Effects of Xanthine Oxidase Inhibition in Hyperuricemic Heart Failure Patients: The Xanthine Oxidase Inhibition for Hyperuricemic Heart Failure Patients (EXACT-HF) Study

Serum uric acid to eGFR ratio correlates with adverse outcomes in elderly hospitalized for acute heart failure

BACKGROUND

Serum uric acid (SUA) is a known biomarker of severity in acute heart failure (AHF), reflecting the intricate interplay between cardiovascular and metabolic dysfunction. Since SUA can increase in response to worsening kidney function, and subjects with AHF often have cardiorenal syndrome or are on diuretic therapy, we tested whether the ratio of SUA to eGFR might provide prognostic value in elderly hospitalized for AHF.

METHODS

The BOTERO-AHF Study (BOlogna study of Therapies, Epidemiology and Radiodiagnostic Outcomes in Acute Heart Failure patients) included 293 patients admitted for AHF who were consecutively enrolled from January 2020 onwards. We compared the baseline characteristics of participants who had a composite outcome (CO) (n = 203) of death or re-hospitalization for AHF within 12 months from discharge to those without CO (n = 90), and we assessed the prognostic impact of SUA/eGFR for 12-months CO.

RESULTS

SUA/eGFR was significantly higher in participants who experienced a CO within 12 months from discharge for AHF, compared to those who did not experience any CO (17.8 (16.6) vs. 13.7 (12.1) mg/dl/ml/min*100, p = 0.008). SUA/eGFR, and not SUA alone, was associated with an increase in the rate of CO (unadjusted HR 1.011, CI 95% 1.004-1.019, p = 0.003). This association lost significance in participants under treatment with xanthine oxidase inhibitors but remained significant after adjustment for multiple confounders.

CONCLUSION

The SUA/ eGFR ratio provides prognostic value in elderly patients hospitalized for AHF. Future studies may clarify if SUA/eGFR and XOI may represent novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for subgroups of patients with AHF.

Asymptomatic hyperuricemia: to treat or not a threat? A clinical and evidence-based approach to the management of hyperuricemia in the context of cardiovascular diseases

Asymptomatic hyperuricemia is defined by serum uric acid levels above 6.2 mg/dl in women and 7 mg/dl in men. In the presence of monosodium urate crystal formation and articular inflammation, hyperuricemia may become symptomatic (namely nephrolithiasis and gout). Uric acid results from purine catabolism and is at the centre of a complex metabolic interplay that involves oxidative stress, inflammation, renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) activation and insulin resistance. Uric acid levels present a continuous relation with conditions like hypertension and chronic kidney disease (CKD) and are reported to have an impact on risk of cardiovascular events. However, whether elevated uric acid is a causal agent and thus a possible therapeutic target is still uncertain and matter of further investigation. Treating symptomatic hyperuricemia involves lowering uric acid drugs and controlling inflammation. Urate-lowering agents are well tolerated but show minimal impact on cardiovascular events in patients with gout. Use of direct-acting urate-lowering agents in asymptomatic hyperuricemia associated with cardiovascular diseases does not warrant a clear benefit, whereas addressing cardiovascular issues with guideline-recommended therapies lowers uric acid and reduces the occurrence of cardiovascular events. Regular assessment of uric acid and clinical symptoms is advised before starting and renewing a urate-lowering treatment.

Inflammation in heart failure: pathophysiology and therapeutic strategies

A role for inflammation in the development and progression of heart failure (HF) has been proposed for decades. Multiple studies have demonstrated the potential involvement of several groups of cytokines and chemokines in acute and chronic HF, though targeting these pathways in early therapeutic trials have produced mixed results. These studies served to highlight the complexity and nuances of how pro-inflammatory pathways contribute to the pathogenesis of HF. More recent investigations have highlighted how inflammation may play distinct roles based on HF syndrome phenotypes, findings that may guide the development of novel therapies. In this review, we propose a contemporary update on the role of inflammation mediated by the innate and adaptive immune systems with HF, highlighting differences that exist across the ejection fraction spectrum. This will specifically be looked at through the lens of established and novel biomarkers of inflammation. Subsequently, we review how improvements in inflammatory pathways may mediate clinical benefits of existing guideline-directed medical therapies for HF, as well as future therapies in the pipeline targeting HF and inflammation.

The clinical benefits of sodium-glucose cotransporter type 2 inhibitors in people with gout

Gout is the most common form of inflammatory arthritis worldwide and is characterized by painful recurrent flares of inflammatory arthritis that are associated with a transiently increased risk of adverse cardiovascular events. Furthermore, gout is associated with multiple cardiometabolic-renal comorbidities such as type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular disease. These comorbidities, potentially combined with gout flare-related inflammation, contribute to persistent premature mortality in gout, independently of serum urate concentrations and traditional cardiovascular risk factors. Although better implementation of standard gout care could improve gout outcomes, deliberate efforts to address the cardiovascular risk in patients with gout are likely to be required to reduce mortality. Sodium-glucose cotransporter type 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors are approved for multiple indications owing to their ability to lower the risk of all-cause and cardiovascular death, hospitalizations for heart failure and chronic kidney disease progression, making them an attractive treatment option for gout. These medications have also been shown to lower serum urate concentrations, the causal culprit in gout risk, and are associated with a reduced risk of incident and recurrent gout, potentially owing to their purported anti-inflammatory effects. Thus, SGLT2 inhibition could simultaneously address both the symptoms of gout and its comorbidities.

The role of ferroptosis in cardio-oncology

With the rapid development of new generations of antitumor therapies, the average survival time of cancer patients is expected to be continuously prolonged. However, these therapies often lead to cardiotoxicity, resulting in a growing number of tumor survivors with cardiovascular disease. Therefore, a new interdisciplinary subspecialty called "cardio-oncology" has emerged, aiming to detect and treat cardiovascular diseases associated with tumors and antitumor therapies. Recent studies have highlighted the role of ferroptosis in both cardiovascular and neoplastic diseases. The balance between intracellular oxidative stress and antioxidant defense is crucial in regulating ferroptosis. Tumor cells can evade ferroptosis by upregulating multiple antioxidant defense pathways, while many antitumor therapies rely on downregulating antioxidant defense and promoting ferroptosis in cancer cells. Unfortunately, these ferroptosis-inducing antitumor therapies often lack tissue specificity and can also cause injury to the heart, resulting in ferroptosis-induced cardiotoxicity. A range of cardioprotective agents exert cardioprotective effects by inhibiting ferroptosis. However, these cardioprotective agents might diminish the efficacy of antitumor treatment due to their antiferroptotic effects. Most current research on ferroptosis only focuses on either tumor treatment or heart protection but rarely considers both in concert. Therefore, further research is needed to study how to protect the heart during antitumor therapies by regulating ferroptosis. In this review, we summarized the role of ferroptosis in the treatment of neoplastic diseases and cardiovascular diseases and also attempted to propose further research directions for ferroptosis in the field of cardio-oncology.

Urate-Lowering Drugs and Muscle Injury: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis

Several urate-lowering drugs have been linked to muscle injury. This study investigated the association of oral urate-lowering drugs with the risk of muscle injury by performing a network meta-analysis of randomized and non-randomized controlled trials. A systematic search of MEDLINE, via PubMed, the ClinicalTrials.gov website, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials was conducted to identify relevant studies with a primary outcome of "all muscle injuries." A random-effects model was used to perform a frequentist network meta-analysis to estimate whether there was significant heterogeneity among the studies. In total, 32 studies including 28,327 participants with 2694 (9.5%) "all muscle injuries" were assessed, and the overall risk of bias was judged to be low to moderate. No statistically significant differences were found between placebo and 6 urate-lowering therapies: allopurinol (risk ratio, RR, 1.05; 95% confidence interval, 95%CI, 0.63-1.73), febuxostat (RR 1.10, 95%CI 0.71-1.70), lesinurad (RR 7.00, 95%CI 0.31-160.36), lesinurad concomitant with allopurinol (RR 0.85, 95%CI 0.34-2.11), lesinurad concomitant with febuxostat (RR 1.97, 95%CI 0.55-7.03), and topiroxostat (RR 0.99, 95%CI 0.37-2.65). The findings suggest that there is little need to consider the risk of muscle injury when using urate-lowering drugs in the clinical setting.

Immunomodulation and immunopharmacology in heart failure

The immune system is intimately involved in the pathophysiology of heart failure. However, it is currently underused as a therapeutic target in the clinical setting. Moreover, the development of novel immunomodulatory therapies and their investigation for the treatment of patients with heart failure are hampered by the fact that currently used, evidence-based treatments for heart failure exert multiple immunomodulatory effects. In this Review, we discuss current knowledge on how evidence-based treatments for heart failure affect the immune system in addition to their primary mechanism of action, both to inform practising physicians about these pleiotropic actions and to create a framework for the development and application of future immunomodulatory therapies. We also delineate which subpopulations of patients with heart failure might benefit from immunomodulatory treatments. Furthermore, we summarize completed and ongoing clinical trials that assess immunomodulatory treatments in heart failure and present several therapeutic targets that could be investigated in the future. Lastly, we provide future directions to leverage the immunomodulatory potential of existing treatments and to foster the investigation of novel immunomodulatory therapeutics.

Uric acid is a biomarker for heart failure, but not therapeutic target: result from a comprehensive meta-analysis

AIMS

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate the association between serum uric acid (SUA) levels and the incidence rate and prognosis of heart failure (HF), as well as the impact of uric acid-lowering treatment on HF patients.

METHODS AND RESULTS

PubMed and Embase were searched for original articles reporting on the association between SUA and HF incidence, adverse outcomes, and the effect of uric acid-lowering treatment in HF patients. Data were pooled using random effects or fixed effects models. Univariable meta-regression analysis assessed the influence of study characteristics on research outcomes. Statistical analyses were conducted using RevMan software and STATA software version 15.0. Eleven studies on HF incidence and 24 studies on adverse outcomes in HF patients were included. Higher SUA levels were associated with an increased risk of HF (RR: 1.81, 95% CI: 1.53-2.16), all-cause mortality (RR: 1.44, 95% CI: 1.25-1.66), cardiac death (RR: 1.56, 95% CI: 1.32-1.84), and HF rehospitalization (RR: 2.07, 95% CI: 1.37-3.13) in HF patients. Uric acid-lowering treatment was found to increase all-cause mortality in HF patients (RR: 1.15, 95% CI: 1.05-1.25).

CONCLUSIONS

Uric acid is an independent predictor of heart failure occurrence and adverse prognosis. Targeting uric acid lowering as a therapeutic intervention does not improve the prognosis of patients with heart failure. It may not be advisable to use traditional urate-lowering drugs in young patients with heart failure, and elderly patients should exercise caution when using them.

Cardiovascular diseases crossroads: cGAS-STING signaling and disease progression

It is now widely accepted that inflammation is critical in cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Here, studies are being conducted on how cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS), a component of innate immunity's DNA-sensing machinery, communicates with the STING receptor, which is involved in activating the immune system's antiviral response. Significantly, a growing body of research in recent years highlights the strong activation of the cGAS-STING signalling pathways in several cardiovascular diseases, such as myocardial infarction, heart failure, and myocarditis. This developing collection of research emphasises these pathways' crucial role in initiating and advancing cardiovascular disease. In this extensive narrative, we explore the role of the cGAS-STING pathway in the development of CVD. We elaborate on the basic mechanisms involved in the onset and progression of CVD. This review explores the most recent developments in the recognition and characterization of cGAS-STING pathway. Additionally, it considers the field's future prospects while examining how cGAS-STING pathway might be altered and its clinical applications for cardiovascular diseases.

Hyperuricemia and Gout Reduction by SGLT2 Inhibitors in Diabetes and Heart Failure: JACC Review Topic of the Week

Gout is characterized by increased production of purines (through the pentose phosphate pathway), which is coupled with reduced renal or intestinal excretion of urate. Concurrent upregulation of nutrient surplus signaling (mammalian target of rapamycin and hypoxia-inducible factor-1a) and downregulation of nutrient deprivation signaling (sirtuin-1 and adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase) redirects glucose toward anabolic pathways (rather than adenosine triphosphate production), thus promoting heightened oxidative stress and cardiomyocyte and proximal tubular dysfunction, leading to cardiomyopathy and kidney disease. Hyperuricemia is a marker (rather than a driver) of these cellular stresses. By inducing a state of starvation mimicry in a state of nutrient surplus, sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors decrease flux through the pentose phosphate pathway (thereby attenuating purine and urate synthesis) while promoting renal urate excretion. These convergent actions exert a meaningful effect to lower serum uric acid by ≈0.6 to 1.5 mg/dL and to reduce the risk of gout by 30% to 50% in large-scale clinical trials.

Serum uric acid levels and risk of cardiovascular disease in type 2 diabetes: results from a cross-sectional study and Mendelian randomization analysis

Aims

Serum uric acid (SUA) levels have been previously linked to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D) according to various observational studies. However, whether this association is causally linked or simply influenced by confounding factors is unclear. Therefore, this study utilized Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to explore the causality between SUA levels and the risk of CVD in individuals with T2D.

Methods

Our study cohort consisted of 5723 participants who were diagnosed with T2D in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 1999-2018. The study assessed the association between SUA levels and the risk of CVD using a multivariable logistic regression model. To further examine causality between SUA levels and CVD, a two-sample MR study was conducted utilizing genetic data from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) involving over 140,000 individuals. The main MR analysis employed the inverse-variance-weighted (IVW) method. Additionally, several sensitivity analyses were performed to evaluate the robustness and pleiotropy of the results.

Results

In the cross-sectional study, after multivariable adjustment, participants with SUA levels >6.7 mg/dL exhibited odds ratios (ORs) of 1.51 (95% CI: 1.01-2.26, p=0.049) for heart failure, 1.02 (95% CI: 0.69-1.50, p=0.937) for coronary heart disease, 1.36 (95% CI: 0.78-2.38, p=0.285) for angina, and 1.22 (95% CI: 0.80-1.85, p=0.355) for myocardial infarction when compared to participants with SUA levels ≤ 4.6 mg/dL. However, in the IVW analysis, no causality between SUA levels and the risk of heart failure was observed (OR = 1.03, 95% CI: 0.97-1.09, p = 0.293). The secondary analysis yielded similar results (OR = 1.05, 95% CI: 0.96-1.14, p = 0.299). The sensitivity analyses further supported our primary findings.

Conclusion

Based on the MR study, we did not find supporting evidence for a causal association between SUA levels and the risk of heart failure.

Exploring the Multifaceted Nexus of Uric Acid and Health: A Review of Recent Studies on Diverse Diseases

The prevalence of patients with hyperuricemia or gout is increasing worldwide. Hyperuricemia and gout are primarily attributed to genetic factors, along with lifestyle factors like consuming a purine-rich diet, alcohol and/or fructose intake, and physical activity. While numerous studies have reported various comorbidities linked to hyperuricemia or gout, the range of these associations is extensive. This review article focuses on the relationship between uric acid and thirteen specific domains: transporters, genetic factors, diet, lifestyle, gout, diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, atherosclerosis, hypertension, kidney diseases, cardiovascular diseases, neurological diseases, and malignancies. The present article provides a comprehensive review of recent developments in these areas, compiled by experts from the Young Committee of the Japanese Society of Gout and Uric and Nucleic Acids. The consolidated summary serves to enhance the global comprehension of uric acid-related matters.

Allopurinol for Secondary Prevention in Patients with Cardiovascular Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

BACKGROUND

The effects of allopurinol in patients with cardiovascular disease are not well defined; therefore, the latest evidence is summarized in this study.

METHODS

PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov databases were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of allopurinol in patients with cardiovascular disease published up to 11 February 2023. The primary outcome was cardiovascular death.

RESULTS

We combined the results of 21 RCTs that included 22,806 patients. Compared to placebo/usual care, allopurinol treatment was not associated with a significant reduction in cardiovascular death (RR 0.60; 95% CI 0.33-1.11) or all-cause death (RR 0.90; 95% CI 0.72-1.12). However, evidence from earlier trials and studies with small sample sizes indicated that allopurinol might confer a protective effect in decreasing cardiovascular death (RR 0.34; 95% CI 0.15-0.76) across patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) or having acute coronary syndrome (ACS). In comparisons between allopurinol and febuxostat, we observed no difference in cardiovascular death (RR 0.92; 95% CI 0.69-1.24) or all-cause death (RR 1.02; 95% CI 0.75-1.38).

CONCLUSION

Allopurinol could not reduce cardiovascular (CV) death or major adverse CV outcomes significantly in patients with existing cardiovascular diseases. Given the limitations of the original studies, the potential advantages of allopurinol observed in patients undergoing CABG or presenting with ACS necessitate further confirmation through subsequent RCTs. In the comparisons between allopurinol and febuxostat, our analysis failed to uncover any marked superiority of allopurinol in reducing the risk of adverse cardiovascular incidents.

Serum uric acid lowering and effects of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors on gout: A meta-analysis and meta-regression of randomized controlled trials

AIMS

To pool the effects of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors on gout and to investigate the association of these effects with baseline serum uric acid (SUA), SUA lowering, and underlying conditions, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM)/heart failure (HF).

METHODS

PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library and clinical trial registry websites were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or post hoc analyses (≥1-year duration; PROSPERO:CRD42023418525). The primary outcome was a composite of gouty arthritis/gout flares and commencement of anti-gout drugs (SUA-lowering drugs/colchicine). Hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence interval (CI) were pooled using a generic inverse-variance method with a random-effects model. Mixed-effects model univariate meta-regression analysis was performed.

RESULTS

Five RCTs involving 29 776 patients (T2DM, n = 23 780) and 1052 gout-related events were identified. Compared to placebo, SGLT2 inhibitor use was significantly associated with reduced risk of composite gout outcomes (HR 0.55, 95% CI 0.45-0.67; I2  = 61%, P < 0.001). Treatment benefits did not differ between trials being conducted exclusively in baseline HF versus those conducted in patients with T2DM (P-interaction = 0.37), but were greater with dapagliflozin 10 mg and canagliflozin 100/300 mg (P < 0.01 for subgroup differences). Sensitivity analysis excluding trials that evaluated the effects of empagliflozin 10/25 mg (HR 0.68, 95% CI 0.57-0.81; I2  = 0%) accentuated the benefits of SGLT2 inhibitors with no between-trial heterogeneity (HR 0.46, 95% CI 0.39-0.55; I2  = 0%). Univariate meta-regression found no impact of baseline SUA, SUA lowering on follow-up, diuretic use, or other variables on their anti-gout effects.

CONCLUSION

We found that SGLT2 inhibitors significantly reduced the risk of gout in individuals with T2DM/HF. Lack of an association with SUA-lowering effects suggests that metabolic and anti-inflammatory effects of SGLT2 inhibitors may predominantly mediate their anti-gout benefits.

Hyperuricemia and Its Association With the Severity and Complications of Congestive Heart Failure: A Systematic Review

Several studies have shown that an association exists between hyperuricemia and heart failure. Despite several innovative management strategies, heart failure is a significant cause of mortality worldwide. Hyperuricemia in heart failure patients leads to poorer outcomes. Additionally, hyperuricemia can be a strong surrogate marker for increased oxidative stress in heart failure patients. This oxidative stress leads to vascular endothelial damage and is linked to worsening heart failure and subsequent mortality. Hence, the measurement of serum uric acid levels in these patients can predict the present and future risk of complications of heart failure. Despite this knowledge, serum uric acid levels are not usually followed up in heart failure patients. This systematic review aims to give additional clarity to this association. We used research from the last twenty years (2002 to 2022) obtained from databases such as PubMed, PubMed Central (PMC), Google Scholar, and Science Direct. We used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) 2020 guidelines. We removed duplicates, screened articles on the basis of title and abstract, applied eligibility criteria, and performed quality appraisal. Eventually, 15 articles were selected for review. There were 12 observational studies, two randomized controlled trials, and one meta-analysis. Our review showed that serum uric acid elevation is associated with the severity and complications of congestive heart failure. Serum uric acid can serve as a useful surrogate marker of oxidative stress in congestive heart failure (CHF) patients. The role of xanthine oxidase inhibitors needs to be evaluated further in CHF patients.

Metabolic Approaches for the Treatment of Dilated Cardiomyopathy

In dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), where the heart muscle becomes stretched and thin, heart failure (HF) occurs, and the cardiomyocytes suffer from an energetic inefficiency caused by an abnormal cardiac metabolism. Although underappreciated as a potential therapeutic target, the optimal metabolic milieu of a failing heart is still largely unknown and subject to debate. Because glucose naturally has a lower P/O ratio (the ATP yield per oxygen atom), the previous studies using this strategy to increase glucose oxidation have produced some intriguing findings. In reality, the vast majority of small-scale pilot trials using trimetazidine, ranolazine, perhexiline, and etomoxir have demonstrated enhanced left ventricular (LV) function and, in some circumstances, myocardial energetics in chronic ischemic and non-ischemic HF with a reduced ejection fraction (EF). However, for unidentified reasons, none of these drugs has ever been tested in a clinical trial of sufficient size. Other pilot studies came to the conclusion that because the heart in severe dilated cardiomyopathy appears to be metabolically flexible and not limited by oxygen, the current rationale for increasing glucose oxidation as a therapeutic target is contradicted and increasing fatty acid oxidation is supported. As a result, treating metabolic dysfunction in HF may benefit from raising ketone body levels. Interestingly, treatment with sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) improves cardiac function and outcomes in HF patients with or without type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) through a variety of pleiotropic effects, such as elevated ketone body levels. The improvement in overall cardiac function seen in patients receiving SGLT2i could be explained by this increase, which appears to be a reflection of an adaptive process that optimizes cardiac energy metabolism. This review aims to identify the best metabolic therapeutic approach for DCM patients, to examine the drugs that directly affect cardiac metabolism, and to outline all the potential ancillary metabolic effects of the guideline-directed medical therapy. In addition, a special focus is placed on SGLT2i, which were first studied and prescribed to diabetic patients before being successfully incorporated into the pharmacological arsenal for HF patients.

Update in uric acid, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases

A direct relationship between serum uric acid levels and hypertension, cardiovascular, renal and metabolic diseases has been reported in many basic and epidemiological studies. Among these, high blood pression is one of the most common features associated with hyperuricemia. In this regard, several small-scale interventional studies have demonstrated a significant reduction in blood pressure in hypertensive or prehypertensive patients on uric acid-lowering drugs. These observation or intervention studies have led to affirm that there is a causal relationship between uric acid and hypertension. While the clinical association between uric acid and high blood pressure is notable, no clear conclusion has yet been reached as to whether lowering uric acid is beneficial to prevent cardiovascular and renal metabolic diseases. Recently, several prospective randomized controlled intervention trials using allopurinol and other uric acid-lowering drugs have been reported, and the results from these trials were almost negative, suggesting that the correlation between hyperuricemia and cardiovascular disease has no causality. However, it is important to note that in some of these recent studies there were high dropout rates and an important fraction of participants were not hyperuricemic. Therefore, we should carry caution in interpreting the results of these studies. This review article presents the results of recent clinical trials using uric acid-lowering drugs, focusing on hypertension and cardiovascular and renal metabolic diseases, and discusses the future of uric acid therapy.

The Effect of High-dose Allopurinol Pretreatment on Inflammatory Biomarkers and Post-revascularization Coronary Blood Flow in Non-STEMI Patients: A Randomized Double Blind Clinical Trial

INTRODUCTION

The use of allopurinol has shown promising outcomes in reducing oxidative processes responsible for atherogenic-related cardiovascular events. The current study aims to assess the effects of high-dose allopurinol on the post-revascularization coronary blood flow and inflammatory biomarkers in patients with non-ST segment elevated myocardial infarction (NSTEMI).

METHOD

Eighty NSTEMI patients were randomly divided into two groups: the intervention group (n=40), medicated with a high loading dose of 600 mg allopurinol before the coronary angiography, and the control group (n=40), treated with a placebo. The highly sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) was measured at baseline and within 24 hours after the cardiac interventions and compared between the case and control groups. Post percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) flow grading was also evaluated as a revascularization endpoint.

RESULTS

The two groups of the study were similar in terms of demographic, clinical, laboratory, and angiographic characteristics (P-value>0.050). The assessed TIMI flow was similar between the cases and the controls both prior to (P-value=0.141) and after (P-value=0.395) the coronary angioplasty. The hs-CRP (P-value=0.016) was significantly higher in the control group. Post-angiographic assessment of hs-CRP revealed an insignificant difference between the groups (P-value=0.104).

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, premedication with a high dose of allopurinol in NSTEMI patients did not affect the inflammatory biomarker or the revascularization endpoint.

Inflammation as a therapeutic target in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) accounts for around half of all cases of heart failure and may become the dominant type of heart failure in the near future. Unlike HF with reduced ejection fraction there are few evidence-based treatment strategies available. There is a significant unmet need for new strategies to improve clinical outcomes in HFpEF patients. Inflammation is widely thought to play a key role in HFpEF pathophysiology and may represent a viable treatment target. In this review focusing predominantly on clinical studies, we will summarise the role of inflammation in HFpEF and discuss potential therapeutic strategies targeting inflammation.

Asymptomatic hyperuricaemia in chronic kidney disease: mechanisms and clinical implications

Asymptomatic hyperuricaemia (HU) is considered a pathogenic factor in multiple disease contexts, but a causative role is only proven for the crystalline form of uric acid in gouty arthritis and urate nephropathy. Epidemiological studies document a robust association of HU with hypertension, cardiovascular disease (CVD) and CKD progression, but CKD-related impaired uric acid (UA) clearance and the use of diuretics that further impair UA clearance likely accounts for these associations. Interpreting the available trial evidence is further complicated by referring to xanthine oxidase inhibitors as urate-lowering treatment, although these drugs inhibit other substrates, so attributing their effects only to HU is problematic. In this review we provide new mechanistic insights into the biological effects of soluble and crystalline UA and discuss clinical evidence on the role of asymptomatic HU in CKD, CVD and sterile inflammation. We identify research areas with gaps in experimental and clinical evidence, specifically on infectious complications that represent the second common cause of death in CKD patients, referred to as secondary immunodeficiency related to kidney disease. In addition, we address potential therapeutic approaches on how and when to treat asymptomatic HU in patients with kidney disease and where further interventional studies are required.

High- versus low-dose losartan and uric acid: An analysis from HEAAL

BACKGROUND

Serum uric acid (SUA) is activated in catabolic, hypoxic, and inflammatory conditions characteristic of heart failure (HF) and is a source of reactive oxygen species. Losartan is unique among other angiotensin receptor blockers in reducing SUA.

OBJECTIVES

To study the patient characteristics and outcome associations by SUA levels, as well as the effect of high- vs. low-dose losartan on SUA levels in HF.

METHODS

HEAAL was a double-blind trial, comparing the effect of two doses of losartan 150 (high dose) vs. 50 (low dose) mg/day among 3834 patients with symptomatic HF, a left ventricular ejection fraction≤40 %, and known intolerance to angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors. In the present study, we studied the associations of SUA with outcomes and the effect of high- vs. low-dose losartan on SUA levels, incident hyperuricemia, and gout.

RESULTS

Patients with higher SUA had more comorbidities, worse renal function, were more symptomatic, used diuretics more frequently, and were 1.5- to 2-fold more likely to experience HF hospitalizations and cardiovascular death. The benefit of high-dose losartan to improve HF outcomes was not influenced by baseline SUA levels (interaction p > 0.1). Compared with low-dose, high-dose losartan reduced SUA by -0.27 (-0.34 to -0.21) mg/dL, p < 0.001. The incidence of hyperuricemia was reduced with high-dose losartan, but the incidence of gout was not.

CONCLUSIONS

In HEAAL, hyperuricemia was associated with worse outcomes. High-dose losartan reduced SUA and hyperuricemia more than low-dose and the cardiovascular benefits of high-dose losartan were not modified by SUA levels.

Females present higher dose-adjusted drug concentrations of metoprolol and allopurinol/oxypurinol than males

Females present a higher risk of adverse drug reactions. Sex-related differences in drug concentrations may contribute to these observations but they remain understudied given the underrepresentation of females in clinical trials. The aim of this study was to investigate whether anthropometric and socioeconomic factors and comorbidities could explain sex-related differences in concentrations and dosing for metoprolol and oxypurinol, the active metabolite of allopurinol. We conducted an analysis of two cross-sectional studies. Participants were self-described "White" adults taking metoprolol or allopurinol selected from the Montreal Heart Institute Hospital Cohort. A total of 1007 participants were included in the metoprolol subpopulation and 459 participants in the allopurinol subpopulation; 73% and 86% of the participants from the metoprolol and allopurinol subpopulations were males, respectively. Females presented higher age- and dose-adjusted concentrations of both metoprolol and oxypurinol (both p < 0.03). Accordingly, females presented higher unadjusted and age-adjusted concentration:dose ratio of both metoprolol and allopurinol/oxypurinol compared to males (all p < 3.0 × 10^-4 ). Sex remained an independent predictor of metoprolol concentrations (p < 0.01), but not of oxypurinol concentrations, after adjusting for other predictors. In addition to sex, age, daily dose, use of moderate to strong CYP2D6 inhibitors, weight, and CYP2D6 genotype-inferred phenotype were associated with concentrations of metoprolol (all p < 0.01). Daily dose, weight, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and employment status were associated with oxypurinol concentrations (all p < 0.01). Females present higher dose-adjusted concentrations of metoprolol and oxypurinol than males. This suggests the need for sex-specific dosing requirements for these drugs, although this hypothesis should be validated in prospective studies.

Association between use of febuxostat and muscle injury: A disproportionality analysis and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

AIMS

Several reports have suggested an association between febuxostat and muscle injury. The purpose of this study was to determine whether febuxostat increases the risk of muscle injury. This study included an analysis of the US Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database and a systematic review/meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

METHODS

First, evaluation of the FAERS data included a disproportionality analysis that compared patients with and without rhabdomyolysis according to whether they were receiving febuxostat or allopurinol. Second, a systematic review/meta-analysis was performed to assess the risk of rhabdomyolysis and muscle injury in patients who used febuxostat or allopurinol.

RESULTS

Analysis of the FAERS data revealed disproportionality for increasing rhabdomyolysis in patients who received febuxostat (reporting odds ratio 4.49, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.72-5.38, P < .01) and allopurinol (reporting odds ratio 2.49, 95% CI 2.25-2.75, P < .01). Nineteen studies were eligible for inclusion in the systematic review/meta-analysis. Rhabdomyolysis was reported in only 1 study. The risk of any type of muscle damage was not significantly increased with febuxostat compared with placebo (risk ratio 0.92, 95% CI 0.73-1.17, P = .52, I²  = 0%; 8 studies including 2597 participants, high-certainty evidence) or allopurinol (risk ratio 1.03, 95% CI 0.94-1.11, P = .56, I²  = 0%; 9 studies including 17 644 participants, moderate-certainty evidence).

CONCLUSION

Febuxostat does not seem to affect the risk of muscle injury. However, the findings of this meta-analysis indicate a need for further high-quality observational studies with long-term follow-up.

Cardiometabolic Phenotyping in Heart Failure: Differences between Patients with Reduced vs. Preserved Ejection Fraction

AIMS

We explored multiple cardiometabolic patterns, including inflammatory and congestive pathways, in patients with heart failure (HF).

METHODS AND RESULTS

We enrolled 270 HF patients with reduced (<50%, HFrEF; n = 96) and preserved (≥50%, HFpEF; n = 174) ejection fraction. In HFpEF, glycated hemoglobin (Hb1Ac) seemed to be relevant in its relationship with inflammation as Hb1Ac positively correlated with high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP; Spearman's rank correlation coefficient ρ = 0.180, p < 0.05). In HFrEF, we found a correlation between Hb1Ac and norepinephrine (ρ = 0.207, p < 0.05). In HFpEF, we found a positive correlation between Hb1Ac and congestion expressed as pulmonary B lines (ρ = 0.187, p < 0.05); the inverse correlation, although not significant, was found in HFrEF between Hb1Ac and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (ρ = 0.079) and between Hb1Ac and B lines (ρ = -0.051). In HFrEF, we found a positive correlation between E/e' ratio and Hb1Ac (ρ = 0.203, p < 0.05) and a negative correlation between tricuspid annular systolic excursion (TAPSE)/echocardiographically measured systolic pulmonary artery pressure (sPAP) (TAPSE/sPAP ratio) (ρ = -0.205, p < 0.05) and Hb1Ac. In HFpEF, we found a negative correlation between TAPSE/sPAP ratio and uric acid (ρ = -0.216, p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

In HF patients, HFpEF and HFrEF phenotypes are characterized by different cardiometabolic indices related to distinct inflammatory and congestive pathways. Patients with HFpEF showed an important relationship between inflammatory and cardiometabolic parameters. Conversely, in HFrEF, there is a significant relationship between congestion and inflammation, while cardiometabolism appears not to influence inflammation, instead affecting sympathetic hyperactivation.

Heart Failure in Rheumatic Disease: Secular Trends and Novel Insights

There is a significant increase in risk of heart failure in several rheumatic diseases. Common cardiovascular risk factors and inflammatory processes, present in both rheumatic diseases and heart failure, are contributing to this increase. The opportunities for using immune-based strategies to fight development of heart failure in rheumatic diseases are evolving. The diversity of inflammation calls for a tailored characterization of inflammation, enabling differentiation of inflammation and subsequent introduction of precision medicine using target-specific strategies and immunomodulatory therapy. As the field of rheuma-cardiology is still evolving, clear recommendations cannot be given yet.

Hyperuricemia predicts increased cardiovascular events in patients with chronic coronary syndrome after percutaneous coronary intervention: A nationwide cohort study from Japan

Background

The causal relationship between hyperuricemia and cardiovascular diseases is still unknown. We hypothesized that hyperuricemic patients after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) had a higher risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE).

Methods

This was a large-scale multicenter cohort study. We enrolled patients with chronic coronary syndrome (CCS) after PCI between April 2013 and March 2019 using the database from the Clinical Deep Data Accumulation System (CLIDAS), and compared the incidence of MACE, defined as a composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, and hospitalization for heart failure, between hyperuricemia and non-hyperuricemia groups.

Results

In total, 9,936 patients underwent PCI during the study period. Of these, 5,138 patients with CCS after PCI were divided into two group (1,724 and 3,414 in the hyperuricemia and non-hyperuricemia groups, respectively). The hyperuricemia group had a higher prevalence of hypertension, atrial fibrillation, history of previous hospitalization for heart failure, and baseline creatinine, and a lower prevalence of diabetes than the non-hyperuricemia group, but the proportion of men and age were similar between the two groups. The incidence of MACE in the hyperuricemia group was significantly higher than that in the non-hyperuricemia group (13.1 vs. 6.4%, log-rank P < 0.001). Multivariable Cox regression analyses revealed that hyperuricemia was significantly associated with increased MACE [hazard ratio (HR), 1.52; 95% confidential interval (CI), 1.23-1.86] after multiple adjustments for age, sex, body mass index, estimated glomerular filtration rate, left main disease or three-vessel disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, history of myocardial infarction, and history of hospitalization for heart failure. Moreover, hyperuricemia was independently associated with increased hospitalization for heart failure (HR, 2.19; 95% CI, 1.69-2.83), but not cardiovascular death or myocardial infarction after multiple adjustments. Sensitive analyses by sex and diuretic use, B-type natriuretic peptide level, and left ventricular ejection fraction showed similar results.

Conclusion

CLIDAS revealed that hyperuricemia was associated with increased MACE in patients with CCS after PCI. Further clinical trials are needed whether treating hyperuricemia could reduce cardiovascular events or not.

Inflammation and Heart Failure: Searching for the Enemy-Reaching the Entelechy

The pivotal role of inflammation in the pathophysiology of heart-failure (HF) development and progression has long been recognized. High blood levels of pro-inflammatory and inflammatory markers are present and associated with adverse outcomes in patients with HF. In addition, there seems to be an interrelation between inflammation and neurohormonal activation, the cornerstone of HF pathophysiology and management. However, clinical trials involving anti-inflammatory agents have shown inconclusive or even contradictory results in improving HF outcomes. In the present review, we try to shed some light on the reciprocal relationship between inflammation and HF in an attempt to identify the central regulating factors, such as inflammatory cells and soluble mediators and the related inflammatory pathways as potential therapeutic targets.

Serum uric acid: A risk factor for right ventricular dysfunction and prognosis in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction

BACKGROUND

Hyperuricemia and right ventricular dysfunction (RVD) are both widespread in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) patients. RVD is associated with a poor prognosis in HFpEF. The correlation between serum uric acid (UA) levels and right ventricular function is unclear. The prognostic performance of UA in patients with HFpEF needs further validation.

METHODS AND RESULTS

A total of 210 patients with HFpEF were included in the study and divided into two groups according to UA level: the normal UA group (≤7 mg/dl) and the high UA group (>7 mg/dl). The variables examined included clinical characteristics, echocardiography, and serum biochemical parameters. Right ventricular function was assessed by tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) and tricuspid annular peak systolic velocity (TAPSV). Baseline characteristics were compared between the two groups, and the correlation between baseline UA and RVD was assessed using multifactorial binary logistic regression. Kaplan-Meier curves were used to describe all-cause mortality and heart failure readmission. Results showed that right ventricular function parameters were worse in the high UA group. After adjusting for UA, left ventricular posterior wall thickness (LVPWT), N-terminal B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), atrial fibrillation (AF), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), UA (odds ratio = 2.028; p < 0.001) was independently associated with RVD, and UA >7 mg/dl (HR = 2.98; p < 0.001) was associated with heart failure readmission in patients with HFpEF.

CONCLUSION

Elevated serum UA is closely associated with RVD and significantly associated with the heart failure readmission rate in patients with HFpEF.

Considerations for Choosing First-Line Urate-Lowering Treatment in Older Patients with Comorbid Conditions

Gout is the most common inflammatory arthritis in adults. The prevalence of gout increases with age. Urate-lowering treatment (ULT) among older patients is often challenging in that patients frequently suffer insufficient effectiveness or adverse events due to comorbidities, concurrent medications, and altered pharmacokinetics. The large-scale randomized controlled trials (RCTs) directly investigating gout patients regarding cardiovascular (CV) safety have only recently been introduced; CARES and FAST compared the CV safety of the two xanthine oxidase inhibitors (XOis), febuxostat versus allopurinol, in patients with gout. Based on the CARES trial that showed CV concerns with febuxostat, the current international guidelines recommend allopurinol as first-line ULT in gout, while preserving other agents as a second-line treatment, despite a higher potency of febuxostat. XOis would be more suitable than uricosurics to treat older patients with gout due to the high prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in older patients. However, allopurinol alone might not achieve the target serum uric acid levels below 6 mg/dL and CKD might confer an increased risk of allopurinol induced cutaneous adverse reactions in older patients. Furthermore, as well as the later analysis of CARES participants who were lost to follow-up, data from the FAST trial and real-world studies suggest non-inferior CV safety for febuxostat compared to allopurinol even in the presence of CV diseases. Thus, febuxostat use in older patients with renal impairment may be more positively considered. The combination therapy of a novel uricosuric, verinurad, plus febuxostat reduced albuminuria in hyperuricemic patients with type 2 diabetes and CKD in a phase 2a trial, and further RCTs are awaited. Finally, the sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor class of oral hypoglycemic agents, known to exert beneficial CV and renal effects independent of glycemic control, have shown a uricosuric effect and could be used as adjunctive therapy in older patients with cardiorenal comorbidities.

Uric acid in advanced heart failure: relation to central haemodynamics and outcome

Objective

The role of hyperuricaemia as a prognostic maker has been established in chronic heart failure (HF) but limited information on the association between plasma uric acid (UA) levels and central haemodynamic measurements is available.

Methods

A retrospective study on patients with advanced HF referred for right heart catherisation. Regression analyses were constructed to investigate the association between UA and haemodynamic variables. Cox models were created to investigate if UA was a significant predictor of adverse outcome where log1.1(UA) was used to estimate the effect on outcome associated with a 10% increase in UA levels.

Results

A total of 228 patients were included (77% males, age 49±12 years, mean left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of 17%±8%). Median UA was 0.48 (0.39–0.61) mmol/L. UA level was associated to pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) and cardiac index (CI) in univariable (both p<0.001) and multivariable regression analysis (p<0.004 and p=0.025 for PCWP and CI). When constructing multivariable Cox models including PCWP, CI, central venous pressure, age, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), use of loop diuretics and LVEF, log1.1(UA) independently predicted the combined endpoint (left ventricular assist device, total artificial heart implantation, heart transplantation or all-cause mortality) (hazard ratio (HR): 1.10 (1.03–1.17), p=0.004) as well as all-cause mortality (HR: 1.15 (1.06–1.25), p=0.001).

Conclusions

Elevated UA is associated with greater haemodynamic impairment in advanced HF. In adjusted Cox models (age, eGFR, LVEF and haemodynamics), UA predicts the combined endpoint and all-cause mortality in long-term follow-up.

Cardiovascular protection by SGLT2 inhibitors - Do anti-inflammatory mechanisms play a role?

BACKGROUND

Metabolic syndrome and related metabolic disturbances represent a state of low-grade inflammation, which accelerates insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) progression. Among antidiabetic medications, sodium glucose co-transporter (SGLT) 2 inhibitors are the only agents which showed remarkable reductions in heart failure (HF) hospitalizations and major cardiovascular endpoints (MACE) as well as renal endpoints regardless of diabetes status in large randomized clinical outcome trials (RCTs). Although the exact mechanisms underlying these benefits are yet to be established, growing evidence suggests that modulating inflammation by SGLT2 inhibitors may play a key role.

SCOPE OF REVIEW

In this manuscript, we summarize the current knowledge on anti-inflammatory effects of SGLT2 inhibitors as one of the mechanisms potentially mediating their cardiovascular (CV) benefits. We introduce the different metabolic and systemic actions mediated by these agents which could mitigate inflammation, and further present the signalling pathways potentially responsible for their proposed direct anti-inflammatory effects. We also discuss controversies surrounding some of these mechanisms.

MAJOR CONCLUSIONS

SGLT2 inhibitors are promising anti-inflammatory agents by acting either indirectly via improving metabolism and reducing stress conditions or via direct modulation of inflammatory signalling pathways. These effects were achieved, to a great extent, in a glucose-independent manner which established their clinical use in HF patients with and without diabetes.

Mediators of ertugliflozin effects on heart failure and kidney outcomes among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

AIMS

Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors have been shown to reduce the risk of hospitalization for heart failure (HHF) and composite kidney outcomes, but the mediators underlying these benefits are unknown.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Among participants from VERTIS CV, a trial of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease randomized to ertugliflozin versus placebo, Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to evaluate the percentage mediation of ertugliflozin efficacy on the first HHF and kidney composite outcome in 26 potential mediators. Time-dependent approaches were used to evaluate associations between early (change from baseline to the first post-baseline measurement) and average (weighted average of change from baseline using all post-baseline measurements) changes in covariates with clinical outcomes.

RESULTS

For the HHF analyses, early changes in four biomarkers (haemoglobin, haematocrit, serum albumin and urate) and average changes in seven biomarkers (early biomarkers + weight, chloride and serum protein) were identified as fulfilling the criteria as mediators of ertugliflozin effects on the risk of HHF. Similar results were observed for the composite kidney outcome, with early changes in four biomarkers (glycated haemoglobin, haemoglobin, haematocrit and urate), and average changes in five biomarkers [early biomarkers (not glycated haemoglobin) + weight, serum albumin] mediating the effects of ertugliflozin on the kidney outcome.

CONCLUSIONS

In these analyses from the VERTIS CV trial, markers of volume status and haemoconcentration and/or haematopoiesis were the strongest mediators of the effect of ertugliflozin on reducing risk of HHF and composite kidney outcomes in the early and average change periods.

GOV IDENTIFIER

NCT01986881.

Review of Urate-Lowering Therapeutics: From the Past to the Future

We reviewed all currently available ULT, as well as any medications in development using following databases: United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), European Medicines Agency (EMA), Japanese Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA), and ClinicalTrials.gov. We identified a total of 36 drugs, including 10 approved drugs, 17 in clinical testing phases, and 9 in preclinical developmental phases. The 26 drugs currently undergoing testing and development include 5 xanthine oxidase inhibitors, 14 uricosurics, 6 recombinant uricases, and one with multiple urate-lowering mechanisms of action. Herein, we reviewed the benefit and risk of each drug summarizing currently available drugs. New trials of uricosuric agents are underway to develop the new indication. New drugs are going on to improve the potency of recombinant uricase and to develop the new route administration of such as oral formulation. This review will provide valuable information on the properties, indications, and limitations of ULTs.

Sex difference in heart failure risk associated with febuxostat and allopurinol in gout patients

Background

Gout or rapid reduction in serum uric acid level may increase the incidence of heart failure (HF). To compare the risk of HF between febuxostat and allopurinol in gout patients with coexisting cardiovascular (CV) diseases, the varying severity would be likely to confound the risk estimation. Gout and HF are both sex-related diseases, and the risk difference from the urate-lowering agents between women and men remains unknown.

Aims

To evaluate the HF hospitalisations risk of febuxostat and allopurinol in gout patients in real-world settings.

Methods

A population-based cohort enrolled patients with allopurinol or febuxostat initiation from 2011 to 2018. Participants were grouped into, without (low CV risk group) or with (high CV risk group) a history of recent major CV admission. The primary outcome was HF hospitalization. The secondary outcomes were composite CV events, all-cause mortality, and the cause of CV mortality. We used the ‘as-treated' analysis and Cox proportional hazards model after propensity score (PS) matching. Patients were further stratified into men and women to evaluate the gender differences.

Results

Febuxostat users had a significantly higher risk of HF hospitalization than allopurinol users in gout patients either with low CV risk [hazard ratio (HR) 1.39; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.25–1.55] or high CV risk [HR 1.36; 95% CI 1.22–1.52]. Particularly, women with gout had a higher risk of HF hospitalization than men.

Conclusion

The HF hospitalization risk was highest in gout women with high CV risk and febuxostat use. Monitoring of HF is warranted in these patients.

Uric acid and sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibition with empagliflozin in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction: the EMPEROR-reduced trial

Background

The sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor empagliflozin decreases the risk of cardiovascular death or hospitalization for heart failure (HF) in patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction. Empagliflozin reduces serum uric acid (SUA), but the relevance of this effect in patients with HF is unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effect of empagliflozin on SUA levels and the therapeutic efficacy of empagliflozin in relation to SUA.

Methods

The association between SUA and the composite primary outcome of cardiovascular death or hospitalization for worsening HF, its components, and all-cause mortality was investigated in 3676 patients of the EMPEROR-Reduced trial (98.6% of the study cohort). The treatment effect of empagliflozin was studied in relation to SUA as continuous variable, to clinical hyperuricaemia (SUA >5.7 mg/dL for women, >7.0 mg/dL for men) and in subgroups of patients of tertiles of SUA.

Results

Hyperuricaemia was prevalent in 53% of patients with no sex differences. Elevated SUA (highest tertile, mean SUA 9.38 ± 1.49 mg/dL) was associated with advanced severity of HF and with worst outcome [composite outcome, hazard ratio (HR) 1.64 (95% confidence interval, CI 1.28–2.10); cardiovascular mortality, HR 1.98 (95% CI 1.35–2.91); all-cause mortality, HR 1.8 (95% CI 1.29–2.49), all P < 0.001] in multivariate adjusted analyses, as compared with the lowest tertile. SUA was reduced following treatment with empagliflozin at 4 weeks (vs. placebo: −1.12 ± 0.04 mg/dL, P < 0.0001) and remained lower throughout follow-up, with a similar reduction in all prespecified subgroups. Empagliflozin reduced events of clinically relevant hyperuricaemia (acute gout, gouty arthritis or initiation of anti-gout therapy) by 32% [HR 0.68 (95% CI 0.52–0.89), P = 0.004]. The beneficial effect of empagliflozin on the primary endpoint was independent of baseline SUA [HR 0.76 (95% CI 0.65–0.88), P < 0.001) and of the change in SUA at 4 weeks [HR 0.81 (95% CI 0.69–0.95), P = 0.012]. As a hypothesis-generating finding, an interaction between SUA and treatment effect suggested a benefit of empagliflozin on mortality (cardiovascular and all-cause mortality) in patients in elevated SUA (P for interaction = 0.005 and = 0.011, respectively).

Conclusion

Hyperuricaemia is common in HF and is an independent predictor of advanced disease severity and increased mortality. Empagliflozin induced a rapid and sustained reduction of SUA levels and of clinical events related to hyperuricaemia. The benefit of empagliflozin on the primary outcome was observed independently of SUA.

An association study of ABCG2 rs2231142 on the concentrations of allopurinol and its metabolites

ABCG2 is a gene that codes for the human breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP). It is established that rs2231142 G>T, a single nucleotide polymorphism of the ABCG2 gene, is associated with gout and poor response to allopurinol, a uric acid‐lowering agent used to treat this condition. It has also been suggested that oxypurinol, the primary active metabolite of allopurinol, is a substrate of the BCRP. We thus hypothesized that carrying the rs2231142 variant would be associated with decreased oxypurinol concentrations, which would explain the lower reduction in uric acid. We performed a cross‐sectional study to investigate the association between the ABCG2 rs2231142 variant and oxypurinol, allopurinol, and allopurinol riboside concentrations in 459 participants from the Montreal Heart Institute Hospital Cohort. Age, sex, weight, use of diuretics, and estimated glomerular filtration rate were all significantly associated with oxypurinol plasma concentration. No association was found between rs2231142 and oxypurinol, allopurinol and allopurinol riboside plasma concentrations. Rs2231142 was not significantly associated with daily allopurinol dose in the overall population, but an association was observed in men, with T carriers receiving higher doses. Our results do not support a major role of ABCG2 in the pharmacokinetics of allopurinol or its metabolites. The underlying mechanism of the association between rs2231142 and allopurinol efficacy requires further investigation.

Uric acid associated with acute heart failure presentation in Acute Coronary Syndrome patients

We focused on the role of Uric Acid (UA) as a possible determinant of Heart Failure (HF) related issues in Acute Coronary Syndromes (ACS) patients. Main outcomes were acute HF and cardiogenic shock at admission, secondary outcomes were the use of Non Invasive Ventilation (NIV) and the admission Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction (LVEF). We consecutively enrolled 1269 ACS patients admitted to the cardiological Intensive Care Unit of the Niguarda and San Paolo hospitals (Milan, Italy) from June 2016 to June 2019. Median age was 68 (first-third quartile 59-77) years and males were 970 (76%). All the evaluated outcomes occurred more frequently in the hyperuricemic subjects (UA higher than 6 mg/dL for females and 7 mg/dL for males, n = 292): acute HF 35.8 vs 11.1% (p < 0.0001), cardiogenic shock 10 vs 3.1% (p < 0.0001), NIV 24.1 vs 5.1% (p < 0.0001) and lower admission LVEF (42.9±12.8 vs 49.6±9.9, p < 0.0001). By multivariable analyses, UA was confirmed to be significantly associated with all the outcomes with the following Odds Ratio (OR): acute HF OR = 1.119; 95% CI 1.019;1.229; cardiogenic shock OR = 1.157; 95% CI 1.001;1.337; NIV use OR = 1.208; 95% CI 1.078;1.354; LVEF β = -0.999; 95% CI -1.413;-0.586. We found a significant association between UA and acute HF, cardiogenic shock, NIV use and LVEF. Due to the cross-sectional nature of our study no definite answer on the direction of these relationship can be drawn and further longitudinal study on UA changes over time during an ACS hospitalization are needed.

Association of colchicine use for acute gout with clinical outcomes in acute decompensated heart failure

Background

Gout is a common comorbidity in heart failure (HF) patients and is frequently associated with acute exacerbations during treatment for decompensated HF. Although colchicine is often used to manage acute gout in HF patients, its impact on clinical outcomes when used during acute decompensated HF is unknown.

Methods

This was a single center, retrospective study of hospitalized patients treated for an acute HF exacerbation with and without acute gout flare between March 2011 and December 2020. We assessed clinical outcomes in patients treated with colchicine for a gout flare compared to those who did not experience a gout flare or receive colchicine. The primary outcome was in‐hospital all‐cause mortality.

Results

Among 1047 patient encounters for acute HF during the study period, there were 237 encounters (22.7%) where the patient also received colchicine for acute gout during admission. In‐hospital all‐cause mortality was significantly reduced in the colchicine group compared with the control group (2.1% vs. 6.5%, p = .009). The colchicine group had increased length of stay (9.93 vs. 7.96 days, p < .001) but no significant difference in 30‐day readmissions (21.5% vs. 19.5%, p = .495). In a Cox proportional hazards model adjusted for age, inpatient colchicine use was associated with improved survival to discharge (hazards ratio [HR] 0.163, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.051−0.525, p = .002) and a reduced rate of in‐hospital CV mortality (HR 0.184, 95% CI 0.044−0.770, p = .021).

Conclusion

Among patients with a HF exacerbation, treatment with colchicine for a gout flare was associated with significantly lower in‐hospital mortality compared with those not treated for acute gout.

Coenzyme Q10 Reduces Infarct Size in Animal Models of Myocardial Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury: A Meta-Analysis and Summary of Underlying Mechanisms

Objective

Effective interventions that might limit myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury are still lacking. Coenzyme Q₁₀ (CoQ₁₀) may exert cardioprotective actions that reduce myocardial I/R injury. We conducted this meta-analysis to assess the potential cardioprotective effect of CoQ₁₀ in animal models of myocardial I/R injury.

Methods

We searched PubMed and Embase databases from inception to February 2022 to identify animal studies that compared the effect of CoQ₁₀ with vehicle treatment or no treatment on myocardial infarct size in models of myocardial I/R injury. Means and standard deviations of the infarct size measurements were pooled as the weighted mean difference with 95% confidence interval (CI) using the random-effects model. Subgroup analyses were also conducted according to animals' species, models' type, and reperfusion time.

Results

Six animal studies (4 in vivo and 2 ex vivo) with 116 animals were included. Pooled analysis suggested that CoQ₁₀ significantly reduced myocardial infarct size by −11.36% (95% CI: −16.82, −5.90, p < 0.0001, I² = 94%) compared with the control group. The significance of the pooled effect estimate was maintained in rats, Hartley guinea pigs, and Yorkshire pigs. However, it became insignificant in the subgroup of rabbits −5.29% (95% CI: −27.83, 17.26; I² = 87%). Furthermore, CoQ₁₀ significantly reduced the myocardial infarct size regardless of model type (either in vivo or ex vivo) and reperfusion time (either ≤ 4 h or >4 h).

Conclusion

Coenzyme Q₁₀ significantly decreased myocardial infarct size by 11.36% compared with the control group in animal models of myocardial I/R injury. This beneficial action was retained regardless of model type and reperfusion time.

Reactive Oxygen Species Induced Pathways in Heart Failure Pathogenesis and Potential Therapeutic Strategies

With respect to structural and functional cardiac disorders, heart failure (HF) is divided into HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Oxidative stress contributes to the development of both HFrEF and HFpEF. Identification of a broad spectrum of reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced pathways in preclinical models has provided new insights about the importance of ROS in HFrEF and HFpEF development. While current treatment strategies mostly concern neuroendocrine inhibition, recent data on ROS-induced metabolic pathways in cardiomyocytes may offer additional treatment strategies and targets for both of the HF forms. The purpose of this article is to summarize the results achieved in the fields of: (1) ROS importance in HFrEF and HFpEF pathophysiology, and (2) treatments for inhibiting ROS-induced pathways in HFrEF and HFpEF patients. ROS-producing pathways in cardiomyocytes, ROS-activated pathways in different HF forms, and treatment options to inhibit their action are also discussed.

Comparative Effectiveness of Allopurinol and Febuxostat in Gout Management

BACKGROUND

The relative efficacy and safety of allopurinol and febuxostat when used according to current guidelines for the treatment of hyperuricemia are unknown. This double-blind noninferiority trial examined these issues.

METHODS

Participants with gout and hyperuricemia (with at least 33% having stage 3 chronic kidney disease) were randomly assigned to allopurinol or febuxostat in this 72-week trial, with doses titrated to target serum urate. The trial had three phases: titration (weeks 0 to 24), maintenance (weeks 25 to 48), and observation (weeks 49 to 72). Allopurinol and febuxostat were initiated at daily doses of 100 and 40 mg, with maximum titration to 800 and 120 mg, respectively. Antiinflammatory prophylaxis was given during phases 1 and 2. The primary end point was the proportion of patients experiencing one or more flares during phase 3, with a prespecified noninferiority margin of less than 8 percentage points between allopurinol and febuxostat. Secondary end points included efficacy in patients with chronic kidney disease, proportion achieving target serum urate levels, and serious adverse events.

RESULTS

This study included 940 participants; 20.1% withdrew, with similar proportions in treatment arms. During phase 3, 36.5% of allopurinol-treated participants had one flare or more compared with 43.5% of febuxostat-treated participants (P<0.001 for noninferiority). Overall, 80% of participants achieved mean target urates during phase 2 with no differences by treatment. There were no treatment differences (including cardiovascular events) in serious adverse events.

CONCLUSIONS

Allopurinol and febuxostat achieved serum urate goals in patients with gout; allopurinol was noninferior to febuxostat in controlling flares. Similar outcomes were noted in participants with stage 3 chronic kidney disease. (Funded by the Cooperative Studies Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Research and Development; ClinicalTrials.gov identifier, NCT02579096.).

U-shaped association of uric acid to overall-cause mortality and its impact on clinical management of hyperuricemia

Serum uric acid (SUA) is significantly elevated in obesity, gout, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and the metabolic syndrome and appears to contribute to the renal, cardiovascular and pulmonary comorbidities that are associated with these disorders. Most previous studies have focused on the pathophysiologic effects of high levels of uric acid (hyperuricemia). More recently, research has also shifted to the impact of hypouricemia, with multiple studies showing the potentially damaging effects that can be caused by abnormally low levels of SUA. Along with these observations, recent inconclusive data from human studies evaluating the treatment of hyperuricemia with xanthine oxidoreductase (XOR) inhibitors have added to the debate about the causal role of UA in human disease processes. SUA, which is largely derived from hepatic degradation of purines, appears to exert both systemic pro-inflammatory effects that contribute to disease and protective antioxidant properties. XOR, which catalyzes the terminal two steps of purine degradation, is the major source of both reactive oxygen species (O2^.-, H₂O₂) and UA. This review will summarize the evidence that both elevated and low SUA may be risk factors for renal, cardiovascular and pulmonary comorbidities. It will also discuss the mechanisms through which modulation of either XOR activity or SUA may contribute to vascular redox hemostasis. We will address future research studies to better account for the differential effects of high versus low SUA in the hope that this will identify new evidence-based approaches for the management of hyperuricemia.

2021 ESC Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic heart failure: Developed by the Task Force for the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic heart failure of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). With the special contribution of the Heart Failure Association (HFA) of the ESC

Document Reviewers: Rudolf A. de Boer (CPG Review Coordinator) (Netherlands), P. Christian Schulze (CPG Review Coordinator) (Germany), Magdy Abdelhamid (Egypt), Victor Aboyans (France), Stamatis Adamopoulos (Greece), Stefan D. Anker (Germany), Elena Arbelo (Spain), Riccardo Asteggiano (Italy), Johann Bauersachs (Germany), Antoni Bayes-Genis (Spain), Michael A. Borger (Germany), Werner Budts (Belgium), Maja Cikes (Croatia), Kevin Damman (Netherlands), Victoria Delgado (Netherlands), Paul Dendale (Belgium), Polychronis Dilaveris (Greece), Heinz Drexel (Austria), Justin Ezekowitz (Canada), Volkmar Falk (Germany), Laurent Fauchier (France), Gerasimos Filippatos (Greece), Alan Fraser (United Kingdom), Norbert Frey (Germany), Chris P. Gale (United Kingdom), Finn Gustafsson (Denmark), Julie Harris (United Kingdom), Bernard Iung (France), Stefan Janssens (Belgium), Mariell Jessup (United States of America), Aleksandra Konradi (Russia), Dipak Kotecha (United Kingdom), Ekaterini Lambrinou (Cyprus), Patrizio Lancellotti (Belgium), Ulf Landmesser (Germany), Christophe Leclercq (France), Basil S. Lewis (Israel), Francisco Leyva (United Kingdom), AleVs Linhart (Czech Republic), Maja-Lisa Løchen (Norway), Lars H. Lund (Sweden), Donna Mancini (United States of America), Josep Masip (Spain), Davor Milicic (Croatia), Christian Mueller (Switzerland), Holger Nef (Germany), Jens-Cosedis Nielsen (Denmark), Lis Neubeck (United Kingdom), Michel Noutsias (Germany), Steffen E. Petersen (United Kingdom), Anna Sonia Petronio (Italy), Piotr Ponikowski (Poland), Eva Prescott (Denmark), Amina Rakisheva (Kazakhstan), Dimitrios J. Richter (Greece), Evgeny Schlyakhto (Russia), Petar Seferovic (Serbia), Michele Senni (Italy), Marta Sitges (Spain), Miguel Sousa-Uva (Portugal), Carlo G. Tocchetti (Italy), Rhian M. Touyz (United Kingdom), Carsten Tschoepe (Germany), Johannes Waltenberger (Germany/Switzerland) All experts involved in the development of these guidelines have submitted declarations of interest. These have been compiled in a report and published in a supplementary document simultaneously to the guidelines. The report is also available on the ESC website www.escardio.org/guidelines For the Supplementary Data which include background information and detailed discussion of the data that have provided the basis for the guidelines see European Heart Journal online.

Topiroxostat versus allopurinol in patients with chronic heart failure complicated by hyperuricemia: A prospective, randomized, open-label, blinded-end-point clinical trial

Background

The benefits of xanthine oxidase inhibitors to chronic heart failure (CHF) patients is controversial. We investigated the beneficial effects of a novel xanthine oxidoreductase inhibitor, topiroxostat, in patients with CHF and hyperuricemia (HU), in comparison to allopurinol.

Methods and results

The prospective, randomized open-label, blinded-end-point study was performed in 141 patients with CHF and HU at 4 centers. Patients were randomly assigned to either topiroxostat or allopurinol group to achieve target uric acid level ≤6.0 mg/dL. According to the protocol, 140 patients were followed up for 24 weeks. Percent change in ln (N-terminal-proB-type natriuretic peptide) at week 24 (primary endpoint) was comparable between topiroxostat and allopurinol groups (1.6±8.2 versus -0.4±8.0%; P = 0.17). In the limited number of patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) (left ventricle ejection fraction <45%), ratio of peak early diastolic flow velocity at mitral valve leaflet to early diastolic mitral annular motion velocity (E/e’) decreased in topiroxostat group, but not in allopurinol group. Urinary 8-hydroxy-2’-deoxyguanosine and L-type fatty acid-binding protein levels increased and osmolality decreased significantly in allopurinol group, while these changes were less or absent in topiroxostat group. In allopurinol group HFrEF patients, additional to the increases in these urinary marker levels, urinary creatinine levels decreased, with no change in clearance, but not in topiroxostat group.

Conclusions

Compared with allopurinol, topiroxostat did not show great benefits in patients with CHF and HU. However, topiroxostat might have potential advantages of reducing left ventricular end-diastolic pressure, not worsening oxidative stress in proximal renal tubule, and renoprotection over allopurinol in HFrEF patients.

Dapagliflozin reduces uric acid concentration, an independent predictor of adverse outcomes in DAPA‐HF

Aims

Blood uric acid (UA) levels are frequently elevated in patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), may lead to gout and are associated with worse outcomes. Reduction in UA is desirable in HFrEF and sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors may have this effect. We aimed to examine the association between UA and outcomes, the effect of dapagliflozin according to baseline UA level, and the effect of dapagliflozin on UA in patients with HFrEF in the DAPA‐HF trial.

Methods and results

The association between UA and the primary composite outcome of cardiovascular death or worsening heart failure, its components, and all‐cause mortality was examined using Cox regression analyses among 3119 patients using tertiles of UA, after adjustment for other prognostic variables. Change in UA from baseline over 12 months was also evaluated. Patients in tertile 3 (UA ≥6.8 mg/dl) versus tertile 1 (<5.4 mg/dl) were younger (66.3 ± 10.8 vs. 68 ± 10.2 years), more often male (83.1% vs. 71.5%), had lower estimated glomerular filtration rate (58.2 ± 17.4 vs. 70.6 ± 18.7 ml/min/1.73 m²), and more often treated with diuretics. Higher UA was associated with a greater risk of the primary outcome (adjusted hazard ratio tertile 3 vs. tertile 1: 1.32, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.06–1.66; p = 0.01). The risk of heart failure hospitalization and cardiovascular death increased by 7% and 6%, respectively per 1 mg/dl unit increase of UA (p = 0.04 and p = 0.07). Spline analysis revealed a linear increase in risk above a cut‐off UA value of 7.09 mg/dl. Compared with placebo, dapagliflozin reduced UA by 0.84 mg/dl (95% CI −0.93 to −0.74) over 12 months (p < 0.001). Dapagliflozin improved outcomes, irrespective of baseline UA concentration.

Conclusion

Uric acid remains an independent predictor of worse outcomes in a well‐treated contemporary HFrEF population. Compared with placebo, dapagliflozin reduced UA and improved outcomes irrespective of UA concentration.