Dapagliflozin, a sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor, has shown potential in improving metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) without worsening liver fibrosis, according to findings published on June 4 in The BMJ. The multicenter, double-blind, randomized trial conducted across six tertiary hospitals in China involved 154 adults with biopsy-confirmed MASH. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either 10 mg of dapagliflozin or a placebo once daily for 48 weeks. The primary endpoint was improvement in MASH — defined as a reduction of ≥2 points in the nonalcoholic fatty liver disease activity score (NAS) or achieving a NAS ≤3 — without worsening fibrosis.
The study by Kim et al. investigates how excessive dietary phosphate intake contributes to hypertension through mechanisms involving the central nervous system. It highlights a novel brain-mediated pathway where high phosphate levels increase the hormone fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23), which subsequently crosses the blood-brain and blood–cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) barriers and activates fibroblast growth factor receptor 4 (FGFR4) in the brainstem.
The FINEARTS-HF randomized clinical trial, published in *JAMA Cardiology*, assessed the efficacy of finerenone in patients with heart failure with improved ejection fraction (HFimpEF)—those whose left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) improved from below 40% to 40% or higher. While patients with HFimpEF often show functional recovery, they remain vulnerable to cardiovascular (CV) events. This study analyzed whether finerenone, already shown to benefit patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), also helps this subset of patients.
A new study published in the European Heart Journal reveals that male bodybuilders, particularly those competing professionally, face a significantly higher risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD). Led by Dr. Marco Vecchiato of the University of Padova, Italy, the research investigated mortality among over 20,000 male bodybuilders who competed in International Fitness and Bodybuilding Federation (IFBB) events between 2005 and 2020.
A major French study published in the European Heart Journal reveals that two out of five patients with heart failure do not see a cardiologist even once a year—a gap linked to significantly higher mortality rates. The study, involving over 655,000 patients and presented at the Heart Failure Congress 2025, found that patients who had at least one cardiologist visit annually were 24% less likely to die in the following year.
