Electrocardiogram-based deep learning algorithm for the screening of obstructive coronary artery disease.

BACKGROUND: Information on electrocardiogram (ECG) has not been quantified in obstructive coronary artery disease (ObCAD), despite the deep learning (DL) algorithm being proposed as an effective diagnostic tool for acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Therefore, this study adopted a DL algorithm to suggest the screening of ObCAD from ECG. METHODS: ECG voltage-time traces within a week from coronary angiography (CAG) were extracted for the patients who received CAG for suspected CAD in a single tertiary hospital from 2008 to 2020. After separating the AMI group, those were classified into ObCAD and non-ObCAD groups based on the CAG results. A DL-based model adopting ResNet was built to extract information from ECG data in the patients with ObCAD relative to those with non-ObCAD, and compared the performance with AMI. Moreover, subgroup analysis was conducted using ECG patterns of computer-assisted ECG interpretation. RESULTS: The DL model demonstrated modest performance in suggesting the probability of ObCAD but excellent performance in detecting AMI. The AUC of the ObCAD model adopting 1D ResNet was 0.693 and 0.923 in detecting AMI. The accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and F1 score of the DL model for screening ObCAD were 0.638, 0.639, 0.636, and 0.634, respectively, while the figures were up to 0.885, 0.769, 0.921, and 0.758 for detecting AMI, respectively. Subgroup analysis showed that the difference between normal and abnormal/borderline ECG groups was not notable. CONCLUSIONS: ECG-based DL model showed fair performance for assessing ObCAD and it may serve as an adjunct to the pre-test probability in patients with suspected ObCAD during the initial evaluation. With further refinement and evaluation, ECG coupled with the DL algorithm may provide potential front-line screening support in the resource-intensive diagnostic pathways.

Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio at Emergency Room Predicts Mechanical Complications of ST-segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction.

BACKGROUND: The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been proven to be a reliable inflammatory marker. A recent study reported that elevated NLR is associated with adverse cardiovascular events in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). We investigated whether NLR at emergency room (ER) is associated with mechanical complications of STEMI undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS: A total of 744 patients with STEMI who underwent successful primary PCI from 2009 to 2018 were enrolled in this study. Total and differential leukocyte counts were measured at ER. The NLR was calculated as the ratio of neutrophil count to lymphocyte count. Patients were divided into tertiles according to NLR. Mechanical complications of STEMI were defined by STEMI combined with sudden cardiac arrest, stent thrombosis, pericardial effusion, post myocardial infarction (MI) pericarditis, and post MI ventricular septal rupture, free-wall rupture, left ventricular thrombus, and acute mitral regurgitation during hospitalization. RESULTS: Patients in the high NLR group (> 4.90) had higher risk of mechanical complications of STEMI (P = 0.001) compared with those in the low and intermediate groups (13% vs. 13% vs. 23%). On multivariable analysis, NLR remained an independent predictor for mechanical complications of STEMI (RR = 1.947, 95% CI = 1.136-3.339, P = 0.015) along with symptom-to balloon time (P = 0.002) and left ventricular dysfunction (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: NLR at ER is an independent predictor of mechanical complications of STEMI undergoing primary PCI. STEMI patients with high NLR are at increased risk for complications during hospitalization, therefore, needs more intensive treatment after PCI.

Ivabradine-Induced Torsade de Pointes in Patients with Heart Failure Reduced Ejection Fraction.

Ivabradine is a selective inhibitor of the sinoatrial node "funny" current, prolonging the slow diastolic depolarization. As it has the ability to block the heart rate selectively, it is more effective at a faster heart rate. It is recommended for the treatment of heart failure reduced ejection fraction in the presence of beta-blocker therapy for the further reduction of the heart rate. However, previous reports have shown the association of Torsade de pointes (TdP) with concurrent use of ivabradine and drugs resulting in QT prolongation or blockage of the metabolic breakdown of ivabradine. In this article, we report two cases of patients with heart failure reduced ejection fraction who developed TdP after ivabradine use. Our report highlights the need to exercise caution with the administration of ivabradine in the presence of a reduced repolarization reserve, such as QT prolongation or metabolic insufficiency.

The Role of Index of Microcirculatory Resistance in Left Anterior Descending Artery ST Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction Patients after Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

Background: Our aim was to assess the relationship of the index of microvascular resistance (IMR) in left anterior descending (LAD) artery involved STEMI patients. Methods: Data of 316 STEMI patients who had undergone primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were collected from three cardiovascular centers from 2005 to 2015. In total, 246 patients with LAD STEMI were enrolled for IMR evaluation. Patients were divided into two groups respective of the cut-off IMR value of 30. All-cause mortality, left ventricular function, improvement of systolic function, and cardiac biomarkers were analyzed and compared. Results: A total of 246 patients were enrolled. The number of patients in the IMR above 30 group was 93 and below 30 was 153. The mean ages for each group were 57.91 ± 11.99 and 54 ± 10.63, respectively. The peak creatinine kinase (CK) (3936.85 ± 2827.32 IU/L vs. 2218.08 ± 2310.41 IU/L, p < 0.001) and CKmb (336.15 ± 195.08 mg/mL vs. 231.53 ± 179.53 mg/mL, p < 0.001) levels were higher for an IMR above the 30 group. The left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (44.57 ± 6.685% vs. 47.35 ± 8.17%, p = 0.006) and improvement of LVEF (2.81 ± 7.135% vs. 5.88 ± 7.65%, p = 0.004) was lower in the IMR above 30 group. All-cause mortality (7.5% vs. 1.3%, p = 0.012) was higher in the IMR above 30 group, and a Cox regression analysis showed that an IMR above 30 was a poor prognostic factor regarding all-cause mortality (HR: 5.151, 95% CI 1.062-24.987, p = 0.042) even after adjusting for classical clinical risk factors. Conclusions: An elevated IMR value represented larger infarct size, more severe LV dysfunction, and higher mortality in LAD STEMI patients after successful PCI.

A prospective double-blinded randomized study on drug-eluting stent implantation into nitrate-induced maximally dilated vessels in patients with coronary artery disease.

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has been developed using drug-eluting stents (DES); however, stent implantation is associated with concerns of stent thrombosis and target vessel revascularization (TVR). The stent diameter is a critical factor in TVR and clinical events. The nitrate administration in coronary angiography can dilate the reference vessel diameter, enabling accurate vessel size measurement and optimal stent implantation support. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of stent implantation in the maximally dilated coronary artery in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). METHODS: This prospective double-blinded randomized (1:1) study is designed to compare the efficacy and safety between DES implantation into the nitrate-induced maximally dilated vessels and conventional DES implantation in patients with CAD. A total of 400 patients who underwent PCI with a sirolimus-eluting stent will be enrolled. The primary endpoint is the mean diameter of the deployed stents. Secondary endpoints include cardiac death, myocardial infarction, stent thrombosis, or ischemia-driven TVR 1 year after the procedure. DISCUSSION: This study will be the first randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effect of DES implantation on nitrate-induced maximally dilated vessels in patients with CAD. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial was registered on 18 June 2021 as Effect of Ultimaster Stents Treated to the Most Dilated Coronary Vessels (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04931784).

Mediastinal lymphangioma treated using endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration.

Lymphangiomas are localized malformations of the lymphatic system that most commonly occur in the head and neck. However, less than 1% of all lymphangiomas are confined to the mediastinum. The standard treatment has been surgical excision, but the involvement of vital structures in the area local to the lymphangioma makes total excision virtually impossible in most cases. To our knowledge, there has been no report of mediastinal lymphangioma treated with endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA). We report here the first case of safe, effective treatment of a very large mediastinal lymphangioma using EBUS-TBNA in a 29-year-old man.

Cardiovascular and renal protective effects of non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants and warfarin in patients with atrial fibrillation.

AIM: Data on the use of non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) in relation to the risk of cardiovascular (CV) disease and renal protection among patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), are relatively sparse. We aimed to compare the effectiveness and safety of NOACs with those of warfarin for vascular protection in a large-scale, nationwide Asian population with AF. METHODS AND RESULTS: Patients with AF who were prescribed oral anticoagulants according to the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment database between 2014 and 2017 were analyzed. The warfarin and NOAC groups were balanced using propensity score weighting. Clinical outcomes included ischemic stroke, myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, peripheral artery disease, chronic kidney disease (CKD), end-stage renal disease (ESRD), CV death, and all-cause death. NOAC use was associated with a lower risk of angina pectoris (HR, 0.79 [95% CI, 0.69-0.89] p<0.001), CKD stage 4 (HR, 0.5 [95% CI, 0.28-0.89], p = 0.02), and ESRD (HR, 0.15[95% CI, 0.08-0.32], p<0.001) than warfarin use. NOACs and warfarin did not significantly differ with respect to stroke reduction (HR, 1.05 [95% CI, 0.88-1.25], p = 0.19). NOAC use was associated with a lower risk of intracranial hemorrhage (HR, 0.6 [95% CI, 0.44-0.83], p = 0.0019), CV death (HR, 0.55 [95% CI, 0.43-0.70], p<0.001), and all-cause death (HR, 0.6 [95% CI, 0.52-0.69], p<0.001) than warfarin use. CONCLUSION: NOACs were associated with a significantly lower risk of adverse CV and renovascular outcomes than warfarin in patients with AF.

Impact of right atrial enlargement on clinical outcome in patients with atrial fibrillation.

Background: Left atrial (LA) remodeling is associated with adverse cardiovascular events, including heart failure (HF) and stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). However, there are limited data on the value of right atrial (RA) remodeling in this population. We investigated the prognostic role of RA enlargement in patients with non-valvular AF. Methods and results: We analyzed 254 consecutive patients (age = 69 ± 12years, male:female = 165:89, mean left ventricular ejection fraction = 58.0 ± 7.2%) with non-valvular AF who underwent two-dimensional echocardiography from a single center. RA and LA volumes were measured from apical views and indexed to the body surface areas (right atrial volume index [RAVI] and left atrial volume index [LAVI]) and RAVI > 30mL/m2 and LAVI > 34mL/m2 were considered as enlarged. The relationship between RA enlargement and composite clinical outcome of hospitalization for HF (HHF), stroke, systemic embolism, or death from any cause was assessed. Right atrial (RA) enlargement was associated with older age and more frequent prevalence of persistent or permanent AF. During a median follow-up of 47.1 months, 77 patients (30%) had experienced primary composite outcome. In a multivariable model, RA enlargement, but not LA enlargement, was independently associated with adverse clinical outcomes even after adjusting for clinical and echocardiographic factors {adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 1.90 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.14-3.18], p = 0.014 for primary composite outcome; adjusted HR, 2.70 [95% CI, 1.27-5.67], p = 0.001 for HHF or all cause death}. Conclusion: RA enlargement was independently associated with an increased risk of HF, stroke, systemic embolization or death in patients with non-valvular AF, suggesting that RA volume can be helpful in assessing future cardiovascular risk in this population.

Prognostic Impact of Plasma Glucose on Patients With Cardiogenic Shock With or Without Diabetes Mellitus from the SMART RESCUE Trial.

Although the presence of hyperglycemia has been shown to affect the clinical outcome of patients with cardiogenic shock, the extent of hyperglycemia and its association with prognosis have not been fully addressed in a large population. A total of 1,177 consecutive patients with cardiogenic shock were enrolled from January 2014 to December 2018 at 12 hospitals in South Korea. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Patients were divided into 4 groups according to their initial plasma glucose level in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) (n = 752) and patients without DM (n=425); group 1 (≤8 mmol/L or 144 mg/100 ml), group 2 (8 to 12 mmol/L or 144 to 216 mg/100 ml), group 3 (12 to 16 mmol/L or 216 to 288 mg/100 ml), and group 4 (≥16 mmol/L or 288 mg/100 ml). The groups with higher admission plasma glucose were associated with lower systolic blood pressure and higher lactic acid levels in patients with and without DM. In-hospital mortality increased in groups with higher admission plasma glucose level in patients without DM (group 1:24.2%, group 2: 28.6%, group 3: 38.1%, group 4: 49.0%, p <0.01), whereas in patients with DM, mortality and admission plasma glucose level showed no significant association (group 1: 45%, group 2: 35.4%, group 3: 33.3%, group 4: 43.1%, p = 0.26). Even after multivariate analysis, high plasma glucose was an independent predictor of in-hospital mortality in patients without DM. In patients with cardiogenic shock, plasma glucose obtained at admission was associated with in-hospital mortality in patients without DM.

Machine learning enhances the performance of short and long-term mortality prediction model in non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

Machine learning (ML) has been suggested to improve the performance of prediction models. Nevertheless, research on predicting the risk in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) has been limited and showed inconsistency in the performance of ML models versus traditional models (TMs). This study developed ML-based models (logistic regression with regularization, random forest, support vector machine, and extreme gradient boosting) and compared their performance in predicting the short- and long-term mortality of patients with AMI with those of TMs with comparable predictors. The endpoints were the in-hospital mortality of 14,183 participants and the three- and 12-month mortality in patients who survived at discharge. The performance of the ML models in predicting the mortality of patients with an ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) was comparable to the TMs. In contrast, the areas under the curves (AUC) of the ML models for non-STEMI (NSTEMI) in predicting the in-hospital, 3-month, and 12-month mortality were 0.889, 0.849, and 0.860, respectively, which were superior to the TMs, which had corresponding AUCs of 0.873, 0.795, and 0.808. Overall, the performance of the predictive model could be improved, particularly for long-term mortality in NSTEMI, from the ML algorithm rather than using more clinical predictors.

Did inter-hospital transfer reduce mortality in patients with acute myocardial infarction in the real world? A nationwide patient cohort study.

INTRODUCTION: Inter-hospital transfer (IHT) and primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are preferred over onsite thrombolysis when provided expeditiously. On the other hand, its benefit has not been evaluated in a real-world situation. This study examined the effects of IHT on the short- and long-term mortality in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and compared the reperfusion treatments and resources between the referring and receiving hospitals. METHODS: Patients newly diagnosed with AMI and admitted to hospital were selected from the national health insurance database from 2004 to 2018. The 30-day and one-year mortality in the transferred and non-transferred patients were estimated and compared using stabilized inverse probability of treatment weighting to account for confounding bias. RESULTS: Of the 258,291 participants, 10,158 were transferred to one or more hospitals. IHT was more likely to occur to older or more comorbid people, patients in rural areas, and those whose insurance was medical aid. The 30-day and one-year mortality of the non-IHT group was 9.7% and 15.8%, respectively, whereas the figure was 11.4% and 20.5% in the IHT group. After balancing the baseline characteristics, the transferred patients were 1.12 (95% CI: 1.06-1.20) and 1.25 (95% CI: 1.20-1.31) times more likely to die during the subsequent 30 days and one year, respectively, than those treated solely at the presenting hospital. In ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), the hazard ratios of the 30-day and 1-year mortality were 1.14 (95% CI: 0.97-1.35) and 1.31 (95% CI: 1.15-1.49) in the transferred patients after balancing cardiogenic shock and cardiac arrest. On-site thrombolysis was rarely performed in the referring hospitals. CONCLUSION: Patients transferred for the treatment of AMI experienced higher short- and long-term mortality. Therefore, onsite thrombolysis and the estimated time delay to PCI should be considered in regional hospitals to reduce mortality with the organization of STEMI treatment networks.

Clinical Implication of Hypoxic Liver Injury for Predicting Hypoxic Hepatitis and In-Hospital Mortality in ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction Patients.

PURPOSE: In this study, we aimed to determine the value of hypoxic liver injury (HLI) in the emergency room (ER) for predicting hypoxic hepatitis (HH) and in-hospital mortality in ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 1537 consecutive STEMI patients were enrolled. HLI in the ER was defined as a ≥2-fold increase in serum aspartate transaminase (AST). HH was defined as a ≥20-fold increase in peak serum transaminase. Patients were divided into four groups according to HLI and HH status (group 1, no HLI or HH; group 2, HLI, but no HH; group 3, no HLI, but HH; group 4, both HLI and HH). RESULTS: The incidences of HLI and HH in the ER were 22% and 2%, respectively. In-hospital mortality rates were 3.1%, 11.8%, 28.6%, and 47.1% for groups 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively. Patients with HLI and/or HH had worse Killip class, higher cardiac biomarker elevations, and lower left ventricular ejection fraction. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that HLI in the ER was an independent predictor of HH [odds ratio 2.572, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.166-5.675, p=0.019]. The predictive value of HLI in the ER for the development of HH during hospitalization was favorable [area under the curve (AUC) 0.737, 95% CI 0.643-0.830, sensitivity 0.548, specificity 0.805, for cut-off value AST >80]. Furthermore, in terms of in-hospital mortality, predictive values of HLI in the ER and HH during hospitalization were comparable (AUC 0.701 for HLI at ER and AUC 0.674 for HH). CONCLUSION: Among STEMI patients, HLI in the ER is a significant predictor for the development of HH and mortality during hospitalization (INTERSTELLAR ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02800421).

mHealth Interventions for Lifestyle and Risk Factor Modification in Coronary Heart Disease: Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Self-management of lifestyle and cardiovascular disease risk factors is challenging in older patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). SMS text messaging could be a potential support tool for self-management and the most affordable and accessible method through a mobile phone. High-quality evidence had been lacking, and previous studies evaluated the effects of SMS text messaging on the subjective measures of short-term outcomes. Recently, a large-sized randomized controlled trial in Australia reported promising findings on the objective measures upon 6-month follow-up. However, an examination of the effectiveness of such interventions in an Asian population with unique demographic characteristics would be worthwhile. OBJECTIVE: This study examined the effectiveness of a 1-way SMS text messaging program to modify the lifestyle and cardiovascular disease risk factors of patients who underwent the first percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS: A parallel, single-blinded, 1:1 random allocation clinical trial was conducted with 879 patients treated through PCI. They were recruited during hospital admission from April 2017 to May 2020 at 2 university hospitals in the Republic of Korea. In addition to standard care, the intervention group received access to a supporting website and 4 SMS text messages per week for 6 months regarding a healthy diet, physical activity, smoking cessation, and cardiovascular health. Random allocation upon study enrollment and SMS text messaging after hospital discharge were performed automatically using a computer program. The coprimary outcomes were low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and BMI. The secondary outcomes were change in lifestyle and adherence to the recommended health behaviors. RESULTS: Of the eligible population, 440 and 439 patients who underwent PCI were assigned to the intervention and control groups, respectively. The 1-way SMS text messaging program significantly enhanced physical activity (P=.02), healthy diet (P<.01), and medication adherence (P<.04) among patients with CHD. Hence, more people were likely to control their cardiovascular disease risk factors per the recommendations. The intervention group was more likely to control all 5 risk factors by 62% (relative risk 1.62, 95% CI 1.05-2.50) per the recommendations. On the other hand, physiological measures of the primary outcomes, including LDL-C levels, SBP, and BMI, were not significant. Most participants found the SMS text messaging program useful and helpful in motivating lifestyle changes. CONCLUSIONS: Lifestyle-focused SMS text messages were effective in the self-management of a healthy diet, exercise, and medication adherence, but their influence on the physiological measures was not significant. One-way SMS text messages can be used as an affordable adjuvant method for lifestyle modification to help prevent the recurrence of cardiovascular disease. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical Research Information Service (CRiS) KCT0005087; https://cris.nih.go.kr/cris/search/detailSearch.do/19282.

The Index of Microcirculatory Resistance after Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Predicts Long-Term Clinical Outcomes in Patients with ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction.

The index of microcirculatory resistance (IMR) is a simple method that can measure microvascular function after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with ST-segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI). This study is to find out whether IMR predicts clinical long-term outcomes in STEMI patients. A total of 316 patients with STEMI who underwent primary PCI from 2005 to 2015 were enrolled. The IMR was measured using pressure sensor/thermistor-tipped guidewire after primary PCI. The primary endpoint was the rate of death or hospitalization for heart failure (HF) over a mean follow-up period of 65 months. The mean corrected IMR was 29.4 ± 20.0. Patients with an IMR > 29 had a higher rate of the primary endpoint compared to patients with an IMR ≤ 29 (10.3% vs. 2.1%, p = 0.001). During the follow-up period, 13 patients (4.1%) died and 6 patients (1.9%) were hospitalized for HF. An IMR > 29 was associated with an increased risk of death or hospitalization for HF (OR 5.378, p = 0.004). On multivariable analysis, IMR > 29 (OR 3.962, p = 0.022) remained an independent predictor of death or hospitalization for HF with age (OR 1.048, p = 0.049) and symptom-to-balloon time (OR 1.002, p = 0.049). High IMR was an independent predictor for poor long-term clinical outcomes in STEMI patients after primary PCI.

Correlation of heart rate recovery and heart rate variability with atrial fibrillation progression.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the combination of heart rate recovery (HRR) and heart rate variability (HRV) in predicting atrial fibrillation (AF) progression. METHODS: Data from patients with a first detected episode of AF who underwent treadmill exercise testing and 24-h Holter electrocardiography were retrospectively analysed. Autonomic dysfunction was verified using HRR values. Sympathetic and parasympathetic modulation was analysed by HRV. AF progression was defined as transition from the first detected paroxysmal episode to persistent/permanent AF. RESULTS: Of 306 patients, mean LF/HF ratio and HRR did not differ significantly by AF progression regardless of age (< or ≥65 years). However, when the LF/HF ratio was divided into tertiles, in patients aged <65 years, the mid LF/HF (1.60-2.40) ratio was significantly associated with lower AF progression rates and longer maintenance of normal sinus rhythm. For patients aged <65 years, less metabolic equivalents were related to higher AF progression rates. For patients aged ≥65 years, a low HRR was associated with high AF progression rates. CONCLUSION: In relatively younger age, high physical capacity and balanced autonomic nervous system regulation are important predictors of AF progression. Evaluation of autonomic function assessed by age could predict AF progression.

Anomalous origin of the left circumflex artery from the right sinus of valsalva: non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

An anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the right sinus of Valsalva (RSV) is rare. We herein report the case of an 80-year-old woman who presented to the emergency department with chest pain. Emergent coronary angiography was performed following a diagnosis of non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction. A right coronary angiogram showed that the common trunk originating from the RSV branched into the left anterior descending and right coronary arteries. Although the initial angiogram failed to show the left circumflex artery (LCx), considered to be the culprit vessel, computed tomographic angiography demonstrated that the LCx was located immediately below the common trunk and exhibited a retroaortic course. We successfully treated the patient and obtained optimal angiography results.