Characteristics of Discharged Elderly Patients with Acute Heart Failure Followed by Board-Certified-Cardiologists in a Rural Area of Japan.

The worldwide incidence rates of heart failure (HF) are approaching pandemic status due to aging societies. Board-certified cardiologists (BCCs) of the Japanese Circulation Society (JCS) are cardiologists who have completed the respective fellowship program and passed the examination. However, in rural areas, patients have limited access to medical care for social or geographical reasons. The clinical features of the specialist's follow-up for HF patients in rural areas are unclear.This study consists of 205 consecutive discharged elderly patients who were admitted to our hospital due to acute HF (AHF). All patients were recommended for follow-up with BCCs-JCS by the multidisciplinary HF team at the discharge-care planning meeting. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical features and impact of BCC follow-up for discharged elderly patients with AHF in rural areas.A total of 156 patients chose follow-up with BCCs-JCS (BCC group), and 49 patients chose follow-up with non-BCCs-JCS (non-BCC group). Patients in the BCC group were younger (83 [76-86] versus 89 [75-93] years old, P < 0.001) and had more frequent use of ß-blockers (67% versus 39%, P < 0.001). The degree of frailty assessed by the clinical frailty scale was more severe in the non-BCC group than in the BCC group (4 [3-5] versus 6 [4-7], P < 0.001). The non-BCC group lived in nursing homes more frequently than the BCC group (16% versus 5%, P = 0.011).The HF patients followed by BCCS-JCS in rural areas were younger and had less frailty.

Cortical thickness mapping at segmented regions in the distal radius using HR-pQCT.

INTRODUCTION: An advanced method of analyzing the cortical bone microarchitecture of the distal radius using high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT) was developed. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The subjects were 60 women (20: aged 30-49, 20: aged 50-69, and 20: aged 70-89 years). The distal radius was scanned by HR-pQCT, and its cortical volumetric bone mineral density (Ct.vBMD), cortical porosity (Ct.Po), and cortical thickness (Ct.Th) were measured. The cortical bone was also divided into three areas according to whether its thickness was < 0.5 mm, 0.5-1.0 mm, or > 1.0 mm, and the percentage of each surface area in the total surface area of cortical bone was calculated (Ct.Th (<0.5), Ct.Th (0.5-1.0), Ct.Th (>1.0), respectively). The cortical bone at the distal radius was further segmented into dorsal, palmar, radial, and ulnar sides, and the above-described parameters were measured in these regions. RESULTS: Integral analysis showed that Ct.vBMD and Ct.Th decreased and Ct.Po increased with age (R = - 0.62, - 0.55, and 0.54). Ct.Th (< 0.5) expanded with age (R = 0.49), with the rate of change between those aged 30-49 years and those aged 50-69 years being 106.7%. On regional analysis, the expansion of Ct.Th (< 0.5) with age was particularly marked on the dorsal and palmar side (R = 0.51 and 0.49), where the rate of change between those aged 30-49 years and those aged 50-69 years was the highest, at 196.1 and 149.6%. CONCLUSION: The method to identify areas of cortical bone thinning in the segmented regions of the dorsal, palmar, radial, and ulnar sides of the distal radius using HR-pQCT may offer a sensitive assessment of age-related deterioration of cortical bone.

Vascular Response After Everolimus-Eluting Stent in Acute Myocardial Infarction Caused by Calcified Nodule.

BACKGROUND: Patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) caused by calcified nodules (CN) have worse clinical outcomes following primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). This study investigated the late vascular response after everolimus-eluting stent (EES) implantation assessed by optical coherence tomography (OCT) in patients with AMI caused by CN, by comparing with plaque rupture (PR) and plaque erosion (PE).Methods and Results: Based on the OCT findings in AMI culprit lesions before PCI, a total of 141 patients were categorized into 3 groups (PR, PE, or CN), and the OCT findings immediately and 10 months after PCI were compared. The frequency of PR, PE, and CN was 85 (60%), 45 (32%), and 11 patients (8%), respectively. In the 10-month follow-up OCT, the frequency of lesions with uncovered struts and lesions with malapposed struts were highest in the CN group, followed by the PR and PE groups (82% vs. 52% vs. 40%, P=0.042 and 73% vs. 26% vs. 16%, P<0.001, respectively). The incidence of intra-stent thrombus, re-appearance of CN within the stent, and target lesion revascularization were higher in the CN group compared with the PR and PE groups (36% vs. 9% vs. 7%, P=0.028; 27% vs. 0% vs. 0%, P<0.001; and 18% vs. 2% vs. 2%, P=0.024, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Late arterial healing response at 10 months after EES implantation in the CN was worse compared with PR and PE in patients with AMI.

Implications of multiple late gadolinium enhancement lesions on the frequency of left ventricular reverse remodeling and prognosis in patients with non-ischemic cardiomyopathy.

BACKGROUND: Non-ischemic cardiomyopathy (NICM) is a heterogeneous disease, and its prognosis varies. Although late gadolinium enhancement (LGE)-cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) demonstrates a linear pattern in the mid-wall of the septum or multiple LGE lesions in patients with NICM, the therapeutic response and prognosis of multiple LGE lesions have not been elucidated. This study aimed to investigate the frequency of left ventricular (LV) reverse remodeling (LVRR) and prognosis in patients with NICM who have multiple LGE lesions. METHODS: This single-center retrospective study included 101 consecutive patients with NICM who were divided into 3 groups according to LGE-CMR results: patients without LGE (no LGE group = 48 patients), patients with a typical mid-wall LGE pattern (n = 29 patients), and patients with multiple LGE lesions (n = 24 patients). LVRR was defined as an increase in LV ejection fraction (LVEF) ≥ 10 % and a final value of LVEF > 35 %, which was accompanied by a decrease in LV end-systolic volume ≥ 15 % at 12-month follow-up using echocardiography. The frequency of composite cardiac events, defined as sudden cardiac death (SCD), aborted SCD (non-fatal ventricular fibrillation, sustained ventricular tachycardia, or adequate implantable cardioverter-defibrillator therapies), and heart failure death or hospitalization for worsening heart failure, were summarized and compared between the groups. RESULTS: Among the 3 groups, the frequency of LVRR was significantly lower in the multiple lesions group than in the no LGE and mid-wall groups (no LGE vs. mid-wall vs. multiple lesions: 49 % vs. 52 % vs. 19 %, p = 0.03). There were 24 composite cardiac events among the patients: 2 in patients without LGE (hospitalization for worsening heart failure; 2), 7 in patients of the mid-wall group (SCD; 1, aborted SCD; 1 and hospitalization for worsening heart failure; 5), and 15 in patients of the multiple lesions group (SCD; 1, aborted SCD; 8 and hospitalization for worsening heart failure; 6). The multiple LGE lesions was an independent predictor of composite cardiac events (hazard ratio: 11.40 [95 % confidence intervals: 1.49-92.01], p = 0.020). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with multiple LGE lesions have a higher risk of cardiac events and poorer LVRR. The LGE pattern may be useful for an improved risk stratification in patients with NICM.

Impact of left ventricular ejection fraction and preoperative hemoglobin level on perioperative adverse cardiovascular events in noncardiac surgery.

The prediction of a perioperative adverse cardiovascular event (PACE) is an important clinical issue in the medical management of patients undergoing noncardiac surgery. Although several predictors have been reported, simpler and more practical predictors of PACE have been needed. The aim of this study was to investigate the predictors of PACE in noncardiac surgery. We retrospectively analyzed 723 patients who were scheduled for elective noncardiac surgery and underwent preoperative examinations including 12-lead electrocardiography, transthoracic echocardiography, and blood test. PACE was defined as cardiac death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, unstable angina, congestive heart failure, arrhythmia attack that needs emergency treatment (rapid atrial fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia, and bradycardia), acute pulmonary embolism, asystole, pulseless electrical activity, or stroke during 30 days after surgery. PACE occurred in 54 (7.5%) of 723 patients. High-risk operation (11% vs. 3%, p = 0.003) was more often seen, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (55 ± 8% vs. 60 ± 7%, p = 0.001) and preoperative hemoglobin level (11.8 ± 2.2 g/dl vs. 12.7 ± 2.0 g/dl, p = 0.001) were lower in patients with PACE compared to those without PACE. By multivariate logistic regression analysis, high-risk operation (odds ratio (OR): 7.05, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.16-23.00, p = 0.001), LVEF (OR 1.06, every 1% decrement, 95% CI 1.03-1.09, p = 0.001), and preoperative hemoglobin level (OR 1.22, every 1 g/dl decrement, 95% CI 1.07-1.39, p = 0.003) were identified as independent predictors of PACE. Receiver operating characteristic analysis demonstrated that LVEF of 58% (sensitivity = 80%, specificity = 61%, area under the curve (AUC) = 0.723) and preoperative hemoglobin level of 12.2 g/dl (sensitivity = 63%, specificity = 64%, AUC = 0.644) were optimal cut-off values for predicting PACE. High-risk operation, reduced LVEF, and reduced preoperative hemoglobin level were independently associated with PACE in patients undergoing noncardiac surgery.

Global longitudinal strain evaluated by speckle-tracking echocardiography as a surrogate marker for predicting replacement fibrosis detected by magnetic resonance-late gadolinium enhancement in patients with nonischemic cardiomyopathy.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate whether left ventricular (LV) global longitudinal strain (GLS) evaluated by speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE) can be used as a surrogate marker for the detection of replacement fibrosis by late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) on cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) in patients with nonischemic cardiomyopathy (NICM). METHODS: This study analyzed 41 NICM patients who successfully underwent both STE and CMR, and were divided into those with (Group A, n = 18) and those without CMR-LGE (Group B, n = 23). Echocardiographic indexes, including GLS, were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: No significant differences were observed in LV end-diastolic and end-systolic volume indexes, LV ejection fraction, mitral E/A, deceleration time, E/e', left atrial volume index, and the systolic trans-tricuspid pressure gradient between Groups A and B. STE-GLS was significantly worse in Group A than in Group B (-7.6% ± 3.0% vs -9.9% ± 3.2%, P = .01). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that STE-GLS of -7.9% was the best cut-off value for detection of CMR-LGE (sensitivity, 78%; specificity, 74%; and area under the curve, 0.74). CONCLUSIONS: STE-GLS may be a potential surrogate marker for the detection of CMR-LGE-derived replacement fibrosis in patients with NICM.

Assessment of decreased left ventricular longitudinal deformation in asymptomatic patients with organic mitral regurgitation and preserved ejection fraction using tissue-tracking mitral annular displacement by speckle-tracking echocardiography.

BACKGROUND: Application of speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE) provides rapid assessment of tissue-tracking mitral annular displacement (TMAD). We investigated the value of TMAD for the assessment of decreased LV longitudinal deformation in asymptomatic patients with severe or moderate-to-severe mitral regurgitation (MR) and preserved LV ejection fraction (LVEF). METHODS: We retrospectively studied 50 patients with severe or moderate-to-severe organic MR and preserved LVEF (>60%) in whom global longitudinal strain (GLS) was successfully measured by STE. TMAD was quickly assessed in the apical four-chamber view using STE. We calculated the percentage of TMAD to LV length from the midpoint of mitral annulus to the apex at end-diastolic (%TMAD). The study population was divided into two groups: decreased GLS patients (>-20%; Group A) and preserved GLS patients (≤-20%; Group B). We examined whether %TMAD could be used as a diagnostic factor of decreased GLS. RESULTS: %TMAD was significantly lower in Group A than Group B (12.5 ± 0.5 vs 16.8 ± 2.2, P < 0.0001). By univariate logistic regression analysis, %TMAD was a diagnostic factor of decreased GLS. By multiple regression analysis, %TMAD remained an independent diagnostic factor of decreased GLS (Odds ratio [OR] = 4.21, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.34-28.94, P < 0.0001). A cutoff value of %TMAD <14.6 had a sensitivity of 94% and specificity of 94% for the presence of decreased GLS. CONCLUSIONS: Tissue-tracking mitral annular displacement is useful in the assessment of decreased LV longitudinal deformation in asymptomatic patients with severe or moderate-to-severe MR and preserved LVEF.

Combination of Lesion Stenosis and Myocardial Supply Area Assessed by Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography for Prediction of Myocardial Ischemia.

Recent clinical studies revealed that anatomical information assessed by coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) may be used effectively to diagnose coronary artery disease (CAD). However, a physiological assessment, demonstrating myocardial ischemia, is required to justify a therapeutic strategy for CAD. This study aimed to investigate whether using CTA to assess myocardial supply area can improve the prediction of myocardial ischemia.We analyzed 201 vessels with moderate (luminal narrowing ≥ 50%, < 70%) and severe (luminal narrowing ≥ 70%, < 99%) stenosis on CTA from 174 patients, who were suspected of having stable angina and underwent measurement of fractional flow reserve (FFR). The myocardial area supplied by the coronary artery, distal to the stenosis, was evaluated with CTA, as reported previously (modified Alberta Provincial Project for Outcome Assessment in Coronary Heart score) and was classified into 3 groups (large, medium, and small).Both percentage area stenosis and myocardial supply area were significantly correlated with FFR (r = -0.46, P < 0.01, and r = -0.45, P < 0.01). Among patients who had coronary plaques, with moderate stenosis and a small myocardial supply area, only 3 of 42 lesions (7%) were identified as ischemic; deviation from the ischemic threshold (FFR = 0.80) was P < 0.01. The combined assessment of lesion stenosis and myocardial supply area, using CTA, improved the prediction of myocardial ischemia significantly compared to lesion stenosis alone (77% versus 59%, P < 0.01).Adding the assessment of myocardial supply area to standard CTA might help predict myocardial ischemia in patients with stable angina pectoris.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Quantitative Flow Ratio for Assessing Myocardial Ischemia in Prior Myocardial Infarction.

BACKGROUND: A novel index of the functional severity of coronary stenosis, quantitative flow ratio (QFR), may not consider the amount of viable myocardium in prior myocardial infarction (MI) because QFR is calculated from 3D quantitative coronary angiography.Methods and Results:We analyzed QFR (fixed-flow QFR [fQFR] and contrast-flow QFR [cQFR]) and fractional flow reserve (FFR) in prior-MI-related coronary arteries (n=75) and non-prior-MI-related coronary arteries (n=75). Both fQFR and cQFR directly correlated with FFR in the prior-MI-related coronary arteries (fQFR: r=0.84, P<0.001; and cQFR: r=0.88, P<0.001) and the non-prior-MI-related coronary arteries (fQFR: r=0.91, P<0.001; and cQFR: r=0.94, P<0.001). fQFR was significantly smaller than FFR in the prior-MI-related coronary arteries (0.73±0.14 vs. 0.79±0.11, P=0.002), but there was no significant difference between fQFR and FFR in the non-prior-MI-related coronary arteries. The value of cQFR minus FFR was significantly lower in the prior-MI-related coronary arteries compared with the non-prior-MI-related coronary arteries (-0.02±0.06 vs. 0.00±0.04, P=0.010). The diagnostic accuracy of fQFR ≤0.8 and cQFR ≤0.8 for predicting FFR ≤0.80 was numerically lower in the prior-MI-related coronary arteries compared with the non-prior-MI-related coronary arteries (fQFR: 77% vs. 87%; and cQFR: 87% vs. 92%). CONCLUSIONS: When FFR is used as the gold standard, the accuracy of QFR for assessing the functional severity of coronary stenosis might be reduced in the prior-MI-related coronary arteries compared with non-prior-MI-related coronary arteries.

The relationship between timing of prasugrel pretreatment and in-stent thrombus immediately after percutaneous coronary intervention for acute coronary syndrome: an optical coherence tomography study.

The optimal timing of pretreatment with prasugrel in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is unclear. We used optical coherence tomography (OCT) to compare in-stent thrombus volume immediately after PCI between the administration of low-dose prasugrel (20 mg loading dose) at the time of diagnosis of ACS (early prasugrel: n = 34) and the administration of low-dose prasugrel immediately after diagnostic angiography prior to PCI for ACS (late prasugrel: n = 56). The durations between the administration of prasugrel and OCT in the early prasugrel group and late prasugrel group were 5.1 ± 6.5 and 0.9 ± 0.7 h, respectively (p < 0.001). OCT detected thrombus/plaque protrusion in all stented segments. In-stent thrombus/plaque protrusion volume (2.92 ± 1.96 vs. 6.48 ± 4.97 mm3, p < 0.001), mean in-stent thrombus/plaque protrusion area (0.13 ± 0.07 vs. 0.29 ± 0.23 mm2, p < 0.001) and maximum in-stent thrombus/plaque protrusion area (0.70 ± 0.36 vs. 1.06 ± 0.56 mm2, p < 0.001) were significantly smaller in the early prasugrel group as compared with the late prasugrel group. The administration of prasugrel at the time of diagnosis of ACS was associated with significantly reduced in-stent thrombus/plaque protrusion immediately after PCI as compared with the administration of prasugrel after the coronary angiography prior to PCI.

Long-term outcome after deferral of revascularization in patients with intermediate coronary stenosis and gray-zone fractional flow reserve.

BACKGROUND: A strategy of deferred percutaneous coronary intervention for coronary stenosis with fractional flow reserve (FFR) 0.75-0.80, termed the gray zone, remains a matter of debate. The aim of this study was to assess the safety of deferring revascularization for patients with FFR 0.75-0.80 compared with those with FFR >0.80. METHODS AND RESULTS: We assessed 3-year clinical outcome in 150 patients with angiographically intermediate stenosis who had revascularization deferred on the basis of FFR ≥ 0.75 (FFR 0.75-0.80, n=56; FFR >0.80, n=94). Target vessel failure (TVF), defined as a composite of cardiac death, target vessel-related myocardial infarction (MI), and ischemia-driven target vessel revascularization (TVR) was evaluated during follow-up. Cardiac death was observed in 1 patient with FFR 0.75-0.80. There was no target vessel-related MI in either group. The incidence of ischemia-driven TVR was higher in patients with FFR 0.75-0.80 than in those with FFR >0.80 (14% vs. 3%, P=0.020). TVF-free survival was significantly worse for the patients with FFR 0.75-0.80 than those with FFR >0.80 (hazard ratio, 5.2; 95% confidence intervals: 1.4-19.5; P=0.015). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with FFR 0.75-0.80 were at higher risk of TVF mainly due to TVR than those with FFR >0.80.

Impact of low signal intensity assessed by cine magnetic resonance imaging on detection of poorly viable myocardium in patients with prior myocardial infarction.

Late gadolinium enhancement magnetic resonance imaging (LGE-MRI) has been established as a modality to detect myocardial infarction (MI). However, the use of gadolinium contrast is limited in patients with advanced renal dysfunction. Although the signal intensity (SI) of infarct area assessed by cine MRI is low in some patients with prior MI, the prevalence and clinical significance of low SI has not been evaluated. The aim of this study was to evaluate how low SI assessed by cine MRI may relate to the myocardial viability in patients with prior MI. Fifty patients with prior MI underwent both cine MRI and LGE-MRI. The left ventricle was divided into 17 segments. The presence of low SI and the wall motion score (WMS) of each segment were assessed by cine MRI. The transmural extent of infarction was evaluated by LGE-MRI. LGE was detected in 329 of all 850 segments (39%). The low SI assessed by cine MRI was detected in 105 of 329 segments with LGE (32%). All segments with low SI had LGE. Of all 329 segments with LGE, the segments with low SI showed greater transmural extent of infarction (78 [72 - 84] % versus 53 [38 - 72] %, P < 0.01), thinner wall (4.0[3.1 - 4.8] mm versus 6.5 [5.2 - 8.1] mm, P < 0.01), and higher WMS (4.0 [4.0 - 4.0] versus 2.0 [2.0 - 3.0], P < 0.01). The low SI assessed by cine MRI may be effective for detecting poorly viable myocardium in patients with prior MI.

Impact of myocardial supply area on the transstenotic hemodynamics as determined by fractional flow reserve.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of myocardial area supplied by the coronary artery on fractional flow reserve (FFR). BACKGROUND: Various factors other than the degree of epicardial stenosis influence the physiological significance of a coronary artery stenosis. METHODS: A total of 296 coronary lesions in 217 patients were analyzed by quantitative coronary angiography and FFR. Myocardial area supplied by the coronary artery distal to the stenosis was evaluated by angiography using a modified version of the Alberta Provincial Project for Outcome Assessment in Coronary Heart Disease (APPROACH) score. RESULTS: Percent diameter stenosis of the coronary lesion was 57 ± 15% (mean ± standard deviation). FFR <0.80 was seen in 132 (45%) lesions. FFR was significantly correlated with minimum lumen diameter (r = 0.584, P <0.001), percent diameter stenosis (r = -0.565, P <0.001), lesion length (r = -0.306, P <0.001), and myocardial supply area (r = -0.504, P <0.001). Multivariate logistic analysis demonstrated that minimum lumen diameter (odds ratio [OR] = 0.031, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.013-0.076, P < 0.001), lesion length (OR = 1.038, 95% CI = 1.009-1.069, P = 0.001), and myocardial supply area (OR = 1.113, 95% CI = 1.079-1.147, P <0.001) were independent determinants for FFR <0.80. CONCLUSIONS: FFR, which is the index of physiological significance of coronary artery stenosis, is influenced by myocardial supply area distal to the stenosis as well as by its own minimal lumen diameter and lesion length.

Assessment of circumferential endocardial extent of myocardial edema and infarction in patients with reperfused acute myocardial infarction: a cardiovascular magnetic resonance study.

T2 weighted (T2W) images on cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) visualizes myocardial edema, which reflects the myocardial area at risk (AAR) in reperfused acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) demonstrates myocardial infarction. LGE images cover the whole left ventricle, but T2W images are obtained from a few slices of the left ventricle due to the long sequence time, so the quantification of AAR of the entire left ventricle is difficult. We hypothesize that we can quantify AAR with only LGE images if there is a strong correlation between the circumferential endocardial extent of myocardial edema and infarction. Thirty patients with first AMI were enrolled. All patients underwent successfully reperfusion therapy and CMR was performed within the first week after the event. We measured the circumferential extent of edema and infarction on short-axis views (T2 angle and LGE angle), respectively. A total of 82 short-axis slices showed transmural edema on T2W images. Corresponding LGE images were analyzed for the circumferential extent of infarction. The median [interquartile range] of T2 angle and DE angle were 147° [116°-219°] and 134° [104°-200°] in patients with LAD culprit lesion, 91° [87°-101°] and 85° [80°-90°] in LCX, and 110° [94°-123°] and 104° [89°-118°] in RCA, respectively. T2 angle was well correlated with LGE angle (r = 0.99, P < 0.01). There is a strong correlation between the circumferential extent of edema and infarction in reperfused AMI. Thus, T2 weighted imaging can be skipped to quantify the amount of AAR.

Recovery of cardiac metabolic function after high-dose prednisolone in a patient with inflammatory myopathy associated with anti-mitochondrial antibody.

Myocardial complications in the setting of inflammatory myopathy associated with anti-mitochondrial antibody (AMA) cause various cardiovascular complications. A 64-year-old Japanese man was diagnosed with inflammatory myopathy associated with AMA, and three years after diagnosis, the patient was referred to our hospital with leg edema and dyspnea on exertion. Right ventricular endomyocardial biopsy showed no disease-specific findings, with neither inflammatory cell infiltration nor non-caseating epithelioid cell granuloma, and only mild fibrosis; therefore, we finally diagnosed this patient with cardiac involvement in inflammatory myopathy associated with AMA. 123I-ß-methyl-p-iodophenyl-pentadecanoic acid (BMIPP) cardiac scintigraphy showed decreased uptake in wider areas discordant with late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) on cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR). One month after starting prednisolone (PSL), the symptoms of congestive heart failure and left ventricular (LV) systolic function had improved. Additionally, BMIPP uptake in the LV myocardium significantly improved compared to that before PSL administration, although decreased BMIPP uptake remained in areas concordant with LGE on CMR. Moreover, it is suggested that recovery of cardiac metabolic function after high-dose PSL administration, which was confirmed through improvement in BMIPP uptake in the LV myocardium, may have led to the improvement in both LV systolic function and heart failure. Learning objective: Although the definitive diagnosis of cardiac involvement in inflammatory myopathy associated with anti-mitochondrial antibody is difficult because of the rarity of this condition and no disease-specific findings in imaging and histology, physicians should consider this in patients with cardiac dysfunction and muscle weakness. 123I-ß-methyl-p-iodophenyl-pentadecanoic acid scintigraphy should be used to assess cardiac metabolic function and treatment efficacy and should be considered for patient management.

Pathological Alterations of Coronary Arteries Late After Kawasaki Disease: An Optical Coherence Tomography Study.

Background: The long-term impact of Kawasaki disease on coronary arteries in vivo is unclear. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate coronary arteries in the late convalescent phase, we followed patients with Kawasaki disease who developed coronary artery aneurysms (CAAs). Methods: We followed 24 patients and used optical coherence tomography at a median of 16.6 years after the onset of Kawasaki disease. Results: Of 72 coronary arteries, optical coherence tomography was performed on 61 arteries: 17 with a persistent CAA, 29 with a regressed CAA, and 15 without a CAA. Between-group comparison was performed by chi-square or Fisher's exact test, and intimal thickening (17 vs 29 vs 15, all 100%, P = NA) and medial disruption (17 [100%] vs 29 [100%] vs 14 [93%], P = 0.25) were commonly observed in the investigated arteries. Advanced features of atherosclerosis were more frequently seen in arteries with persistent CAAs than in those with regressed CAAs and in those without CAAs: calcification (12 [71%] vs 5 [17%] vs 1 [7%], P < 0.001), microvessels (12 [71%] vs 10 [35%] vs 4 [27%], P = 0.020), cholesterol crystals (6 [35%] vs 2 [7%] vs 0 [0%], P = 0.009), macrophage accumulation (11 [65%] vs 4 [14%] vs 4 [27%], P = 0.002), and layered plaque (8 [47%] vs 11 [38%] vs 0 [0%], P = 0.004). Conclusions: Long after onset of Kawasaki disease, all arteries showed pathological changes. Arteries with persistent CAAs had more advanced features of atherosclerosis than those with regressed CAAs and those without CAAs.

Left ventricular reverse remodeling and reduction of interstitial fibrosis in patients with severe aortic stenosis who underwent transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

BACKGROUND: Left ventricular (LV) structural and functional changes have been reported in patients with aortic stenosis (AS) who have undergone transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI); however, the relationship between change in LV structure and systolic function and tissue characteristics assessed via cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI) post-TAVI has been not fully elucidated. This study aimed to investigate this relationship in patients with severe AS who underwent TAVI and CMRI. METHODS: In this retrospective study, 65 patients who underwent TAVI and CMRI at the 6-month follow-up were analyzed. The relationship between percent changes in LV end-diastolic volume (LVEDV), LV end-systolic volume (LVESV), LV ejection fraction (LVEF), and LV mass (LVM) (⊿LVEDV, ⊿LVESV, ⊿LVEF, and ⊿LVM) and those in the native T1 value (⊿native T1) was analyzed using a correlation analysis. Moreover, extracellular volume fraction (ECV) value changes were analyzed. RESULTS: The ⊿native T1 significantly decreased from 1292.8 (1269.9-1318.4) ms at pre-TAVI to 1282.3 (1262.6-1310.2) ms at the 6-month follow-up (P = 0.022). A significant positive correlation between ⊿LVEDV, ⊿LVESV, and ⊿LVM and ⊿native T1 (r = 0.351, P = 0.004; r = 0.339, P = 0.006; r = 0.261, P = 0.035, respectively) and a tendency toward a negative correlation between ⊿LVEF and ⊿native T1 (r = -0.237, P = 0.058) were observed. The ECV value increased significantly from 26.7 % (25.3-28.3) to 28.2 % (25.7-30.5) (P = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: The decrease in native T1 might be associated with LV reverse remodeling. Evaluating structural and functional changes using CMRI may be useful for patient management.

Effects of daily teriparatide, weekly high-dose teriparatide, or bisphosphonate on cortical and trabecular bone of vertebra and proximal femur in postmenopausal women with fragility fracture: Sub-analysis by quantitative computed tomography from the TERABIT study.

PURPOSE: The effects of daily teriparatide (D-PTH, 20 µg/day), weekly high-dose teriparatide (W-PTH, 56.5 µg/week), or bisphosphonate (BP) on the vertebra and proximal femur were investigated using quantitative computed tomography (QCT). METHODS: A total of 131 postmenopausal women with a history of fragility fractures were randomized to receive D-PTH, W-PTH, or bisphosphonate (oral alendronate or risedronate). QCT were evaluated at baseline and after 18 months of treatment. RESULTS: A total of 86 participants were evaluated by QCT (Spine: D-PTH: 25, W-PTH: 21, BP: 29. Hip: PTH: 22, W-PTH: 21, BP: 32. Dropout rate: 30.5 %). QCT of the vertebra showed that D-PTH, W-PTH, and BP increased total vBMD (+34.8 %, +18.2 %, +11.1 %), trabecular vBMD (+50.8 %, +20.8 %, +12.2 %), and marginal vBMD (+20.0 %, +14.0 %, +11.5 %). The increase in trabecular vBMD was greater in the D-PTH group than in the W-PTH and BP groups. QCT of the proximal femur showed that D-PTH, W-PTH, and BP increased total vBMD (+2.8 %, +3.6 %, +3.2 %) and trabecular vBMD (+7.7 %, +5.1 %, +3.4 %), while only W-PTH and BP significantly increased cortical vBMD (-0.1 %, +1.5 %, +1.6 %). Although there was no significant increase in cortical vBMD in the D-PTH group, cortical bone volume (BV) increased in all three treatment groups (+2.1 %, +3.6 %, +3.1 %). CONCLUSIONS: D-PTH had a strong effect on trabecular bone of vertebra. Although D-PTH did not increase cortical BMD of proximal femur, it increased cortical BV. W-PTH had a moderate effect on trabecular bone of vertebra, while it increased both cortical BMD and BV of proximal femur. Although BP had a limited effect on trabecular bone of vertebra compared to teriparatide, it increased both cortical BMD and BV of proximal femur.

Impact of Climate on the Incidence of Acute Coronary Syndrome　- Differences Between Japan and Thailand.

Background: Although there are many reports of temperature being associated with the onset of acute coronary syndrome (ACS), few studies have examined differences in ACS due to climatic differences between Japan and Thailand. The aim of this joint Japan-Thailand study was to compare patients with myocardial infarction in Japanese and Thai hospitals in different climates. Methods and Results: We estimated the climate data in 2021 for the Wakayama Prefecture and Chonburi Province, two medium-sized cities in Japan and Thailand, respectively, and ACS patients who were treated at the Wakayama Medical University (WMU) and Burapha University Hospital (BUH), the two main hospitals in these provinces (ACS patient numbers: WMU, n=177; BUH, n=93), respectively. In the Chonburi Province, although the average temperature was above 25℃, the number of ACS cases in BUH varied up to threefold between months (minimum: July, 4 cases; maximum: October, 14 cases). In Japan and Thailand, there was a mild to moderate negative correlation between temperature-atmospheric pressure at the onset of ACS, but different patterns for temperature-humidity (temperature-atmospheric pressure, temperature-humidity, and atmospheric pressure-humidity: correlation index; r=-0.561, 0.196, and -0.296 in WMU vs. r=-0.356, -0.606, and -0.502 in BUH). Conclusions: The present study suggests that other climatic conditions and factors, not just temperature, might be involved in the mechanism of ACS.

Impact of tag index and local electrogram for successful first-pass cavotricuspid isthmus ablation.

Background: The optimal ablation index (AI) value for cavotricuspid isthmus (CTI) ablation is unknow. Objective: This study investigated the optimal AI value and whether preassessment of local electrogram voltage of CTI could predict first-pass success of ablation. Methods: Voltage maps of CTI were created before ablation. In the preliminary group, the procedure was performed in 50 patients targeting an AI ≥450 on the anterior side (two-thirds segment of CTI) and AI ≥400 on the posterior side (one-third segment of CTI). The modified group also included 50 patients, but the target AI for the anterior side was modified to ≥500. Results: In the modified group, the first-pass rate of success was higher (88% vs 62%; P < .01) than in the preliminary group, and there were no differences in the average bipolar and unipolar voltages at the CTI line. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that ablation with an AI ≥500 on the anterior side was the only independent predictor (odds ratio 4.17; 95% confidence interval 1.44-12.05; P < .01). The bipolar and unipolar voltages were higher at sites without conduction block than at sites with conduction block (both P < .01). The cutoff values for predicting conduction gap were ≥1.94 mV and ≥2.33 mV with areas under the curve of 0.655 and 0.679, respectively. Conclusions: CTI ablation with a target AI >500 on the anterior side was shown to be more effective than an AI >450, and local voltage at a conduction gap was higher than without a conduction gap.