Epicardial fat in heart failure-Friend, foe, or bystander.

Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) is a fat depot covering the heart. No physical barrier separates EAT from the myocardium, so EAT can easily affect the underlying cardiac muscle. EAT can participate in the development and progression of heart failure with preserved (HFpEF) and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). In healthy humans, excess EAT is associated with impaired cardiac function and worse outcomes. In HFpEF, this trend continues: EAT amount is usually increased, and excess EAT correlates with worse function/outcomes. However, in HFrEF, the opposite is true: reduced EAT amount correlates with worse cardiac function/outcomes. Surprisingly, although EAT has beneficial effects on cardiac function, it aggravates ventricular arrhythmias. Here, we dissect these phenomena, trying to explain these paradoxical findings to find a target for novel heart failure therapies aimed at EAT rather than the myocardium itself. However, the success of this approach depends on a thorough understanding of interactions between EAT and the myocardium.

Non-coding RNA therapeutics in the treatment of heart failure.

Non-coding RNA (ncRNA) therapeutics can target either ncRNAs or conventional messenger RNA, offering both superior pharmacokinetics and selectivity to conventional therapies and addressing new, previously unexplored pathways. Although no ncRNA has yet been approved for the treatment of heart failure, in this review we present five most promising pathways and agents that either are in human clinical trials or offer great promise in the near future.

Epicardial fat and ventricular arrhythmias.

The arrhythmogenic role of epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) in atrial arrhythmias is well established, but its effect on ventricular arrhythmias has been significantly less investigated. Since ventricular arrhythmias are thought to cause 75%-80% of cases of sudden cardiac death, this is not a trivial issue. We provide an overview of clinical data as well as experimental and molecular data linking EAT to ventricular arrhythmias, attempting to dissect possible mechanisms and indicate future directions of research and possible clinical implications. However, despite a wealth of data indicating the role of epicardial and intramyocardial fat in the induction and propagation of ventricular arrhythmias, unfortunately there is currently no direct evidence that indeed EAT triggers arrhythmia or can be a target for antiarrhythmic strategies.

circRNA-miRNA-mRNA Deregulated Network in Ischemic Heart Failure Patients.

Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), which include circular RNAs (circRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs), regulate the development of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Notably, circRNAs can interact with miRNAs, influencing their specific mRNA targets' levels and shaping a competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNA) network. However, these interactions and their respective functions remain largely unexplored in ischemic heart failure (IHF). This study is aimed at identifying circRNA-centered ceRNA networks in non-end-stage IHF. Approximately 662 circRNA-miRNA-mRNA interactions were identified in the heart by combining state-of-the-art bioinformatics tools with experimental data. Importantly, KEGG terms of the enriched mRNA indicated CVD-related signaling pathways. A specific network centered on circBPTF was validated experimentally. The levels of let-7a-5p, miR-18a-3p, miR-146b-5p, and miR-196b-5p were enriched in circBPTF pull-down experiments, and circBPTF silencing inhibited the expression of HDAC9 and LRRC17, which are targets of miR-196b-5p. Furthermore, as suggested by the enriched pathway terms of the circBPTF ceRNA network, circBPTF inhibition elicited endothelial cell cycle arrest. circBPTF expression increased in endothelial cells exposed to hypoxia, and its upregulation was confirmed in cardiac samples of 36 end-stage IHF patients compared to healthy controls. In conclusion, circRNAs act as miRNA sponges, regulating the functions of multiple mRNA targets, thus providing a novel vision of HF pathogenesis and laying the theoretical foundation for further experimental studies.

The role of pneumococcal vaccination in reducing cardiovascular risk in cardiac patients: Expert opinion of the Prevention Committee of the Polish Cardiac Society supported by the Polish Vaccinology Society.

Respiratory diseases have been the fourth most common cause of death in Poland in recent years. Respiratory infection, especially pneumonia, can lead to exacerbation of chronic cardiovascular disease.Streptococcus pneumoniae is the most common bacterial pathogen causing community-acquired pneumonia. Pneumococci are also the most common pathogen complicating the course of infection with the influenza virus. Pneumonia, especially invasive pneumococcal disease, is associated with risk of death in the course of respiratory failure or sepsis and also with worsening of the prognosis for existing cardiovascular disease. Despite those facts, recommendations for pneumococcal vaccination are still not well established in cardiovascular guidelines. This expert opinion aims to summarize current knowledge on the importance of preventing invasive pneumococcal disease in cardiac patients.

Position of the Polish Cardiac Society on therapeutic targets for LDL cholesterol concentrations in secondary prevention of myocardial infarctions.

Cardiovascular diseases account for 43% of deaths in Poland. The COVID-19 pandemic increased the number of cardiovascular deaths by as much as 16.7%. Lipid metabolism disorders are observed in about 20 million Poles. Lipid disorders are usually asymptomatic, they cause a significant increase in the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Up to 20% of patients who experience an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) may experience a recurrence of a cardiovascular event within a year, and up to 40% of these patients may be re-hospitalized. Within 5 years after a myocardial infarction, 18% of patients suffer a second ACS and 13% have got a stroke. Lipid-lowering therapy is an extremely important element of comprehensive management, both in primary and secondary prevention, and its main goal is to prevent or extend the time to the onset of heart or vascular disease and reduce the risk of cardiovascular events. A patient with a history of ACS belongs to the group of a very high risk of a cardiovascular event due to atherosclerosis. In this group of patients, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels should be aimed below 55 mg/dl (1.4 mmol/l). Many scientific guidelines define the extreme risk group, which includes not only patients with two cardiovascular events within two years, but also patients with a history of ACS and additional clinical factors: peripheral vascular disease, multivessel disease (multilevel atherosclerosis), or multivessel coronary disease, or familial hypercholesterolemia, or diabetes with at least one additional risk factor: elevated Lp(a) >50 mg/dl or hsCRP >3 mg/l, or chronic kidney disease (eGFR <60 ml/min/1.73 m²). In this group of patients, the LDL-C level should be aimed at below 40 mg/dl (1.0 mmol/l). Achieving therapeutic goals in patients after ACS should occur as soon as possible. For this purpose, a high-dose potent statin should be added to the therapy at the time of diagnosis, and ezetimibe should be added if the goal is not achieved after 4-6 weeks. Combination therapy may be considered in selected patients from the beginning. After 4-6 weeks of combination therapy, if the goal is still not achieved, adding a proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 protein inhibitor or inclisiran should be considered. In order to increase compliance with the recommendations, Polish Cardiac Society and Polish Lipid Society propose to attach in the patient's discharge letter a statement clearly specifying what drugs should be used and what LDL-C values should be achieved. It is necessary to cooperate between the patient and the doctor, to follow the recommendations and take medicines regularly, to achieve and maintain therapeutic goals.

Expert opinion of the Heart Failure Association of the Polish Society of Cardiology, the College of Family Physicians in Poland, and the Polish Society of Family Medicine on the peri discharge management of patients with heart failure.

Despite advances in the treatment of heart failure (HF), the rate of hospitalisation for exacerbations of the disease remains high. One of the underlying reasons is that recommended guidelines for the management of HF are still too rarely followed in daily practice. Disease exacerbation requiring inpatient treatment is always afactor that worsens the prognosis, and thus signals disease progression. This is also akey moment when therapy should be modified for HF exacerbation, or initiated in the case of newly diagnosed disease. Inpatient treatment and the peri­discharge period is the time when the aetiology and mechanism of HF decompensation should be established. Therapy should be individualised based on aetiology, HF phenotype, and comorbidities; it should take into account the possibilities of modern treatment. According to the recommendations of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), patients with HF should receive multidisciplinary management. Cooperation between the various members of the multidisciplinary team taking care of patients with HF improves the efficiency and quality of treatment. This document expands and details the information on the peri­discharge management of HF contained in the 2021 ESC guidelines and the 2022 American Heart Association (AHA)/American College of Cardiology (ACC)/Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA) guidelines.

FIMICS: A panel of long noncoding RNAs for cardiovascular conditions.

Cardiovascular disorders such as heart failure are leading causes of mortality. Patient stratification via identification of novel biomarkers could improve management of cardiovascular diseases of complex etiologies. Long-noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are highly tissue-specific in nature and have emerged as important biomarkers in human diseases. In this study, we aimed to identify cardiac-enriched lncRNAs as potential biomarkers for cardiovascular conditions. Deep RNA sequencing and quantitative PCR identified differentially expressed lncRNAs between failing and non-failing hearts. An independent dataset was used to evaluate the enrichment of lncRNAs in normal hearts. We identified a panel of 2906 lncRNAs, named FIMICS, that were either cardiac-enriched or differentially expressed between failing and non-failing hearts. Expression of lncRNAs in blood samples differentiated patients with myocarditis and acute myocardial infarction. We hereby present the FIMICS panel, a readily available tool to provide insights into cardiovascular pathologies and which could be helpful for diagnosis, monitoring and prognosis purposes.

Comparison of reorganized versus unaltered cardiology departments during the COVID-19 era: A subanalysis of the COV-HF-SIRIO 6 study.

BACKGROUND: Since the beginning of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, numerous cardiology departments were reorganized to provide care for COVID-19 patients. We aimed to compare the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on hospital admissions and in-hospital mortality in reorganized vs. unaltered cardiology departments. METHODS: The present research is a subanalysis of a multicenter retrospective COV-HF-SIRIO 6 study that includes all patients (n = 101,433) hospitalized in 24 cardiology departments in Poland between January 1, 2019 and December 31, 2020, with a focus on patients with acute heart failure (AHF). RESULTS: Reduction of all-cause hospitalizations was 50.6% vs. 21.3% for reorganized vs. unaltered cardiology departments in 2020 vs. 2019, respectively (p < 0.0001). Considering AHF alone respective reductions by 46.5% and 15.2% were registered (p < 0.0001). A higher percentage of patients was brought in by ambulance to reorganized vs. unaltered cardiology departments (51.7% vs. 34.6%; p < 0.0001) alongside with a lower rate of self-referrals (45.7% vs. 58.4%; p < 0.0001). The rate of all-cause in-hospital mortality in AHF patients was higher in reorganized than unaltered cardiology departments (10.9% vs. 6.4%; p < 0.0001). After the exclusion of patients with concomitant COVID-19, the mortality rates did not differ significantly (6.9% vs. 6.4%; p = 0.55). CONCLUSIONS: A greater reduction in hospital admissions in 2020 vs. 2019, higher rates of patients brought by ambulance together with lower rates of self-referrals and higher all-cause in-hospital mortality for AHF due to COVID-19 related deaths were observed in cardiology departments reorganized to provide care for COVID-19 patients vs. unaltered ones.

Inhibitors of sodium-glucose transport protein 2: A new multidirectional therapeutic option for heart failure patients.

Several mechanisms have been suggested to explain positive cardiovascular effects observed in studies with sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors. The reduction in glucose reabsorption in proximal tubuli induced by SGLT2 inhibitors increases urinary glucose and sodium excretion resulting in increased osmotic diuresis and consequently in decreased plasma volume, followed by reduced preload. In addition, the hemodynamic effects of SGLT2 inhibition were observed in both hyper and euglycemic patients. Due to the complex and multidirectional effects induced by SGLT2 inhibitors, this originally antidiabetic group of drugs has been successfully used to treat patients with heart failure as well as for subjects with chronic kidney disease. Moreover, their therapeutic potential seems to be even broader than the indications studied to date.

YB-1 Is a Novel Target for the Inhibition of α-Adrenergic-Induced Hypertrophy.

Cardiac hypertrophy resulting from sympathetic nervous system activation triggers the development of heart failure. The transcription factor Y-box binding protein 1 (YB-1) can interact with transcription factors involved in cardiac hypertrophy and may thereby interfere with the hypertrophy growth process. Therefore, the question arises as to whether YB-1 influences cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and might thereby influence the development of heart failure. YB-1 expression is downregulated in human heart biopsies of patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy (n = 8), leading to heart failure. To study the impact of reduced YB-1 in cardiac cells, we performed small interfering RNA (siRNA) experiments in H9C2 cells as well as in adult cardiomyocytes (CMs) of rats. The specificity of YB-1 siRNA was analyzed by a miRNA-like off-target prediction assay identifying potential genes. Testing three high-scoring genes by transfecting cardiac cells with YB-1 siRNA did not result in downregulation of these genes in contrast to YB-1, whose downregulation increased hypertrophic growth. Hypertrophic growth was mediated by PI3K under PE stimulation, as well by downregulation with YB-1 siRNA. On the other hand, overexpression of YB-1 in CMs, caused by infection with an adenovirus encoding YB-1 (AdYB-1), prevented hypertrophic growth under α-adrenergic stimulation with phenylephrine (PE), but not under stimulation with growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15; n = 10-16). An adenovirus encoding the green fluorescent protein (AdGFP) served as the control. YB-1 overexpression enhanced the mRNA expression of the Gq inhibitor regulator of G-protein signaling 2 (RGS2) under PE stimulation (n = 6), potentially explaining its inhibitory effect on PE-induced hypertrophic growth. This study shows that YB-1 protects cardiomyocytes against PE-induced hypertrophic growth. Like in human end-stage heart failure, YB-1 downregulation may cause the heart to lose its protection against hypertrophic stimuli and progress to heart failure. Therefore, the transcription factor YB-1 is a pivotal signaling molecule, providing perspectives for therapeutic approaches.

Myocarditis Induced by Immunotherapy in Metastatic Melanoma-Review of Literature and Current Guidelines.

Immunotherapy is a widely used treatment modality in oncology. Immune checkpoint inhibitors, as a part of immunotherapy, caused a revolution in oncology, especially in melanoma therapy, due to the significant prolongation of patients' overall survival. These drugs act by activation of inhibited immune responses of T lymphocytes against cancer cells. The mechanism responsible for the therapy's high efficacy is also involved in immune tolerance of the patient's own tissues. The administration of ICI therapy to a patient can cause severe immune reactions against non-neoplastic cells. Among them, cardiotoxicity seems most important due to the high mortality rate. In this article, we present the history of a 79 year-old patient diagnosed with melanoma who died due to myocarditis induced by ICI therapy, despite the fast administration of recommended immunosuppressive therapy, as an illustration of possible adverse events of ICI. Additionally, we summarize the mechanism, risk factors, biomarkers, and clinical data from currently published guidelines and studies about ICI-related myocarditis. The fast recognition of this fatal adverse effect of therapy may accelerate the rapid introduction of treatment and improve patients' outcomes.

Clinical and Molecular Aspects of Iron Metabolism in Failing Myocytes.

Heart failure (HF) is a common disease that causes significant limitations on the organism's capacity and, in extreme cases, leads to death. Clinically, iron deficiency (ID) plays an essential role in heart failure by deteriorating the patient's condition and is a prognostic marker indicating poor clinical outcomes. Therefore, in HF patients, supplementation of iron is recommended. However, iron treatment may cause adverse effects by increasing iron-related apoptosis and the production of oxygen radicals, which may cause additional heart damage. Furthermore, many knowledge gaps exist regarding the complex interplay between iron deficiency and heart failure. Here, we describe the current, comprehensive knowledge about the role of the proteins involved in iron metabolism. We will focus on the molecular and clinical aspects of iron deficiency in HF. We believe that summarizing the new advances in the translational and clinical research regarding iron deficiency in heart failure should broaden clinicians' awareness of this comorbidity.

Saxagliptin Cardiotoxicity in Chronic Heart Failure: The Role of DPP4 in the Regulation of Neuropeptide Tone.

Dipeptidyl-peptidase-4 (DPP4) inhibitors are novel medicines for diabetes. The SAVOR-TIMI-53 clinical trial revealed increased heart-failure-associated hospitalization in saxagliptin-treated patients. Although this side effect could limit therapeutic use, the mechanism of this potential cardiotoxicity is unclear. We aimed to establish a cellular platform to investigate DPP4 inhibition and the role of its neuropeptide substrates substance P (SP) and neuropeptide Y (NPY), and to determine the expression of DDP4 and its neuropeptide substrates in the human heart. Western blot, radio-, enzyme-linked immuno-, and RNA scope assays were performed to investigate the expression of DPP4 and its substrates in human hearts. Calcein-based viability measurements and scratch assays were used to test the potential toxicity of DPP4 inhibitors. Cardiac expression of DPP4 and NPY decreased in heart failure patients. In human hearts, DPP4 mRNA is detectable mainly in cardiomyocytes and endothelium. Treatment with DPP4 inhibitors alone/in combination with neuropeptides did not affect viability but in scratch assays neuropeptides decreased, while saxagliptin co-administration increased fibroblast migration in isolated neonatal rat cardiomyocyte-fibroblast co-culture. Decreased DPP4 activity takes part in the pathophysiology of end-stage heart failure. DPP4 compensates against the elevated sympathetic activity and altered neuropeptide tone. Its inhibition decreases this adaptive mechanism, thereby exacerbating myocardial damage.