Aldosterone Linked to Kidney Failure Risk, Irrespective of Diabetes
Higher serum aldosterone levels were linked to a greater risk of kidney failure in chronic kidney disease (CKD), both for those with and without diabetes, a study showed. Every doubling in aldosterone level was associated with 11% (95% CI 1.04-1.18) greater risk of progression of CKD to end-stage kidney disease or halving of estimated glomerular […]
Lack of diversity of micro-organisms in the gut or elevated metabolite implicated in heart failure severity
Some people who experience heart failure have less biodiversity in their gut or have elevated gut metabolites, both of which are associated with more hospital visits and greater risk of death, according to a systematic review of research findings led by Georgetown University School of Nursing & Health Study researchers and colleagues. The gut microbiome […]
Patiromer Limits Impact of RAAS Inhibitor-Related Hyperkalemia in HF
WASHINGTON — Use of the potassium-binding agent patiromer (Veltassa) allowed more heart failure patients at risk for hyperkalemia to remain on optimal therapy with renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors (RAAS), including mineralocorticoids, the randomized DIAMOND trial showed. For the study’s revised primary endpoint, patiromer led to a significant reduction in potassium levels by study end versus placebo […]
Dominant form of heart failure caused by metabolic-immune interaction, review article suggests
The dominant form of heart failure worldwide appears to be caused by a strong, bidirectional interaction between the body’s response to metabolic stress and the immune system, according to a review article written by UT Southwestern researchers and colleagues. The article, published in Nature Cardiovascular Research, argues for more research into this root cause to […]
Heart Failure Patients Still Undertested for CAD
People with new-onset heart failure (HF) continued to lack adequate testing for coronary artery disease (CAD), a common and treatable cause of HF, and nationwide variations in testing rates suggested room for quality improvement across physicians and geographic regions. From a large pool of patients with incident HF in 2004-2019, just 34.8% underwent CAD testing […]
Does COAPT Change the Need to Try Foundational HF Drugs in Functional MR?
Clinicians agreed on the need for an overhaul of the heart failure guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) titration process during a debate on a different question: whether patients with functional mitral regurgitation (MR) should exhaust all options before they try transcatheter repair. JoAnn Lindenfeld, MD, of Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, asserted that taking appropriate […]