Prognosis and antithrombotic practice patterns in patients with recurrent and transient atrial fibrillation following acute coronary syndrome: A nationwide study.

BACKGROUND: First-time detected atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with aggravated prognosis in patients admitted with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Yet, among patients surviving beyond one year after ACS, it remains unclear how the recurrence of AF within the initial year after ACS affects the risk of stroke. METHODS: With Danish nationwide data from 2000 to 2021, we identified all patients with first-time ACS who were alive one year after discharge (index date). Patients were categorized into: i) no AF; ii) first-time detected AF during ACS admission without a recurrent hospital contact with AF (transient AF); and iii) first-time detected AF during ACS admission with a subsequent recurrent hospital contact with AF (recurrent AF). From index date, two-year rates of ischemic stroke were compared using multivariable adjusted Cox regression analysis. Treatment with antithrombotic therapy was assessed as filled prescriptions between 12 and 15 months following ACS discharge. RESULTS: We included 139,137 patients surviving one year post ACS discharge: 132,944 (95.6%) without AF, 3920 (2.8%) with transient AF, and 2273 (1.6%) with recurrent AF. Compared to those without AF, the adjusted two-year hazard ratios of ischemic stroke were 1.45 (95% CI, 1.22-1.71) for patients with transient AF and 1.47 (95% CI: 1.17-1.85) for patients with recurrent AF. Prescription rates of oral anticoagulation increased over calendar time, reaching 68.3% and 78.7% for transient and recurrent AF, respectively, from 2019 to 2021. CONCLUSION: In patients surviving one year after ACS with first-time detected AF, recurrent and transient AF were associated with a similarly increased long-term rate of ischemic stroke.

Microaxial Flow Pump or Standard Care in Infarct-Related Cardiogenic Shock.

BACKGROUND: The effects of temporary mechanical circulatory support with a microaxial flow pump on mortality among patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) complicated by cardiogenic shock remains unclear. METHODS: In an international, multicenter, randomized trial, we assigned patients with STEMI and cardiogenic shock to receive a microaxial flow pump (Impella CP) plus standard care or standard care alone. The primary end point was death from any cause at 180 days. A composite safety end point was severe bleeding, limb ischemia, hemolysis, device failure, or worsening aortic regurgitation. RESULTS: A total of 360 patients underwent randomization, of whom 355 were included in the final analysis (179 in the microaxial-flow-pump group and 176 in the standard-care group). The median age of the patients was 67 years, and 79.2% were men. Death from any cause occurred in 82 of 179 patients (45.8%) in the microaxial-flow-pump group and in 103 of 176 patients (58.5%) in the standard-care group (hazard ratio, 0.74; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.55 to 0.99; P = 0.04). A composite safety end-point event occurred in 43 patients (24.0%) in the microaxial-flow-pump group and in 11 (6.2%) in the standard-care group (relative risk, 4.74; 95% CI, 2.36 to 9.55). Renal-replacement therapy was administered to 75 patients (41.9%) in the microaxial-flow-pump group and to 47 patients (26.7%) in the standard-care group (relative risk, 1.98; 95% CI, 1.27 to 3.09). CONCLUSIONS: The routine use of a microaxial flow pump with standard care in the treatment of patients with STEMI-related cardiogenic shock led to a lower risk of death from any cause at 180 days than standard care alone. The incidence of a composite of adverse events was higher with the use of the microaxial flow pump. (Funded by the Danish Heart Foundation and Abiomed; DanGer Shock ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01633502.).

Intersession reliability of lower limb muscle strength assessments in adults with obesity eligible for bariatric surgery.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to examine the test-retest reliability in lower limb muscle strength and rate of torque development (RTD) using isokinetic dynamometry in adults with obesity, with a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 35 kg/m2 . METHOD: Thirty-two adults with a BMI of 43.8 ± 6.6 kg/m2 eligible for bariatric surgery were enroled in the study. Isokinetic and isometric knee extensor (KE) and flexor (KF) strength were assessed in an isokinetic dynamometer (Biodex 4) during three test sessions separated by 3-7 days. RESULTS: There were no statistical differences in peak KE and KF torque for any test modalities between sessions. Intraclass correlation (ICC) was 0.91-0.94 between sessions 1 and 2 and 0.94-0.97 between sessions 2 and 3. Standard error of measurement (SEM%) and coefficient of variation (CV) ranged across test sessions from 4.3% to 7.3%. KE RTD showed high test-retest reliability following familiarization, with ICC, CV and SEM% values ranging from 0.84 to 0.90, 13.3%-20.3% and 14.6%-24.9%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Maximal lower limb muscle strength measured by isokinetic dynamometry showed excellent test-retest reliability manifested by small measurement errors and low CV. Reliability was slightly improved by including a familiarization session. KE RTD but not KF RTD demonstrated high test-retest reliability following familiarization. The present data indicate that isokinetic dynamometry can be used to detect even small changes in lower limb muscle strength in adults with obesity.

Ticagrelor or prasugrel vs. clopidogrel in patients with atrial fibrillation undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention for myocardial infarction.

Aims: The efficacy and safety of ticagrelor or prasugrel vs. clopidogrel in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) on oral anticoagulation (OAC) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for myocardial infarction (MI) have not been established. Methods and results: This was a nationwide cohort study of patients on OAC for AF who underwent PCI for MI from 2011 through 2019 and were prescribed a P2Y12 inhibitor at discharge. The primary efficacy outcome was major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), defined as a composite of death from any cause, stroke, recurrent MI, or repeat revascularization. The primary safety outcome was cerebral, gastrointestinal, or urogenital bleeding requiring hospitalization. Absolute and relative risks for outcomes at 1 year were calculated through multivariable logistic regression with average treatment effect modelling. Outcomes were standardized for the individual components of the CHA2DS2-VASc and HAS-BLED scores as well as type of OAC, aspirin, and proton pump inhibitor use. We included 2259 patients of whom 1918 (84.9%) were prescribed clopidogrel and 341 (15.1%) ticagrelor or prasugrel. The standardized risk of MACE was significantly lower in the ticagrelor or prasugrel group compared with the clopidogrel group (standardized absolute risk, 16.3% vs. 19.4%; relative risk, 0.84, 95% confidence interval, 0.70-0.98; P = 0.02), while the risk of bleeding did not differ (standardized absolute risk, 5.5% vs. 5.1%; relative risk, 1.07, 95% confidence interval, 0.73-1.41; P = 0.69). Conclusion: In patients with AF on OAC who underwent PCI for MI, treatment with ticagrelor or prasugrel vs. clopidogrel was associated with reduced ischaemic risk, without a concomitantly increased bleeding risk.

Cochlear Implantation in Sporadic Intralabyrinthine Schwannomas with Single-Sided Deafness: Implications for Binaural Hearing.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Intralabyrinthine schwannomas (ILSs) may have detrimental effects on ipsilateral hearing, commonly leading to single-sided deafness (SSD). Cochlear implantation in patients with ILSs is an option to partly restore ipsilateral hearing; however, the available literature fails to account for the binaural hearing benefits of a cochlear implant (CI) for ILSs. METHODS: We prospectively evaluated SSD patients with sporadic ILS undergoing cochlear implantation with simultaneous tumor resection (n = 10) or with tumor observation (n = 1). Patients completed the Speech, Spatial and Qualities Questionnaire (SSQ12) and the Nijmegen Cochlear Implant Questionnaire (NCIQ) pre- and postoperatively, as well as the Bern Benefit in Single-Sided Deafness (BBSSD) questionnaire postoperatively. Patients were also tested postoperatively with and without their CI to measure the effect on localization ability and binaural summation, squelch, and head shadow. RESULTS: Evaluation was completed for nine and six patients (subjective and objective data, respectively). The CI significantly improved the speech reception threshold (SRT) in the head shadow condition where the target signal was presented to the CI side and the noise to the front (SCIN0). On the other hand, the SRTs in the colocated condition (S0N0) and the condition where the target signal was presented to the front and the noise to the CI side (S0NCI) were unaffected by the CI. The mean localization error decreased significantly from 102° to 61° (p = 0.0031) with the addition of a CI. The scores from SSQ12 demonstrated nonsignificant changes. For NCIQ, the self-esteem and the social interaction domains increased significantly but insignificantly for the remaining domains. The BBSSD responses ranged from +0.5 to +3.5 points. CONCLUSION: After implantation, patients achieved significantly better scores across some of the patient-reported and objective parameters. In addition to reporting on a number of ILS cases where implantation was performed, the study is the first of its kind to document patient-reported and objective binaural hearing improvement after cochlear implantation in patients with ILS and, thereby, lends support to the active management of ILS.

Evaluation of a Fast Method to Measure High-Frequency Audiometry Based on Bayesian Learning.

This study aimed to assess the validity of a high-frequency audiometry tool based on Bayesian learning to provide a reliable, repeatable, automatic, and fast test to clinics. The study involved 85 people (138 ears) who had their high-frequency thresholds measured with three tests: standard audiometry (SA), alternative forced choice (AFC)-based algorithm, and Bayesian active (BA) learning-based algorithm. The results showed median differences within ±5 dB up to 10 kHz when comparing the BA with the other two tests, and median differences within ±10 dB at higher frequencies. The variability increased from lower to higher frequencies. The BA showed lower thresholds compared to the SA at the majority of the frequencies. The results of the different tests were consistent across groups (age, hearing loss, and tinnitus). The data for the BA showed high test-retest reliability (>90%). The time required for the BA was shorter than for the AFC (4 min vs. 13 min). The data suggest that the BA test for high-frequency audiometry could be a good candidate for clinical screening. It would add reliable and significant information without adding too much time to the visit.

Organized thrombus is a frequent underlying feature in culprit lesion morphology in non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction. A study using optical coherence tomography and magnetic resonance imaging.

The concept that the culprit lesion in non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) is caused by sudden plaque rupture with acute thrombus formation has recently been challenged. While angiography is an old gold-standard for culprit identification it merely visualizes the lumen contour. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) provides a detailed view of culprit features. Combined with myocardial edema on cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR), indicating acute ischemia and thus culprit location, we aimed to characterize culprit lesions using OCT. Patients with NSTEMI referred for angiography were prospectively enrolled. OCT was performed on angiographic stenoses ≥50% and on operator-suspected culprit lesions. Hierarchical OCT-culprit identifiers were defined in case of multiple unstable lesions, including OCT-defined thrombus age. An OCT-based definition of an organizing thrombus as corresponding to histological early healing stage was introduced. Lesions were classified as OCT-culprit or non-culprit, and characteristics compared. CMR was performed in a subset of patients. We included 65 patients with 97 lesions, of which 49 patients (75%) had 53 (54%) OCT-culprit lesions. The most common OCT-culprit identifiers were the presence of acute (66%) and organizing thrombus (19%). Plaque rupture was visible in 45% of OCT-culprit lesions. CMR performed in 38 patients revealed myocardial oedema in the corresponding territories of 67% of acute thrombi and 50% of organizing thrombi. A culprit lesion was identified by OCT in 75% patients with NSTEMI. Acute thrombus was the most frequent feature followed by organizing thrombus. Applying specific OCT-criteria to identify the culprit could prove valuable in ambiguous cases.

Inhalation devices and inhaled corticosteroids particle size influence on severe pneumonia in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a nationwide cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs) are associated with an increased risk of pneumonia among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The introduction of extrafine particle ICS has aimed to improve the distribution of medicine in the airways by altering deposition within the lungs, potentially affecting efficacy and side effects. It remains unclear if extrafine particle ICS administration alters the risk of pneumonia compared with standard particle size ICS. METHODS: An observational cohort study including all Danish COPD outpatients receiving ICS from 2010 to 2017. The primary outcome was pneumonia hospitalisation in the different ICS particle dosing regimens. The primary analysis was an adjusted Cox proportional hazards model. For sensitivity analysis, a subgroup analysis of patients receiving spray devices was done. Further, we created a propensity score matched cohort, in which we matched for the same covariates as adjusted for in the main analysis. RESULTS: A total of 35 691 patients were included of whom 1471 received extrafine particle ICS. Among these patients, 4657 were hospitalised due to pneumonia. Patients with COPD receiving extrafine particle ICS had a lower risk of hospitalisation due to pneumonia compared with patients receiving standard particle size ICS in our primary analysis (HR 0.75; 95% CI 0.63 to 0.89; p=0.002), subgroup analysis (HR 0.54; 95% CI 0.45 to 0.65; p<0.0001) and the propensity-matched population (HR 0.72; 95% CI 0.60 to 0.87; p=0.0006). INTERPRETATION: The use of extrafine particle ICS administration was associated with a lower risk of pneumonia hospitalisation in patients with COPD compared with those who received standard size treatment.

Bleeding risk and P2Y12 inhibitors in all-comer patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction treated with percutaneous coronary intervention: a single-centre cohort study.

AIMS: To characterize and follow patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) at high bleeding risk (HBR) according to the predicting bleeding complications in patients undergoing stent implantation and subsequent dual antiplatelet therapy (PRECISE-DAPT) score, and to examine the use of P2Y12 inhibitors and the subsequent risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and bleeding. METHODS AND RESULTS: This single-centre cohort study included 6179 consecutive STEMI patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) at Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, between 2009 and 2016. Individual linkage to nationwide registries was conducted to obtain information on diagnoses, claimed drugs, and vital status. Of the 5532 (89.5%) patients with available PRECISE-DAPT scores, 33.0% were at HBR and more often elderly and female with more comorbidities than non-HBR patients. One-year cumulative incidence rates per 100 person-years were 8.7 and 2.1 for major bleeding and 36.8 and 8.3 for MACE in HBR and non-HBR patients, respectively. Among the 4749 (85.8%) patients who survived and collected a P2Y12 inhibitor ≤7 days from discharge, 68.2% of HBR patients were treated with ticagrelor or prasugrel and 31.8% with clopidogrel, while 18.2% non-HBR patients were treated with clopidogrel. Adherence was high for all (>75% days coverage). The risk of MACE was lower in ticagrelor- and prasugrel-treated patients than in clopidogrel-treated patients without differences in major bleeding. CONCLUSION: One-third of PCI-treated all-comer patients with STEMI were at HBR according to the PRECISE-DAPT score and were more often treated with potent P2Y12 inhibitors instead of clopidogrel. Thus, ischaemic risk may be weighted over bleeding risk in STEMI patients at HBR.

Fibrin degradation products and survival in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a protocolized prospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have a high incidence of cardiovascular disease including thromboembolisms. Fibrin degradation products, like D-dimer, have been associated with death from all causes in healthy individuals and COPD patients. We aimed to determine the (i) association between D-dimer levels and all-cause mortality and time being alive and out of a hospital, (ii) possible modifying effect of anticoagulant treatment,, and (iii) distribution of D-dimer in patients with moderate to severe COPD. METHODS: Results of routinely measured stable phase D-dimer samples from COPD-outpatients at Copenhagen University Hospital - Herlev and Gentofte, COPD-outpatient clinic were collected using the Danish registries. These were used to examine whether COPD-patients with a D-dimer level in the upper quartile, had a higher risk of death from all causes within 365 days. RESULTS: In the unadjusted Cox proportional hazards regression we found an association between high D-dimer and all-cause mortality: Hazard ratio (HR): 2.3 (95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.1-4.7). In the fully adjusted regression, the HR was 1.8 (CI 0.8-3.9). We did not find any interaction between D-dimer and anticoagulant or antiplatelet therapy. For the secondary outcome, proportion of days alive and out of hospital in 365 days (pDAOH), the unadjusted multiple linear regression had an association between high D-dimer level and pDAOH: -2.7% points (pp) (CI -3.9 pp - -1.5 pp), which was attenuated to -1,7pp (-2.9pp - -0.4pp) in the fully adjusted regression. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with moderate to severe COPD, patients with a high level of D-dimer were more likely to die; however, the signal was not strong in the adjusted analyses and our results do not support unselected risk stratification with D-dimer in COPD-outpatients.

Renin-angiotensin-system inhibitors and the risk of exacerbations in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a nationwide registry study.

OBJECTIVE: The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) has been shown to play a role in the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) because of the inflammatory properties of the system. Many patients with COPD use RAS-inhibiting (RASi) treatment. The aim was to determine the association between treatment with RASi and the risk of acute exacerbations and mortality in patients with severe COPD. METHODS: Active comparator analysis by propensity-score matching. Data were collected in Danish national registries, containing complete information on health data, prescriptions, hospital admissions and outpatient clinic visits. Patients with COPD (n=38 862) were matched by propensity score on known predictors of the outcome. One group was exposed to RASi treatment (cases) and the other was exposed to bendroflumethiazide as an active comparator in the primary analysis. RESULTS: The use of RASi was associated with a reduced risk of exacerbations or death in the active comparator analysis at 12 months follow-up (HR 0.86, 95% CI 0.78 to 0.95). Similar results were evident in a sensitivity analysis of the propensity-score-matched population (HR 0.89, 95% CI 0.83 to 0.94) and in an adjusted Cox proportional hazards model (HR 0.93, 95% CI 0.89 to 0.98). CONCLUSION: In the current study, we found that the use of RASi treatment was associated with a consistently lower risk of acute exacerbations and death in patients with COPD. Explanations to these findings include real effect, uncontrolled biases, and-less likely-chance findings.

Genetic analysis identifies the SLC4A3 anion exchanger as a major gene for short QT syndrome.

BACKGROUND: A variant in the SLC4A3 anion exchanger has been identified as a novel cause of short QT syndrome (SQTS), but the clinical importance of SLC4A3 as a cause of SQTS or sudden cardiac death remains unknown. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of potential disease-causing variants in SQTS patients using gene panels including SLC4A3. METHODS: In this multicenter study, genetic testing was performed in 34 index patients with SQTS. The pathogenicity of novel SLC4A3variants was validated in a zebrafish embryo heart model. RESULTS: Potentially disease-causing variants were identified in 9 (26%) patients and were mainly (15%) located in SLC4A3: 4 patients heterozygous for novel nonsynonymous SLC4A3 variants-p.Arg600Cys, p.Arg621Trp, p.Glu852Asp, and p.Arg952His-and 1 patient with the known p.Arg370His variant. In other SQTS genes, potentially disease-causing variants were less frequent (2× in KCNQ1, 1× in KCNJ2, and CACNA1C each). SLC4A3 variant carriers (n = 5) had a similar heart rate but shorter QT and J point to T wave peak intervals than did noncarriers (n = 29). Knockdown of slc4a3 in zebrafish resulted in shortened heart rate-corrected QT intervals (calculated using the Bazett formula) that could be rescued by overexpression of the native human SLC4A3-encoded protein (AE3), but neither by the mutated AE3 variants p.Arg600Cys, p.Arg621Trp, p.Glu852Asp nor by p.Arg952His, suggesting pathogenicity of these variants. Dysfunction in slc4a3/AE3 was associated with alkaline cytosol and shortened action potential of cardiomyocytes. CONCLUSION: In about a quarter of patients with SQTS, a potentially disease-causing variant can be identified. Nonsynonymous variants in SLC4A3 represent the most common cause of SQTS, underscoring the importance of including SLC4A3 in the genetic screening of patients with SQTS or sudden cardiac death.

Employment status at time of acute myocardial infarction and risk of death and recurrent acute myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: Employment is important for physical and mental health and self-esteem and provides financial independence. However, little is known on the prognostic value of employment status prior to admission with acute myocardial infarction (MI). METHODS AND RESULTS: Using Danish nationwide registries, all patients between 18 and 60 years with a first-time MI admission (2010-2018) and alive at discharge were included. Rates of all-cause mortality and recurrent MI according to workforce attachment at the time of the event was compared using multivariable Cox regression. Of the 16 060 patients included in the study, 3520 (21.9%) patients were not part of the workforce. Patients who were not part of the workforce were older (52 vs. 51 years), less often men (63% vs. 77%), less likely to have higher education, more often living alone (47% vs. 29%), and more often had comorbidities, including heart failure, atrial fibrillation, hypertension, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The absolute 5-year risk of death was 3.3% and 12.8% in the workforce and non-workforce group, respectively. The corresponding rates of recurrent MI were 7.5% and 10.9%, respectively. In adjusted analyses, not being part of the workforce was associated with a significantly higher rate of all-cause mortality [HR: 2.39 (95% CI: 2.01-2.83)] and recurrent MI [1.36 (1.18-1.57)]. CONCLUSION: Among patients of working age who were admitted with MI and alive at discharge, not being part of the workforce was associated with a higher long-term rate of all-cause mortality and recurrent MI.

In patients of working age admitted with a heart attack, not being part of the workforce was associated with an increased risk of mortality and new heart attacks following discharge, as compared with patients being part of the workforce. Key findings As compared with patients being part of the workforce, patients who were not part of the workforce had an increased risk of mortality following discharge.As compared with patients being part of the workforce, patients who were not part of the workforce had an increased risk of a new heart attack following discharge.

Long-term changes in coronary physiology after aortic valve replacement.

BACKGROUND: The detrimental effects of long-standing severe aortic stenosis (AS) often include left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and exhaustion of coronary flow reserve (CFR), the reversibility of which is unclear after valve replacement. AIMS: Our aims were to 1) investigate whether CFR in the left anterior descending artery (LAD) would improve following valve replacement, and if the change was related to changes in hyperaemic coronary flow (QLAD) and minimal microvascular resistance (Rµ,LAD); and 2) investigate the relationship between changes in CFR and changes in left ventricular mass (LVM) and stroke work (LVSW). METHODS: We measured intracoronary bolus thermodilution-derived CFR, and continuous thermodilution-derived QLAD and Rµ,LAD before and 6 months after aortic valve replacement. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging was used to quantify left ventricular anatomy and function for the calculation of LVM and LVSW.  Results: Thirty-four patients were included (17 patients had transcatheter aortic valve implantation; 14 had surgical valve replacement with a bioprosthesis and 3 with a mechanical prosthesis) who underwent invasive assessment in the LAD. CFR increased from 2.5 (interquartile range [IQR] 1.5-3.3) at baseline to 3.1 (IQR 2.2-5.1) at follow-up (p=0.005), despite no significant change in QLAD (230±106 mL/min to 250±101 mL/min; p=0.26) or Rµ,LAD (347 [IQR 247-463] to 287 [IQR 230-456]; p=0.20). When indexed for LVM, QLAD was 39% (IQR 8-98%) higher at follow-up compared with baseline (p<0.001). The improvement in CFR was correlated with ΔLVSW, r= -0.39; p=0.047.   Conclusions: CFR in the LAD increased significantly at follow-up although global hyperaemic flow and minimal microvascular resistance remained unchanged. Thus, a decrease in resting flow was the cause of CFR improvement. CFR improvement was associated with reduction in LVSW.

Major cardiovascular events in patients with severe COPD with and without asthma: a nationwide cohort study.

Background: Chronic low-grade inflammation as in asthma may lead to a higher risk of cardiovascular events. We evaluated whether patients with COPD and asthma have a higher risk of acute cardiovascular events than patients with COPD without asthma. Methods: Nationwide multicentre retrospective cohort study of Danish outpatients with a specialist diagnosis of COPD with or without asthma. Patients with both COPD and asthma were propensity-score matched 1:2 to patients with COPD without asthma. The primary end-point was severe major adverse cardiac events (MACE), defined as mortal cardiovascular events and events requiring revascularisation or hospitalisation. Results: A total of 52 386 Danish patients with COPD were included; 34.7% had pre-existing cardiovascular disease, and 20.1% had asthma in addition to their COPD. Patients with pre-existing cardiovascular disease were then propensity-score matched: 3690 patients with COPD and asthma versus 7236 patients with COPD without asthma, and similarly, for patients without pre-existing cardiovascular disease (6775 matched with 13 205). The risk of MACE was higher among patients with asthma and COPD versus COPD without asthma: hazard ratio (HR) 1.25 (95% CI 1.13-1.39, p<0.0001) for patients with pre-existing cardiovascular disease and HR 1.22 (95% CI 1.06-1.41, p=0.005) for patients without pre-existing cardiovascular disease. Conclusion: Among patients with COPD, asthma as a comorbid condition is associated with substantially increased risk of cardiovascular events. The signal was an increased risk of 20-25%. Based on our study and other smaller studies, asthma can be considered a risk factor for cardiovascular events among COPD patients.

Diagnostic Yield of Genetic Testing in Young Patients With Atrioventricular Block of Unknown Cause.

Background The cause of atrioventricular block (AVB) remains unknown in approximately half of young patients with the diagnosis. Although variants in several genes associated with cardiac conduction diseases have been identified, the contribution of genetic variants in younger patients with AVB is unknown. Methods and Results Using the Danish Pacemaker and Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) Registry, we identified all patients younger than 50 years receiving a pacemaker because of AVB in Denmark in the period from January 1, 1996 to December 31, 2015. From medical records, we identified patients with unknown cause of AVB at time of pacemaker implantation. These patients were invited to a genetic screening using a panel of 102 genes associated with inherited cardiac diseases. We identified 471 living patients with AVB of unknown cause, of whom 226 (48%) accepted participation. Median age at the time of pacemaker implantation was 39 years (interquartile range, 32-45 years), and 123 (54%) were men. We found pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants in genes associated with or possibly associated with AVB in 12 patients (5%). Most variants were found in the LMNA gene (n=5). LMNA variant carriers all had a family history of either AVB and/or sudden cardiac death. Conclusions In young patients with AVB of unknown cause, we found a possible genetic cause in 1 out of 20 participating patients. Variants in the LMNA gene were most common and associated with a family history of AVB and/or sudden cardiac death, suggesting that genetic testing should be a part of the diagnostic workup in these patients to stratify risk and screen family members.

Microcirculatory Function in Nonhypertrophic and Hypertrophic Myocardium in Patients With Aortic Valve Stenosis.

Background Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) has often been supposed to be associated with abnormal myocardial blood flow and resistance. The aim of this study was to evaluate and quantify the physiological and pathological changes in myocardial blood flow and microcirculatory resistance in patients with and without LVH attributable to severe aortic stenosis. Methods and Results Absolute coronary blood flow and microvascular resistance were measured using a novel technique with continuous thermodilution and infusion of saline. In addition, myocardial mass was assessed with cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. Fifty-three patients with aortic valve stenosis were enrolled in the study. In 32 patients with LVH, hyperemic blood flow per gram of tissue was significantly decreased compared with 21 patients without LVH (1.26±0.48 versus 1.66±0.65 mL·min-1·g-1; P=0.018), whereas minimal resistance indexed for left ventricular mass was significantly increased in patients with LVH (63 [47-82] versus 43 [35-63] Wood Units·kg; P=0.014). Conclusions Patients with LVH attributable to severe aortic stenosis had lower hyperemic blood flow per gram of myocardium and higher minimal myocardial resistance compared with patients without LVH.

Use of inhaled corticosteroids and risk of acquiring Pseudomonas aeruginosa in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

BACKGROUND: Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are commonly used to treat COPD and are associated with increased risk of pneumonia. The aim of this study was to assess if accumulated use of ICS is associated with a dose-dependent risk of a positive airway culture with Pseudomonas aeruginosa in patients with COPD. METHODS: We conducted a multiregional epidemiological cohort study including Danish COPD patients followed in outpatient clinics during 2010-2017. ICS use was categorised based on accumulated prescriptions redeemed 365 days prior to cohort entry. Cox proportional hazard regression model was used to estimate the risk of acquiring P. aeruginosa. Propensity score matched models were used as sensitivity analyses. RESULTS: A total of 21 408 patients were included in the study, of which 763 (3.6%) acquired P. aeruginosa during follow-up. ICS use was associated with a dose-dependent risk of P. aeruginosa (low ICS dose: HR 1.38, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.84, p=0.03; moderate ICS dose: HR 2.16, 95% CI 1.63 to 2.85, p<0.0001; high ICS dose: HR 3.58, 95% CI 2.75 to 4.65, p<0.0001; reference: no ICS use). A propensity matched model confirmed the results (high ICS dose compared with no/low/moderate ICS dose: HR 2.05, 95% CI 1.76 to 2.39, p p<0.0001). CONCLUSION: Use of ICS in patients with COPD followed in Danish outpatient clinics was associated with a substantially increased and dose-dependent risk of acquiring P. aeruginosa. Caution should be taken when administering high doses of ICS in severely ill patients with COPD. These results should be confirmed in comparable cohorts and other settings.

Long-Term Changes in Invasive Physiological Pressure Indices of Stenosis Severity Following Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation.

BACKGROUND: Patients with severe aortic stenosis frequently have coexisting coronary artery disease. Invasive hyperemic and nonhyperemic pressure indices are used to assess coronary artery disease severity but have not been evaluated in the context of severe aortic stenosis. METHODS: We compared lesion reclassification rates of fractional flow reserve (FFR) and resting full-cycle ratio (RFR) measured before and 6 months after transcatheter aortic valve implantation using the conventional clinical cutoffs of ≤0.80 for FFR and ≤0.89 for RFR. This was a substudy of the ongoing NOTION-3 trial (Third Nordic Aortic Valve Intervention). Two-dimensional quantitative coronary analysis was used to assess changes in angiographic lesion severity. RESULTS: Forty patients were included contributing 50 lesions in which FFR was measured. In 32 patients (36 lesions), RFR was also measured. There was no significant change in diameter stenosis from baseline to follow-up, 49.8% (42.9%-57.1%) versus 52.3% (43.2%-57.8%), P=0.50. RFR improved significantly from 0.88 (0.83%-0.93) at baseline to 0.92 (0.83-0.95) at follow-up, P=0.003, whereas FFR remained unchanged, 0.84 (0.81-0.89) versus 0.86 (0.78-0.90), P=0.72. At baseline, 11 out of 50 (22%) lesions were FFR-positive, whereas 15 out of 50 (30%) were positive at follow-up, P=0.219. Corresponding numbers for RFR were 23 out of 36 (64%) at baseline and 12 out of 36 (33%) at follow-up, P=0.003. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with severe aortic stenosis, physiological assessment of coronary lesions with FFR before transcatheter aortic valve implantation leads to lower reclassification rate at 6-month follow-up, compared with RFR.

Comparison of Effect of Ischemic Postconditioning on Cardiovascular Mortality in Patients With ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction Treated With Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention With Versus Without Thrombectomy.

In patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), ischemic postconditioning (iPOST) have shown ambiguous results in minimizing reperfusion injury. Previous findings show beneficial effects of iPOST in patients with STEMI treated without thrombectomy. However, it remains unknown whether the cardioprotective effect of iPOST in these patients persist on long term. In the current study, all patients were identified through the DANAMI-3-iPOST database. Patients were randomized to conventional primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or iPOST in addition to PCI. Cumulative incidence rates were calculated, and multivariable analyses stratified according to thrombectomy use were performed. The primary end point was a combination of cardiovascular mortality and hospitalization for heart failure. From 2011 to 2014, 1,234 patients with STEMI were included with a median follow-up of 4.8 years. In patients treated without thrombectomy (n = 520), the primary end point occurred in 15% (48/326) in the iPOST group and in 22% (42/194) in the conventional group (unadjusted hazard ratio [HR] 0.62, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.41 to 0.94, p = 0.023). In adjusted Cox analysis, iPOST remained associated with reduced long-term risk of cardiovascular mortality (HR 0.53, 95% CI 0.29 to 0.97, p = 0.039). In patients treated with thrombectomy (n = 714), there was no significant difference between iPOST (17%, 49/291) and conventional treatment (17%, 72/423) on the primary end point (unadjusted HR 1.01, 95% CI 0.70 to 1.45, p = 0.95). During a follow-up of nearly 5 years, iPOST reduced long-term occurrence of cardiovascular mortality and hospitalization for heart failure in patients with STEMI treated with PCI but without thrombectomy.