Association of Double-Blind Reviews with Increases in Women as First Authors: An Initial Report from the Journal of Cardiac Failure.

INTRODUCTION: Women continue to remain under-represented in academic publishing in cardiology. Some evidence suggests that double-blind peer reviews may mitigate the impact of gender bias. In July 2021, the Journal of Cardiac Failure implemented a process for the conduct of double-blind reviews after previously utilizing single-blind reviews with the aim of improving author diversity. The purpose of the current manuscript was to examine the association between changes in authorship characteristics and implementation of double-blind reviews. METHODS: Manuscripts were stratified into 3 eras: March - September 2021 (Era 1 - prior to double blind reviews), March - September 2022 (Era 2), and March - September 2023 (Era 3). All article types except invited editorials were included. Data were abstracted, including names, genders, ranks, and discipline of first and senior authors. RESULTS: A total of 310 manuscripts were included in the analysis. The proportion of women first authors increased from 24% in Era 1 to 34% in Era 2 to 39% in Era 3 while the percentage of women authors serving in a senior authorship role remained fairly stable over time around 21-22%. Even after adjusting for region, article type, first author discipline, and last author gender, there was an increase in female first author over time (p= 0.015). Manuscripts with a female senior author were significantly more likely to have a female first author. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that double-blind peer review may contribute to increased gender diversity of first authors and highlight areas for future improvement for JCF and academic publishing.

Cyclic adenosine monophosphate critically modulates cardiac GLP-1 receptor's anti-inflammatory effects.

BACKGROUND: Glucagon-like peptide (GLP)-1 receptor (GLP1R) agonists exert a multitude of beneficial cardiovascular effects beyond control of blood glucose levels and obesity reduction. They also have anti-inflammatory actions through both central and peripheral mechanisms. GLP1R is a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), coupling to adenylyl cyclase (AC)-stimulatory Gs proteins to raise cyclic 3`-5`-adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) levels in cells. cAMP exerts various anti-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory effects via its effectors protein kinase A (PKA) and Exchange protein directly activated by cAMP (Epac). However, the precise role and importance of cAMP in mediating GLP1R`s anti-inflammatory actions, at least in the heart, remains to be determined. To this end, we tested the effects of the GLP1R agonist liraglutide on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute inflammatory injury in H9c2 cardiac cells, either in the absence of cAMP production (AC inhibition) or upon enhancement of cAMP levels via phosphodiesterase (PDE)-4 inhibition with roflumilast. METHODS & RESULTS: Liraglutide dose-dependently inhibited LPS-induced apoptosis and increased cAMP levels in H9c2 cells, with roflumilast but also PDE8 inhibition further enhancing cAMP production by liraglutide. GLP1R-stimulated cAMP markedly suppressed the LPS-dependent induction of pro-inflammatory tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-a, interleukin (IL)-1b, and IL-6 cytokine expression, of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression and nuclear factor (NF)-kB activity, of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-2 and MMP-9 levels and activities, and of myocardial injury markers in H9c2 cardiac cells. The effects of liraglutide were mediated by the GLP1R since they were abolished by the GLP1R antagonist exendin(9-39). Importantly, AC inhibition completely abrogated liraglutide`s suppression of LPS-dependent inflammatory injury, whereas roflumilast significantly enhanced the protective effects of liraglutide against LPS-induced inflammation. Finally, PKA inhibition or Epac1/2 inhibition alone only partially blocked liraglutide`s suppression of LPS-induced inflammation in H9c2 cardiac cells, but, together, PKA and Epac1/2 inhibition fully prevented liraglutide from reducing LPS-dependent inflammation. CONCLUSIONS: cAMP, via activation of both PKA and Epac, is essential for GLP1R`s anti-inflammatory signaling in cardiac cells and that cAMP levels crucially regulate the anti-inflammatory efficacy of GLP1R agonists in the heart. Strategies that elevate cardiac cAMP levels, such as PDE4 inhibition, may potentiate the cardiovascular, including anti-inflammatory, benefits of GLP1R agonist drugs.

US trends of in-hospital morbidity and mortality for acute myocardial infarctions complicated by cardiogenic shock.

BACKGROUND: There is limited real-world data highlighting recent temporal in-hospital morbidity and mortality trends for cases of acute myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock. The role of mechanical circulatory support within this patient population remains unclear. METHODS: The US National Inpatient Sample database was sampled from 2011 to 2018 identifying 206,396 hospitalizations with a primary admission diagnosis of ST- or Non-ST elevation myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock. The primary outcomes included trends of all-cause in-hospital mortality, mechanical circulatory support use, and sex-specific trends for acute myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock (AMI-CS) over the study period. RESULTS: The annual number of AMI-CS hospitalizations increased from 22,851 in 2011 to 30,015 in 2018 and in-hospital mortality trends remained similar (42.9 % to 43.7 %, ptrend < 0.001). The proportion of patients receiving any temporary MCS device decreased (46.4 % to 44.4 %). The use of intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) decreased (44.9 % to 32.9 %) and the use of any other non-IABP MCS device increased (2.5 % to 15.6 %), ptrend<0.001. Sex-specific mortality indicate female in-hospital mortality remained similar (50.3 % to 51 %, ptrend<0.001), but higher than male in-hospital mortality, which increased non-significantly (38.8 % to 40.2 %, ptrend = 0.372). CONCLUSIONS: From 2011 to 2018, hospitalizations for AMI-CS patients have increased in number. However, there has been no recent appreciable change in AMI-CS mortality despite a changing treatment landscape with decreasing use of IABPs and increasing use of non-IABP MCS devices. Further research is necessary to examine the appropriate use of MCS devices within this population.

In-hospital outcomes of septal myectomy vs. alcohol septal ablation for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with outflow tract obstruction: An update and insights from the national inpatient sample from 2011 to 2019.

Septal Myectomy (SM) and Alcohol Septal Ablation (ASA) improve symptoms in patients with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy with outflow tract obstruction (oHCM). However, outcomes data in this population is predominantly from specialized centers. The National Inpatient Database was queried from 2011 to 2019 for relevant international classification of diseases (ICD)-9 and -10 diagnostic and procedural codes. We compared baseline characteristics and in-hospital outcomes of patients with oHCM who underwent SM vs ASA. A p-value < 0.001 was considered statistically significant. We identified 15,119 patients with oHCM who underwent septal reduction therapies, of whom 57.4% underwent SM, and 42.6% underwent ASA. Patients who underwent SM had higher all-cause mortality (OR: 1.8 (1.3-2.5)), post-procedure ischemic stroke (OR: 2.3 (1.7-3.2)), acute kidney injury (OR: 1.4 (1.2-1.7)), vascular complications (OR: 3.6 (2.3-5.3)), ventricular septal defect (OR: 4.4 (3.2-6.1)), cardiogenic shock (OR: 1.7 (1.3-2.3)), sepsis (OR: 3.2 (1.9-5.4)), and left bundle branch block (OR: 3.5 (3-4)), compared to ASA. Patients who underwent ASA had higher post-procedure complete heart block (OR: 1.3 (1.1-1.4)), right bundle branch block (OR: 6.3 (5-7.7)), ventricular tachycardia (OR: 2.2 (1.9-2.6)), supraventricular tachycardia (OR: 1.6 (1.4-2)), and more commonly required pacemaker insertion (OR: 1.4 (1.3-1.7)) (p < 0.001 for all) compared to SM. This nationwide analysis evidenced that patients undergoing SM had higher in-hospital mortality and periprocedural complications than ASA; however, those undergoing ASA had more post-procedure conduction abnormalities and pacemaker implantation. The implications of these findings warrant further investigation regarding patient selection strategies for these therapies.

Checkpoint inhibitor myocarditis with preceding immunosuppression and tolerance of sequential anthracycline therapy.

A man in his 50s with no known cardiac history and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma on nivolumab presented with acute dyspnoea and swelling. Physical examination revealed volume overload. Work-up noted new elevation of B-type natriuretic peptide and troponin, with new lateral T-wave inversions on ECG. He was admitted to cardiac intensive care for decompensated heart failure. Echocardiography showed ejection fraction 51% with diffuse hypokinesis and reduction of global longitudinal strain. Cardiac MRI demonstrated diffuse myocardial fibrosis with oedema suggesting acute injury. Endomyocardial biopsy revealed lymphocytic and macrophagic infiltrate with cardiomyocyte damage, compatible with immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) myocarditis. Immunotherapy was discontinued and he was treated with diuresis, steroids and initiation of goal-directed medical therapy for heart failure. He required additional treatment with anthracyclines. He was monitored with cardio-oncology follow-up after every cycle of anthracycline and tolerated a cumulative 312 mg/m2 therapy. The safety of anthracycline administration after ICI-myocarditis has not been described.

Impact of Chronic Heart Failure on Acute Pulmonary Embolism in-Hospital Outcomes (From a Contemporary Study).

There is a paucity of evidence on the impact of chronic heart failure (HF) on acute pulmonary embolism (PE) hospitalization outcomes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the in-hospital outcomes of patients with chronic HF and acute PE. A total of 1,391,145 hospitalizations with acute PE from the National Inpatient Sample Database from 2011 to 2019 were included. The database was queried for relevant International Classification of Diseases, Ninth and Tenth Revisions procedural and diagnostic codes. Baseline characteristics and in-hospital outcomes for patients with acute PE were compared in patients with and without a history of chronic HF. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed, adjusting for age, race, gender, and statistically significant co-morbidities between cohorts. A p value <0.001 was considered significant. Overall, the mean age was 65.2±16 years; 50.9% of patients were women, and 230,875 patients (16.6%) had chronic HF. The patients in the chronic HF cohort were predominantly older (mean age 69.0 vs 61.4 years) and male (49.9% vs 48.3%). In the multivariate model, chronic HF was associated with increased all-cause mortality (odds ratio [OR] 1.6, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.57 to 1.63, 10.4% vs 5.7%), acute respiratory distress (OR 1.7, 95% CI 1.70 to 1.74, 39.5% vs 22.1%), cardiac arrest (OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.40 to 1.49, 3.9% vs 2.2%), and cardiogenic shock (OR 3.0, 95% CI 2.85 to 3.06, 4.2% vs 1.2%). All p values were <0.001. In conclusion, patients with PE and chronicHF are associated with increased in-hospital complications compared with patients with PE and without chronic HF. Prospective studies are needed to evaluate optimal management strategies in this population at high risk.

Trends and In-Hospital Outcomes of Patients With Baseline Right Bundle Branch Block Who Underwent Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation.

This study aimed to explore contemporary in-hospital outcomes and trends of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) outcomes in patients with baseline right bundle branch block (RBBB) using data collected from a nationwide sample. Using the National Inpatient Sample, we identified patients hospitalized for an index TAVI procedure from 2016 to 2019. Primary outcomes included in-hospital all-cause mortality, complete heart block, and permanent pacemaker (PPM) implantation. A total of 199,895 hospitalizations for TAVI were identified. RBBB was present in 10,495 cases (5.3%). Patients with RBBB were older (median age 81 vs 80 years, p <0.001) and less likely to be female (35% vs 47.4%, p <0.001). After adjusting for differences in baseline characteristics and elective versus nonelective admission, patients with RBBB had a higher incidence of complete heart block (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 4.77, confidence interval [CI] 4.55 to 5.01, p <0.001) and PPM implantation (aOR 4.15, CI 3.95 to 4.35, p <0.001) and no difference in-hospital mortality rate (aOR 0.85, CI 0.69 to 1.05, p = 0.137). Between 2016 and 2019, there was a 3.5% and 2.9% decrease in in-hospital PPM implantation in patients with and without RBBB, respectively. In conclusion, from 2016 to 2019, the rate of in-hospital PPM implantation decreased during index TAVI hospitalization in both patients with and without RBBB. However, in those with baseline RBBB, complete heart block complication rates requiring PPM implantation remain relatively high. Further research and advances are needed to continue to reduce complication rates and the need for PPM implantation.

The association of pre-transplant atrial fibrillation with in-hospital outcomes in patients undergoing orthotopic liver transplantation: A propensity score matching analysis.

INTRODUCTION: In this study, we sought to evaluate the prevalence and association of pre-transplant atrial fibrillation (AF) on 30-day postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing orthotopic liver transplant (OLT). METHOD: The National Inpatient Sample Database was queried from 2011 to 2017 for relevant ICD-9 and ICD-10 procedural and diagnostic codes. Baseline characteristics and in-hospital outcomes were compared in patients who underwent OLT with AF and those without. RESULTS: Among 45,357 patients who underwent OLT, women made up 35.8% of the overall population. The prevalence of AF before transplant was 2932 (6.5%) with a trend toward increasing prevalence, with an average annual change rate of 4.19%. Applying propensity score matching to control for potential confounding factors, there was no association between pre-transplant AF and in-hospital mortality in patients undergoing OLT, however there was a higher incidence of perioperative complications including: acute kidney injury, ventricular tachycardia, major bleeding, blood product transfusion, and septic shock. CONCLUSION: In patients undergoing OLT, pre-transplant AF is increasing in prevalence and appears to be associated with similar in-hospital mortality but worse perioperative outcomes. Greater emphasis should be placed on AF in the preoperative cardiovascular risk stratification of patients undergoing OLT.

Carvedilol Selectively Stimulates ßArrestin2-Dependent SERCA2a Activity in Cardiomyocytes to Augment Contractility.

Heart failure (HF) carries the highest mortality in the western world and ß-blockers [ß-adrenergic receptor (AR) antagonists] are part of the cornerstone pharmacotherapy for post-myocardial infarction (MI) chronic HF. Cardiac ß1AR-activated ßarrestin2, a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) adapter protein, promotes Sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA)2a SUMO (small ubiquitin-like modifier)-ylation and activity, thereby directly increasing cardiac contractility. Given that certain ß-blockers, such as carvedilol and metoprolol, can activate ßarrestins and/or SERCA2a in the heart, we investigated the effects of these two agents on cardiac ßarrestin2-dependent SERCA2a SUMOylation and activity. We found that carvedilol, but not metoprolol, acutely induces ßarrestin2 interaction with SERCA2a in H9c2 cardiomyocytes and in neonatal rat ventricular myocytes (NRVMs), resulting in enhanced SERCA2a SUMOylation. However, this translates into enhanced SERCA2a activity only in the presence of the ß2AR-selective inverse agonist ICI 118,551 (ICI), indicating an opposing effect of carvedilol-occupied ß2AR subtype on carvedilol-occupied ß1AR-stimulated, ßarrestin2-dependent SERCA2a activation. In addition, the amplitude of fractional shortening of NRVMs, transfected to overexpress ßarrestin2, is acutely enhanced by carvedilol, again in the presence of ICI only. In contrast, metoprolol was without effect on NRVMs' shortening amplitude irrespective of ICI co-treatment. Importantly, the pro-contractile effect of carvedilol was also observed in human induced pluripotent stem cell (hIPSC)-derived cardiac myocytes (CMs) overexpressing ßarrestin2, and, in fact, it was present even without concomitant ICI treatment of human CMs. Metoprolol with or without concomitant ICI did not affect contractility of human CMs, either. In conclusion, carvedilol, but not metoprolol, stimulates ßarrestin2-mediated SERCA2a SUMOylation and activity through the ß1AR in cardiac myocytes, translating into direct positive inotropy. However, this unique ßarrestin2-dependent pro-contractile effect of carvedilol may be opposed or masked by carvedilol-bound ß2AR subtype signaling.

The association of racial differences with in-hospital outcomes of patients admitted for sinus node dysfunction.

Background: The impact of race and its related social determinants of health on cardiovascular disease outcomes has been well documented. However, limited data exist regarding the association of race with in-hospital outcomes in patients admitted for sinus node dysfunction (SND). Objective: To evaluate whether racial disparities exist in outcomes for patients hospitalized with a primary diagnosis of SND. Methods: The National Inpatient Sample was queried from 2011 to 2018 for relevant ICD-9 and ICD-10 diagnosis and procedure codes. Baseline characteristics and in-hospital outcomes in patients with a primary diagnosis of SND were compared among White and non-White patients. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to adjust for potential confounding factors and statistically significant comorbidities between both cohorts. Results: We identified 655,139 persons admitted with a primary diagnosis of SND, 520,926 (79.5%) of whom were White. Non-White patients had significantly higher all-cause mortality, length of stay, and total hospital cost. There were lower odds of pacemaker insertion (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.13 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.11-1.15]), temporary transvenous pacing (aOR 1.15 [95% CI 1.11-1.22]), and cardioversion (aOR 1.50 [95% CI 1.42-1.58]) in non-White patients. A subgroup analysis was performed and non-Hispanic Black race was predictive of a decreased odds of pacemaker insertion, cardioversion/defibrillation, and temporary transvenous pacing. Conclusion: Significant differences of in-hospital outcomes exist between White and non-White patients with SND. These findings appeared to be primarily driven by disparities in non-Hispanic Black patients. Increased recognition and focused efforts to mitigate these disparities will improve the care of underrepresented populations treated for SND.

Comparison of In-Hospital Outcomes and Readmission Rates of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation in Mixed Aortic Valve Disease Versus Pure Aortic Stenosis.

Recently, transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has been performed in patients with combined aortic stenosis (AS) and aortic regurgitation. We sought to evaluate in-hospital outcomes and readmission rates after TAVI in patients with mixed aortic valve disease (MAVD). A total of 100,573 TAVI procedures were identified between 2011 and 2017 using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision and International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision procedure codes the from Nationwide Readmissions Database. We separated patients into 2 cohorts, those with MAVD and those with pure AS. The primary outcome was all-cause inpatient mortality after TAVI, and secondary outcomes included rates of 30- and 90-day readmissions and postprocedural complications. A total of 3,260 patients had MAVD (median age 83 years, 43.5% women). In-hospital mortality (2.5% vs 2.6%, p = 0.531) and rates of paravalvular leak (1.0% vs 1.3%, p = 0.056) were similar between the MAVD and pure AS groups. Major bleeding (7.4% vs 9.6%, p <0.001), 30-day readmission (0.5% vs 8.8%, p <0.001) and 90-day readmission rates (0.8% vs 16.0%, p <0.001), acute kidney injury (12.9% vs 15.1%, p <0.001), postoperative ischemic stroke (2.0% vs 5.7%, p <0.001), and mechanic circulatory support use (1.9% vs 4.5%, p <0.001) were less prevalent in the MAVD cohort. Using a multivariate logistic regression model to adjust for confounding factors, MAVD was not predictive of mortality in patients who underwent TAVI (adjusted odds ratio [adjOR] 1.25, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.99 to 1.57, p = 0.056); however, MAVD was associated with: decreased odds of 30-day readmission (adjOR 0.05, 95% CI 0.03 to 0.08, p <0.001), 90-day readmission rates (adjOR 0.04, 95% CI 0.03 to 0.06, p <0.001), and higher odds of pacemaker implantation (adjOR 1.46, 95% CI 1.29 to 1.65, p <0.001). In conclusion, despite differences in the aortic valve and left ventricular anatomy (pressure vs volume-related adaptive changes) in patients with MAVD and pure AS, TAVI appears safe and feasible. However, patients with MAVD were more likely to have permanent pacemakers implanted. The results of our study warrant further randomized controlled studies to confirm these findings.

Early trends in leadless pacemaker implantation: Evaluating nationwide in-hospital outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Single-chamber leadless intracardiac pacemaker (LICP) implantation was approved in 2016 in the United States. However, little is known regarding trends in real-world utilization and complication rates. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess nationwide demographics, trends, and outcomes among hospitalizations with LICP implantation in the United States. METHODS: Using the National Inpatient Sample, we identified all hospitalizations with LICP or transvenous pacemaker implantation as a comparator between 2017 and 2019. We evaluated baseline patient characteristics, admitting diagnoses, procedural complications, lengths of stay, discharge dispositions, and all-cause mortality. RESULTS: The majority of LICP recipients were elderly (75.4 ± 12.8 years), male (55.2%), and White (76.8%) compared to Black (9.8%), or Hispanic (7.3%). Between 2017 and 2019, the average age increased along with the prevalence of heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and malignancy among recipients. Most hospitalizations were emergent (84.5%). Between 2017 and 2019, pooled procedural complications decreased significantly (10.8% vs 7.9%; P <.001), primarily due to declining infection and device retrieval rates. In-hospital mortality also decreased significantly (8.2% vs 4.2%; P <.001). History of cardiogenic shock or cardiac device infection was associated with the greatest mortality or complication risk. Compared to transvenous pacemaker, LICP implantation was associated with lower complication rates (8.6% vs 11.2%) but greater mortality (5.2% vs 1.3%; P <.001). CONCLUSION: Nationwide LICP implantations were performed in patients of increasing age, comorbidities, and acuity of illness. In-hospital mortality and procedure-related complications declined in the first 3 years after approval of LICP implantation and may reflect improving operator experience. Increased mortality compared with transvenous pacemaker implant remains a concern.

Comparison of household income in in-hospital outcomes after implantation of left ventricular assist device.

INTRODUCTION: Due to the inability to keep up with the demand for heart transplantation, there is an increased utilization of left ventricular assist devices (LVAD). However, paucity of data exists regarding the association of household income with in-hospital outcomes after LVAD implantation. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study using the NIS to identify all patients ⩾18 years who underwent LVAD implantation from 2011 to 2017. Statistical analysis was performed comparing low household income (⩽50th percentile) and high income (>50th percentile). RESULTS: A total of 25,503 patients underwent LVAD implantation. The low-income group represented 53% and the high-income group corresponded to 47% of the entire cohort. The low-income group was found to be younger (mean age 55 ± 14 vs 58 ± 14 years), higher proportion of females (24% vs 22%), and higher proportion of blacks (32% vs 16%, p < 0.001 for all). The low-income group was found to have higher prevalence of hypertension, chronic pulmonary disease, smoking, dyslipidemia, obesity, and pulmonary hypertension (p < 0.001 for all). However, the high-income cohort had higher rate of atrial tachyarrhythmias and end-stage renal disease (p < 0.001). During hospitalization, patients in the high-income group had increased rates of ischemic stroke, acute kidney injury, acute coronary syndrome, bleeding, and need of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (p < 0.001 for all). We found that the unadjusted mortality had an OR 1.30 (CI 1.21-1.41, p < 0.001) and adjusted mortality of OR 1.14 (CI 1.05-1.23, p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: In patients undergoing LVAD implantation nationwide, low-income was associated with increased comorbidity burden, younger age, and fewer in-hospital complications and all-cause mortality.

Effect of Gender on Prognosis in Patients With Takotsubo Syndrome (from a Nationwide Perspective).

Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) largely affects postmenopausal women but has been shown to carry increased mortality risk in men. We sought to evaluate nationwide in-hospital outcomes between men and women admitted with TTS to better characterize these disparities. Using the National Inpatient Sample database from 2011 to 2018, we identified a total of 48,300 hospitalizations with the primary diagnosis of TTS. The primary end point was in-hospital all-cause mortality. Secondary end points included in-hospital complications, length of stay, and discharge disposition. Men with TTS accounted for 8.9% of hospitalizations, were younger in age (62.0 ± 15.1 vs 66.8 ± 12.1 years, p <0.001), and were more frequently Black (9.7% vs 5.8%, p <0.001). Nationwide TTS mortality rates were 1.1% overall and may be improving, but remained higher in men than in women (2.2% vs 1.0%, p <0.001). Male gender was associated with increased all-cause mortality (adjusted odds ratios 2.41, 95% confidence interval 1.88 to 3.10, p <0.001), greater length of stay, and discharge complexity. Men carried increased co-morbidity burden associated with increased cardiogenic shock or mortality, including atrial fibrillation, thrombocytopenia, chronic kidney disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Men more frequently developed acute kidney injury, ventricular arrhythmias, cardiac arrest, and respiratory failure. Male gender remains associated with nearly 2.5-fold increase in in-hospital mortality risk. In conclusion, early identification of patients with high-risk co-morbidities and close monitoring for arrhythmias, renal injury, or cardiogenic shock may reduce morbidity and mortality.

Comparison of in-hospital outcomes of patients undergoing catheter ablation for typical versus atypical atrial flutter.

BACKGROUND: Catheter ablation (CA) is indicated as definitive therapy for patients with either typical or atypical atrial flutter (TAFlutter and AAFlutter, respectively) which is unresponsive to medical therapy. There is a paucity of data regarding in-hospital outcomes of patients undergoing CA. METHODS: Retrospective study using the NIS to identify patients ≥18 years who underwent CA between 2015 and 2017. Individuals were identified using ICD-10-CM/PCS for TAFlutter, AAFlutter, and CA. RESULTS: A total of 17,390 patients underwent CA for Aflutter (33% AAFlutter and 67% TAFlutter). The TAFlutter group was younger (mean 65.9 years vs. 67.2 years), with less females (30% vs. 43%, p ≤ 0.001 for both) compared to the AAFlutter group. The TAFlutter group had a higher rate of diabetes, tobacco use, obesity, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (p ≤ 0.001 for all). The AAFlutter cohort had increased prior strokes and atrial fibrillation (p ≤ 0.001 for both). The mean CHA2DS2-VASc score was found to be 2.3 in AAFlutter compared to 2.1 in TAFlutter (p ≤ 0.001). There were significantly higher proportions of thromboembolic events, transfusions, and longer length of stay in the TAFlutter group (p ≤ 0.001 for all) with the AAFlutter group having significantly higher rates of cardioversion, implantation of cardiac devices, and increased hospital charges (p ≤ 0.001 for all); no significant difference was found in mortality after controlling for comorbidities. CONCLUSIONS: We found higher complication rates in CA for patients with TAFlutter, but no difference in in-hospital all-cause mortality. Variation in CA depending upon the mechanism of AFlutter may underlie these differences, and warrant further study.

Trends, Predictors and In-Hospital Outcomes of the Next Day Discharge Approach After Transcatheter Mitral Valve Repair.

Early discharge strategies are associated with lower cost and resource utilization during hospitalization, as such we sought to evaluate trends, predictors and outcomes of the next day discharge (NDD) approach after transcatheter mitral valve repair (TMVR) procedures with the MitraClip device. The National Inpatient Sample (NIS) was queried between 2013 and 2018 for patients undergoing TMVR using the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) 9 procedure code '3597' and ICD-10 procedure code '02UG3JZ'. Patients undergoing TMVR were stratified into two groups, determined by hospital length of stay (LOS) [≤1 day, NDD versus >1-day, non-NDD]. Overall, 22,035 patients underwent TMVR with 35.7% (n  = 7,870) belonging to the NDD group (mean age 78.1 ± 9.7 years, women 45%). From 2013 to 2018, the proportion of patients being discharged using the NDD approach trended upward from 18.3% to 46.0%. Amongst demographic and social factors, female sex, black race, and low median household income were predictive of non-NDD (p <0.05 for all). Amongst clinical factors, anemia, iron deficiency anemia, major depressive disorder, thrombocytopenia, obesity and end stage renal disease were some predictors of non-NDD (p <0.05 for all). In the non-NDD group there was a downward trend of pooled post-procedure complications, post procedure cardiogenic shock, vascular complications, acute kidney injury, mechanical circulatory support use, acute respiratory distress and postoperative ischemic stroke and (p for trend <0.001 for all). Despite the overall downward trend, complications began increasing in 2017-18. In conclusion, these trends may reflect improving operator experience, advancement in vascular access device closures and techniques, and prioritization of decreasing length of stay. Ideally, the feasibility and safety of this approach should be confirmed in larger-sized multicenter, randomized trials.

Correction: Maning et al. Antagonistic Roles of GRK2 and GRK5 in Cardiac Aldosterone Signaling Reveal GRK5-Mediated Cardioprotection via Mineralocorticoid Receptor Inhibition. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21, 2868.

The authors wish to make the following correction to this paper [...].

Assessing in-hospital cardiovascular, thrombotic and bleeding outcomes in patients with chronic liver disease undergoing left ventricular assist device implantation.

INTRODUCTION: Chronic liver disease (CLD) and advanced heart failure (HF) often co-exist with coagulopathy and hematologic abnormalities being major concerns in this cohort. Perioperative outcomes of patients undergoing LVAD implantation can be affected by coagulopathy, associated with a higher International Normalized Ratio (INR) and cytopenias, as well as pre-operative use of antiplatelet therapy and systemic anticoagulation. Our study is aimed at evaluating the in-hospital mortality and clinical outcomes of patients with CLD who underwent LVAD implantation compared to patients who underwent LVAD implantation without CLD. METHODS: The National Inpatient Sample Database was queried from 2012 to 2017 for relevant International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-9 and ICD-10 procedural and diagnostic codes. Baseline characteristics and in-hospital outcomes were compared in patients with chronic liver disease and those without, who underwent LVAD implantation. RESULTS: A total of 22,955 patients underwent LVAD implantation, 2200 of which had CLD. There was no difference in mean age between those with and without CLD (52.8 ± 14.2 vs. 55.7 ± 15.4 years old, p < 0.001), and 23.7% of patients were female. The proportion of patients with CLD undergoing LVAD implantation trended downward between 2012 and 2017 (average annual growth rate: "-14.8%"). In-hospital post-LVAD outcomes revealed: all-cause inpatient mortality (14.8% vs. 11.1%), major bleeding (34.3% vs. 30.2%), transfusion of platelets (18.0% vs. 14.0%), subarachnoid hemorrhage (1.6% vs. 0.7%) and hospital length of stay were greater in patients with CLD (p < 0.001 for all values). LVAD thrombosis (6.6% vs. 9.4%) and postoperative ischemic stroke (3.4% vs. 6.1%) occurred less in patients with CLD (p < 0.001 for both). There were no statistically significant differences in occurrence of post-LVAD gastrointestinal bleeding and transfusion of fresh frozen plasma or packed red blood cells (p > 0.05 for all). Using a multivariate logistic regression model to adjust for confounding factors, CLD was predictive of increased in-hospital all-cause mortality in patients undergoing LVAD implantation (adjusted odds ratio: 1.29, 95% confidence interval [CI]; 1.06 to 1.56, p = 0.010). CONCLUSION: LVAD implantation in patients with chronic liver disease was associated with increased mortality and post-LVAD major bleeding with increased utilization of platelet products yet comparable thrombotic complications. Further studies are needed to evaluate the balance and pathophysiology of bleeding risks when compared to thrombosis, as well as predictors in patients with chronic liver disease.