Gender-related clinical and management differences in patients with chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction.

AIM: Gender-related differences have been described in the clinical characteristics and management of patients with chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). However, published data are conflictive in this regard. METHODS: We investigated differences in clinical and management variables between male and female patients from the ATA study, a prospective, multicentre, observational study that included 1462 outpatients with chronic HFrEF between January and June 2019. RESULTS: Study population was predominantly male (70.1%). In comparison to men, women with chronic HFrEF were older (66 ± 11 years vs 69 ± 12 years, P < .001), suffered more hospitalisations and presented more frequently with NYHA class III or IV symptoms. Ischaemic heart disease was more frequent in men, whereas anaemia, thyroid disease and depression were more frequent in women. No difference was seen between genders in the use rate of renin-angiotensin system inhibitors, beta-blockers, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists, or ivabradine, or in the proportion of patients achieving target doses of these drugs. Regarding device therapies, men were more often treated with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) and women received more cardiac resynchronisation therapy. CONCLUSION: In summary, although management seemed to be equivalent between genders, women tended to present with more symptoms, require hospitalisation more frequently and have different comorbidities than men. These results highlight the importance of gender-related differences in HFrEF and call for further research to clarify the causes of these disparities. Gender-specific recommendations should be included in future guidelines in HFrEF.

Successful thrombolysis of a subacute prosthetic valve thrombosis with modified ultra-slow thrombolytic therapy.

Prosthetic valve thrombosis is a serious complication of heart valve surgery. According to the recent studies, thrombolytic therapy is an important alternative therapy to the open heart surgery with successful outcomes. We present a case of a prosthetic mitral valve thrombosis who was successfully treated with modified ultra-slow thrombolytic therapy.

Patient Perception, Knowledge and Adaptation in The Management of Heart Failure: A Multicenter, Cross-Sectional, Observational, Questionnaire-Based Study: ADAPTATION HF.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to reveal the perception levels of heart failure (HF) patients about the disease, their adaptation to the disease process, their compliance with the treatment, and their knowledge and thoughts about the disease from the patient's perspective. METHOD: Patients with a diagnosis of HF for at least 6 months who applied to the cardiology clinics of 10 different centers were included in this cross-sectional, multicenter and questionnaire-based study. A questionnaire consisting of sections that included demographic information, evaluation of the patient's symptoms, knowledge and experience of clinical follow-up, knowledge of HF, compliance and awareness of treatment was applied to the patients. RESULTS: 504 patients with a mean age of 59.8 ± 14.9 years (M/F: 360/144, 71.4%/28.6%) were included in the study. 61.2% of the patients stated that they knew about HF disease before. Most of the patients knew that the complaints of shortness of breath, fatigue and palpitation could develop due to HF (95.4%; 92.7%; 89.7%, respectively). The patients reported that they were mostly worried about not being able to provide their own self-care without the support of another person (67.5%). While the majority of patients (37.6%) thought that the worst disease was to have a cerebrovascular disease; only 10.9% stated that HF was the worst disease. While 98.8% of the patients stated that they used HF drugs regularly, a relatively large part of the patients did not know that the drugs were effective on kidney functions (68.5%) and blood pressure (76.9%). In the daily practice of the patients, the rate of weight follow-up was 35.5%, the rate of blood pressure monitoring was 26.9%, and the rate of patients who exercised was 27%. Among the patients, 73.3% said that they pay attention to the amount of salt they take with diet, and 33.5% have a completely salt.free diet. There was no difference between the groups with low and high knowledge scores in terms of Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (P > 0.005). The knowledge level score was significantly higher in patients with previous myocardial infarction (P = 0.002). CONCLUSION: Most of the HF patients participating in the study are aware of the signs and symptoms of HF, follow the recommendations of their physicians, and use drugs regularly. These patients should have more information about blood pressure monitoring, weight monitoring, diet and sodium restriction, exercise, which are included in the non-pharmacological part of treatment management.

Oral amiodarone and propranolol in maintenance therapy of postimplantation tachycardia: An observational study.

Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are widely used as end-stage therapy in patients with advanced heart failure, whereas implantation increases the risks of development of sustained ventricular tachycardia at the later postimplantation stage. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the clinical efficacy of orally administered amiodarone and propranolol in 3 patients with ventricular tachycardia (VT) after LVAD implantation who were resistant to initial anti-antiarrhythmic drugs. This retrospective cohort study consisted of the initial evaluation of the clinical data of 14 adult patients who underwent implantation of LVAD between January 2019 and March 2021. A total of 3 patients with resistant VT were finally included. In all cases, the patients were initially administered amiodarone in the different doses intravenously to stabilize the critical condition, whereas its oral form along with that of propranolol was used as maintenance therapy in the first 2 cases. In the third case, amiodarone was withdrawn because of the risk of development of hyperthyroidism, while oral propranolol was used in the treatment. The assessment in the 16-month follow-up period after discharge did not show presence of non-sustained and sustained VT in all 3 cases. In the ventricular arrhythmia-free group, the total mortality rate within the follow-up period was 11.1 ±â€…7.78 months in the 3 patients. We suggest that maintenance oral therapy of propranolol and amiodarone can significantly decrease the risks of complications in patients with VT after implantation of ventricular assist device in the long term.

[Current Use of Sodium Glucose Co-transporter 2 Inhibitors in Heart Failure Therapy]. / Kalp Yetersizligi Tedavisinde Sodyum Glukoz Ko-transporter 2 Inhibitörlerinin Güncel Kullanimi.

Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) inhibit urinary glucose and sodium reabsorption in the proximal tubule of the nephron and result in glucosuria, natriuresis and diuresis. In patients with T2DM who have atherosclerotic cardiovascular (CV) disease or CV risk factors, SGLT2is have been shown to reduce major CV events and heart failure (HF) hospitalization. The greatest and most consistent effect of SGLT2is in these trials was found to be reduction in HF hospitalization, which raised the possibility of clinical benefit of SGLT2i in HF patients. In DAPA-HF and EMPEROR-Reduced trials in HFrEF patients with or without T2DM, SGLT2is, dapagliflozin and empagliflozin treatment on top of standard HF therapy has been shown to have clear clinical benefit in reducing primary endpoint of CV mortality or HF hospitalization and improving quality of life. Recently published EMPEROR-Preserved and DELIVER trials showed that SGLT2is were also very effective in the treatment of HFpEF (EF >40%). Furthermore, SGLT2is have also been shown to have potential in improving clinical outcomes in hospitalized acute HF patients in EMPULSE and DICTATE-AHF trials. All of this evidence has changed guidelines recommended therapies, not only for HFrEF but also for HFpEF treatment. The aim of this article is to provide a comprehensive overview focused on the role of SGLT2i in the treatment of HF based on the recent evidence.

Current barriers and recommendations on the diagnosis of transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy: a Delphi study.

Objectives: This study has been conducted to investigate the non-invasive diagnostic journey of patients with a transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (aTTR-CM) in Turkey, identify the challenges and uncertainties encountered on the path to diagnosis from the perspectives of expert physicians, and develop recommendations that can be applied in such cases. Methods: This study employed a three-round modified Delphi method and included 10 cardiologists and five nuclear medicine specialists. Two hematologists also shared their expert opinions on the survey results related to hematological tests during a final face-to-face discussion. A consensus was reached when 80% or more of the panel members marked the "agree/strongly agree" or "disagree/strongly disagree" option. Results: The panelists unanimously agreed that the aTTR-CM diagnosis could be established through scintigraphy (using either 99mTc-PYP, 99mTc-DPD, or 99mTc-HMPD) in a patient with suspected cardiac amyloidosis (CA) without a further investigation if AL amyloidosis is ruled out (by sFLC, SPIE and UPIE). In addition, scintigraphy imaging performed by SPECT or SPECT-CT should reveal a myocardial uptake of Grade ≥2 with a heart-to-contralateral (H/CL) ratio of ≥1.5. The cardiology panelists recommended using cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) and a detailed echocardiographic scoring as a last resort before considering an endomyocardial biopsy in patients with suspected CA whose scintigraphy results were discordant/inconclusive or negative but still carried a high clinical suspicion of aTTR-CM. Conclusion: The diagnostic approach for aTTR-CM should be customized based on the availability of diagnostic tools/methods in each expert clinic to achieve a timely and definitive diagnosis.

Hemodynamic effects of left upper extremity arteriovenous fistula on ipsilateral internal mammary coronary artery bypass graft.

OBJECTIVE: Arteriovenous fistula (AVF) in patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) may cause coronary left internal mammary artery (IMA) steal. This phenomenon was demonstrated by few prospective studies with limited number of patients and case reports. We aimed to demonstrate with a relatively larger patient population that the AVF may cause ipsilateral IMA steal. METHODS: We included 22 prospective patients undergoing HD who had left IMA to left anterior descending artery graft and left upper limb AVF. Right IMA was taken as control. Flows were assessed by using color Doppler ultrasonography. RESULTS: The mean age was 57.8 ± 9 years. Statistically nonsignificant increases in AVF flow and decreases in left IMA flow were observed during HD compared with pre-HD. Moreover, fistula localization did not affect median left IMA flows (for peak systolic velocity [PSV] 43.7 versus 70 cm/s, respectively; p = 0.7, and for end diastolic velocity [EDV] 3.4 versus 6.5 cm/s, respectively; p = 0.7). We have not detected significant difference in left IMA flows during HD (median values of PSV 58.4 versus 68.4 cm/s, respectively; p = 0.1, and EDV 6.4 versus 4.4 cm/s, respectively; p = 0.08). Only three patients experienced dialysis-induced reduction of ipsilateral IMA flow that was accompanied by evidence of hypokinesia of the anterior left ventricular wall without clinical angina. CONCLUSIONS: Hemodynamically affected left IMA flow by ipsilateral upper extremity AVF may cause steal phenomenon. Hemodynamic differences between left and right IMAs in patients undergoing HD via left wrist and brachial fistulae are limited.

Usefulness of parathyroid hormone as a predictor of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relation between parathyroid hormone (PTH) and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HF-PEF) in outpatients. METHODS: One hundred consecutive patients who had preserved left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction and heart failure (HF) symptoms, were enrolled. Echocardiography, assessing the diastolic functions was performed. Blood samples were collected for intact PTH and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP). RESULTS: Significant correlations between PTH level and predictors of advanced HF-PEF were found (p < 0.05). PTH level and left atrium diameter were found to be independent predictors of DHF. CONCLUSION: Measurement of serum PTH provides complementary information for the diagnosis and prognosis of HF-PEF.

The relationship between D-dimer level and the development of atrial fibrillation in patients with systolic heart failure.

Heart failure (HF) is one of the most common and leading cause of death worldwide. Clinical trials provide evidence that the development of atrial fibrillation (AF) is a marker of poor prognosis in patients with HF. Furthermore, elevated D-dimer level is associated with increased cardiovascular mortality independent of AF in HF patients. We investigated whether plasma D-dimer levels in patients with hospitalized systolic HF could predict development of AF. A total of 150 consecutive patients with sinus rhythm who admitted to the emergency department with hospitalized systolic HF were evaluated. All hospitalized patients were obtained D-dimer levels within the first 24 h following admission. Atrial fibrillation developed in 31 (20.7%) patients during follow-up period of 6.3 ± 5 months. Patients who developed atrial fibrillation had significantly increased levels of D-dimer [608 (339-1,022) ng/ml versus 1,100 (608-2,599) ng/ml, P = 0.001]. Optimal cut-off level of D-dimer to predict development of AF was found to be >792 ng/ml. D-dimer >792 ng/ml, right ventricular dilatation, age, systolic pulmonary pressure, left atrium size, moderate to severe tricuspid regurgitation, and beta blocker usage were found to have prognostic significance in univariate analysis. In multivariate Cox proportional-hazards model, D-dimer levels >792 ng/ml (HR = 3.019, P = 0.006), and right ventricular dilatation (HR = 8.676, P = 0.003) were associated with an increased risk of new-onset AF. In conclusion, D-dimer could predict development of AF in patients with hospitalized systolic HF.

Interpretation of electrocardiogram images sent through the mobile phone multimedia messaging service.

OBJECTIVE: In this study, the diagnostic accuracy of interpretations of electrocardiogram (ECG) images taken by a mobile phone and sent as multimedia message was investigated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The ECGs of 305 patients who were admitted to the emergency department with cardiac complaints were photographed with the camera of a Nokia (Espoo, Finland) N93 mobile phone. The images were sent via a multimedia messaging system to an identical mobile phone carried by a cardiologist and were interpreted on the screen of that mobile phone. Another cardiologist and an emergency physician interpreted ECG paper printouts separately. The findings of the core laboratory were used as the gold standard. The interpretation errors were scaled from 1 to 4 with respect to the significance of findings. RESULTS: The total ratio of Grade 4 errors, which consisted of significant errors, did not show any significant difference (p=0.76) between the interpretations by the emergency medicine specialist and the cardiologist who interpreted the ECGs on the mobile phone; the cardiologist who interpreted the ECG paper printouts made significantly fewer mistakes than the other two specialists (p=0.025 and p=0.023, respectively). The separate assessment of the findings showed that in the diagnostic process of ST-segment elevation, depression, and supraventricular tachycardia, the consistency of the interpretations (κ=0.81, κ=0.81, and κ=1.0, respectively) made on the mobile phone screen was slightly better than that of the emergency medicine specialist (κ=0.73, κ=0.77, and κ=0.80, respectively) and was similar to that of the cardiologist (κ=0.91, κ=0.91, and κ=1.0, respectively) who interpreted ECG paper printouts. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that sending the ECG images via a multimedia message service may be a practical and inexpensive telecardiology procedure.

Pre-Discharge and Post-Discharge Management and Treatment Optimization in Acute Heart Failure.

Acute heart failure is associated with high mortality and rehospitalization rates and required urgent evaluation and early initiation or intensification of therapy. The risk of death and heart failure rehospitalization is greatest in the early post-discharge period, particularly within the first 3-6 months, and declines over time, which is referred as a vulnerable period of acute heart failure hospitalization. Therefore, implementation of guidelines-directed optimal therapy is not only so crucial in the acute phase but also very important in the pre-discharge and early post- discharge period in reducing mortality and rehospitalization rates. The pre-discharge period represents a window of opportunity for treatment optimization which includes to eliminate congestion, to treat comorbidities or precipitating factors, and to initiate or uptitrate oral ther- apy before discharge. Early assessment in the post-discharge period based on clinical evalu- ation and laboratory exams, further optimization of disease-modifying therapy is associated with lower 30-day hospitalization for heart failure. In clinical practice, clinicians usually focus on acute phase intravenous medications and short-term device therapies and, in fact, neglect short- and long-term comprehensive approaches. This paper reviews management strategies that may help reduce mortality and heart failure rehospitalizations in pre-discharge and post- discharge periods and include adopting holistic approaches for heart failure, increasing optimi- zation of evidence-based therapies, treating cardiac and noncardiac comorbidities, improving care transitions, monitoring, and disease management.

Heart failure with non-reduced ejection fraction: Epidemiology, pathophysiology, phenotypes, diagnosis and treatment approaches.

Heart failure (HF) has been classified as reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), mildly reduced ejection fraction (HFmrEF) and preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) by the recent HF guidelines. In addition, HF with improved ejection fraction has been defined as a subgroup of HFrEF. In HFrEF, diagnostic workup and evidence-based pharmacological and device-based therapies have been well established. However, HFpEF, which comprises almost half of the HF population, represents significant uncertainties regarding its pathophysiology, clinical phenotypes, diagnosis and treatment. Diagnostic criteria of HFpEF have been changed a few times over the years and still remained a matter of debate. New paradigms including a prominent role of co-morbidities, inflammation, endothelial dysfunction have been proposed in its pathophysiology. As a complex, multifactorial syndrome HFpEF consists of many overlapping clinical and hemodynamic phenotypes. In contrast to HFrEF, clinical outcomes of HFpEF have not improved over the last decades due to lack of proven effective therapies. Although HFrEF and HFpEF have different clinical spectrums and proposed pathophysiological mechanisms, there is no clear defining syndrome postulated for HFmrEF. Clinical characteristics and risk factors of HFmrEF overlap with HFrEF and HFpEF. HFmrEF is also referred as a transitional zone for dynamic temporal changes in EF. So, HFpEF and HFmrEF, both namely HF with non-reduced ejection fraction (HF-NEF), have some challenges in the management of HF. The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive review including epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical presentation and phenotypes of HF-NEF and to guide clinicians for the diagnosis and therapeutic approaches based on the available data in the literature.

Cost-of-disease of Heart Failure in Turkey: A Delphi Panel-based Analysis of Direct and Indirect Costs.

Background: Heart failure (HF) is considered a significant public health issue with a substantial and growing epidemiologic and economic burden in relation to longer life expectancy and aging global population. Aims: To determine cost-of-disease of heart failure (HF) in Turkey from the payer perspective. Study Design: Cross-sectional cost of disease study. Methods: In this cost-of-disease study, annual direct and indirect costs of management of HF were determined based on epidemiological, clinical and lost productivity inputs provided by a Delphi panel consisted of 11 experts in HF with respect to ejection fraction (EF) status (HF patients with reduced EF (HFrEF), mid-range EF (HFmrEF) and preserved EF (HFpEF)) and New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification. Direct medical costs included cost items on outpatient management, inpatient management, medications, and non-pharmaceutical treatments. Indirect cost was calculated based on the lost productivity due to absenteeism and presenteeism. Results: 51.4%, 19.5%, and 29.1% of the patients were estimated to be HFrEF, HFmrEF, and HFpEF patients, respectively. The total annual direct medical cost per patient was $887 and non-pharmaceutical treatments ($373, 42.1%) were the major direct cost driver. Since an estimated nationwide number of HF patients is 1,128,000 in 2021, the total annual national economic burden of HF is estimated to be $1 billion in 2021. The direct medical cost was higher in patients with HFrEF than in those with HFmrEF or HFpEF ($1,147 vs. $555 and $649, respectively). Average indirect cost per patient was calculated to be $3,386 and was similar across HFrEF, HFmrEF and HFpEF groups, but increased with advanced NYHA stage. Conclusion: Our findings confirm the substantial economic burden of HF in terms of both direct and indirect costs and indicate that the non-pharmaceutical cost is the major direct medical cost driver in HF management, regardless of the EF status of HF patients.

Two-year outcome of Turkish patients treated with Zotarolimus versus Paclitaxel eluting stents in an unselected population with coronary artery disease in the real world: a prospective non-randomized registry in southern Turkey.

BACKGROUND: Our purpose was to investigate the clinical outcomes of Zotarolimus- and Paclitaxel-eluting stents in Turkish patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). In general, the outcome of drug-eluting stent (DES) placement has a proven efficacy in randomized trials. However, the difference in efficacy between the Zotarolimus and Paclitaxel-eluting stents in unselected Turkish patients is controversial. Therefore, we investigated the clinical outcomes of these two drug-eluting stents in the real-world. METHODS: We created a registry and prospectively analyzed data on a consecutive series of all patients who presented to our institution with symptomatic coronary artery disease between February 2005 and March 2007 and who were treated with the zotarolimus- or the paclitaxel-eluting stent. The follow-up period was approximately two years. The primary end-point was major cardiac events, and the secondary end-point was definite stent thrombosis. Informed consent was obtained from all subjects, and the study protocol was approved by the local ethical committee. RESULTS: In total, 217 patients were treated with either the zotarolimus-eluting stent (n = 116) or the paclitaxel-eluting stent (n = 101). The lesions in the 2 arms of the study were treated similarly by conventional technique. At 24-month follow-up the paclitaxel-eluting stent group showed significantly higher non-Q wave myocardial infarction (2.6% vs 5.9%, p: 0.02), Q wave myocardial infarction (1.7% vs 5.9%, p: 0.049), coronary artery binding graft surgery (2.6% vs 6.9%, p: 0.002), and late stent thrombosis (1.7% vs 3.9%, p: 0.046). CONCLUSIONS: Zotarolimus-eluting stents demonstrated better clinical outcomes than Paclitaxel-eluting stents in a daily routine practice of coronary intervention in an unselected Turkish population.

A pericardial hydatid cyst and pregnancy.

A cardiac hydatid cyst in pregnancy is a very rare condition. Surgical intervention followed by medical therapy is the treatment of choice. A hydatid disease in pregnancy is challenging with a varied presentation and manifestation. A pregnant woman presented with a ruptured pericardial cyst diagnosed by echocardiography, magnetic resonance and serology. Finally, she received medical treatment and no surgical intervention.

Comparison of fibrinolytic versus surgical therapy in the treatment of obstructive prosthetic valve thrombosis: a single-center experience.

OBJECTIVE: Prosthetic heart valve thrombosis (PVT) is a rare but severe cardiac condition. There are only a few data regarding comparison of the fibrinolytic and surgical approaches for the treatment of PVT. In this study, we compared the results of fibrinolytic therapy versus surgery in patients who presented to our institution with a diagnosis of obstructive-type PVT. METHODS: From January 2001 to August 2008 in our institution, 33 patients who met clinical and echocardiographic criteria for obstructive-type PVT were included in the study. Fifteen of these patients underwent fibrinolytic treatment with streptokinase, which consisted of an initial bolus of 250,000 U followed by 100,000 U/h. Eighteen patients were treated with surgery. RESULTS: The 2 groups had similar baseline characteristics, including New York Heart Association functional status, types and positions of prosthetic valves, international normalized ratio values, and presentation symptoms. Full hemodynamic success was achieved in 12 patients who underwent fibrinolytic therapy and in 15 patients in the surgery group. The mean (±SD) streptokinase infusion time was 17.8 ± 11.1 hours. Two major hemorrhages and 2 cases of systemic embolism were observed in the fibrinolytic group. The 2 groups did not differ with respect to mortality rate (P = .79). The duration of hospitalization was longer in the fibrinolytic group than in the surgery group (10.7 ± 6.6 days versus 6.9 ± 6.7 days, P = .045). CONCLUSIONS: Although fibrinolytic therapy is generally recommended for the treatment of PVT for specific patient groups, our results suggest that it may be as efficacious and safe as surgery, depending on patient selection.

Management of Hyperkalemia in Heart Failure.

Hyperkalemia is a common electrolyte abnormality in heart failure (HF) that can cause potentially life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. HF patients with diabetes, chronic kidney disease and older age are at higher risk of hyperkalemia. Moreover, hyperkalemia is also often associated with the use of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors (RAASi) including angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists and sacubitril-valsartan. In clinical practice, the occurrence of hyperkalemia is a major concern among the clinicians and often limits RAASi use and/or lead to dose reduction or discontinuation, thereby reducing their potential benefits for HF. Furthermore, recurrent hyperkalemia is frequent in the long-term and is associated with an increase in hyperkalemia-related hospitalizations. Therefore, management of hyperkalemia has a special importance in HF patients. However, treatment options in chronic management are currently limited. Dietary restriction of potassium is usually ineffective with variable adherence. Sodium polystyrene sulfonate is commonly used, but its effectiveness is uncertain and reported to be associated with intestinal toxicity. New therapeutic options such as potassium binders have been suggested as potentially beneficial agents in the management of hyperkalemia. This document discusses prevalence, predictors and management of hyperkalemia in HF, emphasizing the importance of careful patient selection for medical treatment, uptitration of the doses of RAASi, regular surveillance of potassium and treatment options of hyperkalemia.

Angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitor for patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction: Real-world experience from Turkey (ARNi-TR).

OBJECTIVE: Heart failure (HF) is a growing public health problem with high morbidity and mortality. Recently, angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitor (ARNi) has emerged as a promising treatment for HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Here, we shared our experience with the use of ARNi in HFrEF from multiple centers in Turkey. METHODS: The ARNi-TR is a multicenter, noninterventional, retrospective, observational study. Overall, 779 patients with HF from 22 centers in Turkey who were prescribed sacubitril/valsartan were examined. Initial clinical status, biochemical and echocardiographic parameters, and New York Heart Association functional class (NYHA-FC) values were compared with follow-up values after 1 year of ARNi use. In addition, the effect of ARNi on number of annual hospitalizations was investigated, and the patients were divided into 2 groups, depending on whether ARNi was initiated at hospitalization or under outpatient clinic control. RESULTS: N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), left-ventricle ejection fraction (LV-EF), and NYHA-FC values improved significantly in both groups (all parameters, p<0.001) within 1-year follow-up. In both groups, a decrease in hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) values was observed in ARNi use (p<0.001), and a decrease in daily diuretic doses and hospitalizations owing to HF were observed after ARNi use (all comparisons, p<0.001). Hypotension (16.9%) was the most common side effect in patients using ARN. CONCLUSION: The ARNi-TR study offers comprehensive real-life data for patients using ARNi in Turkey. The use of ARNi has shown significant improvements in FC, NT-proBNP, HbA1c levels, and LV-EF. Likewise, reductions in the number of annual hospitalizations and daily furosemide doses for HF were seen in this study.

Efficacy of sirolimus-eluting stents compared with paclitaxel-eluting stents in an unselected population with coronary artery disease: 24-month outcomes of patients in a prospective non-randomized registry in Southern Turkey.

BACKGROUND: The efficacy of drug-eluting stents has been shown in randomized trials, but some controversy exists regarding which stent sirolimus-eluting or paclitaxel-eluting is more effective in unselected Turkish patients. Therefore, we investigated the clinical outcomes of patients who were treated with one type of these drug-eluting stents in the real world. METHODS: We created a registry and prospectively analyzed data on a consecutive series of all patients who presented to our institution with symptomatic coronary artery disease between February 2005 and March 2007 and who were treated with the sirolimus- or the paclitaxel-eluting stent. The follow-up period after stent implantation was approximately 24 months. The primary end point was a major cardiac event, and the secondary end point was stent thrombosis. Informed consent was obtained from all subjects, and the study protocol was approved by the local ethical committee. RESULTS: In total, 204 patients were treated with either the sirolimus-eluting stent (n = 103) or the paclitaxel-eluting stent (n = 101). The lesions in the 2 arms of the study were treated similarly by conventional technique. At 24-month follow-up, patients who received the paclitaxel-eluting stent showed significantly higher rates of non-Q-wave myocardial infarction (1.9% vs 5.9%; P: .002), target vessel revascularization (1.9% vs 4.9%; P: .002), coronary artery bypass graft surgery (1.9% vs 6.9%; P: .001), and late stent thrombosis (1.9% vs 3.9%, P: .002). CONCLUSIONS: Patients who received the sirolimus-eluting stent showed better clinical outcomes compared with those who had the paclitaxel-eluting-stent.