Quantification of epicardial adipose tissue by computed tomographic scanning as a prognostic criterion of atrial fibrillation recurrence after catheter ablation.

Aim    This study focused on a systematic review and meta-analysis on the predictive role of quantifying the epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) volume using data of computed tomography (CT) in patients after catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF).Material and methods    We performed a search in PubMed and Google Scholar for studies that examined the predictive value of EAT volume measured by CT for AF recurrence in patients after undergoing pulmonary venous isolation. Risk ratio (RR) values from studies, where similar scoring criteria were available, were pooled for the meta-analysis.Results    Eighteen studies were selected from 901 publications for these systematic review and meta-analysis. In total, 4087 patients were included in this analysis (mean age, 59.0 years; mean follow-up duration, 14.9 mos). Patients with recurrent AF after ablation had higher left atrial EAT volume compared to patients without relapse (weighted mean difference, 5.99 ml; 95% CI: -10.04 to -1.94; p = 0.004). An increase in left atrial EAT volume per ml was significantly associated with the development of AF recurrence after ablation (RR 1.08; 95% CI: 1.01 to 1.16; p=0.03). Patients with recurrent AF after ablation also had higher total EAT values than patients without relapse (difference in weighted values, 11.67 ml; 95% CI: -19.81 to -3.54; p = 0.005). However, no significant association was found between the total EAT volume and the risk of AF relapse (RR 1.00; 95% CI: 1.00 to 1.01; p=0.06).Conclusions    The volume of left atrial EAT measured by CT has a significant predictive value in AF patients after catheter ablation and can be used for stratification of the risk for recurrent AF.

[Comparison of Various Regimens of Antithrombotic Therapy in Patients With Valvular Heart Disease and Coronary Artery Disease After Surgical and Interventional Interventions].

AIM: To evaluate the postoperative incidence of bleeding, incidence of thromboembolic complications, and all-cause mortality in patients with valvular heart disease and ischemic heart disease (IHD) associated with various regimens of the antithrombotic treatment during one year after surgery. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study included 271 patients with valvular heart disease and IHD after heart valve replacement and myocardial revascularization from 2009 through 2018. However, during the follow-up period (12 months), contact with 12 patients was lost, and therefore these patients were excluded from the study. Further analysis included 259 patients. Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in combination with heart valve intervention was performed in 217 (83.8 %) patients, and percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) were performed in 42 (16.2 %) patients. There were 197 (72.7 %) male participants; median age was 64.0 [58.0; 67.5] years. The patients were divided into two groups. Group 1 consisted of 113 patients who received postoperative dual antithrombotic therapy (DAT) with acetylsalicylic acid (ASA)/clopidogrel+vitamin K antagonist (VKA). Group 2 included 146 patients receiving postoperative triple antithrombotic therapy (TAT) with ASA+clopidogrel+VKA. Follow-up duration was 12 months after surgery. Due to significant intergroup differences in major clinical anamnestic data, the data were adjusted using pseudo-randomization (Propensity Score Matching, PSM). In result, 109 patients were selected for each group. RESULTS: The incidence of adverse hemorrhagic outcomes was significantly higher in the group treated with TAT than with DAT. Minor bleedings were observed in 19 (17.4 %) vs. 8 (7.3 %) cases; moderate, clinically significant bleedings in 16 (14.7 %) vs. 6 (5.5 %) cases; and the total number of bleedings was 35 (32.1 %) vs. 14 (12.8 %; p=0.02, p=0.02, and р=0.001, respectively). Comparing the incidence of major bleedings did not show and significant intergroup differences (p=1.000). The incidence rate of any bleeding during the follow-up period was 32.1 % in patients treated with TAT (n=109) and 12.8 % in patients treated with DAT (n=109; p=0.005). The incidence of no bleeding during one year after surgery was 87 % in the DAT treatment group and 67 % in the TAT treatment group (p=0.005). The incidence of secondary endpoints, including ischemic stroke, myocardial infarction, prosthetic valve thrombosis, and death, was statistically non-significant. CONCLUSION: Administration of DAT vs. TAT after heart valve replacement and myocardial revascularization significantly decreases the incidence of any bleedings in the absence of significant differences in the incidence of thromboembolic events and mortality.

The extent of late gadolinium enhancement predicts mortality, sudden death and major adverse cardiovascular events in patients with nonischaemic cardiomyopathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIM: To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis with the objective of evaluating the prognostic value of extent of myocardial fibrosis by late gadolinium-enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) in non-ischaemic dilated cardiomyopathy (NICM). MATERIAL AND METHODS: The databases PubMed, EMBASE, and Google Scholar were searched for studies that investigated the prognostic value of quantification of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) in patients with NICM. Unadjusted and adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) of uniformly defined predictors were pooled for meta-analysis. RESULTS: Fourteen studies were retrieved from 884 publications for this systematic review and meta-analysis. In total, 4,336 patients (mean age 51.2 years; mean follow-up 35.1 months) were included in the analysis. Meta-analysis showed the extent of LGE was associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality (HR: 1.07/1% LGE; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03-1.11; p=0.0003), composite arrhythmic endpoint (HR: 1.09/1% LGE; 95% CI: 1.03-1.15; p=0.002) and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE; HR: 1.06/1% LGE; 95% CI: 1.02-1.11; p=0.005). After adjusting for baseline characteristics, the higher extent of LGE remained associated with the risk of all-cause mortality (HRadjusted: 1.07/1% LGE; 95% CI: 1.00-1.14; p=0.04), also strongly associated with the risk of composite arrhythmic endpoint (HRadjusted: 1.07; 95% CI: 1.02-1.012; p=0.004) and MACE (HRadjusted: 1.04; 95% CI: 1.01-1.08; p=0.005). CONCLUSIONS: Extent of LGE in CMR predicts all-cause mortality, arrhythmic events, and MACE. Collectively, these findings emphasise that extent of LGE by CMR may have value for optimising current predictive models for clinical events or mortality in patients with NICM.

Prognostic value of myocardial strain by magnetic resonance imaging in nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Aim    This study was aimed at performing a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the prognostic role of left ventricular (LV) myocardial strain variables as determined by magnetic-resonance imaging in non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy.Material and methods    A search was performed in PubMed (MEDLINE), Google Scholar, and EMBASE databases for studies on the prognostic role of LV myocardial strain based on MR feature-tracking in non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy. Uncorrected odds ratio (OR) values reported by the studies where similar evaluation criteria of myocardial strain were available, were combined for a meta-analysis.Results    Nine studies were selected from 351 publications for this systematic review and meta-analysis. The analysis included a totality of 2139 patients (mean age, 52.3 years; mean follow-up duration, 42.5 months). The meta-analysis showed that the worsening of the LV global longitudinal strain (GLS), global circumferential strain (GCS), and global radial strain (GRS) was associated with increased risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE): OR, 1.13  per each % of GLS; 95 % CI: 1.050-1.225; p=0.001; OR, 1.16 per each % of GCS; 95 % CI: 1.107-1.213; p<0.0001; OR, 0.95 per each % of GRS; 95 % CI: 0.92-0.97; p<0.0001.Conclusion    The LV GLS, GCS, and GRS variables by MR feature-tracking data are powerful predictors for the development of MACE. Evaluation of myocardial strain can be used as an effective instrument for risk stratification in patients with non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy.

[Epicardial Fat and Atrial Fibrillation: the Role of Profibrinogenic Mediators].

BACKGROUND: Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) has certain paracrine functions, which could be associated with proinflammatory and fibrotic changes in myocardium even in patients without structural heart disease but with atrial fibrillation (AF). PURPOSE: to evaluate interrelationship between clinical data, parameters of tissue Doppler imaging (TDI), EAT thickness estimated by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and biochemical markers of fibrosis and inflammation in patients with nonvalvular AF without concomitant ischemic heart disease (IHD). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We included in this study 39 AF patients without valvular pathology or IHD with normal or moderately increased left atrial (LA) dimension (mean age 50.8±13.9 years, 49 % men). The following groups were distinguished for analysis: with idiopathic AF (iAFgroup, n=21); with AF and arterial hypertension (AF+AH group, n=18); with normal (.

[High On-Treatment Platelet Reactivity Determinants on Dual Antiplatelet Therapy in Patients With Ischemic Heart Disease Before Elective Percutaneous Coronary Intervention].

OBJECTIVE: to determine impact of different laboratory and genetic factors on high on-treatment platelet reactivity (HOPR) during dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT). METHODS: We included in this study 94 patients with stable ischemic heart disease (mean age 59±9.67 years). All patients underwent elective PCI with implantation of drug eluting stents at the background of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) with aspirin and clopidogrel. Platelet reactivity was assessed using light transmission aggregometry with 5 µmol/L ADP (LTA 5ADP) and VerifyNow assay before PCI. All patients underwent genotyping to detect CYP2C19 polymorphism. In 74 patients at baseline examination we determined levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCPR), soluble platelet-selectin (sP-selectin), soluble CD40­ligand (sCD40L), interleukin-6 (IL-6), plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1) and activity of von Willebrand factor. RESULTS: Incidence of HOPR according to LTA-5ADP was 16 % and VerifyNow - 24.5 %. Univariate regression analysis showed that the following factors were significantly associated with HPR determined by LTA-5ADP: body mass index (BMI) (p=0.02), levels of total cholesterol (CH) (p=0.01), low density lipoprotein CH (p=0.004), and sP-selectin (p=0.009), activity of von Willebrand factor (p=0.04). Carriage of CYP2C19*2 allele was also associated with HOPR (p=0.006). According to multivariate regression analysis body mass index and level of sP-selectin were independent predictors of HOPR during DAPT. CONCLUSIONS: HOPR determined by LTA was significantly associated with high BMI, levels of total and LDL CH, carriage of CYP2C19*2 allele, levels of hsCRP and sP-selectin. Independent factors significantly related to HORP were BMI and sP-selectin level.

High On-Treatment Platelet Reactivity Determinants on Dual Antiplatelet Therapy in Patients With Ischemic Heart Disease Before Elective Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

OBJECTIVE: to determine impact of different laboratory and genetic factors on high on-treatment platelet reactivity (HOPR) during dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT). METHODS: We included in this study 94 patients with stable ischemic heart disease (mean age 59±9.67 years). All patients underwent elective PCI with implantation of drug eluting stents at the background of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) with aspirin and clopidogrel. Platelet reactivity was assessed using light transmission aggregometry with 5 µmol/L ADP (LTA 5ADP) and VerifyNow assay before PCI. All patients underwent genotyping to detect CYP2C19 polymorphism. In 74 patients at baseline examination we determined levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCPR), soluble platelet-selectin (sP-selectin), soluble CD40-ligand (sCD40L), interleukin-6 (IL-6), plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1) and activity of von Willebrand factor. RESULTS: Incidence of HOPR according to LTA-5ADP was 16% and VerifyNow - 24.5%. Univariate regression analysis showed that the following factors were significantly associated with HPR determined by LTA-5ADP: body mass index (BMI) (p=0.02), levels of total cholesterol (CH) (p=0.0l), low density lipoprotein CH (p=0.004), and sP-selectin (p=0.009), activity of von Willebrand factor (p=0.04). Carriage of CYP2C19*2 allele was also associated with HOPR (p=0.006). According to multivariate regression analysis body mass index and level of sP-selectin were independent predictors of HOPR during DAPT. CONCLUSIONS: HOPR determined by LTA was significantly associated with high BMI, levels of total and LDL CH, carriage of CYP2C19*2 allele, levels of hsCRP and sP-selectin. Independent factors significantly related to HORP were BMI and sP-selectin level.

[Sudden Cardiac Death in Patients With Ischemic Heart Disease: From Mechanisms to Clinical Practice].

Ischemic heart disease (IHD) and acute coronary syndrome are the main cause of sudden cardiac death (SCD). Incidence of SCD in patients after myocardial infarction (MI) is 4-6-fold higher than in general population. The review focuses on electrophysiological changes during acute myocardial ischemia and mechanisms of myocardial electromechanical remodeling in remote period after MI. Current data on arrhythmia substrates and triggers are presented. Nowadays, the main guide for implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) use for primary prevention of SCD is reduced left ventricular ejection fraction. The significance of this parameter has been repeatedly demonstrated in large randomized studies. However, the use of a single indicator cannot solve the problem. In this review we present analysis of modern additional predictors of fatal arrhythmias which are available in clinical practice, as well as the perspective for further research of this highly important scientific, clinical, and social problem.

[Noninvasive Electrophysiological Predictors and Biomarkers of Malignant Arrhythmias in Patients With Ischemic Heart Disease: a 2-Year Prospective Follow-up].

AIM: to assess prognostic value of clinical and instrumental parameters, results of noninvasive electrophysiological tests and biomarkers as predictors of malignant ventricular arrhythmias in patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD) during long-term follow-up as well as during myocardial revascularization surgery and early postoperative period. MATERIAL: We prospectively enrolled 97 patients (mean age 61 ± 10 years) with angiographically confirmed coronary artery disease. Most patients (68%) had heart failure NYHA functional class II-III. Mean left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was 50 ± 13%; 20% of patients had LVEF ≤ 35%. Sixty two patients had revascularization procedures during follow-up. METHODS: We used 24-hour Holter monitoring and signal-averaged electrocardiography to obtain the following parameters: microvolt T-wave alternans, QT-interval duration and dynamics, heart rate turbulence (HRT) and variability. Laboratory tests included serum creatinine and creatinine clearance, brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), NT-proBNP, C-reactive protein and troponin T levels. RESULTS. During mean follow-up period of 25 ± 11 months life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias were observed in 11 patients (11%). On univariate analysis, history of percutaneous coronary intervention (p < 0.05), history of malignant arrhythmias or syncope (p < 0.05), LVEF ≤ 47% (p < 0.01), left atrium size 24.7 cm (p < 0.05), left atrium index (p = 0.01), filtered QRS duration (p < 0.05), abnormal heart rate turbulence (HRT) (chi-square test = 6.2, p = 0.01), abnormal turbulence slope (chi-square test = 9.5, p < 0.01), BNP ≥ 158 picogram/ml (p < 0.01), NT-proBNP ≥ 787 rg/ml (chi-square test = 4.4, p < 0.05) were significantly associated with malignant arrhythmias in long-term follow-up. History of malignant arrhythmias or syncope (OR 11.1, 95% Cl 2.8-44.4; p < 0.01), abnormal HRT (OR 13.6, 95% Cl 2.8-66.1; p < 0.01), and plasma BNP ≥ 158 picogram/ml (OR 14.3, 95% CI 3.2-65.0; p < 0.01) were independent predictors of malignant arrhythmias on multivariate Cox regression analysis. CONCLUSION: History of malignant arrhythmias, pathological HRT and plasma brain natriuretic peptide level ≥ 158 picogram/ml were independent predictors of malignant ventricular arrhythmias during 2 years follow-up of patients with IHD.

[Time course of toxic hypoxic encephalopathy during combined therapy including hyperbaric oxygenation]. / Dinamika toksikogipoksicheskoi éntsefalopatii pod vozdeistviem kompleksnogo lecheniia s primeneniem giperbaricheskoi oksigenatsii.

The mechanisms of action of hyperbaric oxygenation (HBO) in toxic hypoxic encephalopathy (THE) were studied using clinical psychopathological examinations, functional and laboratory tests in 268 patients with THE treated by a therapeutic complex including HBO and 75 patients with THE treated routinely (controls). The earliest possible addition of HBO to a complex of treatment of THE patients led to involution of signs of brain edema shown by computer tomography (CT) and improvement of its functional activity, while in patients exposed to HBO later the psychoorganic symptoms and CT signs of cerebral ischemia did not disappear. Detoxifying, neuroimmunomodulating, and neuroimmunostimulating effects of HBO in THE were demonstrated. Early HBO treatment decreased the dysfunction of various compartments of the brain characteristic of THE. The technology of HBO developed by the authors prevented the development of socially dysadapting psychoneurological disorders and reduced the mortality of THE patients.