Evaluation of diuretic efficiency of intravenous furosemide in patients with advanced heart failure in a heart failure clinic.

INTRODUCTION: Diuretic efficiency (DE) is an independent predictor of all-cause mortality in acute heart failure (HF) at long-term follow-up. The performance of DE in advanced HF and the outpatient scenario is unclear. METHODS: Survival function analysis on a retrospective cohort of patients with advanced HF followed at the outpatient clinic of Hospital Universitario San Ignacio (Bogotá, Colombia) between 2017 and 2021. DE was calculated as the average of total diuresis in milliliters divided by the dose of IV furosemide in milligrams for each 6-h session, considering all the sessions in which the patient received levosimendan and IV furosemide. We stratified DE in high or low using the median value of the cohort as the cutoff value. The primary outcome was a composite of all-cause mortality and HF hospitalizations during a 12-month follow-up. Kaplan-Meier curves and log-rank test were used to compare patients with high and low DE. RESULTS: In all, 41 patients (66.5 ± 13.2 years old, 75.6% men) were included in the study, with a median DE of 24.5 mL/mg. In total, 20 patients were categorized as low and 21 as high DE. The composite outcome occurred more often in the high DE group (13 versus 5, log-rank test p = 0.0385); the all-cause mortality rate was 29.2% and was more frequent in the high DE group (11 versus 1, log-rank test p = 0.0026). CONCLUSION: In patients with advanced HF on intermittent inotropic therapy, a high DE efficiency is associated with a higher risk of mortality or HF hospitalization in a 12-month follow-up period.

Impacto terapéutico de las estatinas en el perfil lipídico y el riesgo cardiovascular en pacientes con lupus eritematoso sistémico: revisión sistemática de la literatura y metaanálisis / Therapeutic impact of statins on the lipid profile and cardiovascular risk in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: systematic review of the literature and a meta-analysis

ANTECEDENTES: Existe evidencia que muestra un aumento del riesgo cardiovascular en pacientes que padecen de enfermedades autoinmunes, en particular, de lupus eritematoso sistémico. Hasta el momento existen pocos estudios que evalúen el potencial beneficio de las estatinas en la incidencia de eventos cardiovasculares y en el perfil lipídico de pacientes con, y esta evidencia no ha sido sintetizada y evaluada en conjunto. MÉTODOS: Se realizó una búsqueda de la literatura hasta agosto de 2016 (Embase, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, SciELO, Clinical Evidence, DynaMed, registro de experimentos clínicos de Cochrane, LILACS), identificando ensayos clínicos controlados que evaluaran el impacto de las estatinas en mortalidad, eventos cardiovasculares, proteína C reactiva y perfil lipídico en pacientes con lupus eritematoso sistémico. Se evaluó la calidad de la información disponible y se metaanalizó utilizando un modelo de efectos aleatorios, utilizando el programa RevMan 5.3. RESULTADOS: Un total de 6 estudios y 412 pacientes fueron incluidos para el análisis. Se encontró que el uso de las estatinas en paciente con LES reduce significativamente los niveles de colesterol total (diferencia de medias [DM] -31,2mg/dL; IC 95% -41,9; -20,5), colesterol de baja densidad (DM -31,4mg/dL; IC 95% -43,0; -19,9), sin impacto en los niveles de triglicéridos (DM 4mg/dL; IC 95% 2,49; 6,21) y proteína C reactiva (DM -0,78; IC 95% -1,43; -0,13). No se encontró ninguna evidencia sobre impacto en el riesgo de mortalidad o eventos cardiovasculares. CONCLUSIÓN: Las estatinas tienen un impacto significativo en los niveles de colesterol total, colesterol unido a lipoproteínas de baja densidad y proteína C reactiva, sin embargo, son necesarios nuevos estudios aleatorizados controlados con seguimiento a largo plazo para evaluar el impacto en la mortalidad y el riesgo cardiovascular

BACKGROUND: There is strong evidence of a rise in cardiovascular risk in patients suffering from autoimmune diseases, especially in those with Sistemic Lupus Erythematosus. Until now, there are a few trials that assess the potencial benefit of statins on the incidence of cardiovascular events and on lipid profile of patients with SLE. This evidence has not been synthesized and assessed altogether. METHODS: We performed a search in databases of literature published until August of 2016 (Embase, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, SciELO, Clinical Evidence, DynaMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, LILACS), identifying controlled clinical trials that could estimate the impact of statins on mortality, cardiovascular events, C-reactive protein and lipid profile in patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. The quality of the information available was assessed with a meta-analysis, using a random effects model, employing the RevMan 5.3 software. RESULTS: 6 trials and 412 patients were included in the analysis. The use of statins in patients with SLE was found to significantly reduce the levels of serum total cholesterol (mean difference [MD] -31,4 mg/dL; CI 95% -43,0; -19,9), and serum low density cholesterol (MD -31,4 mg/dL; IC 95% -43,0; -19,9), but had no impact on levels of serum triglycerides (MD 4 mg/dL; IC 95% 2,49; 6,21) and C-reactive protein (MD -0,78; IC 95% -1,43; -0,13). No evidence was found about the impact on the risk of mortality or cardiovascular events. CONCLUSION: Statins have a significant effect on the levels of serum total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and C-reactive protein, however, more randomized controlled trials with long-term follow-up are necessary to assess the impact on mortality and cardiovascular risk