Prognostic value of exercise capacity in incident diabetes: a country with high prevalence of diabetes.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a fast-growing health problem that imposes an enormous economic burden. Several studies demonstrated the association between physical inactivity and predicting the incidence of diabetes. However, these prediction models have limited validation locally. Therefore, we aim to explore the predictive value of exercise capacity in the incidence of diabetes within a high diabetes prevalence population. METHODOLOGY: A retrospective cohort study including consecutive patients free of diabetes who underwent clinically indicated treadmill stress testing. Diabetic patients at baseline or patients younger than 18 years of age were excluded. Incident diabetes was defined as an established clinical diagnosis post-exercise testing date. The predictive value of exercise capacity was examined using Harrell's c-index, net reclassification index (NRI), and integrated discrimination index (IDI). RESULTS: A total of 8,722 participants (mean age 46 ± 12 years, 66.3% were men) were free of diabetes at baseline. Over a median follow-up period of 5.24 (2.17-8.78) years, there were 2,280 (≈ 26%) new cases of diabetes. In a multivariate model adjusted for conventional risk factors, we found a 12% reduction in the risk of incident diabetes for each METs achieved (HR, 0.9; 95% CI, 0.88-0.92; P < 0.001). Using Cox regression, exercise capacity improved the prediction ability beyond the conventional risk factors (AUC = 0.62 to 0.66 and c-index = 0.62 to 0.68). CONCLUSION: Exercise capacity improved the overall predictability of diabetes. Patients with reduced exercise capacity are at high risk for developing incidence diabetes. Improvement of both physical activity and functional capacity represents a preventive measure for the general population.

Long-term reverse remodeling and clinical improvement by MultiPoint Pacing in a randomized, international, Middle Eastern heart failure study.

PURPOSE: Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) with multipoint left ventricular (LV) pacing (MultiPoint™ Pacing, MPP) has been shown to improve CRT response, although MPP response using automated pacing vector programming has not been demonstrated in the Middle East. The purpose of this study was to compare the impact of MPP to conventional biventricular pacing (BiV) using echocardiographic and clinical changes at 6-month post-implant. METHODS: This prospective, randomized study was conducted at 13 Middle Eastern centers. After de novo CRT-D implant (Abbott Unify Quadra MP™ or Quadra Assura MP™) with quadripolar LV lead (Abbott Quartet™), patients were randomized to either BiV or MPP therapy. In BiV patients, the LV pacing vector was selected per standard practice; in MPP patients, the two LV pacing vectors were selected automatically using VectSelect. CRT response was defined at 6-month post-implant by a reduction in LV end-systolic volume (ESV) ≥ 15%. RESULTS: One hundred and forty-two patients (61 years old, 68% male, NYHA class II/III/IV 19%/75%/6%, 33% ischemic, 57% hypertension, 52% diabetes, 158 ms QRS, 25.8% ejection fraction [EF]) were randomized to either BiV (N = 69) or MPP (N = 73). After 6 months, MPP vs. BiV patients experienced greater ESV reduction (25.0% vs. 15.3%, P = 0.08), greater EF improvement (11.9% vs. 8.6%, P = 0.36), significantly greater ESV response rate (68.5% vs. 50.7%, P = 0.04), and significantly greater NYHA class improvement rate (80.8% vs. 60.3%, P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: With MPP and automatic LV vector selection, more CRT patients in the Middle East experienced reverse remodeling and clinical improvement relative to conventional BiV pacing.

Multimodality Imaging of Pericardial Diseases.

OPINION STATEMENT: Pericardial diseases have changed their epidemiology in the past few years. With the aging population and decreasing incidence of communicable diseases, the causes of pericardial diseases have significantly changed from infectious and malignant to postradiation and cardiac surgery causes. Despite that, pericardial diseases remain difficult to diagnose. The accurate and timely diagnosis of these diseases is essential to avoid the late sequela of pericardial constriction and pericardial cirrhosis. Echocardiography remains the first test of choice for the assessment of patients with suspected pericardial diseases. Most patients with acute pericarditis have a self-limiting course and do not need further imaging. However, in the era of multimodality imaging, other modalities, namely, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (CMR), are often utilized in complex cases. These two modalities provide a wide-open view of the pericardium and adjacent structures. They have high resolution to assess pericardial calcification, a hallmark of many diseases especially tuberculous constrictive pericarditis. CMR is also unique in its ability to assess pericardial late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) and edema. These have been recently suggested to be very important in the progression from acute pericarditis to constrictive pericarditis. In addition, they provide prognostic value to assess which patients are at high risk of developing heart failure and resource utilization. Thus, in the current era, patients with suspected complex pericardial diseases will need a multimodality approach rather than a single modality approach.

The role of myocardial viability in contemporary cardiac practice.

Ischemic heart disease (IHD) remains the single most common cause of death worldwide. Ischemic cardiomyopathy is a major sequel of coronary artery disease. The economic health burden of IHD is substantial. In patients with old myocardial infarction (OMI), the extent of viable myocardium (VM) directly affects the short- and long-term outcome. There is a considerable collection of observational data showing substantial improvement in patients with significant left ventricular dysfunction when the need for revascularization is guided by preoperative assessment of viability and hibernation. However, a major challenge for present cardiovascular imaging is to identify better ways to assess viable but inadequately perfused myocardium and thus optimize selection of patients for coronary revascularization. Several non-invasive techniques have been developed to detect signs of viability. Hence, our aim is to provide the reader a state-of-the art review for the assessment of myocardial viability.

Correlation Between Diastolic Dysfunction and Coronary Artery Disease on Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography.

AIMS: We investigated the relationship between coronary artery calcium score (CACS) and coronary artery disease (CAD) on coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA), and measures of left ventricular diastolic function (DD). METHODS: We included 429 consecutive patients (39% women; mean age 49 ± 12 years) without known CAD, who underwent CCTA and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) within 1-month. Evaluation of CCTA was per vessel, and per segment basis for intraluminal diameter stenosis. We also used the 16-segment model to determine overall coronary plaque burden with segment involvement score (SIS). DD on TTE was assessed using mitral inflow E wave-to-A wave ratio (EAR) and tissue Doppler early mitral annual tissue velocity axial excursion. RESULTS: A total of 293 (68.4%) patients had DD, 15.4% had more than stage 2 DD. The presence of DD was associated with increasing CACS (P < 0.001). Similarly, there was a statistically significant correlation between EAR and CCS (r = -0.147, P = 0.004) and SIS (r = 0.536, P < 0.001). The prevalence of more than stage 2 DD was associated with higher prevalence of obstructive CAD (26.2% vs. 11.7%, P < 0.0001). In multivariable analyses, the independent predictors of more than stage 1 DD are the age (P < 0.001), and diabetes (P = 0.010), while the CACS and SIS were not independently associated with DD. CONCLUSION: Our analysis suggests that CACS, as well as CAD by CCTA, are not independently associated with measures of DD on echocardiography.

Paradoxical embolism in acute myocardial infarction in a patient with congenital heart disease.

We present a case of a young male with severe pulmonary stenosis, hypoplastic right ventricle, and atrial septal defect. Acute embolic myocardial infarction, followed by cardiac arrest, occurred during hospitalization after Glenn operation. The therapeutic challenges are discussed. Insufficient anticoagulation therapy during the postoperative period was a possible contributing factor leading to embolic myocardial infarction.