Stiff right atrial syndrome? A complex clinical case report utilizing multimodality imaging and invasive hemodynamics.

Background: Stiff left atrial syndrome is a well-established cause of heart failure symptoms. A parallel entity involving the right atrium (RA) has not previously been described. We present a case of refractory right heart failure (RHF) 12 years following orthotopic heart transplantation. Case summary: Patient underwent annuloplasty ring placement for severe tricuspid regurgitation in 2018 and kidney transplantation in 2020. The use of multimodality imaging and a multidisciplinary approach suggested a stiff RA as a potential etiology to refractory symptoms. Redo-heart and kidney transplantation in March 2021 led to the resolution of symptoms without recurrence. Discussion: We propose stiff right atrial syndrome that may need to be considered in the setting of refractory RHF primarily suggested by significant right atrial enlargement and restrictive physiology.

Management of hypertension in patients supported with continuous flow left ventricular assist devices.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Hypertension remains one of the most common clinical problems leading to devastating postleft ventricular assist device (LVAD) implant complications. This study reviews the pathophysiology of hypertension in the setting of continuous flow LVAD support and provides an update on currently available antihypertensive therapies for LVAD patients. RECENT FINDINGS: The true prevalence of hypertension in the LVAD population remains unknown. Effective blood pressure (BP) control and standardization of BP measurement are key to prevent suboptimal left ventricular unloading, pump malfunction and worsening aortic regurgitation. Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI), angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB), beta blockers and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRA) are the preferred antihypertensive agents because of their additional potential benefits, including optimization of haemodynamics, prevention of stroke, gastrointestinal bleed and in some patients myocardial recovery. Angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibition (ARNI) may be a well tolerated and effective therapy for BP control especially among CF-LVAD patients with resistant hypertension. Similarly, sodium glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) should be considered in the absence of contraindications. SUMMARY: Hypertension is very common post-LVAD implant. Heart failure guideline directed medical therapies, including ACEI, ARB, beta blockers and MRA, are the preferred antihypertensive agents to improve post-LVAD outcomes.

Upregulation of Endothelin-1 May Predict Chemotherapy-Induced Cardiotoxicity in Women with Breast Cancer.

As survival in breast cancer patients from newer therapies increases, concerns for chemotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity (CIC) have offset some of these benefits, manifesting as a decline in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Patients receiving anthracycline-based chemotherapy followed by trastuzumab are at risk for CIC. Previous research evaluating whether clinical biomarkers predict cardiotoxicity has been inconsistent. Recently, angiotensin II type 1 receptor (ATR1) and endothelin 1 (ET1) have been shown to play a role in breast tumor growth. We evaluated ATR1 and ET1 expression in breast cancer tissue and its association with CIC. A total of 33 paraffin-embedded breast tissue specimens from women with breast cancer treated with anthracycline-based chemotherapy and trastuzumab were analyzed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and qRT-PCR. We found that ET1 expression was increased in patients with an LVEF ≤ 50% (p = 0.032) with a lower LVEF correlating with higher ET1 expression (r = 0.377, p = 0.031). In patients with a change in LVEF of greater than 10%, greater ET1 expression was noted compared to those without a change in LVEF (p = 0.017). Increased ET1 expression in breast tumor tissue is associated with reduced LVEF. Future studies need to examine whether ET1 may be a tissue biomarker that helps predict the risk of developing CIC in women with breast cancer.