Cardiovascular Safety Research Articles

Xylitol is prothrombotic and associated with cardiovascular risk.

The pathways and metabolites that contribute to residual cardiovascular disease risks are unclear. Low-calorie sweeteners are widely used sugar substitutes in processed foods with presumed health benefits. Many low-calorie sweeteners are sugar alcohols that also are produced endogenously, albeit at levels over 1000-fold lower than observed following consumption as a sugar substitute. Untargeted metabolomics studies were performed on overnight fasting plasma samples in a discovery cohort (n = 1157) of sequential stable subjects undergoing elective diagnostic cardiac evaluations; subsequent stable isotope dilution liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analyses were performed on an independent, non-overlapping validation cohort (n = 2149). Complementary isolated human platelet, platelet-rich plasma, whole blood, and animal model studies examined the effect of xylitol on platelet responsiveness and thrombus formation in vivo. Finally, an intervention study was performed to assess the effects of xylitol consumption on platelet function in healthy volunteers (n = 10). In initial untargeted metabolomics studies (discovery cohort), circulating levels of a polyol tentatively assigned as xylitol were associated with incident (3-year) major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE) risk. Subsequent stable isotope dilution LC-MS/MS analyses (validation cohort) specific for xylitol (and not its structural isomers) confirmed its association with incident MACE risk [third vs. first tertile adjusted hazard ratio (95% confidence interval), 1.57 (1.12-2.21), P < .01]. Complementary mechanistic studies showed xylitol-enhanced multiple indices of platelet reactivity and in vivo thrombosis formation at levels observed in fasting plasma. In interventional studies, consumption of a xylitol-sweetened drink markedly raised plasma levels and enhanced multiple functional measures of platelet responsiveness in all subjects. Xylitol is associated with incident MACE risk. Moreover, xylitol both enhanced platelet reactivity and thrombosis potential in vivo. Further studies examining the cardiovascular safety of xylitol are warranted.

Colchicine in acute heart failure: Rationale and design of a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial (COLICA).

Heart failure (HF) elicits a pro-inflammatory state, which is associated with impaired clinical outcomes, but no anti-inflammatory therapies have demonstrated a clinical benefit yet. Inflammatory pathways related with the interleukin-1 axis are overactivated during episodes of acute HF. Colchicine, an anti-inflammatory drug with proven benefits in acute pericarditis and ischaemic heart disease, may target this inflammatory response. This study aims to assess the efficacy of colchicine in acute HF patients. COLICA is a multicentre, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial enrolling 278 patients across 12 sites. Patients presenting with acute HF, clinical evidence of congestion requiring ≥40 mg of intravenous furosemide and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) >900 pg/ml, are eligible for participation. Patients are enrolled irrespective of left ventricular ejection fraction, HF type (new-onset or not) and setting (hospital or outpatient clinic). Patients are randomized 1:1 within the first 24 h of presentation to either placebo or colchicine, with an initial loading dose of 2 mg followed by 0.5 mg every 12 h for 8 weeks (reduced dose if <70 kg, >75 years old, or glomerular filtration rate <50 ml/min/1.73 m2). The primary efficacy endpoint is the time-averaged proportional change in NT-proBNP concentrations from baseline to week 8. Key secondary and exploratory outcomes include symptoms, diuretic use, worsening HF episodes, related biomarkers of cardiac stress and inflammation, total and cardiovascular readmissions, mortality and safety events. COLICA will be the first randomized trial testing the efficacy and safety of colchicine for acute HF.

The association of TNF inhibitor use with incident cardiovascular events in radiographic axial spondyloarthritis

BackgroundWhether tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) use is cardioprotective among individuals with radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (r-axSpA), who have heightened cardiovascular (CV) risk, is unclear. We tested the association of TNFi use with incident CV outcomes in r-axSpA. MethodsWe identified a r-axSpA cohort within a Veterans Affairs database between 2002 and 2019 using novel phenotyping methods and secondarily using ICD codes. TNFi use was assessed as a time-varying exposure using pharmacy dispense records. The primary outcome was incident CV disease identified using ICD codes for coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction or stroke. We fit Cox models with inverse probability weights to estimate the risk of each outcome with TNFi use versus non-use. Analyses were performed in the overall cohort, and separately in two periods (2002–2010, 2011–2019) to account for secular trends. ResultsUsing phenotyping we identified 26,928 individuals with an r-axSpA diagnosis (mean age 63.4 years, 94 % male); at baseline 3633 were TNFi users and 23,295 were non-users. During follow-up of a mean 3.3 ± 4.2 years, 674 (18.6 %) TNFi users had incident CVD versus 11,838 (50.8 %) non-users. In adjusted analyses, TNFi use versus non-use was associated with lower risk of incident CVD (HR 0.34, 95 % CI 0.29–0.40) in the cohort overall, and in the two time periods separately. ConclusionIn this r-axSpA cohort identified using phenotyping methods, TNFi use versus non-use had a lower risk of incident CVD. These findings provide reassurance regarding the CV safety of TNFi agents for r-axSpA treatment. Replication of these results in other cohorts is needed.

Use of methylphenidate and reporting of valvular heart disease: Global pharmacovigilance analysis in children and adults.

Methylphenidate (MPH) is a common treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Concern has been raised regarding its cardiovascular safety, partly in relation with its micromolar affinity for the 5-HT2B receptor, whose activation may result in valvular heart disease (VHD). To explore the association between the use of MPH and VHD reporting, we performed a disproportionality analysis within the WHO global safety database (VigiBase) using data, since inception until March 6th 2024, from: (i) the full database and (ii) different age groups (children/adolescents 6-17 years; adults 18-64 years). To avoid competition bias, safety reports with amphetamine-like appetite suppressants were excluded. Disproportionality was expressed using reporting odds-ratio (ROR) and its 95% confidence interval (CI). Of 29 129 spontaneous reports with MPH, 23 VHD cases (7.9 per 10 000 reports) were identified, including 13 adults and 10 children. Most cases concerned injury on the mitral valve. A disproportionate reporting was observed overall (ROR 1.6, 95% CI 1.1-2.4). Analysis according to age group found that disproportionality in VHD reporting was found in adults only (ROR 2.7, 95% CI 1.6-4.7) but not in children/adolescents (ROR 1.7, 95% CI 0.9-3.2). Furthermore, amongst MPH users only, VHD reporting was higher in adults compared to children (ROR 2.7, 95% CI 1.2-6.3). VHD reporting appears rare with MPH compared to other adverse events and is increased in adults only. Our findings support a potential safety signal of VHD in adults exposed to MPH. A risk in that population cannot be excluded and requires further assessment.

Concentration-QTc and cardiac safety analysis of single and multiple zavegepant nasal spray doses in healthy participants to support approval.

Zavegepant is a novel gepant administered as a nasal spray approved in the United States at a 10 mg dose for the acute treatment of migraine with or without aura in adults. The cardiovascular safety of zavegepant nasal spray was assessed in both single-ascending dose (SAD) and multiple-ascending dose (MAD) studies in healthy participants. The SAD study included 72 participants (54 active/18 placebo) who received 0.1-40 mg zavegepant or placebo. The MAD study included 72 participants (56 active/16 placebo) who received 5-40 mg zavegepant or placebo for 1-14 days. Plasma zavegepant pharmacokinetics and electrocardiographic (ECG) parameters (Fridericia-corrected QT interval [QTcF], heart rate, PR interval, ventricular depolarization [QRS], T-wave morphology, and U-wave presence) were analyzed pre- and post-zavegepant administration. Using pooled data from the SAD and MAD studies, the relationship between time-matched plasma zavegepant concentrations and QTc interval was assessed using a linear mixed-effects model to evaluate the potential for QTc interval prolongation. Results showed that single and multiple doses of zavegepant had no significant impact on ECG parameters versus placebo, and there was no concentration-dependent effect on QTcF interval. The estimated slope of the plasma zavegepant concentration-QTcF model was -0.053 ms per ng/mL with a 90% confidence interval of -0.0955 to -0.0110 (p = 0.0415), which is not considered clinically meaningful. At doses up to four times the recommended daily dose, zavegepant does not prolong the QT interval to any clinically relevant extent.

Real-world comparative effectiveness and cardiovascular safety of enzalutamide versus abiraterone amongst older men diagnosed with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.

Real-world comparative effectiveness and cardiovascular safety of enzalutamide versus abiraterone amongst older men diagnosed with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.

Cardiovascular adverse events in patients with cancer treated with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy: A meta-analysis of both controlled and single-arm clinical trials.

e19006 Background: Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR-T) Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy presents a promising avenue in the treatment of hematological malignancies. However, the application of CAR-T cell therapy comes with a range of adverse effects, some of which are not fully understood yet. While previous research has primarily focused on immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity (ICANs) and cytokine release syndrome (CRS), the cardiovascular safety profile of CAR-T cell therapy remains less defined. This meta-analysis assesses the incidence of cardiovascular (CV) events associated with CAR-T therapy, thereby providing critical insights into these events and guiding clinical decision-making. Methods: We conducted a Pubmed search of clinical trials evaluating the effect of CAR-T cell therapy in cancer patients with cardiovascular adverse events. For phase III trials, a quantitative assessment of Grade 3 or higher CV events was performed using the Review Manager (Rev-Man) Version 5.4 (The Cochrane Collaboration, 2020) and the results were reported as Odd Ratio (OR) with 95% Confidence Interval (CI). A fixed effect model was used. For phase I/II trials, the event rates were calculated for all-grade as well as grade 3 and higher CV adverse events. Results: A total of four Phase III clinical trials with 1345 patients were included for the comparison analysis. Among those trials, two involved multiple myeloma patients, and two involved large B cell lymphoma patients. The age range across trials was 20-83 years with a male-to-female ratio of 1.5:1. The analysis revealed that there was no statistically significant difference in Grade 3 or higher CV events between the CAR-T cell therapy and control (standard of care) groups: OR with 95% CI was 1.44 (0.73,2.82) (p=0.29). Grade 3 and above CV adverse event rates were 3.4% for the CAR-T and 2.1% for the control groups. Notably, there were two CV deaths in the CAR-T group and one CV death in the control group. Additionally, a total of 41 single-arm, Phase I/II clinical trials with 1479 participants were analyzed. Seven studies included solid cancers such as metastatic pancreatic cancer, biliary tract cancer and melanoma. The age range was 17-86 yr and male/female ratio was 1.5:1. Total all-grade CV adverse event rate was 21.83% and total grade 3 and above CV adverse event rate was 8.82%. There were eight CV deaths. Conclusions: There were significantly more CV adverse events reported in Phase I/II trials when compared to those reported in Phase III trials. This indicates that CV adverse events are important consequences of CAR-T cell therapy but are likely underreported in the Phase III clinical trials. Increased awareness and more standardized evaluation of CV adverse events of CAR-T is needed in the future clinical trials.

Real-world Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor (BTKi) treatment patterns and outcomes among patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia or small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL) in US community oncology practices.

e19020 Background: BTKi therapies are standard of care for CLL/SLL, with acalabrutinib (acala) and zanubrutinib (zanu) having improved safety profiles vs ibrutinib (ibru). This study assessed real-world clinical characteristics, treatment patterns, and adverse events (AEs) among BTKi-treated patients with CLL/SLL. Methods: This is a retrospective observational study, updated with 5 months of additional data from a previous analysis. Adults in the US community oncology setting initiated BTKi treatment between Jan 1, 2020, and Jul 31, 2023, and were followed to Oct 31, 2023. De-identified structured electronic health records were analyzed from the Integra Connect-PrecisionQ real-world database. Cardiovascular (CV) AEs (based on ICD codes), time to treatment discontinuation (TTD), and time to next treatment (TTNT) were reported. Results: A total of 3064 patients initiated BTKi therapies during the index period (1L n=2815; 2L+ n=249). Median age (range) was 72 years (33-90) in 1L and 72 years (42-89) in 2L+. There were 63.1% and 65.5% males in 1L and 2L+, respectively. In 1L, 49.3% of patients were treated with ibru, 43.4% with acala, and 7.2% with zanu. Similar trends were observed for 2L+. More patients experienced CV AEs among those who received 1L ibru vs acala or zanu; 12.1%, 7.6%, and 7.3% at month 6 ( P&lt;0.05) and 14.6%, 9.4%, and 8.5% at month 9 ( P&lt;0.05). With longer follow-up, there was a trend for a more favorable CV safety profile for zanu. Of patients treated with 1L ibru, 12.7% discontinued ibru and switched to acala or zanu. Median TTD in 1L was shorter for ibru than acala or zanu (Table). The associated probability of remaining on treatment was higher with zanu vs ibru or acala at months 6 and 12 (Table). Median TTNT was not reached for zanu, while it was 30.2 months for ibru and 35.8 months for acala. Conclusions: While zanu had relatively smaller sample size and shorter follow-up, this study demonstrated better real-world safety and efficacy outcomes for acala and zanu vs ibru. Additional research is needed to explain and validate observed differences favoring zanu over acala. [Table: see text]

Hypoglycemic Drugs in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus and Heart Failure: A Narrative Review.

Over the last few years, given the increase in the incidence and prevalence of both type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and heart failure (HF), it became crucial to develop guidelines for the optimal preventive and treatment strategies for individuals facing these coexisting conditions. In patients aged over 65, HF hospitalization stands out as the predominant reason for hospital admissions, with their prognosis being associated with the presence or absence of T2DM. Historically, certain classes of glucose-lowering drugs, such as thiazolidinediones (rosiglitazone), raised concerns due to an observed increased risk of myocardial infarction (MI) and cardiovascular (CV)-related mortality. In response to these concerns, regulatory agencies started requiring CV outcome trials for all novel antidiabetic agents [i.e., dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP-4 inhibitors), glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs), and sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2is)] with the aim to assess the CV safety of these drugs beyond glycemic control. This narrative review aims to address the current knowledge about the impact of glucose-lowering agents used in T2DM on HF prevention, prognosis, and outcome.

Cardiovascular safety of dihydroergotamine mesylate delivered by precision olfactory delivery (INP104) for the acute treatment of migraine.

To report the cardiovascular (CV) safety of dihydroergotamine mesylate (DHE) administered by precision olfactory delivery (INP104) from two clinical trials. Although the absolute risk is low, migraine is associated with an increased risk of CV events. DHE is a highly effective acute treatment for migraine, but due to its theoretical risk of promoting arterial vasoconstriction, DHE is contraindicated in patients with CV disease or an unfavorable risk factor profile. The INP104 is a novel drug-device combination product approved for acute treatment of migraine that delivers DHE to the upper nasal space using precision olfactory delivery (POD®). The STOP 101 was a Phase 1 open-label study that assessed the safety, tolerability, and bioavailability of INP104 1.45 mg, intravenous DHE 1.0 mg, and MIGRANAL (nasal DHE) 2.0 mg in healthy participants. The STOP 301 was a pivotal Phase 3, open-label study that assessed the safety, tolerability, and exploratory efficacy of INP104 1.45 mg over 24 and 52 weeks in patients with migraine. In both studies, active or a history of CV disease, as well as significant CV risk factors, were exclusion criteria. In STOP 101, 36 participants received one or more doses of investigational product. Treatment with intravenous DHE, but not INP104 or nasal DHE, resulted in clinically relevant changes from baseline in systolic blood pressure (BP; 11.4 mmHg, 95% confidence interval [CI] 7.9-15.0) and diastolic BP (13.3 mmHg, 95% CI 9.4-17.1) at 5 min post-dose, persisting up to 30 min post-dose for systolic BP (6.3 mmHg; 95% CI 3.0-9.5) and diastolic BP (7.9 mmHg, 95% CI 3.9-11.9). None of the treatments produced any clinically meaningful electrocardiogram (ECG) changes. In STOP 301, 354 patients received one or more doses of INP104. Over 24 weeks, five patients (1.4%) experienced a non-serious, vascular treatment-emergent adverse event (TEAE). Minimal changes were observed for BP and ECG parameters over 24 or 52 weeks. Off-protocol concomitant use of triptans and other ergot derivatives did not result in any TEAEs. In two separate studies, INP104 demonstrated a favorable CV safety profile when used in a study population without CV-related contraindications.

Blood pressure monitoring in elderly migraineurs starting an anti-CGRP monoclonal antibody: a real-world prospective study

BackgroundWhile monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) targeting the CGRP pathway have revolutionized migraine management due to their improved tolerance and adherence, concerns remain about their potential impact on blood pressure (BP), especially in older patients, due to CGRP-mediated vasodilation blockade. Given the growing use of these therapies in older populations, assessing their cardiovascular (CV) safety is of paramount importance.MethodsThis multicentric observational prospective study focused on migraine sufferers aged ≥ 60 who began erenumab, galcanezumab, or fremanezumab for prevention. Baseline, three-month, and twelve-month BP measurements were collected. Changes in antihypertensive medication and "Newly or Worsened Hypertensive" patients (NWHP) were assessed.ResultsAmong 155 patients receiving anti-CGRP mAbs (40 Erenumab, 47 Galcanezumab, 68 Fremanezumab), 42.5% had hypertension history and 39% were on antihypertensive treatment. No significant systolic or diastolic BP changes occurred at any time point compared to baseline (all p > 0.05), with no differences between the three groups. After one year, 20/155 (12.9%) patients were considered NWHP; 11/20 had prior hypertension, and 5/11 adjusted antihypertensive therapy. Among 9/20 newly hypertensive patients, 5/9 had a single measurement above the normal threshold with no requirement for new pharmacological therapy. A higher baseline BP value was associated with increased BP (p = 0.002).ConclusionsThe study concludes that treatment with anti-CGRP mAbs over one year does not significantly affect BP in patients aged ≥ 60, nor does it increase the incidence of hypertension compared to general population trends. Nonetheless, continuous monitoring and further long-term studies are necessary to fullya scertain the cardiovascular safety of these medications in the elderly.

#2063 Safety and efficacy of vadadustat vs darbepoetin alfa in patients on maintenance dialysis by prespecified subgroups of baseline ESA dose

Abstract Background and Aims Vadadustat is an oral hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor approved in Europe, Australia, Japan for the treatment of anemia in patients with dialysis-dependent (DD)-CKD. In the INNO2VATE global phase 3 trials in patients with DD-CKD, including 2 separate trials in patients new to dialysis [NCT02865850] and on maintenance dialysis [NCT02892149], vadadustat was noninferior to the erythropoiesis -stimulating agent (ESA) darbepoetin alfa for cardiovascular safety and hemoglobin efficacy. Among patients with DD-CKD, high ESA dose requirements have been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular complications. In this secondary analysis, we compared cardiovascular safety and hematological efficacy of vadadustat and darbepoetin alfa across baseline ESA dose categories. Method In the INNO2VATE trials, 3554 patients on maintenance dialysis were randomized 1:1 to vadadustat or darbepoetin alfa, stratified according to geographic region, New York Heart Association heart failure classification, and hemoglobin concentration at trial entry. Data were analyzed for prespecified subgroups of patients categorized by their baseline ESA (epoetin alfa/equivalents) dose: low (&amp;lt;90 U/kg/week), intermediate (90-299 U/kg/week), or high (≥300 U/kg/week). Within these dose subgroups, the key safety endpoint was the first occurrence of an adjudicated major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE: first occurrence of all-cause mortality, nonfatal myocardial infarction [MI], or nonfatal stroke) using a time-to-event analysis. Primary and secondary efficacy endpoints were mean change in hemoglobin concentration from baseline during the primary (weeks 24-36) and secondary (weeks 40-52) evaluation periods, respectively. Results More participants were in the low (vadadustat: n = 916 [53%], darbepoetin alfa: n = 968 [55%]) and intermediate (vadadustat: n = 724 [42%], darbepoetin alfa: n = 693 [39%]) than in the high (vadadustat: n = 102 [6%], darbepoetin alfa: n = 98 [6%]) baseline ESA dose subgroups. Hazard ratios for the occurrence of first MACE between vadadustat and darbepoetin alfa in the 3 baseline ESA dose subgroups were as follows: low dose, 0.99 (95% CI, 0.81 to 1.23); intermediate dose, 0.93 (95% CI, 0.74 to 1.18); and high dose, 0.62 (95% CI, 0.34 to 1.14) (Fig.). Similar results were observed for other key MACE-related endpoints, including all-cause mortality, MACE plus hospitalizations for heart failure or thromboembolic events, cardiovascular MACE (first occurrence of cardiovascular mortality, nonfatal MI, or nonfatal stroke), and cardiovascular death. Mean hemoglobin concentrations increased in both treatment groups throughout the trial period. The least squares mean treatment difference (vadadustat compared to darbepoetin alfa) for change in hemoglobin concentration from baseline to the primary efficacy period was –0.10 g/dL (95% CI, –0.19 to –0.02), –0.20 g/dL (95% CI, –0.30 to –0.09), and –0.39 g/dL (95% CI, –0.67 to –0.11) for the low, intermediate, and high baseline ESA dose subgroups, respectively. Similar results were observed for the secondary efficacy period. Across baseline ESA dose subgroups, the proportion of patients whose average hemoglobin concentration was within target range was similar between the vadadustat and darbepoetin alfa arms during the primary efficacy period (low: odds ratio [OR], 0.89; 95% CI, 0.74, 1.08; intermediate: OR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.70, 1.09; high: OR, 0.90; 95% CI 0.49, 1.64). Similar results were observed during the secondary efficacy period. Conclusion The cardiovascular safety and efficacy of vadadustat was similar to darbepoetin alfa in patients with DD-CKD irrespective of baseline ESA dose. In patients requiring higher ESA doses at baseline, the risk of MACE was numerically (but not significantly) lower in vadadustat-treated patients. Further investigation is required to confirm or refute this trend.

#356 Low-dose thiazide/fludrocortisone use in advanced CKD can rapidly improve potassium-elevated metabolic acidosis with renal and cardiovascular safety

Abstract Background and Aims Advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) is often complicated by metabolic acidosis(MA) with elevated serum potassium(K). MA is a risk factor for CKD progression, and elevated serum K forces dietary K restriction, which is also undesirable in CKD, stalling the use and escalation of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors (RAASi). Sodium bicarbonate(SB) and K binders, which are not well tolerated due to gastrointestinal symptoms, are often used to correct MA and hyperkalemia. On the other hand, the concurrent use of thiazide and fludrocortisone to promote urinary excretion of K and hydrogen ions has been reported in the type IV renal tubular acidosis, but its efficacy and safety in advanced CKD is unclear. Method This single-center, retrospective, observational study included CKDG3b-G5 outpatients with MA([HCO3−]&amp;lt;22 mM) and elevated K (serum [K]≥ 5.0 mEq/L) at our center. A total of 59 patients were selected, excluding those who had already been prepared for renal replacement therapy at the start of treatment. Patients who continued to receive trichlormethiazide (1 mg, at 1-3 day intervals) plus fludrocortisone (0.1 mg, at 1-3 day intervals) (low-T/F group, N = 10) or SB(0.5 g-5 g/day) alone (SB group, N = 49) were followed up until 2 years after the start of treatment and the two groups were compared. Background factors including age, sex, cause of CKD, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), CKD stage, urinary protein(g/gCr),serum [K]/ [HCO3−]/[Na]/[CL]/albumin/phosphate, hemoglobin levels, and the use of RAASi/K binders/diuretics were investigated. Efficacy and safety comparisons between the two groups were evaluated based on changes in serum [HCO3−]and [K] levels before and after starting of treatment (at 2, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months), percentage of patients achieving [HCO3−] ≥22 mM, change in eGFR, incidence of renal events (&amp;gt;30% reduction in eGFR or renal replacement therapy), the incidence of cardiovascular events, and the incidence of treatment-modified events such as initiation or increase of antihypertensive, K-binding, and uric acid-lowering agents. Results In all 59 subjects, the mean age was 72.0±11.7 years, 81% were male, mean eGFR was 19.6 ± 7.2 mL/min/1.73 m2, CKDG4/5 account for 92% (G4 60%/G5 32%), primary disease was diabetic nephropathy 30%, nephrosclerosis 43%, RAASi use 68%, mean [K] was 5.5 ± 0.4 mEq/L and mean [HCO3−] was 18.1 ± 2.2 mM. The low-T/F group consisted of patients who switched due to prior SB intolerance or in whom SB was ineffective, and included 5 patients who received concomitant SB. Comparison of background factors showed no significant difference between the two groups. The changes in the serum [HCO3−] and [K] levels 2 months after starting the treatment were significantly larger in the low-T/F group compared with the SB group ([K]after - [K]before (mEq/L):median −1.2, IQR-1.6 to −0.48 vs −0.57, −0.80 to −0.10, p = 0.036; {[K]after -[K]before}×100/[K]before(%): median −20.3, IQR −26.4 to −9.2 vs −9.3, −14.8 to −1.85, p = 0.032; [HCO3−]after-[HCO3−]before (mM):median +5.2, IQR +3.75 to +8.23 vs +3.2, +1.7 to +5.1, p = 0.022) . The percentage of patients achieving [HCO3−] ≥22 mM at 2 months after treatment was significantly higher in the low-T/F group at 88.9% (SB group 38.8%, p = 0.007). There were no renal events in the low-T/F group, and cumulative renal survival (no renal events) tended to be higher in the low-T/F group than in the SB group in the all conditions such as unadjusted condition, presence of RAASi, CKDG4/5 and matched for age, sex, primary cause of CKD and eGFR (p = 0.06, p = 0.265, p = 0.16, p = 0.14, respectively) (Figure). In patients with no renal events, the low-T/F group had a significantly better mean eGFR change of +4.2% at 6 months (SB group: −11.0%, p = 0.019). There were also no cardiovascular events in the low-T/F group, and there were no significant differences between the two groups in either cardiovascular events or treatment-modified events (Table). Conclusion Even in advanced CKD, the low-dose combination of thiazide and fludrocortisone can rapidly improve K-elevating MA and continue without adverse renal or cardiovascular outcomes.

Diabetes and Stroke: Impact of Novel Therapies for the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a significant risk factor for stroke. Nevertheless, the evidence supporting stringent glycemic control to reduce macrovascular complications, particularly stroke, is not as clear as for microvascular complications. Presently, risk reduction strategies are based on controlling multiple risk factors, including hypertension, dyslipidemia, glycemia, smoking, and weight. Since 2008, new pharmacological therapies for treating T2DM have been required to undergo trials to ensure their cardiovascular safety. Remarkably, several novel therapies have exhibited protective effects against the combined endpoint of major cardiovascular events. Evidence from these trials, with stroke as a secondary endpoint, along with real-world data, suggests potential benefits in stroke prevention, particularly with glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists. Conversely, the data on sodium-glucose cotransporter type 2 inhibitors remains more controversial. Dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitors appear neutral in stroke prevention. More recent pharmacological therapies still lack significant data on this particular outcome. This article provides a comprehensive review of the evidence on the most recent T2DM therapies for stroke prevention and their impact on clinical practice.

Safety and Efficacy of Anti-Hypertensive Medications in Patients with Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Hypertension (HTN) is a co-morbidity that is commonly associated with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). However, it remains unclear whether treatment of hypertension in HFpEF patients is associated with improved cardiovascular outcomes. The purpose of this meta-analysis is to evaluate the association of anti-hypertensive medical therapy with cardiovascular outcomes in patients with HFpEF. We performed a database search for studies reporting on the association of anti-hypertensive medications with cardiovascular outcomes and safety endpoints in patients with HFpEF. The databases searched include OVID Medline, Web of Science, and Embase. The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality. Secondary endpoints include cardiovascular (CV) mortality, worsening heart failure (HF), CV hospitalization, composite major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), hyperkalemia, worsening renal function, and hypotension. A total of 12 studies with 14062 HFpEF participants (7010 treated with medical therapy versus 7052 treated with placebo) met inclusion criteria. Use of anti-hypertensive medications was not associated with lower all-cause mortality, CV mortality or CV hospitalization compared to treatment with placebo (OR 1.02, 95% CI 0.77-1.35; p=0.9, OR 0.88, 95% CI 0.73-1.06; p=0.19, OR 0.99, 95% CI 0.87-1.12; p=0.83, OR 0.90, 95% CI 0.79-1.03; p=0.11). Anti-hypertensive medications were not associated with lower risk of subsequent acute myocardial infarction (AMI) (OR 0.53, 95% CI 0.07-3.73; p=0.5). Use of anti-hypertensive medications was associated with a statistically significant lower risk of MACE (OR 0.90, 95% CI 0.83-0.98; p=0.02). While treatment with anti-hypertensive medications was not associated with lower risk of all-cause mortality, their use may be associated with reduce risk of adverse cardiovascular outcomes in patients with HFpEF regardless of whether they have HTN. Additional high quality studies are required to clarify this association and determine the effect based on specific classes of medications.

Collaborative science in action: A 20 year perspective from the Health and Environmental Sciences Institute (HESI) Cardiac Safety Committee

The Health and Environmental Sciences Institute (HESI) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to resolving global health challenges through collaborative scientific efforts across academia, regulatory authorities and the private sector. Collaborative science across non-clinical disciplines offers an important keystone to accelerate the development of safer and more effective medicines. HESI works to address complex challenges by leveraging diverse subject-matter expertise across sectors offering access to resources, data and shared knowledge. In 2008, the HESI Cardiac Safety Committee (CSC) was established to improve public health by reducing unanticipated cardiovascular (CV)-related adverse effects from pharmaceuticals or chemicals. The committee continues to significantly impact the field of CV safety by bringing together experts from across sectors to address challenges of detecting and predicting adverse cardiac outcomes. Committee members have collaborated on the organization, management and publication of prospective studies, retrospective analyses, workshops, and symposia resulting in 38 peer reviewed manuscripts. Without this collaboration these manuscripts would not have been published. Through their work, the CSC is actively addressing challenges and opportunities in detecting potential cardiac failure modes using in vivo, in vitro and in silico models, with the aim of facilitating drug development and improving study design. By examining past successes and future prospects of the CSC, this manuscript sheds light on how the consortium's multifaceted approach not only addresses current challenges in detecting potential cardiac failure modes but also paves the way for enhanced drug development and study design methodologies. Further, exploring future opportunities and challenges will focus on improving the translational predictability of nonclinical evaluations and reducing reliance on animal research in CV safety assessments.

In silico modelling of stroke volume, cardiac output and systemic vascular resistance in cardiovascular safety pharmacology studies by telemetry

The principle of proportionality of the systolic area of the central aortic pressure to stroke volume (SV) has been long known. The aim of the present work was to evaluate an in silico solution derived from this principle for modelling SV (iSV model) in cardiovascular safety pharmacology studies by telemetry. Blood pressure was measured in the abdominal aorta in accordance with standard practice. Central aortic pressure was modelled from the abdominal aortic pressure waveform using the N-point moving average (NPMA) method for beat-to-beat estimation of SV. First, the iSV was compared to the SV measured by ultrasonic flowmetry in the ascending aorta (uSV) after various pharmacological challenges in beagle dogs anaesthetised with etomidate/fentanyl. The iSV showed minimal bias (0.2 mL i.e. 2%) and excellent agreement with uSV. Then, previous telemetry studies including reference vasoactive and inotropic compounds were retrospectively reanalysed to model drug effects on stroke volume (iSV), cardiac output (iCO) and systemic vascular resistance (iSVR). Among them, the examples of nicardipine and isoprenaline highlight risks of erroneous or biased estimation of drug effects from the abdominal aortic pressure due to pulse pressure amplification. Furthermore, the examples of verapamil, quinidine and moxifloxacin show that iSV, iCO and iSVR are earlier biomarkers than blood pressure itself for predicting drug effect on blood pressure. This in silico modelling approach included in vivo telemetry safety pharmacology studies can be considered as a New Approach Methodology (NAM) that provides valuable additional information and contribute to improving non-clinical translational research to the clinic.

PULMONARY HYPERTENSION DOES NOT LIMIT TRANSLATIONAL APPROACHES OF HYPOXIA MEDIATED MYOCARDIAL REGENERATION

Objective: In mice, prolonged exposure to severe ambient hypoxia promotes myocardial regeneration suggesting a novel treatment target for patients following myocardial infarction. However, hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension and myocardial ischemia are potential risks in human studies. Therefore, we conducted a pilot study in carefully selected patients with left ventricular scars to test the cardiovascular safety of prolonged exposure to severe hypoxia. Design and method: At the DLR:envihab facility, we enrolled three male patients with 49-126 months past history of myocardial infarction and one healthy man. Patients had an ejection fraction of 47±7%. We applied incremental ambient hypoxia using nitrogen dilution until alveolar oxygen partial pressure had decreased to 35 mmHg. Then, we maintained atmosphere conditions for 14 days (FiO2=0.095) but added 1% oxygen during the night. We assessed right ventricular function and systolic pulmonary artery pressure at baseline, during hypoxia, and 3 days after recovery in normoxia with transthoracic echocardiography. In venous blood samples, we measured high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T, N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), and glomerular filtration rate (CystatinC) throughout the study. Results: We observed no clinical signs of heart failure throughout the study. Hypoxia increased systolic pulmonary artery pressure, which rapidly normalized during recovery (baseline: 35±3 mmHg hypoxia: 47±9 recovery: 28±1, p=0.029). Tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion was 28±3 mmHg at baseline, 26±1 mmHg in hypoxia, and 29±2 mmHg during recovery (p=0.069). Right ventricular free wall strain -22.4±3.9 mmHg at baseline, -24±5.4 in hypoxia, and -22.7±1.5 during recovery (p=0.84). Glomerular filtration rate was reduced in hypoxia, but recovered at 30 days follow-up. Troponin remained in the reference range throughout the study and NTproBNP was decreased following hypoxia (p=0.047). Conclusions: In highly selected patients with left ventricular scars, prolonged severe normobaric hypoxia while eliciting pulmonary hypertension did not lead to right heart failure or myocardial damage. Our study provides important information regarding safety of exposing patients to hypoxia in clinical studies or during activities at high altitude.

The rat telemetry assay and venous catheter access buttons for use in cardiovascular safety pharmacology assessments – Surgical methods, refinements and colony maintenance

IntroductionRat telemetry is the assay of choice to assess the potential effects of novel drug candidates on cardiovascular parameters during early drug discovery. Telemetry device implantation can be combined with venous catheter and access button implantation when intravenous administration of the drug substance is required. MethodsRats (Sprague Dawley or Han Wistar) were implanted with telemetry devices for arterial blood pressure measurement using either direct aortic catheterisation (n = 131) or aortic catheterisation via the femoral artery (n = 17). Bipolar leads for ECG recording were also implanted in some of the animals (n = 102). Femoral vein catheters and access buttons were implanted as a separate surgery after the initial telemetry implantation (n = 43). Results128 animals (86%) were implanted successfully with telemetry devices without any notable surgical or post-surgical problems. When considering the 2 different catheterisation methods separately, the success rate of the direct aortic approach was 88% compared to 76% with the aortic placement via the femoral artery. Lameness was the most common post-surgical problem. Blood loss during surgery and ischaemic patches on the tail were also observed at a low incidence with the direct aortic approach. Catheter pull-out occurred in some rats before the first signal check reducing the overall success rate for blood pressure measurement using the direct aortic approach to 85%. A 95% success rate was observed for catheter and access button implantation. DiscussionA high success rate is possible when implanting telemetry devices in rats with and without venous catheters and access buttons. We have attempted to provide solutions to problems and describe refinements to the procedure which may further improve surgical outcomes.

C-60 | Cardiovascular Safety of Mineralocorticoid Antagonist use in End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Patient Undergoing Dialysis: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials

C-60 | Cardiovascular Safety of Mineralocorticoid Antagonist use in End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Patient Undergoing Dialysis: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials