INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR HEART AND LUNG TRANSPLANTATION GUIDELINES FOR THE EVALUATION AND CARE OF CARDIAC TRANSPLANT CANDIDATES-2024.

The "International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation Guidelines for the Evaluation and Care of Cardiac Transplant Candidates-2024" updates and replaces the "Listing Criteria for Heart Transplantation: International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation Guidelines for the Care of Cardiac Transplant Candidates-2006" and the "2016 International Society for Heart Lung Transplantation Listing Criteria for Heart Transplantation: A 10-year Update." The document aims to provide tools to help integrate the numerous variables involved in evaluating patients for transplantation, emphasizing updating the collaborative treatment while waiting for a transplant. There have been significant practice-changing developments in the care of heart transplant recipients since the publication of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) guidelines in 2006 and the 10-year update in 2016. The changes pertain to 3 aspects of heart transplantation: (1) patient selection criteria, (2) care of selected patient populations, and (3) durable mechanical support. To address these issues, 3 task forces were assembled. Each task force was cochaired by a pediatric heart transplant physician with the specific mandate to highlight issues unique to the pediatric heart transplant population and ensure their adequate representation. This guideline was harmonized with other ISHLT guidelines published through November 2023. The 2024 ISHLT guidelines for the evaluation and care of cardiac transplant candidates provide recommendations based on contemporary scientific evidence and patient management flow diagrams. The American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association modular knowledge chunk format has been implemented, allowing guideline information to be grouped into discrete packages (or modules) of information on a disease-specific topic or management issue. Aiming to improve the quality of care for heart transplant candidates, the recommendations present an evidence-based approach.

Outcomes of Patients With Cancer With Myocardial Infarction-Associated Cardiogenic Shock Managed With Mechanical Circulatory Support.

Background: Cardiogenic shock (CS) is the leading cause of death among patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and is managed with temporary mechanical circulatory support (tMCS) in advanced cases. Patients with cancer are at high risk of AMI and CS. However, outcomes of patients with cancer and AMI-CS managed with tMCS have not been rigorously studied. Methods: Adult patients with AMI-CS managed with tMCS from 2006 to 2018 with and without cancer were identified using the National Inpatient Sample. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed for variables associated with cancer. Primary outcome was in-hospital death, and secondary outcomes were major bleeding and thrombotic complications. Results: After PSM, 1287 patients with cancer were matched with 12,870 patients without cancer. There was an increasing temporal trend for prevalence of cancer among patients admitted with AMI-CS managed with tMCS (P trend < .001). After PSM, there was no difference in in-hospital death (odds ratio [OR], 1.00; 95% CI, 0.88-1.13) or thrombotic complications (OR, 1.10; 95% CI, 0.91-1.34) between patients with and without cancer. Patients with cancer had a higher risk of major bleeding (OR, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.15-1.46). Conclusions: Among patients with AMI-CS managed with tMCS, cancer is becoming increasingly frequent and associated with increased risk of major bleeding, although there was no difference in in-hospital death. Further studies are needed to further characterize outcomes, and inclusion of patients with cancer in trials of tMCS is needed.

Ten-year follow-up cohort of the everolimus versus azathioprine multinational prospective study focusing on intravascular ultrasound findings.

BACKGROUND: Long-term clinical outcomes of early intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) findings in a prospective cohort of heart transplantation (HTx) patients have not been evaluated. METHODS: This study included patients from 20 centers across Europe and North and South America among the original cohort of the RAD B253 study. Among these patients, 91 had paired IVUS images at baseline and 1-year post-transplant: everolimus 1.5 mg group (n = 25), everolimus 1.5 mg group (n = 33), and azathioprine 3.0 group (n = 33). The primary outcome was a composite of cardiovascular death, retransplantation, myocardial infarction (MI), coronary revascularization, and cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) within a 10-year follow-up period. The secondary outcome was all-cause death, cardiovascular death, retransplantation, MI, coronary revascularization, and CAV. Donor disease was defined as baseline maximal intimal thickness (MIT) >0.66 mm, and rapid progression was defined as a change in MIT > 0.59 mm at 1 year. RESULTS: Donor disease (46 patients) was associated with a higher incidence of the primary outcome (hazard ratio (HR) 4.444, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.946-10.146, p < 0.001). Rapid progression (44 patients) was associated with a significantly higher incidence of the primary outcome (HR 2.942, 95% CI 1.383-6.260, p = 0.005). Higher-risk features on IVUS (positive both donor disease and rapid progression) were independently associated with poor clinical outcomes (HR 4.800, 95% CI 1.816-12.684, p = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: An increase in baseline MIT and a change in first-year MIT in IVUS post HTx was associated with poor outcomes up to 10 years. Early IVUS findings can be considered as surrogate endpoints for evaluating long-term outcomes in HTx clinical trials.

Association of poverty-income ratio with cardiovascular disease and mortality in cancer survivors in the United States.

BACKGROUND: Lower income is associated with high incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality. CVD is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in cancer survivors. However, there is limited research on the association between income, CVD, and mortality in this population. METHODS: This study utilized nationally representative data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), a cross-sectional survey evaluating the health and nutritional status of the US population. Our study included NHANES participants aged ≥20 years from 2003-2014, who self-reported a history of cancer. We evaluated the association between income level, prevalence of CVD, and all-cause mortality. All-cause mortality data was obtained through public use mortality files. Income level was assessed by poverty-income ratio (PIR) that was calculated by dividing family (or individual) income by poverty guideline. We used multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazard models through a backward elimination method to evaluate associations between PIR, CVD, and all-cause mortality in cancer survivors. RESULTS: This cohort included 2,464 cancer survivors with a mean age of 62 (42% male) years. Compared with individuals with a higher PIR tertiles, those in the lowest PIR tertile had a higher rate of pre-existing CVD and post-acquired CVD. In participants with post-acquired CVD, the lowest PIR tertile had over two-fold increased risk mortality (Hazard Ratio (HR) = 2.17; 95% CI: 1.27-3.71) when compared to the highest PIR tertile. Additionally, we found that PIR was as strong a predictor of mortality in cancer survivors as CVD. In patients with no CVD, the lowest PIR tertile continued to have almost a two-fold increased risk of mortality (HR = 1.72; 95% CI: 1.69-4.35) when compared to a reference of the highest PIR tertile. CONCLUSIONS: In this large national study of cancer survivors, low PIR is associated with a higher prevalence of CVD. Low PIR is also associated with an increased risk of mortality in cancer survivors, showing a comparable impact to that of pre-existing and post-acquired CVD. Urgent public health resources are needed to further study and improve screening and access to care in this high-risk population.

Comparison of atrial fibrillation prevalence and in-hospital cardiovascular outcomes between patients undergoing allogeneic versus autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: insights from the national inpatient sample.

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is a potentially curative therapy for several malignant and non-malignant hematologic conditions. However, patients undergoing HSCT are at increased risk of developing serious cardiovascular events. Whether cardiovascular risks differ by the type of transplantation strategy used, allogeneic versus autologous HSCT, is unknown. Leveraging the National Inpatient Sample (2016-2019), we assessed the incidence of early cardiovascular events by HSCT mode (allogeneic vs autologous). The primary outcome was the incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF). The secondary outcome was the occurrence of any major adverse cardiac events (MACE), defined as acute heart failure, myocardial infarction (MI), symptomatic atrial or ventricular arrhythmia or heart block, and cardiovascular death. Outcomes were compared between those undergoing allogeneic versus autologous HSCT. Multivariable regression, adjusting for cardiovascular and cancer-related factors, was used to define the association between pre-HSCT factors and MACE. We further assessed the effect of acute cardiovascular events on in-patient mortality by calculating adjusted odds ratio (aOR) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) and p-values. Overall, 64,705 weighted hospitalizations for HSCT were identified, of which 22,655 (35.0%) were allogeneic HSCT and 42,050 (65.0%) were autologous HSCT. The prevalence of AF was 9.1%, and 12.1% for any arrhythmia. In multivariable regression, allogeneic HSCT was associated with higher adjusted odds of peri-HSCT acute heart failure (aOR 2.64; 1.86-3.76; p < 0.0001), QT prolongation (aOR 1.40; 1.04-1.88; p = 0.025), MI (aOR 2.87; 1.16-7.11; p = 0.023), any major cardiovascular complication (aOR 1.16; 1.03-1.32; p = 0.016), and inpatient mortality (aOR 4.87; 3.60-6.58; p < 0.0001). Following cerebrovascular events, AF was the strongest predictor of mortality. Allogeneic HSCT was associated with higher odds of in-hospital cardiovascular complications among patients undergoing HSCT.

Predictors and Risk Score for Immune Checkpoint-Inhibitor-Associated Myocarditis Severity.

Background: Immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) are associated with life-threatening myocarditis but milder presentations are increasingly recognized. The same autoimmune process that causes ICI-myocarditis can manifest concurrent generalized myositis, myasthenia-like syndrome, and respiratory muscle failure. Prognostic factors for this "cardiomyotoxicity" are lacking. Methods: A multicenter registry collected data retrospectively from 17 countries between 2014-2023. A multivariable cox regression model (hazard-ratio(HR), [95%confidence-interval]) was used to determine risk factors for the primary composite outcome: severe arrhythmia, heart failure, respiratory muscle failure, and/or cardiomyotoxicity-related death. Covariates included demographics, comorbidities, cardio-muscular symptoms, diagnostics, and treatments. Time-dependent covariates were used and missing data were imputed. A point-based prognostic risk score was derived and externally validated. Results: In 748 patients (67% male, age 23-94), 30-days incidence of the primary composite outcome, cardiomyotoxic death, and overall death were 33%, 13%, and 17% respectively. By multivariable analysis, the primary composite outcome was associated with active thymoma (HR=3.60[1.93-6.72]), presence of cardio-muscular symptoms (HR=2.60 [1.58-4.28]), low QRS-voltage on presenting electrocardiogram (HR for ≤0.5mV versus >1mV=2.08[1.31-3.30]), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) <50% (HR=1.78[1.22-2.60]), and incremental troponin elevation (HR=1.86 [1.44-2.39], 2.99[1.91-4.65], 4.80[2.54-9.08], for 20, 200 and 2000-fold above upper reference limit, respectively). A prognostic risk score developed using these parameters showed good performance; 30-days primary outcome incidence increased gradually from 3.9%(risk-score=0) to 81.3%(risk-score≥4). This risk-score was externally validated in two independent French and US cohorts. This risk score was used prospectively in the external French cohort to identify low risk patients who were managed with no immunosuppression resulting in no cardio-myotoxic events. Conclusions: ICI-myocarditis can manifest with high morbidity and mortality. Myocarditis severity is associated with magnitude of troponin, thymoma, low-QRS voltage, depressed LVEF, and cardio-muscular symptoms. A risk-score incorporating these features performed well. Trial registration number: NCT04294771 and NCT05454527.

Cardiovascular Burden of the V142I Transthyretin Variant.

Importance: Individual cohort studies concur that the amyloidogenic V142I variant of the transthyretin (TTR) gene, present in 3% to 4% of US Black individuals, increases heart failure (HF) and mortality risk. Precisely defining carrier risk across relevant clinical outcomes and estimating population burden of disease are important given established and emerging targeted treatments. Objectives: To better define the natural history of disease in carriers across mid to late life, assess variant modifiers, and estimate cardiovascular burden to the US population. Design, Setting, and Participants: A total of 23 338 self-reported Black participants initially free from HF were included in 4 large observational studies across the US (mean [SD], 15.5 [8.2] years of follow-up). Data analysis was performed between May 2023 and February 2024. Exposure: V142I carrier status (n = 754, 3.2%). Main Outcomes and Measures: Hospitalizations for HF (including subtypes of reduced and preserved ejection fraction) and all-cause mortality. Outcomes were analyzed by generating 10-year hazard ratios for each age between 50 and 90 years. Using actuarial methods, mean survival by carrier status was estimated and applied to the 2022 US population using US Census data. Results: Among the 23 338 participants, the mean (SD) age at baseline was 62 (9) years and 76.7% were women. Ten-year carrier risk increased for HF hospitalization by age 63 years, predominantly driven by HF with reduced ejection fraction, and 10-year all-cause mortality risk increased by age 72 years. Only age (but not sex or other select variables) modified risk with the variant, with estimated reductions in longevity ranging from 1.9 years (95% CI, 0.6-3.1) at age 50 to 2.8 years (95% CI, 2.0-3.6) at age 81. Based on these data, 435 851 estimated US Black carriers between ages 50 and 95 years are projected to cumulatively lose 957 505 years of life (95% CI, 534 475-1 380 535) due to the variant. Conclusions and Relevance: Among self-reported Black individuals, male and female V142I carriers faced similar and substantial risk for HF hospitalization, predominantly with reduced ejection fraction, and death, with steep age-dependent penetrance. Delineating the individual contributions of, and complex interplay among, the V142I variant, ancestry, the social construct of race, and biological or social determinants of health to cardiovascular disease merits further investigation.

Diet quality and cardiovascular disease risk among breast cancer survivors in the Pathways Study.

BACKGROUND: Women with breast cancer are at higher risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) compared with women without breast cancer. Whether higher diet quality at breast cancer diagnosis lowers this risk remains unknown. We set out to determine if higher diet quality at breast cancer diagnosis was related to lower risk of CVD and CVD-related death. METHODS: This analysis included 3415 participants from the Pathway Study, a prospective cohort of women diagnosed with invasive breast cancer at Kaiser Permanente Northern California between 2005 and 2013 and followed through December 31, 2021. Scores from 5 diet quality indices consistent with healthy eating were obtained at the time of breast cancer diagnosis. Scores were categorized into ascending quartiles of concordance for each diet quality index, and multivariable adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated. P values were 2-sided. RESULTS: The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet quality index was associated with lower risk of heart failure (HR = 0.53, 95% CI = 0.33 to 0.87; Ptrend = .03), arrhythmia (HR = 0.77, 95% CI = 0.62 to 0.94; Ptrend = .008), cardiac arrest (HR = 0.77, 95% CI = 0.61 to 0.96; Ptrend = .02), valvular heart disease (HR = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.64 to 0.98; Ptrend = .046), venous thromboembolic disease (HR = 0.75, 95% CI = 0.60 to 0.93; Ptrend = .01), and CVD-related death (HR = 0.70, 95% CI = 0.50 to 0.99; Ptrend = .04), when comparing the highest with lowest quartiles. Inverse associations were also found between the healthy plant-based dietary index and heart failure (HR = 0.60, 95% CI = 0.39 to 0.94; Ptrend = .02), as well as the alternate Mediterranean dietary index and arrhythmia (HR = 0.74, 95% CI = 0.60 to 0.93; Ptrend = .02). CONCLUSION: Among newly diagnosed breast cancer patients, higher diet quality at diagnosis was associated with lower risk of CVD events and death.

Left atrial to coronary sinus shunting for treatment of heart failure with mildly reduced or preserved ejection fraction: The ALT FLOW Early Feasibility Study 1-year results.

AIMS: Patients with heart failure and mildly reduced or preserved ejection fraction have limited therapeutic options. The ALT-FLOW Early Feasibility Study evaluated safety, haemodynamics and outcomes for the APTURE transcatheter shunt system, a novel left atrium to coronary sinus shunt in these patients. METHODS AND RESULTS: Safety and shunt implantation success was evaluated for all 116 enrolled patients. An analysis population of implanted patients with a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) >40% (n = 95) was chosen to assess efficacy via paired comparison between baseline and follow-up haemodynamic (3 and 6 months), and echocardiographic, clinical and functional outcomes (6 months and 1 year). Health status and quality of life outcomes were assessed using the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire overall summary score (KCCQ-OSS). The primary safety endpoint, major adverse cardiac, cerebral, and renal events, and reintervention through 30 days, occurred in 3/116 patients (2.6%). All implanted shunts were patent at 1 year. In patients with LVEF >40%, the mean (95% confidence interval) reduction in exercise pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) at 20 W was -5.7 (-8.6, -2.9) mmHg at 6 months (p < 0.001). At baseline, 8% had New York Heart Association class I-II status and improved to 68% at 1 year (p < 0.001). KCCQ-OSS at baseline was 39 (35, 43) and improved at 6 months and 1 year by 25 (20-30) and 27 (22-32) points, respectively (both p < 0.0001). No adverse changes in haemodynamic and echocardiographic indices of right heart function were observed at 1 year. Overall, the reduction in PCWP at 20 W and improvement in KCCQ-OSS in multiple subgroups were consistent with those observed for the entire population. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with heart failure and LVEF >40%, the APTURE shunt demonstrated an acceptable safety profile with significant sustained improvements in haemodynamic and patient-centred outcomes, underscoring the need for further evaluation of the APTURE shunt in a randomized trial.

Diagnosis and Management of Cardiac Sarcoidosis: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association.

Cardiac sarcoidosis is an infiltrative cardiomyopathy that results from granulomatous inflammation of the myocardium and may present with high-grade conduction disease, ventricular arrhythmias, and right or left ventricular dysfunction. Over the past several decades, the prevalence of cardiac sarcoidosis has increased. Definitive histological confirmation is often not possible, so clinicians frequently face uncertainty about the accuracy of diagnosis. Hence, the likelihood of cardiac sarcoidosis should be thought of as a continuum (definite, highly probable, probable, possible, low probability, unlikely) rather than in a binary fashion. Treatment should be initiated in individuals with clinical manifestations and active inflammation in a tiered approach, with corticosteroids as first-line treatment. The lack of randomized clinical trials in cardiac sarcoidosis has led to treatment decisions based on cohort studies and consensus opinions, with substantial variation observed across centers. This scientific statement is intended to guide clinical practice and to facilitate management conformity by providing a framework for the diagnosis and management of cardiac sarcoidosis.

Advancing the care of individuals with cancer through innovation & technology: Proceedings from the cardiology oncology innovation summit 2020 and 2021.

As cancer therapies increase in effectiveness and patients' life expectancies improve, balancing oncologic efficacy while reducing acute and long-term cardiovascular toxicities has become of paramount importance. To address this pressing need, the Cardiology Oncology Innovation Network (COIN) was formed to bring together domain experts with the overarching goal of collaboratively investigating, applying, and educating widely on various forms of innovation to improve the quality of life and cardiovascular healthcare of patients undergoing and surviving cancer therapies. The COIN mission pillars of innovation, collaboration, and education have been implemented with cross-collaboration among academic institutions, private and public establishments, and industry and technology companies. In this report, we summarize proceedings from the first two annual COIN summits (inaugural in 2020 and subsequent in 2021) including educational sessions on technological innovations for establishing best practices and aligning resources. Herein, we highlight emerging areas for innovation and defining unmet needs to further improve the outcome for cancer patients and survivors of all ages. Additionally, we provide actionable suggestions for advancing innovation, collaboration, and education in cardio-oncology in the digital era.

Hypertension treatment for patients receiving ibrutinib: a multicenter retrospective study.

ABSTRACT: Although Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitors (BTKis) are generally well tolerated and less toxic than chemotherapy alternatives used to treat lymphoid malignancies, BTKis like ibrutinib have the potential to cause new or worsening hypertension (HTN). Little is known about the optimal treatment of BTKi-associated HTN. Randomly selected patients with lymphoid malignancies on a BTKi and antihypertensive drug(s) and with at least 3 months of follow-up data were sorted into 2 groups: those diagnosed with HTN before BTKi initiation (prior-HTN), and those diagnosed with HTN after BTKi initiation (de novo HTN). Generalized estimating equations assessed associations between time varying mean arterial pressures (MAPs) and individual anti-HTN drug categories. Of 196 patients included in the study, 118 had prior-HTN, and 78 developed de novo HTN. Statistically significant mean MAP reductions were observed in patients with prior-HTN who took ß blockers (BBs) with hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ), (-5.05 mmHg; 95% confidence interval [CI], 10.0 to -0.0596; P = .047), and patients diagnosed with de novo HTN who took either an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEi) or angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) with HCTZ (-5.47 mmHg; 95% CI, 10.9 to -0.001; P = .05). These regimens also correlated with the greatest percentages of normotensive MAPs. Treatment of HTN in patients taking a BTKi is challenging and may require multiple antihypertensives. Patients with prior-HTN appear to benefit from combination regimens with BBs and HCTZ, whereas patients with de novo HTN appear to benefit from ACEi/ARBs with HCTZ. These results should be confirmed in prospective studies.

Moving towards establishing centres of excellence in cardiac amyloidosis: an International Cardio-Oncology Society statement.

The prevalence of amyloidosis has been increasing, driven by a combination of improved awareness, evolution of diagnostic pathways, and effective treatment options for both transthyretin and light chain amyloidosis. Due to the complexity of amyloidosis, centralised expert providers with experience in delineating the nuances of confirmatory diagnosis and management may be beneficial. There are many potential benefits of a centre of excellence designation for the treatment of amyloidosis including recognition of institutions that have been leading the way for the optimal treatment of this condition, establishing the expectations for any centre who is engaging in the treatment of amyloidosis and developing cooperative groups to allow more effective research in this disease space. Standardising the expectations and criteria for these centres is essential for ensuring the highest quality of clinical care and community education. In order to define what components are necessary for an effective centre of excellence for the treatment of amyloidosis, we prepared a survey in cooperation with a multidisciplinary panel of amyloidosis experts representing an international consortium. The purpose of this position statement is to identify the essential elements necessary for highly effective clinical care and to develop a general standard with which practices or institutions could be recognised as a centre of excellence.

Limitations of apical sparing pattern in cardiac amyloidosis: a multicentre echocardiographic study.

AIMS: Although impaired left ventricular (LV) global longitudinal strain (GLS) with apical sparing is a feature of cardiac amyloidosis (CA), its diagnostic accuracy has varied across studies. We aimed to determine the ability of apical sparing ratio (ASR) and most common echocardiographic parameters to differentiate patients with confirmed CA from those with clinical and/or echocardiographic suspicion of CA but with this diagnosis ruled out. METHODS AND RESULTS: We identified 544 patients with confirmed CA and 200 controls (CTRLs) as defined above (CTRL patients). Measurements from transthoracic echocardiograms were performed using artificial intelligence software (Us2.AI, Singapore) and audited by an experienced echocardiographer. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to evaluate the diagnostic performance and optimal cut-offs for the differentiation of CA patients from CTRL patients. Additionally, a group of 174 healthy subjects (healthy CTRL) was included to provide insight on how patients and healthy CTRLs differed echocardiographically. LV GLS was more impaired (-13.9 ± 4.6% vs. -15.9 ± 2.7%, P < 0.0005), and ASR was higher (2.4 ± 1.2 vs. 1.7 ± 0.9, P < 0.0005) in the CA group vs. CTRL patients. Relative wall thickness and ASR were the most accurate parameters for differentiating CA from CTRL patients [area under the curve (AUC): 0.77 and 0.74, respectively]. However, even with the optimal cut-off of 1.67, ASR was only 72% sensitive and 66% specific for CA, indicating the presence of apical sparing in 32% of CTRL patients and even in 6% healthy subjects. CONCLUSION: Apical sparing did not prove to be a CA-specific biomarker for accurate identification of CA, when compared with clinically similar CTRLs with no CA.

The HFSA Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology Fellowship Consensus Conference.

There is waning interest among cardiology trainees in pursuing an Advanced Heart Failure/Transplant Cardiology (AHFTC) fellowship as evidenced by fewer applicants in the National Resident Matching Program match to this specialty. This trend has generated considerable attention across the heart failure community. In response, the Heart Failure Society of America convened the AHFTC Fellowship Task Force with a charge to develop strategies to increase the value proposition of an AHFTC fellowship. Subsequently, the HFSA sponsored the AHFTC Fellowship Consensus Conference April 26-27, 2023. Before the conference, interviews of 44 expert stakeholders diverse across geography, site of practice (traditional academic medical center or other centers), specialty/area of expertise, sex, and stage of career were conducted virtually. Based on these interviews, potential solutions to address the declining interest in AHFTC fellowship were categorized into five themes: (1) alternative training pathways, (2) regulatory and compensation, (3) educational improvements, (4) exposure and marketing for pipeline development, and (5) quality of life and mental health. These themes provided structure to the deliberations of the AHFTC Fellowship Consensus Conference. The recommendations from the Consensus Conference were subsequently presented to the HFSA Board of Directors to inform strategic plans and interventions. The HFSA Board of Directors later reviewed and approved submission of this document. The purpose of this communication is to provide the HF community with an update summarizing the processes used and concepts that emerged from the work of the HFSA AHFTC Fellowship Task Force and Consensus Conference.

Coronary steal syndrome caused by a large saphenous venous graft aneurysm with a fistula communicating to the right atrium managed by transcatheter closure.

A 71-year-old man with history of coronary artery disease status post coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in 1999 (left internal mammary artery-left anterior descending, saphenous venous graft [SVG]-diagonal, and SVG-right coronary artery [RCA], ascending aorta aneurysm [4.8 cm], infrarenal aorta aortic aneurysm status post endovascular aortic repair, heart failure with reduced ejection fraction of 25% status post cardiac resynchronization therapy-defibrillator) presented with decompensated heart failure. He was in monomorphic ventricular tachycardia; he was cardioverted and started on amiodarone and lidocaine. His vital signs remained stable.

Machine Learning for Predicting Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation After Cardiac Surgery: A Scoping Review of Current Literature.

Postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) occurs in up to 20% to 55% of patients who underwent cardiac surgery. Machine learning (ML) has been increasingly employed in monitoring, screening, and identifying different cardiovascular clinical conditions. It was proposed that ML may be a useful tool for predicting POAF after cardiac surgery. An electronic database search was conducted on Medline, EMBASE, Cochrane, Google Scholar, and ClinicalTrials.gov to identify primary studies that investigated the role of ML in predicting POAF after cardiac surgery. A total of 5,955 citations were subjected to title and abstract screening, and ultimately 5 studies were included. The reported incidence of POAF ranged from 21.5% to 37.1%. The studied ML models included: deep learning, decision trees, logistic regression, support vector machines, gradient boosting decision tree, gradient-boosted machine, K-nearest neighbors, neural network, and random forest models. The sensitivity of the reported ML models ranged from 0.22 to 0.91, the specificity from 0.64 to 0.84, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve from 0.67 to 0.94. Age, gender, left atrial diameter, glomerular filtration rate, and duration of mechanical ventilation were significant clinical risk factors for POAF. Limited evidence suggest that machine learning models may play a role in predicting atrial fibrillation after cardiac surgery because of their ability to detect different patterns of correlations and the incorporation of several demographic and clinical variables. However, the heterogeneity of the included studies and the lack of external validation are the most important limitations against the routine incorporation of these models in routine practice. Artificial intelligence, cardiac surgery, decision tree, deep learning, gradient-boosted machine, gradient boosting decision tree, k-nearest neighbors, logistic regression, machine learning, neural network, postoperative atrial fibrillation, postoperative complications, random forest, risk scores, scoping review, support vector machine.

Safety and Performance of the Aortix Device in Acute Decompensated Heart Failure and Cardiorenal Syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Cardiorenal syndrome (CRS) complicates 33% of acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) admissions, and patients with persistent congestion at discharge have high 30-day event rates. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate a novel catheter-deployed intra-aortic entrainment pump (IAEP) in patients with ADHF with CRS and persistent congestion. METHODS: A multicenter (n = 14), nonrandomized, single-arm, safety and feasibility study of IAEP therapy was conducted. Within patient changes (post-pre IAEP therapy) in fluid loss, hemodynamics, patient-reported dyspnea, and serum biomarkers were assessed using Wilcoxon signed-rank testing. RESULTS: Of 21 enrolled patients, 18 received Aortix therapy. Mean ± SD patient age was 60.3 ± 7.9 years. The median left ventricular ejection fraction was 22.5% (25th-75th percentile: 10.0%-53.5%); 27.8% had a left ventricular ejection fraction ≥50%. Pre-therapy, patients received 8.7 ± 4.1 days of loop diuretic agents and 44% were on inotropes. Pump therapy averaged 4.6 ± 1.6 days, yielding net fluid losses of 10.7 ± 6.5 L (P < 0.001) and significant (P < 0.01) reductions in central venous pressure (change from baseline: -8.5 mm Hg [25th-75th percentile: -3.5 to -10.0 mm Hg]), pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (-11.0 mm Hg [25th-75th percentile: -5.0 to -14.0 mm Hg]), and serum creatinine (-0.2 mg/dL [25th-75th percentile: -0.1 to -0.5 mg/dL]) with improved estimated glomerular filtration rate (+5.0 mL/min/1.73 m2 [25th-75th percentile: 2.0-9.0 mL/min/1.73 m2]) and patient-reported dyspnea score (+16 [25th-75th percentile: 3-37]). Dyspnea scores, natriuretic peptides, and renal function improvements persisted through 30 days. CONCLUSIONS: This pilot study of patients with ADHF, persistent congestion, and worsening renal function due to CRS supports the potential for safely achieving decongestion using IAEP therapy. These initial promising results provide the basis for future randomized clinical trials of this novel pump. (An Evaluation of the Safety and Performance of the Aortix System for Intra-Aortic Mechanical Circulatory Support in Patients with Cardiorenal Syndrome [The Aortix CRS Pilot Study]; NCT04145635).

Global Cardio Oncology Registry (G-COR): Registry Design, Primary Objectives, and Future Perspectives of a Multicenter Global Initiative.

BACKGROUND: Global collaboration in cardio-oncology is needed to understand the prevalence of cancer therapy-related cardiovascular toxicity in different risk groups, practice settings, and geographic locations. There are limited data on the socioeconomic and racial/ethnic disparities that may impact access to care and outcomes. To address these gaps, we established the Global Cardio-Oncology Registry, a multinational, multicenter prospective registry. METHODS: We assembled cardiologists and oncologists from academic and community settings to collaborate in the first Global Cardio-Oncology Registry. Subsequently, a survey for site resources, demographics, and intention to participate was conducted. We designed an online data platform to facilitate this global initiative. RESULTS: A total of 119 sites responded to an online questionnaire on their practices and main goals of the registry: 49 US sites from 23 states and 70 international sites from 5 continents indicated a willingness to participate in the Global Cardio-Oncology Registry. Sites were more commonly led by cardiologists (85/119; 72%) and were more often university/teaching (81/119; 68%) than community based (38/119; 32%). The average number of cardio-oncology patients treated per month was 80 per site. The top 3 Global Cardio-Oncology Registry priorities in cardio-oncology care were breast cancer, hematologic malignancies, and patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors. Executive and scientific committees and specific committees were established. A pilot phase for breast cancer using Research Electronic Data Capture Cloud platform recently started patient enrollment. CONCLUSIONS: We present the structure for a global collaboration. Information derived from the Global Cardio-Oncology Registry will help understand the risk factors impacting cancer therapy-related cardiovascular toxicity in different geographic locations and therefore contribute to reduce access gaps in cardio-oncology care. Risk calculators will be prospectively derived and validated.