Interventricular septal thickness on cardiac computed tomography as a novel risk factor for conduction disturbances in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

AIMS: We examined whether thickness of the basal muscular interventricular septum (IVS), as measured by pre-procedural computed tomography (CT), could be used to identify the risk of conduction disturbances following transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). The IVS is a pivotal region of the electrical conduction system of the heart where the atrioventricular conduction axis is located. METHODS AND RESULTS: Included were 78 patients with severe aortic stenosis who underwent CT imaging prior to TAVR. The thickness of muscular IVS was measured in the coronal view, in systolic phases, at 1, 2, 5, and 10 mm below the membranous septum (MS). The primary endpoint was a composite of conduction disturbance following TAVR. Conduction disturbances occurred in 24 out of 78 patients (30.8%). Those with conduction disturbances were significantly more likely to have a thinner IVS than those without conduction disturbances at every measured IVS level (2.98 ± 0.52 mm vs. 3.38 ± 0.52 mm, 4.10 ± 1.02 mm vs. 4.65 ± 0.78 mm, 6.11 ± 1.12 mm vs. 6.88 ± 1.03 mm, and 9.72 ± 1.95 mm vs. 10.70 ± 1.55 mm for 1, 2, 5 and 10 mm below MS, respectively, P < 0.05 for all). Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that pre-procedural IVS thickness (<4 mm at 2 mm below the MS) was a significant independent predictor of post-procedural conduction disturbance (adjOR 7.387, 95% CI: 2.003-27.244, P = 0.003). CONCLUSION: Pre-procedural CT assessment of basal IVS thickness is a novel predictive marker for the risk of conduction disturbances following TAVR. The IVS thickness potentially acts as an anatomical barrier protecting the underlying conduction system from mechanical compression during TAVR.

Sex and Ethnic Disparities in Health-Related Outcomes Following Acute Myocardial Infarction in Israel.

BACKGROUND: Survivors of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) are at increased risk for recurrent cardiac events and tend to use excessive healthcare services, thus resulting in increased costs. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the disparities in healthcare resource utilization and costs throughout a decade following a non-fatal AMI according to sex and ethnicity groups in Israel. METHODS: A retrospective study included AMI patients hospitalized at Soroka University Medical Center during 2002-2012. Data were obtained from electronic medical records. Post-AMI annual length of hospital stay (LOS); number of visits to the emergency department (ED), primary care facilities, and outpatient consulting clinics; and costs were evaluated and compared according sex and ethnicity groups. RESULTS: A total of 7685 patients (mean age 65.3 ± 13.6 years) were analyzed: 56.8% Jewish males (JM), 26.6% Jewish females (JF), 12.4% Bedouin males (BM), and 4.2% Bedouin females (BF). During the up-to 10-years follow-up (median 5.8 years), adjusted odds ratios [AdjOR] for utilizations of hospital-associated services were highest among BF (1.628 for LOS; 1.629 for ED visits), whereas AdjOR for utilization of community services was lowest in BF (0.722 for primary clinic, 0.782 for ambulatory, and 0.827 for consultant visits), compared with JM. The total cost of BF was highest among the study groups (AdjOR = 1.589, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Long-term use of hospital-associated healthcare services and total costs were higher among Bedouins (especially BF), whereas utilization of ambulatory services was lower in these groups. Culturally and economically sensitive programs optimizing healthcare resources utilization and costs is warranted.

BONE TURNOVER IN OSTEOPOROTIC WOMEN DURING LONG-TERM ORAL BISPHOSPHONATES TREATMENT: IMPLICATIONS FOR TREATMENT FAILURE AND "DRUG HOLIDAY" IN THE REAL WORLD.

OBJECTIVE: Little data exist to support concerns over bone turnover suppression during prolonged oral bisphosphonate treatment and on consequences of the recommended "drug holiday." This study was performed to assess bone resorption rates in postmenopausal osteoporotic women on prolonged oral bisphosphonate treatment and in response to switching to "drug holiday" intravenous bisphosphonate, or continuation of oral bisphosphonates. METHODS: The frequency distribution of the bone resorption marker urinary deoxypyridinoline crosslinks (uDPD), was obtained retrospectively from 211 osteoporotic women attended at an academic hospital endocrine clinic, treated for >2 years with oral bisphosphonates. In some patients, uDPD was re-assessed following modification or continuation of treatment. RESULTS: The mean duration of oral bisphosphonates treatment was 7.2 ± 3.1 years. uDPD was within reference range for premenopausal women in 61.6% of the patients, below in 7.6% of the patients, and above upper limit in 30.8%. uDPD decreased significantly following intravenous zoledronic acid, increased significantly during "drug holiday," and slightly decreased in those continued on oral bisphosphonate treatment. CONCLUSION: In this real-world study, the majority of women on prolonged oral bisphosphonates maintained bone resorption rates within the normal reference range for premenopausal women. The likelihood for inadequate suppression was considerably greater than that of over-suppression. Implementing a "drug holiday" resulted in a marked increase in bone resorption rates. Additional studies should explore the potential role of bone turnover markers in the evaluation of patients on prolonged oral bisphosphonates and during "drug holiday" in different settings and using additional markers. ABBREVIATIONS: BMD = bone mineral density; IQR = interquartile range; uDPD = urinary deoxypyridinoline crosslinks.

Nose biopsy: a comparison between two sampling techniques.

Pre operative biopsy is important in obtaining preliminary information that may help in tailoring the optimal treatment. The aim of this study was to compare two sampling techniques of obtaining nasal biopsy-nasal forceps and nasal scissors in terms of pathological results. Biopsies of nasal lesions were taken from patients undergoing nasal surgery by two techniques- with nasal forceps and with nasal scissors. Each sample was examined by a senior pathologist that was blinded to the sampling method. A grading system was used to rate the crush artifact in every sample (none, mild, moderate, severe). A comparison was made between the severity of the crush artifact and the pathological results of the two techniques. One hundred and forty-four samples were taken from 46 patients. Thirty-one were males and the mean age was 49.6 years. Samples taken by forceps had significantly higher grades of crush artifacts compared to those taken by scissors. The degree of crush artifacts had a significant influence on the accuracy of the pre operative biopsy. Forceps cause significant amount of crush artifacts compared to scissors. The degree of crush artifact in the tissue sample influences the accuracy of the biopsy.

Characteristics and Long-Term Prognosis of Holocaust Survivors Presenting with Acute Myocardial Infarction.

BACKGROUND: Catastrophic life events are associated with the occurrence of cardiovascular incidents and worsening of the clinical course followirg-such events. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the characteristics and long-term prognosis of Holocaust survivors presenting with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) compared to non-Holocaust survivors. METHODS: Israeli Jews who were born before 1941 and had been admitted to a tertiary medical center due to AMI during the period 2002-2012 were studied. Holocaust survivors were compared with non-Holocaust survivor controls using individual age matching. RESULTS: Overall 305 age-matched pairs were followed for up to 10 years after AMI. We found a higher prevalence of depression (5.9% vs. 3.3%, P = 0.045) yet a similar rate of cardiovascular risk factors, non-cardiovascular co-morbidity, severity of coronary artery disease, and in-hospital complications in survivors compared to controls. Throughout the follow-up period, similar mortality rates (62.95% vs. 63.9%, P = 0.801) and reduced cumulative mortality (0.9 vs. 0.96, HR = 0.780, 95% CI 0.636-0.956, P = 0.016) were found among survivors compared to age-matched controls, respectively. However, in a multivariate analysis survival was not found to be an independent predictor of mortality, although some tendency towards reduced mortality was seen (AdjHR = 0.84, 95% CI 0.68-1.03, P = 0.094). Depression disorder was associated with a 77.9% increase in the risk for mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Holocaust survivors presenting with AMI were older and had a higher prevalence of depression than controls. No. excessive, and possibly even mildly improved, risk of mortality.was observed in survivors compared with controls presenting with AMI. Possibly, specific traits that are associated with surviving catastrophic events counter the excess risk of such events following AMI.

An empirical approach for life expectancy estimation based on survival analysis among a post-acute myocardial infarction population.

Background: Practical communication of prognosis is pertinent in the clinical setting. Survival analysis techniques are standardly used in cohort studies; however, their results are not straightforward for interpretation as compared to the graspable notion of life expectancy (LE). The present study empirically examines the relationship between Cox regression coefficients (HRs), which reflect the relative risk of the investigated risk factors for mortality, and years of potential life lost (YPLL) values after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Methods: This retrospective population-based study included patients aged 40-80 years, who survived AMI hospitalization from January 1, 2002, to October 25, 2017. A survival analysis approach assessed relationships between variables and the risk for all-cause mortality in an up to 21-year follow-up period. The total score was calculated for each patient as the summation of the Cox regression coefficients (AdjHRs) values. Individual LE and YPLL were calculated. YPLL was assessed as a function of the total score. Results: The cohort (n = 6316, age 63.0 ± 10.5 years, 73.4 % males) was randomly split into training (n = 4243) and validation (n = 2073) datasets. Sixteen main clinical risk factors for mortality were explored (total score of 0-14.2 points). After adjustment for age, sex and nationality, a one-point increase in the total score was associated with YPLL of ∼one year. A goodness-of-fit of the prediction model found 0.624 and 0.585 for the training and validation datasets respectively. Conclusions: This functional derivation for converting coefficients of survival analysis into the comprehensible form of YPLL/LE allows for practical prognostic calculation and communication.

Recovery from Acute Kidney Injury and Long-Term Prognosis following Acute Myocardial Infarction.

We investigated the recovery pattern from acute kidney injury (AKI) following acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and its association with long-term mortality. The retrospective study included AMI patients (2002-2027), who developed AKI during hospitalization. Creatinine (Cr) measurements were collected and categorized into 24 h timeframes up to 7 days from AKI diagnosis. The following groups of recovery patterns were defined: rapid (24-48 h)/no rapid and early (72-144 h)/no early recovery. Specific cut-off points for recovery at each AKI stage and timeframe were determined through receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. The probability of long-term (up to 10 years) mortality as a post-AKI recovery was investigated using a survival approach. Out of 17,610 AMI patients, 1069 developed AKI. For stage 1 AKI, patients with a Cr ratio <1.5 at 24 h and/or <1.45 at 48 h were defined as 'rapid recovery'; for stages 2-3 AKI, a Cr ratio <2.5 at 96 h was defined as 'early recovery'. Mortality risk in stage 1 AKI was higher among the non-rapidly recovered: AdjHR = 1.407; 95% CI: 1.086-1.824; p = 0.010. Among stages 2-3 AKI patients, the risk for long-term mortality was higher among patients who did not recover in the early period: AdjHR = 1.742; 95% CI: 1.085-2.797; p = 0.022. The absence of rapid recovery in stage 1 AKI and lack of early recovery in stages 2-3 AKI are associated with higher long-term mortality.

Interaction between anemia and renal dysfunction in relation to long-term survival following acute myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: Anemia and chronic kidney disease (CKD) adversely affect prognosis following acute myocardial infarction (AMI). We aimed to assess their interaction regarding long-term survival post-AMI. METHODS: This is a single-center, retrospective analysis of consecutive AMI survivors. Stratified by admission-time anemia status and CKD grade, as determined by hemoglobin and creatinine levels, the cohort was evaluated for all-cause mortality at 10 years after hospital discharge. RESULTS: A total of 11,395 patients (69.1% males, mean age 65.8 ± 13.9 years, 49.6% with ST elevation MI) were included, of whom 29.9% had anemia and 15.9% - grade 3b or higher CKD. CKD was more advanced among anemic patients and the prevalence of anemia rose as CKD grade increased (p for trend < 0.001). At 10 years, 47.8% of patients died. Notwithstanding differences in baseline characteristics, presentation, and treatment between those with various anemia status and CKD grades, anemia presence (HR 1.40, 95% CI 1.32-1.49, p < 0.001) and increasing CKD grade (HR 1.10, 95% CI 1.02-1.20, p for trend < 0.001) were independently associated with a higher mortality risk. The incremental hazard imposed by either anemia or more advanced CKD was limited to patients with normal renal function and up to grade 3a (in the total cohort and the conservative treatment subgroup) or 4 (in the invasive revascularization subgroup) CKD. The added risk associated with increasing CKD grade also affected non-anemic individuals irrespective of the specific CKD grade. CONCLUSION: Anemia and more advanced CKD are associated with reduced long-term survival post-AMI, inflicting higher risk when conjoined in lower-grade CKD.

Adherence to guidelines of pain assessment and intervention in internal medicine wards.

Proper management of pain reduces morbidity, assists in recovery, and increases patient satisfaction. The role of a nurse in an accurate pain evaluation is pivotal. It seems that pain evaluation guidelines are not fully adhered to by nurses. The aim of this study was to assess the performance of pain evaluation and management by nurses in patients admitted in internal medicine wards and to identify groups of patients in which pain evaluation was insufficient. In this cross-sectional study medical records of 59 randomly chosen patients were reviewed: age 64.5 ± 18.5 years, 55% women, and hopitalization length 3.9 ± 1.6 days. Data relating to pain evaluation and management were obtained for every patient-hospitalization day (total 213 patient-days) and compared with the guidelines. Pain was evaluated in 176 out of 213 encounters (66.2%): 84.3% upon admission and 72.7% daily routine evaluation in accordance with guidelines. In 23.7% of evaluations, pain level warranted alleviating treatment (visual analog scale ≥3). However, such treatment was administered in only 29.3% of these cases. Reevaluation after treatment and additional evaluations thereafter were performed in 33.3% and 22% of encounters, respectively. The independent factors associated with the reduced performance of pain evaluation were: widower (odds ratio [OR] 0.88, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.78-0.98; p = .024), reduced level of consicousnness (OR 0.77, 95% CI 0.63-0.95; p = .013), mental disorders as a cause of hospitalization (OR 0.81, 95% CI 0.71-0.94; p = .004), and isolation (OR 0.87, 95% CI 0.76-0.99; p = .03). Pain assessment and management in internal medicine wards is insufficient, especially in the above subgroups. Specific education programs targeted to the latter subgroups and to the unique pain assessment tools are warranted.

Healthcare Resources Utilization throughout the Last Year of Life after Acute Myocardial Infarction.

Healthcare resource utilization (HRU) peaks in the last year-of-life, and accounts for a substantial share of healthcare expenditure. We evaluated changes in HRU and costs throughout the last year-of-life among AMI survivors and investigated whether such changes can predict imminent mortality. This retrospective analysis included patients who survived at least one year following an AMI. Mortality and HRU data during the 10-year follow-up period were collected. Analyses were performed according to follow-up years that were classified into mortality years (one year prior to death) and survival years. Overall, 10,992 patients (44,099 patients-years) were investigated. Throughout the follow-up period, 2,885 (26.3%) patients died. The HRU parameters and total costs were strong independent predictors of mortality during a subsequent year. While a direct association between mortality and hospital services (length of in-hospital stay and emergency department visits) was observed, the association with ambulatory services utilization was reversed. The discriminative ability (c-statistics) of a multivariable model including the HRU parameters for predicting the mortality in the subsequent year, was 0.88. In conclusion, throughout the last year of life, hospital-centered HRU and costs of AMI survivors increase while utilization of ambulatory services decrease. HRUs are strong and independent predictors of an imminent mortality year among these patients.

Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging in COVID-19 Vaccine-Associated Myocarditis Compared With Classical Myocarditis.

Background: Studies comparing COVID-19 vaccine-associated and classical myocarditis (CM) are lacking. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to compare cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging findings and short-term clinical outcomes in patients with messenger RNA COVID-19 postvaccination myocarditis (PVM) and CM. Methods: This was a retrospective study of patients with myocarditis: 31 with PVM and 46 with CM. Patients underwent a CMR protocol scan including T1 and T2 sequences. Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) was expressed as percentage of left ventricular myocardial mass and the extracellular volume was calculated based on precontrast and postcontrast T1 images. Clinical outcomes included heart failure hospitalizations and mortality. Results: Study patients were predominantly male (81% in PVM vs 89% in CM, P = 0.330). Patients with PVM had lower T1 values compared with CM (1,064.2 ± 67.0 ms vs 1,081.6 ± 41.9 ms, P = 0.032), although T2 and extracellular volume values were similar in both groups. Left ventricular ejection fraction and LGE were similar in both groups. The most frequent location of LGE was the basal inferolateral wall. PVM more commonly demonstrated a mid-wall LGE pattern while CM demonstrated a subepicardial LGE pattern. Compared with CM, patients with PVM were more likely to have a pericardial effusion (42% vs 17%, P = 0.018) and pericardial LGE (38% vs 13%, P = 0.009). During short-term follow-up (median 300 days for PVM, 319 days for CM), there were no deaths or heart failure hospitalizations in either group. Conclusions: Our study shows similar CMR imaging findings and short-term outcomes in PVM and CM, although PVM was associated with milder myocardial abnormalities and more frequent pericardial involvement.

[Surgical site infections: what about the children?].

Surgical site infections (SSIs) are uniformly defined for adults and children as infections that develop within 30 days after an operation and are classified as being either incisional or organ/space in the operated area. SSI rates among children are similar to adults, but are higher among neonates. SSIs represent a significant burden in terms of patient morbidity and mortality, length of hospitalization and cost to the health services. The difficulty in treatment and prevention of SSIs usually results from the variety of pathogens causing the infection. There are a multitude of risk factors influencing the development of SSIs that may be related to patient characteristics, such as younger age, and/or the surgical procedure, such as duration of surgery, wound class, and surgical technique. The prognostic scores which, to the best of our knowledge, have been developed and validated for adults, are yet to be adopted for children. Prevention of SSIs requires addressing the causes at each phase of patient treatment, uniformly for both adults and children. Guidelines for the prevention of SSIs have been developed; however, they are not specifically related to the pediatric patients and are not fully supported by evidence. For instance, management of prophylactic antibiotics is a standard for adults, but there is no clear agreement for children, and use of antibiotic prophylactics varies between medical centers. In summary, a systematic registry of SSIs among children in Israel is required along side of rigorous investigation of the risk factors and prevention program development.

A proposed prognostic prediction tool for a live birth among women with recurrent pregnancy loss.

PURPOSE: To develop a prognostic tool to predict the live birth rate in cases of repeated pregnancy losses. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective cohort study including patients treated in the dedicated RPL clinic between 2000 and 2015. Background data was collected in the primary visit via questionnaires and medical records. The recurrent pregnancy loss workup includes a genetic testing, endocrine testing, and anatomic abnormalities as well as thrombophilia.The prognostic tool took into account the unique contribution of the different risk factors, including maternal age, number of pregnancy losses, primary vs. secondary RPL and positive RPL workup. RESULTS: A total of 675 women were included in the study. The live birth rate was 72% (484). It was significantly associated with age (p=.002), number of previous pregnancy losses (p=.016), primary and secondary RPL and positive RPL workup. Each variable was assigned points according to the odds ratio found in the logistic regression to create two prediction models, before and after the RPL workup. Both models show a rise in the live birth rate as the score increases. CONCLUSIONS: We constructed a proposed innovative prognostic tool to predict the chance of a live birth on the consecutive pregnancy following the visit to the RPL clinic. Locating, identifying and improving risk assessment can enable the provision of up-to-date information to couples and the treating staff. This knowledge will reduce stress among the patients and will allow the staff to constructed custom intervention programs.

The Association between Acute Myocardial Infarction-Related Outcomes and the Ramadan Period: A Retrospective Population-Based Study.

Fasting throughout the Muslim month of Ramadan may impact cardiovascular health. This study examines the association between the Ramadan period and acute myocardial infarction (AMI)-related outcomes among a Muslim population. The data were retrospectively extracted from a tertiary hospital (Beer-Sheva, Israel) database from 2002-2017, evaluating Muslim patients who endured AMI. The study periods for each year were: one month preceding Ramadan (reference period (RP)), the month of Ramadan, and two months thereafter (1840 days in total). A comparison of adjusted incidence rates between the study periods was performed using generalized linear models; one-month post-AMI mortality data were compared using a generalized estimating equation. Out of 5848 AMI hospitalizations, 877 of the patients were Muslims. No difference in AMI incidence between the Ramadan and RP was found (p = 0.893). However, in the one-month post-Ramadan period, AMI incidence demonstrably increased (AdjIRR = 3.068, p = 0.018) compared to the RP. Additionally, the highest risk of mortality was observed among the patients that underwent AMI in the one-month post-Ramadan period (AdjOR = 1.977, p = 0.004) compared to the RP. The subgroup analyses found Ramadan to differentially correlate with AMI mortality with respect to smoking, age, sex, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension, suggesting the Ramadan period is a risk factor for adverse AMI-related outcomes among select Muslim patients.

Myocarditis following COVID-19 vaccination in adolescents: Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging study.

Introduction: Vaccination-associated myocarditis was reported following COVID-19 vaccine initially among persons aged 16 or older and recently among adolescents aged 12-15. Objectives: To describe the clinical and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) characteristics of adolescents aged 12-15 with myocarditis following the administration of the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. Methods: CMR of adolescents (age 12-15) with a clinical diagnosis of myocarditis within 42 days following the first COVID-19 vaccine were analyzed. Results: A total of 182,605 adolescent were vaccinated, out of which 9 were diagnosed with clinically adjudicated myocarditis while CMR was performed in 5/9 patients (56%). Median age was 15 years (range 13-15), 4/5 (80%) males. All the patients we previously healthy. The ECG upon presentation was abnormal in 3/5 (60%) of patients. All cases were classified as clinically mild and no patient required inotropes or mechanical circulatory support treatment. The median follow-up time, for the 5-included patients, was 206 (IQR 192-229, range 179-233) days. During the follow-up, no re-admissions, deaths, or any other cardiac events have occurred.The median time between the diagnosis to the CMR was 104 days (range 27-149). The median left ventricular ejection fraction was within normal range 65% (range 62-69). Native T1 was available in four patients, the local T1 value was increased in three of them. T2 values were available in two patients and were all within normal range. The median late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) was 2% (range 0-6%) with inferolateral wall being the most common location (3/5). The patterns of the LGE were as following: (i) mid-wall in 3 patients; (ii) epicardial in 1-patient. LGE in the pericardium was present in 2/5 patients with pericardial effusion present in 4/5 patients with a median diameter of 4 mm (range 3-5 mm) at end-systole. Conclusions: CMR findings and clinical course of adolescents with COVID-19 vaccination associated myocarditis, are similar to those of older patients, being relatively mild and potentially implying favorable outcomes.

Norton Scale Score and long-term healthcare services utilization after acute myocardial infarction.

AIMS: Many patients admitted with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) have considerable multimorbidity, sometimes associated with functional limitations. The Norton Scale Score (NSS) evaluates clinical aspects of well-being and predicts numerous clinical outcomes. We evaluated the association between NSS and long-term healthcare utilization (HU) following a non-fatal AMI. METHODS AND RESULTS: A retrospective observational study including AMI survivors during 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2015 with a filled NSS report. Data were recouped from the electronic medical records of the hospital and two Health Maintenance Organizations. Norton Scale Score ≤16 or >16 was defined as low or high respectively. The outcome was annual HU, encompassing length of hospital stay (LOS), emergency department (ED) visits, primary care, and other ambulatory service utilization during up to 10 years of follow-up. HU costs were compared between groups. Two-level models were built: unadjusted and adjusted for patients' baseline characteristics. The study included 4613 patients, 784 (17%) had low NSS. Patients with low NSS compared with patients with high NSS were older, had a higher rate of multimorbidity, and had significantly lower coronary angiography and revascularization rates. In addition, low NSS patients presented higher annual HU costs (4879 vs. 3634 Euro, P <0.001), primarily due to LOS, ED visits, and less frequent ambulatory services usage. CONCLUSION: In patients after non-fatal AMI, low NSS is a signal for higher long-term costs reflecting the presence of expensive comorbidities. Management disparity and impaired mobility may offset the real need of these patients. Therefore, the specific proactive nursing intervention in that population is recommended.

Relation of Serum Albumin Levels to Myocardial Extracellular Volume in Patients With Severe Aortic Stenosis.

Severe aortic stenosis (AS) is often characterized by myocardial interstitial fibrosis. Myocardial interstitial fibrosis, classically measured by magnetic resonance imaging, was also shown to be accurately measured by computed tomography (CT)-derived extracellular volume fraction (ECVF). Serum albumin (SA) level (g/dl) has been shown to correlate with ECVF among patients with heart failure and preserved ejection fraction. Our objective was to evaluate the association between SA and ECVF among patients with severe symptomatic AS. Patients with symptomatic severe AS who were evaluated as candidates for intervention between 2016 and 2018 were enrolled prospectively. All patients underwent precontrast and postcontrast CT for estimating myocardial ECVF. Valid ambulatory SA within 6 weeks of the cardiac CT were obtained and classified as (tertiles) <3.8, 3.8 to 4.19, and ≥4.2 g/dl. Patients with acute systemic illness at the time of the albumin test were excluded. The study included 68 patients, mean age 81 ± 6 years, 53% women. Patients with lower SA were more likely to have chronic renal failure, previous percutaneous coronary interventions, and a reduced functional class. The mean ECVF (%) in the study cohort was 41 ± 12%, significantly higher among the patients in the lower SA level groups (50 ± 12% vs 38 ± 7% vs 33 ± 9% in the <3.8 g/dl, 3.8 to 4.19 g/dl and ≥4.2 g/dl groups respectively, p for trend <0.001). A statistically significant inverse correlation was found between SA levels and ECVF (r -0.7, p <0.001). Multivariable analysis showed significant independent association between low SA and ECVF. In conclusion, the SA level is inversely associated with CT-derived ECVF in patients with severe AS.

Albumin as a Prognostic Marker for Atrial Fibrillation Recurrence following Cryoballoon Ablation of Pulmonary Venous.

Introduction: Atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence following pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) ablation has clinical significance. Identifying risk factors for AF recurrence is important. We investigated serum albumin (SA) levels (g/dL) as a prognostic factor for the recurrence of AF following cryoballoon PVI ablation. Methods: We included patients who underwent cryoballoon PVI ablation at our institution between the years 2013 and 2018. The primary outcome was recurrence of AF during follow up. Results: Our cohort consisted of 126 patients (67% males, mean age 61.8 ± 10.0 years). The pattern of AF amongst the cohort was paroxysmal in 62.5%, persistent in 25.4%, and longstanding persistent in 6.3%. Those with lower SA levels had a mean AF duration significantly less than those with higher SA levels (2.81 years, 7.34 years, and 6.37 years for SA levels of <3.8, 3.8−4.1, and ≥4.1, respectively; p = 0.003). Patients with lower SA levels were significantly more likely to have had more previous cardioversions and a larger left atrial area and volume. The mean follow-up was 380 days, in which the AF recurrence rate was 20.6%. Patients with lower SA level had significantly more AF recurrences (47.4%, 16.7%, and 2.2% for SA levels of <3.8, 3.8−4.1, and ≥4.1, respectively; p < 0.001). Upon multivariate analysis, an SA level < 3.8 was associated with a higher risk of AF recurrence (OR = 5.422 95% CI 1.134; 25.910; p < 0.001). Conclusion: SA levels were found to be a strong independent marker for AF recurrence following PVI ablation.

Quality of life at the Dead Sea region: the lower the better? An observational study.

BACKGROUND: The Dead Sea region, the lowest in the world at 410 meters below sea level, is considered a potent climatotherapy center for the treatment of different chronic diseases. OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of chronic diseases and the quality of life of residents of the Dead Sea region compared with residents of the Ramat Negev region, which has a similar climate, but is situated 600 meters above sea level. METHODS: An observational study based on a self-administered questionnaire. Data were collected from kibbutz (communal settlement) members in both regions. Residents of the Dead Sea were the study group and of Ramat Negev were the control group. We compared demographic characteristics, the prevalence of different chronic diseases and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) using the SF-36 questionnaire. RESULTS: There was a higher prevalence of skin nevi and non-inflammatory rheumatic diseases (NIRD) among Dead Sea residents, but they had significantly higher HRQOL mean scores in general health (68.7 ± 21 vs. 64.4 ± 22, p = 0.023) and vitality (64.7 ± 17.9 vs. 59.6 ± 17.3, p = 0.001), as well as significantly higher summary scores: physical component score (80.7 ± 18.2 vs. 78 ± 18.6, p = 0.042), and mental component score (79 ± 16.4 vs. 77.2 ± 15, p = 0.02). These results did not change after adjusting for social-demographic characteristics, health-related habits, and chronic diseases. CONCLUSIONS: No significant difference between the groups was found in the prevalence of most chronic diseases, except for higher rates of skin nevi and NIRD among Dead Sea residents. HRQOL was significantly higher among Dead Sea residents, both healthy or with chronic disease.

Gender and ethnic disparities in outcome following acute myocardial infarction among Bedouins and Jews in southern Israel.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have documented gender-ethnic disparities in outcomes following acute myocardial infarction (AMI). This study evaluates such disparities in the Negev, Israel, and reviews potentially responsible mechanisms. METHODS: Patients discharged with AMI were classified into young (<70 years), elders (≥70 years) and gender-ethnicity groups: Female Bedouins (FB), Female Jews (FJ), Male Bedouins (MB) and Male Jews (MJ). The primary outcome was 1-year all-cause mortality. Prognosis was assessed using Kaplan-Meier approach. Multivariable analyses assessing hazard ratios (HRs) for mortality were performed using the Cox proportional hazards regression models in two steps controlling for (i) the Ontario Acute Myocardial Infarction Mortality Prediction Rules (OAMIMPRs) and (ii) the OAMIMPR and additional potential confounders. RESULTS: Of 2669 subjects, 45.8% were elders, 66.2% male and 10.9% Bedouin. The mortality rate was 12.3% (young 4.6%, elders 22%). Survival was significantly lower in FB compared with MB in the elderly stratum (P = 0.025). Multivariate analyses demonstrated similar risks for dying among the young. In the elders, the first multivariate analysis showed greater risk for mortality in FB. Using FB as the reference group, the HRs were as follows: HR((MB)) = 0.36 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.14-0.9]; HR((FJ)) = 0.5 (95% CI: 0.27-0.9) and HR((MJ)) = 0.5 (95% CI: 0.28-0.91). In the second analysis, the HRs were as follows: HR((MB)) = 0.37 (95% CI: 0.14-0.93); HR((FJ)) = 0.58 (95% CI: 0.32-1.07) and HR((MJ)) = 0.56 (95% CI: 0.31-1.03). CONCLUSIONS: Elderly FB have poor 1-year prognosis following AMI compared with MB, MJ and FJ when controlling for the OAMIMPR model, yet when controlling for other potential confounders the differences are of borderline significance in relation to Jewish subjects. A culturally and economically sensitive programme focusing on tertiary prevention in these patients is warranted.