The Year in Hungarian Cardiology 2023: Heart failure

Abstract

The year 2023 proved to be a productive period with many remarkable scientific papers published from Hungary in the field of heart failure (HF). Our aim with this brief review is to highlight the results of the most prominent landmark randomized clinical trials as well as other relevant influential publications with significant contribution from Hungarian authors. Several clinical trials were published in 2023 with the primary focus on optimizing medical management. Papers described the use of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) in HF in association with renal dysfunction, COVID-19 infection, and evaluating their economic impact. A comprehensive manuscript analysed the geographic differences in patient characteristics, treatments, and outcomes in the PARADISE-MI trial population. With regards to glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, the STEP-HFpEF landmark clinical trial reported a favourable effect for semaglutide in patients with HFpEF and obesity. The intermittent administration of levosimendan did not improve post-hospitalization clinical stability in a population with advanced HF. In the field of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), results of the BUDAPEST-CRT Upgrade trial was published in the European Heart Journal. This was the first prospective, randomized controlled trial to demonstrate that CRT upgrade in patients with intermittent or permanent RV pacing and HFrEF reduces morbidity and mortality. Several papers focused on the greater field of cardiomyopathies, including medical therapies, diuretic use, and cardiotoxicity. Finally, it is important to mention that an issue of Cardiologia Hungarica was published that was entirely dedicated to HF.