Aortic stenosis and transcatheter aortic valve implantation in the elderly.

BACKGROUND: Severe aortic stenosis (AS) is a condition that commonly affects elderly Australians. Once symptomatic, severe AS has a poor prognosis if untreated. Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is a percutaneous procedure that is now the recommended treatment for elderly patients with severe AS who are suitable for intervention. OBJECTIVE: This article provides a contemporary review of the diagnosis and management of severe AS in the elderly. DISCUSSION: Management options for severe AS include TAVI, surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR), or medical/palliative therapy. In elderly adults, TAVI improves mortality, symptoms and quality of life compared with medical therapy, and is superior to SAVR. The decision regarding which management option is most appropriate for an individual patient is made using a collaborative multidisciplinary approach. General practitioners play key roles in providing information to risk stratify patients when considering intervention, caring for patients after the procedure and/or providing medical and palliative treatment for those deemed unsuitable for intervention.

Accuracy of cuff blood pressure and systolic blood pressure amplification.

Automated cuff measured blood pressure (BP) is the global standard used for diagnosing hypertension, but there are concerns regarding the accuracy of the method. Individual variability in systolic BP (SBP) amplification from central (aorta) to peripheral (brachial) arteries could be related to the accuracy of cuff BP, but this has never been determined and was the aim of this study. Automated cuff BP and invasive brachial BP were recorded in 795 participants (74% male, aged 64 ± 11 years) receiving coronary angiography at five independent research sites (using seven different automated cuff BP devices). SBP amplification was recorded invasively by catheter and defined as brachial SBP minus aortic SBP. Compared with invasive brachial SBP, cuff SBP was significantly underestimated (130 ± 18 mmHg vs. 138 ± 22 mmHg, p < 0.001). The level of SBP amplification varied significantly among individuals (mean ± SD, 7.3 ± 9.1 mmHg) and was similar to level of difference between cuff and invasive brachial SBP (mean difference -7.6 ± 11.9 mmHg). SBP amplification explained most of the variance in accuracy of cuff SBP (R2 = 19%). The accuracy of cuff SBP was greatest among participants with the lowest SBP amplification (ptrend < 0.001). After cuff BP values were corrected for SBP amplification, there was a significant improvement in the mean difference from the intra-arterial standard (p < 0.0001) and in the accuracy of hypertension classification according to 2017 ACC/AHA guideline thresholds (p = 0.005). The level of SBP amplification is a critical factor associated with the accuracy of conventional automated cuff measured BP.

Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Patients Screened for but Deemed Clinically Not Suitable for Transcatheter Mitral Valve Replacement: DECLINE-TMVR Registry.

BACKGROUND: Transcatheter therapies are a recognized alternative intervention in patients with severe mitral regurgitation who are at high surgical risk. The purpose of this study was to characterize patients screened for transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR), establish the clinical and anatomic reasons for unsuitability, and determine clinical course and early outcomes. METHODS: International multicentre registry was conducted of consecutive patients screened for TMVR at 12 centres in Europe, the United States, and Canada between April 2015 and September 2018. Patient-level retrospective data were collected for all patients screened. RESULTS: From a total of 294 patients, 87 (30%) patients were suitable for and underwent TMVR, whereas 207 (70%) patients were unsuitable for TMVR. There was no difference in Society of Thoracic Surgeons predicted risk of mortality (6.3% ± 4.3% vs 6.7 ± 6.1%, P = 0.52) for mitral valve replacement between the groups. The most common reasons for TMVR unsuitability were mitral annular size outside therapeutic range (28%) and small predicted neo-LVOT (25%). Preprocedural multidetector computed tomographic demonstrated that patients unsuitable for TMVR had smaller predicted neo-left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) area (318 ±192 mm2 vs 495 ± 202 mm2, P = 0.04). At 30 days, there was no difference in rates of rehospitalization (8% vs 8%, P = 0.21), stroke (1% vs 2%, P = 0.42), or mortality (4% vs 10%, P = 0.10), unadjusted for procedural risk, between unsuitable for TMVR and TMVR groups, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Two-thirds of patients failed screening as anatomically unsuitable for TMVR. The findings of this study have important clinical implications, highlighting an unmet clinical need and provide a target for design innovation in future iterations of TMVR devices.

Dedicated Next Day Discharge Post Minimalist TAVI: The Tasmanian Experience.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the safety, feasibility and independent predictors of next day discharge (NDD) in patients undergoing minimalist transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) for severe aortic stenosis (AS) in a real-world Australian population. METHODS: This single centre study reviewed 135 consecutive patients who underwent minimalist transfemoral TAVI from June 2020 to February 2022. Baseline demographics, procedural characteristic and outcomes were obtained. All patients were assessed by the local protocol for NDD. Patients were then divided into two groups: those who achieved next day discharge (NDD) and those requiring >1 overnight hospital stay. Univariate, bivariate and stepwise multivariate logistic regression modelling was used to identify the predictors of successful next day discharge. RESULTS: The mean age of the cohort was 82.9±5.7 years with 62.3% patients male, the average STS score was 4.1±2.4. All 135 patients underwent a successful transfemoral TAVI procedure, with 131 (97%) receiving a balloon-expandable valve. Ninety-seven (97) (71.9%) patients achieved NDD. Thirty (30)-day outcomes were excellent with a 30-day mortality of 0.7%, transient ischaemic attack/cardiovascular accident (TIA/CVA) 1.5%, major vascular complication 1.5% and 11.4% need for permanent pacemaker (PPM). In patients not achieving NDD, the average length of stay (LOS) was 3.0 days. Baseline characteristics demonstrated pre-existing first degree atrioventricular (AV) block and right bundle branch block (RBBB) as statistically significant negative predictors of NDD on univariate analysis. Next day discharge was achievable in only 50% of patients who suffered any minor or major procedural complication (15/30). Stepwise multivariate logistic regression modelling demonstrated female gender (OR 3.094, 95% CI 1.141-8.391, p=0.026), smaller aortic valve area (AVA) (OR 48.265, 95% CI 2.269-102.6, p=0.013), the presence of diabetes mellitus (OR 0.594, 95% CI 0.356-0.991, p=0.046) and a longer procedure time (OR 0.960, 95% CI 0.935-0.986, p=0.002) as statistically significant negative predictors of NDD. In addition, there was no difference in 30-day readmission rates between the NDD and non-NDD cohort (7.2% vs 10.5%, p=0.386). CONCLUSION: Next day discharge is safe and feasible in almost three quarters of patients undergoing minimalist TAVI for severe AS in a predominantly balloon expandable valve cohort, with a very low rate of 30-day readmission. NDD provides advantages for hospital efficiency and improved cost-effectiveness. Female gender, smaller AVA, the presence of diabetes mellitus and a longer procedure time were independent negative predictors of successful NDD.

Comparison between cuff-based and invasive systolic blood pressure amplification.

OBJECTIVE: Accurate measurement of central blood pressure (BP) using upper arm cuff-based methods is associated with several factors, including determining the level of systolic BP (SBP) amplification. This study aimed to determine the agreement between cuff-based and invasively measured SBP amplification. METHODS: Patients undergoing coronary angiography had invasive SBP amplification (brachial SBP - central SBP) measured simultaneously with cuff-based SBP amplification using a commercially available central BP device (device 1: Sphygmocor Xcel; n = 171, 70% men, 60 ±â€Š10 years) and a now superseded model of a central BP device (device 2: Uscom BP+; n = 52, 83% men, 62 ±â€Š10 years). RESULTS: Mean difference (±2SD, limits of agreement) between cuff-based and invasive SBP amplification was 4 mmHg (-12, +20 mmHg, P < 0.001) for device 1 and -2 mmHg (-14, +10 mmHg, P = 0.10) for device 2. Both devices systematically overestimated SBP amplification at lower levels and underestimated at higher levels of invasive SBP amplification, but with stronger bias for device 1 (r = -0.68 vs. r = -0.52; Z = 2.72; P = 0.008). Concordance of cuff-based and invasive SBP amplification across quartiles of invasive SBP amplification was low, particularly in the lowest and highest quartiles. The root mean square errors from regression between cuff-based central SBP and brachial SBP were significantly lower (indicating less variability) than from invasive regression models (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Irrespective of the difference from invasive measurements, cuff-based estimates of SBP amplification showed evidence of proportional systematic bias and had less individual variability. These observations could provide insights on how to improve the performance of cuff-based central BP.

Colchicine and Quality of Life in Patients With Acute Coronary Syndromes: Results From the COPS Randomized Trial.

BACKGROUND: Recent data suggest that colchicine may reduce cardiovascular events among patients presenting with acute coronary syndromes. This sub-study of the Australian COPS trial aimed to assess whether colchicine affects health status outcomes. METHODS: Health status was assessed at baseline and 12-months using the EuroQol-5 Dimension 5-level (EQ-5D-5L) score and the full 19-question Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ). Data were available for 786 patients (388 randomized to colchicine, 398 to placebo). RESULTS: Baseline characteristics were well matched between groups; mean age was 60.1 (SD 14.8) years, and 20 % were female. Baseline health status scores were impaired, and most parameters demonstrated significant improvement from baseline to 12-months (EQ-5D-5L Visual Analogue Score [VAS] 69.3 to 77.7; SAQ angina frequency score 83.0 to 95.3, both p < 0.001). No significant differences in adjusted mean score change among any of the EQ-5D-5L or SAQ dimensions were observed between treatment groups in either intention-to-treat or per-protocol analysis. There were borderline interactions in EQ-5D-5L scores for those with previous MI vs not, and in SAQ scores for those with obesity vs not. In categorical analysis using observed data, patients treated with colchicine were more likely to have clinically significant improvement in physical limitation score over the period (36 % improved vs. 28 %, p < 0.05). Baseline health status scores were not associated with the primary endpoint at 12 months. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with colchicine did not appear to affect change in measures of health status following acute coronary syndromes, but it did lead to a greater likelihood of improvement in physical limitation scores. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ACTRN, ACTRN12615000861550. Registered 18/08/2015, https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=368973.

Anatomy of a Transcatheter Mitral Valve Service.

Transcatheter mitral therapies offer treatment options to selected patients who are unable to undergo open procedures due to prohibitive surgical risk. Data detailing the design and structure of transcatheter mitral services to ensure appropriate patient selection and tailored management strategies is lacking. We report our initial experience of developing and running a purpose-built transcatheter mitral service. The nature and number of referral sources, the multi-disciplinary make-up of the dedicated Mitral Heart Team and the use of integrative imaging assessment with incorporation of computational solutions are discussed. In addition, a summary of the clinical decision-making process is presented. This report sets out a framework from which future clinics can evolve to improve and streamline the delivery of transcatheter mitral therapies.

Transcatheter Aortic Valve-in-Valve Implantation Complicated by Aorto-Right Ventricular Fistula.

We describe the case of a degenerative, sutureless bioprosthetic valve (BPV) with deformation and stent infolding in a patient with elevated surgical risk. Following discussion among the heart team, balloon valve fracture was performed to facilitate deployment of an aortic valve-in-valve transcatheter heart valve. Post-procedural imaging demonstrated BPV frame protrusion and contained annular rupture, which required operative intervention. (Level of Difficulty: Intermediate.).

Colchicine in Patients With Acute Coronary Syndrome: The Australian COPS Randomized Clinical Trial.

BACKGROUND: Inflammation plays a crucial role in clinical manifestations and complications of acute coronary syndromes (ACS). Colchicine, a commonly used treatment for gout, has recently emerged as a novel therapeutic option in cardiovascular medicine owing to its anti-inflammatory properties. We sought to determine the potential usefulness of colchicine treatment in patients with ACS. METHODS: This was a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving 17 hospitals in Australia that provide acute cardiac care service. Eligible participants were adults (18-85 years) who presented with ACS and had evidence of coronary artery disease on coronary angiography managed with either percutaneous coronary intervention or medical therapy. Patients were assigned to receive either colchicine (0.5 mg twice daily for the first month, then 0.5 mg daily for 11 months) or placebo, in addition to standard secondary prevention pharmacotherapy, and were followed up for a minimum of 12 months. The primary outcome was a composite of all-cause mortality, ACS, ischemia-driven (unplanned) urgent revascularization, and noncardioembolic ischemic stroke in a time to event analysis. RESULTS: A total of 795 patients were recruited between December 2015 and September 2018 (mean age, 59.8±10.3 years; 21% female), with 396 assigned to the colchicine group and 399 to the placebo group. Over the 12-month follow-up, there were 24 events in the colchicine group compared with 38 events in the placebo group (P=0.09, log-rank). There was a higher rate of total death (8 versus 1; P=0.017, log-rank) and, in particular, noncardiovascular death in the colchicine group (5 versus 0; P=0.024, log-rank). The rates of reported adverse effects were not different (colchicine 23.0% versus placebo 24.3%), and they were predominantly gastrointestinal symptoms (colchicine, 23.0% versus placebo, 20.8%). CONCLUSIONS: The addition of colchicine to standard medical therapy did not significantly affect cardiovascular outcomes at 12 months in patients with ACS and was associated with a higher rate of mortality. Registration: URL: https://www.anzctr.org.au; Unique identifier: ACTRN12615000861550.

Routine Ultrasound or Fluoroscopy Use and Risk of Vascular/Bleeding Complications After Transfemoral TAVR.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to examine the benefits of routine use of 2D-US in patients undergoing transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). BACKGROUND: Two-dimensional ultrasound (2D-US) reduces access-related vascular complications (VCs) and bleeding in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention via transfemoral approach. Potential similar benefits in patients undergoing transfemoral TAVR have not been systemically investigated. METHODS: Rates of access-related VCs or bleeding were compared using 5-year retrospective observational data from 2 neighboring high-volume UK TAVR centers systemically using 2 different techniques (center 1: fluoroscopy and contralateral angiography [FCA], center 2: 2D-US) for femoral puncture at the time of transfemoral TAVR. RESULTS: Overall, 1,171 patients were included in the study (FCA, n = 624; 2D-US, n = 529). Baseline clinical and procedural characteristics were similar between the 2 groups. There was no difference in the risk of VCs, bleeding, or their composite according to femoral puncture technique (FCA vs. 2D-US: 6.7% [95% confidence interval (CI): 4.9% to 8.9%] vs. 6.8% [95% CI: 4.8% to 9.3%]; p = 0.63; 6.1% [95% CI: 4.4% to 8.2%] vs. 6.4% [95% CI: 4.8% to 9.3%]; p = 0.70; and 9.8% [95% CI: 7.6% to 12.4%] vs. 9.8% [95% CI: 7.4% to 12.7%]; p = 0.76, respectively) and no difference when analysis was restricted to a composite of major VCs or major and life-threatening bleeding. CONCLUSIONS: Vascular and bleeding complications can be achieved using either FCA or 2D-US guidance. Further studies are required to identify and assess alternative strategies to reduce periprocedural VCs and bleeding in this patient population.

Clinical outcomes of self-expandable vs. balloon-expandable TAVI for severe aortic stenosis.

Background: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is an established therapy for patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS). There is limited data exploring differences in outcomes post-TAVI SEV vs. BEV. This study compared procedural success and 30-d clinical outcomes self-expandable valves (SEV), vs. balloon-expandable valves (BEV) for patients with severe AS.Methods: Retrospective analysis was undertaken of patients receiving TAVI at St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne between August 2009 and May 2018. The primary endpoints included procedural success, clinical outcomes and complication rates at 30-d.Results: Out of 151 patients undergoing TAVI, 70 received (46.3%) SEV (Medtronic CoreValve & Evolut-R) and 81 (53.6%) BEV (Edwards SAPIEN-XT & S3). The mean Society of Thoracic Surgery (STS) risk score did not differ between the groups, SEV (83.6 ± 4.9 years, STS 4.4 ± 3.8) compared to BEV (82.3 ± 5.8 years, STS 4.9 ± 4.9). Procedural success was similar SEV 67 (95.7%) vs. BEV 78 (96.3%). Rates of ≥ moderate paravalvular aortic regurgitation (PAR) at 30-d were significantly higher in SEV compared to BEV (6.7 vs. 0.0%; p = .02). SEV patients had higher rates of pacemaker insertion (36.4 vs. 9.5%; p = .001) and stroke rates (12.4 vs. 1.4%; p = .04) compared to BEV patients. The difference in 30-d mortality between the two groups was similar (SEV 4.6% vs. BEV 1.3%; p = .23).Conclusions: This real-world retrospective analysis demonstrates higher rates of ≥ moderate PAR, stroke and pacemaker insertion with SEV compared to BEV at 30 d post-TAVI for severe symptomatic AS.

Imaging in Suspected Cardiac Sarcoidosis: A Diagnostic Challenge.

Cardiac Sarcoidosis (CS) represents a unique diagnostic dilemma. Guidelines have been recently revised to reflect the established role of sophisticated imaging techniques. Trans-thoracic Echocardiography (TTE) is widely adopted for initial screening of CS. Contemporary TTE techniques could enhance detection of subclinical Left Ventricular (LV) dysfunction, particularly LV global longitudinal strain assessment which predicts event-free survival (meta-analysis of 5 studies, hazard ratio 1.28, 95% confidence interval 1.18-1.37, p < 0.0001). However, despite the wide availability of TTE, it has limited sensitivity and specificity for CS diagnosis. Cardiac Magnetic resonance Imaging (CMR) is a crucial diagnostic modality for suspected CS. Presence of late gadolinium enhancement signifies myocardial scar and enables risk stratification. Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography (FDG-PET) coupled with myocardial perfusion imaging can identify active CS and guide immunosuppressant therapy. Gallium scintigraphy may be considered although FDG-PET is often preferred. While CMR and FDG-PET provide complementary information in CS evaluation, current guidelines do not recommend which imaging modalities are essential in suspected CS and if so, which modality should be performed first. The utility of hybrid imaging combining both advanced imaging modalities in a single scan is currently being explored, although not yet widely available. In view of recent, significant advances in cardiac imaging techniques, this review aims to discuss changes in guidelines for CS diagnosis, the role of various cardiac imaging modalities and the future direction in CS.

"Between a rock and the mitral valve space": Transcatheter mitral valve-in-valve implantation for paravalvular leak and refractory hemolysis complicated by circumflex coronary occlusion.

Transcatheter mitral valve implantation (TMVI) is an emerging field in structural cardiology. A particularly difficult group to treat is high-risk patients requiring valve in mitral annular calcification (ViMAC) intervention, with overall poor procedural success and outcomes in recent registries. This case highlights an unusual complication of paravalvular regurgitation (PVL) through the uncovered stent frame of a balloon expandable transcatheter heart valve (THV) on the left ventricular side of the prosthesis, leading to mechanical hemolysis and subsequent anuric renal failure post a ViMAC procedure. Attempts to treat the PVL with an occlusion plug device were unsuccessful and led to left circumflex coronary occlusion secondary to mechanical compression of the vessel in the posterior mitral valve annulus, a previously unreported phenomenon. A repeat valve-in-valve procedure was performed to treat the PVL, and immediate angioplasty resolved the left circumflex occlusion. High-risk patients requiring TMVI pose multiple challenges to Heart Teams in the treatment of valve pathology. Optimal procedural planning, multimodality imaging, improved THVs, and the awareness of potential complications are fundamental in overcoming the learning curve of TMVI and improved outcome for patients requiring ViMAC.

Indirect Annuloplasty to Treat Functional Mitral Regurgitation: Current Results and Future Perspectives.

The incidence of mitral regurgitation (MR) is approximately 1.7% in the developed world, and this increases to more than 10% in patients aged over 75 years. Functional (or secondary) mitral regurgitation (FMR) is defined as poor leaflet coaptation and tethering secondary to either ischemic or non-ischemic left ventricular (LV) dysfunction and dilatation. FMR is more common than degenerative (or primary) MR and is associated with significantly worse outcomes in patients with heart failure, post myocardial infarction and following coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Patients with severe degenerative MR have excellent outcomes with surgical repair, however the benefits of surgery in FMR are less clear. Although annuloplasty is associated with a lower operative mortality compared to replacement, the recurrence rate of mitral regurgitation is high in patients with FMR and neither surgical repair or replacement have been shown to reduce hospitalisation or death in FMR. Furthermore, nearly half of patients are deemed too high risk for surgery and therefore most patients are managed conservatively and there remains an unmet clinical need. Transcatheter mitral valve interventions are an emerging alternative for those at high surgical risk. This mini review focuses on indirect mitral annuloplasty: anatomical considerations, patient selection, current devices, implantation techniques and the associated clinical outcome data.