Cardiac computed tomography post-transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is performed to treat aortic stenosis and is increasingly being utilised in the low-to-intermediate-risk population. Currently, attention has shifted towards long-term outcomes, complications and lifelong maintenance of the bioprosthesis. Some patients with TAVR in-situ may develop significant coronary artery disease over time requiring invasive coronary angiography, which may be problematic with the TAVR bioprosthesis in close proximity to the coronary ostia. In addition, younger patients may require a second transcatheter heart valve (THV) to 'replace' their in-situ THV because of gradual structural valve degeneration. Implantation of a second THV carries a risk of coronary obstruction, thereby requiring comprehensive pre-procedural planning. Unlike in the pre-TAVR period, cardiac CT angiography in the post-TAVR period is not well established. However, post-TAVR cardiac CT is being increasingly utilised to evaluate mechanisms for structural valve degeneration and complications, including leaflet thrombosis. Post-TAVR CT is also expected to have a significant role in risk-stratifying and planning future invasive procedures including coronary angiography and valve-in-valve interventions. Overall, there is emerging evidence for post-TAVR CT to be eventually incorporated into long-term TAVR monitoring and lifelong planning.

Early SGLT2 inhibitor use is associated with improved left atrial strain following acute coronary syndrome.

AIM: Left atrial (LA) strain, a novel marker of LA function, reliably predicts diastolic dysfunction. SGLT2 inhibitors improve heart failure outcomes, but limited data exists regarding their use in the immediate aftermath of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). We studied the effect of empagliflozin on LA strain in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and ACS. METHODS: Patients with ACS and T2D were identified and empagliflozin was initiated in eligible patients prior to discharge. Patients not initiated on empagliflozin were analysed as a comparator group. A blinded investigator assessed LA strain using baseline and 3-6 month follow-up echocardiograms. RESULTS: Forty-four participants (n = 22 each group) were included. Baseline characteristics and LA strain were similar in the two groups. LA reservoir, conduit and contractile strain increased in empagliflozin group (28.0 ± 8.4% to 34.6 ± 12.2% p < 0.001, 14.5 ± 5.4% to 16.7 ± 7.0% p = 0.034, 13.5 ± 5.2% to 17.9 ± 7.2% p = 0.005, respectively) but remained unchanged in comparison group (29.2 ± 6.7% to 28.8 ± 7.0%, 12.8 ± 4.2% to 13.3 ± 4.7%, 16.7 ± 5.3% to 15.5 ± 4.5%, respectively, p = NS). The difference in change between groups was significant for LA reservoir (p = 0.003) and contractile strain (p = 0.005). CONCLUSION: In patients with ACS and T2D, addition of empagliflozin to standard ACS therapy prior to discharge is associated with improved LA function.

Telehealth during COVID-19 restrictions in patients with cardiovascular disease: impact on medication prescriptions and patient satisfaction.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Telehealth plays an integral part in healthcare delivery. The impact of telehealth and the COVID-19 pandemic on medication prescribing and patient satisfaction with telehealth in cardiology clinics remains unknown. METHODS: A retrospective study of cardiology clinic patients at an Australian tertiary hospital was conducted; 630 patients seen before the COVID-19 pandemic (0.6% telehealth) and 678 during the pandemic (91.2% telehealth) were included. Medication changes, new prescriptions and time to obtaining prescriptions after clinic were compared. To evaluate patients' experiences, cardiology clinic patients reviewed during the pandemic were prospectively invited to participate in an electronic survey sent to their mobile phones. RESULTS: The overall rates of medication changes made in the clinic between the prepandemic and the pandemic periods did not differ significantly (26.9% vs 25.8%). Compared with prepandemic, new cardiac medication prescriptions during clinic were significantly less (9.3% vs 2.5%; P < 0.0001) and recommendations to general practitioners (GP) to initiate cardiac medications were significantly more (2.6% vs 9.1%; P < 0.0001). Time to obtaining new prescriptions was significantly longer in the pandemic cohort (median 0 days (range: 0-32) vs 10.5 days (range: 0-231); P < 0.0001). Two hundred forty-three (32.7%) patients participated in the survey; 50% reported that telehealth was at least as good as face-to-face consultations. Most patients (61.5%) were satisfied with telehealth and most (62.9%) wished to see telehealth continued postpandemic. CONCLUSION: Telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with greater reliance on GP to prescribe cardiac medications and delays in obtaining prescriptions among cardiology clinic patients. Although most patients were satisfied with telehealth services, nearly half of the cardiac patients expressed preference towards traditional face-to-face consultations.

Evaluation of stable chest pain following emergency department presentation: Impact of first-line cardiac computed tomography diagnostic strategy in an Australian setting.

OBJECTIVE: International guidelines provide increasing support for computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA) in investigating chest pain. A pathway utilising CTCA first-line for outpatient stable chest pain evaluation was implemented in an Australian ED. METHODS: In pre-post design, the impact of the pathway was prospectively assessed over 6 months (August 2021 to January 2022) and compared with a 6-month pre-implementation group (February 2021 to July 2021). CTCA was recommended first-line in suspected stable cardiac chest pain, followed by chest pain clinic review. Predefined criteria were provided recommending functional testing in select patients. The impact of CTCA versus functional testing was evaluated. Data were obtained from digital medical records. RESULTS: Three hundred and fifteen patients were included, 143 pre-implementation and 172 post-implementation. Characteristics were similar except age (pre-implementation: 58.9 ± 12.0 vs post-implementation: 62.8 ± 12.3 years, P = 0.004). Pathway-guided management resulted in higher first-line CTCA (73.3% vs 46.2%, P < 0.001), lower functional testing (30.2% vs 56.6%, P < 0.001) and lower proportion undergoing two non-invasive tests (4.7% vs 10.5%, P = 0.047), without increasing investigation costs or invasive coronary angiography (ICA) (pre-implementation: 13.3% vs post-implementation: 9.3%, P = 0.263). In patients undergoing CTCA, 40.7% had normal coronaries and 36.2% minimal/mild disease, with no difference in disease burden post-implementation. More medication changes occurred following CTCA compared with functional testing (aspirin: P = 0.005, statin: P < 0.001). In patients undergoing ICA, revascularisation to ICA ratio was higher following CTCA compared with functional testing (91.7% vs 18.2%, P < 0.001). No 30-day myocardial infarction or death occurred. CONCLUSIONS: The pathway increased CTCA utilisation and reduced downstream investigations. CTCA was associated with medication changes and improved ICA efficiency.

A streamlined Emergency Department approach to moderate risk chest pain in patients with no pre-existing coronary artery disease: A pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: Moderate risk patients with chest pain and no previously diagnosed coronary artery disease (CAD) who present to ED require further risk stratification. We hypothesise that management of these patients by ED physicians can decrease length of stay (LOS), without increasing patient harm. METHODS: A prospective pilot study with comparison to a pre-intervention control group was performed on patients presenting with chest pain to an ED in Perth, Australia between May and October 2021, following the introduction of a streamlined guideline consisting of ED led decision making and early follow up. Patients had no documented CAD and were at moderate risk of major adverse cardiac events (MACE). Electronic data was used for comparison. Primary outcomes were total LOS and LOS following troponin. RESULTS: One hundred eighty-six patients were included. Median total LOS was reduced by 62 min, but this change was not statistically significant (482 [360-795] vs 420 [360-525] min, P = 0.06). However, a significant 60 min decrease in LOS was found following the final troponin (240 (120-571) vs 180 (135-270) min, P = 0.02). There was no difference in the rate of MACE (0% vs 2%, P = 0.50), with no myocardial infarction or death. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that patients with no pre-existing CAD can be safely managed by emergency physicians streamlining their ED management and decreasing LOS. This pathway could be used in other centres following confirmation of the results by a larger study.

Enhancing Risk Stratification on Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography: The Role of Artificial Intelligence.

PURPOSE: To describe and outline the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in assisting coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) in enhancing risk stratification. METHODS: A comprehensive review of the literature was performed to identify published work investigating the utility of applying AI to CCTA. FINDINGS: CCTA is an excellent diagnostic tool for the detection of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. The noninvasive nature and high diagnostic accuracy have made CCTA a viable alternative to invasive coronary angiography to detect luminal stenosis. However, it is now understood that stenosis is just one factor that predicts cardiac risk and other factors need to be considered. CCTA-derived plaque biomarkers have since emerged as established predictors of cardiac events to improve risk stratification. Despite awareness of these biomarkers, they are still yet to be incorporated into routine clinical practice. The major barriers to implementation include the specialized skills required for image evaluation and the time intensive nature of analysis. With the many recent advancements in the technology, AI presents itself as a promising solution. AI is attractive because it has the potential to rapidly automate technically challenging tasks with exceptional accuracy. IMPLICATIONS: Developments in the field of AI are occurring at a rapid rate. There is already increasing evidence of the potential AI has to greatly improve the utility of CCTA by improving analysis time and extracting additional prognostic data from new plaque biomarkers. There are, however, technical and ethical challenges that need to be considered before implementing such technology into routine clinical practice.

Clinical outcomes and health care costs of transferring rural Western Australians for invasive coronary angiography, and a cost-effective alternative care model: a retrospective cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the severity of coronary artery disease (CAD) in people from rural or remote Western Australia referred for invasive coronary angiography (ICA) in Perth and their subsequent management; to estimate the cost savings were computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA) offered in rural centres as a first line investigation for people with suspected CAD. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING, PARTICIPANTS: Adults with stable symptoms in rural and remote WA referred to Perth public tertiary hospitals for ICA evaluation during the 2019 calendar year. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Severity and management of CAD (medical management or revascularisation); health care costs by care model (standard care or a proposed alternative model with local CTCA assessment). RESULTS: The mean age of the 1017 people from rural and remote WA who underwent ICA in Perth was 62 years (standard deviation, 13 years); 680 were men (66.9%), 245 were Indigenous people (24.1%). Indications for referral were non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (438, 43.1%), chest pain with normal troponin level (394, 38.7%), and other (185, 18.2%). After ICA assessment, 619 people were medically managed (60.9%) and 398 underwent revascularisation (39.1%). None of the 365 patients (35.9%) without obstructed coronaries (< 50% stenosis) underwent revascularisation; nine patients with moderate CAD (50-69% stenosis; 7%) and 389 with severe CAD (≥ 70% stenosis or occluded vessel; 75.5%) underwent revascularisation. Were CTCA used locally to determine the need for referral, 527 referrals could have been averted (53%), the ICA:revascularisation ratio would have improved from 2.6 to 1.6, and 1757 metropolitan hospital bed-days (43% reduction) and $7.3 million in health care costs (36% reduction) would have been saved. CONCLUSION: Many rural and remote Western Australians transferred for ICA in Perth have non-obstructive CAD and are medically managed. Providing CTCA as a first line investigation in rural centres could avert half of these transfers and be a cost-effective strategy for risk stratification of people with suspected CAD.

Characteristics and Outcomes of Young Patients With ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction Without Standard Modifiable Risk Factors.

Patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) with no standard modifiable risk factors (SMuRFs: hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia, and smoking) have worse short-term mortality than those with SMuRFs. Whether this association extends to younger patients is unclear. A retrospective cohort study was performed of patients aged 18 to 45 years with STEMI at 3 Australian hospitals between 2010 and 2020. Nonatherosclerotic causes of STEMI were excluded. The primary outcome was 30-day all-cause mortality. Secondary outcomes included 1 and 2-year mortality. Cox proportional hazards analysis was used. Of 597 patients, the median age was 42 (interquartile range 38 to 44) years, 85.1% were men and 8.4% were SMuRF-less. Patients who are SMuRF-less were >2 times more likely to have cardiac arrest (28.0% vs 12.6%, p = 0.003); require vasopressors (16.0% vs 6.8%, p = 0.018), mechanical support (10.0% vs 2.3%, p = 0.046), or intensive care admission (20.0% vs 5.7%, p <0.001); and have higher rate of left anterior descending artery infarcts than those with SMuRFs (62.0% vs 47.2%, p = 0.045). No significant differences in thrombolysis or percutaneous intervention were observed. Guideline-directed medical therapy at discharge was high (>90%), and not different in the SMuRF-less. 30-day mortality was almost fivefold higher in the SMuRF-less (hazard ratio 4.70, 95% confidence interval 1.66 to 13.35, p = 0.004), remaining significant at 1 and 2 years. In conclusion, young patients who are SMuRF-less have a higher 30-day mortality after STEMI than their counterparts with SMuRFs. This may be partially mediated by higher rates of cardiac arrest and left anterior descending artery territory events. These findings further highlight the need for improved prevention and management of SMuRF-less STEMI.

Artificial Intelligence in Cardiology: An Australian Perspective.

Significant advances have been made in artificial intelligence technology in recent years. Many health care applications have been investigated to assist clinicians and the technology is close to being integrated into routine clinical practice. The high prevalence of cardiac disease in Australia places overwhelming demands on the existing health care system, challenging its capacity to provide quality patient care. Artificial intelligence has emerged as a promising solution. This discussion paper provides an Australian perspective on the current state of artificial intelligence in cardiology, including the benefits and challenges of implementation. This paper highlights some current artificial intelligence applications in cardiology, while also detailing challenges such as data privacy, ethical considerations, and integration within existing health infrastructures. Overall, this paper aims to provide insights into the potential benefits of artificial intelligence in cardiology, while also acknowledging the barriers that need to be addressed to ensure safe and effective implementation into an Australian health system.

Medical Therapy to Prevent or Slow Progression of Aortic Stenosis: Current Evidence and Future Directions.

Degenerative aortic stenosis is a growing clinical problem owing to the high incidence in an aging population and its significant morbidity and mortality. Currently, aortic valve replacement remains the only treatment. Despite promising observational data, pharmacological management to slow or halt progression of aortic stenosis has remained elusive. Nevertheless, with a greater understanding of the mechanisms which underpin aortic stenosis, research has begun to explore novel treatment strategies. This review will explore the historical agents used to manage aortic stenosis and the emerging agents that are currently under investigation.

Integration of fractional flow reserve derived from CT into clinical practice.

Fractional flow reserve (FFR) is currently considered as the gold standard for revascularization decision-making in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD). The application of computational fluid dynamics to coronary computed tomography (CT) angiography (CCTA) enables calculation of FFR without additional testing, radiation exposure, contrast medium injection, and hyperemia (FFRCT). Although multiple diagnostic and clinical studies have enriched the scientific evidence, it is still challenging to integrate FFRCT into clinical practice. Both meticulous scientific backgrounds and precise anatomical data derived from CCTA are fundamental for FFRCT computation, and there are numerous factors impacting on FFRCT calculation and interpretation: coronary artery stenosis, calcium, atherosclerosis, luminal volume, and left ventricular myocardial mass. Further, there is a gap that clinicians using FFRCT need to recognize in interpretation of FFRCT results between diagnostic studies and clinical studies. In this review, we summarize multiple evidence related to FFRCT computation and interpretation to refine the FFRCT strategy in patients with stable CAD.