Endovascular Repair of Ruptured Aortic Aneurysm: A Single-Center Experience.

OBJECTIVE: Aortic rupture is a rare and catastrophic emergency. Prompt diagnosis and treatment are the primary determinants of mortality. During follow-up, the majority of patients who have been effectively treated die from hypovolemic shock and multiorgan failure. This article describes the clinical and procedural details of sixteen patients with ruptured aortic aneurysms treated endovascularly. In addition, it discusses the main factors contributing to the mortality of these patients. METHOD: Patients who underwent endovascular treatment for acute aortic rupture at our center from October 2016 to March 2023 were included in this retrospective study. RESULTS: A total of 16 patients underwent endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) or thoracic endovascular aneurysm repair (TEVAR) for acute aortic rupture. The patients' mean age was 73.06 years (range: 52-92), and 15 of them were male. The ruptures occurred in the abdominal aortic aneurysm in ten patients, in thoracic aortic aneurysm in three patients, in the isolated iliac artery aneurysm in two patients, and there was one case of non-aneurysmal aortic rupture. In our series, patients who presented with an impending, self-limited rupture and stable hemodynamic status had good prognostic outcomes. However, eight patients died due to multiorgan failure, hemorrhagic shock, disseminated intravascular coagulopathy, renal failure, or abdominal compartment syndrome. These patients generally had poor admission vital signs and low hemoglobin values. The most critical determinants for the success of the procedure are promptly stopping the bleeding, avoiding general anesthesia, and opting for blood product replacement instead of fluid replacement. CONCLUSION: Each patient with ruptured aortic aneurysm should be managed according to the patient's hemodynamics at presentation, the size of the aneurysm, the suitability for percutaneous procedure, logistical factors, and the operator-center's experience.

Mitral-Tricuspid Regurgitation Change After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation and Its Effect on Mortality and Hospitalization.

OBJECTIVE: Moderate to severe mitral regurgitation (MR) and tricuspid regurgitation (TR) are present in approximately 20-60% of patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). This study aims to evaluate the impact of TAVI on MR and TR, pulmonary hypertension, and reverse cardiac remodeling in these patients.  Methods: Out of 240 patients who underwent TAVI, 79 who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were analyzed. RESULTS: In our study, 46.8% (n = 37) of the patients were male. Nineteen (24.1%) patients died within two years. Before TAVI, 34 (43%) patients had moderate-to-severe MR, which decreased to 18 (22.7%) after the procedure (P < 0.05). Similarly, the number of patients with moderate-to-severe TR decreased from 26 (32.9%) before TAVI to 12 (15%) after the procedure (P < 0.05). Of the patients, 50.6% (n = 40) did not require hospitalization after the procedure, while 25 were hospitalized once, 12 twice, and 2 three times. The mean systolic pulmonary artery pressure (sPAP) values of the patients decreased from 44.30 ± 14.42 mmHg before the procedure to 39.09 ± 11.77 mmHg after the procedure (Z=-3.506, P < 0.001). No correlation was found between changes in MR and TR grades after TAVI and mortality or hospitalization during follow-up. Furthermore, there was no statistically significant difference in tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE), free wall annular S' velocity, left atrial volume (LAV), or LAV index (LAVI) before and after TAVI.  Conclusion: There was a significant decrease in moderate-to-severe MR and TR after TAVI; however, this did not impact hospitalization or mortality rates. Additionally, no significant differences were observed in right ventricular systolic function or in LAV and LAVI before and after TAVI.

IGG4-related giant lymphoproliferative-inflammatory left atrial mass.

Cardiac masses are rare entities that can be challenging in clinical diagnosis and management. Cardiac masses can be detected incidentally in patients with an asymptomatic course or may cause systemic inflammation findings due to inflammatory cytokine release or symptoms such as shortness of breath, chest pain, syncope, sudden cardiac death, and mortality due to the location of the mass. Cardiac masses associated with systemic inflammatory disorders are uncommon in this disease group. This case report will present a case with an asymptomatic IgG4-related left atrial mass detected in routine echocardiographic control imaging due to rheumatic valve disease.

Clinical characteristics of adult and paediatric patients with familial hypercholesterolemia: A real-life cross-sectional study from the Turkish National Database.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is the most common cause of premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Türkiye is among the countries with the highest rate of ASCVD. However, no population-based study has been published so far on the prevalence of FH, demographic and clinical characteristics, burden of ASCVD, treatment compliance, and attainment of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) targets. METHODS: We performed a study using the Turkish Ministry of Health's national electronic health records involving 83,063,515 citizens as of December 2021 dating back 2016. Adults fulfilling the diagnostic criteria of definite or probable FH according to the Dutch Lipid Network Criteria (DLNC), and children and adolescents fulfilling the criteria of probable FH according to the European Atherosclerosis Society (EAS) Consensus Panel report formed the study population (n = 157,790). The primary endpoint was the prevalence of FH. RESULTS: Probable or definite FH was detected in 0.63% (1 in 158) of the adults and 0.61% (1 in 164) of the total population. The proportion of adults with LDL-C levels >4.9 mmol/L (190 mg/dL) was 4.56% (1 in 22). The prevalence of FH among children and adolescents was 0.37% (1 in 270). Less than one-third of the children and adolescents, and two-thirds of young adults (aged 18-29) with FH were already diagnosed with dyslipidaemia. The proportion of adults and children and adolescents on lipid-lowering treatment (LLT) was 32.1% and 1.5%, respectively. The overall discontinuation rate of LLT was 65.8% among adults and 77.9% among children and adolescents. Almost no subjects on LLT were found to attain the target LDL-C levels. CONCLUSIONS: This nationwide study showed a very high prevalence of FH in Türkiye. Patients with FH are diagnosed late and treated sub-optimally. Whether these findings may explain the high rates of premature ASCVD in Türkiye needs further investigation. These results denote the urgent need for country-wide initiatives for early diagnosis and effective management of FH patients.

Evaluation of the Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Results in Patients with Borderline Aortic Annulus and the Impact of Under- or Oversizing the Valve.

BACKGROUND: Optimal valve sizing provides improved results in transcatheter aortic valve replacement. Operators hesitate about the valve size when the annulus measurements fall into borderline area. Our purpose was to compare the results of borderline versus non-borderline annulus and to understand the impact of valve type and under or oversizing. METHODS: Data from 338 consecutive transcatheter aortic valve replacement procedures were analyzed. The study population was divided into 2 groups as 'borderline annulus' and 'non-borderline annulus.' Balloon expandable valves already have a grey zone definition. Similar to balloon expandable valves, annulus sizes that are within 15% above or below the upper or lower limit of a particular self-expandable valve size are defined as the 'borderline annulus' for self-expandable valves. The borderline annulus group was also divided into 2 subgroups according to the smaller or larger valve selection as 'undersizing' and 'oversizing.' Comparisons were made regarding the paravalvular leakage and residual transvalvular gradient. RESULTS: Of these 338 patients, 102 (30.1%) had a borderline and 226 (69.9%) had a non-borderline annulus. Both the transvalvular gradient (17.81 ± 7.15 vs. 14.44 ± 6.27) and the frequency of paravalvular leakage (for mild, mild to moderate, and moderate, 40.2%, 11.8%, and 2.9% vs., 18.8%, 6.7%, and 0.4%, respectively) were significantly higher in the borderline annulus than the non-borderline annulus group (P <.001). There were no significant differences between the groups balloon expandable versus self-expandable valves and oversizing versus undersizing regarding the transvalvular gradient and paravalvular leakage in patients with borderline annulus (P >.05). CONCLUSION: Regardless of the valve type and oversizing or undersizing, borderline annulus is related to significantly higher transvalvular gradient and paravalvular leakage when compared to the non-borderline annulus in transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

Atrial and ventricular arrhythmia predictors with electrocardiographic parameters in myocardial infarction with non-obstructive coronary artery disease (MINOCA).

BACKGROUND: The clinical importance and recognition of myocardial infarction with non-obstructive coronary artery disease (MINOCA) is increasing. Nevertheless, no studies are investigating the risk of atrial fibrillation and ventricular arrhythmia in MINOCA patients. This study aimed to determine the risk of arrhythmia with electrocardiographic predictors in MINOCA patients. METHODS: In this study, patients diagnosed with MINOCA and stable out-patients without significant lesions in their coronary arteries were compared. Morphology-voltage-Pwave duration electrocardiography (MPV ECG) score was used to determine atrial arrhythmia risk. QT interval and QT dispersion Tpeak-Tend time and Tpeak-Tend/QT interval were used to determine ventricular arrhythmia risk. RESULTS: A total of 155 patients were included in our study. Seventy-seven of these patients were in the MINOCA group. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in MPV ECG score (1.95 ± 1.03 vs 1.68 ± 1.14, p = 0.128). P-wave voltage, P-wave morphology and P-wave duration, which are components of the MPV ECG score, were not statistically significantly different. The QRS complex duration (90.21 ± 14.87 vs 82.99 ± 21.59 ms, p = 0.017), ST interval (271.95 ± 45.91 vs 302.31 ± 38.40 ms, p < 0.001), corrected QT interval (438.17 ± 43.80 vs 421.41 ± 28.39, p = 0.005) and QT dispersion (60.75 ± 22.77 vs 34.19 ± 12.95, p < 0.001) were statistically significantly higher in the MINOCA group. The Tpeak-Tend (89.53 ± 32.16 vs 65.22 ± 18.11, p < 0.001), Tpeak-Tend/QT interval (0.2306 ± 0.0813 vs 0.1676 ± 0.0470, p < 0.001) and Tpeak-Tend/corrected QT interval (0.2043 ± 0.6997 vs 0.1551 ± 0.4310, p < 0.001) ratios were also significantly higher in patients with MINOCA. CONCLUSIONS: In the MINOCA patients, there was no increase in the risk of atrial fibrillation based on ECG predictors. However, it was shown that there could be a significant increase in the risk of ventricular arrhythmia. We believe this study could be helpful for specific recommendations concerning duration of hospitalisation and follow up in MINOCA patients.

Transcatheter Tricuspid Valve Replacement for Tricuspid Regurgitation: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The present data aim to evaluate the feasibility of the orthotopic trans- catheter tricuspid valve replacement devices, echocardiographic, functional improve- ments, and mortality rates following replacement in patients with significant tricuspid valve regurgitation. METHODS: We systematically searched for the studies evaluating the efficacy and safety of transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement for significant tricuspid valve regurgitation. The efficacy and safety outcomes were the improvements in New York Heart Association functional class, 6-minute walking distance, all-cause death, and periprocedural andlong-term complications. In addition, a random-effect meta-analysis was performed comparing outcomes before and after transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement. RESULTS: Nine studies with 321 patients were included. The mean age was 75.8 years, and the mean European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation II score was 8.2% (95% CI: 6.1 to 10.3). Severe, massive, and torrential tricuspid valve regurgitation was diagnosed in 95% of patients (95% CI: 89% to 98%), and 83% (95% CI: 73% to 90%) of patients were in New York Heart Association functional class III or IV. At a weighted mean follow-up of 122 days, New York Heart Association functional class (risk ratio = 0.20; 95% CI: 0.11 to 0.35; P < .001) and 6-minute walking distance (mean difference = 91.1 m; 95% CI: 37.3 to 144.9 m; P < .001) significantly improved, and similarly, the prevalence of severe or greater tri- cuspid valve regurgitation was significantly reduced after transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement (baseline risk ratio = 0.19; 95% CI: 0.10 to 0.36; P < .001). In total, 28 patients (10%; 95% CI: 6% to 17%) had died. Pooled analyses demonstrated non-significant differ- ences in hospital and 30-day mortality and >30-day mortality than predicted operative mortality (risk ratio = 1.03; 95% CI: 0.41 to 2.59; P = .95, risk ratio = 1.39; 95% CI: 0.69 to 2.81; P = .35, respectively). CONCLUSION: Transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement could be an emerging treatment option for patients with severe tricuspid regurgitation who are not eligible for transcath-eter repair or surgical replacement because of high surgical risk and poor prognosis.

The Relationship Between Sexual Activity and Heart Rate Variability in Menopausal Women.

BACKGROUND: Menopause is an important life stage for women, which can bring along sex- ual and cardiac problems. Increased heart rate variability is an indicator of parasympa- thetic activity and is associated with mental and physical health and life expectancy. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of sexual activity (only penile-vaginal intercourse but not masturbation or non-coital sex with a partner) on heart rate variability in healthy menopausal women. METHODS: We evaluated 130 menopausal patients aged 45-60 years, without chronic dis- ease. The average weekly sexual activity numbers remembered in the last 1 year were questioned. The patients were divided into 2 groups according to the presence of sexual activity. The sexually active group was divided into subgroups as 1 per week and 2 or more per week. Menopause Rating Scale was applied for menopausal symptoms. Heart rate variability was analyzed from the 24-hour electrocardiography Holter recording. RESULTS: Heart rate variability parameters were higher in the sexually active group than in the sexually inactive group (mean of the standard deviations of all the NN intervals for each 5 min segment of a 24-hour heart rate variability recording: P = .004; root mean square of differences between adjacent normal RR intervals, expressed in ms: P=.001; number of NN intervals exceeding 50 milliseconds: P = .011; percentage of adjacent RR intervals with a difference of duration >50 ms: P = .009; low frequency: P = .011; high fre- quency: P=.008, low frequency/high frequency: P=.018). When assessed by multiple linear regression analysis by adjusting for age, body mass index, and menopause dura- tion, the variables mean of the standard deviations of all the NN intervals for each 5 min segment of a 24-hour heart rate variability recording, root mean square of differences between adjacent normal RR intervals, expressed in ms, and low frequency were inde- pendently associated with the number of sexual activities per week (B = 2.89 ± 1.02, 95% CI = 0.866-4.91, P = .005; B = 4.57 ± 1.83, 95% CI = 0.94-8.2, P = .014; and B = 1174.9 ± 592.2, 95% CI = 2.9-2346.9, P = .049, respectively). CONCLUSION: In healthy menopausal women, continued sexual activity with penile-vagi- nal intercourse is associated with better health outcomes on cardiac autonomic function through higher heart rate variability, an index of parasympathetic activity.

Prognostic Value of Nutritional Indexes in Evaluating the 1-Year Results after Implantation of the Carillon Mitral Contour System.

Background: The prognostic importance of nutritional indexes has been shown in some diseases. We aimed to examine the prognostic value of these indexes in patients implanted with the Carillon Mitral Contour System (CMCS). Methods: Fifty-four patients who underwent successful CMCS implantation were evaluated. Prognostic nutritional index (PNI), geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI) and controlling nutritional status (CONUT) scores were calculated. The relationships between these indexes and 1-year clinical outcomes including all-cause mortality and re-hospitalization due to heart failure were investigated. Results: In Kaplan-Meier analysis, 1-year all-cause mortality rates were significantly higher in the patients with low PNI and GNRI and high CONUT scores (52.0% vs. 0%, p < 0.001; 54.2% vs. 0%, p < 0.001; 52.4%, 6.1%, p < 0.001; respectively). For the composite endpoint, a significant difference was observed between those below and above the cut-off values (70.0% vs. 16.7%, p < 0.001; 75.0% vs. 23.3%, p < 0.001; 66.7% vs. 20.8%, p < 0.001, respectively). In multivariate Cox regression analysis, GNRI was determined to be an independent predictor of 1-year all-cause mortality [hazard ratio: 0.707; 95% confidence interval: 0.510-0.979; p = 0.037]. Conclusions: Nutritional indexes have prognostic value in predicting 1-year all-cause mortality in severe functional mitral regurgitation patients undergoing CMCS implantation. In particular, GNRI can guide the selection of patients who will benefit from CMCS.

Relationship between Cardiovascular Disease Risk and Neck Circumference Shown in the Systematic Coronary Risk Estimation (SCORE) Risk Model.

INTRODUCTION: The most important way to reduce CVD-related mortality is to apply appropriate treatment according to the risk status of the patients. For this purpose, the SCORE risk model is used in Europe. In addition to these risk models, some anthropometric measurements are known to be associated with CVD risk and risk factors. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the association of these anthropometric measurements, especially neck circumference (NC), with the SCORE risk chart. METHODS: This was planned as a cross-sectional study. The study population were classified according to their SCORE risk values. The relationship of NC and other anthropometric measurements with the total cardiovascular risk indicated by the SCORE risk was investigated. RESULTS: A total of 232 patients were included in the study. The patients participating in the study were analysed in four groups according to the SCORE ten-year total cardiovascular mortality risk. As a result, the NC was statistically significantly lower among the SCORE low and moderate risk group than all other SCORE risk groups (low-high and very high 36(3)-38(4) (IQR) p: 0.026, 36(3)-39(4) (IQR) p < 0.001, 36(3)-40(4) (IQR) p < 0.001), (moderate-high and very high 38(4) vs. 39(4) (IQR) p: 0.02, 38(4) vs. 40(4) (IQR) p < 0.001, 39(4) vs. 40(4) (IQR) p > 0.05). NC was found to have the strongest correlation with SCORE than the other anthropometric measurements. CONCLUSIONS: Neck circumference correlates strongly with the SCORE risk model which shows the ten-year cardiovascular mortality risk and can be used in clinical practice to predict CVD risk.

Characteristics of a large-scale cohort with accessory pathway(s): A cross-sectional retrospective study highlighting over a twenty-year experience.

OBJECTIVE: Catheter ablation following electrophysiologic study (EPS) is the mainstay of diagnosis and treatment for patients with atrioventricular reentrant tachycardia (AVRT), demonstrating excellent long-term outcome and a low rate of complications. In this study, our aim was to assess our experience in patients with accessory pathway (AP) and to compare our data with the literature. METHODS: We included 1,437 patients who were diagnosed and treated for AP in our hospital between 1998 and 2020. The demographic data of all the patients, AP location, and periprocedural results were recorded. RESULTS: Of the 1,437 patients, 1,299 (90.4%) were men; and the mean age of the population was 26.67 years. The location of 1,418 APs were along the left free wall (647 [45.6%] patients), in the posteroseptal region (366 [25.3%] patients), in the anteroseptal region (290 [20.4%] patients), and along the right free wall (115 [8.1%] patients). The ratio of the second AP existence was 3.0% and AVNRT co-existence was 2.0%. A total of 55 (3.8%) patients had recurrent sessions for relapse. Our center's total success rate was 95.5%, and total complication rate was 0.26%. CONCLUSION: According to our retrospective analysis, EPS is a highly functional tool in the diagnosis and management of arrhythmias such as AVRT for high-risk patient groups like military personnel with the aim of risk stratification and medical management.

Evaluation of percutaneous annuloplasty for treatment of functional mitral regurgitation: A retrospective study.

OBJECTIVE: The management of severe functional mitral regurgitation (FMR) in patients with heart failure (HF) and low ejection fraction is controversial, but percutaneous transcatheter procedures are promising. In this retrospective analysis, we aimed to assess the efficacy of the Carillon Mitral Contour System in patients with "inoperable" severe FMR. METHODS: Seventy three patients (mean age 66.89, range 31-90 years) with congestive heart failure (CHF), severe FMR, and reduced ejection fraction (<35%) who underwent Carillon device implantation were examined. The study group consisted of patients with successfully implanted devices whereas the control group comprised patients in whom the device could not be deployed. The primary endpoint was combined all-cause mortality and first hospitalization for HF (whichever came first). RESULTS: The median (Q1, Q3) follow-up was 31 (11-49) months. The device was deployed successfully in 50 patients (implant group) and not in 23 patients (non-implant group). Both the primary endpoint and all-cause mortality were lower in the "implant" group, but the differences were not significant. The median to primary endpoint was 21 [95% confidence interval (CI) 8.8-33.2] and six (95% CI 0.1-11.9) months for the implant group and the non-implant group, respectively (p=0.078). CONCLUSION: Carillon Mitral Contour System implantation is a safe procedure and results in the reduction of all-cause mortality and combined endpoint of mortality and hospitalizations for HF in inoperable patients with severe FMR and low ejection fraction, although the difference did not meet the significance level.

Betatrophin Levels Are Related to the Early Histological Findings in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

Betatrophin, a liver hormone, regulates glucose and lipid metabolism. We investigated the betatrophin levels in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and searched for any relationship with histological severity and metabolic parameters. Fifty males with NAFLD [Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH) (n = 32); non-NASH (n = 18)] and 30 healthy controls were included. Plasma betatrophin was measured by ELISA method. Insulin sensitivity was assessed by HOMA-IR index. Histological features were scored by the semi quantitative classification and combined as the NAFLD activity score (NAS). Betatrophin levels in the non-NASH group were significantly higher than the controls. Betatrophin was positively correlated to the age, waist circumference, total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL cholesterol, glucose, insulin, HOMA-IR index and gamma glutamyl transpeptidase levels, and negatively correlated to the steatosis and NAS. In the stepwise linear regression analysis, the triglyceride (ß = 0.457, p < 0.001), glucose (ß = 0.281, p = 0.02) and NAS (ß = -0.260, p = 0.03) were the independent determinants of betatrophin. Betatrophin levels are higher in the early stages of NAFLD and tend to decrease when the disease progresses. This could be an important preliminary mechanistic finding to explain the increased frequency of glucose intolerance during the course of NAFLD.

Post transcatheter aortic valve replacement ejection fraction response is predictor of survival among patients with whole range of systolic dysfunction.

AIMS: The objective of this study is to assess the prognostic effects of T ranscatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) on the patients with different degrees of left ventricular systolic (LVS) function and severe symptomatic aortic stenosis. Also examines the prognostic association of LV remodelling after TAVR. METHODS AND RESULTS: Patients stratified into four subgroups with respect to baseline LV ejection fraction (LVEF) (LVEF > 25%, LVEF 25%-40%, LVEF 41%-49% and LVEF ≥ 50%). We compared the baseline characteristics and temporal changes in echocardiographic parameters of the patients after TAVR, and determined all-cause mortality (ACM) in a follow-up period of mean 20.7 ± 15.8 months (up to 84). There were 495 patients at 8 centres. ACM was similar in all groups (28.1%, 29.5%, 22.5% and 24.1% respectively; p = .44). Immediately after TAVR, there was an improvement in LVEF (from 38.7 ± 9.4 to 44.9% ± 10.9%, p < .001). The percent change in LVEF (pDelta-EF) immediately after TAVR was more prominent in the patients with LVEF < 25% (48.1 ± 49.6, 21.9 ± 29.6), (8.4% ± 15.2%) and (2.1 ± 7)) (p < .01). Importantly, a 12% increase in absolute Delta-EF was observed in patients with LVEF< 25% with 100% sensitivity and 42.5% specificity for the prediction of ACM. CONCLUSION: This study shows that TAVR is beneficial in the whole range of LVS function, irrespective of the baseline EF. Early recovery in LVEF after TAVR is critical for survival, however, it seems to be more eye catching in the patients with advanced heart failure with reduced EF.