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Frea S, Pidello S, Angelini F, Boretto P, Bocchino PP, Melis D, Giannino G, Cavallone E, Giordana F, Rettegno S, Gravinese C, De Lio G, Gallone G, Dusi V, Alunni G, Montefusco A, D’Ascenzo F, Boffini M, Raineri C, Rinaldi M, De Ferrari GM. Mitral Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Repair in INTERMACS 3-4 Profile Patients with Severe Mitral Regurgitation. J Cardiovasc Dev Dis 2024; 11:373. [PMID: 39590216 PMCID: PMC11595302 DOI: 10.3390/jcdd11110373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2024] [Revised: 11/10/2024] [Accepted: 11/15/2024] [Indexed: 11/28/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Heart transplantation and left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implementation are effective treatments for advanced heart failure (HF), although their use is limited by organ availability and the high incidence of adverse events. The efficacy of mitral transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) as a bridge to transplantation or as a destination therapy in advanced HF is still debated. METHODS A total of 63 patients with INTERMACS class 3 or 4 with contraindications for LVAD and severe functional mitral regurgitation (FMR) were evaluated for TEER implantation eligibility. The primary endpoint was a composite of death, urgent heart transplantation and LVAD implantation at 12 months. RESULTS A total of 36 patients underwent TEER, while 27 patients received optimal medical therapy (MT) alone. In the intervention group, 35 patients (97%) were discharged alive. In the MT group, two in-hospital deaths occurred, two patients underwent urgent heart transplantation, and three patients were discharged on inotropes. At the 12-month follow-up, the incidence of the primary endpoint occurring was lower in the TEER group (25% vs. 70%, HR 0.25, 95% CI 0.11-0.60, p < 0.01) and the tolerance to neurohormonal therapy was higher (53% vs. 30%, p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS In advanced HF patients with INTERMACS profile 3 or 4 and severe FMR, TEER on top of optimal MT was associated with a lower incidence of death, urgent heart transplantation or LVAD implantation at 12 months compared to optimal MT alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Frea
- Cardiovascular and Thoracic Department, Division of Cardiology, Città della Salute e della Scienza Hospital, 10126 Turin, Italy; (S.F.); (S.P.); (P.B.); (P.P.B.); (D.M.); (G.G.); (E.C.); (F.G.); (S.R.); (C.G.); (G.D.L.); (G.G.); (V.D.); (G.A.); (A.M.); (F.D.); (C.R.); (G.M.D.F.)
| | - Stefano Pidello
- Cardiovascular and Thoracic Department, Division of Cardiology, Città della Salute e della Scienza Hospital, 10126 Turin, Italy; (S.F.); (S.P.); (P.B.); (P.P.B.); (D.M.); (G.G.); (E.C.); (F.G.); (S.R.); (C.G.); (G.D.L.); (G.G.); (V.D.); (G.A.); (A.M.); (F.D.); (C.R.); (G.M.D.F.)
| | - Filippo Angelini
- Cardiovascular and Thoracic Department, Division of Cardiology, Città della Salute e della Scienza Hospital, 10126 Turin, Italy; (S.F.); (S.P.); (P.B.); (P.P.B.); (D.M.); (G.G.); (E.C.); (F.G.); (S.R.); (C.G.); (G.D.L.); (G.G.); (V.D.); (G.A.); (A.M.); (F.D.); (C.R.); (G.M.D.F.)
| | - Paolo Boretto
- Cardiovascular and Thoracic Department, Division of Cardiology, Città della Salute e della Scienza Hospital, 10126 Turin, Italy; (S.F.); (S.P.); (P.B.); (P.P.B.); (D.M.); (G.G.); (E.C.); (F.G.); (S.R.); (C.G.); (G.D.L.); (G.G.); (V.D.); (G.A.); (A.M.); (F.D.); (C.R.); (G.M.D.F.)
| | - Pier Paolo Bocchino
- Cardiovascular and Thoracic Department, Division of Cardiology, Città della Salute e della Scienza Hospital, 10126 Turin, Italy; (S.F.); (S.P.); (P.B.); (P.P.B.); (D.M.); (G.G.); (E.C.); (F.G.); (S.R.); (C.G.); (G.D.L.); (G.G.); (V.D.); (G.A.); (A.M.); (F.D.); (C.R.); (G.M.D.F.)
| | - Daniele Melis
- Cardiovascular and Thoracic Department, Division of Cardiology, Città della Salute e della Scienza Hospital, 10126 Turin, Italy; (S.F.); (S.P.); (P.B.); (P.P.B.); (D.M.); (G.G.); (E.C.); (F.G.); (S.R.); (C.G.); (G.D.L.); (G.G.); (V.D.); (G.A.); (A.M.); (F.D.); (C.R.); (G.M.D.F.)
| | - Giuseppe Giannino
- Cardiovascular and Thoracic Department, Division of Cardiology, Città della Salute e della Scienza Hospital, 10126 Turin, Italy; (S.F.); (S.P.); (P.B.); (P.P.B.); (D.M.); (G.G.); (E.C.); (F.G.); (S.R.); (C.G.); (G.D.L.); (G.G.); (V.D.); (G.A.); (A.M.); (F.D.); (C.R.); (G.M.D.F.)
| | - Elena Cavallone
- Cardiovascular and Thoracic Department, Division of Cardiology, Città della Salute e della Scienza Hospital, 10126 Turin, Italy; (S.F.); (S.P.); (P.B.); (P.P.B.); (D.M.); (G.G.); (E.C.); (F.G.); (S.R.); (C.G.); (G.D.L.); (G.G.); (V.D.); (G.A.); (A.M.); (F.D.); (C.R.); (G.M.D.F.)
| | - Francesca Giordana
- Cardiovascular and Thoracic Department, Division of Cardiology, Città della Salute e della Scienza Hospital, 10126 Turin, Italy; (S.F.); (S.P.); (P.B.); (P.P.B.); (D.M.); (G.G.); (E.C.); (F.G.); (S.R.); (C.G.); (G.D.L.); (G.G.); (V.D.); (G.A.); (A.M.); (F.D.); (C.R.); (G.M.D.F.)
| | - Sara Rettegno
- Cardiovascular and Thoracic Department, Division of Cardiology, Città della Salute e della Scienza Hospital, 10126 Turin, Italy; (S.F.); (S.P.); (P.B.); (P.P.B.); (D.M.); (G.G.); (E.C.); (F.G.); (S.R.); (C.G.); (G.D.L.); (G.G.); (V.D.); (G.A.); (A.M.); (F.D.); (C.R.); (G.M.D.F.)
| | - Carol Gravinese
- Cardiovascular and Thoracic Department, Division of Cardiology, Città della Salute e della Scienza Hospital, 10126 Turin, Italy; (S.F.); (S.P.); (P.B.); (P.P.B.); (D.M.); (G.G.); (E.C.); (F.G.); (S.R.); (C.G.); (G.D.L.); (G.G.); (V.D.); (G.A.); (A.M.); (F.D.); (C.R.); (G.M.D.F.)
| | - Giulia De Lio
- Cardiovascular and Thoracic Department, Division of Cardiology, Città della Salute e della Scienza Hospital, 10126 Turin, Italy; (S.F.); (S.P.); (P.B.); (P.P.B.); (D.M.); (G.G.); (E.C.); (F.G.); (S.R.); (C.G.); (G.D.L.); (G.G.); (V.D.); (G.A.); (A.M.); (F.D.); (C.R.); (G.M.D.F.)
| | - Guglielmo Gallone
- Cardiovascular and Thoracic Department, Division of Cardiology, Città della Salute e della Scienza Hospital, 10126 Turin, Italy; (S.F.); (S.P.); (P.B.); (P.P.B.); (D.M.); (G.G.); (E.C.); (F.G.); (S.R.); (C.G.); (G.D.L.); (G.G.); (V.D.); (G.A.); (A.M.); (F.D.); (C.R.); (G.M.D.F.)
- Department of Medical Sciences, Division of Cardiology, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy; (M.B.); (M.R.)
| | - Veronica Dusi
- Cardiovascular and Thoracic Department, Division of Cardiology, Città della Salute e della Scienza Hospital, 10126 Turin, Italy; (S.F.); (S.P.); (P.B.); (P.P.B.); (D.M.); (G.G.); (E.C.); (F.G.); (S.R.); (C.G.); (G.D.L.); (G.G.); (V.D.); (G.A.); (A.M.); (F.D.); (C.R.); (G.M.D.F.)
- Department of Medical Sciences, Division of Cardiology, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy; (M.B.); (M.R.)
| | - Gianluca Alunni
- Cardiovascular and Thoracic Department, Division of Cardiology, Città della Salute e della Scienza Hospital, 10126 Turin, Italy; (S.F.); (S.P.); (P.B.); (P.P.B.); (D.M.); (G.G.); (E.C.); (F.G.); (S.R.); (C.G.); (G.D.L.); (G.G.); (V.D.); (G.A.); (A.M.); (F.D.); (C.R.); (G.M.D.F.)
| | - Antonio Montefusco
- Cardiovascular and Thoracic Department, Division of Cardiology, Città della Salute e della Scienza Hospital, 10126 Turin, Italy; (S.F.); (S.P.); (P.B.); (P.P.B.); (D.M.); (G.G.); (E.C.); (F.G.); (S.R.); (C.G.); (G.D.L.); (G.G.); (V.D.); (G.A.); (A.M.); (F.D.); (C.R.); (G.M.D.F.)
| | - Fabrizio D’Ascenzo
- Cardiovascular and Thoracic Department, Division of Cardiology, Città della Salute e della Scienza Hospital, 10126 Turin, Italy; (S.F.); (S.P.); (P.B.); (P.P.B.); (D.M.); (G.G.); (E.C.); (F.G.); (S.R.); (C.G.); (G.D.L.); (G.G.); (V.D.); (G.A.); (A.M.); (F.D.); (C.R.); (G.M.D.F.)
- Department of Medical Sciences, Division of Cardiology, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy; (M.B.); (M.R.)
| | - Massimo Boffini
- Department of Medical Sciences, Division of Cardiology, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy; (M.B.); (M.R.)
- Division of Cardiac Surgery, Città della Salute e della Scienza Hospital, 10126 Turin, Italy
| | - Claudia Raineri
- Cardiovascular and Thoracic Department, Division of Cardiology, Città della Salute e della Scienza Hospital, 10126 Turin, Italy; (S.F.); (S.P.); (P.B.); (P.P.B.); (D.M.); (G.G.); (E.C.); (F.G.); (S.R.); (C.G.); (G.D.L.); (G.G.); (V.D.); (G.A.); (A.M.); (F.D.); (C.R.); (G.M.D.F.)
- Department of Medical Sciences, Division of Cardiology, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy; (M.B.); (M.R.)
| | - Mauro Rinaldi
- Department of Medical Sciences, Division of Cardiology, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy; (M.B.); (M.R.)
- Division of Cardiac Surgery, Città della Salute e della Scienza Hospital, 10126 Turin, Italy
| | - Gaetano Maria De Ferrari
- Cardiovascular and Thoracic Department, Division of Cardiology, Città della Salute e della Scienza Hospital, 10126 Turin, Italy; (S.F.); (S.P.); (P.B.); (P.P.B.); (D.M.); (G.G.); (E.C.); (F.G.); (S.R.); (C.G.); (G.D.L.); (G.G.); (V.D.); (G.A.); (A.M.); (F.D.); (C.R.); (G.M.D.F.)
- Department of Medical Sciences, Division of Cardiology, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy; (M.B.); (M.R.)
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Bosa Ojeda F, Méndez Vargas C, Lacalzada Almeida J, Izquierdo Gómez MM, Jiménez Sosa A, Rodríguez Jiménez C, Sánchez-Grande Flecha A, Bosa Santana M, Yanes Bowden G. Efficacy and safety of levosimendan in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention: The LEVOCEST trial. Catheter Cardiovasc Interv 2024. [PMID: 39425551 DOI: 10.1002/ccd.31267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2024] [Revised: 09/30/2024] [Accepted: 10/06/2024] [Indexed: 10/21/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Primary angioplasty is the standard procedure for patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). However, myocardial reperfusion results in additional cell damage. Levosimendan, due to its pleiotropic effects, may be a therapeutic alternative to prevent this damage. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether this drug can reduce infarct size in patients with STEMI. METHODS Patients were randomized to receive a 24-h infusion of either levosimendan (0.1 μg/kg/min) or placebo after the primary angioplasty. The main objective was to assess the size of the infarct by cardiac resonance at 30 days and 6 months after the event. Other variables such as left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and adverse ventricular remodeling (AVR) were assessed by speckle-tracking echocardiography and magnetic resonance. Major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) were also collected. RESULTS 157 patients were analysed (levosimendan, n = 79; placebo, n = 78). We found that after 6 months, patients treated with levosimendan had a greater reduction in infarct size (13.19% ± 9.5% vs.11.79% ± 9%, p = 0.001), compared with those in the placebo group (13.35% ± 7.1% vs. 13.43% ± 7.8%, p = 0.38). There were no significant differences in MACE between both groups. CONCLUSIONS Levosimendan is a safe and effective therapeutic option for reducing infarct size in patients with STEMI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Bosa Ojeda
- Department of Interventional Cardiology, University Hospital of the Canary Islands, La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
- Department of Cardiology, University Hospital of the Canary Islands, La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
| | - Corabel Méndez Vargas
- Department of Interventional Cardiology, University Hospital of the Canary Islands, La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
- Department of Cardiology, University Hospital of the Canary Islands, La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
| | - Juan Lacalzada Almeida
- Department of Cardiology, University Hospital of the Canary Islands, La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
| | - María M Izquierdo Gómez
- Department of Cardiology, University Hospital of the Canary Islands, La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
| | - Alejandro Jiménez Sosa
- Research Unit, University Hospital of the Canary Islands, La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
| | - Consuelo Rodríguez Jiménez
- Clinical Pharmacology Service, Clinical Research and Clinical Trials Unit of the University Hospital of the Canary Islands, Canary Islands, Spain
| | - Alejandro Sánchez-Grande Flecha
- Department of Interventional Cardiology, University Hospital of the Canary Islands, La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
- Department of Cardiology, University Hospital of the Canary Islands, La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
| | - Marta Bosa Santana
- Emergency Department, University Hospital Nuestra Señora de Candelaria, Canary Islands, Spain
| | - Geoffrey Yanes Bowden
- Department of Interventional Cardiology, University Hospital of the Canary Islands, La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
- Department of Cardiology, University Hospital of the Canary Islands, La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
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Ferreira Reis J, Valentim Gonçalves A, Ilhão Moreira R, Pereira da Silva T, Timóteo AT, Pombo D, Carvalho T, Correia C, Santos C, Cruz Ferreira R. Levosimendan in outpatients with advanced heart failure: Single-center experience of 200 intermittent perfusions. Rev Port Cardiol 2023; 42:335-343. [PMID: 36634758 DOI: 10.1016/j.repc.2022.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Revised: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Patients with advanced heart failure (HF) have high morbidity and mortality, with only a small proportion being eligible for advanced therapies. Intermittent outpatient levosimendan infusion has been shown to provide symptomatic relief and reduce the rate of HF events. Our aim was to assess the safety and efficacy of outpatient levosimendan administration in an advanced HF population. METHODS This is a report of a single-center experience of consecutive advanced HF patients referred for intermittent intravenous outpatient administration of levosimendan, between January 2018 and March 2021. Baseline and follow-up evaluation included clinical assessment, laboratory tests, transthoracic echocardiography and cardiopulmonary exercise testing. Baseline and clinical follow-up data were compared using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. RESULTS A total of 24 patients (60.8 years, 83% male, mean left ventricular ejection fraction [LVEF] 24%), with a median of 1.5 HF hospitalizations in the previous six months, were referred for outpatient levosimendan pulses, the majority as a bridge to transplantation or due to clinical deterioration. At six-month follow-up there was a significant reduction in HF hospitalizations to 0.4±0.7 (p<0.001). NYHA class IV (52.2% to 12.5%, p=0.025) and NT-proBNP (8812.5 to 3807.4 pg/ml, p=0.038) were also significantly reduced. Exercise capacity was significantly improved, including peak oxygen uptake (p=0.043) and VE/VCO2 slope (p=0.040). LVEF improved from 24.0% to 29.7% (p=0.008). No serious adverse events were reported. CONCLUSION Repeated levosimendan administration in advanced HF patients is a safe procedure and was associated with a reduction in HF hospitalizations, functional and LVEF improvement, and reduction in NT-proBNP levels during follow-up.
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Affiliation(s)
- João Ferreira Reis
- Department of Cardiology, Hospital de Santa Marta, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Central, Lisbon, Portugal.
| | - António Valentim Gonçalves
- Department of Cardiology, Hospital de Santa Marta, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Central, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Rita Ilhão Moreira
- Department of Cardiology, Hospital de Santa Marta, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Central, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Tiago Pereira da Silva
- Department of Cardiology, Hospital de Santa Marta, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Central, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Ana Teresa Timóteo
- Department of Cardiology, Hospital de Santa Marta, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Central, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Delmira Pombo
- Department of Cardiology, Hospital de Santa Marta, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Central, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Tiago Carvalho
- Department of Cardiology, Hospital de Santa Marta, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Central, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Catarina Correia
- Department of Cardiology, Hospital de Santa Marta, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Central, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Claúdia Santos
- Department of Cardiology, Hospital de Santa Marta, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Central, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Rui Cruz Ferreira
- Department of Cardiology, Hospital de Santa Marta, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Central, Lisbon, Portugal
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Vishram-Nielsen JKK, Tomasoni D, Gustafsson F, Metra M. Contemporary Drug Treatment of Advanced Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction. Drugs 2022; 82:375-405. [PMID: 35113350 PMCID: PMC8820365 DOI: 10.1007/s40265-021-01666-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The introduction of multiple new pharmacological agents over the past three decades in the field of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) has led to reduced rates of mortality and hospitalizations, and consequently the prevalence of HFrEF has increased, and up to 10% of patients progress to more advanced stages, characterized by high rates of mortality, hospitalizations, and poor quality of life. Advanced HFrEF patients often show persistent or progressive signs of severe HF symptoms corresponding to New York Heart Association class III or IV despite being on optimal medical, surgical, and device therapies. However, a subpopulation of patients with advanced HF, those with the most advanced stages of disease, were often insufficiently represented in the major trials demonstrating efficacy and tolerability of the drugs used in HFrEF due to exclusion criteria such as low BP and kidney dysfunction. Consequently, the results of many landmark trials cannot necessarily be transferred to patients with the most advanced stages of HFrEF. Thus, the efficacy and tolerability of guideline-directed medical therapies in patients with the most advanced stages of HFrEF often remain unsettled, and this knowledge is of crucial importance in the planning and timing of consideration for referral for advanced therapies. This review discusses the evidence regarding the use of contemporary drugs in the advanced HFrEF population, covering components such as guideline HFrEF drugs, diuretics, inotropes, and the use of HFrEF drugs in LVAD recipients, and provides suggestions on how to manage guideline-directed therapy in this patient group.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Daniela Tomasoni
- Cardiology, ASST Spedali Civili, Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences and Public Health, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Finn Gustafsson
- Department of Cardiology, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Marco Metra
- Cardiology, ASST Spedali Civili, Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences and Public Health, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
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García‐González MJ, Aldea Perona A, Lara Padron A, Morales Rull JL, Martínez‐Sellés M, de Mora Martin M, López Díaz J, López Fernandez S, Ortiz Oficialdegui P, Jiménez Sosa A. Efficacy and safety of intermittent repeated levosimendan infusions in advanced heart failure patients: the LAICA study. ESC Heart Fail 2021; 8:4820-4831. [PMID: 34716753 PMCID: PMC8712777 DOI: 10.1002/ehf2.13670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Revised: 09/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Aims The aim of the LAICA study was to evaluate the long‐term effectiveness and safety of intermittent levosimendan infusion in patients with advanced heart failure (AdHF). Methods and results This was a multicentre, randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled clinical trial of intermittent levosimendan 0.1 μg/kg/min as a continuous 24‐h intravenous infusion administered once monthly for 1 year in patients with AdHF. The primary endpoint [incidence of rehospitalization (admission to the emergency department or hospital ward for >12 h) for acute decompensated HF or clinical deterioration of the underlying HF] occurred in 23/70 (33%) of the levosimendan group (Group I) and 12/27 (44%) of the placebo group (Group II) (P = 0.286). The incidence of hospital readmissions for acute decompensated HF (Group I vs. Group II) at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months was 4.2% vs. 18.2% (P = 0.036); 12.8% vs. 33.3% (P = 0.02); 25.7% vs. 40.7% (P = 0.147); 32.8% vs. 44.4% (P = 0.28), respectively. In a secondary pre‐specified time‐to‐event analysis no differences were observed in admission for acute decompensated HF between patients treated with levosimendan compared with placebo (hazard ratio 0.66; 95% CI, 0.32–1.32; P = 0.24). Cumulative incidence for the aggregated endpoint of acute decompensation of HF and/or death at 1 and 3 months were significatively lower in the levosimendan group than in placebo group [5.7% vs. 25.9% (P = 0.004) and 17.1% vs. 48.1% (P = 0.001), respectively], but not at 6 and 12 months [34.2% vs. 59.2% (P = 0.025); 41.4% vs. 66.6% (P = 0.022), respectively]. Survival probability was significantly higher in patients who received levosimendan compared with those who received placebo (log rank: 4.06; P = 0.044). There were no clinically relevant differences in tolerability between levosimendan and placebo and no new safety signals were observed. Conclusions In our study, intermittent levosimendan in patients with AdHF produced a statistically non‐significant reduction in the incidence of hospital readmissions for acute decompensated HF, a significantly lower cumulative incidence of acute decompensation of HF and/or death at 1 and 3 month of treatment and a significant improvement in survival during 12 months of treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martín J. García‐González
- Acute Cardiac Care Unit, Department of CardiologyHospital Universitario de CanariasCtra. La Cuesta—Taco, Ofra s/n, 38320 San Cristóbal de La LagunaTenerifeSpain
| | - Ana Aldea Perona
- Institut Municipal d'Investigacions Mèdiques (IMIM)BarcelonaSpain
| | - Antonio Lara Padron
- Acute Cardiac Care Unit, Department of CardiologyHospital Universitario de CanariasCtra. La Cuesta—Taco, Ofra s/n, 38320 San Cristóbal de La LagunaTenerifeSpain
| | - José Luis Morales Rull
- Heart Failure Unit, Department of Internal MedicineHospital Arnau de Vilanova, Institut de Recerca Biomédica de Lleida (IRBLleida)LleidaSpain
| | - Manuel Martínez‐Sellés
- Department of CardiologyHospital Universitario Gregorio Marañon, CIBERCV, Universidad Europea, Universidad ComplutenseMadridSpain
| | | | - Javier López Díaz
- Department of CardiologyHospital Clínico Universitario de Valladolid, CIBERCVValladolidSpain
| | - Silvia López Fernandez
- Heart Failure Unit, Department of CardiologyHospital Universitario Virgen de las NievesGranadaSpain
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Conti N, Gatti M, Raschi E, Diemberger I, Potena L. Evidence and Current Use of Levosimendan in the Treatment of Heart Failure: Filling the Gap. DRUG DESIGN DEVELOPMENT AND THERAPY 2021; 15:3391-3409. [PMID: 34376973 PMCID: PMC8350150 DOI: 10.2147/dddt.s295214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Levosimendan is a distinctive inodilator combing calcium sensitization, phosphodiesterase inhibition and vasodilating properties through the opening of adenosine triphosphate-dependent potassium channels. It was first approved in Sweden in 2000 for the short-term treatment of acutely decompensated severe chronic heart failure when conventional therapy is not sufficient, and in cases where inotropic support is considered appropriate. After more than 20 years, clinical applications have considerably expanded across critical care and emergency medicine, and levosimendan is now under investigation in different cardiac settings (eg, septic shock, pulmonary hypertension) and for non-cardiac applications (eg, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). This narrative review outlines key milestones in levosimendan history, by addressing regulatory issues, pharmacological peculiarities and clinical aspects (efficacy and safety) of a drug that did not receive great attention in the heart failure guidelines. A brief outlook to the ongoing clinical trials is also offered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolina Conti
- Cardiology Unit, Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Milo Gatti
- Pharmacology Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.,SSD Clinical Pharmacology, IRCSS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Emanuel Raschi
- Pharmacology Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Igor Diemberger
- Cardiology Unit, Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.,Cardiology Unit, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Luciano Potena
- Cardiology Unit, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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7
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Maiello C, Cacciatore F, Amarelli C, Palmieri V, Golino P. Repetitive levosimendan in outpatients affected by advanced heart failure: the need for a uniform approach. J Cardiovasc Med (Hagerstown) 2021; 22:149. [PMID: 32858638 DOI: 10.2459/jcm.0000000000001090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ciro Maiello
- Department of Cardiac Surgery and Transplantation, Heart Transplantation Unit in Adults of the 'Ospedali dei Colli Monaldi-Cotugno-CTO'
| | - Francesco Cacciatore
- Department of Translational Medical Sciences and Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, 'Federico II' University of Naples
| | - Cristiano Amarelli
- Department of Cardiac Surgery and Transplantation, Heart Transplantation Unit in Adults of the 'Ospedali dei Colli Monaldi-Cotugno-CTO'
| | - Vittorio Palmieri
- Department of Cardiac Surgery and Transplantation, Heart Transplantation Unit in Adults of the 'Ospedali dei Colli Monaldi-Cotugno-CTO'
| | - Paolo Golino
- Department of Cardiology, Cardiology Unit of the 'L. Vanvitelli' University of Campania at the 'Ospedali dei Colli Monaldi-Cotugno-CTO', Naples, Italy
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8
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Al-Wahaibi K, Elfadil OM. The Use of Low-Dose Intermittent Levosimendan Infusion Therapy as Bridge-to-Left Ventricular Assist Device in Advanced Chronic Heart Failure Secondary to Isolated Cardiac Sarcoidosis. Heart Views 2021; 21:291-295. [PMID: 33986931 PMCID: PMC8104322 DOI: 10.4103/heartviews.heartviews_85_20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Heart failure (HF) is a progressive condition that usually involves a debilitating late course with poor health-related quality of life and increasing mortality rate. In this report, we demonstrate the efficacy and safety of intermittent levosimendan infusion as a bridging therapy to left ventricular assist device use in a patient suffering from cardiac sarcoidosis who failed to respond to optimized medical therapy. Levosimendan was administered in an outpatient infusion-therapy facility every 2 weeks as a single intravenous infusion over 6 h at dose and rate of 0.2 μg/kg/min not proceeded by a bolus. The primary observation we are reporting is the efficacy of this approach reflected on serum concentrations of N-terminal brain natriuretic propeptide and creatinine levels. Secondary observation comprised patient-reported outcomes and clinical events including hospitalization (s).
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9
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Maack C, Eschenhagen T, Hamdani N, Heinzel FR, Lyon AR, Manstein DJ, Metzger J, Papp Z, Tocchetti CG, Yilmaz MB, Anker SD, Balligand JL, Bauersachs J, Brutsaert D, Carrier L, Chlopicki S, Cleland JG, de Boer RA, Dietl A, Fischmeister R, Harjola VP, Heymans S, Hilfiker-Kleiner D, Holzmeister J, de Keulenaer G, Limongelli G, Linke WA, Lund LH, Masip J, Metra M, Mueller C, Pieske B, Ponikowski P, Ristić A, Ruschitzka F, Seferović PM, Skouri H, Zimmermann WH, Mebazaa A. Treatments targeting inotropy. Eur Heart J 2020; 40:3626-3644. [PMID: 30295807 DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehy600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2018] [Revised: 08/06/2018] [Accepted: 09/14/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Acute heart failure (HF) and in particular, cardiogenic shock are associated with high morbidity and mortality. A therapeutic dilemma is that the use of positive inotropic agents, such as catecholamines or phosphodiesterase-inhibitors, is associated with increased mortality. Newer drugs, such as levosimendan or omecamtiv mecarbil, target sarcomeres to improve systolic function putatively without elevating intracellular Ca2+. Although meta-analyses of smaller trials suggested that levosimendan is associated with a better outcome than dobutamine, larger comparative trials failed to confirm this observation. For omecamtiv mecarbil, Phase II clinical trials suggest a favourable haemodynamic profile in patients with acute and chronic HF, and a Phase III morbidity/mortality trial in patients with chronic HF has recently begun. Here, we review the pathophysiological basis of systolic dysfunction in patients with HF and the mechanisms through which different inotropic agents improve cardiac function. Since adenosine triphosphate and reactive oxygen species production in mitochondria are intimately linked to the processes of excitation-contraction coupling, we also discuss the impact of inotropic agents on mitochondrial bioenergetics and redox regulation. Therefore, this position paper should help identify novel targets for treatments that could not only safely improve systolic and diastolic function acutely, but potentially also myocardial structure and function over a longer-term.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph Maack
- Comprehensive Heart Failure Center, University Clinic Würzburg, Am Schwarzenberg 15, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Eschenhagen
- Department of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, Cardiovascular Research Center, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany.,Partner site Hamburg/Kiel/Lübeck, DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Hamburg, Germany
| | - Nazha Hamdani
- Department of Cardiovascular Physiology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Frank R Heinzel
- Department of Cardiology, Charité University Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Alexander R Lyon
- NIHR Cardiovascular Biomedical Research Unit, Royal Brompton Hospital and National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College, London, UK
| | - Dietmar J Manstein
- Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.,Division for Structural Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Joseph Metzger
- Department of Integrative Biology & Physiology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Zoltán Papp
- Division of Clinical Physiology, Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Carlo G Tocchetti
- Department of Translational Medical Sciences, Federico II University, Naples, Italy
| | - M Birhan Yilmaz
- Department of Cardiology, Cumhuriyet University, Sivas, Turkey
| | - Stefan D Anker
- Department of Cardiology and Pneumology, University Medical Center Göttingen and DZHK (German Center for Cardiovascular Research), Göttingen, Germany.,Division of Cardiology and Metabolism - Heart Failure, Cachexia and Sarcopenia, Department of Internal Medicine and Cardiology, Berlin-Brandenburg Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT) at Charité University Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jean-Luc Balligand
- Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Pole of Pharmacology and Therapeutics (FATH), Universite Catholique de Louvain and Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Johann Bauersachs
- Department of Cardiology and Angiology, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, Hannover D-30625, Germany
| | | | - Lucie Carrier
- Department of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, Cardiovascular Research Center, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany.,Partner site Hamburg/Kiel/Lübeck, DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Hamburg, Germany
| | - Stefan Chlopicki
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical College, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - John G Cleland
- University of Hull, Kingston upon Hull, UK.,National Heart and Lung Institute, Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals NHS Trust, Imperial College, London, UK
| | - Rudolf A de Boer
- Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Alexander Dietl
- Klinik und Poliklinik für Innere Medizin II, Universitätsklinikum Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Rodolphe Fischmeister
- Inserm UMR-S 1180, Univ. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Châtenay-Malabry, France
| | | | | | | | | | - Gilles de Keulenaer
- Laboratory of Physiopharmacology (University of Antwerp) and Department of Cardiology, ZNA Hospital, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Giuseppe Limongelli
- Department of Cardiothoracic Sciences, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Lars H Lund
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Josep Masip
- Intensive Care Department, Consorci Sanitari Integral, University of Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marco Metra
- Cardiology, Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences, and Public Health, University of Brescia, Italy
| | - Christian Mueller
- Department of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Research Institute Basel (CRIB), University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Switzerland
| | - Burkert Pieske
- Department of Internal Medicine and Cardiology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Virchow Klinikum, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Internal Medicine and Cardiology, German Heart Center Berlin, and German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner site Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Berlin, Germany
| | - Piotr Ponikowski
- Department of Cardiology, Medical University, Clinical Military Hospital, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Arsen Ristić
- Department of Cardiology of the Clinical Center of Serbia and Belgrade University School of Medicine, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Frank Ruschitzka
- Department of Cardiology, University Heart Centre, University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Hadi Skouri
- Division of Cardiology, American University of Beirut Medical Centre, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Wolfram H Zimmermann
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner siteGöttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Alexandre Mebazaa
- Hôpital Lariboisière, Université Paris Diderot, Inserm U 942, Paris, France
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10
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Tang J, James L, Howell M, Tong A, Wong G. eHealth Interventions for Solid Organ Transplant Recipients: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Transplantation 2020; 104:e224-e235. [PMID: 32732828 DOI: 10.1097/tp.0000000000003294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lack of support for self-management may contribute to adverse health outcomes. eHealth has the potential to support self-management, but evidence in solid organ transplantation remains unclear. This review aims to evaluate the benefits and harms of eHealth interventions to support self-management in solid organ transplant recipients. METHODS We searched Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE, and Embase databases for randomized trials of eHealth interventions in solid organ transplant recipients. We calculated the risk ratios or standardized mean difference of outcomes, and summary estimates were determined using random-effects models. The Cochrane risk of bias tool and Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations were used to assess trial quality. RESULTS Twenty-one trials from 6 countries involving 2114 participants were included. Compared with standard care, eHealth interventions improved medication adherence (risk ratio, 1.34; CI, 1.12-2.56; I = 75%) and self-monitoring behavior (risk ratio, 2.58; CI, 1.56-4.27; I = 0%) up to 12 mo posttransplant. The treatment effects were largely consistent across different subgroups except for intervention functionality and mode of delivery. The effects on other outcomes were uncertain. Nine trials reported harms. The overall risk of bias was considered high or unclear, and the quality of evidence was low to very low for all outcomes. CONCLUSIONS eHealth interventions may improve medication adherence and self-monitoring behavior in the short term, but high-quality intervention studies are needed to determine whether eHealth will improve long-term patient-relevant outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Tang
- Sydney School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- Centre for Kidney Research, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, NSW, Australia
| | - Laura James
- Sydney School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- Centre for Kidney Research, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, NSW, Australia
| | - Martin Howell
- Sydney School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- Centre for Kidney Research, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, NSW, Australia
| | - Allison Tong
- Sydney School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- Centre for Kidney Research, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, NSW, Australia
| | - Germaine Wong
- Sydney School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- Centre for Kidney Research, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, NSW, Australia
- Centre for Transplant and Renal Research, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, NSW, Australia
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11
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Papp Z, Agostoni P, Alvarez J, Bettex D, Bouchez S, Brito D, Černý V, Comin-Colet J, Crespo-Leiro MG, Delgado JF, Édes I, Eremenko AA, Farmakis D, Fedele F, Fonseca C, Fruhwald S, Girardis M, Guarracino F, Harjola VP, Heringlake M, Herpain A, Heunks LM, Husebye T, Ivancan V, Karason K, Kaul S, Kivikko M, Kubica J, Masip J, Matskeplishvili S, Mebazaa A, Nieminen MS, Oliva F, Papp JG, Parissis J, Parkhomenko A, Põder P, Pölzl G, Reinecke A, Ricksten SE, Riha H, Rudiger A, Sarapohja T, Schwinger RH, Toller W, Tritapepe L, Tschöpe C, Wikström G, von Lewinski D, Vrtovec B, Pollesello P. Levosimendan Efficacy and Safety: 20 years of SIMDAX in Clinical Use. Card Fail Rev 2020; 6:e19. [PMID: 32714567 PMCID: PMC7374352 DOI: 10.15420/cfr.2020.03] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Levosimendan was first approved for clinic use in 2000, when authorisation was granted by Swedish regulatory authorities for the haemodynamic stabilisation of patients with acutely decompensated chronic heart failure. In the ensuing 20 years, this distinctive inodilator, which enhances cardiac contractility through calcium sensitisation and promotes vasodilatation through the opening of adenosine triphosphate-dependent potassium channels on vascular smooth muscle cells, has been approved in more than 60 jurisdictions, including most of the countries of the European Union and Latin America. Areas of clinical application have expanded considerably and now include cardiogenic shock, takotsubo cardiomyopathy, advanced heart failure, right ventricular failure and pulmonary hypertension, cardiac surgery, critical care and emergency medicine. Levosimendan is currently in active clinical evaluation in the US. Levosimendan in IV formulation is being used as a research tool in the exploration of a wide range of cardiac and non-cardiac disease states. A levosimendan oral form is at present under evaluation in the management of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. To mark the 20 years since the advent of levosimendan in clinical use, 51 experts from 23 European countries (Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK and Ukraine) contributed to this essay, which evaluates one of the relatively few drugs to have been successfully introduced into the acute heart failure arena in recent times and charts a possible development trajectory for the next 20 years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoltán Papp
- Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Piergiuseppe Agostoni
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Centro Cardiologico Monzino, IRCCS Milan, Italy
| | - Julian Alvarez
- Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Santiago de Compostela Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Dominique Bettex
- Institute of Anaesthesiology, University Hospital of Zurich Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Stefan Bouchez
- Department of Anaesthesiology, University Hospital Ghent, Belgium
| | - Dulce Brito
- Cardiology Department, Centro Hospitalar Universitario Lisboa Norte, CCUI, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Vladimir Černý
- Department of Anaesthesiology, Perioperative Medicine and Intensive Care, Masaryk Hospital, J.E. Purkinje University Usti nad Labem, Czech Republic
| | - Josep Comin-Colet
- Heart Diseases Institute, Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marisa G Crespo-Leiro
- Complexo Hospitalario Universitario A Coruña (CHUAC), CIBERCV, Instituto de Investigacion Biomedica A Coruña (INIBIC), Universidad de a Coruña (UDC) La Coruña, Spain
| | - Juan F Delgado
- Heart Failure and Transplant Program, Cardiology Department, University Hospital 12 Octubre Madrid, Spain
| | - Istvan Édes
- Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Alexander A Eremenko
- Department of Cardiac Intensive Care, Petrovskii National Research Centre of Surgery, Sechenov University Moscow, Russia
| | - Dimitrios Farmakis
- Department of Cardiology, Medical School, University of Cyprus Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Francesco Fedele
- Department of Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Nephrology, Anaesthesiology and Geriatric Sciences, La Sapienza University of Rome Rome, Italy
| | - Cândida Fonseca
- Heart Failure Clinic, São Francisco Xavier Hospital, CHLO Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Sonja Fruhwald
- Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Division of Anaesthesiology for Cardiovascular Surgery and Intensive Care Medicine, Medical University of Graz Graz, Austria
| | - Massimo Girardis
- Struttura Complessa di Anestesia 1, Policlinico di Modena Modena, Italy
| | - Fabio Guarracino
- Dipartimento di Anestesia e Terapie Intensive, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Pisana Pisa, Italy
| | - Veli-Pekka Harjola
- Emergency Medicine, Meilahti Central University Hospital, University of Helsinki Helsinki, Finland
| | - Matthias Heringlake
- Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, University of Lübeck Lübeck, Germany
| | - Antoine Herpain
- Department of Intensive Care, Hôpital Erasme Brussels, Belgium
| | - Leo Ma Heunks
- Department of Intensive Care Medicine, Amsterdam UMC Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Tryggve Husebye
- Department of Cardiology, Oslo University Hospital Ullevaal Oslo, Norway
| | - Višnja Ivancan
- Department of Anaesthesiology, Reanimatology and Intensive Care, University Hospital Centre Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Kristjan Karason
- Departments of Cardiology and Transplantation, Sahlgrenska University Hospital Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Sundeep Kaul
- Intensive Care Unit, National Health Service Leeds, UK
| | - Matti Kivikko
- Global Medical Affairs, R&D, Orion Pharma Espoo, Finland
| | - Janek Kubica
- Department of Cardiology and Internal Medicine, Nicolaus Copernicus University Torun, Poland
| | - Josep Masip
- Intensive Care Department, Consorci Sanitari Integral, University of Barcelona Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Alexandre Mebazaa
- Department of Anaesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, AP-HP, Saint Louis and Lariboisière University Hospitals Paris, France
| | | | - Fabrizio Oliva
- Department of Cardiology, Niguarda Ca'Granda Hospital Milan, Italy
| | - Julius-Gyula Papp
- MTA-SZTE Research Group of Cardiovascular Pharmacology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, University of Szeged Szeged, Hungary
| | - John Parissis
- Second Department of Cardiology, Attikon University Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Athens, Greece
| | - Alexander Parkhomenko
- Emergency Cardiology Department, National Scientific Centre MD Strazhesko Institute of Cardiology Kiev, Ukraine
| | - Pentti Põder
- Department of Cardiology, North Estonia Medical Centre Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Gerhard Pölzl
- Department of Internal Medicine III, Cardiology and Angiology, Medical University of Innsbruck Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Alexander Reinecke
- Klinik für Innere Medizin III, Kardiologie, Universitätsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein Kiel, Germany
| | - Sven-Erik Ricksten
- Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, Sahlgrenska University Hospital Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Hynek Riha
- Cardiothoracic Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Alain Rudiger
- Department of Medicine, Spittal Limmattal Schlieren, Switzerland
| | | | - Robert Hg Schwinger
- Medizinische Klinik II, Klinikum Weiden, Teaching Hospital of University of Regensburg Weiden, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Toller
- Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Medical University of Graz Graz, Austria
| | - Luigi Tritapepe
- Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Division, San Camillo-Forlanini Hospital Rome, Italy
| | - Carsten Tschöpe
- Department of Cardiology, Campus Virchow Klinikum, Charité - University Medicine Berlin Berlin, Germany
| | - Gerhard Wikström
- Institute of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Dirk von Lewinski
- Department of Cardiology, Myokardiale Energetik und Metabolismus Research Unit, Medical University of Graz Graz, Austria
| | - Bojan Vrtovec
- Advanced Heart Failure and Transplantation Centre, Department of Cardiology, University Clinical Centre Ljubljana, Slovenia
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12
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Papp Z, Agostoni P, Alvarez J, Bettex D, Bouchez S, Brito D, Černý V, Comin-Colet J, Crespo-Leiro MG, Delgado JF, Édes I, Eremenko AA, Farmakis D, Fedele F, Fonseca C, Fruhwald S, Girardis M, Guarracino F, Harjola VP, Heringlake M, Herpain A, Heunks LMA, Husebye T, Ivancan V, Karason K, Kaul S, Kivikko M, Kubica J, Masip J, Matskeplishvili S, Mebazaa A, Nieminen MS, Oliva F, Papp JG, Parissis J, Parkhomenko A, Põder P, Pölzl G, Reinecke A, Ricksten SE, Riha H, Rudiger A, Sarapohja T, Schwinger RHG, Toller W, Tritapepe L, Tschöpe C, Wikström G, von Lewinski D, Vrtovec B, Pollesello P. Levosimendan Efficacy and Safety: 20 Years of SIMDAX in Clinical Use. J Cardiovasc Pharmacol 2020; 76:4-22. [PMID: 32639325 PMCID: PMC7340234 DOI: 10.1097/fjc.0000000000000859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Levosimendan was first approved for clinical use in 2000, when authorization was granted by Swedish regulatory authorities for the hemodynamic stabilization of patients with acutely decompensated chronic heart failure (HF). In the ensuing 20 years, this distinctive inodilator, which enhances cardiac contractility through calcium sensitization and promotes vasodilatation through the opening of adenosine triphosphate-dependent potassium channels on vascular smooth muscle cells, has been approved in more than 60 jurisdictions, including most of the countries of the European Union and Latin America. Areas of clinical application have expanded considerably and now include cardiogenic shock, takotsubo cardiomyopathy, advanced HF, right ventricular failure, pulmonary hypertension, cardiac surgery, critical care, and emergency medicine. Levosimendan is currently in active clinical evaluation in the United States. Levosimendan in IV formulation is being used as a research tool in the exploration of a wide range of cardiac and noncardiac disease states. A levosimendan oral form is at present under evaluation in the management of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. To mark the 20 years since the advent of levosimendan in clinical use, 51 experts from 23 European countries (Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and Ukraine) contributed to this essay, which evaluates one of the relatively few drugs to have been successfully introduced into the acute HF arena in recent times and charts a possible development trajectory for the next 20 years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoltán Papp
- Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Piergiuseppe Agostoni
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Centro Cardiologico Monzino, IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Julian Alvarez
- Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Dominique Bettex
- Institute of Anaesthesiology, University Hospital of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Stefan Bouchez
- Department of Anaesthesiology, University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Dulce Brito
- Cardiology Department, Centro Hospitalar Universitario Lisboa Norte, CCUI, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Vladimir Černý
- Department of Anaesthesiology, Perioperative Medicine and Intensive Care, Masaryk Hospital, J.E. Purkinje University, Usti nad Labem, Czech Republic
| | - Josep Comin-Colet
- Heart Diseases Institute, Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marisa G. Crespo-Leiro
- Complexo Hospitalario Universitario A Coruña (CHUAC), CIBERCV, Instituto de Investigacion Biomedica A Coruña (INIBIC), Universidad de a Coruña (UDC), La Coruña, Spain
| | - Juan F. Delgado
- Heart Failure and Transplant Program, Cardiology Department, University Hospital 12 Octubre, Madrid, Spain
| | - István Édes
- Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Alexander A. Eremenko
- Department of Cardiac Intensive Care, Petrovskii National Research Centre of Surgery, Sechenov University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Dimitrios Farmakis
- Department of Cardiology, Medical School, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Francesco Fedele
- Department of Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Nephrology, Anaesthesiology and Geriatric Sciences, La Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Cândida Fonseca
- Heart Failure Clinic, São Francisco Xavier Hospital, CHLO, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Sonja Fruhwald
- Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Division of Anaesthesiology for Cardiovascular Surgery and Intensive Care Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Massimo Girardis
- Struttura Complessa di Anestesia 1, Policlinico di Modena, Modena, Italy
| | - Fabio Guarracino
- Dipartimento di Anestesia e Terapie Intensive, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Pisana, Pisa, Italy
| | - Veli-Pekka Harjola
- Emergency Medicine, Meilahti Central University Hospital, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Matthias Heringlake
- Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Antoine Herpain
- Department of Intensive Care, Hôpital Erasme, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Leo M. A. Heunks
- Department of Intensive Care Medicine, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Tryggve Husebye
- Department of Cardiology, Oslo University Hospital Ullevaal, Oslo, Norway
| | - Višnja Ivancan
- Department of Anaesthesiology, Reanimatology and Intensive Care, University Hospital Centre, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Kristjan Karason
- Departments of Cardiology and Transplantation, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Sundeep Kaul
- Intensive Care Unit, National Health Service, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Matti Kivikko
- Global Medical Affairs, R&D, Orion Pharma, Espoo, Finland
| | - Janek Kubica
- Department of Cardiology and Internal Medicine, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Torun, Poland
| | - Josep Masip
- Intensive Care Department, Consorci Sanitari Integral, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Alexandre Mebazaa
- Department of Anaesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, AP-HP, Saint Louis and Lariboisière University Hospitals, Paris, France
| | | | - Fabrizio Oliva
- Department of Cardiology, Niguarda Ca'Granda Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Julius G. Papp
- MTA-SZTE Research Group of Cardiovascular Pharmacology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - John Parissis
- Second Department of Cardiology, Attikon University Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Alexander Parkhomenko
- Emergency Cardiology Department, National Scientific Centre MD Strazhesko Institute of Cardiology, Kiev, Ukraine
| | - Pentti Põder
- Department of Cardiology, North Estonia Medical Centre, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Gerhard Pölzl
- Department of Internal Medicine III, Cardiology and Angiology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Alexander Reinecke
- Klinik für Innere Medizin III, Kardiologie, Universitätsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Sven-Erik Ricksten
- Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Hynek Riha
- Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Cardiothoracic Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Alain Rudiger
- Department of Medicine, Spittal Limmattal, Schlieren, Switzerland
| | | | - Robert H. G. Schwinger
- Medizinische Klinik II, Klinikum Weiden, Teaching Hospital of University of Regensburg, Weiden, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Toller
- Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Luigi Tritapepe
- Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Division, San Camillo-Forlanini Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - Carsten Tschöpe
- Department of Cardiology, Campus Virchow Klinikum, Charité—University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Gerhard Wikström
- Institute of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Dirk von Lewinski
- Department of Cardiology, Myokardiale Energetik und Metabolismus Research Unit, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Bojan Vrtovec
- Department of Cardiology, Advanced Heart Failure and Transplantation Centre, University Clinical Centre, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Piero Pollesello
- Critical Care Proprietary Products, Orion Pharma, Espoo, Finland.
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13
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Dobarro D, Ribera-Solé A. Infusiones ambulatorias de levosimendán: ¿eficaces y eficientes en la insuficiencia cardiaca avanzada? Rev Esp Cardiol (Engl Ed) 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.recesp.2019.11.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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14
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Dobarro D, Ribera-Solé A. Ambulatory levosimendan infusions. Effective and efficient in advanced heart failure? REVISTA ESPANOLA DE CARDIOLOGIA (ENGLISH ED.) 2020; 73:345-347. [PMID: 32107145 DOI: 10.1016/j.rec.2020.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2019] [Accepted: 11/25/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- David Dobarro
- Unidad de Insuficiencia Cardiaca, Servicio de Cardiología, Hospital Álvaro Cunqueiro, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Vigo, Vigo, Pontevedra, Spain.
| | - Aida Ribera-Solé
- Unidad de Epidemiología Cardiovascular, Servicio de Cardiología, Hospital Universitario Vall d'Hebron y Vall d'Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR), CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Barcelona, Spain
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15
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Long-term outcome of perioperative low cardiac output syndrome in cardiac surgery: 1-year results of a multicenter randomized trial. J Crit Care 2020; 58:89-95. [PMID: 32402931 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcrc.2020.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Revised: 03/23/2020] [Accepted: 04/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Perioperative myocardial dysfunction occurs frequently in cardiac surgery, and is a risk factor for morbidity and mortality. Levosimendan has been suggested to reduce mortality of patients with perioperative myocardial dysfunction. However, long-term outcome data on its efficacy in cardiac surgery are lacking. MATERIALS AND METHODS Cardiac surgery patients with perioperative myocardial dysfunction were randomized to levosimendan or placebo, in addition to standard inotropic care. One-year mortality data were collected. RESULTS We randomized 506 patients (248 to levosimendan 258 to placebo). At 1-year follow-up, 41 patients (16.5%) died in the levosimendan group, while 47 (18.3%) died in the placebo group (absolute risk difference -1.8; 95% CI -8.4 to 4.9; P = .60). Female sex, history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, previous myocardial infarction, serum creatinine, hematocrit, mean arterial pressure, and duration of cardiopulmonary bypass were independently associated with 1-year mortality. CONCLUSIONS Levosimendan administration does not improve 1-year survival in cardiac surgery patients with perioperative myocardial dysfunction. One-year mortality in these patients is 17%. Six predictive factors for long-term mortality were identified. STUDY REGISTRATION NUMBER NCT00994825 (ClinicalTrials.gov).
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16
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Pollesello P, Ben Gal T, Bettex D, Cerny V, Comin-Colet J, Eremenko AA, Farmakis D, Fedele F, Fonseca C, Harjola VP, Herpain A, Heringlake M, Heunks L, Husebye T, Ivancan V, Karason K, Kaul S, Kubica J, Mebazaa A, Mølgaard H, Parissis J, Parkhomenko A, Põder P, Pölzl G, Vrtovec B, Yilmaz MB, Papp Z. Short-Term Therapies for Treatment of Acute and Advanced Heart Failure-Why so Few Drugs Available in Clinical Use, Why Even Fewer in the Pipeline? J Clin Med 2019; 8:jcm8111834. [PMID: 31683969 PMCID: PMC6912236 DOI: 10.3390/jcm8111834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2019] [Revised: 10/24/2019] [Accepted: 10/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Both acute and advanced heart failure are an increasing threat in term of survival, quality of life and socio-economical burdens. Paradoxically, the use of successful treatments for chronic heart failure can prolong life but-per definition-causes the rise in age of patients experiencing acute decompensations, since nothing at the moment helps avoiding an acute or final stage in the elderly population. To complicate the picture, acute heart failure syndromes are a collection of symptoms, signs and markers, with different aetiologies and different courses, also due to overlapping morbidities and to the plethora of chronic medications. The palette of cardio- and vasoactive drugs used in the hospitalization phase to stabilize the patient's hemodynamic is scarce and even scarcer is the evidence for the agents commonly used in the practice (e.g. catecholamines). The pipeline in this field is poor and the clinical development chronically unsuccessful. Recent set backs in expected clinical trials for new agents in acute heart failure (AHF) (omecamtiv, serelaxine, ularitide) left a field desolately empty, where only few drugs have been approved for clinical use, for example, levosimendan and nesiritide. In this consensus opinion paper, experts from 26 European countries (Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, U.K. and Ukraine) analyse the situation in details also by help of artificial intelligence applied to bibliographic searches, try to distil some lesson-learned to avoid that future projects would make the same mistakes as in the past and recommend how to lead a successful development project in this field in dire need of new agents.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tuvia Ben Gal
- Heart Failure Unit, Rabin Medical Center, Tel Aviv University, Petah Tikva 4941492d, Israel.
| | - Dominique Bettex
- Institute of Anaesthesiology, University Hospital of Zurich, University of Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Vladimir Cerny
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Medicine and Intensive Care, Masaryk Hospital, J.E. Purkinje University, 400 96 Usti nad Labem, Czech Republic.
| | - Josep Comin-Colet
- Heart Diseases Institute, Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, 08015 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Alexandr A Eremenko
- Department of Cardiac Intensive Care, Petrovskii National Research Centre of Surgery, Sechenov University, 119146 Moscow, Russia.
| | - Dimitrios Farmakis
- Department of Cardiology, Medical School, University of Cyprus, 1678 Nicosia, Cyprus.
| | - Francesco Fedele
- Department of Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Nephrology, Anesthesiology and Geriatric Sciences, 'La Sapienza' University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy.
| | - Cândida Fonseca
- Heart Failure Clinic of S. Francisco Xavier Hospital, CHLO, 1449-005 Lisbon, Portugal.
| | - Veli-Pekka Harjola
- Emergency Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine and Services, Helsinki University Hospital, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Antoine Herpain
- Department of Intensive Care, Experimental Laboratory of Intensive Care, Erasme Hospital, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1050 Bruxelles, Belgium.
| | - Matthias Heringlake
- Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, University of Lübeck, 23562 Lübeck, Germany.
| | - Leo Heunks
- Department of Intensive Care Medicine, Amsterdam UMC, location VUmc 081 HV, The Netherlands.
| | - Trygve Husebye
- Department of Cardiology, Oslo University Hospital Ullevaal, 0372 Oslo, Norway.
| | - Visnja Ivancan
- Department of Anesthesiology, Reanimatology and Intensive Care, University Hospital Centre, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
| | - Kristian Karason
- Transplant Institute, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 413 45 Gothenburg, Sweden.
| | - Sundeep Kaul
- Intensive Care Unit, National Health Service, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.
| | - Jacek Kubica
- Department of Cardiology and Internal Medicine, Nicolaus Copernicus University, 87-100 Torun, Poland.
| | - Alexandre Mebazaa
- Department of Anaesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, AP-HP, Saint Louis and Lariboisière University Hospitals, Université de Paris and INSERM UMR-S 942-MASCOT, 75010 Paris, France.
| | - Henning Mølgaard
- Department of Cardiology, Århus University Hospital, 8200 Århus, Denmark.
| | - John Parissis
- Emergency Department, Attikon University Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 157 72 Athens, Greece.
| | - Alexander Parkhomenko
- Emergency Cardiology Department, National Scientific Center M.D. Strazhesko Institute of Cardiology, 02000 Kiev, Ukraine.
| | - Pentti Põder
- Department of Cardiology, North Estonia Medical Center, 13419 Tallinn, Estonia.
| | - Gerhard Pölzl
- Department of Internal Medicine III, Cardiology and Angiology, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
| | - Bojan Vrtovec
- Advanced Heart Failure and Transplantation Center, Department of Cardiology, Ljubljana University Medical Center, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - Mehmet B Yilmaz
- Department of Cardiology, Dokuz Eylul University Faculty of Medicine, 35340 Izmir, Turkey.
| | - Zoltan Papp
- Division of Clinical Physiology, Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary.
- HAS-UD Vascular Biology and Myocardial Pathophysiology Research Group, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 4001 Debrecen, Hungary.
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17
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Farmakis D, Agostoni P, Baholli L, Bautin A, Comin-Colet J, Crespo-Leiro MG, Fedele F, García-Pinilla JM, Giannakoulas G, Grigioni F, Gruchała M, Gustafsson F, Harjola VP, Hasin T, Herpain A, Iliodromitis EK, Karason K, Kivikko M, Liaudet L, Ljubas-Maček J, Marini M, Masip J, Mebazaa A, Nikolaou M, Ostadal P, Põder P, Pollesello P, Polyzogopoulou E, Pölzl G, Tschope C, Varpula M, von Lewinski D, Vrtovec B, Yilmaz MB, Zima E, Parissis J. A pragmatic approach to the use of inotropes for the management of acute and advanced heart failure: An expert panel consensus. Int J Cardiol 2019; 297:83-90. [PMID: 31615650 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2019.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2019] [Revised: 08/14/2019] [Accepted: 09/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Inotropes aim at increasing cardiac output by enhancing cardiac contractility. They constitute the third pharmacological pillar in the treatment of patients with decompensated heart failure, the other two being diuretics and vasodilators. Three classes of parenterally administered inotropes are currently indicated for decompensated heart failure, (i) the beta adrenergic agonists, including dopamine and dobutamine and also the catecholamines epinephrine and norepinephrine, (ii) the phosphodiesterase III inhibitor milrinone and (iii) the calcium sensitizer levosimendan. These three families of drugs share some pharmacologic traits, but differ profoundly in many of their pleiotropic effects. Identifying the patients in need of inotropic support and selecting the proper inotrope in each case remain challenging. The present consensus, derived by a panel meeting of experts from 21 countries, aims at addressing this very issue in the setting of both acute and advanced heart failure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimitrios Farmakis
- University of Cyprus Medical School, Nicosia, Cyprus; Second Department of Cardiology, Attikon University Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
| | - Piergiuseppe Agostoni
- Centro Cardiologico Monzino, IRCCS, Milan, Italy; Dept. of Clinical Sciences and Community Health - Cardiovascular Section, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Loant Baholli
- Medizinische Klinik Mitte - Schwerpunkte Kardiologie und Internistische Intensivmedizin, Klinikum Dortmund gGmbH, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Andrei Bautin
- Department of Anesthesiology, Almazov National Medical Research Center, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Josep Comin-Colet
- Heart Diseases Institute, Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, IDIBELL, University of Barcelona, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain
| | - Maria G Crespo-Leiro
- Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de A Coruña (CHUAC)-CIBERCV, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de A Coruña (INIBIC), Universidad de A Coruña (UDC), A Coruña, Spain
| | - Francesco Fedele
- Department of Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Nephrology, Anesthesiology and Geriatric Sciences, 'La Sapienza' University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Jose Manuel García-Pinilla
- Heart Failure and Familial Cardiopathies Unit, Cardiology Department, Hospital Universitario Virgen de la Victoria, Málaga, Spain
| | | | - Francesco Grigioni
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, University of Bologna, Italy
| | - Marcin Gruchała
- First Department of Cardiology, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland
| | - Finn Gustafsson
- Cardiology Dept., Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copengahen, Denmark
| | - Veli-Pekka Harjola
- Emergency Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Tal Hasin
- Jesselson Integrated Heart Center, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Antoine Herpain
- Department of Intensive Care, Experimental Laboratory of Intensive Care, Erasme Hospital, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Bruxelles, Belgium
| | - Efstathios K Iliodromitis
- Second Department of Cardiology, Attikon University Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Kristjan Karason
- Transplant Institute, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Matti Kivikko
- Department of Cardiology S7, Jorvi Hospital, Espoo, Finland; Critical Care Proprietary Products, Orion Pharma, Espoo, Finland
| | - Lucas Liaudet
- Service de Médecine Intensive Adulte et Centre des Brûlés, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois et Faculté de Biologie et Médecine, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jana Ljubas-Maček
- Department for Cardiovascular Diseases, University Hospital Center Zagreb, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Marco Marini
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Ospedali Riuniti, Ancona, Italy
| | - Josep Masip
- Intensive Care Dpt. Consorci Sanitari Integral, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Cardiology Department, Hospital Sanitas CIMA, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alexandre Mebazaa
- Department of Anaesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, AP-HP, Saint Louis and Lariboisière University Hospitals and INSERM UMR-S 942, Paris, France
| | - Maria Nikolaou
- Department of Cardiology, General Hospital "Sismanogleio-Amalia Fleming", Greece
| | - Petr Ostadal
- Cardiovascular Center, Na Homolce Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Pentti Põder
- Department of Cardiology, North Estonia Medical Center, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Piero Pollesello
- Critical Care Proprietary Products, Orion Pharma, Espoo, Finland
| | - Eftihia Polyzogopoulou
- Emergency Department, Attikon University Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Gerhard Pölzl
- Universitätsklinik für Innere Medizin III, Medizinsche Universität, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Carsten Tschope
- Charité, University Medicine Berlin, Campus Virchow Klinikum (CVK), Department of Cardiology, Germany; BCRT, Berlin Institute of Health for Center for Regenerative Therapies, Berlin, Germany
| | - Marjut Varpula
- Department of Cardiology, Heart and Lung Center, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Dirk von Lewinski
- Department of Cardiology, Myokardiale Energetik und Metabolismus Research Unit, Medical University, Graz, Austria
| | - Bojan Vrtovec
- Advanced Heart Failure and Transplantation Center, Department of Cardiology, Ljubljana University Medical Center, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Mehmet Birhan Yilmaz
- Department of Cardiology, Dokuz Eylul University Faculty of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Endre Zima
- Heart and Vascular Center, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - John Parissis
- Second Department of Cardiology, Attikon University Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece; Emergency Department, Attikon University Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
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18
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Bouchez S, Fedele F, Giannakoulas G, Gustafsson F, Harjola VP, Karason K, Kivikko M, von Lewinski D, Oliva F, Papp Z, Parissis J, Pollesello P, Pölzl G, Tschöpe C. Levosimendan in Acute and Advanced Heart Failure: an Expert Perspective on Posology and Therapeutic Application. Cardiovasc Drugs Ther 2019; 32:617-624. [PMID: 30402660 PMCID: PMC6267661 DOI: 10.1007/s10557-018-6838-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Levosimendan, a calcium sensitizer and potassium channel-opener, is widely appreciated by many specialist heart failure practitioners for its effects on systemic and pulmonary hemodynamics and for the relief of symptoms of acute heart failure. The drug’s impact on mortality in large randomized controlled trials has been inconsistent or inconclusive but, in contrast to conventional inotropes, there have been no indications of worsened survival and some signals of improved heart failure-related quality of life. For this reason, levosimendan has been proposed as a safer inodilator option than traditional agents in settings, such as advanced heart failure. Positive effects of levosimendan on renal function have also been described. At the HEART FAILURE 2018 congress of the Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology, safe and effective use levosimendan in acute and advanced heart failure was examined in a series of expert tutorials. The proceedings of those tutorials are summarized in this review, with special reference to advanced heart failure and heart failure with concomitant renal dysfunction. Meta-analysis of clinical trials data is supportive of a renal-protective effect of levosimendan, while physiological observations suggest that this effect is exerted at least in part via organ-specific effects that may include selective vasodilation of glomerular afferent arterioles and increased renal blood flow, with no compromise of renal oxygenation. These lines of evidence require further investigation and their clinical significance needs to be evaluated in specifically designed prospective trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Bouchez
- Department of Anesthesiology, University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - F Fedele
- Policlinico "Umberto I," University "La Sapienza", Rome, Italy
| | - G Giannakoulas
- Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | | | - V-P Harjola
- Cardiology Clinic, HUS Meilahti Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - K Karason
- Cardiology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - M Kivikko
- Critical Care Proprietary Products Division, Orion Pharma, P.O. Box 65, FIN-02101, Espoo, Finland
- Department of Cardiology S7, Jorvi Hospital, Espoo, Finland
| | - D von Lewinski
- Myokardiale Energetik und Metabolismus Research Unit, Medical University, Graz, Austria
| | - F Oliva
- Niguarda Ca'Granda Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Z Papp
- Division of Clinical Physiology, Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - J Parissis
- Second University Cardiology Clinic, Attiko Teaching Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | - Piero Pollesello
- Critical Care Proprietary Products Division, Orion Pharma, P.O. Box 65, FIN-02101, Espoo, Finland.
| | - G Pölzl
- Universitätsklinik für Innere Medizin III Innsbruck, Medizinsche Universität, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - C Tschöpe
- Berlin Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Campus Virchow Klinikum (CVK), Berlin, Germany
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19
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Oliva F, Comin-Colet J, Fedele F, Fruhwald F, Gustafsson F, Kivikko M, Borbély A, Pölzl G, Tschöpe C. Repetitive levosimendan treatment in the management of advanced heart failure. Eur Heart J Suppl 2018; 20:I11-I20. [PMID: 30555280 PMCID: PMC6288643 DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/suy040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Inotropes may be an appropriate treatment for patients with advanced heart failure (AdHF) who remain highly symptomatic despite optimized standard therapies. Objectives for inotrope use in these situations include relief of symptoms and improvement of quality of life, and reduction in unplanned hospitalizations and the costs associated with such episodes. All of these goals must be attained without compromising survival. Encouraging findings with intermittent cycles of intravenous levosimendan have emerged from a range of exploratory studies and from three larger controlled trials (LevoRep, LION-HEART, and LAICA) which offered some evidence of clinical advantage. In these settings, however, obtaining statistically robust data may prove elusive due to the difficulties of endpoint assessment in a complex medical condition with varying presentation and trajectory. Adoption of a composite clinical endpoint evaluated in a hierarchical manner may offer a workable solution to this problem. Such an instrument can explore the proposition that repetitive administration of levosimendan early in the period after discharge from an acute episode of worsening heart failure may be associated with greater subsequent clinical stability vis-à-vis standard therapy. The use of this methodology to develop a ‘stability score’ for each patient means that all participants in such a trial contribute to the overall outcome analysis through one or more of the hierarchical endpoints; this has helpful practical implications for the number of patients needed and the length of follow-up required to generate endpoint data. The LeoDOR study (NCT03437226), outlined in this review, has been designed to explore this new approach to outcome assessment in AdHF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabrizio Oliva
- ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda - Cardiologia 1, Milan, Italy
| | - Josep Comin-Colet
- Heart Failure Program, Department of Cardiology, Bellvitge University Hospital and Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), University of Barcelona, Hospitalet de Llobregat (Barcelona), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Francesco Fedele
- Dipartimento Scienze Cardiovascolari, Respiratorie, Nefrologiche Anestesiologiche e Geriatriche, Università 'La Sapienza', Rome, Italy
| | - Friedrich Fruhwald
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Finn Gustafsson
- Department of Cardiology, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Matti Kivikko
- Global Medical Affairs, R&D, Orion Pharma, Espoo, Finland.,Department of Cardiology, Jorvi Hospital, Espoo, Finland
| | - Attila Borbély
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Cardiology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Gerhard Pölzl
- Innere Medizin, III Universitätsklinik, Innsbruck, Austria
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20
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Pölzl G, Allipour Birgani S, Comín-Colet J, Delgado JF, Fedele F, García-Gonzáles MJ, Gustafsson F, Masip J, Papp Z, Störk S, Ulmer H, Vrtovec B, Wikström G, Altenberger J. Repetitive levosimendan infusions for patients with advanced chronic heart failure in the vulnerable post-discharge period. ESC Heart Fail 2018; 6:174-181. [PMID: 30378288 PMCID: PMC6351894 DOI: 10.1002/ehf2.12366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2018] [Revised: 07/16/2018] [Accepted: 08/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Hospitalization for acute heart failure (HF) is associated with a substantial morbidity burden and with associated healthcare costs and an increased mortality risk. However, few if any major medical innovations have been witnessed in this area in recent times. Levosimendan is a first‐in‐class calcium sensitizer and potassium channel opener indicated for the management of acute HF. Experience in several clinical studies has indicated that administration of intravenous levosimendan in intermittent cycles may reduce hospitalization and mortality rates in patients with advanced HF; however, none of those trials were designed or powered to give conclusive insights into that possibility. This paper describes the rationale and protocol of LeoDOR (levosimendan infusions for patients with advanced chronic heart failure), a randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, international, multicentre trial that will explore the efficacy and safety of intermittent levosimendan therapy, in addition to optimized standard therapy, in patients following hospitalization for acute HF. Salient features of LeoDOR include the use of two treatment regimens, in order to evaluate the effects of different schedules and doses of levosimendan during a 12 week treatment phase, and the use of a global rank primary endpoint, in which all patients are ranked across three hierarchical groups ranging from time to death or urgent heart transplantation or implantation of a ventricular assist device to time to rehospitalization and, lastly, time‐averaged proportional change in N‐terminal pro‐brain natriuretic peptide. Secondary endpoints include changes in HF symptoms and functional status at 14 weeks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerhard Pölzl
- Department of Internal Medicine III, Medical University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | | | - Josep Comín-Colet
- Department of Cardiology, Bellvitge University Hospital and IDIBELL, University of Barcelona Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Juan F Delgado
- Department of Cardiology, University Hospital 12 de Octubre, CIBERCV, Madrid, Spain
| | - Francesco Fedele
- Department of Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Nephrology, Anesthesiology and Geriatric Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Finn Gustafsson
- Department of Cardiology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Josep Masip
- Intensive Care Department, Consorci Sanitari Integral, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Cardiology Department, Hospital Sanitas CIMA, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Zoltán Papp
- Department of Cardiology, Division of Clinical Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Stefan Störk
- Department of Internal Medicine and Comprehensive Heart Failure Center, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Hanno Ulmer
- Department for Medical Statistics, Informatics and Health Economics, Medical University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Bojan Vrtovec
- Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Gerhard Wikström
- Department of Cardiology, Institute of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Johann Altenberger
- Cardiac Rehabilitation Center Grossgmain, Pensionsversicherungsanstalt, Teaching Hospital of Paracelsus Medical Private University, Salzburg, Austria
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21
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Santillo E, Migale M, Massini C, Incalzi RA. Levosimendan for Perioperative Cardioprotection: Myth or Reality? Curr Cardiol Rev 2018; 14:142-152. [PMID: 29564979 PMCID: PMC6131406 DOI: 10.2174/1573403x14666180322104015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2017] [Revised: 02/23/2018] [Accepted: 03/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Levosimendan is a calcium sensitizer drug causing increased contractility in the myocardium and vasodilation in the vascular system. It is mainly used for the therapy of acute decompensated heart failure. Several studies on animals and humans provided evidence of the cardioprotective properties of levosimendan including preconditioning and anti-apoptotic. In view of these favorable effects, levosimendan has been tested in patients undergoing cardiac surgery for the prevention or treatment of low cardiac output syndrome. However, initial positive results from small studies have not been confirmed in three recent large trials. AIM To summarize levosimendan mechanisms of action and clinical use and to review available evidence on its perioperative use in a cardiac surgery setting. METHODS We searched two electronic medical databases for randomized controlled trials studying levosimendan in cardiac surgery patients, ranging from January 2000 to August 2017. Metaanalyses, consensus documents and retrospective studies were also reviewed. RESULTS In the selected interval of time, 54 studies on the use of levosimendan in heart surgery have been performed. Early small size studies and meta-analyses have suggested that perioperative levosimendan infusion could diminish mortality and other adverse outcomes (i.e. intensive care unit stay and need for inotropic support). Instead, three recent large randomized controlled trials (LEVO-CTS, CHEETAH and LICORN) showed no significant survival benefits from levosimendan. However, in LEVO-CTS trial, prophylactic levosimendan administration significantly reduced the incidence of low cardiac output syndrome. CONCLUSIONS Based on most recent randomized controlled trials, levosimendan, although effective for the treatment of acute heart failure, can't be recommended as standard therapy for the management of heart surgery patients. Further studies are needed to clarify whether selected subgroups of heart surgery patients may benefit from perioperative levosimendan infusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elpidio Santillo
- Geriatric-Rehabilitative Department, Italian National Research Center on Aging (INRCA), Fermo, Italy
| | - Monica Migale
- Geriatric-Rehabilitative Department, Italian National Research Center on Aging (INRCA), Fermo, Italy
| | - Carlo Massini
- Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery Ward, Salus Hospital-GVM Care & Research, Reggio Emilia, Italy
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22
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Gambardella J, Trimarco B, Iaccarino G, Santulli G. New Insights in Cardiac Calcium Handling and Excitation-Contraction Coupling. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2017; 1067:373-385. [PMID: 28956314 DOI: 10.1007/5584_2017_106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Excitation-contraction (EC) coupling denotes the conversion of electric stimulus in mechanic output in contractile cells. Several studies have demonstrated that calcium (Ca2+) plays a pivotal role in this process. Here we present a comprehensive and updated description of the main systems involved in cardiac Ca2+ handling that ensure a functional EC coupling and their pathological alterations, mainly related to heart failure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Gambardella
- Department of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, "Federico II" University, Naples, Italy.,Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, Scuola Medica Salernitana, University of Salerno, Fisciano, Italy
| | - Bruno Trimarco
- Department of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, "Federico II" University, Naples, Italy
| | - Guido Iaccarino
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, Scuola Medica Salernitana, University of Salerno, Fisciano, Italy
| | - Gaetano Santulli
- Department of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, "Federico II" University, Naples, Italy. .,Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Ave, Forch 525, 10461, New York, NY, USA.
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