Armend Balidemaj

Dr. Armend Balidemaj


Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

1Year (2026-Present)

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

Representative Publications

View All Publications
30 October 2026 in Diagnostics
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
Michail SpanosMichail Spanos
Michail Spanos
RDRaptis Dimitrios
Raptis Dimitrios
FCFRANCO JOAQUIN COSSETTINI
FRANCO JOAQUIN COSSETTINI
ABArmend Balidemaj
Armend Balidemaj
ARAshwin Ragupathi
Ashwin Ragupathi
DKDamianos G. Kokkinidis
Damianos G. Kokkinidis
Background/Objectives: Congestion drives most heart-failure (HF) hospitalizations, and several strategies now titrate therapy to a directly measured congestion signal rather than to symptoms; whether they differ by the signal measured has not been examined comparatively. Methods: We performed a systematic review and contrast-based network meta-analysis of randomized trials comparing imaging- or device-based congestion-triggered management with usual care. Thirteen chronic-phase trials formed a star network (no closed loops; rankings exploratory) of four strategies, pressure-guided (N1), lung ultrasound (N2), transthoracic lung impedance (N3), and cardiac-implantable-electronic-device (CIED) intrathoracic impedance (N5), with HF hospitalization as the primary outcome and six prespecified sensitivity analyses; four acute trials formed a gap map. Results: Only pressure-guided monitoring reduced HF hospitalization (0.72, 95% confidence interval 0.57–0.90), stable across sensitivities and matching external data. Lung ultrasound did not reduce hospitalization (0.72, 0.48–1.08) or mortality but reduced urgent visits (0.26, 0.13–0.50). The apparent CIED-impedance harm (1.12, 0.77–1.63) reflected an audible-alert trial and dissolved when early-terminated trials were excluded (0.87). Lung impedance gave the largest estimate (0.51, 0.31–0.83) but rested on one trial. No strategy reduced mortality. Conclusions: The congestion signal acted upon, and who receives the alert, track with the effect, although signal and workflow cannot be separated within trials; clinicians should match modality to the intended outcome, as these tools defer hospitalization, not death.