Drug-Drug Interactions and the Clinical Tolerability of Colchicine Among Patients With COVID-19: A Secondary Analysis of the COLCORONA Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Colchicine has many drug-drug interactions with commonly prescribed medications. Only pharmacokinetic studies have provided data on colchicine drug-drug interactions. Objective: To evaluate the clinical tolerability of colchicine according to the presence or absence of a drug-drug interaction. Design, Setting, and Participants: A secondary analysis of the COLCORONA trial was performed. The COLCORONA trial was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial conducted in Brazil, Canada, Greece, South Africa, Spain, and the US between March 23, 2020, and January 20, 2021. The COLCORONA trial included ambulatory patients with COVID-19 with at least 1 high-risk characteristic and compared the effects of colchicine (0.5 mg twice daily for 3 days, then 0.5 mg daily thereafter) with placebo for 27 days. Data analysis was performed from February 24, 2023, to June 20, 2024. Exposure: In this secondary analysis, baseline medications that had interactions with colchicine were identified using a previously published expert classification. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome for this analysis was the composite of serious and nonserious treatment-related and treatment-unrelated gastrointestinal adverse events. The secondary outcomes were other adverse events and the composite of death or hospital admission due to COVID-19 infection. Logistic regression models adjusted for age, sex, estimated glomerular filtration rate, diabetes, heart failure, and myocardial infarction were assessed for effect modification of the association between the randomization arm and the outcomes of interest by drug-drug interaction status. Results: The cohort included 2205 participants in the colchicine arm and 2227 in the placebo arm (median age, 54 [IQR, 47-61] years; 2389 [54%] women). The most common colchicine drug-drug interactions were rosuvastatin (12%) and atorvastatin (10%). In fully adjusted models, the odds of any gastrointestinal adverse event were 1.80 (95% CI, 1.51-2.15) times higher in the colchicine arm than the placebo arm among people without a drug-drug interaction and 1.68 (95% CI, 1.24-2.26) times higher in the colchicine arm than the placebo arm among people with a drug-drug interaction (P = .69 for interaction). Drug-drug interaction status did not significantly modify the effect of colchicine on the composite of COVID-19 hospitalization or death (odds ratio, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.59-1.40 for drug-drug interaction and 0.84; 95% CI, 0.60-1.19 for no drug-drug interaction; P = .80 for interaction). Conclusions and Relevance: In this secondary analysis of the COLCORONA trial, operational classification of drug interactions system class 3 or 4 drug-drug interactions did not appear to significantly increase the risk of colchicine-related adverse effects. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04322682.

Relationship of Subendocardial Perfusion to Myocardial Injury, Cardiac Structure, and Clinical Outcomes Among Patients With Hypertension.

BACKGROUND: Coronary microvascular dysfunction has been implicated in the development of hypertensive heart disease and heart failure, with subendocardial ischemia identified as a driver of sustained myocardial injury and fibrosis. We aimed to evaluate the relationships of subendocardial perfusion with cardiac injury, structure, and a composite of major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events consisting of death, heart failure hospitalization, myocardial infarction, and stroke. METHODS: Layer-specific blood flow and myocardial flow reserve (MFR; stress/rest myocardial blood flow) were assessed by 13N-ammonia perfusion positron emission tomography in consecutive patients with hypertension without flow-limiting coronary artery disease (summed stress score <3) imaged at Brigham and Women's Hospital (Boston, MA) from 2015 to 2021. In this post hoc observational study, biomarkers, echocardiographic parameters, and longitudinal clinical outcomes were compared by tertiles of subendocardial MFR (MFRsubendo). RESULTS: Among 358 patients, the mean age was 70.6±12.0 years, and 53.4% were male. The median MFRsubendo was 2.57 (interquartile range, 2.08-3.10), and lower MFRsubendo was associated with older age, diabetes, lower renal function, greater coronary calcium burden, and higher systolic blood pressure (P<0.05 for all). In cross-sectional multivariable regression analyses, the lowest tertile of MFRsubendo was associated with myocardial injury and with greater left ventricular wall thickness and volumes compared with the highest tertile. Relative to the highest tertile, low MFRsubendo was independently associated with an increased rate of major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (adjusted hazard ratio, 2.99 [95% CI, 1.39-6.44]; P=0.005) and heart failure hospitalization (adjusted hazard ratio, 2.76 [95% CI, 1.04-7.32; P=0.042) over 1.1 (interquartile range, 0.6-2.8) years median follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with hypertension without flow-limiting coronary artery disease, impaired MFRsubendo was associated with cardiovascular risk factors, elevated cardiac biomarkers, cardiac structure, and clinical events.

Hydroxychloroquine and Chloroquine-Induced Cardiac Arrhythmias and Sudden Cardiac Death in Patients With Systemic Autoimmune Rheumatic Diseases: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

ABSTRACT: Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and chloroquine (CQ) are foundational treatments for several systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Concerns regarding the risk of cardiac arrhythmia and death have been raised, yet the burden of HCQ and CQ-related cardiac toxicities remains unclear. A systematic literature search was conducted in the MEDLINE and Embase databases for articles published between the earliest date and April 2023 reporting cardiac conduction abnormalities in patients with systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases taking HCQ or CQ. Meta-analysis was performed to calculate the difference in mean corrected QT (QTc) interval and odds ratio of prolonged QTc interval in those taking HCQ or CQ versus not. Of 2673 unique records, 34 met the inclusion criteria, including 70,609 subjects. Thirty-three studies reported outcomes in HCQ and 9 in CQ. Five studies reported outcomes in RA, 11 in SLE, and 18 in populations with mixed rheumatic diseases. Eleven studies reported mean QTc and OR for prolonged QTc for meta-analysis, all reporting outcomes in HCQ. There was a significant increase in mean QTc (10.29 ms,  P  = 0.458) among HCQ users compared to non-HCQ users in patients with RA. There was no difference in mean QTc between HCQ and non-HCQ users in other systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases. When rheumatic diseases were pooled, HCQ users were more likely to have prolonged QTc compared to non-HCQ users (odds ratio 1.57, 95% CI, 1.19, 2.08). The results of this study suggest that clinicians should be aware of potential adverse cardiac events of HCQ and consider QTc monitoring for patients on HCQ for the treatment of systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases.

Personalizing cardiovascular risk prediction for patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

OBJECTIVE: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk is increased in SLE and underestimated by general population prediction algorithms. We aimed to develop a novel SLE-specific prediction tool, SLECRISK, to provide a more accurate estimate of CVD risk in SLE. METHODS: We studied patients in the Brigham and Women's Hospital SLE cohort. We collected one-year baseline data including the presence of traditional CVD factors and SLE-related features at cohort enrollment. Ten-year follow-up for the first major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE; myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, or cardiac death) began at day +1 following the baseline period (index date). ICD-9/10 codes identified MACE were adjudicated by board-certified cardiologists. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression selected SLE-related variables to add to the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) Pooled Cohort Risk Equations 10-year risk Cox regression model. Model fit statistics and performance (sensitivity, specificity, positive/negative predictive value, c-statistic) for predicting moderate/high 10-year risk (≥7.5 %) of MACE were assessed and compared to ACC/AHA, Framingham risk score (FRS), and modified FRS (mFRS). Optimism adjustment internal validation was performed using bootstrapping. RESULTS: We included 1,243 patients with 90 MACEs (46 MIs, 36 strokes, 19 cardiac deaths) over 8946.5 person-years of follow-up. SLE variables selected for the new prediction algorithm (SLECRISK) were SLE activity (remission/mild vs. moderate/severe), disease duration (years), creatinine (mg/dL), anti-dsDNA, anti-RNP, lupus anticoagulant, anti-Ro positivity, and low C4. The sensitivity for detecting moderate/high-risk (≥7.5 %) of MACE using SLECRISK was 0.74 (95 %CI: 0.65, 0.83), which was better than the sensitivity of the ACC/AHA model (0.38 (95 %CI: 0.28, 0.48)). It also identified 3.4-fold more moderate/high-risk patients than the ACC/AHA. Patients who were moderate/high-risk according to SLECRISK but not ACC/AHA, were more likely to be young women with severe SLE and few other traditional CVD risk factors. Model performance between SLECRISK, FRS, and mFRS were similar. CONCLUSION: The novel SLECRISK tool is more sensitive than the ACC/AHA for predicting moderate/high 10-year risk for MACE and may be particularly useful in predicting risk for young females with severe SLE. Future external validation studies utilizing cohorts with more severe SLE are needed.

Prognostic value of myocardial flow reserve vs corrected myocardial flow reserve in patients without obstructive coronary artery disease.

BACKGROUND: Myocardial flow reserve (MFR) by positron emission tomography (PET) is a validated measure of cardiovascular risk. Elevated resting rate pressure product (RPP = heart rate x systolic blood pressure) can cause high resting myocardial blood flow (MBF), resulting in reduced MFR despite normal/near-normal peak stress MBF. When resting MBF is high, it is not known if RPP-corrected MFR (MFRcorrected) helps reclassify CV risk. We aimed to study this question in patients without obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD). METHODS: We retrospectively studied patients referred for rest/stress cardiac PET at our center from 2006 to 2020. Patients with abnormal perfusion (summed stress score >3) or prior coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) were excluded. MFRcorrected was defined as stress MBF/corrected rest MBF where corrected rest MBF = rest MBF x 10,000/RPP. The primary outcome was major cardiovascular events (MACE): cardiovascular death or myocardial infarction. Associations of MFR and MFRcorrected with MACE were assessed using unadjusted and adjusted Cox regression. RESULTS: 3276 patients were followed for a median of 7 (IQR 3-12) years. 1685 patients (51%) had MFR <2.0, and of those 366 (22%) had an MFR ≥2.0 after RPP correction. MFR <2.0 was associated with an increased absolute risk of MACE (HR 2.24 [1.79-2.81], P < 0.0001). Among patients with MFR <2.0, the risk of MACE was not statistically different between patients with an MFRcorrected ≥2.0 compared with those with MFRcorrected <2.0 (1.9% vs 2.3% MACE/year, HR 0.84 [0.63-1.13], P = 0.26) even after adjustment for confounders (P = 0.66). CONCLUSIONS: In patients without overt obstructive CAD and MFR< 2.0, there was no significant difference in cardiovascular risk between patients with discordant (≥2.0) and concordant (<2) MFR following RPP correction. This suggests that RPP-corrected MFR may not consistently provide accurate risk stratification in patients with normal perfusion and MFR <2.0. Stress MBF and uncorrected MFR should be reported to more reliably convey cardiovascular risk beyond perfusion results.

Colchicine for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease: Potential Global Implementation.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Targeting traditional cardiovascular risk factors is effective in reducing recurrent cardiovascular events, yet the presence of residual cardiovascular risk due to underlying systemic inflammation is a largely unaddressed opportunity. This review aims to comprehensively assess the evolving role of colchicine as a therapeutic approach targeting residual inflammatory risk in the context of those with coronary artery disease (CAD). RECENT FINDINGS: Inflammation plays a significant role in promoting atherosclerosis, and targeting anti-inflammatory pathways has the potential to decrease cardiovascular events. Low-dose colchicine (0.5 mg/day orally), when added to guideline-directed medical care for CAD, safely decreases major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) by 31% in stable atherosclerosis patients and 23% in those after recent myocardial infarctions. Meta-analyses of recent randomized control trials further support both the efficacy and safety of colchicine, particularly when added to other standard cardiovascular therapies, including statin therapy. The European Society of Cardiology and other national guidelines endorse the use of low-dose colchicine in patients across the spectrum of CAD. Recently, colchicine was FDA-approved in the United States as the first anti-inflammatory therapy for the reduction of cardiovascular events. In a period of a rising incidence of CAD across the globe, colchicine represents a unique opportunity to decrease MACE due to its large magnitude of benefits and general affordability. However, challenges with drug interactions must be addressed, especially in those regions where HIV, hepatitis, and tuberculosis are prevalent. Colchicine is safe and effective at reducing cardiovascular events across a broad spectrum of coronary syndromes. The ability to simultaneously target traditional risk factors and mitigate residual inflammatory risk marks a substantial advancement in cardiovascular prevention strategies, heralding a new era in the global battle against CAD.

Coronary Microvascular Function Following Severe Preeclampsia.

BACKGROUND: Preeclampsia is a pregnancy-specific hypertensive disorder associated with an imbalance in circulating proangiogenic and antiangiogenic proteins. Preclinical evidence implicates microvascular dysfunction as a potential mediator of preeclampsia-associated cardiovascular risk. METHODS: Women with singleton pregnancies complicated by severe antepartum-onset preeclampsia and a comparator group with normotensive deliveries underwent cardiac positron emission tomography within 4 weeks of delivery. A control group of premenopausal, nonpostpartum women was also included. Myocardial flow reserve, myocardial blood flow, and coronary vascular resistance were compared across groups. sFlt-1 (soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase receptor-1) and PlGF (placental growth factor) were measured at imaging. RESULTS: The primary cohort included 19 women with severe preeclampsia (imaged at a mean of 15.3 days postpartum), 5 with normotensive pregnancy (mean, 14.4 days postpartum), and 13 nonpostpartum female controls. Preeclampsia was associated with lower myocardial flow reserve (ß, -0.67 [95% CI, -1.21 to -0.13]; P=0.016), lower stress myocardial blood flow (ß, -0.68 [95% CI, -1.07 to -0.29] mL/min per g; P=0.001), and higher stress coronary vascular resistance (ß, +12.4 [95% CI, 6.0 to 18.7] mm Hg/mL per min/g; P=0.001) versus nonpostpartum controls. Myocardial flow reserve and coronary vascular resistance after normotensive pregnancy were intermediate between preeclamptic and nonpostpartum groups. Following preeclampsia, myocardial flow reserve was positively associated with time following delivery (P=0.008). The sFlt-1/PlGF ratio strongly correlated with rest myocardial blood flow (r=0.71; P<0.001), independent of hemodynamics. CONCLUSIONS: In this exploratory cross-sectional study, we observed reduced coronary microvascular function in the early postpartum period following preeclampsia, suggesting that systemic microvascular dysfunction in preeclampsia involves coronary microcirculation. Further research is needed to establish interventions to mitigate the risk of preeclampsia-associated cardiovascular disease.

Coronary Microvascular Function Following Severe Preeclampsia.

Background: Preeclampsia is a pregnancy-specific hypertensive disorder associated with an imbalance in circulating pro- and anti-angiogenic proteins. Preclinical evidence implicates microvascular dysfunction as a potential mediator of preeclampsia-associated cardiovascular risk. Methods: Women with singleton pregnancies complicated by severe antepartum-onset preeclampsia and a comparator group with normotensive deliveries underwent cardiac positron emission tomography (PET) within 4 weeks of delivery. A control group of pre-menopausal, non-postpartum women was also included. Myocardial flow reserve (MFR), myocardial blood flow (MBF), and coronary vascular resistance (CVR) were compared across groups. Soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase receptor-1 (sFlt-1) and placental growth factor (PlGF) were measured at imaging. Results: The primary cohort included 19 women with severe preeclampsia (imaged at a mean 16.0 days postpartum), 5 with normotensive pregnancy (mean 14.4 days postpartum), and 13 non-postpartum female controls. Preeclampsia was associated with lower MFR (ß=-0.67 [95% CI -1.21 to -0.13]; P=0.016), lower stress MBF (ß=-0.68 [95% CI, -1.07 to -0.29] mL/min/g; P=0.001), and higher stress CVR (ß=+12.4 [95% CI 6.0 to 18.7] mmHg/mL/min/g; P=0.001) vs. non-postpartum controls. MFR and CVR after normotensive pregnancy were intermediate between preeclamptic and non-postpartum groups. Following preeclampsia, MFR was positively associated with time following delivery (P=0.008). The sFlt-1/PlGF ratio strongly correlated with rest MBF (r=0.71; P<0.001), independent of hemodynamics. Conclusions: In this exploratory study, we observed reduced coronary microvascular function in the early postpartum period following severe preeclampsia, suggesting that systemic microvascular dysfunction in preeclampsia involves the coronary microcirculation. Further research is needed to establish interventions to mitigate risk of preeclampsia-associated cardiovascular disease.

Rheumatoid arthritis and cardiovascular complications during delivery: a United States inpatient analysis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Persons with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have an increased risk of obstetric-associated complications, as well as long-term cardiovascular (CV) risk. Hence, the aim was to evaluate the association of RA with acute CV complications during delivery admissions. METHODS: Data from the National Inpatient Sample (2004-2019) were queried utilizing ICD-9 or ICD-10 codes to identify delivery hospitalizations and a diagnosis of RA. RESULTS: A total of 12 789 722 delivery hospitalizations were identified, of which 0.1% were among persons with RA (n = 11 979). Individuals with RA, vs. those without, were older (median 31 vs. 28 years, P < .01) and had a higher prevalence of chronic hypertension, chronic diabetes, gestational diabetes mellitus, obesity, and dyslipidaemia (P < .01). After adjustment for age, race/ethnicity, comorbidities, insurance, and income, RA remained an independent risk factor for peripartum CV complications including preeclampsia [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.37 (95% confidence interval 1.27-1.47)], peripartum cardiomyopathy [aOR 2.10 (1.11-3.99)], and arrhythmias [aOR 2.00 (1.68-2.38)] compared with no RA. Likewise, the risk of acute kidney injury and venous thromboembolism was higher with RA. An overall increasing trend of obesity, gestational diabetes mellitus, and acute CV complications was also observed among individuals with RA from 2004-2019. For resource utilization, length of stay and cost of hospitalization were higher for deliveries among persons with RA. CONCLUSIONS: Pregnant persons with RA had higher risk of preeclampsia, peripartum cardiomyopathy, arrhythmias, acute kidney injury, and venous thromboembolism during delivery hospitalizations. Furthermore, cardiometabolic risk factors among pregnant individuals with RA rose over this 15-year period.

Lipoprotein(a) and Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events in Patients With or Without Baseline Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease.

BACKGROUND: Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] is associated with an increased risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). However, whether the optimal Lp(a) threshold for risk assessment should differ based on baseline ASCVD status is unknown. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to assess the association between Lp(a) and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) among patients with and without baseline ASCVD. METHODS: We studied a retrospective cohort of patients with Lp(a) measured at 2 medical centers in Boston, Massachusetts, from 2000 to 2019. To assess the association of Lp(a) with incident MACE (nonfatal myocardial infarction [MI], nonfatal stroke, coronary revascularization, or cardiovascular mortality), Lp(a) percentile groups were generated with the reference group set at the first to 50th Lp(a) percentiles. Cox proportional hazards modeling was used to assess the association of Lp(a) percentile group with MACE. RESULTS: Overall, 16,419 individuals were analyzed with a median follow-up of 11.9 years. Among the 10,181 (62%) patients with baseline ASCVD, individuals in the 71st to 90th percentile group had a 21% increased hazard of MACE (adjusted HR: 1.21; P < 0.001), which was similar to that of individuals in the 91st to 100th group (adjusted HR: 1.26; P < 0.001). Among the 6,238 individuals without established ASCVD, there was a continuously higher hazard of MACE with increasing Lp(a), and individuals in the 91st to 100th Lp(a) percentile group had the highest relative risk with an adjusted HR of 1.93 (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In a large, contemporary U.S. cohort, elevated Lp(a) is independently associated with long-term MACE among individuals with and without baseline ASCVD. Our results suggest that the threshold for risk assessment may be different in primary vs secondary prevention cohorts.

Cardiovascular and Venous Thromboembolic Risk With JAK Inhibitors in Immune-Mediated Inflammatory Skin Diseases: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Importance: Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors are an effective treatment option for patients with certain skin-related conditions, such as atopic dermatitis, alopecia areata, and vitiligo, but there is a current US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) boxed warning label for oral and topical JAK inhibitors regarding increased risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), venous thromboembolism (VTE), serious infections, malignant neoplasm, and death. However, this boxed warning was precipitated by results of the Oral Rheumatoid Arthritis Trial (ORAL) Surveillance study, which only included patients with rheumatoid arthritis, and the same association may not be observed in dermatologic conditions. Objective: To determine the risk of all-cause mortality, MACE, and VTE with JAK inhibitors in patients with dermatologic conditions. Data Sources: PubMed and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched from database inception to April 1, 2023. Study Selection: This review included phase 3 randomized clinical trials with a placebo/active comparator group of JAK inhibitors used for a dermatologic indication with FDA approval or pending approval or with European Union or Japanese approval. Studies without a comparison group, case reports, observational studies, and review articles were excluded. Data Extraction and Synthesis: This study was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Adverse events using odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs were calculated using a random-effects model and the DerSimonian-Laird method. Studies were screened, data abstracted, and quality assessed by 2 independent authors. The protocol was prospectively registered with PROSPERO. Main Outcomes and Measures: Primary outcomes were a composite of adjudicated MACE and all-cause mortality, and VTE. Results: The analysis included 35 randomized clinical trials with 20 651 patients (mean [SD] age, 38.5 [10.1] years; male, 54%) and a mean (SD) follow-up time of 4.9 (2.68) months. Findings did not show a significant difference between JAK inhibitors and placebo/active comparator in composite MACE and all-cause mortality (OR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.44-1.57) or VTE (OR, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.26-1.04). Conclusions and Relevance: In this systematic review and meta-analysis, use of JAK inhibitors was not associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality, MACE, and VTE compared to the placebo/active comparator groups. Additional trials with long-term follow-up are needed to better understand the safety risks of JAK inhibitors used for dermatologic indications.

Novel Imaging Approaches to Cardiac Manifestations of Systemic Inflammatory Diseases: JACC Scientific Statement.

Derangements in the innate and adaptive immune responses observed in systemic inflammatory syndromes contributes to unique elevated atherosclerotic risk and incident cardiovascular disease. Novel multimodality imaging techniques may improve diagnostic precision for the screening and monitoring of disease activity. The integrated application of these technologies lead to earlier diagnosis and noninvasive monitoring of cardiac involvement in systemic inflammatory diseases that will aid in preclinical studies, enhance patient selection, and provide surrogate endpoints in clinical trials, thereby improving clinical outcomes. We review the common cardiovascular manifestations of immune-mediated systemic inflammatory diseases and address the clinical and investigational role of advanced multimodality cardiac imaging.

Feasibility of Simultaneous Quantification of Myocardial and Renal Perfusion With Cardiac Positron Emission Tomography.

BACKGROUND: Given the central importance of cardiorenal interactions, mechanistic tools for evaluating cardiorenal physiology are needed. In the heart and kidneys, shared pathways of neurohormonal activation, hypertension, and vascular and interstitial fibrosis implicate the relevance of systemic vascular health. The availability of a long axial field of view positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) system enables simultaneous evaluation of cardiac and renal blood flow. METHODS: This study evaluated the feasibility of quantification of renal blood flow using data acquired during routine, clinically indicated 13N-ammonia myocardial perfusion PET/CT. Dynamic PET image data were used to calculate renal blood flow. Reproducibility was assessed by the intraclass correlation coefficient among 3 independent readers. PET-derived renal blood flow was correlated with imaging and clinical parameters in the overall cohort and with histopathology in a small companion study of patients with a native kidney biopsy. RESULTS: Among 386 consecutive patients with myocardial perfusion PET/CT, 296 (76.7%) had evaluable images to quantify renal perfusion. PET quantification of renal blood flow was highly reproducible (intraclass correlation coefficient 0.98 [95% CI, 0.93-0.99]) and was correlated with the estimated glomerular filtration rate (r=0.64; P<0.001). Compared across vascular beds, resting renal blood flow was correlated with maximal stress myocardial blood flow and myocardial flow reserve (stress/rest myocardial blood flow), an integrated marker of endothelial health. In patients with kidney biopsy (n=12), resting PET renal blood flow was strongly negatively correlated with histological interstitial fibrosis (r=-0.85; P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Renal blood flow can be reliably measured from cardiac 13N-ammonia PET/CT and allows for simultaneous assessment of myocardial and renal perfusion, opening a potential novel avenue to interrogate the mechanisms of emerging therapies with overlapping cardiac and renal benefits.

Acute cardiovascular complications of immune-mediated systemic inflammatory diseases.

Immune-mediated systemic inflammatory conditions (IMIDs) are associated with an increased risk of atherosclerosis and adverse cardiovascular (CV) events secondary to pathogenic inflammation and derangements in the innate and adaptive immune responses inherent to the underlying rheumatic diseases. As the intersection of cardio-rheumatology continues to expand, a multi-disciplinary approach must be considered to optimize clinical outcomes and long-term survival. This review will highlight acute cardiac manifestations of systemic inflammatory diseases and propose a clinically relevant framework for diagnosis, management, and the role of integrated multimodality imaging.