Background: Dapagliflozin has been shown to reduce morbidity and mortality in Heart Failure with reduced Ejection Fraction (HFrEF), but its impact on exercise capacity of non-diabetic HF outpatients is unknown. Methods: Adult non-diabetic HF patients with a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) <50% were randomized 1:1 to receive dapagliflozin 10 mg or to continue with HF medication. Patients underwent an initial evaluation which was repeated after 6 months. The variation of several clinical parameters was compared, with the primary endpoint being the 6 month peak oxygen uptake (pVO₂) variation. Results: A total of 40 patients were included (mean age 61 ± 13 years, 82.5% male, mean LVEF 34 ± 5%), half being randomized to dapagliflozin, with no significant baseline differences between groups. The reported drug compliance was 100%, with no major safety events. No statistically significant difference in HF events was found (p = 0.609). There was a 24% reduction in the number of patients in New York Heart Association (NYHA) class III in the treatment group as opposed to a 15.8% increase in the control group (p = 0.004). Patients under dapagliflozin had a greater improvement in pVO₂ (3.1 vs. 0.1 mL/kg/min, p = 0.030) and a greater reduction in NT-proBNP levels (−217.6 vs. 650.3 pg/mL, p = 0.007). Conclusion: Dapagliflozin was associated with a significant improvement in cardiopulmonary fitness at 6 months follow-up in non-diabetic HFrEF patients.

Atherosclerotic disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Atherosclerosis may be present in different arterial territories and as a single- or multi-territorial disease. The different phenotypes of atherosclerosis are attributable only in part to acquired cardiovascular risk factors and genetic Mendelian inheritance. miRNAs, which regulate the gene expression at the post-transcriptional level, may also contribute to such heterogeneity. Numerous miRNAs participate in the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis by modulating endothelial function, smooth vascular cell function, vascular inflammation, and cholesterol homeostasis in the vessel, among other biological processes. Moreover, miRNAs are present in peripheral blood with high stability and have the potential to be used as non-invasive biomarkers for the diagnosis of atherosclerosis. However, the circulating miRNA profile may vary according to the involved arterial territory, considering that atherosclerosis expression, including the associated molecular phenotype, varies according to the affected arterial territory. In this review, we discuss the specific circulating miRNA profiles associated with atherosclerosis of different arterial territories, the common circulating miRNA profile of stable atherosclerosis irrespective of the involved arterial territory, and the circulating miRNA signature of multi-territorial atherosclerosis. miRNAs may consist of a simple non-invasive method for discriminating atherosclerosis of different arterial sites. The limitations of miRNA profiling for such clinical application are also discussed.

Levosimendan infusion in the outpatient setting improves the clinical status of heart failure (HF) patients, although its hemodynamic effects are not entirely known. Remote monitoring using the CardioMEMS^TM system enables daily assessment of pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) and estimation of cardiac output (CO). We aimed to assess the hemodynamic effects of outpatient levosimendan infusion using CardioMEMS^TM. All patients admitted for 6-hour levosimendan infusion (performed every 14 days) and using the CardioMEMS^TM remote monitoring system were included in a prospective single-center registry. Clinical and laboratory data were recorded. Systolic, diastolic, and mean PAP, heart rate, CO, and stroke volume (SV) were assessed daily. A total of 25 sessions were performed in three patients. There were no adverse events or significant therapy adjustments. There was a significant reduction in diastolic PAP the day after levosimendan infusion compared to baseline (day prior to infusion) (24.1±4.1 mmHg vs. 21.6±2.9 mmHg, p=0.006). Thereafter, diastolic PAP stabilized and remained significantly lower than baseline up to day 10. There were no significant differences in systolic PAP, mean PAP, heart rate, CO, or SV at any timepoint analyzed, although there was a nonsignificant increase in CO with a peak at day 6. Outpatient levosimendan infusion was associated with an early reduction in diastolic PAP, which was maintained for 10 days. The CardioMEMS^TM system may enable a better understanding of outpatient hemodynamics in advanced HF. To our knowledge, there are no published data on this subject.

The CardioMEMS (TM) system remotely monitors changes in pulmonary artery pressures, which allows for early detection of heart failure worsening. It is a safe and reliable invasive monitoring system. We report a case in which there was a late migration of the device at 6 months of follow-up to the contralateral pulmonary artery. The mechanisms, consequences, and management of device migration are discussed. To our knowledge, there are very few published data on late sensor migration.

Cardiac lymphangiomas represent one of the rarest types of cardiac tumors. We describe the case of a 28-year-old male with cystic lymphangioma and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. There have been only a few cases reported and to the best of our knowledge this is the first documented case associating a cardiac lymphangioma with cardiomyopathy.