Transient stress-related hyperviscosity and endothelial dysfunction in Takotsubo syndrome: a time course study.

Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) is an acute and usually reversible heart failure syndrome, frequently associated with emotional or physical stress. Its pathophysiology remains largely unclear, although several mechanisms related to catecholaminergic storm have been proposed. In this study we analyzed during the acute phase of TTS and at follow-up both hemorheological parameters and biomarkers of endothelial damage, whose time course has never been fully explored. In 50 TTS women, we analyzed several hemorheological parameters [whole blood viscosity (WBV) at 0.512 s-1 and at 94.5 s-1, plasma viscosity (PLV), erythrocyte deformability and aggregation index] as well as biomarkers of endothelial dysfunction [von Willebrand Factor (vWF), Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 and factor VIII levels] during the acute phase and after a median 6 months follow-up. These variables were also assessed in 50 age-matched healthy women. Respect to follow-up, in the acute phase of TTS we observed higher values of white blood cell count, fibrinogen, WBV at low and high shear rates, PLV, erythrocyte aggregation index and lower values of erythrocyte elongation index. Moreover, all biomarkers of endothelial dysfunction resulted significantly higher in the acute phase. During follow-up WBV at 94.5 s-1, erythrocyte elongation index and vWF resulted significantly altered with respect to controls. The results of this study confirm the role of hyperviscosity and endothelial dysfunction in TTS pathophysiology. Moreover, they suggest the persistence of alterations of erythrocyte deformability and endothelial dysfunction even beyond the acute phase that could be the target of therapeutic strategies also during follow-up.

Diagnostic and Prognostic Value of Lung Ultrasound B-Lines in Acute Heart Failure With Concomitant Pneumonia.

Purpose: To evaluate the potential confounding effect of concomitant pneumonia (PNM) on lung ultrasound (LUS) B-lines in acute heart failure (AHF). Methods: We enrolled 86 AHF patients with (31 pts, AHF/PNM) and without (55 pts, AHF) concomitant PNM. LUS B-lines were evaluated using a combined antero-lateral (AL) and posterior (POST) approach at admission (T0), after 24 h from T0 (T1), after 48 h from T0 (T2) and before discharge (T3). B-lines score was calculated at each time point on AL and POST chest, dividing the number of B-lines by the number of explorable scanning sites. The decongestion rate (DR) was calculated as the difference between the absolute B-lines number at discharge and admission, divided by the number of days of hospitalization. Patients were followed-up and hospital readmission for AHF was considered as adverse outcome. Results: At admission, AHF/PNM patients showed no difference in AL B-lines score compared with AHF patients [AHF/PNM: 2.00 (IQR: 1.44-2.94) vs. AHF: 1.65 (IQR: 0.50-2.66), p = 0.072], whereas POST B-lines score was higher [AHF/PNM: 3.76 (IQR: 2.70-4.77) vs. AHF = 2.44 (IQR: 1.20-3.60), p < 0.0001]. At discharge, AL B-lines score [HR: 1.907 (1.097-3.313), p = 0.022] and not POST B-lines score was found to predict adverse events (AHF rehospitalization) after a median follow-up of 96 days (IQR: 30-265) in the overall population. Conclusions: Assessing AL B-lines alone is adequate for diagnosis, pulmonary congestion (PC) monitoring and prognostic stratification in AHF patients, despite concomitant PNM.

Left atrial dysfunction as marker of poor outcome in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

BACKGROUND: The incremental prognostic value of left atrial (LA) dysfunction, emerging in various clinical contexts, remains poorly explored in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). OBJECTIVE: To assess LA strain correlation with outcome in HCM. METHODS: A cohort of all 307 consecutive patients presenting with HCM between 2007 and 2017 (54±17 years; 34% women), with comprehensive echocardiography at diagnosis and LA peak longitudinal strain (PALS) and LA peak contraction strain (PACS) measurement, was enrolled and occurrence of HCM related cardiac events analysed. RESULTS: Clinically, atrial fibrillation (AF) was present in 13%, New York Heart Association functional class II-III in 54%, and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) concentration was 199±278pg/mL. By echocardiography, left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF) was 67±10%, LV thickness 21±5mm and European Society of Cardiology HCM risk score 3±3%, with 109 patients (36%) presenting obstructive HCM (LV outflow gradient 21±32mmHg). LA diameter was 41±8mm [with 109 (36%) presenting LA diameter ≥40mm], LA volume index 50±26mL/m2, PALS 24±13%, PACS 11±7% and LA peak systolic strain rate (LASRs) 1.7±0.6 s-1. In addition to AF, age, BNP, LVEF and LV thickness were all independent determinants of lower PALS, with odd ratios almost unchanged after adjustment (all P ≤0.0004). At a mean follow-up of 21 (range 18-23) months, patients with adverse cardiac events (n=65) presented with more impaired LA function (all P ≤0.0005), with a significant association between impaired PALS and worse outcome, hazard ratio 0.94 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.92-0.97, P<0.0001]. After comprehensive adjustment, PALS remained strongly associated with worse outcome, adjusted hazard ratio 0.86 (95% CI 0.79-0.94; P=0.0008). CONCLUSIONS: The present study, by gathering a unique HCM cohort, suggests a strong link between LA dysfunction and poor outcome, to be further investigated.