Illness Perception Profiles and Their Association with 10-Year Survival Following Cardiac Valve Replacement.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to examine whether profiles of illness perceptions are associated with 10-year survival following cardiac valve replacement surgery. METHODS: Illness perceptions were evaluated in 204 cardiac patients awaiting first-time valve replacement and again 1 year post-operatively using cluster analysis. All-cause mortality was recorded over a 10-year period. At 1 year, 136 patients were grouped into one of four profiles (stable positive, stable negative, changed from positive to negative, changed from negative to positive). RESULTS: The median follow-up was 3063 days (78 deaths). After controlling for clinical covariates, including markers of function, patients who changed illness perceptions from positive to negative beliefs 1 year post-surgery had an increased mortality risk (hazard ratio (HR) = 3.2, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.2-8.3, p = .02) compared to patients who held positive stable perceptions. CONCLUSIONS: Following cardiac valve replacement, developing negative illness perceptions over the first post-operative year predicts long-term mortality. Early screening and intervention to alter this pattern of beliefs may be beneficial.

The case for a specialist multidisciplinary valve clinic.

Valve disease is common and is increasing in prevalence as the population ages. The delivery of appropriate management is not always straightforward, and better ways of organizing care are required. Here, the argument is made for a specialist multidisciplinary valve clinic, while a description is provided of the authors' model clinic, which incorporates a specialist cardiologist in addition to sonographers and a nurse who carry out the surveillance services. The clinic is based at a cardiothoracic center and one district hospital, but could be generalized. Previous audits have shown that this model can reduce the number of patients seen by a cardiologist, thus improving the safety and quality of treatment compared to conventional clinics.

Piloting structured focused TTE in outpatients during the COVID-19 pandemic: 'old habits die hard'.

Transthoracic echocardiography presents a risk of COVID-19 transmission between an echocardiographer and the patient. Reducing the scanning time is likely to mitigate this risk for them both. British Society of Echocardiography (BSE) level 1 echocardiography offers a potential framework for focused scanning in an outpatient setting. There were 116 outpatients scheduled for a level 1 scan supplemented with additional predefined views, if required. Unexpectedly, a fifth of the scans were performed as an unintended full scan for a variety of reasons. Our results showed that focused scans were performed more quickly than full scans and below the NHS Test and Trace exposure cut-off of 15 minutes. However, if more than three sets of additional measurements were required then a full scan could be performed more quickly. Seniority of the echocardiographer and scan time had an inverse relationship. By examining the patients' clinical records we were confident that all of the scans, whether focused or full, had answered the requestor's clinical question. Although the COVID-19 vaccination programme should reduce the necessity of minimising exposure time during a scan there could still be a role for level 1 scanning during the COVID-19 recovery programme to tackle the vast lists of patients waiting for an echocardiogram.

Specialist valve clinic in a cardiac centre: 10-year experience.

Aims: Guidelines recommend specialist valve clinics as best practice for the assessment and conservative management of patients with heart valve disease. However, there is little guidance on how to set up and organise a clinic. The aim of this study is to describe a clinic run by a multidisciplinary team consisting of cardiologists, physiologist/scientists and a nurse. Methods: The clinical and organisational aims of the clinic, inclusion and exclusion criteria, and links with other services are described. The methods of training non-clinical staff are detailed. Data were prospectively entered onto a database and the study consisted of an analysis of the clinical characteristics and outcomes of all patients seen between 1 January 2009 and 31 December 2018. Results: There were 2126 new patients and 9522 visits in the 10-year period. The mean age was 64.8 and 55% were male. Of the visits, 3587 (38%) were to the cardiologists, 4092 (43%) to the physiologist/scientists and 1843 (19%) to the nurse. The outcomes from the cardiologist clinics were cardiology follow-up in 460 (30%), referral for surgery in 354 (23%), referral to the physiologist/scientist clinic in 412 (27%) or to the nurse clinic in 65 (4.3%) and discharge in 230 (15%). The cardiologist needed to see 6% from the nurse clinic and 10% from the physiologist/scientist clinic, while advice alone was sufficient in 10% and 9%. Conclusion: A multidisciplinary specialist valve clinic is feasible and sustainable in the long term.

B-type natriuretic peptide and tissue doppler for predicting symptoms on treadmill exercise in apparently asymptomatic aortic stenosis.

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE STUDY: Exercise-induced symptoms are associated with early changes in left ventricular (LV) function. Blood B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and tissue Doppler indices (tDi) also reflect early LV dysfunction, and may therefore predict the development of symptoms. The study aim was to compare BNP levels and tDi for predicting symptoms on treadmill exercise in apparently asymptomatic aortic stenosis (AS). METHODS: A total of 65 patients (mean age 66 years) with an aortic effective orifice area <1.5 cm2 who were asymptomatic on formal questioning, underwent transthoracic echocardiography, measurement of blood BNP level, and exercise testing using a modified Bruce protocol. RESULTS: A blood BNP level >58 pg/ml had a sensitivity of 86% and specificity of 64% (AUC = 0.81) for the development of symptoms on exercise testing. The combined tDi index of peak systolic shortening velocity <8 cm/s and E/Ea >15 had a sensitivity of 52% and specificity of 73%. In patients with no symptoms on exercise, 27% with a blood BNP level >58 pg/ml compared to 7% with a level < or =58 pg/ml developed symptoms during follow up. CONCLUSION: The study results suggested that patients with a blood BNP level < or =58 pg/ml can be seen up to one year, while those with a BNP level >58 pg/ml required exercise testing and a more frequent follow up. The combined tissue Doppler indices gave a similar, but less accurate, stratification.

Hemodynamic performance on exercise: comparison of a stentless and stented biological aortic valve replacement.

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE STUDY: Although stentless valves are expected to be hemodynamically superior to stented valves, the results of comparative trials have been inconsistent. The study aim was to compare hemodynamic function at rest and on exercise in 50 stentless and stented biological replacement aortic valves METHODS: Twenty-one patients with a Toronto stentless porcine valve and 29 with a Perimount stented bovine pericardial valve were exercised using a bicycle ergometer. Echocardiography was performed before, and during exercise testing. RESULTS: Patients with either valve type were exercised to a similar degree. Transaortic resistance was slightly lower in the Perimount compared with the Toronto at rest (p = 0.03) and at peak exercise (p = 0.04), and flow was higher in the Perimount at rest (p = 0.007), but not at peak exercise. There were no significant differences between the valve types in peak velocity, mean pressure difference or effective orifice area either at rest or on peak exercise. CONCLUSION: There were no clinically significant differences in hemodynamic function between the stented and stentless biological valves chosen for comparison either at rest or during bicycle exercise.

Determinants of left ventricular mass in aortic stenosis.

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE STUDY: There are many possible determinants of left ventricular (LV) mass, including the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) genotype, which have rarely been compared in aortic stenosis (AS). The study aim was to investigate these determinants in patients with all grades of AS. METHODS: Transthoracic echocardiography and an analysis of ACE genotype was performed in 91 patients with aortic valve thickening and a peak aortic velocity >2.0 m/s. RESULTS: Univariate relationships were identified between LV mass index and effective orifice area (R = 0.22), and peak transaortic pressure difference (R = 0.36). LV mass index was similar for the ACE-II (152+/-37 g/m2), ACE-ID (145+/-46 g/m2) and ACE-DD (161+/-56 g/m2) genotypes. LV mass index was significantly greater in males (162+/-52 gm/m2) than in females (137+/-38 gm/m2; p = 0.014). The multivariate determinants varied according to the grade of AS: diastolic blood pressure (p = 0.028) in mild stenosis; peak transaortic pressure difference (p = 0.03) in moderate stenosis; and peak transaortic pressure difference (p <0.0001) and gender (p = 0.02) in severe stenosis. LV hypertrophy was present in 15 of 24 patients (63%) with mild AS, in 21 of 27 (78%) with moderate AS, and 32 of 40 (80%) with severe AS. CONCLUSION: LV hypertrophy is common, even in mild AS, when it is independently related only to the systemic blood pressure. This suggests that antihypertensive agents should be considered early in the natural history of AS.

Development of a National Echocardiography Quality Improvement Programme: insights into feasibility, uptake, and clinical utility.

AIMS: There are minimal data on methods to measure and improve quality in image interpretation when reporting cardiovascular imaging studies. We sought to identify the feasibility and clinical utility of a nationally implemented quality assurance (QA) process. METHODS AND RESULTS: A web-based platform was developed to administer a national QA module to 27 echocardiography departments within the UK. Three QA modules were delivered from 2011. The proportion of units using the QA module increased from 14 (52.2%) in the first module to 22 (81.5%) in the third module. There was no significant change in the proportion of correct answers between the first module (88.9%) and the third module (82.8%), P = 0.3. The number of echocardiographers with at least one incorrect answer increased from 16 (21.6%) in the first module to 54 (34%) in the third module, P = 0.03. Overall, in valvular heart disease cases there were 36 (10.6%) incorrect responses where qualitative assessment of the severity of valve dysfunction was tested compared with 4 (3.6%) incorrect responses where quantitative assessment of valve dysfunction was tested, P = 0.04. In chamber quantification cases, there were 36 (6.8%) incorrect responses where qualitative assessment of chamber function was tested compared with 3 (2.1%) incorrect responses where quantitative assessment of chamber function was tested, P = 0.04. CONCLUSION: The incorporation of national QA programme is feasible with rapid uptake. The platform allows comparison of an individual's interpretation skills against a reference standard which can be used as a method to identify inter-observer variability and as a training tool.

Profiling illness perceptions to identify patients at-risk for decline in health status after heart valve replacement.

OBJECTIVE: Identification of risk factors for decline in health status by profiling illness perceptions before and one year after heart valve replacement surgery. METHODS: Prospective data from N=225 consecutively admitted first time valve replacement patients was assessed before and one year after surgery. Patients were asked about their illness perceptions (Illness Perception Questionnaire-Revised) and mood state (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale). Health status was defined by quality of life (Short-Form 36) and New York Heart Association (NYHA) class. Cluster analyses were conducted to identify illness perception profiles over time. Predictors of health status after surgery were analyzed with multivariate methods. RESULTS: Patients were grouped according to the stability and nature (positive, negative) of their illness perception profile over one year. One year after surgery patients holding a negative illness perception profile showed a lower physical quality of life and were diagnosed in a higher New York Heart Association class than patients changing to positive and patients with stable positive illness perceptions (P<.001). Over and above biological determinants, post-surgery physical quality of life and NYHA class were both predicted by pre-surgery illness perception profiles (P<.05). CONCLUSION: Patients going for heart valve replacement surgery can be easily categorized into illness perception profiles that predict health status one year after surgery. These patients could benefit from early screening as negative illness perceptions are modifiable risk factors.

Asymptomatic aortic stenosis: the influence of the systemic vasculature on exercise time.

BACKGROUND: Changes in the peripheral vasculature occur in patients with aortic stenosis (AS). The aims of the present study were to characterize peripheral arterial waveforms and aortic pulsewave velocity (PWV) in patients with AS and to determine their relationship to exercise time. METHODS: The study included 101 patients with a median age of 68 years (range, 27-84 years) with at least moderate AS. Patients underwent transthoracic echocardiography, an assessment of the radial artery waveform and PWV using a SphygmoCor device, and a treadmill exercise stress test. RESULTS: The mean brachial systolic blood pressure was 143 ± 23 mm Hg in patients with severe AS and 135 ± 15 mm Hg in patients with moderate AS (P = .04). The mean radial augmentation index was 102 ± 20% in patients with severe AS and 89 ± 16% in those with moderate AS (P < .001). The radial augmentation index was related to the effective valve orifice area (R = -0.45, P = .001), the peak transvalvular pressure difference (R = 0.33, P = .001), and the mean transvalvular pressure difference (R = 0.33, P = .001). On univariate analysis, exercise time was related to systemic arterial compliance (R = 0.312, P = .008) and PWV (R = -0.44, P < 0.001). On multivariate analysis, after adjusting for age, AS severity, and PWV, only age was a significant predictor of exercise time (ß = -0.46; P = .006; 95% confidence interval, -15 to -3). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with asymptomatic moderate to severe AS, exercise capacity is influenced only by age, not by resting measures of aortic valve stenosis or aortic stiffness.

Treadmill exercise in apparently asymptomatic patients with moderate or severe aortic stenosis: relationship between cardiac index and revealed symptoms.

OBJECTIVES: To test whether symptoms revealed on exercise testing in patients with moderate or severe aortic stenosis are associated with changes in left ventricular systolic function and to investigate the ability of resting measures to predict peak cardiac index. METHODS: In a prospective study of asymptomatic aortic stenosis, 38 patients with a median age of 63 years (range 29-83) and an effective aortic orifice area by the continuity equation of less than 1.5 cm(2) had echocardiography, measurement of blood B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) level and exercise haemodynamic testing using an inert gas rebreathing device. RESULTS: Revealed symptoms occurred in 10 patients in whom peak cardiac index (p=0.002), stroke index (p=0.024) and maximum oxygen consumption (VO(2)) (p=0.003) were lower than in those without symptoms. Univariate predictors of peak cardiac index were Doppler tissue peak systolic velocity (p=0.004, r=0.45), the ratio of peak transmitral E velocity to Doppler tissue Ea velocity (p=0.039, r=-0.34) and log BNP (p<0.001, r=-0.71). The only independent predictor of peak cardiac index was the log BNP level (p<0.001, r=-0.71). CONCLUSIONS: Revealed symptoms on treadmill exercise in apparently asymptomatic aortic stenosis were associated with lower peak myocardial VO(2) and lower peak stroke index during exercise. The strongest resting predictor of revealed symptoms and of peak cardiac index was the blood BNP level.

Bovine pericardial versus porcine stented replacement aortic valves: early results of a randomized comparison of the Perimount and the Mosaic valves.

OBJECTIVE: A stented bovine pericardial valve might be less obstructive than a stented porcine valve. This study compared early hemodynamic function in a prospective series of 99 patients randomized to receive either a Mosaic or Perimount replacement aortic valve. METHODS: Echocardiography was performed early after surgery and at 1 year after surgery. Patients also filled in psychologic questionnaires and underwent a 6-minute walk. RESULTS: The groups were matched demographically. The Perimount valve was significantly less obstructive in terms of mean pressure difference (11 +/- 5 vs 17 +/- 7 mm Hg; P < .0001), with a trend in favor of a larger effective orifice area (1.47 +/- 0.45 vs 1.28 +/- 0.46 cm(2); P = .05) postoperatively. There were no differences in left ventricular mass regression, aortic regurgitation, 6-minute walk, psychologic questionnaires, or mortality and clinical events. CONCLUSION: The stented bovine pericardial valve was less obstructive than the stented porcine valve. Both valves were associated with similar and significant improvements in quality of life, exercise ability, and regression of left ventricular mass.

A randomized comparison of the Cryolife O'Brien and Toronto stentless replacement aortic valves.

OBJECTIVE: A composite stentless valve might be less obstructive than a preparation incorporating the porcine right coronary muscle bar. The aim of this study was to compare early hemodynamic function in a prospective series of 78 patients randomized to receive either a Toronto or Cryolife O'Brien stentless valve. METHODS: Echocardiography was performed early after surgery, between 3 and 6 months, and at 1 year after surgery. RESULTS: The groups were matched demographically. The Cryolife O'Brien valve was significantly less obstructive in terms of effective orifice area (1.81 vs 1.30 cm2; P < .0001), mean pressure difference (7.1 vs 11.7 mm Hg; P < .0001), and peak velocity (1.7 vs 2.2 m/s) assessed at 1 year (P = .001). Bypass time was 91 (SD 22) minutes for the Cryolife O'Brien compared with 125 (SD 22) minutes (P < .0001) for the Toronto. There was a higher incidence of paraprosthetic regurgitation in the Cryolife O'Brien valve (16.7% vs 3.2%). Mortality and clinical events were similar. CONCLUSION: The composite valve was less obstructive than the porcine valve, suggesting that stentless valves cannot be considered as a homogeneous class.

The subcoronary Toronto stentless versus supra-annular Perimount stented replacement aortic valve: early clinical and hemodynamic results of a randomized comparison in 160 patients.

BACKGROUND: A stentless valve is expected to be hemodynamically superior to a stented valve. The aim of this study was to compare early postoperative hemodynamic function and clinical events in a randomized, prospective series of 160 stentless and stented biological replacement aortic valves. METHODS: We randomized 160 consecutive patients on 1 surgeon's list to receive either a Toronto stentless porcine valve (St Jude Medical, Inc, St Paul, Minn) or a Perimount stented bovine pericardial valve (Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, Calif). Echocardiography was performed at discharge, between 3 and 6 months, and at 1 year after surgery. Statistical analysis was performed by both intention to treat and actual valves implanted. RESULTS: The mean labeled size of both designs of valve was 24.7. There were no statistically significant differences in results at any time interval or whether analysis was performed by actual valves implanted or intention to treat. At 3 to 6 months for the Toronto versus the Perimount valve, the effective orifice area was 1.58 versus 1.66 cm2, the mean pressure difference was 7.54 versus 7.42 mm Hg, and the peak velocity was 2.07 versus 2.0.1 m/s. There was no difference in mortality, regression of left ventricular hypertrophy, or complications other than paraprosthetic regurgitation at 12 months or on follow-up for a proportion of the sample to 8 years. The incidence of regurgitation through the valves was similar for Toronto (10%) and Perimount (13.8%) at 1 year, but mild paraprosthetic regurgitation was found in 5 patients with the Perimount valve and none with Toronto valves. CONCLUSIONS: There were no significant differences in hemodynamic function or clinical events between the stented and stentless biological valves chosen for comparison in the early postoperative period or in preliminary follow-up to 5 years.

Exercise testing to stratify risk in aortic stenosis.

AIMS: The aims of this study were to assess the accuracy of exercise testing in predicting symptom onset within 12 months in patients with asymptomatic aortic stenosis and to establish the criteria that define a positive test. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 125 patients with aortic stenosis [effective orifice area (EOA) 0.9+/-0.2 cm2] were assessed by Specific Activity Scale (SAS) classification, transthoracic echocardiography, and treadmill exercise testing using the modified Bruce protocol. During follow-up, 36 patients (29%) developed spontaneous symptoms within 12 months. Of these, 26 (72%) had had symptoms revealed by exercise testing and 24 (67%) had severe stenosis (EOA < or = 0.8 cm2). Exercise-limiting symptoms were the only independent predictors of outcome at 12 months, and an abnormal blood pressure response or ST segment depression did not improve the accuracy of the exercise test. The positive predictive accuracy for exercise-induced symptoms was 57% in the whole population and 79% for patients aged <70 in SAS Class I. The negative predictive accuracy was 87% in the whole population and 86% in the subgroup. CONCLUSION: A significant proportion of patients with apparently asymptomatic aortic stenosis experience limiting symptoms on treadmill exercise testing. The subsequent development of spontaneous symptoms is strongly related to the severity of stenosis and to limiting symptoms on exercise testing, but less so to an abnormal blood pressure response or ST segment depression.

Determinants of symptoms and exercise capacity in aortic stenosis: a comparison of resting haemodynamics and valve compliance during dobutamine stress.

AIMS: Valve compliance might determine the onset of symptoms better than resting measures of aortic stenosis. This study compared valve compliance measured by dobutamine stress echocardiography with resting haemodynamic variables against the end-point of symptoms at low workload during exercise testing. METHODS AND RESULTS: Echocardiography was performed at rest and during each stage of a dobutamine stress test in 65 asymptomatic patients with moderate or severe aortic stenosis. Each patient also completed a modified Bruce treadmill exercise test. During dobutamine stress, peak transaortic velocity increased by 1.0 (0.4) m/s and effective orifice area by 0.25 (0.22) cm(2). Valve compliance was 0.23 (0.10) cm(2)/100ml.s(-1), and was independent of baseline effective orifice area. In the 19 patients limited by symptoms on exercise testing, valve compliance was significantly lower (0.19 (0.09) cm(2)/100ml.s(-1)) than in those who remained asymptomatic (0.25 (0.10) cm(2)/100ml.s(-1), p=0.03). Effective orifice area at peak stress was also lower (1.0 (0.3) vs 1.2 (0.4) cm(2), p=0.03), but there were no significant differences in resting measures of effective orifice area, transaortic velocity, or mean pressure drop. CONCLUSIONS: Effective orifice area is flow-dependent in patients with moderate and severe aortic stenosis with preserved left ventricular function. Exertional symptoms are better predicted by compliance than resting effective orifice area, mean pressure drop or peak transaortic velocity.