Cardiovascular Fellowship Training in Cardio-Obstetrics: JACC Review Topic of the Week.

The United States has the highest maternal mortality in the developed world with cardiovascular disease as the leading cause of pregnancy-related deaths. In response to this, the emerging subspecialty of cardio-obstetrics has been growing over the past decade. Cardiologists with training and expertise in caring for patients with cardiovascular disease in pregnancy are essential to provide effective, comprehensive, multidisciplinary, and high-quality care for this vulnerable population. This document provides a blueprint on incorporation of cardio-obstetrics training into cardiovascular disease fellowship programs to improve knowledge, skill, and expertise among cardiologists caring for these patients, with the goal of improving maternal and fetal outcomes.

Treatment of Severe Symptomatic Aortic Stenosis During Pregnancy: A Potential Role for TAVR?

A 35-year-old woman presented at 22 weeks gestation with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis with a mean gradient of 94 mm Hg and an aortic valve area of 0.53 cm2. After multidisciplinary discussion, she underwent transcatheter aortic valve replacement during pregnancy.

Arterial Stiffness and Vascular Load in HFpEF: Differences Among Women and Men.

BACKGROUND: Mechanisms underlying sex differences in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) are poorly understood. We sought to examine sex differences in measures of arterial stiffness and the association of arterial stiffness measures with left ventricular hemodynamic responses to exercise in men and women. METHODS: We studied 83 men (mean age 62 years) and 107 women (mean age 59 years) with HFpEF who underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing with invasive hemodynamic monitoring and arterial stiffness measurement (augmentation pressure [AP], augmentation index [AIx], and aortic pulse pressure [AoPP]). Sex differences were compared using multivariable linear regression. We examined the association of arterial stiffness with abnormal left ventricular diastolic response to exercise, defined as a rise in pulmonary capillary wedge pressure relative to cardiac output (∆PCWP/∆CO) ≥ 2 mmHg/L/min by using logistic regression models. RESULTS: Women with HFpEF had increased arterial stiffness compared with men. AP was nearly 10 mmHg higher, and AIx was more than 10% higher in women compared with men (P < 0.0001 for both). Arterial stiffness measures were associated with a greater pulmonary capillary wedge pressure response to exercise, particularly among women. A 1-standard deviation higher AP was associated with > 3-fold increased odds of abnormal diastolic exercise response (AP: OR 3.16, 95% CI 1.34-7.42; P = 0.008 [women] vs OR 2.07, 95% CI 0.95-5.49; P = 0.15 [men]) with similar findings for AIx and AoPP. CONCLUSIONS: Arterial stiffness measures are significantly higher in women with HFpEF than in men and are associated with abnormally steep increases in pulmonary capillary wedge pressure with exercise, particularly in women. Arterial stiffness may preferentially contribute to abnormal diastolic function during exercise in women with HFpEF compared with men.

Exercise Intolerance in Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction: Arterial Stiffness and Aabnormal Left Ventricular Hemodynamic Responses During Exercise.

BACKGROUND: Arterial stiffness is thought to contribute to the pathophysiology of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). We sought to examine arterial stiffness in HFpEF and hypertension and investigate associations of arterial and left ventricular hemodynamic responses to exercise. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 385 symptomatic individuals with an EF of ≥50% underwent upright cardiopulmonary exercise testing with invasive hemodynamic assessment of arterial stiffness and load (aortic augmentation pressure, augmentation index, systemic vascular resistance index, total arterial compliance index, effective arterial elastance index, and pulse pressure amplification) at rest and during incremental exercise. An abnormal hemodynamic response to exercise was defined as a steep increase in pulmonary capillary wedge pressure relative to cardiac output (∆PCWP/∆CO > 2 mm Hg/L/min). We compared rest and exercise measures between HFpEF and hypertension in multivariable analyses. Among 188 participants with HFpEF (mean age 61 ± 13 years, 56% women), resting arterial stiffness parameters were worse compared with 94 hypertensive participants (mean age 55 ± 15 years, 52% women); these differences were accentuated during exercise in HFpEF (all P ≤ .0001). Among all participants, exercise measures of arterial stiffness correlated with worse ∆PCWP/∆CO. Specifically, a 1 standard deviation higher exercise augmentation pressure was associated with 2.15-fold greater odds of abnormal LV hemodynamic response (95% confidence interval 1.52-3.05; P < .001). Further, exercise measures of systemic vascular resistance index, elastance index, and pulse pressure amplification correlated with a lower peak oxygen consumption. CONCLUSIONS: Exercise accentuates the increased arterial stiffness found in HFpEF, which in turn correlates with left ventricular hemodynamic responses. Unfavorable ventricular-vascular interactions during exercise in HFpEF may contribute to exertional intolerance and inform future therapeutic interventions.