Effect of sacubitril valsartan on cardiac function and endothelial function in patients with chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to observe the effect of sacubitril valsartan on cardiac function and vascular endothelial function in patients with chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). METHODS: A total of 80 patients with HFrEF were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, with 40 patients in each group. Sacubitril valsartan was added to the conventional treatment in the observation group, and perindopril was added to the conventional treatment in the control group. Both groups were treated continuously for 12 weeks. The left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD), flow-mediated vasodilatory function (FMD) of the brachial artery, and levels of plasma Ang II, endothelin 1 (ET-1), and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), together with the serum nitric oxide (NO) and NO synthase (NOS) were compared before and after treatment in the groups. RESULTS: Before the treatment, the levels of LVEF, LVEDD, FMD, Ang II, ET-1, CGRP, NO, and NOS in the observation group were not significantly different from those in the control group (P > 0.05). However, the levels of LVEF, FMD, CGRP, NO, and NOS in both groups were significantly higher after the treatment than those before the treatment (P < 0.05) and significantly higher in the observation group than those in the control group. The difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, the levels of LVEDD, Ang II, and ET-1 in both groups decreased significantly after the treatment (P < 0.05) and were significantly lower in the observation group than those in the control group. The difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Sacubitril valsartan might improve endothelial function while increasing cardiac function in HFrEF patients.

Effects of Salivary Oxidative Markers on Edentulous Patients' Satisfaction with Prosthetic Denture Treatments: A Pilot Study.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to assess relationships among periodontal conditions, salivary antioxidant levels, and patients' satisfaction with their prostheses. METHODS: This study was conducted at the Division of Prosthodontics, Department of Dentistry, Taipei Medical University Hospital. The periodontal condition of patients was based on an assessment of the plaque index (PI) and gingival index (GI). The pH value, flow rate, and buffer capacity of the saliva were estimated. The salivary total antioxidant status (TAS) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) level were also determined. Patients' satisfaction with prosthetic treatments was evaluated using the Chinese version of the short-form Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14C). A multivariate regression model was used to determine whether patients' satisfaction with prosthetic treatment was affected by their oral health status. RESULTS: In total, 35 edentulous patients were recruited. In the Spearman correlation analysis, salivary pH (r = -0.36, p = 0.03) and the buffer ability (r = -0.48, p<0.01) were associated with OHIP-14C scores. In the multivariate analysis, patients who had a higher GI also had a higher score of physical disabilities (ß = 1.38, p = 0.04). Levels of SOD increased with the scores of psychological discomfort (ß = 0.33 U/g protein, p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggested that both the GI and SOD levels were associated with patients' satisfaction with prosthetic treatments. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to elucidate the relationship between OHIP scores and salivary oxidative markers in edentulous patients.