Open Heart

Background and aimsThe utility of cardiovascular and inflammatory biomarkers to detect coronary obstruction and predict survival benefit of revascularisation in chronic coronary syndrome (CCS) remains unclear. MethodsPatients undergoing coronary angiography for suspected CCS were studied. High-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hsTnT), N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and copeptin were measured. Diagnostic per...

BackgroundAmong patients with ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), higher concentrations of high sensitivity troponin T (hs-cTnT) are associated with larger MI size and predict a worse prognosis. In the 2467 patient CELEBRATE trial, a single subcutaneous injection of the short-acting glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor blocker antagonist zalunfiban at first medical contact significantly improved the primary outcome including clinical endpoints. In this study, we assessed the impact of ...

ObjectiveHeart failure (HF) is a common disease among elderly individuals and is associated with poor quality of life and prognosis. Individuals at risk of developing HF are often already patients in primary healthcare, but it is often a difficult diagnosis at an early stage. Identifying patients at high risk for HF and initiating early treatment is crucial for their outcomes. Using the variables gender, age, multimorbidity (MM) level, and socioeconomic status (SES), we aimed to study the possib...

BackgroundMedication non-adherence is a critical problem among patients with heart failure (HF). Current evidence has shown its association with increased morbidity, mortality and healthcare costs. Prescription discrepancy is a significant risk factor that can increase non-adherence and subsequently increases the risk of HF-related hospitalization and mortality. Current literature has not provided a clear understanding of the non-adherence problem or contributing factors among Saudi HF patients....

ObjectiveRotational percutaneous mechanical thrombectomy with adjunctive angioplasty, stenting or limited thrombolysis (rPMT+) has become commonplace in the treatment of acute and subacute limb ischaemia. This systematic review and proportional meta-analysis synthesises the available evidence on its safety and efficacy. Data SourcesMEDLINE, Embase and the Cochrane Library. [≥] Review MethodsWe searched for studies ([≥]10 patients) published since 1 January 2012 (PROSPERO protocol CRD4202...

IntroHeart failure is one of the major causes of death in the United States, characterized by high readmission rates annually. Our study sought to analyze de-identified patient data from the Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center to identify differences in readmission rates for patients based on sex and marital status and propose novel solutions to our findings. MethodsIn this retrospective cohort analysis, 1,122 HF patient discharges (obtained by reviewing heart failure specific diagnosis-related ...

BackgroundIn patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and stable coronary artery disease beyond 1 year after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), oral anticoagulant monotherapy is guideline-recommended; however, its efficacy and safety in patients with complex PCI remain uncertain. MethodsWe conducted a post-hoc analysis of the randomized ADAPT AF-DES trial comparing NOAC monotherapy versus NOAC plus clopidogrel in AF patients [≥]12 months after second- or third-generation drug-eluting st...

PurposeTo evaluate the performance of the pharmacists-providers collaborative iron deficiency treatment clinic in the heart failure service MethodsA single-center retrospective cohort study was conducted to evaluate the performance of the iron deficiency pharmacists-providers collaborative care clinic during the induction and maintenance phases of intravenous (IV) iron therapy. The study included patients who were seen by HF providers (advanced HF cardiologists or advanced practice providers) a...

BackgroundHypertension is a major modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease, yet blood pressure (BP) control remain suboptimal, particularly in socially disadvantaged communities. Guidelines recommend initiating single-pill combination (SPC) therapy to improve adherence and BP control, but uptake in primary care is limited. ObjectivesTo evaluate the SOLO care improvement project, promoting SPC initiation among general practitioners (GPs) in Amsterdam Zuidoost, a disadvantaged, multi-eth...

BackgroundEmbolic stroke of undetermined source (ESUS) is associated with a high risk of recurrence. However, randomized trials have not shown superiority of anticoagulation over aspirin in unselected patients. Atrial cardiomyopathy (AtCM) may identify a high-risk ESUS phenotype. We investigated whether multimodal AtCM markers distinguish ESUS from controls and predict adverse clinical outcomes. MethodsIn this prospective single-center study, consecutive ESUS patients and age- and sex-matched c...

BackgroundHeart failure (HF) is an increasingly common comorbidity among people living with HIV (PLHIV), complicating care and heightening vulnerability of this population to social adversity (SA). However, the impact of different SA domains on outcomes in this population remains poorly understood. MethodsWe analyzed data on PLHIV with HF from the NYC Health + Hospitals HIV-Heart Failure cohort. Baseline multidimensional SA was assessed by licensed clinical social workers using standardized eva...

Background and AimsNon-adherence to antihypertensive therapy is a major contributor to poor blood pressure (BP) control, increased cardiovascular risk, and higher healthcare costs. Behavioral economics suggests that financial incentives and mobile-based interventions may support behavior change, yet evidence for such strategies in central Europe is limited. ObjectiveThe BEHAVE-HTN study evaluates whether a multi-faceted medication adherence mobile application (mApp) with behavioral economic pri...

BackgroundThere is uncertainty among physicians regarding the optimal clinical application of the novel high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI)-VITROS assay within the widely implemented upper reference limit (URL)-based ESC 0/3h-algorithm. MethodsThis prospective, international, multicenter study aimed to validate and compare different modifications of the URL-based ESC 0/3h-algorithm among adult patients presenting with suspected acute myocardial infarction (AMI) to the emergency depart...

Background and ObjectiveBlood pressure treatment response is variable in individual patients, and the choice of medical therapy is often dependent on clinician experience. Treatment choices can be personalised by patient empowerment, metabolomic profiles and augmented by machine learning, but robust evaluation is lacking on how these can be combined to enhance clinical effectiveness. The HYPERMARKER trial will evaluate how an individualised choice of medication class can address the avoidable gl...

BackgroundVentricular arrhythmias (VAs) are a proximate mechanism of sudden cardiac death, yet national patterns in place of death (POD) and their determinants remain sparsely described. We quantified 25-year trends and factors associated with POD among UAs decedents in the United States. MethodsWe analyzed CDC WONDER Multiple Cause of Death data (1999-2024) for adults [≥]25 years with ventricular arrhythmias (ICD-10 I47.2, I49.0) as underlying cause. POD was categorized as inpatient, outpat...

Background and AimsDespite advances in reperfusion and medical therapy, survivors of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) remain at risk for adverse left ventricular remodeling (LVR), a precursor to heart failure. Building on prior work outlining 12-month biomarker trajectories linked to early ventricular dysfunction, we aimed to assess whether these circulating biomarkers predict long-term adverse LVR. MethodsWe prospectively enrolled 155 patients experiencing their first AMI. Clinical, biochemic...

Whether the cumulative evidence for remote patient monitoring (RPM) in heart failure (HF) has reached a definitive threshold -- and whether benefits extend to geographically underserved populations -- remains uncertain. We conducted a systematic review, meta-analysis, and trial sequential analysis (TSA) of 65 RCTs (59 poolable; [~]23,000 participants) across four databases through February 2026, encompassing structured telephone support (15 trials), non-invasive telemonitoring (33), and invasive...

BackgroundMany patients with heart failure (HF) remain undiagnosed until acute hospital admission for decompensation. Think-HF is a clinical decision support tool (CDST) designed to identify possible undiagnosed HF in primary care and trigger timely, guideline recommended assessment. MethodsThink-HF was developed through epidemiological evidence and codesign. Integrated within SystmOne, it analyses routine primary care data (codes, medications, test results, free text) to detect missed or emerg...

IntroductionAtrial fibrillation (AF), a common arrhythmia, is associated with impaired quality of life (QoL) and increased stroke risk and mortality. Clinical guidelines recommend leveraging digital technologies to support patient education and AF self-management. Conversational artificial intelligence (AI) technologies may support patient engagement with self-management by enabling human-like conversations. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a conversational AI intervention (Conve...

This bibliometric study focuses on the publication activity of senior staff, consisting of chief physicians, senior physicians, department heads, and division heads at German university hospitals specializing in cardiology. The aim is to identify topics, focal points, study types, and impact factors (IFs) achieved. No studies on this topic have been conducted to date. However, Millenaar et al. [1] provided an overview of the cardiovascular research landscape in Germany, highlighting publication ...