Impact of Anesthesia Type on Outcomes of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (from the Multicenter ADVANCE Study).

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has become the standard of care for many patients with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis who are at increased risk of morbidity and mortality during surgical aortic valve replacement. However, there is still no general consensus regarding the use of general anesthesia (GA) versus local anesthesia with sedation (non-GA) during the TAVI procedure. Using propensity score-matching analysis, we analyzed the characteristics and outcomes of patients who underwent TAVI with either GA (n = 245) or non-GA (n = 245) in the fully monitored, international, CoreValve ADVANCE Study. No statistically significant differences existed between the non-GA and GA groups in all-cause mortality (25.4% vs 23.9%, p = 0.78), cardiovascular mortality (16.4% vs 16.6%, p = 0.92), or stroke (5.2% vs 6.9%, p = 0.57) through 2-year follow-up. Major vascular complications were more common in the non-GA group. Total hospital stay was similar between the 2 groups. Conversion from non-GA to GA occurred in 13 patients (5.3%) because of procedural complications in 9 patients and discomfort or restlessness in 4 patients. Most procedural complications were related to valve positioning or vascular issues. Two of the 13 converted patients died during the procedure. Both GA and non-GA are widely used in real-world TAVI practice, and the decision appears to be guided by only a few patient-related factors and dominated by local and national practice. The outcomes of both anesthesia modes are equally good. When conversion from non-GA did occur, the complication requiring GA affected outcomes

Antihypertensive therapy, new-onset diabetes, and cardiovascular disease

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a worldwide epidemic with considerable health and economic consequences. Diabetes is an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease, which is the leading cause of death in diabetic patients, and decreasing the incidence of diabetes may potentially reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease. This article discusses the clinical trial evidence for modalities associated with a reduction in the risk of new-onset diabetes, with a focus on the role of antihypertensive agents that block the renin–angiotensin system. Lifestyle interventions and the use of antidiabetic, anti-obesity, and lipid-lowering drugs are also reviewed. An unresolved question is whether decreasing the incidence of new-onset diabetes with non-pharmacologic or pharmacologic intervention will also lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. A large ongoing study is investigating whether the treatment with an oral antidiabetic drug or an angiotensin-receptor blocker will reduce the incidence of new-onset diabetes and cardiovascular disease in patients at high risk for developing diabetes

Is the ADA/EASD algorithm for the management of type 2 diabetes (January 2009) based on evidence or opinion? A critical analysis

The ADA and the EASD recently published a consensus statement for the medical management of hyperglycaemia in patients with type 2 diabetes. The authors advocate initial treatment with metformin monotherapy and lifestyle modification, followed by addition of basal insulin or a sulfonylurea if glycaemic goals are not met (tier 1 recommendations). All other glucose-lowering therapies are relegated to a secondary (tier 2) status and only recommended for selected clinical settings. In our view, this algorithm does not offer physicians and patients the appropriate selection of options to individualise and optimise care with a view to sustained control of blood glucose and reduction both of diabetes complications and cardiovascular risk. This paper critically assesses the basis of the ADA/EASD algorithm and the resulting tiers of treatment options

Effect of switching from pioglitazone to the sodium glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitor dapagliflozin on body weight and metabolism-related factors in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus : An open-label, prospective, randomized, parallel-group comparison trial

The effects of dapagliflozin (DAP) and pioglitazone (PIO) on body weight and glycaemic control were compared in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Seventy-one patients on PIO were either switched to DAP (n = 36) at 5 mg per day or continued on PIO (n = 35). Primary endpoints were superiority of body weight loss and non-inferiority of HbA1c level after 24 weeks with DAP. Body weight decrease was greater with DAP than with PIO (75.3 ± 14.9 to 71.3 ± 15.1 kg vs. 74.7 ± 13.8 to 75.2 ± 13.9 kg; P < 0.01). Change in the HbA1c level was comparable (P = 0.64). The level of N-terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and urinary albumin : creatinine ratio (ACR) decreased only with DAP (NT-proBNP, P < 0.01; ACR, P = 0.02), and the change in NT-proBNP correlated negatively with baseline NT-proBNP level (ρ = -0.68, P < 0.01) and log-converted ACR (ρ = -0.35, P < 0.05). DAP promotes body weight loss in type 2 diabetes mellitus and may decrease fluid retention, thus reducing the occurrence of cardiovascular events

Systemic and renal lipids in kidney disease development and progression

Altered lipid metabolism characterizes proteinuria and chronic kidney diseases. While it is thought that dyslipidemia is a consequence of kidney disease, a large body of clinical and experimental studies support that altered lipid metabolism may contribute to the pathogenesis and progression of kidney disease. In fact, accumulation of renal lipids has been observed in several conditions of genetic and nongenetic origins, linking local fat to the pathogenesis of kidney disease. Statins, which target cholesterol synthesis, have not been proven beneficial to slow the progression of chronic kidney disease. Therefore, other therapeutic strategies to reduce cholesterol accumulation in peripheral organs, such as the kidney, warrant further investigation. Recent advances in the understanding of the biology of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) have revealed that functional HDL, rather than total HDL per se, may protect from both cardiovascular and kidney diseases, strongly supporting a role for altered cholesterol efflux in the pathogenesis of kidney disease. Although the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms responsible for lipid-induced renal damage have yet to be uncovered, several studies suggest novel mechanisms by which cholesterol, free fatty acids, and sphingolipids may affect glomerular and tubular cell function. This review will focus on the clinical and experimental evidence supporting a causative role of lipids in the pathogenesis of proteinuria and kidney disease, with a primary focus on podocytes