Association of the trimethylamine N-oxide with cardiovascular risk and vascular alterations in middle-aged patients with risk factors for cardiovascular diseases.

BACKGROUND: Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) is synthesized by the intestinal microbiota and is an independent predictor of cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, its underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We investigated TMAO levels across different CVD-risk patient groups, and evaluated associations between TMAO and vascular alterations (e.g., arterial stiffness, intima-media thickness [IMT], and the presence and grade of carotid artery plaques [CAPs]). METHODS: We examined 95 patients (58.5 ± 7.3 years): 40 with clinical atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), 40 with atherosclerosis risk factors (RF), and 15 controls. Arterial stiffness was measured by Carotid-Femoral Pulse Wave Velocity (C-F PWV). B-mode ultrasound was used to evaluate the presence and grade of CAPs and carotid IMT (CIMT). TMAO was measured by high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and results were presented as the median (interquartile range). RESULTS: TMAO levels were higher in patients with ASCVD (251.5 [164.5] µg/l) when compared with patients with RFs (194.0 [174] µg/l, P=0.04) and controls (122.0 (77) µg/l, P<0.001). A significant correlation was observed between TMAO and PWV (r = 0.31, P=0.003), which was not confirmed after adjustment for RFs. TMAO levels were significantly correlated with plaque score (r = 0.46, P<0.001) and plaque height (r=0.41, P=0.003), and were independent predictors for grade III plaques (odds ratio [OR] = 1.002, confidence interval (CI) 95%: 1.000047-1.003, P=0.044). CONCLUSIONS: TMAO levels are increased with expanded CVD risk. Across different types of vascular damage, TMAO is associated with atherosclerotic changes.

Hiatal Hernia: The Great Masquerade in the Emergency Department.

Chest pain and dyspnoea are among the most common complaints seen in the emergency room and each symptom calls for a broad differential diagnosis. Large hiatal hernias are infrequent, but they can lead to atypical symptoms mimicking different cardiovascular, pulmonary and neoplastic diseases. We present two cases of older patients with an apparent left atrial mass on transthoracic echocardiography, which was subsequently identified as hiatal hernia by other imaging modalities. A multidisciplinary team with multimodality imaging is necessary for diagnostic work-up of chest pain and dyspnoea of non-cardiac origin and especially for a suspected mass compressing the heart, causing chest discomfort. LEARNING POINTS: Hiatal hernia (HH) can mimic different cardiovascular, pulmonary and neoplastic diseases.HH has a typical echocardiographic (2DE) presentation as an amorphous, echolucent mass with the appearance of a left atrial space-occupying lesion.Oral ingestion of a carbonated drink may help to distinguish between a large HH and an atrial mass by 2DE.

Sleep apnea in patients with exacerbated heart failure and overweight.

Sleep disorders are a common concomitant comorbidity in patients with heart failure. The aims of our study are to determine the incidence and phenotypic characteristics of sleep apnea in overweight patients with exacerbated heart failure and to assess the degree of involvement of systolic and diastolic function impairment in the individual group. From 100 screened patients with heart failure in our department from 2015 to 2017, 61 met the inclusion criteria and participated in the study. 82% (n = 50) of the patients had obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and 18% (n = 11) had central sleep apnea (CSA). The CSA group had a significantly lower left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) than the OSA group (EF% 49.6 ± 8.5 vs 41.8 ± 11.4; p = 0.013). A negative correlation was found between LVEF and the number of central apnea events (r = -0.52; p < 0.001). More frequent hospitalizations for heart failure (HF) and higher mortality rate were found in the CSA group. Screening for sleep apnea in patients with exacerbated heart failure and obesity is necessary for the complex treatment of these patients.

Global longitudinal strain as a marker for systolic function in patients with pheochromocytomas.

Cardiomyopathy is a frequent complication of pheochromocytoma, and echocardiography is the most accessible method for its evaluation. The objective of this study was to assess the clinical significance of classical and novel echocardiographic parameters of cardiac function in 24 patients with pheochromocytomas (PPGL) compared to 24 subjects with essential hypertension (EH). Fourteen PPGL patients were reassessed after successful surgery. Left ventricular hypertrophy was four times more prevalent in patients with PPGL vs EH (75% vs 17%; P = 0.00005). Left ventricular mass index (LVMi) significantly correlated with urine metanephrine (MN) (rs = 0.452, P = 0.00127) and normetanephrine (NMN) (rs = 0.484, P = 0.00049). Ejection fraction (EF) and endocardial fractional shortening (EFS) were normal in all participants and did not correlate with urine metanephrines. Global longitudinal strain (GLS) was significantly lower in PPGL compared to EH group (-16.54 ± 1.83 vs -19.43 ± 2.19; P < 0.00001) and revealed a moderate significant positive correlations with age (rs = 0.489; P = 0.015), LVMi (rs = 0.576, P < 0.0001), MN (rs = 0.502, P = 0.00028) and NMN (rs = 0.580, P < 0.0001). Relative wall thickness (RWT) showed a strong positive correlation with urine MN (rs = 0.559, P < 0.0001) and NMN (rs = 0.689, P < 0.00001). Markedly decreased LVMi (118.2 ± 26.9 vs 102.9 ± 22.3; P = 0.007) and significant improvement in GLS (-16.64 ± 1.49 vs -19.57 ± 1.28; P < 0.001) was observed after surgery. ΔGLS depended significantly on the follow-up duration. In conclusion, classical echocardiographic parameters usually used for assessment of systolic cardiac function are not reliable tests in pheochromocytoma patients. Instead, GLS seems to be a better predictor for the severity and the reversibility of catecholamine-induced myocardial function damage in these subjects. RWT should be measured routinely as an early indicator of cardiac remodeling.

Left Ventricular Strain and Rotation in Patients with Dilated Cardiomyopathy and Severe Systolic Dysfunction.

INTRODUCTION: In dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) left ventricular (LV) strain and twist are significantly decreased. However, the rate of attenuation has not been investigated well in patients with varying degrees of systolic dysfunction. AIM: The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between LV deformational and rotational mechanics and conventional and tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) parameters, and to search for a constellation of findings distinguishing patients with severe systolic dysfunction (SSD) in DCM. METHODS: Fifty-two patients with heart failure NYHA class III-IV and ejection fraction (EF) ≤45% were prospectively enrolled (mean age 61.8 ± 13.4 years; 36 males, 69%). Severe systolic LV dysfunction was considered as EF <30%. Echocardiography with 2D-speckle tracking analysis was performed. RESULTS: The relationships of global longitudinal strain (GLS) with EF, circumferential strain at mid-level (CSmid), and systolic medial mitral annulus velocity were strong (r = -0.53, 0.67, and -0.56, respectively, p < 0.0001 for all). A good correlation was found between CSmid and EF (r = -0.50, p < 0.0001). There were weak correlations between basal endocardial rotation (BRendo) and EF and CSmid. Multiple regression analysis found GLS (p < 0.0001) and BRendo (p = 0.04) to be predictors of the change of EF. In ROC curve analysis, the cut-off values of GLS -7.2% (AUC 0.81, p < 0.0001), CSmid -7.5% (AUC 0.76, p = 0.002), and BRendo -2.43° (AUC 0.68, p = 0.03) identified SSD. CONCLUSIONS: Parameters of LV mechanics were related to conventional and TDI systolic parameters in patients with DCM. The degree of alterations of LV longitudinal and circumferential deformation and basal rotation may identify patients with SSD and a higher risk, and may help in therapeutic decision making.

Torsion Mechanics as an Indicator of More Advanced Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction in Secondary Mitral Regurgitation in Patients with Dilated Cardiomyopathy: A 2D Speckle-Tracking Analysis.

Left ventricular (LV) twist serves as a compensatory mechanism in systolic dysfunction and its degree of reduction may reflect a more advanced stage of disease. AIM: The aim was to investigate twist alterations depending on the degree of functional mitral regurgitation (MR) by speckle-tracking echocardiography. METHODS: Sixty-three patients with symptomatic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) were included. Patients were divided according to MR vena contracta width (VCW): group 1 with VCW <7 mm (mild/moderate MR) and group 2 with VCW ≥7 mm (severe MR). RESULTS: There were no differences in LV geometry and function between groups. Group 2 showed lower endocardial basal rotation (BR) (-2.04° ± 1.83° vs. -3.23° ± 1.83°, p = 0.012); epicardial BR (-1.54° ± 1.18° vs. -2.31° ± 1.22°, p = 0.015); endocardial torsion (0.41°/cm ± 0.36°/cm vs. 0.63°/cm ± 0.44°/cm, p = 0.033) and mid-level circumferential strain (CSmid) (-6.12% ± 2.64% vs. -7.75% ± 2.90%, p = 0.028), when compared with group 1. Multivariable linear regression analysis identified endocardial BR, torsion and CSmid, as the best predictors of larger VCW. In the ROC curve analysis, endocardial BR and CSmid values greater than or equal to -3.63° and -9.35%, respectively, can differentiate patients with severe MR. CONCLUSIONS: In DCM patients, torsional profile was more altered in severe MR. Endocardial BR, endocardial torsion, and CSmid, can be used as indicators of advanced structural wall architecture damage.

Right atrial thrombus from inferior vena cava after acute cardiotoxicity of 5-fluorouracil.

We reported a case of large right atrial thrombus which migrated from the inferior vena cava after acute left ventricular dysfunction due to 5-Fluorouracil cardiotoxicity. The patient had recurrent episodes of chest pain and dyspnea suggestive of pulmonary thromboembolism and several days later control echocardiography showed that the right atrial thrombus had disappeared. The patient was discharged with oral anticoagulant therapy with no further clinical sequelae during an 11 month period but died because of progression of metastatic processes. We hypothesized that initial congestive heart failure had been a provocative factor for thromboembolic events from previous thrombus formation at the inferior vena cava.