• International Journal of Heart Failure
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• 제6권2호
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• pp.47-55
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• 2024

Heart failure with mid-range ejection fraction (HFmrEF) and preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) represent over half of heart failure cases but lack proven effective therapies beyond sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor and diuretics. HFmrEF and HFpEF are heterogeneous conditions requiring precision phenotyping to enable tailored therapies. This review covers concepts on precision medicine approaches for HFmrEF and HFpEF. Areas discussed include HFmrEF mechanisms, anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic treatments for obesity-related HFpEF, If inhibition for HFpEF with atrial fibrillation, and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonism for chronic kidney disease-HFpEF. Incorporating precision phenotyping and matched interventions in HFmrEF and HFpEF trials will further advance therapy compared to blanket approaches.

• International Journal of Heart Failure
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• 제6권3호
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• pp.127-128
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• 2024

• 대한중풍순환신경학회지
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• 제22권1호
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• pp.45-56
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• 2021

■ Background Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction(HFpEF) is a heart failure that appears to have normal contraction function. In the case of HFpEF, no pharmacological therapy has been found to improve clinical prognosis, so it should be approached as an symptomatic treatment, therefore alternatives are needed due to concerns over adverse effects such as electrolyte imbalance caused by medication. ■ Case report A 81 year old female patient with Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction(HFpEF) patient complained dyspnea. Herbal prescription Mokbanggi-tang and Oryeongsan was administered on 6th day and 8th day respectively since the symptoms started. The NYHA Classification and Chest X-ray had been evaluated during the treatment period. Until the 7th day, the patient was classified as Class II, and when discharged from the hospital on the 28th day, it gradually improved and was classified as Class II. Chest X-Ray took on 2nd day showed pleural effusion and it was aggravated until 13th day. Follow up Chest X-Ray showed improving state of pleural effusion from 20th day and gradually got better. Mokbanggi-tang treatment continued for 52 days and stopped on 58th day. After Mokbanggi-tang treatment ended, only Oryeongsan treatment was maintained. ■ Conclusion The present case report suggests that Korean-Western medicine approach with Mokbangki-tang and Oryeongsan might be effective to pleural effusion and heart failure symptoms such as poor physical activity shown in a NYHA Classification. This shows that Mokbanggi-tang and Oryeongsan can be a therapeutic option as a treatment for patient with Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction(HFpEF).

• Korean Circulation Journal
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• 제52권4호
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• pp.251-264
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• 2022

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) accounts for approximately half of all heart failure (HF) cases. The prevalence of HFpEF is increasing due to an aging population with hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and obesity. HFpEF remains a challenging clinical entity due to a lack of effective treatment options. Traditional HF medications have not been shown to reduce mortality of patients with HFpEF, and an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator is not indicated due to normal ejection fraction. Sudden death is the most common mode of death in patients with HFpEF; however, the underlying mechanisms of sudden death are not fully elucidated. Although ventricular arrhythmias are responsible for the majority of sudden deaths in general, their contribution to sudden deaths in HFpEF patients is likely less significant. The mechanisms of ventricular arrhythmias in HFpEF are 1) reduced conduction velocity due to ventricular hypertrophy, 2) delayed repolarization due to potassium current down-regulation, 3) calcium leakage due to altered excitation-contraction coupling, and 4) increased ventricular fibrosis caused by systemic inflammation. Hypertension and subsequent ventricular hypertrophy reduce the conduction velocity in HFpEF hearts via heterogeneous distribution of connexin 43. Delayed repolarization caused by potassium current down-regulation in HFpEF hearts provides a window for early afterdepolarization to trigger ventricular arrhythmias. Altered excitation-contraction coupling in HFpEF can cause calcium to leak and trigger delayed afterdepolarization. Increased systemic inflammation and subsequent ventricular fibrosis provide substrates for re-entry. Further research is warranted to investigate the detailed mechanisms of ventricular arrhythmias in HFpEF.

• Korean Circulation Journal
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• 제53권4호
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• pp.195-216
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• 2023

The Korean Society of Heart Failure guidelines aim to provide physicians with evidence-based recommendations for diagnosing and managing patients with heart failure (HF). In Korea, the prevalence of HF has been rapidly increasing in the last 10 years. HF has recently been classified into HF with reduced ejection fraction (EF), HF with mildly reduced EF, and HF with preserved EF (HFpEF). Moreover, the availability of newer therapeutic agents has led to an increased emphasis on the appropriate diagnosis of HFpEF. Accordingly, this part of the guidelines will mainly cover the definition, epidemiology, and diagnosis of HF.

• International Journal of Heart Failure
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• 제6권3호
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• pp.93-106
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• 2024

Being commonly diagnosed in elderly women and associated with comorbidities as well as ageing-related cardio-vascular changes, heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) has been recently considered as a distinct cardiogeriatric syndrome. Frailty is another frequent geriatric syndrome. HFpEF and frailty share common underlying mechanisms, often co-exist, and represent each other's risk factors. A threshold of 65 years old is usually used to screen patients for both frailty and HFpEF in research and clinical settings. However, both HFpEF and frailty are very heterogenous conditions that may develop at younger ages. In this review we aim to provide a broader overview on the coexistence of HFpEF and frailty throughout the lifetime. We hypothesize that HFpEF and frailty patients' profiles (young, elderly, superaged) represent a continuum of the common ageing process modified by cumulative exposure to risk factors resulting to a presentation of HFpEF and frailty at different ages. We believe, that suggested approach might stimulate assessment of frailty in HFpEF assessment and vice versa regardless of age and early implementation of targeted interventions. Future studies of pathophysiology, clinical features, and outcomes of frailty in HFpEF by age are needed.

• Korean Circulation Journal
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• 제53권4호
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• pp.217-238
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• 2023

The Korean Society of Heart Failure (KSHF) guidelines aim to provide physicians with evidence-based recommendations for the management of patients with heart failure (HF). After the first introduction of the KSHF guidelines in 2016, newer therapies for HF with reduced ejection fraction, HF with mildly reduced ejection fraction, and HF with preserved ejection fraction have since emerged. The current version has been updated based on international guidelines and research data on Korean patients with HF. Herein, we present Part II of these guidelines, which comprises treatment strategies to improve the outcomes of patients with HF.

• Journal of Cardiovascular Imaging
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• 제31권4호
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• pp.169-177
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• 2023

BACKGROUND: Acute worsening of cardiac function frequently leads to kidney dysfunction. This study aimed to identify clinical and imaging parameters associated with impaired kidney function in patients with acute decompensated heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). METHODS: Data from 131 patients hospitalized with acute decompensated HFrEF (left ventricular ejection fraction, < 40%) were analyzed. Patients were divided into two groups according to the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) at admission (those with preserved kidney function [GFR ≥ 60 mL/min/1.73 m²] and those with reduced kidney function [GFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m²]). Various echocardiographic parameters and perirenal fat thicknesses were assessed by computed tomography. RESULTS: There were 71 patients with preserved kidney function and 60 patients with reduced kidney function. Increased age (odds ratio [OR], 1.07; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04-1.12; p = 0.005), increased log N-terminal pro b-type natriuretic peptide (OR, 1.74; 95% CI, 1.14-2.66; p = 0.010), and increased perirenal fat thickness (OR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.10-1.29; p < 0.001) were independently associated with reduced kidney function, even after adjusting for variable clinical and echocardiographic parameters. The optimal average perirenal fat thickness cut-off value of > 12 mm had a sensitivity of 55% and specificity of 83% for kidney dysfunction prediction. CONCLUSIONS: Thick perirenal fat was independently associated with impaired kidney function in patients hospitalized for acute decompensated HFrEF. Measurement of perirenal fat thickness may be a promising imaging marker for the detection of HFrEF patients who are more susceptible to kidney dysfunction.

• International Journal of Heart Failure
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• 제6권3호
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• pp.129-136
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• 2024

Background and Objectives: Heart failure (HF) is a leading cause of hospitalization and death worldwide. The Steady Movement with Innovating Leadership for Heart Failure (SMILE HF) aims to evaluate the clinical characteristics, management, hospital course, and long-term outcomes of patients hospitalized for acute HF in South Korea. Methods: This prospective, observational multicenter cohort study was conducted on consecutive patients hospitalized for acute HF in nine university hospitals since September 2019. Enrolment of 2000 patients should be completed in 2024, and follow-up is planned through 2025. Results: Interim analysis of 1,052 consecutive patients was performed to understand the baseline characteristics. The mean age was 69±15 years; 57.6% were male. The mean left ventricular ejection fraction was 39±15%. The prevalences of HF with reduced ejection fraction, HF with mildly reduced ejection fraction, and HF with preserved ejection fraction were 50.9%, 15.3%, and 29.2%. Ischemic cardiomyopathy (CMP) was the most common etiology (32%), followed by tachycardia-induced CMP (12.8%) and idiopathic dilated CMP (9.5%). The prescription rate of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor/angiotensin receptor blockers/angiotensin receptor/neprilysin inhibitor, beta-blockers, spironolactone, and sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors at discharge were 76.8%, 66.5%, 50.0%, and 17.5%, respectively. The post-discharge 90-day mortality and readmission rates due to HF aggravation were 2.0% and 6.4%, respectively. Our analysis reveals the current state of acute HF in South Korea. Conclusions: Our interim analysis provides valuable insights into the clinical characteristics, management, and early outcomes of acute HF patients in South Korea, highlighting the current state and treatment patterns in this population.

• Korean Circulation Journal
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• 제54권4호
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• pp.165-171
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• 2024

Beta blockers are one of the commonest prescription drugs in medicine and they have been thought to revolutionize the treatment of heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) in the last century. In addition to HFrEF, they are prescribed for a variety of diseases in cardiology from hypertension to HF, angina, and stable coronary artery disease (CAD). The increased prescription of beta blockers in conditions like HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), and stable CAD may be doing more harm than good as per the data we have so far. The available data shows that beta blockers are associated with increased stroke risk and atrial fibrillation (AF) in hypertension and in patients with HFpEF, they have been associated with decreased exercise capacity. In patients with stable CAD and patients with myocardial infarction with normal systolic functions, beta blockers don't offer any mortality benefit. In this article, we critically review the common indications and the uses of beta blockers in patients with HFpEF, CAD, hypertension and AF and we propose that beta blockers are overprescribed under the shadow of their beneficial effects in patients with HFrEF.