Morphology of human sinoatrial node and its surrounding right atrial muscle in the global obesity pandemic-does fat matter?

Introduction: The sinus node (SN) is the main pacemaker site of the heart, located in the upper right atrium at the junction of the superior vena cava and right atrium. The precise morphology of the SN in the human heart remains relatively unclear especially the SN microscopical anatomy in the hearts of aged and obese individuals. In this study, the histology of the SN with surrounding right atrial (RA) muscle was analyzed from young non-obese, aged non-obese, aged obese and young obese individuals. The impacts of aging and obesity on fibrosis, apoptosis and cellular hypertrophy were investigated in the SN and RA. Moreover, the impact of obesity on P wave morphology in ECG was also analyzed to determine the speed and conduction of the impulse generated by the SN. Methods: Human SN/RA specimens were dissected from 23 post-mortem hearts (preserved in 4% formaldehyde solution), under Polish local ethical rules. The SN/RA tissue blocks were embedded in paraffin and histologically stained with Masson's Trichrome. High and low-magnification images were taken, and analysis was done for appropriate statistical tests on Prism (GraphPad, USA). 12-lead ECGs from 14 patients under Polish local ethical rules were obtained. The P wave morphologies from lead II, lead III and lead aVF were analyzed. Results: Compared to the surrounding RA, the SN in all four groups has significantly more connective tissue (P ≤ 0.05) (young non-obese individuals, aged non-obese individuals, aged obese individuals and young obese individuals) and significantly smaller nodal cells (P ≤ 0.05) (young non-obese individuals, aged non-obese individuals, aged obese individuals, young obese individuals). In aging, overall, there was a significant increase in fibrosis, apoptosis, and cellular hypertrophy in the SN (P ≤ 0.05) and RA (P ≤ 0.05). Obesity did not further exacerbate fibrosis but caused a further increase in cellular hypertrophy (SN P ≤ 0.05, RA P ≤ 0.05), especially in young obese individuals. However, there was more infiltrating fat within the SN and RA bundles in obesity. Compared to the young non-obese individuals, the young obese individuals showed decreased P wave amplitude and P wave slope in aVF lead. Discussion: Aging and obesity are two risk factors for extensive fibrosis and cellular hypertrophy in SN and RA. Obesity exacerbates the morphological alterations, especially hypertrophy of nodal and atrial myocytes. These morphological alterations might lead to functional alterations and eventually cause cardiovascular diseases, such as SN dysfunction, atrial fibrillation, bradycardia, and heart failure.

Comparison of revisional surgeries after OAGB versus RYGB: Results from the multicenter Polish Revision Obesity Surgery Study (PROSS).

<br><b>Introduction:</b> Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) is a leading bariatric surgery globally. One-anastomosis gastric bypass (OAGB), a modification of RYGB, ranks as the third most common bariatric procedure in Poland. While clinical trials show that OAGB outcomes are comparable to those of RYGB regarding weight loss, remission of comorbidities, and hormonal impact, there is limited data on long-term outcomes and complications.</br><br><b>Aim:</b> The aim of the study was to compare the outcomes of revisional surgeries conducted after OAGB <i>versus</i> RYGB.</br> <br><b>Material and methods:</b> This retrospective study analyzed patients undergoing revisional bariatric surgeries from January 2010 to January 2020 across 12 Polish centers. The inclusion criteria were an age of at least 18 years and prior OAGB or RYGB surgery. Those with incomplete primary surgery data and follow-up post-revision were excluded. Data were collected regarding parameters for anthropometrics, comorbidities, and perioperative details. The patients were categorized based on their initial surgery: OAGB or RYGB. The primary endpoints were the reasons for and types of revisional surgery and weight changes; the secondary endpoints were postoperative complications and length of hospital stay (LOS).</br> <br><b>Results:</b> In total, 27 patients participated, with a mean age of 38.18 7 years. Differences between the OAGB (13 patients) and RYGB (14 patients) groups included median initial body weight (100 kg <i>vs.</i> 126 kg, p<0.016), number of postoperative complications (9 <i>vs.</i> 3, p = 0.021), and median LOS (3 <i>vs.</i> 4.5 days, p = 0.03). GERD was the primary reason for OAGB revisions (69.2%), whereas insufficient weight loss led to the most RYGB revisions (42.9%).</br><br><b>Conclusions:</b> The RYGB patients commonly needed revisions due to weight issues, whereas reoperations in the OAGB patients were conducted due to postoperative complications. The postoperative complications and LOS were similar between the groups.</br> <br><b>The importance of research for the development of the field:</b> The results may influence clinical surgeons' choice of surgical technique.</br>.

Prognostic accuracy of mean arterial pressure and serum lactate level in patients with acute myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: Mean arterial pressure (MAP) can be used to evaluate macro-circulatory perfusion while serum lactate concentration is a marker of tissue perfusion. It is important to note that the primary objective of initial medical interventions is to restore microcirculatory perfusion rather than focusing solely on macro-hemodynamics. AIMS: We aimed to investigate the prognostic value of the combination of MAP and serum lactate levels measured on admission to the hospital in relation to patients' 30-day survival rate in patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI). METHODS: Data from 532 consecutive patients with acute MI treated with percutaneous coronary intervention were analyzed. The study endpoint was 30-day all-cause mortality. RESULTS: We found that both MAP and lactate levels were relevant predictors of the 30-day mortality in multivariable Cox regression analysis (HR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.71-0.97; P = 0.02 and HR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.06-1.16; P = 0.01, respectively). There was a significant increase in the prognostic performance in relation to 30-day mortality for the combination of both MAP and lactate levels in comparison to MAP alone (P = 0.03 for comparison between areas under the curve). Conversely, the combination of MAP and lactates did not add a significant prognostic value in comparison to lactates alone (P = 0.53 for comparison between areas under the curve). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with acute MI, serum lactate level seems to have a higher prognostic value in comparison to MAP. Our data suggest that on initial assessment of patients with acute myocardial infarction, we should move toward a tissue perfusion-based approach instead of focusing on a blood pressure-oriented strategy alone.

The sodium-chloride difference: A marker of prognosis in patients with acute myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: The difference between serum sodium and chloride ion concentrations (SCD) may be considered as a surrogate of a strong ion difference and may help to identify patients with a worse prognosis. We aimed to assess SCD as an early prognostic marker among patients with myocardial infarction. METHODS: Data of 594 consecutive patients with acute myocardial infarction treated with PCI (44.9% STEMI patients; 70.7% males) was analysed for SCD in relation to their 30-day mortality. A restricted cubic spline regression model was used to study the relationship between mortality and SCD. Cox regression models were used to assess the association between SCD and the mortality risk. RESULTS: Patients with Killip class ≥3 had lower SCD values in comparison to patients with Killip class ≤2: (32.0 [30.0-34.0] vs. 33.0 [31.0-36.0], p = .006). The overall 30-day mortality was 7.7% (n = 46). There was a significant difference in SCD values between survivors and non-survivors groups of patients (median (IQR): (33.0 [31.0-36.0] vs. 31.5 [28.0-34.0] (mmol/L), p = .002). The restricted cubic splines model confirmed a non-linear association between SCD and mortality. Patients with SCD <30 mmol/L (in comparison to SCD ≥30 mmol/L) had an increased mortality risk (unadjusted HR 2.92, 95% CI 1.59-5.36, p = .001; and an adjusted HR 2.30, 95% CI 1.02-5.19, p = .04). CONCLUSIONS: Low SCD on admission is associated with an increased risk of 30-day mortality in patients with acute myocardial infarction treated with PCI and may serve as a useful prognostic marker for these patients.