Classification of vasovagal syncope from physiological signals on tilt table testing.

BACKGROUND: The diagnostic test for vasovagal syncope (VVS), the most common cause of syncope is head-up tilt test (HUTT) assessment. During the test, subjects experienced clinical symptoms such as nausea, sweating, pallor, the feeling of palpitations, being on the verge of passing out, and fainting. The study's goal is to develop an algorithm to classify VVS patients based on physiological signals blood pressure (BP) and electrocardiography (ECG) obtained from the HUTT. METHODS: After 10 min of supine rest, the subject was tilted at a 70-degree angle on a tilt table for approximately a total of 35 min. 400 µg of glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) was administered sublingually after the first 20 min and monitoring continued for another 15 min. Mean imputation and K-nearest neighbors (KNN) imputation approaches to handle missing values. Next, feature selection techniques were implemented, including genetic algorithm, recursive feature elimination, and feature importance, to determine the crucial features. The Mann-Whitney U test was then performed to determine the statistical difference between two groups. Patients with VVS are categorized via machine learning models including Support Vector Machine (SVM), Gaussian Naïve Bayes (GNB), Multinomial Naïve Bayes (MNB), KNN, Logistic Regression (LR), and Random Forest (RF). The developed model is interpreted using an explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) model known as partial dependence plot. RESULTS: A total of 137 subjects aged between 9 and 93 years were recruited for this study, 54 experienced clinical symptoms were considered positive tests, while the remaining 83 tested negative. Optimal results were obtained by combining the KNN imputation technique and three tilting features with SVM with 90.5% accuracy, 87.0% sensitivity, 92.7% specificity, 88.6% precision, 87.8% F1 score, and 95.4% ROC (receiver operating characteristics) AUC (area under curve). CONCLUSIONS: The proposed algorithm effectively classifies VVS patients with over 90% accuracy. However, the study was confined to a small sample size. More clinical datasets are required to ensure that our approach is generalizable.

Profile of Patients with Isolated Distal Deep Vein Thrombosis versus Proximal Deep Vein Thrombosis or Pulmonary Embolism: RE-COVERY DVT/PE Study.

Isolated distal deep vein thrombosis (IDDVT) is presumed to be more benign than proximal DVT (PDVT) or pulmonary embolism (PE), suggesting a need for different management approaches. This subgroup analysis of the RE-COVERY DVT/PE global, observational study investigated patient characteristics, hospitalization details, and anticoagulant therapy in patients with IDDVT in real-world settings in 34 countries enrolled from January 2016 to May 2017. Data were analyzed descriptively according to the type and location of the index venous thromboembolism (VTE): IDDVT, PDVT ± distal DVT (DDVT), and PE ± DVT. Of the 6,095 eligible patients, 323 with DVT located outside the lower limb and no PE were excluded. Of the remaining 5,772 patients, 17.6% had IDDVT, 39.9% had PDVT ± DDVT, and 42.5% had PE ± DVT. IDDVT patients were younger and had fewer risk factors for VTE than the other groups. Other comorbidities were less frequent in the IDDVT group, except for varicose veins, superficial thrombophlebitis, and venous insufficiency. IDDVT patients were less likely to be diagnosed in an emergency department (22.3 vs. 29.7% for PDVT ± DDVT and 45.4% for PE ± DVT) or hospitalized for VTE (29.2 vs. 48.5% for PDVT ± DDVT and 75.0% for PE ± DVT). At hospital discharge or 14 days after diagnosis (whichever was later), non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants were the most commonly used anticoagulants (55.6% for IDDVT, 54.7% for PDVT ± DDVT, and 52.8% for PE ± DVT). Although differences in patient characteristics, risk factors, and clinical management were identified, anticoagulant treatment of IDDVT was almost equal to that of PDVT or PE. Prospective studies should investigate whether, in a global perspective, this is an appropriate use of anticoagulants.

Safety and effectiveness of dabigatran in routine clinical practice: the RE-COVERY DVT/PE study.

RE-COVERY DVT/PE is a two-phase, international, observational study of anticoagulant therapy in patients with deep vein thrombosis and/or pulmonary embolism (DVT/PE). The objective of the second phase was to compare the safety and effectiveness of dabigatran versus a vitamin K antagonist (VKA) over 1 year of follow-up. Primary safety and effectiveness outcomes were major or clinically relevant nonmajor bleeding events (MBE/CRNMBEs) and symptomatic recurrent venous thromboembolism (VTE) (including deaths related to recurrent VTE). To minimize bias due to unbalanced patient characteristics, only patients in an overlapping range of estimated propensity scores were included (analytic set), and propensity score weighting was applied to compare outcomes. Outcome analysis used an as-treated approach, censoring patients after they stopped or switched their initial anticoagulant. Overall, 3009 patients enrolled from 2016 to 2018 were eligible: 60% were diagnosed with DVT alone, 21% with PE alone, and 19% with DVT plus PE. The analytic set consisted of 2969 patients. The incidence rate in %/year (95% confidence interval [CI]) of MBE/CRNMBEs was 2.63 (1.79-3.74) with dabigatran versus 4.48 (3.23-6.06) with warfarin; hazard ratio 0.63 (95% CI 0.32-1.25). For symptomatic recurrent nonfatal or fatal VTE the incidence rate was 1.53 (0.91-2.42) with dabigatran versus 2.01 (1.21-3.14) with VKAs; hazard ratio 0.78 (95% CI 0.30-2.02). In conclusion, we found lower annualized rates of MBE/CRNMBEs with dabigatran than VKA, although the difference was not statistically significant. Annualized rates of symptomatic VTE or related mortality were similar with dabigatran and VKA. These observational results with 1 year of follow-up reflect those of the randomized clinical trials. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT02596230, first registered November 4, 2015.

Profile of patients diagnosed with acute venous thromboembolism in routine practice according to age and renal function: RE-COVERY DVT/PE study.

In randomized clinical trials (RCTs) of nonvitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) for acute venous thromboembolism (VTE), ~ 12-13% of patients were elderly and ~ 26% had mild-to-moderate renal impairment. Observational studies are not restricted by the selection and treatment criteria of RCTs. In this ancillary analysis of the RE-COVERY DVT/PE global observational study, we aimed to describe patient characteristics, comorbidities, and anticoagulant therapy for subgroups of age (< or ≥ 75 years) and renal impairment (creatinine clearance [CrCl; estimated with Cockcroft-Gault formula] < 30 [severe], 30 to < 50 [moderate], 50 to < 80 [mild], ≥ 80 [normal] mL/min). Of 6095 eligible patients, 25.3% were aged ≥ 75 years; 38.2% (1605/4203 with CrCl values) had mild-to-moderate renal impairment. Comorbidities were more common in older patients (73.9% aged ≥ 75 vs. 58.1% < 75 years) and in those with mild or moderate versus no renal impairment (75.9%, 80.9%, and 59.3%, respectively). At hospital discharge or 14 days after diagnosis (whichever was later), most patients (53.7% and 55.1%, respectively) in both age groups received NOACs; 20.8% and 23.4%, respectively, received vitamin K antagonists, 19.0% and 21.8% parenteral therapy, 2.3% and 3.8% other anticoagulant treatments. Use of NOACs decreased with worsening renal impairment (none 58.5%, moderate 49.6%, severe 25.7%) and, in younger versus older patients with moderate renal impairment (33.1% vs. 56.1%). In routine practice, there are more elderly and renally impaired patients with VTE than represented in RCTs. Decreasing renal function, but not older age, was associated with less NOAC use. Clinical Trial Registration: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier: NCT02596230. Decreasing renal function, particularly in the subgroup with CrCl < 30 mL/min, but not older age, was associated with less use of nonvitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs). Nevertheless, more than half of the older patients with moderate renal impairment received a NOAC as their oral anticoagulant.

Ethnic differences in lifetime cumulative incidence of syncope: the Malaysian elders longitudinal research (MELoR) study.

PURPOSE: To determine the lifetime cumulative incidence of syncope, potential ethnic differences and factors associated with syncope using the Malaysian elders longitudinal research (MELoR) study first wave dataset. METHODS: The MELoR study recruited community-dwelling adults aged 55 years and over, selected through stratified random sampling from three parliamentary constituencies. The baseline data collected during the first wave was obtained through face-to-face interviews in participants' homes using computer-assisted questionnaires. During their baseline assessments, participants were asked whether they had ever experienced a blackout in their lifetime and if they had experienced a blackout in the preceding 12 months. RESULTS: Information on blackouts and ethnicity were available for 1530 participants. The weight-adjusted lifetime cumulative incidence of syncope for the overall population aged 55 years and above was 27.7%. The estimated lifetime cumulative incidence according to ethnic groups was 34.6% for Malays, 27.8% for Indians and 23.7% for Chinese. The estimated 12-month incidence of syncope was 6.1% overall, equating to 11.7% for Malays, 8.7 % for Indians and 2.3% for Chinese. Both Malay [odds ratio (OR) 1.46; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.10-1.95 and OR 3.62, 95% CI 1.96-6.68] and Indian (OR 1.34; 95% CI 1.01-1.80 and OR 3.31, 1.78-6.15) ethnicities were independently associated with lifetime and 12-month cumulative incidence of syncope, respectively, together with falls, dizziness and myocardial infarction. CONCLUSION: Ethnic differences exist for lifetime cumulative incidence of syncope in community-dwelling individuals aged 55 years and over in an urban area in Southeast Asia. Future studies should now seek to determine potential genetic, cultural and lifestyle differences which may predispose to syncope.

Segmentation of left ventricle in late gadolinium enhanced MRI through 2D-4D registration for infarct localization in 3D patient-specific left ventricular model.

PURPOSE: To evaluate a 2D-4D registration-cum-segmentation framework for the delineation of left ventricle (LV) in late gadolinium enhanced (LGE) MRI and for the localization of infarcts in patient-specific 3D LV models. METHODS: A 3-step framework was proposed, consisting of: (1) 3D LV model reconstruction from motion-corrected 4D cine-MRI; (2) Registration of 2D LGE-MRI with 4D cine-MRI; (3) LV contour extraction from the intersection of LGE slices with the LV model. The framework was evaluated against cardiac MRI data from 27 patients scanned within 6 months after acute myocardial infarction. We compared the use of local Pearson's correlation (LPC) and normalized mutual information (NMI) as similarity measures for the registration. The use of 2 and 6 long-axis (LA) cine-MRI scans was also compared. The accuracy of the framework was evaluated using manual segmentation, and the interobserver variability of the scar volume derived from the segmented LV was determined using Bland-Altman analysis. RESULTS: LPC outperformed NMI as a similarity measure for the proposed framework using 6 LA scans, with Hausdorrf distance (HD) of 1.19 ± 0.53 mm versus 1.51 ± 2.01 mm (endocardial) and 1.21 ± 0.48 mm versus 1.46 ± 1.78 mm (epicardial), respectively. Segmentation using 2 LA scans was comparable to 6 LA scans with a HD of 1.23 ± 0.70 mm (endocardial) and 1.25 ± 0.74 mm (epicardial). The framework yielded a lower interobserver variability in scar volumes compared with manual segmentation. CONCLUSION: The framework showed high accuracy and robustness in delineating LV in LGE-MRI and allowed for bidirectional mapping of information between LGE- and cine-MRI scans, crucial in personalized model studies for treatment planning.

Assessing regional left ventricular thickening dysfunction and dyssynchrony via personalized modeling and 3D wall thickness measurements for acute myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: Existing clinical diagnostic and assessment methods could be improved to facilitate early detection and treatment of cardiac dysfunction associated with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) to reduce morbidity and mortality. PURPOSE: To develop 3D personalized left ventricular (LV) models and thickening assessment framework for assessing regional wall thickening dysfunction and dyssynchrony in AMI patients. STUDY TYPE: Retrospective study, diagnostic accuracy. SUBJECTS: Forty-four subjects consisting of 15 healthy subjects and 29 AMI patients. FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: 1.5T/steady-state free precession cine MRI scans; LGE MRI scans. ASSESSMENT: Quantitative thickening measurements across all cardiac phases were correlated and validated against clinical evaluation of infarct transmurality by an experienced cardiac radiologist based on the American Heart Association (AHA) 17-segment model. STATISTICAL TEST: Nonparametric 2-k related sample-based Kruskal-Wallis test; Mann-Whitney U-test; Pearson's correlation coefficient. RESULTS: Healthy LV wall segments undergo significant wall thickening (P < 0.05) during ejection and have on average a thicker wall (8.73 ± 1.01 mm) compared with infarcted wall segments (2.86 ± 1.11 mm). Myocardium with thick infarct (ie, >50% transmurality) underwent remarkable wall thinning during contraction (thickening index [TI] = 1.46 ± 0.26 mm) as opposed to healthy myocardium (TI = 4.01 ± 1.04 mm). For AMI patients, LV that showed signs of thinning were found to be associated with a significantly higher percentage of dyssynchrony as compared with healthy subjects (dyssynchrony index [DI] = 15.0 ± 5.0% vs. 7.5 ± 2.0%, P < 0.01). Also, a strong correlation was found between our TI and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (r = 0.892, P < 0.01), and moderate correlation between DI and LVEF (r = 0.494, P < 0.01). DATA CONCLUSION: The extracted regional wall thickening and DIs are shown to be strongly correlated with infarct severity, therefore suggestive of possible practical clinical utility. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 2 Technical Efficacy: Stage 1 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2019;49:1006-1019.

Assessment of infarct-specific cardiac motion dysfunction using modeling and multimodal magnetic resonance merging.

PURPOSE: To propose a cardiac motion tracking model that evaluates wall motion abnormality in postmyocardial infarction patients. Correlation between the motion parameter of the model and left ventricle (LV) function was also determined. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twelve male patients with post-ST elevation myocardial infarction (post-STEMI) and 10 healthy controls of the same gender were recruited to undergo cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using a 1.5T scanner. Using an infarct-specific LV division approach, the late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) MRI images were used to divide the LV on the tagged MRI images into infarct, adjacent, and remote sectors. Motion tracking was performed using the infarct-specific two-parameter empirical deformable model (TPEDM). The match quality was defined as the position error computed using root-mean-square (RMS) distance between the estimated and expert-verified tag intersections. The position errors were compared with the ones from our previously published fixed-sector TPEDM. Cine MRI images were used to calculate regional ejection fraction (REF). Correlation between the end-systolic contraction parameter (αES ) with REF was determined. RESULTS: The position errors in the proposed model were significantly lower than the fixed-sector model (P < 0.01). The median position errors were 0.82 mm versus 1.23 mm. The αES correlates significantly with REF (r = 0.91, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The infarct-specific TPEDM combines the morphological and functional information from LGE and tagged MRI images. It was shown to outperform the fixed-sector model in assessing regional LV dysfunction. The significant correlation between αES and REF added prognostic value because it indicated an impairment of cardiac function with the increase of infarct transmurality. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2017;45:525-534.

Assessment of Predicted Rate and Associated Factors of Dabigatran-induced Bleeding Events in Malaysian Patients with Non-Valvular Atrial Fibrillation.

PURPOSE: To assess the predicted rate and the factors associated with bleeding events among patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) receiving dabigatran therapy. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study includes adult patients of two tertiary hospitals in Malaysia. Potential study subjects were identified using pharmacy supply database or novel oral anticoagulant (NOAC) registry. Demographics, clinical data and laboratory test results were extracted from the medical records of the patients or electronic databases. The main outcome measure is the occurrence of a bleeding event. Bleeding events were classified into major bleeding, clinically relevant non-major bleeding, or minor bleeding, according to the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis criteria. We consider clinically relevant non-major bleeding events or major bleeding events as clinically relevant bleeding events. An occurrence of any bleeding event was recorded from the initiation of NOAC therapy until the death of a patient, or the date of permanent discontinuation of NOAC use, or the last day of data collection. The predicted rate of dabigatran-induced bleeding events per 100 patient-years was estimated. RESULTS: During a median follow-up period of 18 months, 73 patients experienced 90 bleeding events. Among these patients, 25 including 4 fatal cases, experienced major bleeding events. The predicted rate per 100 patient-years of follow-up of any bleeding events was 9.0 [95% CI 6.9 to 11.1]; clinically relevant bleeding events 6.0 [95% CI 4.8 to 8.3], and major bleeding events 3.0 [95% CI 1.9 to 4.2]. The independent risk factor for clinically relevant bleeding events is prior bleeding. While prior bleeding or congestive heart failure is linked with major bleeding events. CONCLUSIONS: The predicted rate for dabigatran-induced major bleeding episodes is low but these adverse events carry a high fatality risk. Preventive measures should target older patients who have prior bleeding or congestive heart failure. This article is open to POST-PUBLICATION REVIEW. Registered readers (see "For Readers") may comment by clicking on ABSTRACT on the issue's contents page.

Postural blood pressure electrocardiographic changes are associated with falls in older people.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the magnitude of postural blood pressure change, differences in ECG between fallers and non-fallers were measured. Postural blood pressure change is associated with symptoms of dizziness, presyncope, and syncope. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study were included participants from The Malaysian Falls Assessment and Intervention Trial: fallers, aged 65 years or older with two or more falls or one injurious fall in 12 months, from a teaching hospital; and non-fallers, aged 65 years and older found through word-of-mouth and advertising. Noninvasive beat-to-beat blood pressure was measured at 10 min supine rest and 3 min standing. The maximal drop in systolic and diastolic pressure was calculated from a 12-lead ECG interpreted by a cardiologist. Basic demographics, medical history, and symptoms of dizziness, presyncope, and syncope were recorded for all patients. RESULTS: We recruited 155 fallers and 112 non-fallers. Fallers had a significantly longer PR interval (179 ± 32 vs. 168 ± 27 ms, p = 0.013) and a longer corrected QT interval (449 ± 41 vs. 443 ± 39 msec, p = 0.008), and larger change in SBP (28 ± 14 vs. 19 ± 9 mmHg, p < 0.001) with posture change. SBP drop of ≥30mmHg associated with recurrent and injurious falls [odds ratio [95 % confidence interval] = 7.61 (3.18-18.21)]. The changes remained significant after adjustment for symptoms of dizziness, presyncope and syncope. INTERPRETATION: Older individuals with recurrent and injurious falls have significantly longer PR and QT intervals and larger SBP reduction with posture change as compared to non-fallers, and these are not explained by the presence of dizziness, presyncope, or syncope. SBP cut-off of ≥30mmHg considered for postural measurements using continuous BP monitors, the significance of this value needs to be evaluated.

A perspective review on numerical simulations of hemodynamics in aortic dissection.

Aortic dissection, characterized by separation of the layers of the aortic wall, poses a significant challenge for clinicians. While type A aortic dissection patients are normally managed using surgical treatment, optimal treatment strategy for type B aortic dissection remains controversial and requires further evaluation. Although aortic diameter measured by CT angiography has been clinically used as a guideline to predict dilation in aortic dissection, hemodynamic parameters (e.g., pressure and wall shear stress), geometrical factors, and composition of the aorta wall are known to substantially affect disease progression. Due to the limitations of cardiac imaging modalities, numerical simulations have been widely used for the prediction of disease progression and therapeutic outcomes, by providing detailed insights into the hemodynamics. This paper presents a comprehensive review of the existing numerical models developed to investigate reasons behind tear initiation and progression, as well as the effectiveness of various treatment strategies, particularly the stent graft treatment.

Transient cortical blindness: a benign but devastating complication after coronary angiography and graft study.

Transient cortical blindness after coronary angiography and bypass graft is a very rare complication. In this report we present the case of a 63-year-old man who developed transient cortical blindness within 30 minutes of coronary angioplasty and graft study, but subsequently recovered within 72 hours without any neurological deficit. A plain computed tomography brain scan showed bilateral symmetrical subarachnoid hyperdensities in the posterior cerebral circulation area suspicious of subarachnoid bleed. However, magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance angiography scans were normal. Excess contrast volume causing direct neurotoxicity seems to be the most probable cause, but the exact mechanism is unclear.

Validity and measurement equivalence of EQ-5D-5L questionnaire among heart failure patients in Malaysia: a cohort study.

AIM: This study aimed to examine the validity of EQ-5D-5L among HFrEF patients in Malaysia, and to explore the measurement equivalence of three main language versions. METHODS: We surveyed HFrEF patients from two hospitals in Malaysia, using Malay, English or Chinese versions of EQ-5D-5L. EQ-5D-5L dimensional scores were converted to utility scores using the Malaysian value set. A confirmatory factor analysis longitudinal model was constructed. The utility and visual analog scale (VAS) scores were evaluated for validity (convergent, known-group, responsiveness), and measurement equivalence of the three language versions. RESULTS: 200 HFrEF patients (mean age = 61 years), predominantly male (74%) of Malay ethnicity (55%), completed the admission and discharge EQ-5D-5L questionnaire in Malay (49%), English (26%) or Chinese (25%) languages. 173 patients (86.5%) were followed up at 1-month post-discharge (1MPD). The standardized factor loadings and average variance extracted were ≥ 0.5 while composite reliability was ≥ 0.7, suggesting convergent validity. Patients with older age and higher New York Heart Association (NYHA) class reported significantly lower utility and VAS scores. The change in utility and VAS scores between admission and discharge was large, while the change between discharge and 1MPD was minimal. The minimal clinically important difference for utility and VAS scores was ±0.19 and ±11.01, respectively. Malay and English questionnaire were equivalent while the equivalence of Malay and Chinese questionnaire was inconclusive. LIMITATION: This study only sampled HFrEF patients from two teaching hospitals, thus limiting the generalizability of results to the entire heart failure population. CONCLUSION: EQ-5D-5L is a valid questionnaire to measure health-related quality of life and estimate utility values among HFrEF patients in Malaysia. The Malay and English versions of EQ-5D-5L appear equivalent for clinical and economic assessments.

EQ-5D is the most commonly used questionnaire to measure patients' health-related quality of life in clinical trials and health technology assessments. To increase confidence over clinical trial findings that heart failure interventions improve health-related quality of life and quality-adjusted life years (number of years alive with equivalence health-related quality of life), the questionnaire used to measure health-related quality of life needs to be validated in the specific population. Since EQ-5D-5L has not been validated in Malaysia's heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) population, this study evaluated the psychometric properties (validity) of EQ-5D-5L among HFrEF patients in Malaysia and the equivalence of different versions of languages (i.e. Malay, Chinese and English) of EQ-5D-5L in measuring the health-related quality of life. The findings suggested that EQ-5D-5L is a valid questionnaire to measure the health-related quality of life in HFrEF patients and estimate the quality-adjusted life years. The Malay and English versions of EQ-5D-5L appear to be equivalent for use in clinical trials and health technology assessments.

Practical guide in using insulin degludec/insulin aspart: A multidisciplinary approach in Malaysia.

Insulin degludec/insulin aspart (IDegAsp) co-formulation provides both basal and mealtime glycaemic control in a single injection. The glucose level-lowering efficacy of IDegAsp is reported to be superior or non-inferior to that of the currently available insulin therapies with a lower rate of overall hypoglycaemia and nocturnal hypoglycaemia. An expert panel from Malaysia aims to provide insights into the utilisation of IDegAsp across a broad range of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (i.e. treatment-naive or insulin-naive patients or patients receiving treatment intensification from basal-only regimens, premixed insulin and basal-bolus insulin therapy). IDegAsp can be initiated as once-daily dosing for the main meal with the largest carbohydrate content with weekly dose adjustments based on patient response. A lower starting dose is recommended for patients with cardiac or renal comorbidities. Dose intensification with IDegAsp may warrant splitting into twice-daily dosing. IDegAsp twice-daily dosing does not need to be split at a 50:50 ratio but should be adjusted to match the carbohydrate content of meals. The treatment of patients choosing to fast during Ramadan should be switched to IDegAsp early before Ramadan, as a longer duration of titration leads to better glycated haemoglobin level reductions. The pre-Ramadan breakfast/lunch insulin dose can be reduced by 30%-50% and taken during sahur, while the preRamadan dinner dose can be taken without any change during iftar. Education on the main meal concept is important, as carbohydrates are present in almost all meals. Patients should not have a misconception of consuming more carbohydrates while taking IDegAsp.

Automated segmentation of metal stent and bioresorbable vascular scaffold in intravascular optical coherence tomography images using deep learning architectures.

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with stent placement is a treatment effective for coronary artery diseases. Intravascular optical coherence tomography (OCT) with high resolution is used clinically to visualize stent deployment and restenosis, facilitating PCI operation and for complication inspection. Automated stent struts segmentation in OCT images is necessary as each pullback of OCT images could contain thousands of stent struts. In this paper, a deep learning framework is proposed and demonstrated for the automated segmentation of two major clinical stent types: metal stents and bioresorbable vascular scaffolds (BVS). U-Net, the current most prominent deep learning network in biomedical segmentation, was implemented for segmentation with cropped input. The architectures of MobileNetV2 and DenseNet121 were also adapted into U-Net for improvement in speed and accuracy. The results suggested that the proposed automated algorithm's segmentation performance approaches the level of independent human obsevers and is feasible for both types of stents despite their distinct appearance. U-Net with DenseNet121 encoder (U-Dense) performed best with Dice's coefficient of 0.86 for BVS segmentation, and precision/recall of 0.92/0.92 for metal stent segmentation under optimal crop window size of 256.

Prevalence and Predictors of Left Ventricular Diastolic Dysfunction in Malaysian Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Without Prior Known Cardiovascular Disease.

Objective: Existing data showed that left ventricular diastolic dysfunction is common in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, most of the studies included diabetic patients who have prior cardiovascular disease, which might be the compounding factor for ventricular dysfunction. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and predictors of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in an Asian population with T2DM without prior cardiovascular disease using the latest recommended echocardiographic assessment for left ventricular diastolic dysfunction. Design and Participants: This is a cross-sectional study in which eligible patients with T2DM without history of coronary artery disease, heart failure, or valvular heart disease were recruited. Demographic data, diabetic control, comorbidities, microvascular/macrovascular complications, and medications prescribed were recorded. Venous blood was sent to test for B-type natriuretic peptide, and transthoracic echocardiography was performed to assess left ventricular dysfunction. Setting: This study was performed in a tertiary healthcare center located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Results: Of the 301 patients, 83.1% have had T2DM for >10 years, with 45.8% being poorly controlled. Comorbidities include hypertension (77.1%), hyperlipidemia (91.0%), and pre-obesity/obesity (72.9%). Majority had absence of microvascular (albuminuria, retinopathy, and neuropathy) and macrovascular (peripheral vascular disease and stroke) complications. None had raised B-type natriuretic peptide levels, and 93.7% had no symptoms of heart failure. On echocardiographic assessment, 70.1% had left ventricular diastolic dysfunction, and 90.5% had Grade 1/mild severity. Age, ethnicity, insulin therapy, presence of hypertension, and hyperlipidemia were significantly associated with left ventricular diastolic dysfunction. Older T2DM patients of Chinese ethnicity and on insulin are about two times more likely to develop left ventricular diastolic dysfunction. Conclusion: There was a high prevalence of asymptomatic left ventricular diastolic dysfunction among patients with T2DM without prior known cardiovascular disease. Older age, insulin therapy, and Chinese ethnicity were risk factors for left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in T2DM.

Observational study investigating the prevalence of asymptomatic stage B heart failure in patients with type 2 diabetes who are not known to have coronary artery disease.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the prevalence of stage B heart failure (SBHF) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) with no history of cardiovascular disease (CVD). DESIGN: Observational study. SETTING: A single-centre study in which eligible patients were recruited from T2DM clinic. Following consent, patients completed a questionnaire and underwent physical examinations. Patients had blood drawn for laboratory investigations and had a transthoracic echocardiography. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 305 patients who were not known to have CVD were recruited. Patients with deranged liver function tests and end stage renal failure were excluded. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Echocardiographic parameters such as left ventricular ejection fraction, left ventricular mass index (LVMI), left ventricular hypertrophy, left atrial enlargement and diastolic function were examined. RESULTS: A total of 305 patients predominantly females (65%), with mean body mass index of 27.5 kg/m2 participated in this study. None of them had either a history or signs and symptoms of CVD. Seventy-seven percent of patients had a history of hypertension and 83% of this study population had T2DM for more than 10 years. Mean HbA1c of 8.3% was recorded. Almost all patients were taking metformin. Approximately, 40% of patients were on newer anti-T2DM agents such as sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 and dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitors. Fifty-seven percent (n=174) of the study population had SBHF at the time of study: diastolic dysfunction, increased LVMI and increased left atrial volume index (LAVI) were noted in 51 patients (17%), 128 patients (42%) and 98 patients (32%), respectively. Thirty-seven patients (12%) had both increase LVMI and LAVI. CONCLUSION: Our study has revealed a high prevalence of SBHF in T2DM patients without overt cardiac disease in Malaysia that has one of the highest prevalence of TDM in the world.

The role of regional myocardial topography post-myocardial infarction on infarct extension.

Infarct extension involves necrosis of healthy myocardium in the border zone (BZ), progressively enlarging the infarct zone (IZ) and recruiting the remote zone (RZ) into the BZ, eventually leading to heart failure. The mechanisms underlying infarct extension remain unclear, but myocyte stretching has been suggested as the most likely cause. Using human patient-specific left-ventricular (LV) numerical simulations established from cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of myocardial infarction (MI) patients, the correlation between infarct extension and regional mechanics abnormality was investigated by analysing the fibre stress-strain loops (FSSLs). FSSL abnormality was characterised using the directional regional external work (DREW) index, which measures FSSL area and loop direction. Sensitivity studies were also performed to investigate the effect of infarct stiffness on regional myocardial mechanics and potential for infarct extension. We found that infarct extension was correlated to severely abnormal FSSL in the form of counter-clockwise loop at the RZ close to the infarct, as indicated by negative DREW values. In regions demonstrating negative DREW values, we observed substantial fibre stretching in the isovolumic relaxation (IVR) phase accompanied by a reduced rate of systolic shortening. Such stretching in IVR phase in part of the RZ was due to its inability to withstand the high LV pressure that was still present and possibly caused by regional myocardial stiffness inhomogeneity. Further analysis revealed that the occurrence of severely abnormal FSSL due to IVR fibre stretching near the RZ-BZ boundary was due to a large amount of surrounding infarcted tissue, or an excessively stiff IZ.

The Efficacy of a Single Session of 20-Minute Mindful Breathing in Reducing Dyspnea Among Patients With Acute Decompensated Heart Failure: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Heart failure is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Standard treatment for heart failure includes pharmacotherapy and cardiac device implants. However, supportive approaches in managing dyspnea in heart failure are limited. This study aimed to test the efficacy of 20-minute mindful breathing in reducing dyspnea among patients admitted for acute decompensated heart failure. We conducted a parallel-group, non-blinded, randomized controlled trial of a single session of 20-minute mindful breathing plus standard care versus standard care alone among patients admitted for moderate to severe dyspnea due to acute decompensated heart failure, using the dyspnea score based on the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS), at the Cardiology Unit of University Malaya Medical Centre in Malaysia. Thirty participants were randomly assigned to a single session of 20-minute mindful breathing plus standard care (n = 15) or standard care alone (n = 15), with no difference in their demographic and clinical characteristics. There was statistically significant reduction in dyspnea in the intervention group compared to the control group at minute 20 (U = 49.5, n1 = 15, n2 =15, median reduction in ESAS dyspnea score 1 = 2, median reduction in ESAS dyspnea score 2 = 0, mean rank 1 = 11.30, mean rank 2 = 19.70, z = -2.692, r = 0.4, P = 0.007). Our results provided evidence that a single session of 20-minute mindful breathing was efficacious in reducing dyspnea for patients admitted for acute decompensated heart failure.

Baseline cardiovascular comorbidities, and the influence on cancer treatment decision-making in women with breast cancer.

PURPOSE: To measure the baseline prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD), its modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors in breast cancer patients, and determine their association with adjuvant treatment decision-making. METHOD: From 2016 to 2017, 2,127 women newly-diagnosed with breast cancer were prospectively recruited. Participants' cardiovascular biomarkers were measured prior to adjuvant treatment decision-making. Clinical data and medical histories were obtained from hospital records. Adjuvant treatment decisions were collated 6-8 months after recruitment. A priori risk of cardiotoxicity was predicted using the Cardiotoxicity Risk Score. RESULTS: Mean age was 54 years. Eighty-five patients had pre-existing cardiac diseases and 30 had prior stroke. Baseline prevalence of hypertension was 47.8%. Close to 20% had diabetes mellitus, or were obese. Dyslipidaemia was present in 65.3%. The proportion of women presenting with ≥2 modifiable CVD risk factors at initial cancer diagnosis was substantial, irrespective of age. Significant ethnic variations were observed. Multivariable analyses showed that pre-existing CVD was consistently associated with lower administration of adjuvant breast cancer therapies (odds ratio for chemotherapy: 0.32, 95% confidence interval: 0.17-0.58). However, presence of multiple risk factors of CVD did not appear to influence adjuvant treatment decision-making. In this study, 63.6% of patients were predicted to have high risks of developing cardiotoxicities attributed to a high baseline burden of CVD risk factors and anthracycline administration. CONCLUSION: While recent guidelines recommend routine assessment of cardiovascular comorbidities in cancer patients prior to initiation of anticancer therapies, this study highlights the prevailing gap in knowledge on how such data may be used to optimise cancer treatment decision-making.