considerably improved isoform selectivity. Most importantly, these modifications preserved Caco-2 permeability and reduced off-target CNS binding.

Nitric oxide is produced in Gram-positive pathogens Bacillus anthracis and Staphylococcus aureus by the bacterial isoform of nitric oxide synthase (NOS). Inhibition of bacterial nitric oxide synthase (bNOS) has been identified as a promising antibacterial strategy for targeting methicillin-resistant S. aureus [Holden, J. K., et al. (2015) Chem. Biol. 22, 785-779]. One class of NOS inhibitors that demonstrates antimicrobial efficacy utilizes an aminoquinoline scaffold. Here we report on a variety of aminoquinolines that target the bacterial NOS active site, in part, by binding to a hydrophobic patch that is unique to bNOS. Through mutagenesis and crystallographic studies, our findings demonstrate that aminoquinolines are an excellent scaffold for further aiding in the development of bNOS specific inhibitors.

Excess nitric oxide (NO) produced by neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) is implicated in neurodegenerative disorders. As a result, inhibition of nNOS and reduction of NO levels is desirable therapeutically, but many nNOS inhibitors are poorly bioavailable. Promising members of our previously reported 2-aminoquinoline class of nNOS inhibitors, although orally bioavailable and brain-penetrant, suffer from unfavorable off-target binding to other CNS receptors, and they resemble known promiscuous binders. Rearranged phenyl ether- and aniline-linked 2-aminoquinoline derivatives were therefore designed to (a) disrupt the promiscuous binding pharmacophore and diminish off-target interactions and (b) preserve potency, isoform selectivity, and cell permeability. A series of these compounds was synthesized and tested against purified nNOS, endothelial NOS (eNOS), and inducible NOS (iNOS) enzymes. One compound, 20, displayed high potency, selectivity, and good human nNOS inhibition, and retained some permeability in a Caco-2 assay. Most promisingly, CNS receptor counterscreening revealed that this rearranged scaffold significantly reduces off-target binding.