Trends in transcatheter aortic valve implantation practice and clinical outcomes at an Irish tertiary referral centre.

OBJECTIVE: A paucity of data exists on how transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) practice has evolved in Ireland. This study sought to analyse temporal trends in patient demographics, procedural characteristics, and clinical outcomes at an Irish tertiary referral centre. METHODS: The prospective Mater TAVI database was divided into time tertiles based on when TAVI was performed: Group A, November 2008-April 2013; Group B, April 2013-September 2017; and Group C, September 2017-February 2022. Patient and procedural characteristics and clinical outcomes were compared across groups. RESULTS: A total of 1063 (Group A, 59; Group B, 268; and Group C:, 736) patients were treated with TAVI during the study period (mean age 81.1±7.4, mean Society of Thoracic Surgeons score 5.9±5.1).Conscious sedation (Group A, 0%; Group B, 59.9%; and Group C, 90.2%, p<0.001) and femoral artery access (Group A, 76.3%; Group B, 90.7%; and Group C, 96.6%, p<0.001) were used more frequently over time. The median length of hospital stay reduced from 9 days (IQR 7, 18) in Group A to 2 days (IQR 2, 3) in Group C. In-hospital death was numerically higher in Group A compared with Group C (6.8% vs 1.9%, p=0.078). At 1-year follow-up, the rate of death and/or stroke was similar in Group A and Group C (20.3% vs 12.0%, adjusted HR 1.49, 95% CI (0.59 to 3.74)). CONCLUSION: There was exponential growth in TAVI procedural volume during the study period. A minimalist approach to TAVI emerged, and this was associated with significantly shorter procedure duration and hospital stay. Clinical outcomes at 1-year follow-up did not change significantly over time.

Machine learning prediction of progressive subclinical myocardial dysfunction in moderate aortic stenosis.

Background: Moderate severity aortic stenosis (AS) is poorly understood, is associated with subclinical myocardial dysfunction, and can lead to adverse outcome rates that are comparable to severe AS. Factors associated with progressive myocardial dysfunction in moderate AS are not well described. Artificial neural networks (ANNs) can identify patterns, inform clinical risk, and identify features of importance in clinical datasets. Methods: We conducted ANN analyses on longitudinal echocardiographic data collected from 66 individuals with moderate AS who underwent serial echocardiography at our institution. Image phenotyping involved left ventricular global longitudinal strain (GLS) and valve stenosis severity (including energetics) analysis. ANNs were constructed using two multilayer perceptron models. The first model was developed to predict change in GLS from baseline echocardiography alone and the second to predict change in GLS using data from baseline and serial echocardiography. ANNs used a single hidden layer architecture and a 70%:30% training/testing split. Results: Over a median follow-up interval of 1.3 years, change in GLS (≤ or >median change) could be predicted with accuracy rates of 95% in training and 93% in testing using ANN with inputs from baseline echocardiogram data alone (AUC: 0.997). The four most important predictive baseline features (reported as normalized % importance relative to most important feature) were peak gradient (100%), energy loss (93%), GLS (80%), and DI < 0.25 (50%). When a further model was run including inputs from both baseline and serial echocardiography (AUC 0.844), the top four features of importance were change in dimensionless index between index and follow-up studies (100%), baseline peak gradient (79%), baseline energy loss (72%), and baseline GLS (63%). Conclusions: Artificial neural networks can predict progressive subclinical myocardial dysfunction with high accuracy in moderate AS and identify features of importance. Key features associated with classifying progression in subclinical myocardial dysfunction included peak gradient, dimensionless index, GLS, and hydraulic load (energy loss), suggesting that these features should be closely evaluated and monitored in AS.

Using Intravascular Lithotripsy to Facilitate Transfemoral Arterial Access for Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation.

Peripheral vascular assessment is important in pre-procedural planning for transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). While alternative vascular access sites have been used in patients with hostile iliofemoral anatomy, femoral access has been established as the superior access method for procedural outcomes. Intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) can facilitate transfemoral access for TAVI in patients with calcific stenoses of the iliofemoral arteries. This How-To-Do-It article describes the procedural planning and methods for performing IVL in these patients.

Hydrate occurrence in Europe: Risks, rewards, and legal frameworks.

In January of this year (2020), a major scientific study ('the Minshull report') announced that gas hydrate reservoirs were found in many offshore areas across Europe. The European Commission is now considering a policy view to commercialize the development and extraction of methane gas from European offshore areas. Affirmation from the European Commission that offshore methane hydrates are too useful and too valuable to forego development could initiate a global response to adopt offshore methane hydrates as a new source of natural gas for heating, for electrical power supplies, and for potential new revenues. The upside? The potential rewards from offshore methane hydrates are multi-fold. Coastal states are surrounded in methane hydrate resources that if responsibly developed could enable vast amounts of methane (natural gas) to be produced for decades or centuries beyond the timelines of conventional natural gas assets. There are also massive volumes of fresh water trapped in hydrates that could aid in fighting droughts and desertification. The downside? There are novel foreseeable risks that might result from those commercial methane hydrate activities. The climate change risks and geo-physical hazards from offshore methane hydrates are quite distinct from both conventional and unconventional hydrocarbons. There are new challenges to achieving safety and sustainability. In review, this paper both welcomes the discovery and confirmation of offshore methane hydrates in European waters and also raises concerns that more research is required on the optimal policy strategies for the known and foreseeable risks to best enable safe and sustainable policy choices.

Clinical experience with trans-catheter aortic valve implantation at a tertiary hospital in the Republic of Ireland.

INTRODUCTION: There is a paucity of published data on the clinical experience with trans-catheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) in the Republic of Ireland. We sought to examine the clinical outcomes of patients with medium-term follow-up treated with TAVI at our institution. METHODS: A prospective TAVI registry was used to assess the baseline demographics, procedural variables and clinical outcomes of patients treated with TAVI between the inception of the programme in 2008 and November 2017. RESULTS: A total of 354 patients (mean age 80.9 ± 8.1 years, 58% male, mean STS score 6.1 ± 4.3%) were treated during the study period. Major in-hospital outcomes included in-lab death (n = 2, 0.6%), stroke (n = 8, 2.2%), device embolisation (n = 4, 1.2%), permanent pacemaker implantation (n = 22, 6.2%) and major vascular complication (n = 2, 0.6%). The median length of hospital stay was 4 days (IQR 2-8 days). The Kaplan-Meier estimate of freedom from death at 30 days and 1 year for the entire cohort was 97 ± 1% and 85.4 ± 2.3%, respectively. Trans-femoral access was associated with a significantly lower rate of death and/or stroke at 1 year compared to trans-apical access (84.9 ± 2.4% versus 60 ± 8.9%, p = 0.0005). There was no significant difference in freedom from death and/or stroke at 1 year between balloon-expandable and self-expanding valves (81.6 ± 2.6% versus 84.4 ± 7.4%, p = 0.63). CONCLUSION: This study documents low complication rates and favourable rates of survival following TAVI in a consecutive series of patients undergoing TAVI at a tertiary referral centre in the Republic of Ireland. These data support the application of this therapy in the Irish context.

Does geographical variability influence five-year MACCE rates in the multicentre SYNTAX revascularisation trial?

AIMS: The use of multiple geographical sites for randomised cardiovascular trials may lead to important heterogeneity in treatment effects. This study aimed to determine whether treatment effects from different geographical recruitment regions impacted significantly on five-year MACCE rates in the SYNTAX trial. METHODS AND RESULTS: Five-year SYNTAX results (n=1,800) were analysed for geographical variability by site and country for the effect of treatment (CABG vs. PCI) on MACCE rates. Fixed, random, and linear mixed models were used to test clinical covariate effects, such as diabetes, lesion characteristics, and procedural factors. Comparing five-year MACCE rates, the pooled odds ratio (OR) between study sites was 0.58 (95% CI: 0.47-0.71), and countries 0.59 (95% CI: 0.45-0.73). By homogeneity testing, no individual site (X2=93.8, p=0.051) or country differences (X2=25.7, p=0.080) were observed. For random effects models, the intraclass correlation was minimal (ICC site=5.1%, ICC country=1.5%, p<0.001), indicating minimal geographical heterogeneity, with a hazard ratio of 0.70 (95% CI: 0.59-0.83). Baseline risk (smoking, diabetes, PAD) did not influence regional five-year MACCE outcomes (ICC 1.3%-5.2%), nor did revascularisation of the left main vs. three-vessel disease (p=0.241), across site or country subgroups. For CABG patients, the number of arterial (p=0.49) or venous (p=0.38) conduits used also made no difference. CONCLUSIONS: Geographic variability has no significant treatment effect on MACCE rates at five years. These findings highlight the generalisability of the five-year outcomes of the SYNTAX study.

Incidence and predictors of coronary obstruction following transcatheter aortic valve implantation in the real world.

OBJECTIVES: Coronary obstruction (CO) is a rare but serious complication of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). There are very limited data regarding CO following TAVI. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence and outcomes of CO after TAVI and identify the predictors including the valve type. METHODS: Between October 2006 and March 2015, 1,203 TAVI cases were performed in our institution. Of them, 814 cases whose coronary height was measured using computed tomography for screening were analyzed in this study. RESULTS: The Edwards SAPIEN/SAPIEN XT (S/XT) was used in 427 (52.4%) cases, the CoreValve in 265 (32.6%), and the S3 in 122 (15.0%). CO occurred in 8 (1.0%) cases, 1.6% with S/XT, 0.4% with CoreValve, and 0% with S3. All instances of CO occurred at the left coronary artery. The 30-day mortality was significantly higher in cases of CO (37.5% vs. 5.8%, P = 0.010). The frequency of CO tended to be lower in recipients of the CoreValve (0.4%) and S3 (0%) compared with the S/XT (1.6%) (P = 0.188 for CoreValve vs. S/XT, P = 0.022 for S3 vs. S/XT). CONCLUSIONS: CO has poor outcomes and identification of patients at risk of CO to take preventive measures is crucial. The preliminary data showing that the occurrence of CO is low in patients receiving the S3 despite increased prosthesis height need further confirmation. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Comparison of Systematic Predilation, Selective Predilation, and Direct Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation With the SAPIEN S3 Valve.

BACKGROUND: Despite previously described feasibility, direct transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) with the Edwards SAPIEN S3 device (S3-THV) (Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, CA) has not been compared with either a systematic or a selective predilation approach. METHODS: Patients undergoing predilation were divided into a systematic group (regardless of anatomic features) and a selective group (in the context of high valvular calcium burden). Both groups were matched in a 2:1 fashion to patients who underwent direct TAVI. Outcomes were assessed according to Valve Academic Research Consortium 2 (VARC-2) criteria. RESULTS: Two hundred eighty-one patients underwent TAVI with the S3-THV in our centre. Of these patients, 58 underwent predilation before device implantation (systematic, n = 26; selective, n = 32). Procedural success was achieved in all patients. Patients in the selective predilation group had severe valve calcification volume-more than double that of the systematic group (445 ± 306 mm3 vs 970 ± 578 mm3, respectively; P < 0.0001). There was a trend for less dilation after the procedure in the systematic group compared with the selective group (4% vs 19%, respectively; P = 0.09). Device malposition necessitating a second device to be implanted occurred in 3 cases of direct TAVI (5%) and in none of the patients undergoing predilation (P = not significant). Thirty-day and 1-year mortality rates were similar between the patients who underwent direct TAVI and their predilation counterparts. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with a moderate aortic valve calcification burden, direct TAVI appears to be feasible and safe. In those with high calcium burden, predilation should be considered after taking into account individual risk profiles.

Short-versus long-term Dual Antiplatelet therapy after drug-eluting stent implantation in women versus men: A sex-specific patient-level pooled-analysis of six randomized trials.

BACKGROUND: Whether the efficacy and safety of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) are uniform between sexes is unclear. We sought to compare clinical outcomes between short- (≤6 months) versus long-term (≥1 year) DAPT after drug-eluting stent (DES) placement in women and men. METHODS AND RESULTS: We pooled individual patient data from 6 randomized trials of DAPT (EXCELLENT, OPTIMIZE, PRODIGY, RESET, SECURITY, ITALIC PLUS). The primary outcome was 1-year risk of major adverse cardiac events (MACE). The main secondary outcome was 1-year risk of any bleeding. Out of the 11,473 randomized patients included in the pooled dataset, 3,454 (30%) were females. At 1-year follow-up, women had higher risk of MACE (3.6% vs. 2.8%; P = 0.01) but similar risk of bleeding (1.9% vs. 1.6%; P = 0.16) as compared with men. Compared with long-term DAPT, short-term DAPT was associated with similar rates of MACE in both women (HR 0.88; 95% CI 0.62-1.25) and men (HR 1.25; 95% CI 0.95-1.6; P interaction = 0.08)]. At 1-year follow-up, short-term DAPT was associated with lower rates of bleeding as compared with long-term DAPT in both women (HR 0.84; 95% CI 0.51-1.37) and men (HR 0.58; 95% CI 0.40-0.84; P-interaction = 0.25). The presence of MVD was associated with higher MACE rates in the short-term DAPT group in women (HR: 1.16; CI 0.60-2.23) and men (HR: 2.29; CI 1.22-4.29; P interaction = 0.25). CONCLUSIONS: Short-term DAPT is associated with similar rates of MACE but lower risk of bleeding when as compared with prolonged DAPT. There was no significant difference between sexes in the population studied. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Transfemoral Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation: How Minimalistic Can We Become?

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has become a well-established intervention with reproducible and excellent early and mid-term outcomes. A minimalist approach to TAVI is already the standard of care in many experienced centers. In this report, we share our experience and opinions on how we can further simplify the TAVI procedure in hope to establish the best possible outcomes.

Platypnea-Orthodeoxia Syndrome after Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation.

Progressive dyspnea and hypoxaemia in the subacute phase after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) are uncommon and warrant immediate assessment of valve and prosthesis leaflet function to exclude thrombosis, as well as investigation for other causes related to the procedure, such as left ventricular dysfunction, pulmonary embolism, and respiratory sepsis. In this case, we report the observation of a patient presenting two weeks after TAVI with arterial hypoxaemia in an upright position, relieved by lying flat, and coupled with an intracardiac shunt detected on echocardiography in the absence of pulmonary hypertension, raising the suspicion of Platypnea-Orthodeoxia Syndrome (POS). Invasive intracardiac haemodynamic assessment showed a significant right-to-left shunt (Qp/Qs = 0.74), which confirmed the diagnosis, with subsequent closure of the intracardiac defect resulting in immediate relief of symptoms and hypoxaemia. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of an interatrial defect and shunt causing Platypnea-Orthodeoxia Syndrome after transcatheter aortic valve implantation, resolved by percutaneous device closure.

Comparison of Transradial vs Transfemoral Access for Aortoiliac and Femoropopliteal Interventions: A Single-Center Experience.

PURPOSE: To compare the procedure and safety outcomes of the transradial approach (TRA) with the femoral approach (FA) for treating aortoiliac and femoropopliteal stenoses and occlusions. METHODS: A single-center retrospective study was conducted involving 188 patients (mean age 66.4±10.8 years; 116 men) with lower limb claudication or critical limb ischemia who underwent aortoiliac (131, 62.4%) or femoropopliteal (79, 37.6%) interventions on 210 lesions over a 3-year period. Operator discretion determined TRA suitability; exclusions included Raynaud's disease, upper limb occlusive disease, previous TRA difficulties, or planned hemodialysis. Lesion characteristics, clinical endpoints, and access site complications were compared. RESULTS: FA was used primarily in 123 patients and the TRA (12 left and 53 right radial arteries) in 65 procedures. Eleven (16.9%) TRAs failed vs 9 (7.3%) FAs (p=0.42). Crossover to FA was due to occlusive lesions requiring alternative equipment in 9 cases and to tortuosity of the aortic arch vessels in 2 patients. The 134 FA interventions (balloon angioplasty, stents) were retrograde (112, 83.6%) or antegrade (22, 16.4%). There were significantly more TASC C/D lesions in the FA group (p=0.02). Sheath sizes (5-F to 8-F) did not differ between groups, and no significant differences were found between FA vs TRA in terms of procedure time (50.0±28.9 vs 46.8±25.1 minutes, p=0.50) or length of stay (2.2±0.6 vs 2.1±0.3 days, p=0.24). While there were no strokes, access site complications occurred in 6.0% of the FA patients vs 3.7% of the TRA patients (p=0.12). CONCLUSION: The transradial approach for aortoiliac and femoropopliteal interventions is safe and efficacious compared with the transfemoral approach for a range of lesion subtypes. Nevertheless, there remains a need for improvements in peripheral device and catheter technology to decrease transradial failure rates.

Short and long-term outcomes of alcohol septal ablation with the trans-radial versus the trans-femoral approach: A single center-experience.

BACKGROUND: Although the trans-radial approach (TR) has been applied to various subsets of patients in percutaneous coronary intervention, the feasibility, efficacy, acute procedural and long-term outcomes of TR versus trans-femoral approach (TF) for alcohol septal ablation (ASA) have not yet been determined. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to compare the short and long-term outcomes of ASA with the TR approach compared to the TF approach. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 240 patients who underwent an ASA procedure at our institution from November 1999 to November 2015. The TR approach was performed in 172 cases and the TF approach in the remaining 68 cases. RESULTS: The use of TR approach progressively increased from 62% in 1999-2005 to 91% in 2011-2015 (p=0.0001). The TF and TR group had similar age, baseline NYHA class (NYHA 3 or 4) and mean left ventricular outflow tract peak gradient before ASA. Total contrast used (TR: 73.2±47.2ml; TF: 88.7±49.3ml, p=0.11), total radiation Air kerma area product (TR: 43.7±48.0Gycm(-2); TF: 55.9±48.2Gycm(-2); p=0.39) and peak left ventricular outflow tract gradient immediately after ASA (TR: 19.1±19.6mmHg; TF: 20.4±18.0mmHg, p=0.63) were similar in both groups. Procedural success was 91.9% and 91.2% in the TR and TF groups, respectively (p=0.53). At 30days, there was 2 intra-hospital death (1 in TF and 1 in TR), 1 major stroke in the TF group and 1 coronary artery dissection in the TR group. Vascular complications were less frequent in the TR group (0.58% vs. 7.3%; p=0.002). The mean length of follow-up was 4.56±4.34years (IQR 0.69-8.2; median 2.92years; maximum: 15.5years). By Kaplan-Meier estimate, the observed survival in the overall cohort was comparable to the expected survival for a sex and age-matched comparable general French population at 10years (86.9 vs. 83.6%, p=0.88). Survival was similar between the TR and TF group (92.1% vs. 89.7% at 6years, respectively; p=0.71). CONCLUSIONS: Alcohol septal ablation from the radial approach can be performed with similar acute and long-term success, but with lower vascular complications compared to the femoral approach.

Comparison between the SAPIEN S3 and the SAPIEN XT transcatheter heart valves: A single-center experience.

AIM: To investigate the clinical outcomes of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) with the SAPIEN 3 transcatheter heart valve (S3-THV) vs the SAPIEN XT valve (XT-THV). METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 507 patients that underwent TAVI with the XT-THV and 283 patients that received the S3-THV at our institution between March 2010 and December 2015. RESULTS: Thirty-day mortality (3.5% vs 8.7%; OR = 0.44, P = 0.21) and 1-year mortality (25.7% vs 20.1%, P = 0.55) were similar in the S3-THV and the XT-THV groups. The rates of both major vascular complication and paravalvular regurgitation (PVR) > 1 were almost 4 times lower in the S3-THV group than the XT-THV group (major vascular complication: 2.8% vs 9.9%, P < 0.0001; PVR > 1: 2.4% vs 9.7%, P < 0.0001). However, the rate of new pacemaker implantation was almost twice as high in the S3-THV group (17.3% vs 9.8%, P = 0.03). In the S3 group, independent predictors of new permanent pacemaker were pre-procedural RBBB (OR = 4.9; P = 0.001), pre-procedural PR duration (OR = 1.14, P = 0.05) and device lack of coaxiality (OR = 1.13; P = 0.05) during deployment. CONCLUSION: The S3-THV is associated to lower rates of major vascular complications and PVR but higher rates of new pacemaker compared to the XT-THV. Sub-optimal visualization of the S3-THV in relation to the aortic valvular complex during deployment is a predictor of new permanent pacemaker.

Post mortem study of the depth and circumferential location of sympathetic nerves in human renal arteries--implications for renal denervation catheter design.

OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to examine human renal arteries and to accurately characterize their sympathetic innervation and location using CD-56 immunohistochemistry stains to highlight Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules (N-CAM). BACKGROUND: Porcine models have often formed the basis for design of denervation technology, with only a limited number of human studies available to detail the complex microarray of renal sympathetic nerves. METHODS: Post-mortem renal arteries (N = 14) were harvested and prepared into three sections (proximal, mid, and distal), and then stained using Hematoxylin and Eosin, followed by immunohistochemistry to characterize the expression of CD-56 renal neural tissue. Digital micro calipers were then used to measure the nerve distances and locations within the vessels. RESULTS: (i) Approximately 77% of nerves are located between 0.5 and 2.5 mm from the tunica intima layer, with 22.5% occurring in the 2.5-5.0 mm range, (ii) nerve bundles occur in 3-dimensional arborized arrays, (iii) the nerve bundles are evenly distributed throughout the proximal and distal vessel in this human study. Thickness of vessel wall correlated with proximity of the nerve bundles (r = 0.74, P < 0.01), and nerve bundle thickness (r = 0.62, P = 0.04). The larger the internal and external diameters and areas of the vessel were, the further the distance to the nearest nerve bundles were (r = 0.752, P =<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: In human renal arteries with larger diameters and thicker vessel parenchyma, the innervation is found further from the lumen, and the nerves increase in thickness. This has implications for catheter and system design, as well as depth and duration of energy required for effective ablations. Effective percutaneous transluminal denervation procedures in this population would need to be circumferential rather than interrupted, and to mediate tissue damage to depths beyond 2.5 mm from the tunica intima.

Double trouble: hypertrophic cardiomyopathy coexistent with malignant anomalous right coronary artery.

A 40-year-old man with no cardiac history was admitted for evaluation of atypical chest pain of 1-month duration. On investigation he was found to have hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and an anomalous right coronary artery arising from the left sinus of Valsalva. This is of great clinical significance as both these conditions are independently associated with sudden cardiac death. Following extensive risk assessment and detailed discussion with the patient, he was discharged on medical therapy, comprising bisoprolol, aspirin and rosuvastatin. He has remained free of symptoms for 1 year. This report describes the rare coexistence of these two distinct clinical entities, examines the various treatment options and provides support for medical management as an acceptable treatment strategy in appropriately selected cases.

Detection of high-sensitivity troponin in outpatients with stable pulmonary hypertension identifies a subgroup at higher risk of adverse outcomes.

BACKGROUND: The detection of elevations in cardiorenal biomarkers, such as troponins, B-type natriuretic peptides (BNPs), and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalins, are associated with poor outcomes in patients hospitalized with acute heart failure. Less is known about the association of these markers with adverse events in chronic right ventricular dysfunction due to pulmonary hypertension, or whether their measurement may improve risk assessment in the outpatient setting. METHODS AND RESULTS: We performed a cohort study of 108 patients attending the National Pulmonary Hypertension Unit in Dublin, Ireland, from 2007 to 2009. Cox proportional hazards analysis and receiver operating characteristic curves were used to determine predictors of mortality and hospitalization. Death or hospitalization occurred in 50 patients (46.3%) during the median study period of 4.1 years. Independent predictors of mortality were: 1) decreasing 6-minute walk test (6MWT; hazard ratio [HR] 12.8; P < .001); 2) BNP (HR 6.68; P < .001); and 3) highly sensitive troponin (hsTnT; HR 5.48; P < .001). Adjusted hazard analyses remained significant when hsTnT was added to a model with BNP and 6MWT (HR 9.26, 95% CI 3.61-23.79), as did the predictive ability of the model for death and rehospitalization (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve 0.81, 95% CI 0.73-0.90). CONCLUSIONS: Detection of troponin using a highly sensitive assay identifies a pulmonary hypertension subgroup with a poorer prognosis. hsTnT may also be used in a risk prediction model to identify patients at higher risk who may require escalation of targeted pulmonary vasodilator therapies and closer clinical surveillance.

Use of a highly-sensitive cardiac troponin I assay in a screening population for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: a case-referent study.

BACKGROUND: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a genetic condition, and relatives of affected persons may be at risk. Cardiac troponin biomarkers have previously been shown to be elevated in HCM. This study examines the new highly-sensitive cardiac troponin I (hsTnI) assay in a HCM screening population. METHODS: Nested case-control study of consecutive HCM sufferers and their relatives recruited from May 2010 to September 2011. After informed consent, participants provided venous blood samples and clinical and echocardiographic features were recorded. Associations between the natural log (ln) of the contemporary troponin I (cTnI) and hsTnI assays and markers of cardiac hypertrophy were examined. Multiple regression models were fitted to examine the predictive ability of hsTnI for borderline or definite HCM. RESULTS: Of 107 patients, 24 had borderline and 19 had definite changes of HCM. Both TnI assays showed significant, positive correlations with measures of cardiac muscle mass. After age and sex adjustment, the area under the receiver operator characteristic (AUROC) curve for the outcome of HCM was 0.78, 95% CI [0.65, 0.90], for ln(hsTnI), and 0.66, 95% CI [0.51, 0.82], for ln(cTnI) (p=0.11). Including the hsTnI assay in a multiple-adjusted "screening" model for HCM resulted in a non-significant improvement in both the AUROC and integrated discrimination index. CONCLUSIONS: Both cTnI and hsTnI show a graded, positive association with measures of cardiac muscle mass in persons at risk of HCM. Further studies will be required to evaluate the utility of these assays in ECG- and symptom-based identification of HCM in at-risk families.

A Comparison of Traditional and Novel Definitions (RIFLE, AKIN, and KDIGO) of Acute Kidney Injury for the Prediction of Outcomes in Acute Decompensated Heart Failure.

AIMS: To determine if newer criteria for diagnosing and staging acute kidney injury (AKI) during heart failure (HF) admission are more predictive of clinical outcomes at 30 days and 1 year than the traditional worsening renal function (WRF) definition. METHODS: We analyzed prospectively collected clinical data on 637 HF admissions with 30-day and 1-year follow-up. The incidence, stages, and outcomes of AKI were determined using the following four definitions: KDIGO, RIFLE, AKIN, and WRF (serum creatinine rise ≥0.3 mg/dl). Receiver operating curves were used to compare the predictive ability of each AKI definition for the occurrence of adverse outcomes (death, rehospitalization, dialysis). RESULTS: AKI by any definition occurred in 38.3% (244/637) of cases and was associated with an increased incidence of 30-day (32.3 vs. 6.9%, χ(2) = 70.1; p < 0.001) and 1-year adverse outcomes (67.5 vs. 31.0%, χ(2) = 81.4; p < 0.001). Most importantly, there was a stepwise increase in primary outcome with increasing stages of AKI severity using RIFLE, KDIGO, or AKIN (p < 0.001). In direct comparison, there were only small differences in predictive abilities between RIFLE and KDIGO and WRF concerning clinical outcomes at 30 days (AUC 0.76 and 0.74 vs. 0.72, χ(2) = 5.6; p = 0.02) as well as for KDIGO and WRF at 1 year (AUC 0.67 vs. 0.65, χ(2) = 4.8; p = 0.03). CONCLUSION: During admission for HF, the benefits of using newer AKI classification systems (RIFLE, AKIN, KDIGO) lie with the ability to identify those patients with more severe degrees of AKI who will go on to experience adverse events at 30 days and 1 year. The differences in terms of predictive abilities were only marginal.