Design and rationale of the NetherLands registry of invasive Coronary vasomotor Function Testing (NL-CFT).

BACKGROUND: Angina without angiographic evidence of obstructive coronary artery disease (ANOCA) is a highly prevalent condition with insufficient pathophysiological knowledge and lack of evidence-based medical therapies. This affects ANOCA patients prognosis, their healthcare utilization and quality of life. In current guidelines, performing a coronary function test (CFT) is recommended to identify a specific vasomotor dysfunction endotype. The NetherLands registry of invasive Coronary vasomotor Function testing (NL-CFT) has been designed to collect data on ANOCA patients undergoing CFT in the Netherlands. METHODS: The NL-CFT is a web-based, prospective, observational registry including all consecutive ANOCA patients undergoing clinically indicated CFT in participating centers throughout the Netherlands. Data on medical history, procedural data and (patient reported) outcomes are gathered. The implementation of a common CFT protocol in all participating hospitals promotes an equal diagnostic strategy and ensures representation of the entire ANOCA population. A CFT is performed after ruling out obstructive coronary artery disease. It comprises of both acetylcholine vasoreactivity testing as well as bolus thermodilution assessment of microvascular function. Optionally, continuous thermodilution or Doppler flow measurements can be performed. Participating centers can perform research using own data, or pooled data will be made available upon specific request via a secure digital research environment, after approval of a steering committee. CONCLUSION: NL-CFT will be an important registry by enabling both observational and registry based (randomized) clinical trials in ANOCA patients undergoing CFT.

Comparison between myocardial function assessed by echocardiography during hospitalization for COVID-19 and at 4 months follow-up.

In patients hospitalized for corona virus infectious disease 19 (COVID-19) it is currently unknown whether myocardial function changes after recovery and whether this is related to elevated cardiac biomarkers. In this single center, prospective cohort study we consecutively enrolled hospitalized COVID-19 patients between 1 April and 12 May 2020. All patients underwent transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) evaluation during hospitalization and at a median of 131 days (IQR; 116-136) follow-up. Of the 51 patients included at baseline, 40 (age: 62 years (IQR; 54-68), 78% male) were available for follow-up TTE. At baseline, 68% of the patients had a normal TTE, regarding left ventricular (LV) and right ventricular (RV) volumes and function, compared to 83% at follow-up (p = 0.07). Median LV ejection fraction (60% vs. 58%, p = 0.54) and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (23 vs 22 mm, p = 0.18) were comparable between hospitalization and follow-up, but a significantly lower RV diameter (39 vs. 34 mm, p = 0.002) and trend towards better global longitudinal strain (GLS) (- 18.5% vs - 19.1%, p = 0.07) was found at follow-up. Subgroup analysis showed no relation between patients with and without elevated TroponinT and/or NT-proBNP during hospitalization and myocardial function at follow-up. Although there were no significant differences in individual myocardial function parameters at 4 months follow-up compared to hospitalisation for COVID-19, there was an overall trend towards normalization in myocardial function, predominantly due to a higher rate of normal GLS at follow-up.

Accuracy and reproducibility of fast fractional flow reserve computation from invasive coronary angiography.

Fractional flow reserve (FFR) guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is associated with favourable outcome compared with revascularization based on angiographic stenosis severity alone. The feasibility of the new image-based quantitative flow ratio (QFR) assessed from 3D quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) and thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) frame count using three different flow models has been reported recently. The aim of the current study was to assess the accuracy, and in particular, the reproducibility of these three QFR techniques when compared with invasive FFR. QFR was derived (1) from adenosine induced hyperaemic coronary angiography images (adenosine-flow QFR [aQFR]), (2) from non-hyperemic images (contrast-flow QFR [cQFR]) and (3) using a fixed empiric hyperaemic flow [fixed-flow QFR (fQFR)]. The three QFR values were calculated in 17 patients who prospectively underwent invasive FFR measurement in 20 vessels. Two independent observers performed the QFR analyses. Mean difference, standard deviation and 95% limits of agreement (LOA) between invasive FFR and aQFR, cQFR and fQFR for observer 1 were: 0.01 ± 0.04 (95% LOA: -0.07; 0.10), 0.01 ± 0.05 (95% LOA: -0.08; 0.10), 0.01 ± 0.04 (95% LOA: -0.06; 0.08) and for observer 2: 0.00 ± 0.03 (95% LOA: -0.06; 0.07), -0.01 ± 0.03 (95% LOA: -0.07; 0.05), 0.00 ± 0.03 (95% LOA: -0.06; 0.05). Values between the 2 observers were (to assess reproducibility) for aQFR: 0.01 ± 0.04 (95% LOA: -0.07; 0.09), for cQFR: 0.02 ± 0.04 (95% LOA: -0.06; 0.09) and for fQFR: 0.01 ± 0.05 (95% LOA: -0.07; 0.10). In a small number of patients we showed good accuracy of three QFR techniques (aQFR, cQFR and fQFR) to predict invasive FFR. Furthermore, good inter-observer agreement of the QFR values was observed between two independent observers.