Comparative analysis of treatment options for chronic heart failure and depression: a systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis.

Different interventions have been evaluated for the treatment of depression in heart failure (HF) patients. However, clear and established recommendations are lacking. PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were systematically searched for randomized controlled trials (RCT) evaluating the effect of various treatment options on depression scores in heart failure patients. The primary outcome was a change in depression scores presented as standardized mean difference (SMD). A Bayesian network for meta-analysis was constructed. Twenty-five RCTs were included, randomizing 6014 patients with confirmed heart failure and depression between 2003 and 2022. Compared to treatment as usual (TAU), only cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) (SMD - 0.60, CI95% [- 1.0, - 0.17]) leads to a significant reduction in depression scores. Other interventions did not improve depression scores significantly. Our results show that for patients with HF and depression, CBT can significantly improve measures of depression, being the most efficacious treatment.

Navigating the Sotatercept landscape: A meta-analysis of clinical outcomes.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a widespread condition that affects around 1% of the global population, with a higher prevalence among older individuals. The approach to managing PAH has undergone significant changes, requiring extensive treatment strategies. Sotatercept, an FDA-approved medication, has recently attracted attention for its potential role in PAH therapy. However, information on its safety and effectiveness is scarce. In this study, we performed a meta-analysis of existing randomized clinical trials to assess the impact of Sotatercept on PAH patients. Our findings revealed that those treated with Sotatercept showed greater improvement in pulmonary vascular resistance and World Health Organization functional class compared with placebo recipients. The occurrence of adverse events was similar between both groups. Importantly, the Sotatercept group displayed a considerably higher number of cases with an increase in hemoglobin levels. Considering that about 33% of PAH patients experience anemia and both anemia and polycythemia can adversely affect disease prognosis, additional research is necessary to establish the potential advantages and disadvantages of Sotatercept as a treatment choice, specifically regarding its erythropoietic properties.

Moderately hyperglycemia as an independent prognostic factor for the worse outcome of COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: Blood sugar (BS) has been proposed as a prognostic factor for COVID-19. In this historical cohort study we evaluated the association between admission time BS and COVID-19 outcome. METHODS: First, hospitalized COVID-19 patients were divided into three groups; Non-diabetic patients with BS < 140 mg/dl (N = 394), non-diabetic patients with BS ≥ 140 mg/dl (N = 113) and diabetic patients (N = 315). Mortality, ICU admission, and length of hospital stay were compared between groups and odds ratio was adjusted using logistic regression. RESULTS: After adjustment with pre-existing conditions and drugs, it was shown that non-diabetic patients with BS ≥ 140 mg/dl are at increased risk of mortality (aOR 1.89 (0.99-3.57)) and ICU admission (aOR 2.62 (1.49-4.59)) even more than diabetic patients (aOR 1.72 (1.07-2.78) for mortality and aOR 2.28 (1.47-3.54) for ICU admission. CONCLUSIONS: Admission time hyperglycemia predicts worse outcome of COVID-19 and BS ≥ 140 mg/dl is associated with a markedly increase in ICU admission and mortality.