Management of Type 2 Diabetes in Stage C Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction

Type 2 diabetes is an increasingly common comorbidity of stage C heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). The two diseases are risk factors for each other and can bidirectionally independently worsen outcomes. The regulatory requirement of cardiovascular outcomes trials for antidiabetic agents has led to an emergence of novel therapies with robust benefits in heart failure, and clinicians must now ensure they are familiar with the management of patients with concurrent diabetes and stage C HFrEF. This review summarises the current evidence for the management of type 2 diabetes in stage C HFrEF, recapitulating data from landmark heart failure trials regarding the use of guideline-directed medical therapy for heart failure in patients with diabetes. It also provides a preview of upcoming clinical trials in these populations

Prevalence, correlates, and prognosis of peripheral artery disease in rural ecuador-rationale, protocol, and phase I results of a population-based survey: an atahualpa project-ancillary study

Background. Little is known on the prevalence of peripheral artery disease (PAD) in developing countries. Study design. Population-based study in Atahualpa. In Phase I, the Edinburgh claudication questionnaire (ECQ) was used for detection of suspected symptomatic PAD; persons with a negative ECQ but a pulse pressure ≥65 mmHg were suspected of asymptomatic PAD. In Phase II, the ankle-brachial index will be used to test reliability of screening instruments and to determine PAD prevalence. In Phase III, participants will be followed up to estimate the relevance of PAD as a predictor of vascular outcomes. Results. During Phase I, 665 Atahualpa residents aged ≥40 years were enrolled (mean age: 59.5 ± 12.6 years, 58% women). A poor cardiovascular health status was noticed in 464 (70%) persons of which 27 (4%) had a stroke and 14 (2%) had ischemic heart disease. Forty-four subjects (7%) had suspected symptomatic PAD and 170 (26%) had suspected asymptomatic PAD. Individuals with suspected PAD were older, more often women, and had a worse cardiovascular profile than those with nonsuspected PAD. Conclusions. Prevalence of suspected PAD in this underserved population is high. Subsequent phases of this study will determine whether prompt detection of PAD is useful to reduce the incidence of catastrophic vascular diseases in the region

Clinical implications of differences between real world and clinical trial usage of left ventricular assist devices for end stage heart failure.

ImportancePatient outcomes in heart failure clinical trials are generally better than those observed in real-world settings. This may be related to stricter inclusion and exclusion criteria in clinical trials.ObjectiveWe study sought to characterize the clinical implications of differences between patients in clinical trials and those in a real-world registry of patients receiving left ventricular assist devices (LVADs).Design, setting, and participantsThis retrospective cohort study included all patients in INTERMACS (the Interagency Registry for Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support) who were implanted with an axial flow LVAD from 2010 to 2015 to allow for equivalent comparisons.Main outcomes and measuresDifferences in patient characteristics and 2-year rates of adverse outcomes with those reported in the ENDURANCE and MOMENTUM 3 clinical trials. Survival analyses were used to assess the relationships between prespecified patient factors and clinical outcomes.ResultsOf the 10,937 LVAD recipients identified in INTERMACS between 2010-2015, 44% met at least 1 clinical trial exclusion criterion. The 2-year incidence of stroke and death amongst LVAD recipients in INTERMACS and the landmark clinical trials differed significantly (PConclusions and relevanceMost exclusion criteria used in LVAD clinical trials did not afford a substantially greater risk to patients in the real-world setting. In the relatively infrequent cases of end stage renal disease, thrombocytopenia, respiratory failure, and need for ECMO, the risks and benefits of LVAD therapy need careful weighting and further study