Mansour, Ahmed

Background: The growing epidemiologic burden of heart failure (HF) poses a significant public health challenge. The development of conduction abnormalities influences HF outcomes, with left bundle branch block (LBBB) established as an independent mortality predictor. However, the impact of right bundle branch block (RBBB) on HF mortality is still controversial. The aim of this study is to compare survival in HF patients with and without RBBB. Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted on PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library from inception to 12 October 2024. Raw data coordinates were extracted from Kaplan–Meier curves and merged into one dataset to reconstruct individual patient data. Hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated using the Cox regression model. Dichotomous outcomes were pooled as risk ratios (RR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) using a random-effects model. Results: 13 studies incorporating 25714 HF patients were included in our analysis. Patients with RBBB had a significantly lower median survival of 41.0 months (95% CI: 39.0 – 44.8) compared to 51.2 months (95% CI: 49.2 – 52.8) in patients without RBBB. Survival at 1,3, and 5 years in RBBB patients was 74.2%, 54.0%, and 39.4%, respectively, compared to 77.2%, 58.1%, and 45.4% in patients without RBBB. The HR for mortality was 0.87 (95% CI: 0.83 – 0.91, p < 0.001), indicating a 13% lower risk of death in patients without RBBB compared to those with RBBB. There was no significant difference in cardiovascular mortality between groups (RR: 1.34; 95% CI: 0.88 – 2.05; p = 0.17). Conclusion: RBBB was associated with an increased risk of mortality in HF patients. These findings support the use of RBBB as a potential marker for risk stratification in HF. Further research with stricter inclusion criteria is warranted to better understand how the observed association is influenced by preserved versus reduced ejection fraction.

Background/Objectives: Esaxerenone, a novel non-steroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist, has shown promising results in the treatment of essential hypertension (HTN). This study aims to comprehensively analyze the effectiveness of esaxerenone to control BP in patients with essential HTN. Methods: A systematic search was performed on PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science (WOS), and Cochrane Library from inception until January 2025 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing esaxerenone with standard HTN usual care. The primary outcome of interest was mean changes in sitting systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP). Other secondary outcomes were mean changes in 24 h-SBP and 24 h-DBP, and target BP achievement. Safety outcomes, such as adverse events and increased levels of potassium/uric acid, were also assessed. Results: Our meta-analysis included four studies with a total of 1981 patients, all conducted in Japan. Esaxerenone demonstrated dose-dependent blood pressure reductions. At 5 mg, sitting DBP decreased by 4.22 mmHg (95% CI −8.72 to 0.29; p = 0.07) and SBP by 9.07 mmHg (95% CI −17.69 to −0.45; p = 0.04), while the 1.25 mg dose showed smaller, non-significant reductions. For 24 h measurements, only the 5 mg dose achieved significant reductions. Target BP achievement increased by 48% overall (RR 1.48, 95% CI 1.11 to 1.96; p = 0.007), with stronger effects at 5 mg (RR 2.05, 95% CI 1.03 to 4.08; p = 0.04). Esaxerenone significantly reduced nocturnal SBP by 10.62 mmHg (95% CI −14.01 to −7.23; p < 0.001). Conclusions: In patients with essential HTN, esaxerenone was shown to be safe and well-tolerated compared with usual care. Long-term data on safety is warranted.

Abstract Introduction Drug-coated balloons (DCBs) have reduced restenosis and reintervention of femoropopliteal lesions compared to uncoated percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA). However, limited data are available on different dosages of the DCBs. Purpose We aimed to give a comprehensive analysis in this regard and update the current evidence. Methods We searched Scopus, Cochrane, PubMed, and WOS from inception till February 2024 to include all randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that addressed different dosages of DCBs in femoropopliteal lesions. The primary endpoint was all-cause death, primary patency, and amputation at six months, while the secondary outcomes were all-cause death, primary patency, and amputation at 12 months. Dichotomous data were pooled using Odds Ratio (OR) and 95% Confidence Interval (CI) in a random-effect model. Results A total of 21 studies, including 4081 patients in the analysis. Low-dose DCB was associated with high rates of primary patency compared to the standard dose at both 6 and 12 months of follow-up with the following values (OR: 2.46, 95% CI: 1.48 to 4.08, and 1.93, 95% CI: 1.5 to 2.49, receptively). Also, low-dose DCB reduced the incidence of clinically driven target lesion revascularization (CD-TLR) compared to the standard dose at 12 months (OR: 0.45, 95% CI: 0.31 to 0.65). Regarding high-dose DCB, higher primary patency rates were observed when compared to standard doses at 6 and 12 months (OR: 1.89, 95% CI: 1.19 to 2.99, and 5.47, 95% CI: 4.31 to 6.95, respectively). Moreover, high-dose DCB reduced the incidence of CD-TLR at 6 and 12 months of follow-up (OR: 0.33, 95% CI: 0.18 to 0.63, and 0.63, 95% CI: 0.48 to 0.84, respectively). Conclusion Low-dose DCBs were associated with higher primary patency without significant differences in all-cause mortality or amputation. On the other hand, high-dose DCBs were associated with a higher incidence of amputation without significant differences in other studied outcomes.Low dose Paclitaxel coated balloon vs CoHigh dose Paclitaxel coated balloon vs C