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Purpose Heart rate reduction (HR) is a cornerstone in heart failure therapy as it improves patient outcomes. The aim of this study is to evaluate short-term effect of ivabradine on NT-Pro BNP and neopterin in heart failure patients and assess the association between HR and these biomarkers. Methods Sixty patients on standard heart failure therapy were randomly allocated into ivabradine group (n = 30) and non-ivabradine group (n = 30). Ivabradine 5 mg twice daily was given for 3 months. Lipid profile and kidney functions were performed and blood samples for NT-Pro BNP and neopterin were analysed at baseline and after 3 months of intervention in both groups. Results There was a significant improvement in NYHA class in ivabradine group (p < 0.001). Ejection fraction was improved in ivabradine and non-ivabradine groups after intervention (p < 0.001), with a greater improvement in ivabradine group (p = 0.026). Heart rate was reduced in ivabradine group (p < 0.001) and non-ivabradine group (p < 0.001) yet greater reduction was seen in ivabradine group (p < 0.001). Serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen were reduced in ivabradine group (Scr: p = 0.001, BUN: p = 0.001). NT-Pro BNP and neopterin levels significantly decreased in ivabradine group (NT-Pro BNP: p < 0.001, neopterin p < 0.001). Significant positive correlation was found between HR and biomarker levels after intervention (NT-Pro BNP: r = 0.475, p < 0.001, neopterin: r = 0.384, p = 0.002). Conclusion Ivabradine therapy reduced levels of both biomarkers which correlated well with HR. Biomarker levels might provide a tool for assessing ivabradine effectiveness in HF. Trial registration Date: June 26, 2020. Identifier: NCT04448899. Link: Ivabradine in Patients with Congestive Heart Failure—Full Text View—ClinicalTrials.gov.

BackgroundCardiotoxicity from anthracyclin chemotherapy is a leading cause of death in patients with cancer. Therefore, left ventricular (LV) function is routinely assessed during protocol to detect cardiotoxicity; however, animal studies suggest that right ventricular (RV) function may be also impaired. So, our objective was to investigate the incidence of RV dysfunction in children with osteosarcoma receiving anthracyclines and to highlight the role of 2D STE in early detection of RV dysfunction.ResultsRV function was affected by anthacyclines through direct cardiotoxic effect on RV myocardium without simultaneous derangement of LV function. Furthermore, there is a direct proportion between the incidence of RV dysfunction and the cumulative dose of anthracyclines. At the first echo follow-up at 10th week, 7 patients had impaired RV GLS in comparison to baseline study. At 20th week, the number of patients with impaired RV strain increased to 10. At 29th week, it reaches 12 patients. This effect was early detected by RV 2DSTE before adversely affecting TAPSE and FAC. The incidence of RV dysfunction from anthracyclines was around 12%, and the recovery rate was around 8% in 3 months after completion of chemotherapy.ConclusionRV 2DSTE is the best modality to detect early affection of RV function in comparison with other modalities. RV function decreases early even before derangement of LV function. Accordingly, it should be assessed separately in all patients who received anthracyclines even without evident LV affection.

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