Design and baseline characteristics of the finerenone in reducing cardiovascular mortality and morbidity in diabetic kidney disease trial

Background: Among people with diabetes, those with kidney disease have exceptionally high rates of cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality and progression of their underlying kidney disease. Finerenone is a novel, nonsteroidal, selective mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist that has shown to reduce albuminuria in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) while revealing only a low risk of hyperkalemia. However, the effect of finerenone on CV and renal outcomes has not yet been investigated in long-term trials. Patients and Methods: The Finerenone in Reducing CV Mortality and Morbidity in Diabetic Kidney Disease (FIGARO-DKD) trial aims to assess the efficacy and safety of finerenone compared to placebo at reducing clinically important CV and renal outcomes in T2D patients with CKD. FIGARO-DKD is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, event-driven trial running in 47 countries with an expected duration of approximately 6 years. FIGARO-DKD randomized 7,437 patients with an estimated glomerular filtration rate >= 25 mL/min/1.73 m(2) and albuminuria (urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio >= 30 to <= 5,000 mg/g). The study has at least 90% power to detect a 20% reduction in the risk of the primary outcome (overall two-sided significance level alpha = 0.05), the composite of time to first occurrence of CV death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, or hospitalization for heart failure. Conclusions: FIGARO-DKD will determine whether an optimally treated cohort of T2D patients with CKD at high risk of CV and renal events will experience cardiorenal benefits with the addition of finerenone to their treatment regimen. Trial Registration: EudraCT number: 2015-000950-39; ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02545049

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY RESEARCH

The aim of the present study was to evaluate pulmonary function tests and arterial oxygen transport in patients with pulmonary hypertension due to congestive heart failure before and after cilazapril treatment. Thirty patients (16 men and 14 women, mean age, 65 18 years) with congestive heart failure and 30 healthy volunteers (20 men and 10 women, mean age 59 +/- 12 years, p > 0.05) were included in the study. All patients underwent evaluation of pulmonary function by spirometry and arterial blood gas analysis. Arterial oxygen saturation and arterial oxygen transport changed significantly after treatment (81 +/- 7 to 87 +/- 8 and 317 +/- 74 to 392 +/- 8, respectively). Forced expiration volume in 1 second, vital capacity and total lung capacity were increased after cilazapril treatment (2.55 +/- 0.7 to 2.61 +/- 0.8, 3.2 +/- 0.9 to 3.3 +/- 1.0 and 3.6 +/- 0.9 to 4.1 +/- 1.1, respectively p < 0.05). In conclusion, short-term cilazapril administration improved pulmonary function and arterial oxygen transport because it increased cardiac output, produced pulmonary vasodilatation, improved the pulmonary hemodynamics and removed interstitial fluid

CARDIOLOGY

Diastolic Filling of hypertrophied left ventricles has frequently been observed by Doppler methods. We hypothesized that filling characteristics in hypertrophy vary with etiology and concurrent ischemia. For patients with hypertrophy, the left-ventricular ejection fraction was >0.47 +/- 0.16, end-diastolic pressure was > 15 +/- 2 mm Hg, end-diastolic volume index was <96 +/- 12 ml/m(2) and left-ventricular mass index was 127 +/- 7 g/m(2). Peak E (early) and peak A (late) diastolic velocities and E-wave deceleration time, respectively, were as follows (significant unless otherwise indicated): normal subjects (NS), 79 +/- 9 and 82 +/- 19 cm/s, and 151 +/- 7 ms; cardiomyopathic hypertrophy, 63 +/- 16, 83 +/- 15 (NS) and 193 +/- 63, aortic stenosis without coronary disease, 110 +/- 10, 128 +/- 12 and 158 +/- 22 (NS); aortic stenosis with coronary disease, 57 +/- 12, 86 +/- 26 (NS) and 187 +/- 39; hypertension without coronary disease, 107 +/- 9, 128 +/- 9 and 143 +/- 22 (NS); hypertension with coronary disease, 58 +/- 12, 84 +/- 26 (NS) and 189 +/- 29. Conclusions: Hypertrophied left ventricles filled with two diastolic Doppler patterns: a relaxation abnormality with low peak E and delayed deceleration in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and a compliance abnormality with tall peak E and normal deceleration in pressure overload hypertrophy. When coronary artery disease occurred with pressure overload hypertrophy, impaired relaxation was the dominant pattern. Therefore, in addition to the known physiologic influences on diastolic filling, the etiology and presence of coronary artery disease modulate the configuration of transmitral velocities into hypertrophied ventricles

JAPANESE HEART JOURNAL

Flow-mediated vasodilation (FMV), brachial artery flow (BAF), and brachial artery diameter were evaluated in 30 patients with congestive heart failure before and after cilazapril treatment. While mean pulmonary artery pressure and Pulmonary capillary wedge pressure decreased significantly, flow-mediated vasodilation and left ventricular ejection fraction increased significantly following cilazapril administration (P0.05). In conclusion, short term cilazapril administration improved endothelial function and pulmonary pressure in patients with congestive heart failure

JAPANESE HEART JOURNAL

Doppler echocardiographic determinations, left ventricular (LV) fractional shortening (FS), cardiac output (CO), diastolic function parameter (E/A ratio) and carotid artery pulse wave velocity and stiffness were evaluated in 36 patients with essential hypertension before and after nisoldipine treatment. Blood pressure decreased significantly, and carotid artery width and fractional shortening increased significantly following nisoldipine administration (p 0.05). In conclusion, short term nisoldipine administration improved blood pressure and LV systolic function, whereas LV diastolic function and carotid artery stiffness did not change. Nisoldipine did not alter serum biochemical parameters, including cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL-cholesterol, and LDL-cholesterol (p > 0.05). Only one patient manifested symptoms of hypotension as an adverse effect of the drug

Public Health Rep

13876623PMCnul

Non-invasive diagnosis and management of coronary arteriovenous fistula - A case report

Coronary arteriovenous fistulas are rare anomalies resulting in abnormal communication between the coronary artery and any chamber of the heart. An asymptomatic patient was referred for evaluation of her murmur. Two-dimensional and color Doppler echocardiographic evaluation revealed an enlarged left main coronary artery. A retrograde, eccentric smell jet was found within the right ventricular outflow tract at the pulmonary artery valvular level allowing us to detect the entrance she of the fistula. The diagnosis was confirmed by cardiac catheterization and angiocardiography. Although our case was asymptomatic, the decision to perform cardiac surgery was made because of the aneurysmatic appearance of the left coronary artery. In our opinion, visualization of coronary arteries by two-dimensional echocardiography, together with additional information obtained from the Doppler examination, provides an excellent technique for the noninvasive diagnosis of coronary artery fistula