The art of healing hearts: Mastering advanced RNA therapeutic techniques to shape the evolution of cardiovascular medicine in biomedical science.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death worldwide and are associated with increasing financial health burden that requires research into novel therapeutic approaches. Since the early 2000s, the availability of next-generation sequencing techniques such as microRNAs, circular RNAs, and long non-coding RNAs have been proven as potential therapeutic targets for treating various CVDs. Therapeutics based on RNAs have become a viable option for addressing the intricate molecular pathways that underlie the pathophysiology of CVDs. We provide an in-depth analysis of the state of RNA therapies in the context of CVDs, emphasizing various approaches that target the various stages of the basic dogma of molecular biology to effect temporary or long-term changes. In this review, we summarize recent methodologies used to screen for novel coding and non-coding RNA candidates with diagnostic and treatment possibilities in cardiovascular diseases. These methods include single-cell sequencing techniques, functional RNA screening, and next-generation sequencing.Lastly, we highlighted the potential of using oligonucleotide-based chemical products such as modified RNA and RNA mimics/inhibitors for the treatment of CVDs. Moreover, there will be an increasing number of potential RNA diagnostic and therapeutic for CVDs that will progress to expand for years to come.

Efficacy and Safety of Empagliflozin in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Saudi Patients as Add-On to Antidiabetic Therapy: A Prospective, Open-Label, Observational Study.

The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) approved sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors in 2018. The efficacy and safety of empagliflozin (EMPA) have been confirmed in the U.S., Europe, and Japan for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM); however, analogous evidence is lacking for Saudi T2DM patients. Therefore, the current study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of EMPA in Saudi patients (n = 256) with T2DM. This is a 12-week prospective, open-label, observational study. Adult Saudi patients with T2DM who had not been treated with EMPA before enrolment were eligible. The exclusion criteria included T2DM patients less than 18 years of age, adults with type one diabetes, pregnant women, paediatric population. The results related to efficacy included a significant decrease in haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) (adjusted mean difference −0.93% [95% confidence interval (CI) −0.32, −1.54]), significant improvements in fasting plasma glucose (FPG) (−2.28 mmol/L [95% CI −2.81, −1.75]), and a reduction in body weight (−0.874 kg [95% CI −4.36, −6.10]) following the administration of 25 mg of EMPA once daily as an add-on to ongoing antidiabetic therapy after 12 weeks. The primary safety endpoints were the change in the mean blood pressure (BP) values, which indicated significantly reduced systolic and diastolic BP (−3.85 mmHg [95% CI −6.81, −0.88] and −0.06 mmHg [95% CI −0.81, −0.88], respectively) and pulse rate (−1.18 [95% CI −0.79, −3.15]). In addition, kidney function was improved, with a significant reduction in the urine albumin/creatinine ratio (UACR) (−1.76 mg/g [95% CI −1.07, −34.25]) and a significant increase in the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) (3.54 mL/min/1.73 m2 [95% CI 2.78, 9.87]). Furthermore, EMPA reduced aminotransferases (ALT) in a pattern (reduction in ALT > AST). The adjusted mean difference in the change in ALT was −2.36 U/L [95% CI −1.031, −3.69], while it was −1.26 U/L [95% CI −0.3811, −2.357] for AST and −1.98 U/L [95% CI −0.44, −3.49] for GGT. Moreover, in the EMPA group, serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL) significantly increased (0.29 mmol/L [95% CI 0.74, 0.15]), whereas a nonsignificant increase was seen in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) (0.01 mmol/L [95% CI 0.19, 0.18]) along with a significant reduction in plasma triglyceride (TG) levels (−0.43 mmol/L [95% CI −0.31, −1.17]). Empagliflozin once daily is an efficacious and tolerable strategy for treating Saudi patients with insufficiently controlled T2DM as an add-on to ongoing antidiabetic therapy.