Feasibility and Utility of Anatomical and Physiological Evaluation of Coronary Disease With Cardiac CT in Severe Aortic Stenosis (FUTURE-AS Registry): Rationale and Design.

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) is common and may be associated with worse outcomes. Computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA) and fractional flow reserve derived from computed tomography (FFRCT) are tools for comprehensive coronary assessment. The utility and safety of CTCA and FFRCT in the work-up for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is not established, especially in an evolving landscape that involves younger TAVR patients. The FUTURE-AS Registry will assess the utility and safety of cardiac-optimized CTCA and FFRCT to evaluate CAD and guide referral for downstream invasive coronary angiography (ICA) in patients with severe AS being considered for TAVR. Methods: FUTURE-AS is an international, prospective, multicenter registry of patients with severe AS referred for TAVR being assessed for CAD with CTCA and FFRCT. The primary end point is the per-patient sensitivity and negative predictive value of CTCA and FFRCT for identifying anatomical and physiologically significant CAD compared to ICA and invasive FFR. The safety end point is the incidence of symptomatic hypotension or bradycardia requiring intervention following the administration of nitroglycerin or ß-blocker medications. Feasibility end points include the incidence of noninterpretable CTCA scans and CTCA scans not adequate for FFR analysis. Other utility end points include specificity, positive predictive value, and accuracy of CTCA and FFRCT. Lastly, the potential of a CTCA and FFRCT guided strategy to defer pre-TAVR ICA will be assessed. Conclusions: FUTURE-AS will characterize the utility, safety, and feasibility of CTCA and FFRCT for coronary assessment pre-TAVR.

Novel Magnetic Resonance Imaging Tools for Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Risk Stratification.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a common genetic disorder with a well described risk of sudden cardiac death; however, risk stratification has remained a challenge. Recently, novel parameters in cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) have shown promise in helping to improve upon current risk stratification paradigms. In this manuscript, we have reviewed novel CMR risk markers and their utility in HCM. The results of the review showed that T1, extracellular volume, CMR feature tracking, and other miscellaneous novel CMR variables have the potential to improve sudden death risk stratification and may have additional roles in diagnosis and prognosis. The strengths and weaknesses of these imaging techniques, and their potential utility and implementation in HCM risk stratification are discussed.

ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction Complicated by Cardiogenic Shock: Systematic Review of Survival Predictors.

Background: Cardiogenic shock complicating acute myocardial infarction is associated with reduced survival despite advancements in the treatment of acute coronary syndromes. Characterizing predictors of morbidity and mortality in this setting is crucial to improving risk stratification and management. Notwithstanding, the interplay of factors determining survival in this condition remains poorly studied. Methods: Embase, MEDLINE, and CINAHL databases were searched for original studies evaluating predictors of short-term (30-day or in-hospital) survival in ST elevation myocardial infarction with cardiogenic shock (STEMI-CS). Included studies were analyzed by way of vote counting, identifying variables that predicted mortality or survival. Results: Twenty-four studies, consisting of 14,735 patients (5649 nonsurvivors and 9086 survivors) were included. All studies were observational by design (17 retrospective and 7 prospective) with clinical and statistical heterogeneity. Unsuccessful revascularization, reduced left ventricular ejection fraction, renal impairment, and other variables were identified as key independent predictors of mortality. Conclusion: Several key variables have been shown to independently increase mortality in STEMI-CS populations. Future prospective studies examining the prognostic role of multivariate scoring systems incorporating these domains are required.