Clinical and electrocardiographic correlates of myocardial dysfunction after COVID-19 in nonhospitalised patients in long-term follow-up. Data from the polish long-covid cardiovascular study.

Clinical evidence indicates that COVID-19 is a multiorgan disease that significantly impacts the cardiovascular system. However, little is known about the predictors of myocardial dysfunction after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Therefore, this research aimed to evaluate the clinical and electrocardiographic correlates of myocardial dysfunction after SARS-CoV-2 infection in nonhospitalised patients without previously diagnosed cardiovascular disease. This observational study included 448 patients selected from the database of 4142 patients in the Polish Long-Covid Cardiovascular study. All patients underwent a 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG); 24-h Holter ECG monitoring, 24/7 ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, echocardiography, and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. According to the results of diagnostic tests, patients were divided into two groups depending on the occurrence of myocardial dysfunction after COVID-19. Group 1-without myocardial dysfunction after COVID-19-consisted of 419 patients, with a mean age of 48.82 (SD ± 11.91), and Group 2 (29 patients)-with myocardial dysfunction after COVID-19, with a mean age of 51.45 (SD ± 12.92). When comparing the analysed groups, there were significantly more men in Group 2 (p = 0.006). QRS (corresponds to the time of ventricular contraction in an electrocardiographic examination) fragmentation (p = 0.031), arrhythmias (atrial fibrillation, supraventricular extrasystole, ventricular extrasystole) (p = 0.008), and male gender (p = 0.007) were independently associated with myocardial dysfunction after COVID-19. The study showed that myocardial damage after COVID-19 affects men more often and is independent of typical clinical factors and the severity of the disease course. The QRS fragmentation and arrhythmias observed in the ECG indicate the possibility of myocardial dysfunction in patients after COVID-19, which may be a valuable marker for physicians.

Prognostic value of stress echocardiography assessed by the ABCDE protocol.

AIM: The aim of this study was to assess the prognostic value of ABCDE-SE in a prospective, large scale, multicentre, international, effectiveness study. Stress echocardiography (SE) was recently upgraded to the ABCDE protocol: step A, regional wall motion abnormalities; step B, B lines; step C, left ventricular contractile reserve; step D, Doppler-based coronary flow velocity reserve in left anterior descending coronary artery; and step E, electrocardiogram-based heart rate reserve. METHODS AND RESULTS: From July 2016 to November 2020, we enrolled 3574 all-comers (age 65 ± 11 years, 2070 males, 58%; ejection fraction 60 ± 10%) with known or suspected chronic coronary syndromes referred from 13 certified laboratories. All patients underwent clinically indicated ABCDE-SE. The employed stress modality was exercise (n = 952, with semi-supine bike, n = 887, or treadmill, n = 65 with adenosine for step D) or pharmacological stress (n = 2622, with vasodilator, n = 2151; or dobutamine, n = 471). SE response ranged from score 0 (all steps normal) to score 5 (all steps abnormal). All-cause death was the only endpoint. Rate of abnormal results was 16% for A, 30% for B, 36% for C, 28% for D, and 37% for E steps. During a median follow-up of 21 months (interquartile range: 13-36), 73 deaths occurred. Global X2 was 49.5 considering clinical variables, 50.7 after step A only (P = NS (not significant)) and 80.6 after B-E steps (P < 0.001 vs. step A). Annual mortality rate ranged from 0.4% person-year for score 0 up to 2.7% person-year for score 5. CONCLUSION: ABCDE-SE allows an effective prediction of survival in patients with chronic coronary syndromes.

No effects of cardiac resynchronization therapy and right ventricular pacing on the right ventricle in patients with heart failure and atrial fibrillation.

BACKGROUND: The right ventricle (RV) function is crucial in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), especially in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Aims. To assess the RV structure and function in patients with HFrEF, permanent atrial fibrillation (AF), cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) and RV pacing (RVp) with two- and three-dimensional echocardiography. Methods. Patients with ischemic HFrEF (NYHA II-III; LVEF ≤40%) were enrolled. The studied groups were: sinus rhythm (SR, control); AF and no implanted devices - AF/0; AF and CRT - AF/CRT; AF and RVp - AF/RVp. Two- and three-dimensional echocardiographic parameters of RV structure and function were analyzed in study groups. Results. The study included a group of 126 patients: n = 32 with SR, n = 28 with AF/0, n = 25 with AF/CRT and n = 41 with AF/RVp. Results were worse in AF groups than in SR: right ventricular ejection fraction, %, mean (SD): SR - 48.2 (7.5), AF/0 - 36.5 (6.5), AF/CRT - 38.3 (7.6), AF/RVp - 37.1 (7.7), p < .001. Other parameters lower in AF groups than in SR were: RV end-systolic volume, longitudinal strain of the free wall and tricuspid lateral annular systolic velocity. There were no differences between groups with AF and CRT and RV pacing in other analyzed parameters between AF groups and SR. Conclusions. In heart failure with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction and atrial fibrillation right ventricular pacing and cardiac resynchronization therapy were not associated with modified right ventricular function. Further prospective studies are needed to evaluate prognostic significance of these results.

A multicentric quality-control study of exercise Doppler echocardiography of the right heart and the pulmonary circulation. The RIGHT Heart International NETwork (RIGHT-NET).

PURPOSE: This study was a quality-control study of resting and exercise Doppler echocardiography (EDE) variables measured by 19 echocardiography laboratories with proven experience participating in the RIGHT Heart International NETwork. METHODS: All participating investigators reported the requested variables from ten randomly selected exercise stress tests. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were calculated to evaluate the inter-observer agreement with the core laboratory. Inter-observer variability of resting and peak exercise tricuspid regurgitation velocity (TRV), right ventricular outflow tract acceleration time (RVOT Act), tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE), tissue Doppler tricuspid lateral annular systolic velocity (S'), right ventricular fractional area change (RV FAC), left ventricular outflow tract velocity time integral (LVOT VTI), mitral inflow pulsed wave Doppler velocity (E), diastolic mitral annular velocity by TDI (e') and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) were measured. RESULTS: The accuracy of 19 investigators for all variables ranged from 99.7 to 100%. ICC was > 0.90 for all observers. Inter-observer variability for resting and exercise variables was for TRV = 3.8 to 2.4%, E = 5.7 to 8.3%, e' = 6 to 6.5%, RVOT Act = 9.7 to 12, LVOT VTI = 7.4 to 9.6%, S' = 2.9 to 2.9% and TAPSE = 5.3 to 8%. Moderate inter-observer variability was found for resting and peak exercise RV FAC (15 to 16%). LVEF revealed lower resting and peak exercise variability of 7.6 and 9%. CONCLUSIONS: When performed in expert centers EDE is a reproducible tool for the assessment of the right heart and the pulmonary circulation.

Psoriasis and Atherosclerosis-Skin, Joints, and Cardiovascular Story of Two Plaques in Relation to the Treatment with Biologics.

It is known that both psoriasis (PSO) limited to the skin and psoriatic arthritis (PSA) increase the risk of cardiovascular complications and atherosclerosis progression by inducing systemic inflammatory response. In recent decades, the introduction of biological medications directed initially against TNF-α and, later, different targets in the inflammatory cascade brought a significant breakthrough in the efficacy of PSO/PSA treatment. In this review, we present and discuss the most recent findings related to the interplay between the genetics and immunology mechanisms involved in PSO and PSA, atherosclerosis and the development of cardiac dysfunction, as well as the current PSO/PSA treatment in view of cardiovascular safety and prognosis.

N-Terminal Pro-Brain Natriuretic Peptide and Right Ventricular Diameter Are Related to Aspirin Resistance in Coronary Artery Disease Patients.

Background and Objectives: Resistance to ASA (ASAres) is a multifactorial phenomenon defined as insufficient reduction of platelet reactivity through incomplete inhibition of thromboxane A2 synthesis. The aim is to reassess the prevalence and predictors of ASAres in a contemporary cohort of coronary artery disease (CAD) patients (pts) on stable therapy with ASA, 75 mg o.d. Materials and Methods: We studied 205 patients with stable CAD treated with daily dose of 75 mg ASA for a minimum of one month. ASAres was defined as ARU (aspirin reaction units) ≥550 using the point-of-care VerifyNow Aspirin test. Results: ASAres was detected in 11.7% of patients. Modest but significant correlations were detected between ARU and concentration of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) (r = 0.144; p = 0.04), body weight, body mass index, red blood cell distribution width, left ventricular mass, and septal end-systolic thickness, with trends for left ventricular mass index and prothrombin time. In multivariate regression analysis, log(NT-proBNP) was identified as the only independent predictor of ARU-partial r = 0.15, p = 0.03. Median concentrations of NT-proBNP were significantly higher in ASAres patients (median value 311.4 vs. 646.3 pg/mL; p = 0.046) and right ventricular diameter was larger, whereas mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration was lower as compared to patients with adequate response to ASA. Conclusions: ASAres has significant prevalence in this contemporary CAD cohort and NT-proBNP has been identified as the independent correlate of on-treatment ARU, representing a predictor for ASAres, along with right ventricular enlargement and lower hemoglobin concentration in erythrocytes.

Cardiac remodeling after large ST-elevation myocardial infarction in the current therapeutic era.

BACKGROUND: The evolution and clinical impact of cardiac remodeling after large ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is not well delineated in the current therapeutic era. METHODS: The PRESERVATION I trial longitudinally assessed cardiac structure and function in STEMI patients receiving primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Echocardiograms were performed immediately post-PCI and at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months after STEMI. The extent of cardiac remodeling was assessed in patients with ejection fraction (EF) ≤ 40% after PCI. Patients were stratified by the presence or absence of reverse remodeling, defined as an increase in end-diastolic volume (EDV) of ≤10 mL or decrease in EDV at 1 month, and evaluated for an association with adverse events at 1 year. RESULTS: Of the 303 patients with large STEMI enrolled in PRESERVATION I, 225 (74%) had at least moderately reduced systolic function (mean EF 32 ±â€¯5%) immediately after primary PCI. In the following year, there were significant increases in EF and LV volumes, with the greatest magnitude of change occurring in the first month. At 1 month, 104 patients (46%) demonstrated reverse remodeling, which was associated with a significantly lower rate of death, recurrent myocardial infarction and repeat cardiovascular hospitalization at 1 year (HR 0.44; 95% CI: 0.19-0.99). CONCLUSION: Reduced EF after large STEMI and primary PCI is common in the current therapeutic era. The first month following primary reperfusion is a critical period during which the greatest degree of cardiac remodeling occurs. Patients demonstrating early reverse remodeling have a significantly lower rate of adverse events in the year after STEMI.

Arrhythmic manifestation of peripartum cardiomyopathy-Case report.

We report a case of 26-year-old woman, with arrhythmic manifestation of peripartum cardiomyopathy with moderate heart failure. Ventricular arrhythmia recorded in ambulatory Holter ECG (premature ventricular contractions) was most severe during pregnancy, reduced when beta-blocker therapy was initiated and almost completely resolved after delivery. Then, 1 year after hospitalization in Cardiology Department, recurrence was observed with recorded short episode of nonsustained ventricular tachycardia.

Right ventricular lead induced ventricular arrhythmia-A rare complication of cardiac resynchronization therapy.

BACKGROUND: A 53-year-old male with heart failure secondary to anterior wall myocardial infarction treated with cardiac resynchronization-defibrillator (CRT-D) device presented with ventricular arrhythmia: repetitive incessant slow ventricular tachycardias (VT) below the CRT-D detection zone, accelerated ventricular rhythm, and numerous premature ventricular ectopic beats (ExV), resulting in loss of biventricular pacing. METHODS AND RESULTS: Nonsustained monomorphic VT (nsVT) and ExV were observed in an electrocardiogram under biventricular stimulation. During noninvasive CRT-D programming, ventricular bigeminy reproducibly recurred only at right ventricular (RV) pacing and its morphology was almost identical to the stimulated beats. The left ventricular (LV) pacing failed to induce ventricular ectopy or tachycardia. CONCLUSIONS: This unusual case shows a rare phenomenon of late proarrhythmic effect due to the RV lead pacing-a new finding reported only in a few publications. Here we present our approach to CRT programming that suppressed the clinical arrhythmia without the need of catheter ablation and achieving the high biventricular pacing capture rate along with optimal hemodynamic CRT-D performance.

Diagnostic utility of two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography to identify ischemic etiology of left ventricular systolic dysfunction.

BACKGROUND: The differentiation between dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and systolic dysfunction caused by coronary artery disease (CAD) based on clinical and echocardiographic presentation can be difficult in some cases. AIM: Our study aimed to define differences in myocardial function between patients with ischemic and nonischemic etiology of reduced left ventricular ejection fraction using 2D speckle tracking echocardiography (STE). MATERIAL AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 90 patients (mean age 65 ± 11 years, 70% male) with de novo diagnosed reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (≤45% as determined by the transthoracic echocardiography), who were referred for coronary angiography to determine the presence of significant CAD. On the basis of coronary angiography results, patients were divided into two subgroups as follows: 45 subjects with significant CAD (group A) and 45 subjects without CAD (group B). Acquired transthoracic echocardiographic images were assessed off-line using 2DSTE. In each patient, we calculated arithmetic mean, median value, and standard deviation of regional longitudinal strain and strain rate of 18 left ventricular segments. RESULTS: Standard deviation of the regional peak early diastolic strain rate was significantly higher in group A than in group B (P = 0.01). The cutoff value with the highest diagnostic value was >0.37/s-its sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of CAD were 73% and 53%, respectively. The remaining parameters did not differ significantly between the study groups. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with systolic dysfunction resulting from CAD have significantly more heterogeneous regional longitudinal early diastolic strain rate assessed by 2DSTE than patients with DCM.

Echocardiography in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a devastating disease which can result in right heart (RH) failure and death. Herein, we discuss the current clinical applications of echocardiography in PAH. RECENT FINDINGS: Advanced echocardiographic techniques (strain, strain rate, 2D-speckle tracking strain, and three-dimensional echocardiography) may reveal in the near future additional important insights into RH structure and function. Although right-heart catheterization is mandatory for a definitive diagnosis, echocardiography (resting and exercise) represents a key noninvasive imaging test on the diagnostic-prognostic-therapeutic PAH algorithm.

Present criteria for prophylactic ICD implantation: Insights from the EU-CERT-ICD (Comparative Effectiveness Research to Assess the Use of Primary ProphylacTic Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators in EUrope) project.

BACKGROUND: The clinical effectiveness of primary prevention implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) therapy is under debate. It is urgently needed to better identify patients who benefit from prophylactic ICD therapy. The EUropean Comparative Effectiveness Research to Assess the Use of Primary ProphylacTic Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators (EU-CERT-ICD) completed in 2019 will assess this issue. SUMMARY: The EU-CERT-ICD is a prospective investigator-initiated non-randomized, controlled, multicenter observational cohort study done in 44 centers across 15 European countries. A total of 2327 patients with heart failure due to ischemic heart disease or dilated cardiomyopathy indicated for primary prophylactic ICD implantation were recruited between 2014 and 2018 (>1500 patients at first ICD implantation, >750 patients non-randomized non-ICD control group). The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality, and first appropriate shock was co-primary endpoint. At baseline, all patients underwent 12­lead ECG and Holter-ECG analysis using multiple advanced methods for risk stratification as well as documentation of clinical characteristics and laboratory values. The EU-CERT-ICD data will provide much needed information on the survival benefit of preventive ICD therapy and expand on previous prospective risk stratification studies which showed very good applicability of clinical parameters and advanced risk stratifiers in order to define patient subgroups with above or below average ICD benefit. CONCLUSION: The EU-CERT-ICD study will provide new and current data about effectiveness of primary prophylactic ICD implantation. The study also aims for improved risk stratification and patient selection using clinical risk markers in general, and advanced ECG risk markers in particular.

A questionnaire-based, multicenter registry of resistant and pseudo-resistant arterial

Introduction: Hypertensive patients with poor blood pressure (BP) control are commonly referred to tertiary centers with a diagnosis of resistant hypertension (RH). The aim of the study was to identify the causes of insufficient BP control and to assess the incidence of true resistant hypertension. Material and Methods: We ran a questionnaire-based, multicenter study (10 high volume tertiary centers in Poland) of patients referred with an initial diagnosis of RH. Only patients with ABPM-confirmed uncontrolled hypertension (systolic ≥140 mmHg and/or diastolic ≥90mmHg despite maximal doses of ≥3 medications, including a diuretic) were included. We assessed the causes of non-optimal BP control, a proportion of patients with excluded secondary hypertension, and the burden of hypertension-related complications. Results: We analyzed 124 patients aged 41-88, with a history of hypertension of 17.5±9 years. 90% of them had developed systemic complications, the most common being LV hypertrophy (73.4%) and LV diastolic dysfunction (63.4%). In only 47% all major causes of secondary hypertension were excluded. In 90.3% of subjects, at least one factor affecting BP control was identified. The most frequent factors were medication noncompliance (52.4%), metabolic syndrome (43.6%) excessive sodium intake (66.1%) and chronic administration of non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (40%). The incidence of real resistant hypertension was only 4.8%. Conclusions: Among patients referred with uncontrolled hypertension, the incidence of real resistant hypertension is small. A majority of these patients have multiple factors potentially responsible for poor BP control, the most common being medication non-adherence, use of drugs increasing BP, excessive salt intake and metabolic syndrome.

Quality control of B-lines analysis in stress Echo 2020.

BACKGROUND: The effectiveness trial "Stress echo (SE) 2020" evaluates novel applications of SE in and beyond coronary artery disease. The core protocol also includes 4-site simplified scan of B-lines by lung ultrasound, useful to assess pulmonary congestion. PURPOSE: To provide web-based upstream quality control and harmonization of B-lines reading criteria. METHODS: 60 readers (all previously accredited for regional wall motion, 53 B-lines naive) from 52 centers of 16 countries of SE 2020 network read a set of 20 lung ultrasound video-clips selected by the Pisa lab serving as reference standard, after taking an obligatory web-based learning 2-h module ( http://se2020.altervista.org ). Each test clip was scored for B-lines from 0 (black lung, A-lines, no B-lines) to 10 (white lung, coalescing B-lines). The diagnostic gold standard was the concordant assessment of two experienced readers of the Pisa lab. The answer of the reader was considered correct if concordant with reference standard reading ±1 (for instance, reference standard reading of 5 B-lines; correct answer 4, 5, or 6). The a priori determined pass threshold was 18/20 (≥ 90%) with R value (intra-class correlation coefficient) between reference standard and recruiting center) > 0.90. Inter-observer agreement was assessed with intra-class correlation coefficient statistics. RESULTS: All 60 readers were successfully accredited: 26 (43%) on first, 24 (40%) on second, and 10 (17%) on third attempt. The average diagnostic accuracy of the 60 accredited readers was 95%, with R value of 0.95 compared to reference standard reading. The 53 B-lines naive scored similarly to the 7 B-lines expert on first attempt (90 versus 95%, p = NS). Compared to the step-1 of quality control for regional wall motion abnormalities, the mean reading time per attempt was shorter (17 ± 3 vs 29 ± 12 min, p < .01), the first attempt success rate was higher (43 vs 28%, p < 0.01), and the drop-out of readers smaller (0 vs 28%, p < .01). CONCLUSIONS: Web-based learning is highly effective for teaching and harmonizing B-lines reading. Echocardiographers without previous experience with B-lines learn quickly.

Bicuspid aortic valve morphology and its impact on aortic diameters-A systematic review with meta-analysis and meta-regression.

AIM: To evaluate the impact of the 2 most common bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) morphology patterns [right-left (RL) vs right-noncoronary (RN) cusp fusion] on the aortic diameters and the impact of gender, aortic stenosis (AS), aortic regurgitation (AR), and age on the observed effects. METHODS: The PubMed databases was searched up to December 31, 2016 to identify studies investigating the morphology of BAV and aortic diameters. Inclusion criteria were as follows: the data on diameter of sinuses of Valsalva (SVD) and/or ascending aorta (AAD) and BAV morphology. The additional characteristics [gender, AS and AR (% of patients with moderate or severe AS/AR) and mean age] were collected to perform a meta-regression analysis. RESULTS: A total of 12 studies with 2192 patients with indexed AAD, 15 studies with 3104 patients with nonindexed AAD and 8 studies with 1271 patients with indexed SVD, and 16 studies with 3454 patients with nonindexed SVD were included. There was no difference between RL and RN group in indexed/nonindexed AAD-mean difference (MD): 0.06 mm/m2 (95% CI: -0.65 to 0.77 mm/m2 , P = .87) and -0.06 mm (95% CI: 1.10-0.97 mm, P = .91). Differently, the RL BAV was associated with larger indexed/nonindexed SVD than RN phenotype-MD: 1.66 mm/m2 (95% CI: 0.83-2.49 mm/m2 , P < .001) and 2.03 mm (95% CI: 0.97-3.09 mm, P < .001). Age, gender, AS, and AR had no influence on observed differences. CONCLUSIONS: RL BAV phenotype is associated with larger SVD than RN BAV, and the observed differences are independent from aortic valve dysfunction degree, age, and gender.

Incremental value of left atrial mechanical dispersion over CHA2 DS2 -VASc score in predicting risk of thrombus formation.

PURPOSE: To assess the potential ability of two-dimensional speckle tracking analysis (STE) during atrial fibrillation (AF) to identify patients with LA appendage thrombi (LAAT). METHODS: This study involved 93 patients with AF (39% female, 67.1 ± 9.5 years) who were referred for a clinical indication for transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). TEE revealed LAAT in 39 (42%) patients. We analyzed standard parameters of the left ventricle (LV) and LA in transthoracic echocardiography. Using STE, we assessed LV global longitudinal strain (LVGLS), peak atrial longitudinal strain (PALS), and intra-atrial asynchrony. The PALS was calculated using the global strain curve (GPALS) and as the mean of peaks derived from segmental strain curves (MPALS). RESULTS: Patients were comparable with regard to the clinical data. A subgroup with LAAT had lower LV ejection fraction (LVEF) and a lower absolute value of the LVGLS, as well as greater impairment in the LA standard parameters, PALS, and asynchrony. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed that the LVEF of 30% (P < .001), the LVGLS of -7% (P < .0001), the GPALS of 11% (P < .005), and the LA asynchrony of 22% (P < .01) were the optimal cutoff values for distinguishing both subgroups. LA asynchrony, LVEF, and LVGLS were independently associated with the presence of LAAT in multivariate analyses, and PALS had additional significance over the CHA2 DS2 -VASc score. CONCLUSIONS: Left ventricular systolic dysfunction characterized by both LVEF and LVGLS is an independent factor for LAAT. LA asynchrony provides additional diagnostic value for discriminating between patients with and without LAAT.

Cardiopoietic cell therapy for advanced ischaemic heart failure: results at 39 weeks of the prospective, randomized, double blind, sham-controlled CHART-1 clinical trial.

AIMS: Cardiopoietic cells, produced through cardiogenic conditioning of patients' mesenchymal stem cells, have shown preliminary efficacy. The Congestive Heart Failure Cardiopoietic Regenerative Therapy (CHART-1) trial aimed to validate cardiopoiesis-based biotherapy in a larger heart failure cohort. METHODS AND RESULTS: This multinational, randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled study was conducted in 39 hospitals. Patients with symptomatic ischaemic heart failure on guideline-directed therapy (n = 484) were screened; n = 348 underwent bone marrow harvest and mesenchymal stem cell expansion. Those achieving > 24 million mesenchymal stem cells (n = 315) were randomized to cardiopoietic cells delivered endomyocardially with a retention-enhanced catheter (n = 157) or sham procedure (n = 158). Procedures were performed as randomized in 271 patients (n = 120 cardiopoietic cells, n = 151 sham). The primary efficacy endpoint was a Finkelstein-Schoenfeld hierarchical composite (all-cause mortality, worsening heart failure, Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire score, 6-min walk distance, left ventricular end-systolic volume, and ejection fraction) at 39 weeks. The primary outcome was neutral (Mann-Whitney estimator 0.54, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.47-0.61 [value > 0.5 favours cell treatment], P = 0.27). Exploratory analyses suggested a benefit of cell treatment on the primary composite in patients with baseline left ventricular end-diastolic volume 200-370 mL (60% of patients) (Mann-Whitney estimator 0.61, 95% CI 0.52-0.70, P = 0.015). No difference was observed in serious adverse events. One (0.9%) cardiopoietic cell patient and 9 (5.4%) sham patients experienced aborted or sudden cardiac death. CONCLUSION: The primary endpoint was neutral, with safety demonstrated across the cohort. Further evaluation of cardiopoietic cell therapy in patients with elevated end-diastolic volume is warranted.

The impact of the latest echocardiographic chamber quantification recommendations on the prediction of left atrial appendage thrombus presence by transthoracic echocardiography.

INTRODUCTION: The latest recommendations for echocardiographic chamber quantification have implemented updated normal values for all cardiac chambers. PURPOSE: To evaluate the incidence of normal and abnormal values of routine echocardiographic parameters such as left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and left atrial volume indexed to body surface area (LAVi) in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF) and to determine the influence of LVEF and LAVi reclassification on the prediction of LAAT by transthoracic echocardiography. METHODS: We retrospectively analysed the database of 1674 transesophageal echocardiograms performed between 2012 and 2015 in our echo lab. The study involved patients (mean age 70 ± 7 years, 80% men) with paroxysmal or persistent AF (35 patients with left atrial appendage thrombus [LAAT] and 35 sex- and age-matched controls without LAAT). LVEF and LAVi were categorised in two ways: semi-quantitative using four-degree scale (normal or abnormal graded from mild and moderate to severe) and qualitative (normal vs. abnormal). RESULTS: We reclassified 6 (9%) and 4 (6%) patients with regard to LVEF as well as 38 (54%) and 16 (23%) with regard to LAVi on semi-quantitative and qualitative scale, respectively. After adjustment for effective anticoagulation and approved risk factors in the multivariate models, we identified LVEF categorised in semi-quantitative manner according to both documents, LAVi categorised in a binary manner by new guidelines and semi-quantitative scale by both recommendations as independently associated with LAAT. CONCLUSIONS: Differentiation between normal and abnormal value enhanced the diagnostic meaning of LAVi in the aspect of higher LAAT risk. LVEF reclassification had no significant influence.

Imaging the Right Heart-Pulmonary Circulation Unit: The Role of Ultrasound.

Echocardiography is the first step in imaging the right heart pulmonary circulation unit (RH-PCU), and the only one to allow its complete morphologic, functional, and hemodynamic analysis in all clinical scenarios. Right ventricular (RV) function is not only the consequence of its intrinsic contractile function (morphology and contractility) but also highly dependent on preload, afterload, and ventricular interdependence. Comprehensive echocardiographic examination of RH-PCU allows insight into intrinsic and extrinsic factors of RV function. Newer echocardiographic techniques allow for 3-dimensional evaluation of RV and detailed measurements of regional function using tissue Doppler or speckle tracking-based strain estimates.

The Right Heart International Network (RIGHT-NET): Rationale, Objectives, Methodology, and Clinical Implications.

The Right Heart International Network is a multicenter international study aiming to prospectively collect exercise Doppler echocardiography tests of the right heart pulmonary circulation unit (RHPCU) in large cohorts of healthy subjects, elite athletes, and individuals at risk of or with overt pulmonary hypertension. It is going to provide standardization of exercise stress echocardiography of RHPCU and explore the full physiopathologic response.