Soluble ST2 is associated with postoperative atrial fibrillation after cardiac surgery in postmenopausal women.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) represents the most common complication following cardiac surgery. Approximately one-third of patients experiencing POAF transition to atrial fibrillation within a year, challenging the notion of POAF as merely a transient event. Soluble ST2 (sST2) is an established biomarker regarding fibrosis and myocardial stretch, however, its role in predicting the onset of POAF remains unclear. METHODS: Preoperative sST2 levels have been assessed in 496 individuals with no prior history of AF who underwent elective cardiac surgery, including valve, coronary artery bypass graft surgery, or a combined procedure. RESULTS: The average age was 70 years, and 29.4 % were female. Overall, 42.3 % developed POAF. sST2 levels were found to be significantly higher in patients with POAF. Interestingly, sST2 was only predictive of POAF in females with an adjusted OR of 1.894 (95 %CI:1.103-3.253; p = 0.021) and not males (OR:1.091; 95 %CI:0.849-1.402; p = 0.495). Furthermore, within a linear regression model it was observed that for every 1 ng/mL increase in sST2 levels, the average POAF duration extended by 39.5 min (95 %CI:15.8-63.4 min; p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: sST2 predicts the onset of POAF in women but not men undergoing cardiac surgery. Furthermore, sST2 levels were associated with the subsequent burden of POAF. Thus, assessment of sST2 in addition to clinical risk factors could improve risk stratification for development of POAF following elective cardiac surgery.

Decreased percentages of plasmacytoid dendritic cells predict survival in critically ill patients.

Critically ill patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) experience a broad variety of life-threatening conditions. Irrespective of the initial cause of hospitalization, many experience systemic immune dysregulation. Dendritic cells (DCs) are the most potent antigen-presenting cells and play a pivotal role in regulating the immune response by linking the innate to the adaptive immune system. The aim of this study was to analyze whether DCs or their respective subsets are associated with 30-d mortality in an unselected patient cohort admitted to a medical ICU with a cardiovascular focus. A total of 231 patients were included in this single-center prospective observational study. Blood was drawn at admission and after 72 h. Subsequently, flow cytometry was utilized for the analysis of DCs and their respective subsets. In the total cohort, low percentages of DCs were significantly associated with sepsis, respiratory failure, and septic shock. In particular, a significantly lower percentage of circulating plasmacytoid DCs (pDCs) was found to be a strong and independent predictor of 30-d mortality after adjustment for demographic and clinical variables with an hazard ratio of 4.2 (95% confidence interval: 1.3-13.3, P = 0.015). Additionally, low percentages of pDCs were correlated with additional markers of inflammation and organ dysfunction. In conclusion, we observed low percentages of DCs in patients admitted to an ICU experiencing sepsis, respiratory failure, and cardiogenic shock, suggesting their depletion as a contributing mechanism for the development of immune paralysis. In our cohort, pDCs were identified as the most robust subset to predict 30-d mortality.

Sex-Related Disparities in Prescription Patterns of Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter 2 Inhibitors in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes and Heart Failure.

Background: Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) improve cardiovascular outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and heart failure (HF). In consideration of emerging evidence that there are clinically relevant sex-related differences in the course of T2DM and subsequent cardiovascular outcomes, it is unknown if SGLT2i therapy is sex-independently utilized in daily clinical practice. Methods: Patients with T2DM and HF admitted to a tertiary academic center between January 2014 and April 2020 were identified through a search of electronic health records. Data on antidiabetic therapy were acquired at discharge and were screened for SGLT2i prescription. Results: Overall, 812 patients (median age 70 years, 29.7% female) were included in the present analysis. Only 17.3% of the study population received an SGLT2i. In comparison between sexes, females show lower rates of SGLT2i prescription (11.2% vs. 19.8%, p = 0.003), despite comparable patient characteristics. Furthermore, male HF patients showed a significantly higher probability of SGLT2i prescription with an adjusted odds ratio of 2.59 (95% confidence interval 1.29-5.19; p = 0.008). Females who did not receive an SGLT2i showed higher rates of chronic kidney disease (25.2% vs. 7.4%, p = 0.039) and greater levels of N-terminal pro b-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP; 2092 vs. 825 pg/mL, p = 0.011) as compared to female SGLT2i recipients, which did not explain the observed sex-related disparities. Conclusion: SGLT2i are potentially underutilized in female patients with HF and T2DM, despite an overall increasing prescription trend during the observation period. Reasons for withholding therapy could not be objectified. The present data indicate a major need to increase awareness of guideline-directed therapy, especially in female HF patients.

The Impact of Preclinical High Potent P2Y12 Inhibitors on Decision Making at Discharge and Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Purinergic signaling receptor Y12 (P2Y12) inhibitors are a fundamental part of pharmacological therapy in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) for preventing recurrent ischemic events. Current guidelines support the use of prasugrel over ticagrelor-however, ticagrelor is widely used for preclinical loading during ACS due to its ease of administration. In this regard, it remains unknown whether the preclinical loading with P2Y12 inhibitors impacts decision-making for the long-term dual antiplatelet strategy, as well as cardiovascular outcomes, including re-percutaneous coronary intervention in real-world settings. METHODS: Within this population-based prospective observational study, all patients with ACS who received medical care via the Emergency Medical Service (EMS) in the city of Vienna between January 2018 and October 2020 were enrolled. Patients were stratified according to their P2Y12 inhibitor loading regimen. Subsequently, the association of P2Y12 inhibitor loading on long-term prescription at discharge and outcome was assessed. RESULTS: The entire study cohort consisted of 1176 individuals with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), of whom 47.5% received prasugrel and 52.5% ticagrelor. The likelihood of adhering to the initial P2Y12 inhibitor strategy during the clinical stay was high for both ticagrelor (84%; OR: 10.00; p < 0.001) and prasugrel (77%; OR: 21.26; p < 0.001). During patient follow-up (median follow-up time three years), 84 (7.1%) patients died due to cardiovascular causes, and 82 (7.0%) patients required re-PCI. Notably, there was no difference in cardiovascular mortality (6.6% ticagrelor vs. 7.7% prasugrel) or re-PCI rates (6.6% ticagrelor vs. 7.3% prasugrel) addressing the P2Y12 inhibition strategy. CONCLUSION: We observed that, regardless of the initial antiplatelet inhibitor strategy, the in-hospital P2Y12 adherence was exceedingly high, and there was a minimal occurrence of switching to another P2Y12 inhibitor. Most importantly, no significant difference in cardiovascular death/re-PCI between ticagrelor and prasugrel-based preclinical loading has been observed. Consequently, the choice of high potent P2Y12 did not influence the cardiac outcome from a long-term perspective.

Relationship of Fibroblast Growth Factor 23 With Hospitalization for Heart Failure and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Cardiac Surgery.

Background Fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF-23) is crucial in regulating phosphate and vitamin D metabolism and is moreover associated with an increased cardiovascular risk. The specific objective of this study was to investigate the influence of FGF-23 on cardiovascular outcomes, including hospitalization for heart failure (HHF), postoperative atrial fibrillation, and cardiovascular death, in an unselected patient population after cardiac surgery. Methods and Results Patients undergoing elective coronary artery bypass graft and/or cardiac valve surgery were prospectively enrolled. FGF-23 blood plasma concentrations were assessed before surgery. A composite of cardiovascular death/HHF was chosen as primary end point. A total of 451 patients (median age 70 years; 28.8% female) were included in the present analysis and followed over a median of 3.9 years. Individuals with higher FGF-23 quartiles showed elevated incidence rates of the composite of cardiovascular death/HHF (quartile 1, 7.1%; quartile 2, 8.6%; quartile 3, 15.1%; and quartile 4, 34.3%). After multivariable adjustment, FGF-23 modeled as a continuous variable (adjusted hazard ratio for a 1-unit increase in standardized log-transformed biomarker, 1.82 [95% CI, 1.34-2.46]) as well as using predefined risk groups and quartiles remained independently associated with the risk of cardiovascular death/HHF and the secondary outcomes, including postoperative atrial fibrillation. Reclassification analysis indicated that the addition of FGF-23 to N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide provides a significant improvement in risk discrimination (net reclassification improvement at the event rate, 0.58 [95% CI, 0.34-0.81]; P<0.001; integrated discrimination increment, 0.03 [95% CI, 0.01-0.05]; P<0.001). Conclusions FGF-23 is an independent predictor of cardiovascular death/HHF and postoperative atrial fibrillation in individuals undergoing cardiac surgery. Considering an individualized risk assessment, routine preoperative FGF-23 evaluation may improve detection of high-risk patients.

Soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor and survival in elective cardiac surgery.

BACKGROUND: The study investigated the prognostic value of soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) in patients undergoing cardiac surgery and calculated a simplified biomarker score comprising suPAR, N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and age. METHODS AND RESULTS: Biomarkers were assessed in a cohort of 478 patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery. After a median follow-up of 4.2 years, a total of 72 (15.1%) patients died. SuPAR, NT-proBNP and age were independent prognosticators of mortality in a multivariable Cox regression model after adjustment for EuroScoreII. We then calculated a simplified biomarker score comprising age, suPAR and NT-proBNP, which had a superior prognostic value compared to EuroScoreII (Harrel's C of 0.76 vs. 0.72; P for difference = 0.02). Besides long-term mortality, the biomarker score had an excellent performance predicting one-year mortality and hospitalization due to heart failure. CONCLUSION: The biomarker suPAR and NT-proBNP were strongly and independently associated with mortality in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. A simplified biomarker score comprising only three variables (age, suPAR and NT-proBNP) performed better than the established EuroScoreII with respect to intermediate and long-term outcome as well as hospitalization due to heart failure. As such, integration of established and upcoming biomarkers in clinical practice may provide improved decision support in cardiac surgery.

Hepatic T1-Time Predicts Cardiovascular Risk in All-Comers Referred for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance: A Post-Hoc Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Liver damage is frequently observed in patients with cardiovascular disease but infrequently quantified. We hypothesized that in patients with cardiovascular disease undergoing cardiac magnetic resonance, liver T1-times indicate liver damage and are associated with cardiovascular outcome. METHODS: We measured hepatic T1-times, displayed on standard cardiac T1-maps, in an all-comer cardiac magnetic resonance-cohort. At the time of cardiac magnetic resonance, we assessed validated general liver fibrosis scores. Kaplan-Meier estimates and Cox-regression models were used to investigate the association between hepatic T1-times and a composite endpoint of non-fatal myocardial infarction, heart failure hospitalization, and death. RESULTS: One thousand seventy-five participants (58±18 year old, 47% female) were included (972 patients, 50 controls, 53 participants with transient elastography). Hepatic T1-times were 590±89 ms in patients and 574±45 ms in controls (P=0.052). They were significantly correlated with cardiac size and function, presence of atrial fibrillation, NT-pro-BNP levels, and gamma-glutamyl-transferase levels (P<0.001 for all). During follow-up (58±31 months), a total of 280 (29%) events occurred. On Cox-regression, high hepatic T1-times yielded a significantly higher risk for events (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.66 [95% CI, 1.45-1.89] per 100 ms increase; P<0.001), even when adjusted for age, sex, left and right ventricular ejection fraction, NT-proBNP (N-terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide), and myocardial T1-time. On receiver operating characteristic analysis and restricted cubic splines, we found that a hepatic T1-time exceeding 610 ms was associated with excessive risk. CONCLUSIONS: Hepatic T1-times on standard cardiac magnetic resonance scans were significantly associated with cardiac size and function, comorbidities, natriuretic peptides, and independently predicted cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. A hepatic T1-time >610 ms seems to indicate excessive risk. REGISTRATION: URL: https://www. CLINICALTRIALS: gov; Unique identifier: NCT04220450.

Cardiogenic Shock Does Not Portend Poor Long-Term Survival in Patients Undergoing Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

Although a strong association of cardiogenic shock (CS) with in-hospital mortality in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is well established, less attention has been paid to its prognostic influence on long-term outcome. We evaluated the impact of CS in 1173 patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary interventions between 1997 and 2009. Patients were followed up until the primary study endpoint (cardiovascular mortality) was reached. Within the entire study population, 112 (10.4%) patients presented with CS at admission. After initial survival, CS had no impact on mortality (non-CS: 23.5% vs. CS: 24.0%; p = 0.923), with an adjusted hazard ratio of 1.18 (95% CI: 0.77-1.81; p = 0.457). CS patients ≥ 55 years (p = 0.021) with moderately or severely impaired left ventricular function (LVF; p = 0.039) and chronic kidney disease (CKD; p = 0.013) had increased risk of cardiovascular mortality during follow-up. The present investigation extends currently available evidence that cardiovascular survival in CS is comparable with non-CS patients after the acute event. CS patients over 55 years presenting with impaired LVF and CKD at the time of ACS are at increased risk for long-term mortality and could benefit from personalized secondary prevention.