Clinical Utility of Machine Learning-Derived Vocal Biomarkers in the Management of Heart Failure.

Background: This study aimed to systematically evaluate voice symptoms during heart failure (HF) treatments and to exploratorily extract HF-related vocal biomarkers. Methods and Results: This single-center, prospective study longitudinally acquired 839 audio files from 59 patients with acute decompensated HF. Patients' voices were analyzed along with conventional HF indicators (New York Heart Association [NYHA] class, presence of pulmonary congestion and pleural effusion on chest X-ray, and B-type natriuretic peptide [BNP]) and GOKAN scores based on the assessment of a cardiologist. Machine-learning (ML) models to estimate HF conditions were created using a Light Gradient Boosting Machine. Voice analysis identified 27 acoustic features that correlated with conventional HF indicators and GOKAN scores. When creating ML models based on the acoustic features, there was a significant correlation between actual and ML-derived BNP levels (r=0.49; P<0.001). ML models also identified good diagnostic accuracies in determining HF conditions characterized by NYHA class ≥2, BNP ≥300 pg/mL, presence of pulmonary congestion or pleural effusion on chest X-ray, and decompensated HF (defined as NYHA class ≥2 and BNP levels ≥300 pg/mL; accuracy: 75.1%, 69.1%, 68.7%, 66.4%, and 80.4%, respectively). Conclusions: The present study successfully extracted HF-related acoustic features that correlated with conventional HF indicators. Although the data are preliminary, ML models based on acoustic features (vocal biomarkers) have the potential to infer various HF conditions, which warrant future studies.

Significance of Persistent Inflammation in Patients With Chronic Coronary Syndrome: Insights From the REAL-CAD Study.

Background: The prognostic implications of persistent low-grade inflammation in patients with chronic coronary syndrome (CCS) are underexplored. The REAL-CAD (Randomized Evaluation of Aggressive or Moderate Lipid Lowering Therapy with Pitavastatin in Coronary Artery Disease) study demonstrated the benefit of higher intensity pitavastatin in Japanese patients with CCS. Objectives: This prespecified subanalysis of the REAL-CAD study aimed to assess the prognostic effect of the persistent low-grade inflammation represented by high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) in CCS patients. Methods: The present analysis involved patients without events until 6 months after randomization and whose hs-CRP levels were available at baseline and 6 months (n = 10,460). The primary endpoint was the composite of cardiovascular mortality, myocardial infarction, stroke, and unstable angina hospitalization. Landmark analyses evaluated the prognostic impact of continuous inflammation in 4 groups based on the median levels of hs-CRP (0.5 mg/L for both) at baseline and 6 months. The 4 groups included patient with persistently low, elevated (increased), reduced, and persistently high hs-CRP. Results: Adjusted Cox proportional hazard analyses demonstrated an increased risk of the primary endpoint in the group with persistently high hs-CRP when compared to the group with persistently low hs-CRP as a reference (adjusted HR: 1.48, 95% CI: 1.18-1.89; P = 0.001), but with a similar risk in the group with elevated (HR: 1.07, 95% CI: 0.77-1.49, P = 0.68) and reduced (HR: 0.92; 95% CI: 0.66-1.27; P = 0.60) hs-CRP. Conclusions: The study shows that persistent low-grade inflammation is associated with poor outcomes and underscores the need to address residual inflammatory risk in CCS patients. (Randomized Evaluation of Aggressive or Moderate Lipid Lowering Therapy With Pitavastatin in Coronary Artery Disease [REAL-CAD]; NCT01042730).

Prevalence of cardiac amyloidosis in atrial fibrillation: a CMR study prior to catheter ablation.

The frequency of cardiac amyloidosis potentially present in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) remains unclear. The purpose of this study is to determine the frequency and clinical characteristics of cardiac amyloidosis latent in AF by performing cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients scheduled for AF ablation. We retrospectively analyzed 193 consecutive patients who underwent CA and cardiac MRI for atrial fibrillation. The primary endpoint of the study was the frequency of histologically confirmed cardiac amyloidosis or suspected cardiac amyloidosis [positive imaging findings on cardiac MRI strongly suspecting cardiac amyloidosis (diffuse subendocardial late gadolinium enhancement or MRI-derived extracellular volume of > 0.40)]. Among the 193 patients, 8 were confirmed or suspected cases of cardiac amyloidosis, representing a frequency of 4% (8/193 patients). Multivariate analysis identified interventricular septal thickness at end-diastole (LVSd) as an independent and significant predictor of cardiac amyloidosis (OR: 1.72, 95% CI 1.12-2.87, p = 0.020).The optimal cut-off value for IVSd was determined to be > 12.9 mm based on the Youden index. At this cut-off, the sensitivity was 75.0% (95% CI 34.9-96.8%) and the specificity was 92.3% (95% CI 87.4-95.7%), allowing for the identification of patients with definite or suspected cardiac amyloidosis. The frequency of confirmed and suspected cases of cardiac amyloidosis among patients with an IVSd > 12.9 mm was 30% (6/20 patients). In addition, prevalence of biopsy-proven cardiac amyloidosis was 10% (2/20). The prevalence of cardiac amyloidosis in atrial fibrillation patients scheduled for ablation with cardiac hypertrophy is not negligible.

Prognostic value of weight loss in hospitalized patients with heart failure.

BACKGROUND: Weight loss is a poor prognostic factor in patients with chronic heart failure (HF). However, whether the same is true for hospitalized patients with HF is unknown, even though hospitalization is the first opportunity for many patients to be diagnosed with HF. This study aimed to investigate the prognostic value of weight loss in patients hospitalized for HF. METHODS: This was a post-hoc analysis of the FRAGILE-HF study, a prospective multi-center, observational study including 1,332 hospitalized older (≥65 years) patients with HF. The primary outcome was all-cause death within two years of discharge. RESULTS: Self-reported body weight data one year prior to hospital admission were available for 1,106 patients (83.0%) and were compared with their weight after decongestion therapy. The median weight change was -6.9% [-2.4 - -11.9] and 86.8% of the overall cohort experienced some weight loss. Whereas patients with weight loss ≥ 5%, which is a well-validated cut-off in chronic HF, had comparable mortality to those with less weight loss (p = 0.96 by log-rank test), patients with weight loss > 12%, the lowest quartile value, had higher mortality than those with less weight loss (p = 0.024 for all-cause mortality, p = 0.028 for non-cardiovascular mortality, and p = 0.28 for cardiovascular mortality, respectively). In a Cox proportional hazard model, > 12% weight loss was associated with high mortality after adjusting for known prognostic factors and history of malignancy (adjusted hazard ratio: 1.485 [1.070-2.062], p=0.018). CONCLUSION: Weight loss derived from patient-reported body weight one year before hospitalization was significantly associated with increased mortality after discharge, mainly due to non-cardiovascular etiology, in elderly patients hospitalized for HF.

Post-procedural Anticoagulation With Unfractionated Heparin in Acute Coronary Syndrome: Insight from the STOPDAPT-3 Trial.

The current guidelines for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) discourage the use of anticoagulation after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) without specific indications, although the recommendation is not well supported by evidence. In this post hoc analysis of the ShorT and OPtimal Duration of Dual AntiPlatelet Therapy-3 (STOPDAPT-3) trial, 30-day outcomes were compared between the 2 groups with and without post-PCI heparin administration among patients with ACS who did not receive mechanical support devices. The co-primary end points were the bleeding end point, defined as the Bleeding Academic Research Consortium type 3 or 5 bleeding, and the cardiovascular end point, defined as a composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, definite stent thrombosis, or ischemic stroke. Among 4,088 patients with ACS, 2,339 patients (57.2%) received post-PCI heparin. The proportion of patients receiving post-PCI heparin was higher among those with ST-elevation myocardial infarction compared with others (72.3% and 38.8%, p <0.001), and among patients with intraprocedural adverse angiographic findings compared with those without (67.6% and 47.5%, p <0.001). Post-PCI heparin compared with no post-PCI heparin was associated with a significantly increased risk of the bleeding end point (4.75% and 2.52%, adjusted hazard ratio 1.69, 95% confidence interval 1.15 to 2.46, p = 0.007) and a numerically increased risk of the cardiovascular end point (3.16% and 1.72%, adjusted hazard ratio 1.56, 95% confidence interval 0.98 to 2.46, p = 0.06). Higher hourly dose or total doses of heparin were also associated with higher incidence of both bleeding and cardiovascular events within 30 days. In conclusion, post-PCI anticoagulation with unfractionated heparin was frequently implemented in patients with ACS. Post-PCI heparin use was associated with harm in terms of increased bleeding without the benefit of reducing cardiovascular events. Trial identifier: STOPDAPT-3 ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT04609111.

State-of-the-art percutaneous coronary intervention for left main coronary artery disease in Japan.

Percutaneous coronary intervention for left main coronary artery disease (LM-PCI) represents a high-risk yet life-saving procedure that has evolved significantly over the years. This review outlines the current state-of-the-art practices for LM-PCI in Japan in detail, emphasizing the integration of coronary physiology and intracoronary imaging alongside with evidence-based standardized technique using latest drug-eluting stents. These advancements enable precise lesion assessment, stent sizing, and optimal deployment, thereby enhancing procedural safety and efficacy. Despite discrepancies between current guidelines favoring coronary artery bypass grafting and real-world practice trends towards increased LM-PCI adoption, particularly in elderly populations with multiple comorbidities, careful patient selection and procedural planning are critical. Future perspectives include further refining LM-PCI through conducting randomized controlled trials integrating advanced techniques and addressing the issue of ostial left circumflex lesions and nationwide standardization of medical care for LM disease.

Clinical outcomes of adjusted-dose versus standard-dose prasugrel in East Asian patients with acute myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: The comparative efficacy and safety of adjusted- and standard-dose prasugrel in East Asian patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) remain unclear. This study aimed to comparatively assess the ischaemic and bleeding outcomes of adjusted-dose (maintenance dose: 3.75 mg) and standard-dose (maintenance dose: 10 mg) prasugrel in East Asian patients with AMI undergoing PCI. METHODS: From a combined dataset sourced from nationwide AMI registries in Japan and South Korea (n = 17,118), patients treated with either adjusted- or standard-dose prasugrel were identified. Patients who did not undergo emergent PCI, those on oral anticoagulants, and those meeting the criteria of contraindication of prasugrel in South Korea (age ≥ 75 years, body weight < 60 kg, or history of stroke) were excluded. Major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) major bleeding events were compared between the adjusted-dose (n = 1160) and standard-dose (n = 1086) prasugrel groups. RESULTS: Within the propensity-matched cohort (n = 702 in each group), no significant difference was observed in the in-hospital MACE between the adjusted- and standard-dose prasugrel groups (1.85% vs. 2.71%, odds ratio [OR] 0.68, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.33-1.38, p = 0.286). However, the incidence of in-hospital major bleeding was significantly lower in the adjusted-dose prasugrel group than in the standard-dose group (0.43% vs. 1.71%, OR 0.25, 95% CI 0.07-0.88, p = 0.031). The cumulative 12-month incidence of MACE was equivalent in both groups (4.70% vs. 4.70%, OR 1.00, 95% CI 0.61-1.64, p = 1.000). CONCLUSIONS: Among East Asian patients with AMI undergoing PCI, those administered adjusted-dose prasugrel exhibited a lower risk of in-hospital bleeding events than those administered standard-dose prasugrel, while maintaining a comparable 1-year incidence of MACE.

Early, Intensive and Persistent Lipid-Lowering Therapy for Secondary Prevention of Acute Coronary Syndrome.

AIM: Early and intensive low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C)-lowering therapy plays important roles in secondary prevention of acute coronary syndrome (ACS), but the treatment period for further clinical benefit remains undefined. This single-center, retrospective study explored LDL-C trajectory after ACS and its associations with subsequent cardiovascular events (CVE). METHODS: In 831 patients with ACS, we evaluated LDL-C reduction during the first 2 months post-ACS as an index of early intervention and the area over the curve for LDL-C using 70 mg/dl as the threshold in the next 6 months (AOC-70) as a persistent intensity index. Patients were followed for a median of 3.0 (1.1-5.2) years for CVE, defined as the composite of cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, angina pectoris requiring revascularization, cerebral infarction, and coronary bypass grafting. RESULTS: LDL-C decreased from baseline to 2 months post-ACS (107±38 mg/dl to 78±25 mg/dl, p＜0.001) through high-intensity statin prescription (91.8%), while achieving rates of LDL-C ＜70 mg/dl at 2 months remained only 40.2% with no significant changes thereafter. During the follow-up period, CVE occurred in 200 patients. LDL-C reduction during the first 2 months and AOC-70 in the next 6 months were both associated with subsequent CVE risk (sub-HR [hazard ratio] [95% confidence interval]: 1.48 [1.16-1.89] and 1.22 [1.05-1.44]). Furthermore, early intervention followed by persistently intensive LDL-C-lowering therapy resulted in further CVE risk reduction. CONCLUSIONS: The present study observed that achieving early and intensive LDL-C reduction within the first two months after ACS and maintaining it for the next six months suppressed subsequent CVE risk, suggesting the importance of early, intensive, and persistent LDL-C-lowering therapy in the secondary prevention of ACS.

Optimal Intravascular Ultrasound-Guided Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Patients With Multivessel Disease and Diabetes.

There is a scarcity of data on clinical outcomes after intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with multivessel disease and diabetes. The Optimal Intravascular Ultrasound Guided Complex Percutaneous Coronary Intervention study multivessel cohort was a prospective, multicenter, single-arm trial enrolling 1,021 patients who underwent multivessel PCI, including left anterior descending coronary artery using IVUS, aiming to meet the prespecified OPTIVUS criteria for optimal stent expansion. We compared the clinical outcomes between those patients with and without diabetes. The primary end point was a composite of death, myocardial infarction, stroke, or any coronary revascularization. There were 560 patients (54.8%) with diabetes and 461 patients (45.2%) without diabetes. The mean age was not different between the 2 groups (70.9 ± 9.7 vs 71.7 ± 10.4 years, p = 0.17). Patients with diabetes more often had chronic kidney disease and complex coronary artery disease, as indicated by the greater total number of stents and longer total stent length. The rate of meeting the OPTIVUS criteria was not different between the 2 groups (61.2% vs 60.7%, p = 0.83). The cumulative 1-year incidence of the primary end point was not different between the 2 groups (10.8% vs 9.8%, log-rank p = 0.65). After adjusting for confounders, the risk of diabetes relative to nondiabetes remained insignificant for the primary end point (hazard ratio 0.97, 95% confidence interval 0.65 to 1.44, p = 0.88). In conclusion, in patients who underwent multivessel IVUS-guided PCI and were managed with contemporary clinical practice, patients with diabetes had similar 1-year outcomes to patients without diabetes.

Prognostic impact of heart failure admission in survivors of acute myocardial infarction.

AIMS: The incidence and prognosis of symptomatic heart failure following acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in the primary percutaneous coronary intervention era have rarely been reported in the literature. This study aimed to (i) determine the incidence of heart failure admission among AMI survivors, (ii) compare 1 year outcomes between patients with heart failure admission and those without, and (iii) identify the independent risk factors associated with heart failure admission. METHODS AND RESULTS: The Japan Acute Myocardial Infarction Registry is a prospective multicentre registry from which data on consecutively enrolled patients with AMI from 50 institutions between 2015 and 2017 were obtained. Among the 3411 patients enrolled, 3226 who survived until discharge were included in this study. The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality. The secondary endpoints were major adverse cardiovascular events (defined as cardiovascular mortality, non-fatal myocardial infarction, or non-fatal cerebral infarction) and major bleeding events corresponding to Bleeding Academic Research Consortium Type 3 or 5. Clinical outcomes were compared between the patients who were and were not admitted for heart failure. Over a median follow-up of 12 months, 124 patients (3.8%) were admitted due to heart failure. Independent risk factors for heart failure admission included older age, female sex, Killip class ≥2 on admission, left ventricular ejection fraction <40%, estimated glomerular filtration rate ≤30 mL/min/1.73 m2, a history of malignancy, and non-use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors at discharge. The cumulative incidence of all-cause mortality was significantly higher in the heart failure admission group than in the no heart failure admission group (11.3% vs. 2.5%, P < 0.001). The rates of major adverse cardiovascular events (16.9% vs. 2.7%, P < 0.001) and major bleeding (6.5% vs. 1.6%, P < 0.001) were significantly higher in the heart failure admission group. Heart failure admission was associated with a higher risk of all-cause mortality, even after adjusting for potential confounders (adjusted hazard ratio: 2.41, 95% confidence interval: 1.33-4.39, P = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS: Utilizing real-world data of the contemporary percutaneous coronary intervention era from the Japan Acute Myocardial Infarction Registry database, this study demonstrates that the heart failure admission of AMI survivors was significantly associated with higher all-cause mortality rates.

Impact of New-Onset Right Bundle-Branch Block After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement on Permanent Pacemaker Implantation.

BACKGROUND: A delayed and recurrent complete atrioventricular block (CAVB) is a life-threatening complication of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Post-TAVR evaluation may be important in predicting delayed and recurrent CAVB requiring permanent pacemaker implantation (PPI). The impact of new-onset right bundle-branch block (RBBB) after TAVR on PPI remains unknown. METHODS AND RESULTS: In total, 407 patients with aortic stenosis who underwent TAVR were included in this analysis. Intraprocedural CAVB was defined as CAVB that occurred during TAVR. A 12-lead ECG was evaluated at baseline, immediately after TAVR, on postoperative days 1 and 5, and according to the need to identify new-onset bundle-branch block (BBB) and CAVB after TAVR. Forty patients (9.8%) required PPI, 17 patients (4.2%) had persistent intraprocedural CAVB, and 23 (5.7%) had delayed or recurrent CAVB after TAVR. The rates of no new-onset BBB, new-onset left BBB, and new-onset RBBB were 65.1%, 26.8%, and 4.7%, respectively. Compared with patients without new-onset BBB and those with new-onset left BBB, the rate of PPI was higher in patients with new-onset RBBB (3.4% versus 5.6% versus 44.4%, P<0.0001). On post-TAVR evaluation in patients without persistent intraprocedural CAVB, the multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that new-onset RBBB was a statistically significant predictor of PPI compared with no new-onset BBB (odds ratio [OR], 18.0 [95% CI, 5.94-54.4]) in addition to the use of a self-expanding valve (OR, 2.97 [95% CI, 1.09-8.10]). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with new-onset RBBB after TAVR are at high risk for PPI.

Association between evolocumab use and slow progression of aortic valve stenosis.

No medications have been reported to inhibit the progression of aortic valve stenosis (AS). The present study aimed to investigate whether evolocumab use is related to the slow progression of AS evaluated by serial echocardiography. This was a retrospective observational study from 2017 to 2022 at Yokohama City University Medical Center. Patients aged ≥ 18 with moderate AS were included. Exclusion criteria were (1) mild AS; (2) severe AS defined by maximum aortic valve (AV) velocity ≥ 4.0 m/s; and/or (3) no data of annual follow-up echocardiography. The primary endpoint was the association between evolocumab use and annual changes in the maximum AV-velocity or peak AV-pressure gradient (PG). A total of 57 patients were enrolled: 9 patients treated with evolocumab (evolocumab group), and the other 48 patients assigned to a control group. During a median follow-up of 33 months, the cumulative incidence of AS events (a composite of all-cause death, AV intervention, or unplanned hospitalization for heart failure) was 11% in the evolocumab group and 58% in the control group (P = 0.012). Annual change of maximum AV-velocity or peak AV-PG from the baseline to the next year was 0.02 (- 0.18 to 0.22) m/s per year or 0.60 (- 4.20 to 6.44) mmHg per year in the evolocumab group, whereas it was 0.29 (0.04-0.59) m/s per year or 7.61 (1.46-16.48) mmHg per year in the control group (both P < 0.05). Evolocumab use was associated with slow progression of AS and a low incidence of AS events in patients with moderate AS.

Elevated Leukocyte Count and Platelet-Derived Thrombogenicity Measured Using the Total Thrombus-Formation Analysis System in Patients with ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction.

AIMS: High platelet-derived thrombogenicity during the acute phase of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is associated with poor outcomes; however, the associated factors remain unclear. This study aimed to examine whether acute inflammatory response after STEMI affects platelet-derived thrombogenicity. METHODS: This retrospective observational single-center study included 150 patients with STEMI who were assessed for platelet-derived thrombogenicity during the acute phase. Platelet-derived thrombogenicity was assessed using the area under the flow-pressure curve for platelet chip (PL-AUC), which was measured using the total thrombus-formation analysis system (T-TAS). The peak leukocyte count was evaluated as an acute inflammatory response after STEMI. The patients were divided into two groups: the highest quartile of the peak leukocyte count and the other three quartiles combined. RESULTS: Patients with a high peak leukocyte count (＞15,222/mm3; n=37) had a higher PL-AUC upon admission (420 [386-457] vs. 385 [292-428], p=0.0018), higher PL-AUC during primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) (155 [76-229] vs. 96 [29-170], p=0.0065), a higher peak creatine kinase level (4200±2486 vs. 2373±1997, p＜0.0001), and higher PL-AUC 2 weeks after STEMI (119 [61-197] vs. 88 [46-122], p=0.048) than those with a low peak leukocyte count (≤ 15,222/mm3; n=113). The peak leukocyte count after STEMI positively correlated with PL-AUC during primary PPCI (r=0.37, p＜0.0001). A multivariable regression analysis showed the peak leukocyte count to be an independent factor for PL-AUC during PPCI (ß=0.26, p=0.0065). CONCLUSIONS: An elevated leukocyte count is associated with high T-TAS-based platelet-derived thrombogenicity during the acute phase of STEMI.

Coronary protection using a pressure wire during transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

Coronary obstruction is a rare but life-threatening complication of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). This article describes the case of a patient with severe aortic valve stenosis treated with TAVI, during which preventive coronary wiring using a pressure wire was performed for coronary protection. After the deployment of the transcatheter heart valve (THV), the values of the fractional flow reserve (FFR) and resting full-cycle ratio (RFR) remarkably decreased, although the findings of transesophageal echocardiography and coronary angiography did not suggest coronary obstruction. Intravascular ultrasound revealed severe stenosis in the left main trunk due to the displacement of the calcified native leaflets. The decrease in the FFR and RFR values after THV deployment led to a diagnosis of partial coronary obstruction, and percutaneous coronary intervention was successfully performed. In patients at a high risk for coronary obstruction, coronary protection with a pressure wire is useful for the diagnosis and prevention of coronary flow deterioration during TAVI. Functional assessment using a pressure wire before and after TAVI may contribute to the accurate diagnosis of coronary obstruction. Learning objective: Accurate diagnosis of coronary obstruction during transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is important for successful management. In patients at a high risk for coronary obstruction, coronary protection with a pressure wire is useful for the diagnosis and prevention of coronary flow deterioration during TAVI. The remarkable decrease in the fractional flow reserve and resting full-cycle ratio values after the deployment of the transcatheter heart valve may suggest coronary obstruction.

Influence of Obstructive Apnea Index on Persistent Left Ventricular Dysfunction in Patients with ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction.

Background: We retrospectively investigated the effects of the severity and classification of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) on left ventricular (LV) function in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Methods: A total of 115 patients with STEMIs underwent a sleep study using a multichannel frontopolar electroencephalography recording device (Sleep Profiler) one week after STEMI onset. We evaluated LV global longitudinal strain (LV-GLS) using two-dimensional echocardiography at one week and seven months. Patients were classified as no SDB (AHI < 5 events/h), obstructive SDB (over 50% of apnea events are obstructive), and central SDB (over 50% of apnea events are central). Due to the device's limitations in distinguishing obstructive from central hypopnea, SDB classification was based on apnea index percentages. Results: The obstructive apnea index (OAI) was significantly associated with LV-GLS at one week (r = 0.24, p = 0.027) and seven months (r = 0.21, p = 0.020). No such correlations were found for the central apnea index and SDB classification. Multivariable regression analysis showed that the OAI was independently associated with LV-GLS at one week (ß = 0.24, p = 0.002) and seven months (ß = 0.20, p = 0.008). Conclusions: OAI is associated with persistent LV dysfunction assessed by LV-GLS in STEMI.

Transient Sinus Node Dysfunction Associated with Herpes Simplex Encephalitis.

Sinus arrest and inappropriate sinus bradycardia are sinus node dysfunction (SND), which cause loss of consciousness. Cardiac pacing is recommended in patients with symptoms, such as syncope or dizziness. Several conditions can induce these arrhythmias; however, whether or not intracranial infectious diseases, such as herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE), can cause secondary SND is unclear. We encountered a patient with sinus arrest and transient sinus bradycardia associated with HSE. Since cardiac pause was never monitored and the bradycardia improved after HSE treatment, HSE was suspected to be the cause of SND. Although the underlying mechanisms have not yet been completely elucidated, HSE may cause secondary SND.

In-Hospital Mortality in Patients With Cardiogenic Shock Requiring Veno-Arterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation With Concomitant Use of Impella vs. Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump　- A Retrospective Cohort Study Using a Japanese Claims-Based Database.

BACKGROUND: Patients with refractory cardiogenic shock (CS) necessitating peripheral veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) often require an intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) or Impella for unloading; however, comparative effectiveness data are currently lacking. METHODS AND RESULTS: Using Diagnosis Procedure Combination data from approximately 1,200 Japanese acute care hospitals (April 2018-March 2022), we identified 940 patients aged ≥18 years with CS necessitating peripheral VA-ECMO along with IABP (ECMO-IABP; n=801) or Impella (ECPella; n=139) within 48 h of admission. Propensity score matching (126 pairs) indicated comparable in-hospital mortality between the ECPella and ECMO-IABP groups (50.8% vs. 50.0%, respectively; P=1.000). However, the ECPella cohort was on mechanical ventilator support for longer (median [interquartile range] 11.5 [5.0-20.8] vs. 9.0 [4.0-16.8] days; P=0.008) and had a longer hospital stay (median [interquartile range] 32.5 [12.0-59.0] vs. 23.0 [6.3-43.0] days; P=0.017) than the ECMO-IABP cohort. In addition, medical costs were higher for the ECPella than ECMO-IABP group (median [interquartile range] 9.09 [7.20-12.20] vs. 5.23 [3.41-7.00] million Japanese yen; P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our nationwide study could not demonstrate compelling evidence to support the superior efficacy of Impella over IABP in reducing in-hospital mortality among patients with CS necessitating VA-ECMO. Further investigations are imperative to determine the clinical situations in which the potential effect of Impella can be maximized.

Clopidogrel vs Aspirin Monotherapy Beyond 1 Year After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

BACKGROUND: It remains unclear whether clopidogrel is better suited than aspirin as the long-term antiplatelet monotherapy following dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). OBJECTIVES: This study compared clopidogrel monotherapy following 1 month of DAPT (clopidogrel group) with aspirin monotherapy following 12 months of DAPT (aspirin group) after PCI for 5 years. METHODS: STOPDAPT-2 (Short and Optimal Duration of Dual Antiplatelet Therapy 2) is a multicenter, open-label, adjudicator-blinded, randomized clinical trial conducted in Japan. Patients who underwent PCI with cobalt-chromium everolimus-eluting stents were randomized in a 1-to-1 fashion either to clopidogrel or aspirin groups. The primary endpoint was a composite of cardiovascular outcomes (cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, stroke, or definite stent thrombosis) or major bleeding (TIMI major or minor bleeding). RESULTS: Among 3,005 study patients (age: 68.6 ± 10.7 years; women: 22.3%; acute coronary syndrome: 38.3%), 2,934 patients (97.6%) completed the 5-year follow-up (adherence to the study drugs at 395 days: 84.7% and 75.9%). The clopidogrel group compared with the aspirin group was noninferior but not superior for the primary endpoint (11.75% and 13.57%, respectively; HR: 0.85; 95% CI: 0.70-1.05; Pnoninferiority < 0.001; Psuperiority = 0.13), whereas it was superior for the cardiovascular outcomes (8.61% and 11.05%, respectively; HR: 0.77; 95% CI: 0.61-0.97; P = 0.03) and not superior for major bleeding (4.44% and 4.92%, respectively; HR: 0.89; 95% CI: 0.64-1.25; P = 0.51). By the 1-year landmark analysis, clopidogrel was numerically, but not significantly, superior to aspirin for cardiovascular events (6.79% and 8.68%, respectively; HR: 0.77; 95% CI: 0.59-1.01; P = 0.06) without difference in major bleeding (3.99% and 3.32%, respectively; HR: 1.23; 95% CI: 0.84-1.81; P = 0.31). CONCLUSIONS: Clopidogrel might be an attractive alternative to aspirin with a borderline ischemic benefit beyond 1 year after PCI.