[Cardiology: what's new in 2023]. / Cardiologie: ce qui a changé en 2023.

The year 2023 has been extremely rich in new publications in the various subfields of cardiology. Furthermore, the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) has issued revised guidelines focused on the management of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and endocarditis, as well as an update on the recommendations for the management of heart failure and cardiovascular prevention. The most significant updates according to the Cardiology Department of CHUV are summarized in this review article.

L'année 2023 a été extrêmement riche en nouvelles publications dans les différents sous-domaines de la cardiologie. De plus, la Société européenne de cardiologie (ESC) a formulé des directives révisées axées sur le management du syndrome coronarien aigu (SCA) et de l'endocardite ainsi qu'une mise à jour des recommandations sur la prise en charge de l'insuffisance cardiaque et la prévention cardiovasculaire. Les nouveautés les plus importantes selon l'équipe du Service de cardiologie du CHUV sont résumées dans cet article de synthèse.

[Practical considerations in the use of SGLT2 inhibitors in cardiovascular diseases]. / Considérations pratiques pour l'utilisation des inhibiteurs du SGLT2 dans les maladies cardiovasculaires.

Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors are a class of drugs which offer cardiovascular (CV) and renal benefits. They are currently indicated as first-line treatments of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in patients with CV disease, high CV risk, renal disease, or heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Two randomized clinical trials have shown the benefits of dapagliflozin and empagliflozin in patients with HFrEF, regardless of the presence of T2DM. Despite an overall favorable safety profile, attention has to be paid to adverse events, such as an increased risk of euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis and genital mycotic infections. We present an up-to-date narrative literature review of the physiological mechanisms of action, current indications, and side effects of SGLT2 inhibitors.

Les inhibiteurs du cotransporteur sodium-glucose de type 2 (iSGLT2) sont une classe d'antidiabétiques oraux ayant de nombreux bénéfices cardiovasculaires (CV) et rénaux. Ils sont indiqués chez les patients avec un diabète de type 2 (DT2) et une maladie CV, un risque CV élevé, une insuffisance rénale chronique ou une insuffisance cardiaque à fraction d'éjection réduite (ICFER). Des essais cliniques randomisés ont montré les bénéfices de la dapagliflozine et de l'empagliflozine chez les patients avec une ICFER, avec ou sans DT2. Malgré un profil de sécurité favorable, il convient de connaître les effets indésirables éventuels, tels que l'acidocétose euglycémique et les infections génito-urinaires. Nous présentons une revue narrative de la littérature à jour portant sur les mécanismes d'action, indications et effets secondaires des iSGLT2.

Decongestion improving right heart function ameliorates prognosis after an acute heart failure episode.

BACKGROUND: The prognostic role of decongestion-related change of cardiac morphology and in particular right heart function has not been investigated comprehensively in AHF patients. METHODS AND RESULTS: This prospective observational single-centre study included consecutive patients hospitalized for treatment of AHF with reduced, mildly-reduced or preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Comprehensive transthoracic echocardiography at admission and discharge assessed decongestion-related change of cardiac function and morphology. The combined endpoint of 1 year all-cause mortality and cardiovascular rehospitalization explored the prognostic importance of decongestion-related change. The 176 study participants were 83 years old [74-87] and 54% were men. Fifty one (29%) had rLVEF, 65 (37%) mrLVEF, and 60 (34%) pLVEF. The proportion of de novo or worsening chronic HF was not different between LVEF groups. HF aetiology and cardiovascular risk factors were equally distributed across all groups except for a higher BMI in the pLVEF group. Decongestion equally reduced body weight, heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, tricuspid regurgitation gradient, and inferior vena cava diameter across all groups (P < 0.004 for all). Decongestion-related increase in TAPSE independent of the LVEF was associated with improvement of right-ventricular-pulmonary artery coupling and a lower incidence of the combined outcome in the Cox proportional hazard risk analysis (unadjusted HR 0.50 95% CI 0.33-0.78, P = 0.002; adjusted HR 0.46 95% CI: 0.33-0.78, P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Decongestion-related increase in TAPSE and recovery of RV/pulmonary artery coupling was observed across all LVEF groups and associated with a risk reduction for the combined endpoint highlighting the important prognostic role of right heart recovery after an AHF episode.

Non-severe aortic regurgitation increases short-term mortality in acute heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.

AIMS: Mild or moderate aortic regurgitation (AR) has only little effect on cardiovascular outcome in people with normal left ventricular ejection fraction (EF); therefore, it is not perceived as a major clinical problem. This study investigates whether mild or moderate AR is associated with increased short-term mortality in patients hospitalized for treatment of acute heart failure (AHF) and whether mild or moderate AR impacts differently on short-term mortality in AHF patients with reduced EF (AHFrEF), mid-range EF (AHFmrEF), or preserved EF (AHFpEF). METHODS AND RESULTS: This mono-centric study included 505 consecutive adult patients hospitalized for de novo or worsening chronic HF not related to acute ischaemia or severe valvular pathology in the echocardiogram at index hospitalization. Cox regression analysis studied the impact of AR on all-cause mortality (ACM) over the 150 days' study period. Mild or moderate AR was associated with increased ACM (HR 1.75 [95% CI: 1.1-2.7]; P = 0.009). The prevalence of mild or moderate AR in the study population was 42% and not significantly different between AHFpEF (n = 227), AHFmrEF (n = 86), and AHFrEF (n = 192) study participants (37.9% vs. 50.0% vs. 42.7%; P = 0.144). In AHFpEF patients, the age-adjusted hazard for ACM was increased in patients with AR compared with patients without AR (HR 2.17 [95% CI: 1.1-4.2]; P = 0.002). The age-adjusted hazard for ACM was increased by a trend in AHFmrEF with AR (HR 7.11, [95% CI: 0.9-57.8]; P = 0.067) and not different between the AHFrEF groups (HR 0.95 [95% CI: 0.5-1.8]; P = 0.875). CONCLUSIONS: Mild or moderate AR increased ACM only in AHFpEF patients, highlighting a distinct clinical relevance.