Is There Apical Sparing Pattern During Stress in Cardiac Amyloidosis?

Case 1 (top) has an AS pattern at rest and peak exercise with values of 2.4 and 2.6, respectively. See "cherry on top" patterns at rest and at exercise (arrows). Corresponding values for global 3D longitudinal strain were -9.9 and -7.8. The Case 2 (bottom) has absence of AS at rest (AS = 0.78), but presence of AS at peak exercise (AS = 1.53; "cherry on top" pattern only at exercise). Corresponding global 3D strain values were -8.3 and -4.3.

Prognostic value of the tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion/systolic pulmonary artery pressure ratio in cardiac amyloidosis.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: The tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion/systolic pulmonary artery pressure (TAPSE/SPAP) ratio is a noninvasive surrogate of right ventricular to pulmonary circulation that has prognostic implications in patients with heart failure (HF) or pulmonary hypertension. Our purpose was to evaluate the prognostic value of the TAPSE/SPAP ratio in patients with cardiac amyloidosis. METHODS: We used the database of the AMIGAL study, a prospective, observational registry of patients with cardiac amyloidosis recruited in 7 hospitals of the Autonomous Community of Galicia, Spain, from January 1, 2018 to October 31, 2022. We selected patients whose baseline TAPSE/SPAP ratio was calculated with transthoracic echocardiography. Long-term survival and survival free of HF hospitalization were assessed by means of 5 different multivariable Cox regression models. Median follow-up was 680 days. RESULTS: We studied 233 patients with cardiac amyloidosis, among whom 209 (89.7%) had transthyretin type. The baseline TAPSE/SPAP ratio correlated significantly with clinical outcomes. Depending on the multivariable model considered, the adjusted hazard ratios estimated per 0.1mm/mmHg increase of baseline TAPSE/SPAP ratio ranged from 0.76 to 0.84 for all-cause mortality. Similarly, the ratios for all-cause mortality of HF hospitalization ranged from 0.79 to 0.84. The addition of the baseline TAPSE/SPAP ratio to the predictive model of the United Kingdom National Amyloidosis Centre resulted in an increase in Harrell's c-statistic from 0.662 to 0.705 for all-cause mortality and from 0.668 to 0.707 for all-cause mortality or HF hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS: Reduced TAPSE/SPAP ratio is an independent adverse prognostic marker in patients with cardiac amyloidosis.

Clinical and structural outcomes of neocommissural alignment in transaxillary and transcarotid transcatheter aortic valve implantation with a self-expandable transcatheter heart valve.

Objectives: This study analyzes neocommissural alignment and the clinical and hemodynamic outcomes after transaxillary and transcarotid implantation of the Acurate neo2 transcatheter heart valve. Methods: We performed a retrospective, single-center analysis of early outcomes after transaxillary and transcarotid implantation of the Acurate neo2 transcatheter heart valve. Primary outcomes were neocommisural alignment, in-hospital mortality, and valve hemodynamic performance. Commissural alignment between native and transcatheter heart valves was assessed by transesophageal echocardiogram before and after the procedure. Results: Between October 2021 and November 2022, 40 consecutive patients were treated with the Acurate neo2 through a transaxillary or transcarotid approach. Access was achieved via the left subclavian artery in 30 cases and the left common carotid artery in 10 cases, with a mean vessel diameter of 6.7 mm. Implants most commonly used were size M (37.5%), L (35%), and S (27.5%). On the basis of transesophageal echocardiogram analysis, there was no significant difference in mean commissural orientation between native (mean, 65.1°; SD, 41.3°) and neocommissures (mean, 64°; SD, 44.1°) (P = .661). Mean commissural orientation did not significantly differ between native and neocommissures (P = .661). Optimal alignment or mild commissural misalignment was achieved in 99.5% of cases. There were no cases of severe commissural misalignment. Postprocedural mean values for peak and mean gradients were 12.7 mm Hg and 5.2 mm Hg, respectively. There were 2 cases of moderate paravalvular leak and 4 cases of mild paravalvular leak. Conclusions: This patient-specific technique for transaxillary and transcarotid insertion of the Acurate neo2 delivery system prevents implantations with more than mild commissural misalignment and with a high device success rate.

Value of cardiac magnetic resonance on the risk stratification of cardiomyopathies.

Cardiomyopathies represent a diverse group of heart muscle diseases with varying etiologies, presenting a diagnostic challenge due to their heterogeneous manifestations. Regular evaluation using cardiac imaging techniques is imperative as symptoms can evolve over time. These imaging approaches are pivotal for accurate diagnosis, treatment planning, and optimizing prognostic outcomes. Among these, cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) stands out for its ability to provide precise anatomical and functional assessments. This manuscript explores the significant contributions of CMR in the diagnosis and management of patients with cardiomyopathies, with special attention to risk stratification. CMR's high spatial resolution and tissue characterization capabilities enable early detection and differentiation of various cardiomyopathy subtypes. Additionally, it offers valuable insights into myocardial fibrosis, tissue viability, and left ventricular function, crucial parameters for risk stratification and predicting adverse cardiac events. By integrating CMR into clinical practice, clinicians can tailor patient-specific treatment plans, implement timely interventions, and optimize long-term prognosis. The non-invasive nature of CMR reduces the need for invasive procedures, minimizing patient discomfort. This review highlights the vital role of CMR in monitoring disease progression, guiding treatment decisions, and identifying potential complications in patients with cardiomyopathies. The utilization of CMR has significantly advanced our understanding and management of these complex cardiac conditions, leading to improved patient outcomes and a more personalized approach to care.

A cardiotoxicity dataset for breast cancer patients.

This dataset is a result of the collaboration between the University of A Coruña and the University Hospital of A Coruña. It contains information about 531 women diagnosed with HER2+ breast cancer, treated with potentially cardiotoxic oncologic therapies. These treatments can cause cardiovascular adverse events, including cardiac systolic dysfunction, the development of which has important clinical and prognostic implications. The availability of good predictors may enable early detection of these cardiac problems. Variables such as age, weight and height are available for each patient, as well as some measures obtained from echocardiography, a technique used prior and during the treatment to check the structure and function of the heart. Among them, there is a functional variable that measures the myocardial velocity during the cardiac cycle. For patients that experienced cancer therapy-related cardiac dysfunction during the treatment period, time until its appearance is known. This dataset aims to enable the scientific community in conducting new research on this cardiovascular side effect.

Current role and future perspectives of artificial intelligence in echocardiography.

Echocardiography is an essential tool in diagnostic cardiology and is fundamental to clinical care. Artificial intelligence (AI) can help health care providers serving as a valuable diagnostic tool for physicians in the field of echocardiography specially on the automation of measurements and interpretation of results. In addition, it can help expand the capabilities of research and discover alternative pathways in medical management specially on prognostication. In this review article, we describe the current role and future perspectives of AI in echocardiography.

Additive prognostic and diagnostic value of diastolic exercise parameters in patients referred for exercise echocardiography.

AIMS: Exercise echocardiography (ExE) may evaluate left ventricular (LV) systolic and diastolic function. We aimed to assess the value of diastolic parameters at exercise [early LV inflow velocity to early tissue Doppler annulus velocity (E/e')] in patients with normal or abnormal resting diastolic function (DF) referred for a clinically indicated ExE. METHODS AND RESULTS: LV systolic and DF according to ASE/EACVI guidelines and mitral regurgitation (MR) were evaluated at rest in 772 patients (age 67 ± 12 years) with preserved LV ejection fraction (LVEF ≥ 50%). We assessed regional/global LV systolic function at peak exercise, while MR and E/e' where evaluated in the immediate post-exercise period. Abnormal ExE was defined as ischaemia or fixed wall motion abnormalities, and raised E/e' values as >15 at rest and at exercise (e' at the septal level). Patients were grouped as complaining or not of dyspnoea. Events were overall mortality, myocardial infarction, admission for unstable angina or cardiac failure, and coronary revascularization. DF was abnormal at rest in 221 patients (29%) and indeterminate in 77 (10%), with similar percentages in patients with and without dyspnoea. Exercise E/e' >15 was found in 37% of patients with abnormal DF, 21% with indeterminate DF, and 6% with normal DF (P < 0.001). Patients with abnormal ExE had more often abnormal resting DF (39% vs. 25%, P = 0.001) and exercise E/e' >15 (25% vs. 13%, P < 0.001) than those with normal ExE. During a median follow-up of 1.68 years, there were 132 events. Independent predictors included peak exercise LVEF [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.93, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.91-0.94, P < 0.001], and exercise E/e' (HR= 1.04, 95% CI = 1.01-1.07, P = 0.01). Neither resting E/e' values nor resting abnormal DF by ASE/EACVI guidelines, were independent predictors. Annualized event-rates were 43.2% in patients with (+) ExE plus (+) exercise E/e', 23.8% in those with (+) ExE and (-) exercise E/e', 7.9% in (-) ExE and (+) exercise E/e', and 3.6% with both variables normal. CONCLUSIONS: The results of diastolic dysfunction at rest and at exercise were similar between patients with or without dyspnoea referred for ExE, but they were associated with abnormal ExE. Exercise E/e' reclassified 21% of patients with indeterminate DF and further predicted outcome on top of ExE results.

Real world comparison of spironolactone and eplerenone in patients with heart failure.

AIMS: In the absence of previous direct comparative studies, we aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of spironolactone and eplerenone in patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) in a real-world clinical setting. METHODS: Using Fine-Gray´s competing risk regression, we compared the clinical outcomes of 293 patients with chronic HF and left ventricular ejection fraction <40% treated with eplerenone and 293 propensity-score matched individuals treated with spironolactone. Study subjects were selected from a prospective cohort of 1404 ambulatory patients with HFrEF seen since 2010 to 2019 in a single specialized HF clinic, among which 992 received a mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist at baseline. Median follow-up was 3.95 years. RESULTS: No statistically significant differences between patients treated with eplerenone versus spironolactone were observed with regard to the risk of the primary composite end-point cardiovascular death or HF hospitalization (HR 0.95; 95% CI 0.73-1.23; p= 0.677). However, eplerenone use was associated to lower cardiovascular mortality (HR 0.55; 95% CI 0.35-0.85; p= 0.008) and lower all-cause mortality (HR 0.67; 95% CI 0.47-0.95; p= 0.027). The incidence of drug suspension due to side effects (HR 0.58, 95% CI 0.40-0.85; p= 0.005) and drug suspension due to any reason (HR 0.70, 95% CI 0.51-0.97; p= 0.033) were lower among patients treated with eplerenone. CONCLUSIONS: In this observational, real-world, propensity-score matched study of patients with HFrEF, eplerenone was associated to lower cardiovascular mortality and lower all-cause mortality than spironolactone.

ISCHEMIA trial: How to apply the results to clinical practice.

During the last years two questions have been continuously asked in chronic coronary syndromes: (1) Do revascularization procedures (coronary artery bypass grafting or percutaneous coronary intervention) really improve symptoms of angina? and (2) Do these techniques improve outcomes, i.e. do they prevent new myocardial infarction events and cardiovascular death? Therefore, there was a need for a large definitive trial. This study was the ISCHEMIA trial, a large, multicentric trial sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. The main trial compared coronary revascularization and optimal medical treatment (OMT) vs OMT alone in 5179 patients enrolled after a stress test. During a median 3.2-year follow-up, 318 primary outcome events occurred; the adjusted hazard ratio for the invasive strategy as compared with the conservative strategy was 0.93 (95% confidence interval 0.80-1.08, P = 0.34). The ISCHEMIA trial deeply disrupted many of our prior attitudes regarding management strategies for patients with stable coronary artery disease. The findings underscore the benefits of disease-modifying OMT for stable coronary artery disease patients. The main purposes of ischemia assessment before this trial were: Diagnostic purposes, assessment of outcome, and adding to decision-making processes. Obviously, this changed after the trial results. The results of ISCHEMIA might challenge the current diagnostic approach for stable angina patients recommended in the last European Society of Cardiology guidelines on chronic coronary disease that were based on studies published before the ISCHEMIA trial. In this editorial we propose our approach based on the ISCHEMIA study and the pretest probability for a positive test in patients with chronic coronary syndromes.

Mid-term assessment of structural valve deterioration of perceval S sutureless prosthesis using the last European consensus definition.

OBJECTIVES: Durability of sutureless aortic bioprosthetic valves remains a major issue. The aim of this study was to assess structural valve deterioration (SVD) and bioprosthetic valve failure (BVF) of the Perceval bioprosthesis using the new proposed standardized definitions. METHODS: All patients who underwent aortic valve replacement with sutureless Perceval S prostheses up to September 2016 were included. Clinical and echocardiographic follow-up was performed. New standardized definitions were used to assess the durability of sutureless bioprosthetic valves. From 2013 to 2016, 214 patients were included. RESULTS: The mean age and EuroSCORE II were 79 years and 2.74. Thirty-day mortality was 0.47%. The survival rate was 96.8%, 88.1% and 85.7% at 1, 3 and 4 years, respectively. The median echocardiographic follow-up was 3.28 years. The mean pressure gradient was 11.3 mmHg. No cases showed evidence of severe SVD, 17 patients had moderate SVD with a mean pressure gradient of 24 mmHg and 8 patients had definite late BVF. The incidence of moderate SVD and BVF at 4 years was 8.8% and 2.9%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Mid-term follow-up to 6.3 years after aortic valve replacement with the Perceval bioprosthesis documents favourable haemodynamic and clinical outcomes and low rates of SVD and BVF.

Non-contrast transoesophageal echo-guided transapical transcatheter aortic valve replacement: 10-year experience of a renoprotective strategy.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to evaluate the efficacy, safety and long-term outcomes of a renoprotective non-contrast, transoesophageal echocardiography-guided transapical (TA) transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) strategy with a balloon-expandable prosthesis, as well as to determine its impact on renal function. METHODS: Between 2009 and 2019, 200 consecutive patients underwent a non-contrast, transoesophageal echocardiography-guided TA TAVR with a balloon-expandable prosthesis. RESULTS: The device success rate was 95.5%. Transoesophageal echocardiography-guided deployment demonstrated a low rate of procedure-related complications: 9.5% of acute kidney injury, 8% postoperative bleeding, 6% low-cardiac output, 4.5% postprocedural aortic regurgitation ≥+2, 4% implantation of permanent pacemaker and 2% stroke. There were no significant differences between preoperative and on discharge estimated glomerular filtration rate (53.9 ± 22.2 vs 54.3 ± 22.9 ml/min/1.73 m2, P = 0.60). Logistic regression analysis confirmed postoperative bleeding as an independent predictor for acute kidney injury (odds ratio (OR) 11.148, 95% confidence interval 3.537-35.140, P < 0.001). In-hospital mortality was 7.5%. The mean follow-up was 48.5 ± 39.9 months. Renal function and patient's chronic kidney disease stage did not significantly vary during follow-up. Long-term cumulative survival at 1, 5 and 10 years was 84.2 ± 0.027%, 42.9 ± 0.038% and 32.5 ± 0.044%, respectively. Renal function affected on neither in-hospital mortality nor long-term survival. CONCLUSIONS: Non-contrast, transoesophageal echocardiography-guided TA TAVR is a safe and reproducible technique with a low incidence of periprocedural complications that avoids the use of contrast and mitigates the incidence of acute kidney injury.

Balloon-expanding transcatheter aortic valve implantation for degenerated Mitroflow bioprostheses: clinical and echocardiographic long-term outcomes.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to analyse the risks associated with valve-in-valve procedures for treating structural valve deterioration in Mitroflow bioprostheses, as well as to determine the impact of the original Mitroflow size on the patients' long-term outcomes. METHODS: Between January 2012 and September 2019, 21 patients (61.9% males; mean age 82.4 ± 5.4 years) were treated for Mitroflow deterioration with valve-in-valve procedures (12 transapical and 9 transfemoral). RESULTS: Mean EuroSCORE I and EuroSCORE II were 28.2% ± 13.6% and 10.5% ± 6.1%, respectively. Six patients presented an indexed aortic root diameter <14 mm/m2 and 7 patients a diameter of sinus of Valsalva <30 mm. Implanted transcatheter valve sizes were 20 mm in 6 cases, 23 mm in 14 cases and 26 mm in 1 patient. A Valve Academic Research Consortium-2 complication occurred in 23.8% of cases, including 3 coronary occlusions. In-hospital mortality was 9.5%. The 20 mm transcatheter valves presented significantly higher postoperative peak and mean aortic gradients than other sizes (54.1 ± 11.3 mmHg vs 29.9 ± 9.6 mmHg, P = 0.003; and 29.3 ± 7.7 mmHg vs 17.4 ± 5.9 mmHg, P = 0.015, respectively). There were 12 cases of patient-prosthesis mismatch (57.1%) and 3 cases (14.3%) of severe patient-prosthesis mismatch. Cumulative survival was 85.7% ± 7.6% at 1 year, 74.3% ± 10% at 2 years and 37.1% ± 14.1% at 5 years. CONCLUSIONS: Valve-in-valve procedures with balloon-expandable transcatheter valves associate a high risk of coronary occlusion in patients with indexed aortic root diameter <14 mm/m2 and low coronary ostia <12 mm. Valve-in valve procedures with 20 mm balloon-expandable transcatheter valves in ≤21 mm Mitroflow bioprosthesis leave significant residual transvalvular gradients that might obscure patients' long-term outcomes.

Exercise testing in COVID-19 era: Clinical profile, results and feasibility wearing a facemask.

BACKGROUND: No data are available about whether Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have led to changes in clinical profiles or results of exercise testing once the usual activity was reassumed, as well as if wearing a facemask has any impact on the tests. The aim of this study is to evaluate differences in the patients referred to exercise stress testing in the context of COVID-19 pandemic and analyse the feasibility and results of these tests wearing a facemask. METHODS: We included all patients referred for an exercise test from 1 June to 30 September 2020 and compared them with the patients attended within the same period in 2019 before and after propensity score matching. All patients referred in 2020 wore a facemask. RESULTS: A total of 854 patients were included: 398 in the 2020 group and 456 in 2019. No significant differences in baseline characteristics of the patients were observed, with the exception of dyspnoea, which was nearly twice as high in 2020 as compared with 2019. Regarding the results of the tests, no differences were observed, with almost 80% of maximal tests, similar functional capacity and over a 20% of positive exercise tests in both groups. These results remained after propensity score matching. CONCLUSION: COVID-19 pandemic has not changed the clinical profile of patients referred to exercise testing. In addition, performing exercise testing wearing a facemask is feasible, with no influence in functional capacity and clinical results.

Postoperative Plasma Mitochondrial DNA and Cytokine Profiles of Elderly Patients Undergoing Minimally Invasive Aortic Valve Replacement.

INTRODUCTION: Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is gaining increasing interest as a marker of cellular damage and could also act as an inflammatory mediator in cardiopulmonary bypass induced postoperative inflammatory response. Although minimally invasive heart valve surgery reportedly reduces inflammation, the mtDNA and cytokine profile in this context remains unclear. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Here, we report a prospective series of 40 elderly patients with aortic stenosis who underwent bioprosthetic aortic valve replacement (AVR) through upper ministernotomy with either a sutureless (n = 20) or a conventional (n = 20) valve. Primary end points included serial plasma levels of mtDNA (T1: at baseline; T2: 4 hours after surgery; and T3: 24s hour after surgery), cytokines (interleukin-6 [IL-6], tumor necrosis factor-α [TNF-α]), and myocardial necrosis biomarkers (MNBs), whereas secondary end points included clinical and echocardiographic data. RESULTS: Significant increases in the postoperative plasma levels (T2) of mtDNA, cytokines, and MNBs were observed in all patients. The postoperative plasma levels of mtDNA, TNF-α, and MNBs showed no significant differences between the treatment groups, although there was a trend toward lower levels in the sutureless group. The decreases in aortic cross-clamp and cardiopulmonary bypass times seen in the sutureless group were associated with significant lower postoperative levels (T2 and T3) of IL-6. CONCLUSION: AVR through upper ministernotomy was associated with a significant increase in postoperative plasma levels of mtDNA and cytokines. There was no difference in the mtDNA levels between the sutureless and conventional valve groups, suggesting a similar level of inflammation in both groups. However, the shorter operation time observed in the sutureless valve group was associated with significantly lower postoperative levels of IL-6, indicating potential clinical benefits.

Comparison of two strategies in a chest pain unit: stress echocardiography and multidetector computed tomography.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to compare stress echocardiography (SE) and multidetector computed tomography (MCT) in patients admitted to a chest pain unit to detect acute coronary syndrome (ACS). METHODS: A total of 203 patients with ≥ 1 cardiovascular risk factor, no ischemic electrocardiogram changes and negative biomarkers were randomized to SE (n=103) or MTC (n=100). The primary endpoint was a combination of hard events (death and nonfatal myocardial infarction), revascularizations, and readmissions during follow-up. The secondary endpoint was the cost of the 2 strategies. RESULTS: Invasive angiography was performed in 61 patients (34 [33%] in the SE group and in 27 [27%] in the MCT group, P=.15). A final diagnosis of ACS was made in 53 patients (88% vs 85%, P=.35). There were no significant differences between groups in the primary endpoint (42% vs 41%, P=.91), or in hard events (5% vs 7%, P=.42). There were no significant differences in overall cost, but costs were lower in patients with negative SE than in those with negative MCT (€557 vs €706, P <.02). CONCLUSIONS: No significant differences were found in efficacy and safety for the stratification of patients with a low to moderate probability of ACS admitted to a chest pain unit. The cost of the 2 strategies was similar, but cost was significantly lower for SE on comparison of negative studies.