Higher oxygen content and transport characterize high-altitude ethnic Tibetan women with the highest lifetime reproductive success.

We chose the "natural laboratory" provided by high-altitude native ethnic Tibetan women who had completed childbearing to examine the hypothesis that multiple oxygen delivery traits were associated with lifetime reproductive success and had genomic associations. Four hundred seventeen (417) women aged 46 to 86 y residing at ≥3,500 m in Upper Mustang, Nepal, provided information on reproductive histories, sociocultural factors, physiological measurements, and DNA samples for this observational cohort study. Simultaneously assessing multiple traits identified combinations associated with lifetime reproductive success measured as the number of livebirths. Women with the most livebirths had distinctive hematological and cardiovascular traits. A hemoglobin concentration near the sample mode and a high percent of oxygen saturation of hemoglobin raised arterial oxygen concentration without risking elevated blood viscosity. We propose ongoing stabilizing selection on hemoglobin concentration because extreme values predicted fewer livebirths and directional selection favoring higher oxygen saturation because higher values had more predicted livebirths. EPAS1, an oxygen homeostasis locus with strong signals of positive natural selection and a high frequency of variants occurring only among populations indigenous to the Tibetan Plateau, associated with hemoglobin concentration. High blood flow into the lungs, wide left ventricles, and low hypoxic heart rate responses aided effective convective oxygen transport to tissues. Women with physiologies closer to unstressed, low altitude values had the highest lifetime reproductive success. This example of ethnic Tibetan women residing at high altitudes in Nepal links reproductive fitness with trait combinations increasing oxygen delivery under severe hypoxic stress and demonstrates ongoing natural selection.

Pericardial Effusion and Cardiac Tamponade Pathophysiology and New Approaches to Treatment.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The objective of this manuscript is to examine up-to-date approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of pericardial effusions and cardiac tamponade. RECENT FINDINGS: Recent recommendations from the American Society of Echocardiography and the European Society of Cardiology have improved our management of the patient with pericardial effusion and cardiac tamponade, but significant knowledge gaps remain. Novel diagnostic and triage strategies have been suggested, and recent information have improved our facility to assess the presence and size of a pericardial effusion, assess its hemodynamic impact, and determine its cause. Despite these recent findings, there is a scarcity of evidence-based data to direct the management of pericardial effusion and cardiac tamponade. While the first-line function of echocardiography in managing these disorders is undisputed, there are increasingly niche functions for multimodality imaging.

Thrombosis of native rheumatic mitral valve: A case report.

Spontaneous native mitral valve leaflet thrombosis is an exceedingly rare phenomenon. Here, we describe the case of a 71-year-old woman with rheumatic mitral stenosis who presented with cardiogenic shock. She was found to have a thrombus on her native mitral valve despite being on anticoagulation and without a clear associated hypercoagulable comorbidity. The patient underwent mitral valve replacement with favorable outcomes. This case sheds light on the inflammatory and prothrombotic nature of rheumatic valvular disease.

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement in aortic regurgitation: The U.S. experience.

BACKGROUND: Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) can be an effective option for high-risk Aortic Regurgitation (AR) patients. Although international experiences of TAVR for AR are published, U.S. data are limited. This study sought to report the short-term outcomes of TAVR in AR in the U.S. METHODS: Study cohorts were derived from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) and Nationwide Readmissions Database (NRD) 2016-17. TAVR and AR were identified using ICD-10-CM-codes. The key outcomes were all-cause mortality, disabling stroke, valvular complications, complete heart block (CHB)/permanent pacemaker placement (PPM), open-heart surgery, acute kidney injury (AKI) requiring dialysis, and vascular complications. Multivariate logistic regression was used to adjust for confounders. RESULTS: 915 patients from the NIS (male-71%, age ≥65-84.2%) and 822 patients from the NRD (male-69.3%, age ≥65-80.5%) underwent TAVR for AR. The median length of stay (LOS) was 4 days for both cohorts. In-hospital mortality was 2.7%, and 30-day mortality was 3.3%. Disabling strokes were noted in 0.6% peri-procedurally and 1.8% at 30-days. Valve-related complications were 18-19% with paravalvular leak (4-7%) being the most common. Approximately 11% of patients developed CHB and/or needed PPM in both cohorts. In NRD, 2.2% of patients required dialysis for AKI, 1.5% developed vascular complications, and 0.6% required open-heart surgery within 30-days post-procedure. Anemia was predictive of increased overall complications and valvular complications, whereas peripheral vascular disease was a predictor of increased valvular complications and CHB/PPM. CONCLUSION: TAVR is a promising option in AR. Further studies are necessary for the expansion of TAVR as the standard treatment in AR.

Cytarabine-induced pericarditis confirmed using cardiac MRI: A case report.

Pericarditis is a rare but debilitating complication of cytarabine therapy. While echocardiography can aid with the diagnosis, cardiac MRI has superior accuracy in establishing the diagnosis. In this case, we describe a 65-year-old patient receiving cytarabine as part of induction chemotherapy for acute myeloid leukemia who developed acute pericarditis. Her cardiac MRI revealed pericardial edema on T2-weighted STIR imaging and pericardial late gadolinium enhancement which confirmed the diagnosis.

Atrial functional mitral regurgitation.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To review the prevalence and prognosis of atrial functional mitral regurgitation (AFMR), the distinctive echocardiographic and mechanistic findings, and the therapeutic implications of this newly described disorder. RECENT FINDINGS: Initial studies identified an association between atrial fibrillation, mitral annular dilation, and significant mitral regurgitation despite a normal mitral valve and left ventricle. Accumulating data suggest that AFMR is not rare and may have a prognosis as poor as functional MR associated with LV remodeling. Echocardiography has played an important role in understanding the unique pathophysiology of AFMR, and proposed mechanisms include not only atrial remodeling, but structural and functional abnormalities of the LV (HFpEF shares a common pathophysiology) and insufficient leaflet growth. Timely rhythm control of atrial fibrillation and strategies that reduce diastolic pressure, left atrial and mitral annular enlargement, and that favorably affect mitral leaflet adaptation, are promising preventive and treatment options that warrant clinical study. SUMMARY: Functional mitral regurgitation may be atrial in origin and should be considered in patients with (particularly long-standing) atrial fibrillation and in those with HFpEF.

The three faces of takotsubo cardiomyopathy in a single patient.

While the classical apical ballooning takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TC) was first reported in the 1990s, the rarer mid-ventricular and basal variants were not formally recognized until recently and they remain poorly understood. In this case report, we describe a 67-year-old woman who, during her hospitalization for a subarachnoid hemorrhage and subsequent readmission, experienced multiple complications, each of which resulted in a different variant of TC. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a single patient developing all three variants of TC.

Multimodality approach to the diagnosis and management of constrictive pericarditis.

Despite advances in cardiovascular imaging, the diagnosis of constrictive pericarditis remains challenging. A multimodality approach to the diagnosis of CP is essential to (a) fully assess the extent of pericardial thickening and calcification, (b) detect the functional and hemodynamic consequences of the constricting pericardium, and (c) implement the optimal management strategy in these often complex cases. This case-based review highlights the role and diagnostic ambiguities of multimodality imaging.

Contrast-enhanced echocardiographic detection of severe aortic insufficiency in venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

Venoarterial (VA) extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support is an increasingly used temporizing therapy for patients with refractory cardiogenic shock. Contrast-enhanced echocardiography plays a critical role in the diagnosis and management of diseases that precipitate severe cardiac failure. In this case report, we describe a previously healthy 60-year-old woman who presented with dyspnea on exertion, and whose hospital course was complicated by ventricular fibrillation, emergent coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG), and ECMO support. Her contrast-enhanced ECMO images demonstrated a unique pattern of opacification of three of the four cardiac chambers, which led to a diagnosis of severe aortic insufficiency.

A case of prosthetic aortic valve dehiscence due to infective endocarditis without paravalvular regurgitation.

Aortic prosthetic valve endocarditis is often a challenging disease process that carries high morbidity and mortality. Echocardiography is widely used to identify infected valves and associated complications. One major complication of an infection involving the aortic annulus is dehiscence of the prosthetic valve from the aortic root and is usually associated with paravalvular regurgitation. Here, we present a rare case of complete prosthetic valve dehiscence without paravalvular regurgitation on transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography.

Multimodality imaging of quadricuspid pulmonary valve associated with pulmonary artery aneurysm.

Quadricuspid pulmonary valve is a rare entity that can be associated with pulmonary artery aneurysm. It is usually asymptomatic and diagnosed incidentally. Association with other congenital or acquired heart diseases has been reported. Echocardiography and gated CT angiography can provide useful functional and anatomic information that can help in the diagnosis and management.

Left atrial strain: measurement and clinical application.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To summarize recent literature on the use of left atrial strain in the diagnosis and management of patients with heart failure. RECENT FINDINGS: Left atrial dysfunction is a hallmark of diastolic dysfunction and heart failure, in particular, heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Recently, myocardial deformation analysis via strain and strain rate measurements have been applied to the left atrium. These measurements have been shown to aid in the diagnosis of heart failure and be accurate predictors of cardiac pressures, diastolic dysfunction, exercise performance, and clinical outcomes such as cardiac hospitalizations and mortality. However, limitations related to the technical aspect of accurately imaging and tracking the thin-walled left atrium and the current lack of consensus on 'normal' reference values remain. SUMMARY: Left atrial strain represents a novel, noninvasive technique to aid in the diagnosis, prognosis, and management of patients with heart failure. Although it is not yet a part of routine clinical practice, the measurement has significant promise within this population pending further validation.

Acute severe mitral regurgitation after blunt chest trauma.

Myocardial contusion and aortic injury are well-known cardiac complications of blunt chest trauma, but valvular injury is rare. Traumatic valve injuries most commonly involve the aortic valve, with isolated mitral valve injury being quite rare. We report a case of acute severe mitral regurgitation due to ruptured chordae tendineae requiring surgical repair following a motor vehicle accident.

Assessment of Left Atrial Function by Echocardiography: Novel Insights.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To review the current status of measuring left atrial functions with echocardiography and the ability of atrial functional analysis to predict cardiovascular outcomes. RECENT FINDINGS: An increasing body of data suggests that left atrium (LA) function assessed with echocardiography provides incremental prognostic information in general and referral populations, and in patients with atrial fibrillation, stroke, heart failure, and ischemic and valvular heart disease. In addition to volumetric analysis and spectral and tissue Doppler, deformational (strain and strain rate) imaging has most recently been used to assess LA reservoir, conduit, and booster pump functions and predict cardiovascular events. Studies of LA function provide new insights into the contribution of LA performance to cardiovascular disease and are promising tools for predicting cardiovascular events in healthy subjects and patients with heart disease. However, robust clinical outcome data from large prospective outcome trials are needed to confirm the incremental predictive ability of these LA functional measures before they are widely accepted.

Pericardial Effusion and Cardiac Tamponade in the New Millennium.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The purpose of this paper is to review current approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of pericardial effusions and cardiac tamponade. RECENT FINDINGS: Recent recommendations from the American Society of Echocardiography and the European Society of Cardiology have refined our approaches to the patient with pericardial effusion and cardiac tamponade, but significant knowledge gaps remain. New diagnostic and triage strategies have been proposed, and recent data have advanced our ability to assess the presence and size of a pericardial effusion, assess its hemodynamic impact, and establish its cause. Despite these recent findings, there is a paucity of evidence-based data to guide the management of pericardial effusion and cardiac tamponade. While the first-line function of echocardiography in managing these disorders is unquestioned, there are increasing niche roles for multimodality imaging.

The Role of Echocardiography in the Evaluation of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.

The evaluation of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) requires a multimodality approach that combines invasive and noninvasive imaging studies to ensure accurate diagnosis and classification. Given the complexity of the hemodynamic relationships between the left heart, pulmonary circulation, and right heart, the diagnosis of PAH is often a challenging task. Right heart catheterization is the gold standard for diagnosis, providing the hemodynamic information that defines the disease. Nonetheless, echocardiography continues to be a valuable tool in the approach to the patient with suspected PAH. Echocardiographic assessment generates a wealth of information about the response of the right heart to elevated pulmonary pressures and provides essential diagnostic and prognostic data to the clinician. Numerous measurements can be used to identify alterations in right heart morphology, pressure, and function; although each variable in isolation may have little utility, meaningful information is revealed when multiple parameters are considered together. In this article, we will review the echocardiographic measurements employed in assessment of the right heart and seek to clarify the role of echocardiography in the diagnostic workup of PAH.

The effect of vitamin d on aldosterone and health status in patients with heart failure.

BACKGROUND: Vitamin D deficiency is associated with heart failure (HF) events, and in animal models vitamin D down-regulates renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system hormones. METHODS: Patients with New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class II-IV HF and a 25OH-D level ≤37.5 ng/mL received 50,000 IU vitamin D3 weekly (n = 31) or placebo (n = 33) for 6 months. Serum aldosterone, renin, echocardiography, and health status were determined at baseline and 6 months. RESULTS: Mean age of participants was 65.9 ± 10.4 years, 48% were women, 64% were African American, mean ejection fraction was 37.6 ± 13.9%, 36% were in NYHA functional class III, and 64% were in class II. The vitamin D group increased serum 25OH-D (19.1 ± 9.3 to 61.7 ± 20.3 ng/mL) and the placebo group did not (17.8 ± 9.0 to 17.4 ± 9.8 ng/mL). Aldosterone decreased in the vitamin D group (10.0 ± 11.9 to 6.2 ± 11.6 ng/dL) and not in the placebo group (8.9 ± 8.6 to 9.0 ± 12.4 ng/dL; P = .02). There was no difference between groups in renin, echocardiographic measures, or health status from baseline to 6 months. Modeling indicated that variables which predicted change in aldosterone included receiving vitamin D, increasing age, African American race, and lower glomerular filtration rate. CONCLUSIONS: Vitamin D3 repletion decreases aldosterone in patients with HF and low serum vitamin D. Vitamin D may be an important adjunct to standard HF therapy. Further study will assess if vitamin D provides long-term benefit for patients with HF.

Constrictive pericarditis in the new millennium.

Constrictive pericarditis (CP) is a complex clinical syndrome in which an inflamed pericardium becomes fibrotic and non-compliant, ultimately reducing cardiac pump performance. Although we have known about CP for centuries, it remains a challenge to diagnose. Recent advances in cardiac imaging, along with an expanding armamentarium of treatment options, have improved the quality and precision of care for patients with CP. This article reviews important historical and contemporary perspectives on the pathophysiology of CP, as well as our approach to diagnosis and management.

Left atrial coagulation activity in patient with mitral stenosis in sinus rhythm.

OBJECTIVE: Anticoagulation therapy is strongly recommended in all patients with mitral stenosis (MS) in atrial fibrillation (AF) but this treatment is controversial in patients in sinus rhythm (SR). The objective of the present study was to investigate the coagulation activity in patients with MS in sinus rhythm compared to those in atrial fibrillation. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The authors studied the levels of biochemical markers of thrombin generation (thrombin-anti-thrombin [TAT] complex,fibrinogen, and factor XIII) and fibrinolysis (D-dimer) in specimens of blood from the atria in 35 consecutive patients with moderate to severe MS (18 in sinus rhythm and 17 in AF) who underwent percutaneous balloon mitral valvotomy. RESULTS: The levels coagulation factors in left atrium in patients with MS in SR and AF were thrombin-anti-thrombin complex = 77.21 +/- 8.87 mg/L vs. 73.48 +/- 7.78 mg/L, p = 0.755, fibrinogen = 356.57 +/- 41.86 mg/L vs. 271.62 +/- 22.47 mg/L, p = 0.089, factor XIII = 139.88 +/- 8.96 mg/L vs. 123.42 +/- 6.24 mg/L, p = 0.152, and D-dimer = 846.14 +/- 137.84 mg/L vs. 693.88 +/- 164.67 mg/L, p = 0.481. Levels of coagulation activities did not correlate with the left atrial size. CONCLUSION: This present study demonstrates that coagulation activity is not different whether they are in SR or in AF and suggests that anticoagulation therapy should be considered in these patients.