Assessment and management of heart failure in patients with chronic kidney disease.

Heart failure (HF) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) are two pathological conditions with a high prevalence in the general population. When they coexist in the same patient, a strict interplay between them is observed, such that patients affected require a clinical multidisciplinary and personalized management. The diagnosis of HF and CKD relies on signs and symptoms of the patient but several additional tools, such as blood-based biomarkers and imaging techniques, are needed to clarify and discriminate the main characteristics of these diseases. Improved survival due to new recommended drugs in HF has increasingly challenged physicians to manage patients with multiple diseases, especially in case of CKD. However, the safe administration of these drugs in patients with HF and CKD is often challenging. Knowing up to which values ​​of creatinine or renal clearance each drug can be administered is fundamental. With this review we sought to give an insight on this sizable and complex topic, in order to get clearer ideas and a more precise reference about the diagnostic assessment and therapeutic management of HF and CKD.

Percutaneous extraction of a Micra AV transcatheter pacing system due to a rare sudden battery failure after 19 months from implantation: A first experience worldwide.

INTRODUCTION: Micra AV Transcatheter Pacing System (TPS) represents an innovative second-generation leadless pacemaker which represents an effective alternative to conventional devices in selected cases. Intrinsic malfunctions of these devices are rare, requiring sometimes their retrieval. When performed in experienced centers, this procedure is safe. CASE PRESENTATION: We describe a case of sudden battery malfunction of a Micra AV TPS, which required the extraction and the placement of a new pacing system in the right ventricle. DISCUSSION: This case, which has never been reported, highlights the need to a careful fluoroscopic evaluation and the usefulness of remote monitoring.

A comparison of intracardiac echocardiography and transesophageal echocardiography for guiding device closure of ostium secundum atrial septal defect: A 15-year experience.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Our aim was to evaluate the fluoroscopy time (FT), procedure time (PT) safety and efficacy when using intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) in comparison to transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) guidance for transcatheter closure of Ostium Secundum Atrial Septal Defect (OS-ASD). METHOD: Ninety patients (n = 90) diagnosed with OS-ASD underwent transcatheter closure between March 2006 and October 2021. Fifty-seven patients were treated under ICE guidance, while 33 patients were treated under TEE guidance. RESULTS: Mean age was 43 ± 15 years and 42 ± 10 years in the ICE and TEE groups, respectively. The majority of patients had a centrally placed defect. Median FT was 8.40 min versus 11.70 min (p < .001) in the ICE group compared to the TEE group, respectively. Median PT was 43 min versus 94 min (p < .001) in the ICE group compared to the TEE group, respectively. Both ICE and TEE provided high quality images. All interventions were completed successfully, except for one patient in the ICE group who experienced a device migration, the development of atrial tachycardia in one patient and atrial fibrillation in two patients in the ICE group which spontaneously cardioverted. There were no other complications. CONCLUSION: This study on a consistent cohort of patients with OS-ASD undergoing percutaneous closure suggests that use of ICE is safe and efficacious. Compared to TEE, ICE demonstrated significantly shorter FT and PT, decreasing the entire duration of the procedure and x-ray exposure. No relevant differences were observed in terms of success rate and complications.

Cardiac magnetic resonance in advanced heart failure.

Heart failure (HF) is a chronic and progressive disease that often progresses to an advanced stage where conventional therapy is insufficient to relieve patients' symptoms. Despite the availability of advanced therapies such as mechanical circulatory support or heart transplantation, the complexity of defining advanced HF, which requires multiple parameters and multimodality assessment, often leads to delays in referral to dedicated specialists with the result of a worsening prognosis. In this review, we aim to explore the role of cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) in advanced HF by showing how CMR is useful at every step in managing these patients: from diagnosis to prognostic stratification, hemodynamic evaluation, follow-up and advanced therapies such as heart transplantation. The technical challenges of scanning advanced HF patients, which often require troubleshooting of intracardiac devices and dedicated scans, will be also discussed.

Use of cardiac imaging in chronic coronary syndromes: the EURECA Imaging registry.

BACKGROUND: The prospective, multicentre EURECA registry assessed the use of imaging and adoption of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Guidelines (GL) in patients with chronic coronary syndromes (CCS). METHODS: Between May 2019 and March 2020, 5156 patients were recruited in 73 centres from 24 ESC member countries. The adoption of GL recommendations was evaluated according to clinical presentation and pre-test probability (PTP) of obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD). RESULTS: The mean age of the population was 64 ± 11 years, 60% of patients were males, 42% had PTP >15%, 27% had previous CAD, and ejection fraction was <50% in 5%. Exercise ECG was performed in 32% of patients, stress imaging as the first choice in 40%, and computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA) in 22%. Invasive coronary angiography (ICA) was the first or downstream test in 17% and 11%, respectively. Obstructive CAD was documented in 24% of patients, inducible ischaemia in 19%, and 13% of patients underwent revascularization. In 44% of patients, the overall diagnostic process did not adopt the GL. In these patients, referral to stress imaging (21% vs. 58%; P < 0.001) or CTCA (17% vs. 30%; P < 0.001) was less frequent, while exercise ECG (43% vs. 22%; P < 0.001) and ICA (48% vs. 15%; P < 0.001) were more frequently performed. The adoption of GL was associated with fewer ICA, higher proportion of diagnosis of obstructive CAD (60% vs. 39%, P < 0.001) and revascularization (54% vs. 37%, P < 0.001), higher quality of life, fewer additional testing, and longer times to late revascularization. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with CCS, current clinical practice does not adopt GL recommendations on the use of diagnostic tests in a significant proportion of patients. When the diagnostic approach adopts GL recommendations, invasive procedures are less frequently used and the diagnostic yield and therapeutic utility are superior.

The Beneficial Role of Telemedicine for Arrhythmic Risk Stratification in Asymptomatic Brugada Syndrome: An Exemplary Case Report.

Telemedicine and remote monitoring devices, including implantable loop recorders (ILR), are increasingly adopted in the cardiologic setting. These are valuable tools in the arrhythmic stratification of patients at risk of sudden cardiac death, providing a tailored therapeutic management to prevent lethal arrhythmias. We report a case of an asymptomatic 18-year-old boy with a family history of syncope and cardiac arrest, who had a diagnosis of Brugada syndrome with an inducible type 1 pattern and carrier of a missense mutation of the SCN5A gene. In light of the risk factors, although not recommended by current guidelines, we decided to proceed with the implantation of an ILR with remote monitoring service. A few months later, an episode of asymptomatic sustained polymorphic ventricular tachycardia was promptly observed by the remote monitoring, leading to a timely implantation of a subcutaneous cardiac implantable defibrillator.

Right heart failure in left heart disease: imaging, functional, and biochemical aspects of right ventricular dysfunction.

For decades, cardiologists have largely underestimated the role of the right heart in heart failure due to left heart disease. Nowadays, the importance of evaluating right ventricular (RV) structure and function in left heart failure is well documented and this concept has been emphasized in the most recent heart failure guidelines. However, several relevant questions remain unanswered such as the following: (a) which imaging technique (standard or 3D echocardiography or strain imaging or cardiac magnetic resonance) and, more, which parameters should be used to grade the severity of RV dysfunction? (b) do less widespread and less applied diagnostic tools such as cardiopulmonary stress testing and bioelectrical impedance analysis play a role in this field? (c) are there specific biochemical aspects of RV failure? (d) why notion of pathophysiology of heart and lung interaction are so well appreciated at an academic level but are not applied in the clinical setting? The present review has been prepared by the Heart Failure (HF) working group of the Italian Society of Cardiology and its main objective is to improve our understanding on RV dysfunction in heart failure.

Clinical application of CMR in cardiomyopathies: evolving concepts and techniques : A position paper of myocardial and pericardial diseases and cardiac magnetic resonance working groups of Italian society of cardiology.

Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) has become an essential tool for the evaluation of patients affected or at risk of developing cardiomyopathies (CMPs). In fact, CMR not only provides precise data on cardiac volumes, wall thickness, mass and systolic function but it also a non-invasive characterization of myocardial tissue, thus helping the early diagnosis and the precise phenotyping of the different CMPs, which is essential for early and individualized treatment of patients. Furthermore, several CMR characteristics, such as the presence of extensive LGE or abnormal mapping values, are emerging as prognostic markers, therefore helping to define patients' risk. Lastly new experimental CMR techniques are under investigation and might contribute to widen our knowledge in the field of CMPs. In this perspective, CMR appears an essential tool to be systematically applied in the diagnostic and prognostic work-up of CMPs in clinical practice. This review provides a deep overview of clinical applicability of standard and emerging CMR techniques in the management of CMPs.

Heart Failure and Erectile Dysfunction: a Review of the Current Evidence and Clinical Implications.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Heart failure (HF) and erectile dysfunction (ED) are two common conditions that affect millions of men worldwide and impair their quality of life. ED is a frequent complication of HF, as well as a possible predictor of cardiovascular events and mortality. ED deserves more attention from clinicians and researchers. RECENT FINDINGS: The pathophysiology of ED in HF involves multiple factors, such as endothelial dysfunction, reduced cardiac output, neurohormonal activation, autonomic imbalance, oxidative stress, inflammation, and drug side effects. The diagnosis of ED in HF patients should be based on validated questionnaires or objective tests, as part of the routine cardiovascular risk assessment. The therapeutic management of ED in HF patients should be individualized and multidisciplinary, considering the patient's preferences, expectations, comorbidities, and potential drug interactions. The first-line pharmacological treatment for ED in HF patients with mild to moderate symptoms (NYHA class I-II) is phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE5Is), which improve both sexual function and cardiopulmonary parameters. PDE5Is are contraindicated in patients who use nitrates or nitric oxide donors for angina relief, and these patients should be advised to avoid sexual activity or to use alternative treatments for ED. Non-pharmacological treatments for ED, such as psychotherapy or couples therapy, should also be considered if there are significant psychosocial factors affecting the patient's sexual function or relationship. This review aims to summarize the most recent evidence regarding the prevalence of ED, the pathophysiology of this condition with an exhaustive analysis of factors involved in ED development in HF patients, a thorough discussion on diagnosis and management of ED in HF patients, providing practical recommendations for clinicians.

Diagnostic performance of deep learning algorithm for analysis of computed tomography myocardial perfusion.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of a deep learning (DL) algorithm predicting hemodynamically significant coronary artery disease (CAD) by using a rest dataset of myocardial computed tomography perfusion (CTP) as compared to invasive evaluation. METHODS: One hundred and twelve consecutive symptomatic patients scheduled for clinically indicated invasive coronary angiography (ICA) underwent CCTA plus static stress CTP and ICA with invasive fractional flow reserve (FFR) for stenoses ranging between 30 and 80%. Subsequently, a DL algorithm for the prediction of significant CAD by using the rest dataset (CTP-DLrest) and stress dataset (CTP-DLstress) was developed. The diagnostic accuracy for identification of significant CAD using CCTA, CCTA + CTP stress, CCTA + CTP-DLrest, and CCTA + CTP-DLstress was measured and compared. The time of analysis for CTP stress, CTP-DLrest, and CTP-DLStress was recorded. RESULTS: Patient-specific sensitivity, specificity, NPV, PPV, accuracy, and area under the curve (AUC) of CCTA alone and CCTA + CTPStress were 100%, 33%, 100%, 54%, 63%, 67% and 86%, 89%, 89%, 86%, 88%, 87%, respectively. Patient-specific sensitivity, specificity, NPV, PPV, accuracy, and AUC of CCTA + DLrest and CCTA + DLstress were 100%, 72%, 100%, 74%, 84%, 96% and 93%, 83%, 94%, 81%, 88%, 98%, respectively. All CCTA + CTP stress, CCTA + CTP-DLRest, and CCTA + CTP-DLStress significantly improved detection of hemodynamically significant CAD compared to CCTA alone (p < 0.01). Time of CTP-DL was significantly lower as compared to human analysis (39.2 ± 3.2 vs. 379.6 ± 68.0 s, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Evaluation of myocardial ischemia using a DL approach on rest CTP datasets is feasible and accurate. This approach may be a useful gatekeeper prior to CTP stress..

Computed tomography predictors of structural valve degeneration in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation with balloon-expandable prostheses.

OBJECTIVES: Computed tomography (CT) provides excellent anatomy assessment of the aortic annulus (AoA) and is utilized for pre-procedural planning of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). We sought to investigate if geometrical characteristics of the AoA determined by CT may represent predictors of structural valve degeneration (SVD) in patients undergoing TAVI with balloon-expandable valves. METHODS: This is a retrospective study on 124 consecutive patients (mean age: 79 ± 7 years; female: 61%) undergoing balloon-expandable TAVI prospectively enrolled in a registry. AoA maximum diameter (Dmax), minimum diameter (Dmin), and area were assessed using pre-procedural CT. SVD was identified during follow-up with transthoracic echocardiography documenting structural prosthetic valve abnormalities with or without hemodynamic changes. RESULTS: The mean follow-up was 5.9 ± 1.7 years. SVD was found in 48 out of 124 patients (38%). AoA Dmax, Dmin, and area were significantly smaller in patients with SVD compared to patients without SVD (25.6 ± 2.2 mm vs. 27.1 ± 2.8 mm, p = 0.012; 20.5 ± 2.1 mm vs. 21.8 ± 2.1 mm, p = 0.001 and 419 ± 77 mm2 vs. 467 ± 88 mm2, p = 0.002, respectively). At univariable analysis, female sex, BSA, 23-mm prosthetic valve size, Dmax < 27.1 mm, and a Dmin < 19.9 mm were associated with SVD, whereas at multivariable analysis, only Dmin < 19.9 mm (OR = 2.873, 95% CI: 1.191-6.929, p = 0.019) and female sex (OR = 2.659, 95% CI: 1.095-6.458, p = 0.031) were independent predictors of SVD. CONCLUSIONS: Female sex and AoA Dmin < 19.9 mm are associated with SVD in patients undergoing TAVI with balloon-expandable valves. When implanting large prostheses in order to avoid paraprosthetic regurgitation, caution should be observed due to the risk of excessive stretching of the AoA Dmin, which may play a role in SVD. KEY POINTS: • Long-term durability is a concern for transcatheter aortic valve bioprosthesis. • CT provides an excellent assessment of the aortic annulus's geometrical characteristics for prosthesis sizing before transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). • Female sex and a small minimum aortic annulus diameter measured with CT are independent predictors of structural valve degeneration in patients undergoing TAVI with balloon-expandable valves.

Multimodality imaging in acute myocarditis.

The diagnosis of acute myocarditis often involves several noninvasive techniques that can provide information regarding volumes, ejection fraction, and tissue characterization. In particular, echocardiography is extremely helpful for the evaluation of biventricular volumes, strain and ejection fraction. Cardiac magnetic resonance, beyond biventricular volumes, strain, and ejection fraction allows to characterize myocardial tissue providing information regarding edema, hyperemia, and fibrosis. Contemporary cardiac computed tomography angiography (CCTA) can not only be extremely important for the assessment of coronary arteries, pulmonary arteries and aorta but also tissue characterization using CCTA can be an additional tool that can explain chest pain with a diagnosis of myocarditis.

CarDiac magnEtic Resonance for prophylactic Implantable-cardioVerter defibrillAtor ThErapy in Non-Ischaemic dilated CardioMyopathy: an international Registry.

AIMS: The aim of this registry was to evaluate the additional prognostic value of a composite cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR)-based risk score over standard-of-care (SOC) evaluation in a large cohort of consecutive unselected non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy (NICM) patients. METHODS AND RESULTS: In the DERIVATE registry (www.clinicaltrials.gov/registration: RCT#NCT03352648), 1000 (derivation cohort) and 508 (validation cohort) NICM patients with chronic heart failure (HF) and left ventricular ejection fraction <50% were included. All-cause mortality and major adverse arrhythmic cardiac events (MAACE) were the primary and secondary endpoints, respectively. During a median follow-up of 959 days, all-cause mortality and MAACE occurred in 72 (7%) and 93 (9%) patients, respectively. Age and >3 segments with midwall fibrosis on late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) were the only independent predictors of all-cause mortality (HR: 1.036, 95% CI: 1.0117-1.056, P < 0.001 and HR: 2.077, 95% CI: 1.211-3.562, P = 0.008, respectively). For MAACE, the independent predictors were male gender, left ventricular end-diastolic volume index by CMR (CMR-LVEDVi), and >3 segments with midwall fibrosis on LGE (HR: 2.131, 95% CI: 1.231-3.690, P = 0.007; HR: 3.161, 95% CI: 1.750-5.709, P < 0.001; and HR: 1.693, 95% CI: 1.084-2.644, P = 0.021, respectively). A composite clinical and CMR-based risk score provided a net reclassification improvement of 63.7% (P < 0.001) for MAACE occurrence when added to the model based on SOC evaluation. These findings were confirmed in the validation cohort. CONCLUSION: In a large multicentre, multivendor cohort registry reflecting daily clinical practice in NICM work-up, a composite clinical and CMR-based risk score provides incremental prognostic value beyond SOC evaluation, which may have impact on the indication of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator implantation.

Pulse-Cancellation Echocardiography for Clinical Evaluation of Myocardial Scar Burden.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Echocardiography has been completely abandoned as far as myocardial tissue characterization is concerned, but recently, the possibility to detect scarred myocardial tissue has been revived. We review the most recent studies aiming to assess the presence of myocardial fibrosis or scar using echocardiography. RECENT FINDINGS: The use of a simple and clinically available ultrasound, such as method pulse-cancellation, is a promising add-on to standard echocardiography for the detection of scarred myocardial tissue, mostly, but not only, in the setting of post-myocardial infarction patients. Pulse-cancellation technique, available since at least 20 years ago on commercial ultrasound machines, is reasonably accurate to detect myocardial scar tissue caused by recent or prior myocardial infarction, the accuracy varying depending on the spatial distribution of myocardial scars in the left ventricle. Severe myocardial fibers disarray, as found in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, can also be detected by this ultrasound method.

SIRM-SIC appropriateness criteria for the use of Cardiac Computed Tomography. Part 1: Congenital heart diseases, primary prevention, risk assessment before surgery, suspected CAD in symptomatic patients, plaque and epicardial adipose tissue characterization, and functional assessment of stenosis.

In the past 20 years, Cardiac Computed Tomography (CCT) has become a pivotal technique for the noninvasive diagnostic work-up of coronary and cardiac diseases. Continuous technical and methodological improvements, combined with fast growing scientific evidence, have progressively expanded the clinical role of CCT. Recent large multicenter randomized clinical trials documented the high prognostic value of CCT and its capability to increase the cost-effectiveness of the management of patients with suspected CAD. In the meantime, CCT, initially perceived as a simple non-invasive technique for studying coronary anatomy, has transformed into a multiparametric "one-stop-shop" approach able to investigate the heart in a comprehensive way, including functional, structural and pathophysiological biomarkers. In this complex and revolutionary scenario, it is urgently needed to provide an updated guide for the appropriate use of CCT in different clinical settings. This manuscript, endorsed by the Italian Society of Medical and Interventional Radiology (SIRM) and by the Italian Society of Cardiology (SIC), represents the first of two consensus documents collecting the expert opinion of Radiologists and Cardiologists about current appropriate use of CCT.

Late gadolinium enhancement role in arrhythmic risk stratification of patients with LMNA cardiomyopathy: results from a long-term follow-up multicentre study.

AIMS: We aimed at addressing the role of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) in arrhythmic risk stratification of LMNA-associated cardiomyopathy (CMP). METHODS AND RESULTS: We present data from a multicentre national cohort of patients with LMNA mutations. Of 164 screened cases, we finally enrolled patients with baseline cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) including LGE sequences [n = 41, age 35 ± 17 years, 51% males, mean left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) by echocardiogram 56%]. The primary endpoint of the study was follow-up (FU) occurrence of malignant ventricular arrhythmias [MVA, including sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT), ventricular fibrillation, and appropriate implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapy]. At baseline CMR, 25 subjects (61%) had LGE, with non-ischaemic pattern in all of the cases. Overall, 23 patients (56%) underwent ICD implant. By 10 ± 3 years FU, eight patients (20%) experienced MVA, consisting of appropriate ICD shocks in all of the cases. In particular, the occurrence of MVA in LGE+ vs. LGE- groups was 8/25 vs. 0/16 (P = 0.014). Of note, no significant differences between LGE+ and LGE- patients were found in currently recognized risk factors for sudden cardiac death (male gender, non-missense mutations, baseline LVEF <45% and non-sustained VT), all P-value >0.05. CONCLUSIONS: In LMNA-CMP patients, LGE at baseline CMR is significantly associated with MVA. In particular, as suggested by this preliminary experience, the absence of LGE allowed to rule-out MVA at 10 years mean FU.

(Epicardial and microvascular) angina or atypical chest pain: differential diagnoses with cardiovascular magnetic resonance.

Angina pectoris is a chest discomfort caused by myocardial ischaemia, and it is classified as 'typical' or 'atypical' if specific features are present. Unfortunately, there is a heterogeneous list of cardiac diseases characterized by this symptom as onset sign. Mostly, angina is due to significant epicardial coronary artery stenosis, which causes inadequate oxygen supply increase after raised myocardial oxygen demand. In the absence of significant epicardial stenoses, another potential cause of angina is microvascular dysfunction, related to inadequate response of resistance coronary vessels to vasodilator stimuli. The unique capability of cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) in providing extremely detailed morphological and functional information, along with precise stress perfusion defects and wall motion abnormalities depiction, translates it into the test with one of the best diagnostic performance and prognostic stratification among non-invasive cardiac imaging modality. Moreover, CMR is also extremely accurate in detecting non-ischaemic cardiac causes of chest pain (such as myocardial and pericardial inflammation, or stress-related cardiomyopathy), and is very useful in helping physicians to correctly approach patients affected by chest pain.

Determinants of Rejection Rate for Coronary CT Angiography Fractional Flow Reserve Analysis.

Background Coronary artery fractional flow reserve (FFR) derived from CT angiography (FFTCT) enables functional assessment of coronary stenosis. Prior clinical trials showed 13%-33% of coronary CT angiography studies had insufficient quality for quantitative analysis with FFRCT. Purpose To determine the rejection rate of FFRCT analysis and to determine factors associated with technically unsuccessful calculation of FFRCT. Materials and Methods Prospectively acquired coronary CT angiography scans submitted as part of the Assessing Diagnostic Value of Noninvasive FFRCT in Coronary Care (ADVANCE) registry (https://ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02499679) and coronary CT angiography series submitted for clinical analysis were included. The primary outcome was the FFRCT rejection rate (defined as an inability to perform quantitative analysis with FFRCT). Factors that were associated with FFRCT rejection rate were assessed with multiple linear regression. Results In the ADVANCE registry, FFRCT rejection rate due to inadequate image quality was 2.9% (80 of 2778 patients; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.1%, 3.2%). In the 10 621 consecutive patients who underwent clinical analysis, the FFRCT rejection rate was 8.4% (n = 892; 95% CI: 6.2%, 7.2%; P < .001 vs the ADVANCE cohort). The main reason for the inability to perform FFRCT analysis was the presence of motion artifacts (63 of 80 [78%] and 729 of 892 [64%] in the ADVANCE and clinical cohorts, respectively). At multivariable analysis, section thickness in the ADVANCE (odds ratio [OR], 1.04; 95% CI: 1.001, 1.09; P = .045) and clinical (OR, 1.03; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.04; P < .001) cohorts and heart rate in the ADVANCE (OR, 1.05; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.08; P < .001) and clinical (OR, 1.06; 95% CI: 1.05, 1.07; P < .001) cohorts were independent predictors of rejection. Conclusion The rates for technically unsuccessful CT-derived fractional flow reserve in the ADVANCE registry and in a large clinical cohort were 2.9% and 8.4%, respectively. Thinner CT section thickness and lower patient heart rate may increase rates of completion of CT fractional flow reserve analysis. Published under a CC BY 4.0 license. Online supplemental material is available for this article. See also the editorial by Sakuma in this issue.

Prognostic value of dipyridamole stress cardiac magnetic resonance in patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease: a mid-term follow-up study.

OBJECTIVES: Dipyridamole stress cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) evaluates the key phases (perfusion and wall motion) of the ischemic cascade. We sought to determine the prognostic value of dipyridamole stress-CMR in consecutive patients symptomatic for chest pain. METHODS: Seven hundred and ninety-three consecutive patients symptomatic for chest pain underwent dipyridamole stress-CMR and were followed up for 810 ± 665 days. Patients were classified in group 1 (no- reversible ischemia), group 2 (stress perfusion defect alone), and group 3 [stress perfusion defect plus abnormal wall motion (AWM)]. End points were "all cardiac events" (myocardial infarction, cardiac death and revascularization) and "hard cardiac events" (all cardiac events excluding revascularization). RESULTS: One hundred and ninety-five (24 %) all cardiac events and 53 (7 %) hard cardiac events were observed. All and hard cardiac event rates in groups 1, 2, and 3 were 11 %, 49 %, 69 % and 4 %, 8 %, 21 %, respectively, with a higher rate in group 2 vs. group 1 (p<0.01) and group 3 vs. groups 1 and 2 (p<0.01). Multivariate analysis showed the presence of late gadolinium enhancement and stress perfusion defect plus AWM as independent predictors of all and hard cardiac events. CONCLUSIONS: Dipyridamole stress-CMR improves prognostic stratification of patients through differentiation between the different components of the ischemic cascade. KEY POINTS: • Dipyridamole stress cardiac magnetic resonance helps to assess coronary artery disease. • Novel technique to study the key phases of myocardial ischemia. • Combined assessment of perfusion and motion defects. • Dipyridamole stress imaging has additional value for predicting cardiac events.

Correlations between NT-proBNP, outcome and haemodynamics in patients with septic shock.

AIM: The aim of this study was to determine the role of NT-proBNP in predicting the outcome of septic patients and to evaluate possible correlations between NT-ProBNP and haemodynamics in sepsis. METHODS: Forty consecutive patients with severe sepsis were prospectively evaluated. Patients were treated with the gold standard therapy for sepsis. NT-BNP levels, endotoxin activity (EA), SOFA score and SAPS II score, cardiac index (CI), mean arterial pressure (MAP) and pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) were evaluated at admission and after 72 hours. Survival was evaluated at 28 days after admission. RESULTS: At 4-week follow-up, 22 patients had died (55%). Survival was not associated with age, gender, baseline EA and treatment, while it was associated with NT-proBNP levels at admission and after 72 hours. NT-proBNP>1,000 pg/ml at 72 hours was a robust independent predictor of survival. The area under the curve (AUC) of NT-proBNP at admission was 0.73 and 0.99 after 72 hours. At 72 hours, AUC for SOFA score was 0.94, for SAPS II score 1, for EA 0.73. Levels of NT-proBNP>1,000 pg/ml at 72 hours were associated with an adverse outcome (sensitivity 95.5%, specificity 94.4%). NT-proBNP at 72 hours correlated with CI, MAP and PAP (P<0.01, <0.01,<0.05 respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Increased NT-proBNP levels at 72 hours could predict mortality at 28 days in patients with septic shock and are correlated with haemodynamics.