Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors and outcomes in transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy: Systematic review and meta-analysis

Epigenetic Drivers of Atrial Fibrillation: Mechanisms, Biomarkers, and Therapeutic Targets

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most prevalent sustained arrhythmia, associated with significant morbidity, mortality, and healthcare burdens. Despite therapeutic advances, recurrence rates remain high, particularly in persistent AF, underscoring the need for deeper mechanistic insight. Epigenetic regulation-comprising DNA methylation, histone modifications, chromatin remodeling, RNA methylation, and non-coding RNAs-has emerged as a key contributor to the structural, electrical, and inflammatory remodeling underlying AF. These mechanisms operate at the interface of genetic susceptibility and environmental exposure, offering a dynamic framework for understanding disease progression. Systemic stressors such as aging, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, hypoxia, and alcohol have been shown to induce epigenetic reprogramming in atrial tissue, further promoting atrial cardiomyopathy and arrhythmogenesis. Additionally, circulating epigenetic markers, particularly microRNAs, are being investigated for their potential in AF diagnosis, risk stratification, and therapeutic monitoring. Therapeutic strategies targeting epigenetic pathways-ranging from histone deacetylase inhibitors and miRNA-based therapeutics to CRISPR/dCas9-mediated epigenome editing-are under investigation. Additionally, sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors may indirectly influence epigenetic programs and miRNA expression relevant to atrial remodeling. While promising, these approaches require further validation in terms of safety, delivery specificity, and long-term efficacy. High-resolution epigenomic mapping and integrative multi-omic approaches may enhance understanding of AF heterogeneity and enable personalized treatment strategies. This review provides an integrated appraisal of epigenetic mechanisms in AF and outlines their emerging diagnostic and therapeutic relevance.

Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter 2 Inhibitors in Aortic Stenosis: Toward a Comprehensive Cardiometabolic Approach

Aortic stenosis (AS), the most prevalent valvular heart disease, is increasingly recognized as an active disease process driven by a convergence of hemodynamic stress, inflammation, oxidative injury, and metabolic remodeling. While transcatheter and surgical valve replacement remain the standard interventions for severe AS, they fail to reverse the chronic myocardial remodeling that underlies adverse outcomes in many patients. Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors have emerged as promising cardioprotective agents, with effects extending well beyond glycemic control. Recent mechanistic studies reveal that SGLT2 is expressed in the myocardium of patients with AS and is linked to pathways of fibrosis, inflammation, and energetic dysfunction. Experimental models and translational data demonstrate that SGLT2 inhibition attenuates maladaptive remodeling through modulation of TGF-β, NF-κB, NLRP3 inflammasome, and oxidative stress signaling while enhancing mitochondrial energetics and endothelial function. Importantly, clinical evidence from randomized and real-world studies suggests that SGLT2 inhibitors improve heart failure outcomes following valve replacement and may slow AS progression. This review integrates current pathophysiological insights with emerging molecular and clinical data to delineate the therapeutic rationale for SGLT2 inhibition in AS. By targeting both myocardial and valvular components of the disease, SGLT2 inhibitors may offer a novel disease-modifying strategy with potential implications across the AS continuum-from asymptomatic stages to the post-interventional setting. Ongoing and future trials are warranted to define optimal patient selection, timing, and biomarkers for response to SGLT2 inhibitor therapy in this increasingly high-risk population.

Atrial Cardiomyopathy in Atrial Fibrillation: Mechanistic Pathways and Emerging Treatment Concepts

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is increasingly recognized not merely as an arrhythmia, but as a clinical manifestation of atrial cardiomyopathy (AtCM)-a progressive, multifaceted disease of the atrial myocardium involving structural, electrical, mechanical, and molecular remodeling. AtCM often precedes AF onset, sustains its perpetuation, and contributes to thromboembolic risk independently of rhythm status. Emerging evidence implicates diverse pathophysiological drivers of AtCM, including inflammation, epicardial adipose tissue, metabolic dysfunction, oxidative stress, ageing, and sex-specific remodeling. The NLRP3 inflammasome has emerged as a central effector in atrial inflammation and remodeling. Gut microbial dysbiosis, lipid dicarbonyl stress, and fibro-fatty infiltration are also increasingly recognized as contributors to arrhythmogenesis. AtCM is further linked to atrial functional valve regurgitation and adverse outcomes in AF. Therapeutically, substrate-directed strategies-ranging from metabolic modulation and immunomodulation to early rhythm control-offer promise for altering the disease trajectory. This review synthesizes mechanistic insights into AtCM and discusses emerging therapeutic paradigms that aim not merely to suppress arrhythmia but to modify the underlying substrate. Recognizing AF as a syndrome of atrial disease reframes management strategies and highlights the urgent need for precision medicine approaches targeting the atrial substrate.

Vutrisiran Improves Survival and Reduces Cardiovascular Events in ATTR Amyloid Cardiomyopathy: HELIOS-B

BACKGROUND

Patients with transthyretin amyloidosis with cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) have high mortality and morbidity. Vutrisiran, a subcutaneous RNA interference therapeutic, reduced the composite of all-cause mortality (ACM) and cardiovascular (CV) events (CV hospitalizations and urgent heart failure [HF] visits) in HELIOS-B (A Study to Evaluate Vutrisiran in Patients With Transthyretin Amyloidosis With Cardiomyopathy) in patients with ATTR-CM.

OBJECTIVES

Here we present data from HELIOS-B evaluating the impact of vutrisiran on ACM and CV mortality with additional patient follow-up through 42 months, and CV events such as CV hospitalizations, HF hospitalizations, and urgent HF visits.

METHODS

The HELIOS-B trial randomized 655 patients to vutrisiran 25 mg or placebo once every 3 months for up to 33 to 36 months in the double-blind (DB) period, followed by an open-label extension. Prespecified mortality and CV mortality analyses used data through 39 to 42 months of follow-up (DB period and up to 6 months of the open-label extension). CV hospitalizations and HF events were evaluated over the DB period of 33 to 36 months. Differences between vutrisiran and placebo were evaluated in the overall population, and in those stratified by baseline tafamidis use.

RESULTS

In the overall population, vutrisiran reduced the risk of ACM (HR: 0.64; 95% CI: 0.46-0.88) and CV mortality (HR: 0.67; 95% CI: 0.47-0.96) vs placebo. Vutrisiran also reduced the risk of a composite of CV mortality and CV events (HR: 0.72; 95% CI: 0.55-0.94), and lowered rates of CV hospitalizations (rate ratio [RR]: 0.75; 95% CI: 0.62-0.91), urgent HF visits (RR: 0.54; 95% CI: 0.30-0.98), and HF hospitalizations (RR: 0.67; 95% CI: 0.52-0.86) vs placebo. Consistent trends were seen regardless of baseline tafamidis use.

CONCLUSIONS

Consistent with the primary trial results, vutrisiran reliably reduced the risk of ACM, CV mortality, CV hospitalizations, HF hospitalizations, and urgent HF visits vs placebo in patients with ATTR-CM. (HELIOS-B: A Study to Evaluate Vutrisiran in Patients With Transthyretin Amyloidosis With Cardiomyopathy; NCT04153149).

Effects of SGLT2 Inhibitors in Patients with Cancer and Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

AIMS

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer represent significant global health challenges. An overlap between oncology and cardiology is compounded by cancer therapies, which are known to have cardiotoxic effects. Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i), initially developed for treating diabetes, have shown promising cardiovascular benefits in non-cancer populations, particularly in preventing heart failure (HF) and reducing HF-related hospitalization and mortality in large randomized controlled trials (RCTs) across the spectrum of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). However, their potential cardioprotective role in cancer patients remains unclear.This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated cardiovascular outcomes in cancer patients with type 2 diabetes undergoing chemotherapy with concomitant use of SGLT2i compared to those not using SGLT2i. Subgroup analyses were performed to explore patients without baseline HF and patients treated exclusively with anthracyclines.

METHODS AND RESULTS

A systematic review identified eleven observational retrospective studies (n=104,327 patients). Based on the National Institutes of Health Quality Assessment Tool (NIH-QAT) checklist, 2 studies were at moderate risk of bias, while all other included studies had a low risk of bias. Meta-analysis indicated that the use of SGLT2i was associated with a significant reduction in all-cause mortality (0.47, 95% CI 0.33-0.67, P<0.0001) and risk of HF hospitalization (0.44, 95% CI 0.27-0.72, P=0.001).

CONCLUSION

SGLT2i use may be associated with a significant reduction in all-cause mortality and risk of HF hospitalization in actively treated cancer patients with type 2 diabetes. Our study highlights the need for further investigation through prospective RCTs to confirm the efficacy and safety of SGLT2i in attenuating cardiotoxicity and supporting cardiovascular health in oncology settings.