Integrated myocardial flow reserve (iMFR) assessment: optimized PET blood flow quantification for diagnosis of coronary artery disease.

PURPOSE: Distinguishing obstructive epicardial coronary artery disease (CAD) from microvascular dysfunction and diffuse atherosclerosis would be of immense benefit clinically. However, quantitative measures of absolute myocardial blood flow (MBF) integrate the effects of focal epicardial stenosis, diffuse atherosclerosis, and microvascular dysfunction. In this study, MFR and relative perfusion quantification were combined to create integrated MFR (iMFR) which was evaluated using data from a large clinical registry and an international multi-center trial and validated against invasive coronary angiography (ICA). METHODS: This study included 1,044 clinical patients referred for 82Rb rest/stress positron emission tomography myocardial perfusion imaging and ICA, along with 231 patients from the Flurpiridaz 301 trial (clinicaltrials.gov NCT01347710). MFR and relative perfusion quantification were combined to create an iMFR map. The incremental value of iMFR was evaluated for diagnosis of obstructive stenosis, adjusted for patient demographics and pre-test probability of CAD. Models for high-risk anatomy (left main or three-vessel disease) were also constructed. RESULTS: iMFR parameters of focally impaired perfusion resulted in best fitting diagnostic models. Receiver-operating characteristic analysis showed a slight improvement compared to standard quantitative perfusion approaches (AUC 0.824 vs. 0.809). Focally impaired perfusion was also associated with high-risk CAD anatomy (OR 1.40 for extent, and OR 2.40 for decreasing mean MFR). Diffusely impaired perfusion was associated with lower likelihood of obstructive CAD, and, in the absence of transient ischemic dilation (TID), with lower likelihood of high-risk CAD anatomy. CONCLUSIONS: Focally impaired perfusion extent derived from iMFR assessment is a powerful incremental predictor of obstructive CAD while diffusely impaired perfusion extent can help rule out obstructive and high-risk CAD in the absence of TID.

Integrated myocardial flow reserve (iMFR) assessment: diffuse atherosclerosis and microvascular dysfunction are more strongly associated with mortality than focally impaired perfusion.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Although treatment of ischemia-causing epicardial stenoses may improve symptoms of ischemia, current evidence does not suggest that revascularization improves survival. Conventional myocardial ischemia imaging does not uniquely identify diffuse atherosclerosis, microvascular dysfunction, or nonobstructive epicardial stenoses. We sought to evaluate the prognostic value of integrated myocardial flow reserve (iMFR), a novel noninvasive approach to distinguish the perfusion impact of focal atherosclerosis from diffuse coronary disease. METHODS: This study analyzed a large single-center registry of consecutive patients clinically referred for rest-stress myocardial perfusion positron emission tomography. Cox proportional hazards modeling was used to assess the association of two previously reported and two novel perfusion measures with mortality risk: global stress myocardial blood flow (MBF); global myocardial flow reserve (MFR); and two metrics derived from iMFR analysis: the extents of focal and diffusely impaired perfusion. RESULTS: In total, 6867 patients were included with a median follow-up of 3.4 years [1st-3rd quartiles, 1.9-5.0] and 1444 deaths (21%). Although all evaluated perfusion measures were independently associated with death, diffusely impaired perfusion extent (hazard ratio 2.65, 95%C.I. [2.37-2.97]) and global MFR (HR 2.29, 95%C.I. [2.08-2.52]) were consistently stronger predictors than stress MBF (HR 1.62, 95%C.I. [1.46-1.79]). Focally impaired perfusion extent (HR 1.09, 95%C.I. [1.03-1.16]) was only moderately related to mortality. Diffusely impaired perfusion extent remained a significant independent predictor of death when combined with global MFR (p < 0.0001), providing improved risk stratification (overall net reclassification improvement 0.246, 95%C.I. [0.183-0.310]). CONCLUSIONS: The extent of diffusely impaired perfusion is a strong independent and additive marker of mortality risk beyond traditional risk factors, standard perfusion imaging, and global MFR, while focally impaired perfusion is only moderately related to mortality.

Splenic switch-off in regadenoson 82Rb-PET myocardial perfusion imaging: assessment of clinical utility.

BACKGROUND: Splenic switch-off (SSO) is a phenomenon describing a decrease in splenic radiotracer uptake after vasodilatory stress. We aimed to assess the diagnostic utility of regadenoson-induced SSO. METHODS: We included consecutive patients who had clinically indicated Regadenoson Rb-82 PET-MPI for suspected CAD. This derivation cohort (no perfusion defects and myocardial flow reserves (MFR) ≥ 2) was used to calculate the splenic response ratio (SRR). The validation cohort was defined as patients who underwent both PET-MPI studies and invasive coronary angiography (ICA). RESULTS: The derivation cohort (n = 100, 57.4 ± 11.6 years, 77% female) showed a decrease in splenic uptake from rest to stress (79.9 ± 16.8 kBq⋅mL vs 69.1 ± 16.2 kBq⋅mL, P < .001). From the validation cohort (n = 315, 66.3 ± 10.4 years, 67% male), 28% (via SRR = 0.88) and 15% (visually) were classified as splenic non-responders. MFR was lower in non-responders (SRR; 1.55 ± 0.65 vs 1.76 ± 0.78, P = .02 and visually; 1.18 ± 0.33 vs 1.79 ± 0.77, P < .001). Based on ICA, non-responders were more likely to note obstructive epicardial disease with normal PET scans especially in patients with MFR < 1.5 (SRR; 61% vs 34% P = .05 and visually; 68% vs 33%, P = .01). CONCLUSION: Lack of splenic response based on visual or quantitative assessment of SSO may be used to identify an inadequate vasodilatory response.

Fitness and Mortality Among Persons 70 Years and Older Across the Spectrum of Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factor Burden: The FIT Project.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether fitness could improve mortality risk stratification among older adults compared with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors. METHODS: We examined 6509 patients 70 years of age and older without CVD from the Henry Ford ExercIse Testing Project (FIT Project) cohort. Patients performed a physician-referred treadmill stress test between 1991 and 2009. Traditional categorical CVD risk factors (hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, and smoking) were summed from 0 to 3 or more. Fitness was grouped as low, moderate, and high (<6, 6 to 9.9, and ≥10 metabolic equivalents of task). All-cause mortality was ascertained through US Social Security Death Master files. We calculated age-adjusted mortality rates, multivariable adjusted Cox proportional hazards, and Kaplan-Meier survival models. RESULTS: Patients had a mean age of 75±4 years, and 3385 (52%) were women; during a mean follow-up of 9.4 years, there were 2526 deaths. A higher fitness level (P<.001), not lower CVD risk factor burden (P=.31), was associated with longer survival. The age-adjusted mortality rate per 1000 person-years was 56.7 for patients with low fitness and 0 risk factors compared with 24.9 for high fitness and 3 or more risk factors. Among patients with 3 or more risk factors, the adjusted mortality hazard was 0.68 (95% CI, 0.61 to 0.76) for moderate and 0.51 (95% CI, 0.44 to 0.60) for high fitness compared with the least fit. CONCLUSION: Among persons aged 70 years and older, there was no significant difference in survival of patients with 0 vs 3 or more risk factors, but a higher fitness level identified older persons with good long-term survival regardless of CVD risk factor burden.

Prevalence and predictors of cost-related medication nonadherence in individuals with cardiovascular disease: Results from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey.

Medication nonadherence is highly prevalent among patients with chronic cardiovascular disease. Poor adherence has been associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Medication cost is a major driver for medication nonadherence. Utilizing data from the 2016 to 2018 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey, we estimated the prevalence of cost-related medication nonadherence (CRMNA) among the overall population and among individuals who reported a history of diabetes, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), or hypertension. We then performed multivariable logistic regression to analyze sociodemographic factors associated with CRMNA. Our study population consisted of 142,577 individuals of whom 24% were older than 65 years, 47% were men, 66% were White, 17% Black, 35% had hypertension, 13% had diabetes mellitus, and 10% had ASCVD. CRMNA was reported in 10% of the overall population, 12% among those with hypertension, 17% among those with diabetes, and 17% among those with ASCVD. Age below 65 years, female gender, unemployment, lower income, lower educational attainment, having at least 1 comorbidity, and living in a state that did not expand Medicaid were independently associated with CRMNA. The prevalence of CRMNA increased with greater number of these high-risk sociodemographic factors. We conclude that the prevalence of CRMNA is 10% among U.S. adults overall and is higher among those with common chronic diseases. Risk factors associated with CRMNA should be addressed in order to improve adherence rates and health outcomes among high-risk individuals.

Comparative differences in the atherosclerotic disease burden between the epicardial coronary arteries: quantitative plaque analysis on coronary computed tomography angiography.

AIMS: Anatomic series commonly report the extent and severity of coronary artery disease (CAD), regardless of location. The aim of this study was to evaluate differences in atherosclerotic plaque burden and composition across the major epicardial coronary arteries. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 1271 patients (age 60 ± 9 years; 57% men) with suspected CAD prospectively underwent coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA). Atherosclerotic plaque volume was quantified with categorization by composition (necrotic core, fibrofatty, fibrous, and calcified) based on Hounsfield Unit density. Per-vessel measures were compared using generalized estimating equation models. On CCTA, total plaque volume was lowest in the LCx (10.0 ± 29.4 mm3), followed by the RCA (32.8 ± 82.7 mm3; P < 0.001), and LAD (58.6 ± 83.3 mm3; P < 0.001), even when correcting for vessel length or volume. The prevalence of ≥2 high-risk plaque features, such as positive remodelling or spotty calcification, occurred less in the LCx (3.8%) when compared with the LAD (21.4%) or RCA (10.9%, P < 0.001). In the LCx, the most stenotic lesion was categorized as largely calcified more often than in the RCA and LAD (55.3% vs. 39.4% vs. 32.7%; P < 0.001). Median diameter stenosis was also lowest in the LCx (16.2%) and highest in the LAD (21.3%; P < 0.001) and located more distal along the LCx when compared with the RCA and LAD (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Atherosclerotic plaque, irrespective of vessel volume, varied across the epicardial coronary arteries; with a significantly lower burden and different compositions in the LCx when compared with the LAD and RCA. These volumetric and compositional findings support a diverse milieu for atherosclerotic plaque development and may contribute to a varied acute coronary risk between the major epicardial coronary arteries.

Assessment of myocardial viability by PET.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Viability assessment has a key role in the management of patients with ischemic heart disease. Positron emission tomography (PET) is a unique modality that evaluates myocardial viability via assessing the tissues metabolic and perfusion properties. The mainstay of metabolic imaging relies on glucose metabolism using fluorodeoxyglucose, a radiolabeled glucose analog. Mismatch in perfusion metabolism data denotes hibernating myocardium with a high likelihood of functional recovery following revascularization. Matched absence or reduction in perfusion metabolism data represents scar with a low likelihood of functional recovery following revascularization. This review will focus on PET radiotracers and techniques used to assess myocardial viability. RECENT FINDINGS: Single-center studies have shown that patients with PET mismatch undergoing bypass grafting had improved survival compared with those on medical therapy. In addition to survival benefit, the patients who underwent PET-guided revascularization had significant improvement in angina and heart failure symptomology. Recent technological advancements in the field of PET-magnetic resonance (MR) opens a new frontier in the field of advanced imaging as it combines anatomical, functional, tissue characterization, and metabolic perfusion data obtained in one setting. The incremental value of PET/MRI is best established in diagnosing and monitoring disease activity in patients with cardiac sarcoidosis and occult malignancies, but more studies are needed to assess it value in viability assessment. SUMMARY: In conclusion, imaging myocardial viability by PET provides assessment of both physiological perfusion and myocardial tissue's metabolic activity to differentiate hibernating from scarred myocardium.

Prognostic Significance of Nonobstructive Left Main Coronary Artery Disease in Women Versus Men: Long-Term Outcomes From the CONFIRM (Coronary CT Angiography Evaluation For Clinical Outcomes: An International Multicenter) Registry.

BACKGROUND: Patients with obstructive (≥50% stenosis) left main (LM) coronary artery disease (CAD) are at high risk for adverse events; prior studies have also documented worse outcomes among women than men with severe multivessel/LM CAD. However, the prognostic significance of nonobstructive (1%-49% stenosis) LM CAD, including sex-specific differences, has not been previously examined. METHODS AND RESULTS: In the long-term CONFIRM (Coronary CT Angiography Evaluation For Clinical Outcomes: An International Multicenter) registry, patients underwent elective coronary computed tomographic angiography for suspected CAD and were followed for 5 years. After excluding those with obstructive LM CAD, 5166 patients were categorized as having normal LM or nonobstructive LM (18% of cohort). Cumulative 5-year incidence of death, myocardial infarction, or revascularization was higher among patients with nonobstructive LM than normal LM in both women and men: women (34.3% versus 15.4%; P<0.0001); men (24.6% versus 18.2%; P<0.0001). A significant interaction existed between sex and LM status for the composite outcome (P=0.001). In multivariable Cox regression, the presence of nonobstructive LM plaque increased the risk for the composite outcome in women (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.48; P=0.005) but not in men (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.98, P=0.806). In subgroup analysis, women with nonobstructive LM CAD had a nearly 80% higher risk for events than men with nonobstructive LM CAD (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.78; P=0.017); sex-specific interactions were not observed across other patterns (eg, location or extent) of nonobstructive plaque. CONCLUSION: Nonobstructive LM CAD was frequently detected on coronary computed tomographic angiography and strongly associated with adverse events among women. Recognizing the sex-specific prognostic significance of nonobstructive LM plaque may augment risk stratification efforts.

Assessment of myocardial blood flow and coronary flow reserve with positron emission tomography in ischemic heart disease: current state and future directions.

Positron emission tomography (PET) is a versatile imaging technology that allows assessment of myocardial perfusion, both at a spatially relative scale and also in absolute terms, thereby enabling noninvasive evaluation of myocardial blood flow (MBF) and coronary flow reserve (CFR). Assessment of MBF using FDA-approved PET isotopes, such as 82Rb and 13N-ammonia, has been well validated, and several software packages are currently available, thereby allowing for MBF evaluation to be incorporated into routine workflow in contemporary nuclear laboratories. Incremental diagnostic and prognostic information provided with the knowledge of MBF has the potential for widespread applications. Improving the ability to identify the true burden of obstructive epicardial coronary stenoses and allowing for noninvasive assessment of coronary micro circulatory function can be achieved with MBF assessment. On the other hand, attenuated CFR has been shown to predict adverse cardiovascular prognosis in a variety of clinical settings and patient subgroups. With expanding applications of MBF, this tool promises to provide unique insight into the integrity of the entire coronary vascular bed beyond what is currently available with relative perfusion assessment. This review intends to provide an in-depth discussion of technical and clinical aspects of MBF assessment with PET as it relates to patients with ischemic heart disease.

Rationale and design of the coronary artery calcium consortium: A multicenter cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Although coronary artery calcium (CAC) has been investigated for over two decades, there is very limited data on the association of CAC with cause of death. The CAC Consortium is a large ongoing multi-center observational cohort of individuals who underwent non-contrast cardiac-gated CAC testing and systematic, prospective, long-term follow-up for mortality with ascertainment of cause of death. METHODS: Four participating institutions from three states within the US (California, Minnesota, and Ohio) have contributed individual-level patient data to the CAC Consortium (spanning years 1991-2010). All CAC scans were clinically indicated and physician-referred in patients without a known history of coronary heart disease. Using strict inclusion and exclusion criteria to minimize missing data and to eliminate non-dedicated CAC scans (i.e. concomitant CT angiography), a sharply defined and well-characterized cohort of 66,636 patients was assembled. Mortality status was ascertained using the Social Security Administration Death Master File and a validated algorithm. In addition, death certificates were obtained from the National Death Index and categorized using ICD (International Classification of Diseases) codes into common causes of death. RESULTS: Mean patient age was 54 ± 11 years and the majority were male (67%). Prevalence of CVD risk factors was similar across sites and 55% had a <5% estimated 10-year atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk. Approximately 45% had a Calcium score of 0 and 11% had an Agatston Score ≥400. Over a mean follow-up of 12 ± 4 years, there were 3158 deaths (4.15 per 1000 person-years). The majority of deaths were due to cancer (37%) and CVD (32%). Most CVD deaths were due to CHD (54%) followed by stroke (17%). In general, CAC score distributions were similar across sites, and there were similar cause of death patterns. CONCLUSIONS: The CAC Consortium is large and highly generalizable data set that is uniquely positioned to expand the understanding of CAC as a predictor of mortality risk across the spectrum of disease states, allowing innovative modeling of the competing risks of cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular death.

Predictors of delayed pre-hospital presentation among patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: Early treatment of ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is essential to improve survival of these patients. However, not all patients present early enough to receive optimal treatment especially in third world countries. Social factors affecting early vs. late treatment have not been studied, particularly in the Middle East. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine the social factors associated with delayed presentation of STEMI patients. METHODS: All patients with STEMI presenting to King Abdulaziz Cardiac Center (KACC) between October 2013 and July 2014 were approached. After obtaining consent, patients were interviewed regarding their psychosocial circumstances using a standardized questionnaire. Their medical charts were also reviewed for further clinical data. Patients were divided according to their symptom-to-door time into early ( ≤ 6h) and late (>6h) presentation and group comparisons were conducted. RESULTS: A total of 79 patients were enrolled, of which 24 patients (30%) presented late. Patients with increased symptom-to-door time had higher prevalence of diabetes (40% vs. 79.2%, p = 0.001), hypertension (43.6% vs. 70.8%, p = 0.023), and dyslipidemia (23.6% vs. 54.2%, p = 0.009). Most of the late presenters did not undergo primary coronary intervention (72.7% vs. 47.8%, P = 0.034) and had less prior information about myocardial infarction (43.6% vs. 25%, P = 0.023). Late presenters were more often illiterates and lived most often far away from the hospital. Using multivariate logistic regression; dyslipidemia was the only independent predictor for the late hospital presentation for STEMI patients. CONCLUSION: One third of patients with STEMI present more than six hours after symptom onset; these patients have a higher prevalence of coronary risk factors and less information about STEMI. Programs should be designed to educate patients and the general public about the symptoms of STEMI and the necessary action to be taken if a heart attack is suspected.

Sex Differences in Cardiorespiratory Fitness and All-Cause Mortality: The Henry Ford ExercIse Testing (FIT) Project.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether sex modifies the relationship between fitness and mortality. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We included 57,284 patients without coronary artery disease or heart failure who completed a routine treadmill exercise test between 1991 and 2009. We determined metabolic equivalent tasks (METs) and linked patient records with mortality data via the Social Security Death Index. Multivariable Cox regression was used to determine the association between sex, fitness, and all-cause mortality. RESULTS: There were 29,470 men (51.4%) and 27,814 women (48.6%) with mean ages of 53 and 54 years, respectively. Overall, men achieved 1.7 METs higher than women (P<.001). During median follow-up of 10 years, there were 6402 deaths. The mortality rate for men in each MET group was similar to that for women, who achieved an average of 2.6 METs lower (P=.004). Fitness was inversely associated with mortality in both men (hazard ratio [HR], 0.84 per 1 MET; 95% CI, 0.83-0.85) and women (HR, 0.83 per 1 MET; 95% CI, 0.81-0.84). This relationship did not plateau at high or low MET values. CONCLUSION: Although men demonstrated 1.7 METs higher than women, their survival was equivalent to that of women demonstrating 2.6 METs lower. Furthermore, higher MET values were associated with lower mortality for both men and women across the range of MET values. These findings are useful for tailoring prognostic information and lifestyle guidance to men and women undergoing stress testing.

Relation of resting heart rate to risk for all-cause mortality by gender after considering exercise capacity (the Henry Ford exercise testing project).

Whether resting heart rate (RHR) predicts mortality independent of fitness is not well established, particularly among women. We analyzed data from 56,634 subjects (49% women) without known coronary artery disease or atrial fibrillation who underwent a clinically indicated exercise stress test. Baseline RHR was divided into 5 groups with <60 beats/min as reference. The Social Security Death Index was used to ascertain vital status. Cox hazard models were performed to determine the association of RHR with all-cause mortality, major adverse cardiovascular events, myocardial infarction, or revascularization after sequential adjustment for demographics, cardiovascular disease risk factors, medications, and fitness (metabolic equivalents). The mean age was 53 ± 12 years and mean RHR was 73 ± 12 beats/min. More than half of the participants were referred for chest pain; 81% completed an adequate stress test and mean metabolic equivalents achieved was 9.2 ± 3. There were 6,255 deaths over 11.0-year mean follow-up. There was an increased risk of all-cause mortality with increasing RHR (p trend <0.001). Compared with the lowest RHR group, participants with an RHR ≥90 beats/min had a significantly increased risk of mortality even after adjustment for fitness (hazard ratio 1.22, 95% confidence interval 1.10 to 1.35). This relationship remained significant for men, but not significant for women after adjustment for fitness (p interaction <0.001). No significant associations were seen for men or women with major adverse cardiovascular events, myocardial infarction, or revascularization after accounting for fitness. In conclusion, after adjustment for fitness, elevated RHR was an independent risk factor for all-cause mortality in men but not women, suggesting gender differences in the utility of RHR for risk stratification.

The new "intermediate risk" group: a comparative analysis of the new 2013 ACC/AHA risk assessment guidelines versus prior guidelines in men.

BACKGROUND: The 2013 ACC/AHA Report on the Assessment of Cardiovascular (CVD) Risk redefined "intermediate risk". We sought to critically compare the intermediate risk groups identified by prior guidelines and the new ACC/AHA guidelines. METHODS: We analyzed data from 30,005 adult men free of known CVD from a large, multi-ethnic study of middle-aged adults. The Framingham Risk Score was calculated using published equations, and CVD risk was calculated using the new ACC/AHA Pooled Cohort Equations Risk Estimator. We first compared the size and characteristics of the intermediate risk group identified by the old (ATP III, 10-20% 10-year CHD risk) and new guidelines (5-7.4% 10-year CVD risk). We then defined time-to-high-risk as the length of time an individual patient resides in the intermediate risk group before progressing to high risk status based on advancing age alone. RESULTS: The mean age of the study population was 53 ± 13 years, and 24% were African-American. Patients identified as intermediate risk by the new ACC/AHA Guidelines were younger and more likely to be African-American and have lower risk factor burden (all p < 0.05). The new intermediate risk group was just 37% the size of the traditional ATP III intermediate risk group, while the new high risk group was 103% larger. Under the new guidelines, men remain intermediate risk for an average of just 3 years, compared to 8 years under the prior guidelines (63% shorter time-to-high-risk, p < 0.05), before progressing to high risk based on advancing age alone. CONCLUSION: The new 2013 ACC/AHA risk assessment guidelines produce a markedly smaller, lower absolute risk, and more temporary "intermediate risk" group. These findings reshape the modern understanding of "intermediate risk", and have distinct implications for risk assessment, clinical decision making, and pharmacotherapy in primary prevention.

A systematic review of internet-based worksite wellness approaches for cardiovascular disease risk management: outcomes, challenges & opportunities.

CONTEXT: The internet is gaining popularity as a means of delivering employee-based cardiovascular (CV) wellness interventions though little is known about the cardiovascular health outcomes of these programs. In this review, we examined the effectiveness of internet-based employee cardiovascular wellness and prevention programs. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: We conducted a systematic review by searching PubMed, Web of Science and Cochrane library for all published studies on internet-based programs aimed at improving CV health among employees up to November 2012. We grouped the outcomes according to the American Heart Association (AHA) indicators of cardiovascular wellbeing--weight, BP, lipids, smoking, physical activity, diet, and blood glucose. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: A total of 18 randomized trials and 11 follow-up studies met our inclusion/exclusion criteria. Follow-up duration ranged from 6-24 months. There were significant differences in intervention types and number of components in each intervention. Modest improvements were observed in more than half of the studies with weight related outcomes while no improvement was seen in virtually all the studies with physical activity outcome. In general, internet-based programs were more successful if the interventions also included some physical contact and environmental modification, and if they were targeted at specific disease entities such as hypertension. Only a few of the studies were conducted in persons at-risk for CVD, none in blue-collar workers or low-income earners. CONCLUSION: Internet based programs hold promise for improving the cardiovascular wellness among employees however much work is required to fully understand its utility and long term impact especially in special/at-risk populations.

Gender differences in coronary plaque composition and burden detected in symptomatic patients referred for coronary computed tomographic angiography.

We assessed gender differences in coronary plaque burden and composition amongst symptomatic patients referred for coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA). Over all, 916 symptomatic patients who were referred for a clinically indicated CCTA were included in the study. CCTAs were interpreted on a per-segment basis for plaque composition (non-calcified, calcified, or mixed) and stenosis severity. A stenosis of ≥50 % was considered obstructive coronary artery disease. Among 916 patients, 498 (54.3 %) patients were women. Obstructive stenosis was found in 11 % of women compared to 21 % of men (p < 0.0001). Men had significantly higher plaque prevalence, 67.9 % versus 51.6 % in women (unadjusted OR 1.98; 95 % CI, 1.51-2.60). This remained significant after adjusting for age and potential confounders (adjusted OR 2.96; 95 % CI, 2.01-4.36). A similar relationship existed for all three plaque subtypes. Men were also more likely to have mixed plaque burden (adjusted OR 1.24; 95 % CI, 1.08-1.43) than women without any significant differences in regards to the other plaque sub-types. In conclusion, symptomatic women have a lower prevalence of obstructive coronary artery disease and are less likely to have mixed coronary plaque compared to symptomatic men. Future studies are needed to determine the prognostic implications of these findings.

The role of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in the assessment of non-ischemic cardiomyopathy.

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) plays an increasing role in the assessment of patients with various cardiovascular disorders. Given its enhanced spatial resolution, improved tissue characterization, and lack of ionizing radiation, it has become the test of choice in the evaluation of patients with new-onset cardiomyopathy of unknown etiology. In this paper, we will review the role of CMR in the evaluation of patients with various types of non-ischemic cardiomyopathy.