Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction and Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Novel Paradigm for Additional Cardiovascular Benefit of SGLT2 Inhibitors in Subjects With or Without Type 2 Diabetes

Casual effect of ulcerative colitis on chronic heart failure: results from a bidirectional Mendelian randomization study

This study aimed to detect the causal effect of ulcerative colitis (UC) on heart failure. A bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was performed. The causal impact of UC on heart failure was determined via MR by performing a genome-wide association study in which 4 UCs descending from European ancestors were set as individual exposures. The inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method was used as the main method, and 4 other methods were set as assistant parameters. Susbequently, the MR results were combined with meta-analysis results. The MR Egger method was employed to investigate pleiotropy. The leave-one-out method was utilized for sensitivity analysis. Furthermore, a reverse-directional study was conducted. There was evidence of the causal effect of UC on heart failure in MR estimates using 4 UC datasets. The IVW method revealed that the odds ratio (OR) = 1.03, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.01-1.06, P = 0.0441 when the first UC dataset was used; OR = 1.03, 95% CI = 1.01-1.05, P = 0.0445 when the second UC dataset was used; OR = 2046, 95% CI = 1.37-3.05E + 06, P = 0.0409 when the third UC dataset was used; and OR = 8.12E + 04, 95% CI = 29.09-2.27E + 08, P = 0.0052 when the fourth UC dataset was used. A meta-analysis of 4 MR studies revealed that UC had a statistically significant causal effect on heart failure (OR = 1.03, 95% CI = 1.01-1.05; P = 0.0074). Reverse MR analysis revealed that heart failure did not have a causal effect on UC. There was no pleiotropy. This MR study demonstrated that UC had a causal effect on heart failure and that there was no reverse causal effect.

Type Disparity in Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter-2 Inhibitors in Incidences of Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Propensity-Score-Matched Cohort Study

(1) Background: Recently, sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2Is) have been reported to significantly reduce renal cell carcinoma (RCC) risk. However, the effect between individual SGLT2Is on RCC incidence in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) or heart failure is unclear. We conducted an observational analysis to explore type disparity in the prescription of SGLT2Is on RCC risk. (2) Methods: A nationwide retrospective cohort study using the Health and Welfare Data Science Center database (2016-2021) was conducted. Patients aged ≥40 years who took SGLT2Is were designated as the SGLT2I group, whereas propensity score 1:1-matched randomly selected patients without SGLT2Is were assigned to the non-SGLT2I group. The primary outcome was the risk of incident RCC between individual SGLT2Is. Multiple Cox regression modeling was conducted to analyze the association between individual SGLT2I use and RCC risk. (3) Results: After a 5.5-year follow-up, SGLT2I use was associated with a significantly lower risk of incident RCC (hazard: 0.62; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.44-0.89). Compared with non-users and after adjusting for the index year, sex, age, comorbidities, concurrent medication, and the risk of developing RCC, the hazard ratios of dapagliflozin, canagliflozin, and empagliflozin were 0.66 (95% CI: 0.53-0.83), 0.84 (95% CI: 0.46-1.30), and 0.71 (95% CI: 0.56-0.90), respectively. (4) Conclusions: Our data show a type-based effect of SGLT2Is on RCC risk. The type-based effect of SGLT2Is should be further studied for better clinical management information and for reducing RCC incidence in patients with T2D.

Sleep-disordered breathing in heart failure

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

This review addresses the evolving intersection of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) and heart failure, a topic of increasing clinical significance due to the high prevalence of SDB in heart failure patients and its impact on morbidity and mortality. It reflects recent advancements in diagnostic methodologies and therapeutic strategies. It emphasizes the need for heightened awareness among healthcare providers about the complex relationship between SDB and various forms of heart failure.

RECENT FINDINGS

Recent studies underscore the high incidence of SDB in heart failure patients, varying with the cause of heart failure. Emerging diagnostic tools, including home sleep tests and advanced inpatient screening methods, have improved the early detection and accurate diagnosis of SDB. Novel treatment modalities, like hypoglossal and phrenic nerve stimulation, are promising, especially where conventional therapies are inadequate. The review also discusses the complexities of managing SDB in the context of different heart failure subtypes.

SUMMARY

Findings from recent literature suggest that improved screening, diagnosis, and innovative treatment of SDB in heart failure patients can reduce morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs. This review emphasizes the need for personalized treatment approaches tailored to individual patient profiles, highlighting the potential of new technologies and multidisciplinary strategies in clinical practice.

Improving therapeutic outcomes in heart failure with reduced nonvalvular ejection fraction: A clinical study of heart failure education intervention

OBJECTIVE

The current study delves into the impact of heart failure education intervention on improving therapeutic outcomes for heart failure (HF) patients with reduced nonvalvular ejection fraction.

METHODS

There involved a total of 60 HF patients with non-valvular ejection fraction reduction who met the inclusion requirements. Patients enrolled were randomly distributed into an observation group and a control group. The observation group received heart failure education intervention, while the control group received conventional intervention. The therapeutic effect, changes in physical indicators, cardiac function indicators, coagulation function, self-management scale scores, and the incidence of adverse cardiovascular events were meticulously evaluated.

RESULTS

The total effective proportion in the observation group was 96.67%, which was significantly higher than the control group's proportion of 76.67% (p < .05). After treatment, several parameters in the observation group showed significant improvements compared to the control group: hs-CRP, IL-6, LVEDV value, LVESV value, PT value, APTT value, and TT value were all evidently lower in the observation group. Additionally, the cardiac index, LVEF value, and heart failure self-management scale fraction were significantly higher in the observation group compared to the control group (p < .05). Furthermore, the incidence of adverse cardiovascular events in the observation group was only 6.67%, which was significantly lower than the control group's incidence of 20.00% (p < .05).

CONCLUSION

Heart failure education intervention demonstrates effectiveness in improving the therapeutic outcomes for HF patients and reduced nonvalvular ejection fraction. Additionally, it enhances patients' self-management abilities. Given these positive results, it is highly recommended to promote and implement HF education intervention in clinical practice.

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction risk is associated with prevalence and severity of obstructive sleep apnea

STUDY OBJECTIVES

While heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is associated with the presence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), few studies have examined the association between scoring systems used to predict HFpEF risk, such as the H2FPEF and HFA-PEFF scores, and OSA prevalence and severity.

METHODS

We performed chart review on all patients who underwent both an echocardiogram and sleep study at the University of Pennsylvania between July 1, 2020, and June 30, 2022. There were 277 patients in the final cohort after excluding patients with relevant comorbidities. Associations between echocardiographic parameters and OSA severity, as well as between H2FPEF score and OSA severity, were examined using linear tests of trend. The association between H2FPEF score and prevalent OSA was examined with logistic regression.

RESULTS

OSA severity was associated with echocardiographic markers, including left atrial volume index (P = .03) and left ventricular relative thickness (P = .008). Patients with high H2FPEF risk scores had over 17-fold higher odds of prevalent OSA compared with those with low-risk scores (17.7; 95% CI 4.3, 120.7; P < .001). Higher H2FPEF scores were strongly correlated with OSA severity (P < .001). After controlling for body mass index, H2FPEF scores were not associated with prevalence or severity of OSA.

CONCLUSIONS

In an ambulatory population referred for sleep study and echocardiogram, markers of diastolic dysfunction were associated with OSA severity. OSA prevalence and severity were associated with increased H2FPEF scores, although these associations were largely explained by obesity. Clinicians should have low thresholds for referring patients with OSA for cardiac workup and patients with HFpEF for sleep study.

CITATION

Connolly JE, Genuardi MV, Mora JI, Prenner SB. Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction risk is associated with prevalence and severity of obstructive sleep apnea. J Clin Sleep Med. 2024;20(3):381-387.

Insights into the Interaction of Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction and Sleep-Disordered Breathing

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is emerging as a widespread disease with global socioeconomic impact. Patients with HFpEF show a dramatically increased morbidity and mortality, and, unfortunately, specific treatment options are limited. This is due to the various etiologies that promote HFpEF development. Indeed, cluster analyses with common HFpEF comorbidities revealed the existence of several HFpEF phenotypes. One especially frequent, yet underappreciated, comorbidity is sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), which is closely intertwined with the development and progression of the "obese HFpEF phenotype". The following review article aims to provide an overview of the common HFpEF etiologies and phenotypes, especially in the context of SDB. As general HFpEF therapies are often not successful, patient- and phenotype-individualized therapeutic strategies are warranted. Therefore, for the "obese HFpEF phenotype", a better understanding of the mechanistic parallels between both HFpEF and SDB is required, which may help to identify potential phenotype-individualized therapeutic strategies. Novel technologies like single-cell transcriptomics or CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing further broaden the groundwork for deeper insights into pathomechanisms and precision medicine.

Sleep-disordered breathing and heart failure: a vicious cycle of cardiovascular risk

Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) represents an important cardiovascular risk factor that is still often underestimated and not always optimally treated. Such breathing disorders can induce several harmful effects on the heart, also favoring the development of arrhythmias, ischemic heart disease, and left ventricular remodeling. Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSA) is more frequent in heart failure patients than in the general population, promoting the worsening of left ventricular dysfunction. Both sleep apnea and heart failure have common clinical manifestations but also similar neurohormonal characteristics, contributing to the development and progression of heart failure and resulting in increased mortality. The pathophysiological mechanisms underlying left ventricular dysfunction associated with SDB will be analyzed, and the potential therapeutic effects of gliflozins on OSA in heart failure patients will be discussed.