Research Highlights

An antibody-based therapy for transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy is safe, and initial findings from a phase I trial suggest that it might deplete amyloid deposits in the heart.

In a diverse population of patients with heart failure with mildly reduced or preserved ejection fraction stabilized after a recent worsening heart failure event, treatment with sacubitril–valsartan induces greater reductions in plasma NT-proBNP levels and is associated with clinical benefit compared with valsartan alone, despite a higher rate of symptomatic hypotension.

The essential omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid γ-linolenic acid present in maternal milk coordinates cardiac adaptation and survival in newborn mice, according to a new study.

Results from the MONITOR-HF trial show that remote monitoring of pulmonary artery pressure using the implantable CardioMEMS sensor in patients with chronic heart failure improves quality of life and reduces hospitalizations.

In a mouse model of atherosclerosis, a selective monoclonal antibody that blocks the binding of LDL to activin receptor-like kinase 1 reduced plaque formation in the aorta.

Simvastatin improves endothelial cell function by inhibiting endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition through an epigenetic regulatory mechanism, according to a new study.

Findings from the VIRGO study reveal that young women with acute myocardial infarction are more likely to be rehospitalized within 1 year compared with similarly aged men.

Hyperphosphorylation of tau in the heart reduces the tyrosination of microtubules, leading to myocardial stiffness and heart failure. This novel mechanism of diastolic dysfunction parallels the aggregation of tau in the brain that leads to Alzheimer disease and might be amenable to treatment using monoclonal antibodies against tau.

An artificial intelligence-guided workflow for initial evaluation of left ventricular ejection fraction in echocardiography is non-inferior to initial assessment by a sonographer, according to findings from a blinded, randomized, non-inferiority clinical trial.

Desmosomal protein degradation that occurs via a mechanism involving the ubiquitin–proteasome system might underlie the development of arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy.

In the CLEAR Outcomes trial, bempedoic acid lowered plasma LDL-cholesterol levels and reduced the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events in individuals who were intolerant to statin therapy.

Tricuspid transcatheter edge-to-edge repair in patients with severe tricuspid regurgitation improved quality of life and reduced disease severity compared with medical therapy

A wrist-worn, transdermal sensor can be used to measure plasma levels of cardiac troponin I, potentially facilitating the diagnosis of myocardial infarction.

In patients with complex coronary lesions, percutaneous coronary intervention guided by intravascular imaging improved cardiovascular outcomes compared with percutaneous coronary intervention guided by angiography.

MK-0616, an oral inhibitor of PCSK9, safely and effectively lowers plasma levels of LDL cholesterol in a dose-dependent manner in patients with hypercholesterolaemia.

Immediate complete revascularization is as safe and effective as staged complete revascularization in patients with acute coronary syndrome and multivessel disease, according to findings from the BIOVASC trial.

In the Evolut Low Risk study, transcatheter aortic valve implantation in low-risk patients with severe aortic stenosis compared favourably with surgical aortic valve replacement in terms of all-cause mortality or disabling stroke at 3 years.

According to findings from the PULSED AF trial, pulsed field ablation for atrial fibrillation is associated with a very low incidence of serious procedure-related adverse events and has an effectiveness consistent with that of established thermal ablation methods.

Findings from the STELLAR trial show that the addition of sotatercept to background therapy in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension significantly improved exercise capacity compared with placebo.

Deisseroth and colleagues used a novel optogenetic system to pace the heart and determine whether an increase in heart rate can evoke anxiety-like behaviours.