New atrio-ventricular indices derived from conventional cine MRI correlate with functional capacity in patients with asymptomatic primary mitral regurgitation.

Mitral regurgitation (MR) is associated with morphological and functional alterations of left atrium (LA) and ventricle (LV), possibly inducing LA-LV misalignment. We aimed to: (1) characterize angulation between LA and mitral annulus from conventional cine MRI data and feature-tracking (FT) contours, (2) assess their associations with functional capacity in MR patients, as assessed by oxygen consumption (peak-VO2) and minute ventilation to carbon dioxide production (VE/VCO2) slope, in comparison with MRI LA/LV strain indices. Thirty-two asymptomatic primary MR patients (56 [40; 66] years, 12 women) underwent cardiac MRI resulting in LA/LV conventional FT-derived strain indices. Then, end-diastolic angles were derived from FT LA contours: (1) α, centered on the LA centre of mass and defined by mitral valve extremities, (2) γ, centered on the mitral ring anterior/lateral side, and defined by LA centre and the other extremity of the mitral ring. Cardiopulmonary exercise testing with simultaneous echocardiography were also performed; peak-VO2 and VE/VCO2 slope were measured. While peak-VO2 and VE/VCO2 slope were not correlated to LA/LV strains, they were significantly associated with angles (α: r = 0.50, p = 0.003 and r = - 0.52, p = 0.003; γ: r = - 0.53, p = 0.002 and r = 0.52, p = 0.003; respectively), independently of age and gender (R2 ≥ 0.29, p ≤ 0.03). In primary MR, the new LA/mitral annulus angles, computed directly from standard-of-care MRI, are better correlated to exercise tolerance than conventional LA/LV strain.

Pregnancy and cardiac maternal outcomes in women with inherited cardiomyopathy: interest of the CARPREG II risk score.

AIMS: Inherited cardiomyopathies are relatively rare but carry a high risk of cardiac maternal morbidity and mortality during pregnancy and postpartum. However, data for risk stratification are scarce. The new CARPREG II score improves prediction of prognosis in pregnancies associated with heart disease, though its role in inherited cardiomyopathies is unclear. We aim to describe characteristics and cardiac maternal outcomes in patients with inherited cardiomyopathy during pregnancy, and to evaluate the interest of the CARPREG II risk score in this population. METHODS AND RESULTS: In this retrospective single-centre study, 90 consecutive pregnancies in 74 patients were included (mean age 32 ± 5 years), including 28 cases of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), 46 of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, 11 of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy and 5 of left ventricular noncompaction, excluding peripartum cardiomyopathy. The discriminatory power of several risk scores was assessed by the area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC). Median CARPREG II score was 2 [0;3] and was higher in the DCM subgroup. A severe cardiac maternal complication was observed in 18 (20%) pregnancies, mainly driven by arrhythmia and heart failure (each event in 10 pregnancies), with 3 cardiovascular deaths. Forty-three pregnancies (48%) presented foetal/neonatal complications (18 premature delivery, 3 foetal/neonatal death). CARPREG II was significantly associated with cardiac maternal complications (P < 0.05 for all) and showed a higher AUC (0.782) than CARPREG (0.755), mWHO (0.697) and ZAHARA (0.604). CONCLUSIONS: Pregnancy in women with inherited cardiomyopathy carries a high risk of maternal cardiovascular complications. CARPREG II is the most efficient predictor of cardiovascular complications in this population.

Supraventricular Arrhythmia Following Patent Foramen Ovale Percutaneous Closure.

BACKGROUND: Randomized studies have reported low rates of atrial fibrillation (AF) after patent foramen ovale (PFO) closure (<6%) but have relied on patient-reported symptomatic episodes, so the true incidence and timing of AF after PFO closure remain unknown. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to prospectively determine the incidence, timing, and determinants of supraventricular arrhythmia following PFO closure on the basis of loop recorder monitoring. METHODS: Cardiac monitoring was proposed to all patients after PFO closure from June 2018 to October 2021 at a single center by means of implantable loop recorder monitoring in patients considered at higher risk for AF (age ≥ 55 years, associated cardiovascular risk factors, prior palpitations, or documented supraventricular ectopic activity) or 4-week external loop recorder monitoring in other patients. The primary endpoint was the incidence of AF, atrial flutter, or supraventricular tachycardia lasting >30 seconds within 28 days of the procedure. Determinants of the primary endpoint were assessed using a stepwise logistic regression model. RESULTS: A total of 225 patients were included. The primary endpoint occurred in 47 patients (20.9%), including 13 (9.9%) and 24 (28.9%) among patients monitored with external loop recorders and implantable loop recorders, respectively. Overall, the median delay from procedure to arrhythmia was 14.0 days (IQR: 6.5-19.0 days), and one-half of these patients reported symptomatic episodes. Determinants of the primary endpoint were older age (adjusted OR: 1.67 per 10-year increase; 95% CI: 1.18-2.36), device left disc diameter ≥25 mm (adjusted OR: 2.67; 95% CI: 1.19-5.98) and male sex (adjusted OR: 4.78; 95% CI: 1.96-11.66). CONCLUSIONS: Using loop recorder monitoring for ≥28 days, supraventricular arrhythmia was diagnosed in 1 in 5 patients, with a median delay of 14 days, suggesting that this postprocedural event has so far been underestimated.

Outcomes Following Patent Foramen Ovale Percutaneous Closure According to the Delay From Last Ischemic Event.

BACKGROUND: Randomised controlled trials evaluating percutaneous closure of patent foramen ovale (PFO) have included only patients with a recent embolic event. We aimed to evaluate outcomes after percutaneous PFO closure according to the delay from the last embolic episode. METHODS: This international ambispective cohort included consecutive patients from 2 centres in France and Canada undergoing PFO closure for secondary prevention of a paradoxical embolic event. The primary end point was the composite of stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). A logistic regression model was used to evaluate determinants of late PFO closure procedures. RESULTS: A total of 1179 patients (mean age 49 ± 12.7 years; 44.4% female) underwent PFO closure from 2001 to 2021. The median delay from last embolic event to procedure was 6.0 (interquartile range 3.4-11.2) months. The determinants of late PFO closure procedure were the centre (France vs Canada; adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.65, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.25-2.19), year of procedure (since 2018 vs before 2018; aOR 1.43, 95% CI 1.08-1.90), female sex (aOR 1.63, 95% CI 1.28-2.07), and lower risk of paradoxical embolism score (aOR 1.10, 95% CI 1.03-1.19). After a median follow-up of 2.61 (1.13-7.25) years, the incidence rate of first stroke or TIA did not differ between early and late PFO procedures, with 0.51 vs 0.29 events per 100 patient-years, respectively (incidence rate ratio 1.74, 95% CI 0.66-5.08; P = 0.24), and the timing of PFO closure was not associated with the occurrence of stroke or TIA in univariate analysis (hazard ratio 0.54, 95% CI 0.22-1.34) for late vs early closure). CONCLUSIONS: This analysis provides indirect evidence that the delay from the last ischemic event does not affect outcomes after PFO closure for secondary prevention.