Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology

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January 2024 - Volume 83 - Issue 1

  • George W. Booz, PhD, FAHA
  • 0160-2446
  • 1533-4023
  • 12 issues per year
  • Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems 75/143, Pharmacology & Pharmacy 162/279
  • 3.0

Repeated levosimendan infusions in the management of advanced heart failure: review of the evidence and meta-analysis of the effect on mortality (Simona Silvetti, Piero Pollesello, and Alessandro Belletti). In the latest years several studies described the impact of repetitive/intermittent i.v levosimendan treatment in the management of advanced heart failure. For this updated review we systematically searched the literature for clinical trials, registries, and real-world data, and identified 31 studies that we commented in a narrative review: 3814 patients were described, of whom 1744 were treated repetitively with levosimendan. On the basis of the nature of the study protocols and of the end-points, out of those studies we further selected 9 that had characteristics making them suitable for a meta-analysis on mortality. This short list describes data from 680 patients (of whom 399 received repeated doses of levosimendan), and 110 death events (of which 50 occurred in the levosimendan cohort). In the meta-analysis, repetitive/intermittent therapy with i.v. levosimendan was associated with a significant reduction in mortality at the longest time-point available: 50/399 (12.5%) versus 60/281 (21.4%) in the control arms, with a risk ratio of 0.62 (95% confidence interval = 0.42-0.90; p<0.01). In a sensitivity analysis, removing each trial and re-analyzing the remaining dataset did not change either the trend, magnitude, or significance of the results. A visual inspection of the funnel plot did not suggest publication bias. The results provide a very strong rationale for continuing to investigate the repetitive use of levosimendan in patients with advanced heart failure by properly powered regulatory clinical trials. Meanwhile, it seems that the use of repetitive/intermittent i.v. levosimendan infusions has become one of the few effective options for preserving the hemodynamic and symptomatic balance in such patients.​​

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Current Issue Highlights

Review Article: VASCULAR

Prior Use of Angiotensin-converting Enzyme Inhibitors or Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers and Clinical Outcomes of Sepsis and Septic Shock: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Shrestha, Dhan Bahadur; Sedhai, Yub Raj; Oli, Prakash Raj; More

Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology. 83(1):16-22, January 2024.

CARDIAC

CARDIAC

Duration of Dual Antiplatelet Treatment After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Patients With Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Apostolos, Anastasios; Travlos, Christofer; Tsioulos, Georgios; More

Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology. 83(1):64-72, January 2024.

VASCULAR

CARDIAC

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The editors of JCVP are calling for the submission of review articles dealing with all aspects of ER signaling in the heart, including the cGAS–cGAMP–STING pathway, mitochondria associated membranes, unfolded protein response (UPR), inflammasome activation, and ER stress. Articles with a therapeutic and disease-based perspective are welcomed. All articles will undergo peer review and appear in a regular issue in early 2023. Please contact the editorial office for additional information and prior approval for submission. ​​

The Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology announces an open call for a new review series dealing with the rapidly developing topic of RNA-based therapies. Reviews should focus on treating cardiovascular diseases or disorders, such as myocardial infarction, cardiac hypertrophy, cardiomyopathies, arrhythmias, valvular heart disease, aortic aneurysms, atherosclerosis and dysliidemia, and cerebrovascular disease. Various approaches, such as RNA aptamers, long non-coding RNAs, microRNAs, antisense nucleotides, and novel delivery strategies are included. The series is scheduled to appear early 2023. Please contact the editorial office for additional information and prior approval for submission.​​