Fran Rode

Mr. Fran Rode


Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

5Years (2022-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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11 February 2025 in Heart and Vessels
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
PDF file
FRFran Rode
Fran Rode
NPNikola Pavlović
Nikola Pavlović
AJAna Jordan
Ana Jordan
MRMarija Radić
Marija Radić
ALAnte Lisičić
Ante Lisičić
IJIvana Jurin
Ivana Jurin

24 May 2026 in Medicina
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
MRMarija Radic
Marija Radic
IJIvana Jurin
Ivana Jurin
FRFran Rode
Fran Rode
LŠLuka Šimunović
Luka Šimunović
PKPetra Kolundžić
Petra Kolundžić
TLTomislav Letilovic
Tomislav Letilovic
Background: SGLT2 inhibitors improve outcomes in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), but whether early recovery patterns after initiation differ according to HF etiology in real-world practice remains uncertain. Objective: To evaluate whether ischemic versus non-ischemic etiology is associated with different 6-month cardiac, renal, biomarker, and exploratory metabolic trajectories after early in-hospital SGLT2 inhibitor initiation in HFrEF. Materials and Methods: In this prospective single-center observational cohort (2022–2025), consecutive adults hospitalized with first-presentation acute HFrEF who initiated empagliflozin or dapagliflozin within 48 h of admission were enrolled. Patients were classified as having ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM) or non-ischemic cardiomyopathy (NICM). The primary analytic cohort included patients with paired baseline and 6-month echocardiography. The primary outcome was change in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF); eGFR and NT-proBNP were secondary outcomes. Exploratory metabolic/laboratory variables were summarized descriptively using paired available-case follow-up. The study was approved by the institutional ethics committee and registered in ClinicalTrials.gov under the CaRD registry framework (NCT06090591). Results: The paired 6-month echocardiographic analytic cohort comprised 241 patients who survived to reassessment (ICM n = 90; NICM n = 151). NICM showed greater improvement in LVEF than ICM (ΔLVEF +10% [IQR 0–18] vs. +5% [IQR 0–12]; p = 0.049) and a more favorable eGFR trajectory (ΔeGFR 0.30 [IQR −5.90 to 6.60] vs. −2.70 [IQR −12.60 to 3.40] mL/min/1.73 m2; p = 0.038). NT-proBNP declined substantially in both groups, with no between-group difference in change magnitude (p = 0.845), although 6-month values remained higher in ICM (p = 0.034). However, after multivariable adjustment, ischemic etiology was no longer independently associated with 6-month LVEF or eGFR outcomes. Exploratory metabolic findings varied descriptively by etiology but should be interpreted cautiously because follow-up completeness and background treatment intensity varied across variables. Conclusions: In this real-world cohort of patients with HFrEF who initiated SGLT2 inhibitors during hospitalization, HF etiology was associated with different short-term cardiorenal recovery patterns, whereas NT-proBNP reduction was similar across groups. These findings characterize etiology-related recovery within a treated cohort rather than differential SGLT2 inhibitor efficacy and should therefore be considered as hypothesis-generating.


1 November 2022 in Cardiologia Croatica
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
FRFran Rode
Fran Rode
ISIvan Skoric
Ivan Skoric
IHIrzal Hadžibegović
Irzal Hadžibegović
NPNikola Pavlovic
Nikola Pavlovic
MUMario Udovicic
Mario Udovicic
IJIvana Jurin
Ivana Jurin

1 November 2024 in Cardiologia Croatica
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
FRFran Rode
Fran Rode
AJAna Jordan
Ana Jordan
IZIvan Zeljković
Ivan Zeljković
NPNikola Pavlovic
Nikola Pavlovic
ALAnte Lisičić
Ante Lisičić
IJIvana Jurin
Ivana Jurin