Short-term mechanical circulatory support devices as bridge to heart transplantation: A prospective single-center experience in Argentina.

BACKGROUND: Patients with cardiogenic shock may require hemodynamic stabilization with short-term mechanical circulatory support devices (ST-MCS) such as extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and centrifugal pump (CP) as bridge to transplantion (BTT). This study aimed to describe ECMO and CP during BTT and after heart transplant. METHODS: A cohort of patients on ECMO or CP as BTT between April 2006 and April 2018 in a single hospital. RESULTS: Thirty-seven consecutive patients with ECMO (n = 14) or CP (n = 23) were included. Acute kidney injury was more prevalent during CP (28.6% vs 69.6%, P = .02). There were no differences in stroke, thrombosis, sepsis, or vasoplegia. Bleeding (0% vs 56.5%, P = .0003) and reoperation (0% vs 47.8%, P = .002) were more frequent in CP group as well as mortality (0 vs 7 [30.4%], P = .03). The remaining 30 patients (81.1%) underwent heart transplantation, without differences in primary graft dysfunction, vasoplegia, reoperation for bleeding, or hospital stay. Mortality was 23.3% at 30 days, similar in both groups, with no further deaths at median follow-up of 44.2 months. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with cardiogenic shock, ST-MCS with ECMO or CP as BTT are a lifesaving approach allowing successful transplantation in the majority of cases, with good short- and long-term survival.

Heart Failure and Diabetes: Perspective of a Dangerous Association.

The relationship between diabetes and risk of heart failure has been described in previous trials, releasing the importance of the hyperglycemic state that, added to other risk factors, favors the development of coronary heart disease. The mechanism by which, in the absence of hypertension, obesity and/or dyslipidemia, diabetic patients develop cardiomyopathy has been less studied. Recently, the Sodium Glucose Co-transporter type 2 inhibitors (SGLT2 inhibitors) used for the treatment of heart failure patients with or without diabetes has been a breakthrough in the field of medicine. This review describes the established pathophysiology of diabetic cardiomyopathy and SGLT2 inhibitors, their mechanisms of action, and benefits in this group of patients.