Elastic aortic properties in cystic fibrosis adults without cardiovascular risk factors: A case-control study.

INTRODUCTION: The presence of CFTR in smooth muscle and endothelial cells, systemic inflammation, and oxidative stress could explain vascular alterations in cystic fibrosis. Aortic elastic properties are determinants of left ventricular function by means of ventriculo-arterial coupling and indicators of cardiovascular risk. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the present study was to compare clinically stable patients affected by cystic fibrosis without overt pulmonary hypertension with controls to evaluate aortic tissue Doppler elastic properties, such as distensibility, stiffness, and strain. METHODS: A total of 22 adults affected by cystic fibrosis, and 24 healthy volunteers matched for age and sex were enrolled. None had known cardiovascular risk factors, secondary diabetes, neither aortic stenosis nor regurgitation. All people underwent blood pressure measurement and transthoracic echocardiography. RESULTS: Aortic diameter measured at Valsalva sinuses was significantly higher in patients with cystic fibrosis than healthy people, median 32.0 (interquartile range 29.8-35.0) vs 24.3 (22.2-30.0) mm; P < 0.001. Aortic distensibility was significantly lower among patients than controls, being 2.4 (1.3-3.3) vs 5.6 (3.4-8.3) per mm Hg (P < 0.001), while stiffness higher, 7.7 (6.0-14.8) vs 3.7 (2.9-6.7); P < 0.001. Finally, M-mode strain of ascending aorta was lower in patients, 4.1 (3.4-7.3)% than in controls, 13.4 (7.7-19.4)%; P < 0.001. CONCLUSION: For the first time in humans, we demonstrated subclinical alterations in aortic elastic properties in young adults affected by cystic fibrosis without pulmonary hypertension or secondary diabetes. This phenomenon could influence left ventricular function earlier by means of ventriculo-arterial coupling and may be a tool to identify patients who benefit from a closer follow-up.

Blood pressure control in older patients with carotid artery stenosis.

Stroke is the second largest cause of European cardiovascular and total mortality, largely due to atherosclerotic carotid artery narrowing or thromboembolism consequent to internal carotid artery stenosis. Current therapeutic indications suggest lifestyle interventions (smoking cessation, healthy diet and physical activity), adequate control of LDL-cholesterol and glycemic balance. It is nonetheless established that the most important factors in preventing stroke are antiplatelet therapy and blood pressure regulation. In fact, many physiological parameters, including age, drugs' effects and especially systemic blood pressure, can be involved in maintaining cerebral blood flow through compensation for impairment of flow within carotid arteries. Many studies demonstrate the benefits of blood pressure lowering in terms of prevention of stroke, but there are conflicting data about a specific pressure target to achieve, with some evidence in favor of "the lower the better" idea, while other identifying a too low systolic blood pressure as a cause of cerebral ischemia worsening, especially in symptomatic patients. In summary, the available data suggest the need of a tailored blood pressure treatment without inflexible targets, according to the assessment of the cardiovascular risk of each patient, the benefits of an intensive antihypertensive therapy and the comorbidities-related response to the treatment.

Echocardiographic evaluation of diastolic dysfunction in young and healthy patients with psoriasis: A case-control study.

Psoriasis is a systemic inflammatory disease with a great prevalence in general population. The inappropriate activation of the cellular immune system has been hypothesized to be an independent cardiovascular risk factor, given the higher incidence of cardiovascular disorders in psoriatic patients. Echocardiographic abnormalities have been demonstrated too: the aim of our study was to evaluate the presence of preclinical cardiac dysfunction in a cohort of psoriatic patients without cardiovascular risk factors. We enrolled 52 patients with the diagnosis of chronic plaque psoriasis, compared with a control group not affected by any relevant systemic diseases and inflammatory disorders. In all patients and control group, echocardiographic conventional and tissue Doppler (TDI) studies were conducted. The analysis of echocardiographic parameters revealed normal dimension, mass and systolic function of the left ventricle. Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction was found in 36.5% patients in the psoriasis group versus 0% in control group, and significant reduction of the E/A ratio was found also for the right ventricle. A significant increase of mitral regurgitation has been found in psoriatic patients (p=0.005). The early recognition of cardiovascular pre-clinic disease in psoriatic patients may guide a strict follow up and an early treatment, potentially improving cardiovascular prognosis.

Percutaneous Edge-to-Edge Mitral Valve Repair: Beyond the Left Heart.

Right ventricular (RV) dysfunction and tricuspid regurgitation (TR) are known to be associated with adverse outcomes in patients undergoing percutaneous mitral valve repair (PMVR). Although the effect of PMVR on left ventricular function is well known, data on the response of the right ventricle to PMVR, and its impact on prognosis, are limited. In this review the authors summarize available data regarding the prognostic role of RV function and TR in PMVR recipients and the possible effects of PMVR on the right heart. Preprocedural tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion < 15 mm, tricuspid annular tissue Doppler S' velocity < 9.5 cm/sec, and moderate or severe TR are reported as predictors of adverse outcome after PMVR. Therefore, they should be carefully evaluated for patient selection. Moreover, emerging data show that the benefit of PMVR may go beyond the left heart, leading to an improvement in RV function and a reduction in TR severity. Among PMVR recipients, improvement in RV function and reduction of TR degree are observed mainly in patients with RV dysfunction at baseline. On the other hand, high postprocedural transmitral pressure gradients seem to be associated with lack of RV reverse remodeling. Timing of mitral intervention with respect to RV impairment and predictors of RV reverse remodeling after PMVR are unknown. Further studies are needed to fill these gaps in evidence.

Case Report: Severe Aortic Valve Regurgitation and Pseudoaneurysm in Aortic Valve-Sparing Operation: The Usefulness of Multimodality Imaging in a Complex Clinical Scenario.

Background: Failure of the native aortic valve and degenerative anatomy of ascending aorta in patients with previous Tirone-David operation may represent a clinical challenge, because sometimes the risk of reoperation is prohibitive. Case: We described the case of a patient suffering from severe aortic valve regurgitation and pseudoaneurysm of the aortic arch, 6 years after cardiac surgery operation. The aim of this clinical case was to assess if the complex anatomy of aortic pseudoaneurysm and aortic root geometry can be accurately reproduced from contrast-enhanced computed tomography scan into a three-dimensional (3D) printed model. Based on this procedural method, with the aid of transesophageal 3D ultrasound, we efficaciously treated the patient percutaneously with a combination of transcatheter occluder device plus microcoil embolization and transfemoral aortic valve implantation. The patient was free from complications and the need to redo cardiac surgery. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first description of two simultaneous complications and their staged treatment in a patient with previous aortic valve-sparing operation. This is a useful report in a single 3D model applying such specific technology to these two simultaneous clinical settings.

Evaluation of systo-diastolic cardiac function and arterial stiffness in subjects with new diagnosis of coeliac disease without cardiovascular risk factors.

In literature, there are conflicting opinions on the development of cardiovascular disease risk in patients with coeliac disease (CD). The aim of the research was to identify in young subjects without cardiovascular risk factor and newly diagnosed CD, alterations in different instrumental parameters that are associated with an augmented cardiovascular risk. Twenty-one consecutive young adults with a new diagnosis of CD and without cardiovascular risk factors were prospectively enrolled and underwent transthoracic echocardiography to analyse ascending aorta elastic properties [including tissue Doppler imaging strain (TDI-ε)] and left ventricular 2D strains (global longitudinal, radial and circumferential), and applanation tonometry by SphygmoCor. Cases were compared with 21 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Mean age of the cases was 38 ± 9 years and 15 of them (71%) were female. Brachial and central blood pressure was higher in the CD group. Elastic properties of the ascending aorta were all impaired in the CD group: TDI-ε was altered in 57% of cases (0% of controls, p < 0.001). Concentric remodelling and grade I diastolic dysfunction were present in 38% and 24% of cases, respectively (0% of controls, p < 0.001). Global longitudinal strain was normal in all subjects, while radial and circumferential strain were altered in 67% and 35%, respectively (0% of controls, p < 0.001). In young subjects without cardiovascular risk factor, a newly diagnosed CD is associated with altered aortic elastic properties, left ventricular concentric remodelling and diastolic dysfunction and altered radial and circumferential strain.