Canadian Cardiovascular Society/Canadian Women's Heart Health Alliance Clinical Practice Update on Myocardial Infarction With No Obstructive Coronary Artery Disease (MINOCA).

Myocardial infarction with no obstructive coronary artery disease (MINOCA) represents 6%-15% of all acute coronary syndromes, and women are disproportionately represented. MINOCA is an encompassing preliminary diagnosis, and emerging evidence supports a more expansive comprehensive diagnostic and therapeutic clinical approach. The current clinical practice update summarizes the latest evidence regarding the epidemiology, clinical presentation, and diagnostic evaluation of MINOCA. A cascaded approach to diagnostic workup is outlined for clinicians, for noninvasive and invasive diagnostic pathways, depending on clinical setting and local availability of diagnostic modalities. Evidence concerning the nonpharmacological and pharmacological treatment of MINOCA are presented and summarized according to underlying cause of MINOCA, with practical tips on the basis of expert opinion, outlining a real-life, evidence-based, comprehensive approach to management of this challenging condition.

Socioeconomic Disparities in Women's Cardiovascular Health in the United States and Canada.

Cardiovascular disease has been the leading cause of death in the United States and Canada for decades. Although it affects millions of people across a multitude of backgrounds, notable disparities in cardiovascular health are observed among women and become more apparent when accounting for race and socioeconomic status. Although intrinsic sex-specific physiologic differences predispose women to poorer outcomes, social determinants of health (SDOH) and biases at both the individual provider and the larger health care system levels play an equal, if not greater, role. This review examines socioeconomic disparities in women compared with men regarding cardiovascular risk factors, treatments, and outcomes. Although various at-risk subpopulations exist, we highlight the impact of SDOH in specific populations, including patients with disabilities, transgender persons, and South Asian and Indigenous populations. These groups are underrepresented in studies and experience poorer health outcomes owing to structural barriers to care. These findings emphasise the significance of understanding the interplay of different socioeconomic factors and how their stacking can negatively affect women's cardiovascular health. To address these disparities, we propose a multipronged approach to augment culturally sensitive and patient-centred care. This includes increased cardiovascular workforce diversity, inclusion of underrepresented populations into analyses of cardiovascular metrics, and greater utilisation of technology and telemedicine to improve access to health care. Achieving this goal will necessitate active participation from patients, health care administrators, physicians, and policy makers, and is imperative in closing the cardiovascular health gap for women over the coming decades.

Integration of Women's Cardiovascular Health Content Into Healthcare Provider Education: Results of a Rapid Review and National Survey.

Despite its importance, formal education in healthcare training programs on sex- and gender-specific cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, symptoms, treatment, and outcomes is lacking. We completed rapid reviews of the academic and grey literature to describe the current state of women-specific CVD education in medical, nursing, and other healthcare education programs. Second, we analyzed results from a Canada-wide survey of healthcare professional education programs to identify gaps in curricula related to sex- and gender-specific training in CVD. Our academic review yielded only 15 peer-reviewed publications, and our online search only 20 healthcare education programs, that note that they specifically address women, or sex and gender, and CVD in their curricula. Across both searches, the majority of training and education programs were from the USA, varied greatly in length, delivery mode, and content covered, and lacked consistency in evaluation. Of surveys sent to 213 Canadian universities and other entry-to-practice programs, 80 complete responses (37.6%) were received. A total of 47 respondents (59%) reported that their programs included women-specific CVD content. Among those programs without content specific to CVD in women, 69.0% stated that its inclusion would add "quite a bit" or "a great deal" of value to the program. This study highlights the emerging focus on and substantial gaps in women-specific CVD training and education across healthcare education programs. All medical, nursing, and healthcare training programs are implored to incorporate sex- and gender-based CVD content into their regular curricula as part of a consolidated effort to minimize gaps in cardiovascular care.

Malgré la prévalence des maladies cardiovasculaires (CV), les programmes d'enseignement en santé accordent peu d'attention aux facteurs de risque, aux symptômes, aux traitements et aux issues selon le sexe ou le genre. Premièrement, nous avons fait une revue rapide de la littérature universitaire et la littérature grise pour faire état de la formation sur les maladies CV spécifiques aux femmes dans les programmes d'enseignement en médecine, en soins infirmiers et autres domaines de la santé. Deuxièmement, nous avons analysé les résultats d'une enquête menée à l'échelle du Canada sur des programmes de formation professionnelle pour cerner les lacunes dans les programmes au chapitre de la formation sur les maladies CV en fonction du sexe et du genre. Notre analyse de la littérature universitaire a permis de relever seulement 15 publications révisées par des pairs à ce sujet, et notre recherche en ligne a mis au jour seulement 20 programmes d'enseignement qui comportent un volet portant spécifiquement sur les femmes, ou bien le sexe et le genre, et les maladies CV. Ces deux enquêtes ont révélé que la majorité des programmes de formation et d'enseignement étaient aux États-Unis et qu'ils présentaient une grande diversité sur le plan de la durée, du mode d'enseignement et du contenu abordé. De plus, les méthodes d'évaluation n'étaient pas uniformes. Parmi les sondages envoyés à 213 universités et programmes d'admission à la pratique au Canada, 80 réponses complètes (37,6 %) ont été reçues. Quarante-sept des établissements qui ont répondu (59 %) ont signalé que leurs programmes comprenaient du contenu portant sur les maladies CV spécifiques aux femmes. Parmi les établissements dont les programmes ne comportaient aucun contenu spécifique aux femmes, 69,0 % ont indiqué qu'une telle inclusion ajouterait « beaucoup ¼ ou « énormément ¼ de valeur au programme. Cette étude met en lumière l'attention nouvelle accordée à la formation et à l'enseignement sur les maladies CV spécifiques aux femmes ainsi que les lacunes substantielles observées à cet égard dans les programmes d'enseignement en santé. Les programmes de formation en médecine, en soins infirmiers et en santé sont vivement invités à intégrer du contenu spécifique au sexe et au genre pour ce qui est des maladies CV dans un effort concerté visant à réduire les lacunes dans les soins cardiovasculaires.

Sex-Specific Cardiometabolic Determinants of Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation After Cardiac Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Cardiometabolic diseases increase the risk of postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF), a complication leading to higher long-term risk of major cardiovascular events (MACE). It remains unknown whether the effect of these risk factors differs according to sex. We sought to evaluate the sex-specific predictors of POAF after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). METHODS: In a prospective registry of patients undergoing isolated CABG, we compared predictors of POAF between sexes with logistic regression models. Because of high prevalence of abdominal obesity in women, > 80% having a waist circumference (WC) ≥ 88 cm, median WC values were used to define abdominal obesity (men ≥ 102 cm, women ≥ 100 cm). RESULTS: This analysis included 6177 individuals (17% women). Mean age was 65.6 ± 8.9 years. POAF occurred in 32% of men and 28% of women (P < 0.05). Compared with men, women with POAF had similar WC; higher prevalence of hypertension and diabetes; lower high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol; and higher glucose, triglyceride, low- density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol, and C-reactive protein levels (all P < 0.05). After adjustment, age and abdominal obesity were associated with POAF in both sexes (P < 0.05). The interaction of WC with sex suggested a worse impact of WC on POAF risk among women (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 1.97; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.48-2.62 vs in men 1.33; 95% CI, 1.17-1.50; P for interaction = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Abdominal obesity is a major predictor of POAF in both sexes, with higher risk in women. These results emphasize the need for enhanced strategies to manage abdominal obesity and its cardiometabolic consequences in the general population and the potential to develop sex-specific preventive interventions to reduce risk of POAF.

Arterial Health After Preeclampsia: Role of Chronic Hypertension in the Early Vascular Aging (EVA) Study.

BACKGROUND: Preeclampsia (PE) is associated with increased cardiovascular risk. Recent data have shown worse left ventricular remodeling and diastolic function in women with PE and persistent hypertension (HTN). We performed a comprehensive arterial hemodynamic assessment to evaluate the contribution of persistent HTN on arterial health after PE. METHODS: We recruited 40 women with PE history and 40 age-matched controls (6 months to 6 years postpartum). We evaluated arterial hemodynamics with validated techniques combining applanation tonometry and transthoracic echocardiography, comparing three groups: previous PE with persistent HTN (PE-HTN), previous PE with normalized blood pressure (PE-noHTN) and controls, using multivariable linear regression adjusted for age, body surface area, heart rate, diabetes, smoking history, creatinine, and gravidity. RESULTS: Eight (20%) of the post-PE women had persistent HTN. Mean age was 35.8 ±â€…3.9 years, median number of pregnancies was 2 (range 1-7), and time since last pregnancy 2.1 (range 0.5-5.7) years (not different between groups, P > 0.05). Compared to controls and to PE-noHTN, PE-HTN had higher aortic stiffness, wave reflections, pulsatile, and steady arterial load (P < 0.05 for each). Among PE-noHTN, aortic stiffness, wave reflections and steady arterial load were worse than controls (P < 0.05 for each), with smaller effect sizes. CONCLUSIONS: This is the most comprehensive assessment of arterial hemodynamics and first to demonstrate the contribution of persistent HTN on worse arterial health following PE. Since measures of arterial health are associated with cardiovascular events in the population, the combination of previous PE and chronic HTN may represent a higher risk subgroup who could benefit from targeted prevention strategies.

The EVA (Early Vascular Aging) Study: Association of Central Obesity With Worse Arterial Health After Preeclampsia.

Background Women with preeclampsia have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. This is partly explained by the worse arterial health after preeclampsia. Central obesity (CO) is a risk factor for both preeclampsia and cardiovascular disease. Whether CO contributes to further worsening of arterial health after preeclampsia remains unclear. Our objective was to evaluate the effect of CO and previous preeclampsia on arterial hemodynamics. Methods and Results We studied 40 women with previous preeclampsia (<6 years) and 40 age-matched controls with previous normotensive pregnancy in the same timeframe. We estimated arterial hemodynamics with validated techniques combining applanation tonometry and echocardiography. CO was defined as a waist-to-hip ratio ≥0.85. Differences in arterial hemodynamics across the 3 groups (preeclampsia with CO, preeclampsia without CO, and controls) were assessed with multivariable linear regression models adjusted for potential confounders. Twenty-six (65%) of the participants with preeclampsia had CO compared with 18 (45%) controls. Mean waist-to-hip ratio in patients with preeclampsia with CO, those with preeclampsia and no CO, and controls was 0.94±0.05, 0.80±0.04, and 0.83±0.07, respectively. In multivariable analyses, women with preeclampsia and CO had higher central blood pressure, arterial stiffness (carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity), steady arterial load (systemic vascular resistance), and wave reflections (reflected pressure wave amplitude, augmentation index) compared with controls (P<0.05 for each). Fewer hemodynamic domains were altered in the preeclampsia with no CO group, with higher central diastolic blood pressure, systemic vascular resistance, and wave reflections than controls (P<0.05). Conclusions Women with previous preeclampsia who also experience CO have the greatest alterations in arterial health and hemodynamics. Patients with preeclampsia with CO may represent a higher-risk subgroup who could be targeted for risk stratification and primary prevention of cardiovascular disease.

Sex Differences in Systemic and Coronary Arterial Hemodynamics in Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction.

Heart failure (HF) with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) predominantly affects females. Systemic and coronary arterial abnormalities are present in HFpEF and may contribute to HFpEF in females. We performed a cross-sectional study of 32 participants with HFpEF and 26 controls. Arterial hemodynamics were noninvasively assessed by combining arterial tonometry with echocardiography. Coronary microvascular function was assessed by rubidium-82 positron emission tomography as the myocardial flow reserve. Coronary vascular resistance (CVR) at rest and vasodilator stress were calculated using positron emission tomography. CVR reserve was calculated as stress - rest CVR. Multivariable linear regression assessed the associations of female sex with arterial hemodynamics in participants with and without HF, and the association of HF with arterial hemodynamics within each sex stratum. Demographics and left ventricular systolic and diastolic function were similar between males and females. Among those with HFpEF, females had a higher steady and pulsatile arterial load and more impaired (less negative) CVR reserve than males. Conversely, in controls, females had similar hemodynamics to males. We then divided the sample based on sex. Femaleswith HFpEF had a higher pulsatile arterial load and higher stress CVR than control females. Among males, arterial hemodynamics were similar, regardless of HFpEF status. The measures of early pulsatile arterial load were independently associated with higher E/e' and lower myocardial flow reserve in females only. In conclusion, despite similar left ventricular function between sexes, older females with HFpEF are characterized by additional systemic and coronary arterial hemodynamic abnormalities compared with males with HFpEF and similarly aged females without HFpEF.

The EVA Study: Early Vascular Aging in Women With History of Preeclampsia.

Background Early vascular aging (EVA) is associated with higher risk of adverse cardiovascular events and can be estimated noninvasively by assessing arterial hemodynamics. Women with a history of preeclampsia have increased risk of cardiovascular disease, but underlying mechanisms are incompletely understood. We hypothesized that women with a history of preeclampsia display persistent arterial abnormalities and EVA in the postpartum period. Methods and Results We performed a comprehensive, noninvasive arterial hemodynamic evaluation in women with a history of preeclampsia (n=40) and age-matched controls with previous normotensive pregnancies (n=40). We used validated methods integrating applanation tonometry with transthoracic echocardiography to obtain measures of aortic stiffness, steady and pulsatile arterial load, central blood pressure, and arterial wave reflections. Presence of EVA was defined as aortic stiffness higher than that predicted from reference values based on the participant's age and blood pressure. The association of preeclampsia with arterial hemodynamic variables was assessed with multivariable linear regression, and the association of severe preeclampsia with EVA was assessed with multivariable logistic regression, adjusted for confounders. We found that women with a history of preeclampsia had greater aortic stiffness, steady arterial load, central blood pressure, and arterial wave reflections when compared with controls. We observed a dose-response relationship, with the greatest abnormalities observed in subgroups with severe, preterm, or recurrent preeclampsia. Women with severe preeclampsia had 9.23 times greater odds of having EVA as compared with controls (95% CI, 1.67-51.06, P=0.011) and 7.87 greater odds of EVA as compared with women with nonsevere preeclampsia (95% CI, 1.29-47.77, P=0.025). Conclusions Our study comprehensively characterizes arterial hemodynamic abnormalities after preeclampsia and suggests that specific subgroups of women with a history of preeclampsia exhibit greater alterations in arterial hemodynamics related to arterial health. Our findings have important implications for understanding potential links between preeclampsia and cardiovascular events, and suggest women with severe, preterm, or recurrent preeclampsia as subgroups who may deserve intensification of efforts for prevention and early detection of cardiovascular disease.

Sex-specific correlates of valvular and arterial calcification burden in patients with moderate aortic stenosis.

INTRODUCTION: There are significant sex differences in the prevalence and severity of cardiac calcifying processes. Women harbour more severe mitral annular calcification (MAC), while men exhibit worse aortic valve (AVC) and coronary artery (CAC) calcification. To better understand these differences, we investigated the correlates of cardiac calcification according to sex. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 406 patients with ≥mild aortic stenosis (AS) defined by an aortic valve area ≤1.5 cm2, a peak aortic jet velocity >2.0 m/s, or a mean transvalvular gradient >15 mm Hg. Doppler-echocardiography and non-contrast multidetector CT were performed concomitantly to assess AS and cardiac calcifications. RESULTS: Mean age was 71±11 years and 33% were women. The AS haemodynamics were not significantly different between sexes (all p>0.50), with a mean indexed aortic valve area of 0.59±0.21 cm2/m2, peak aortic jet velocity of 2.78 (2.37-3.68) m/s, and mean gradient of 17.9 (12.8-31.3) mm Hg for the whole cohort. Compared with men, women harboured lower AVC (480 (222-1191) vs 1003 (484-2329) Agatston unit, AU; p<0.0001) and CAC (366 (50-914) vs 618 (167-1357) AU; p=0.007), but more severe MAC (60 (1-887) vs 48 (0-351) AU; p=0.08) and ascending aorta calcification (227 (43-863) vs 142 (7-493) AU; p=0.03). After comprehensive adjustment, sex remained an independent predictor of each cardiac calcification subtype (all p<0.02) except for the ascending aorta (p=0.32). In multivariable analysis, certain variables, like age or bicuspid aortic valve, were associated with the calcification scores in both sexes. Sex-specific predictors of calcification burden were absence of angiotensin receptor blockers (ß=-0.26; p=0.007) and renal impairment (ß=0.26; p=0.003) for AVC, and bisphosphonates (ß=0.20; p=0.05) for CAC in women; coronary artery disease (ß=0.25; p=0.001) for AVC, and angiotensin receptor blockers (ß=0.19; p=0.02) and calcium/vitamin D (ß=0.15; p=0.02) for MAC in men. CONCLUSION: In AS, factors associated with cardiac valvular and arterial calcification differ between sexes, suggesting an important contributory role of sex in the pathophysiology of these calcifying processes.

Effects of Cyproheptadine on Mitral Valve Remodeling and Regurgitation After Myocardial Infarction.

BACKGROUND: Ischemic mitral regurgitation (MR) is primarily caused by left ventricle deformation, but leaflet thickening with fibrotic changes are also observed in the valve. Increased levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT; ie, serotonin) are described after myocardial infarction (MI); 5-HT can induce valve fibrosis through the 5-HT type 2B receptor (5-HT2BR). OBJECTIVES: This study aims to test the hypothesis that post-MI treatment with cyproheptadine (5-HT2BR antagonist) can prevent ischemic MR by reducing the effect of serotonin on mitral biology. METHODS: Thirty-six sheep were divided into 2 groups: inferior MI and inferior MI treated with cyproheptadine (0.5 mg/kg/d). Animals were followed for 90 days. Blood 5-HT, infarct size, left ventricular volume and function, MR fraction and mitral leaflet size were assessed. In a complementary in vitro study, valvular interstitial cells were exposed to pre-MI and post-MI serum collected from the experimental animals. RESULTS: Increased 5-HT levels were observed after MI in nontreated animals, but not in the group treated with cyproheptadine. Infarct size was similar in both groups (11 ± 3 g vs 9 ± 5 g; P = 0.414). At 90 days, MR fraction was 16% ± 7% in the MI group vs 2% ± 6% in the cyproheptadine group (P = 0.0001). The increase in leaflet size following MI was larger in the cyproheptadine group (+40% ± 9% vs +22% ± 12%; P = 0.001). Mitral interstitial cells overexpressed extracellular matrix genes when treated with post-MI serum, but not when exposed to post-MI serum collected from treated animals. CONCLUSIONS: Cyproheptadine given after inferior MI reduces post-MI 5-HT levels, prevents valvular fibrotic remodeling, is associated with larger increase in mitral valve size and less MR.

Progression of aortic stenosis after an acute myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: Myocardial infarction (MI) has been shown to induce fibrotic remodelling of the mitral and tricuspid valves. It is unknown whether MI also induces pathological remodelling of the aortic valve and alters aortic stenosis (AS) progression. We thus compared AS progression after an acute MI and in patients with/without history of MI, and assessed post-MI pathobiological changes within the aortic valve leaflets in a sheep model. METHODS: Serial echocardiograms in human patients with AS were retrospectively analysed and compared between 3 groups: (1) acute MI at baseline (n=68), (2) prior history of MI (n=45) and (3) controls without MI (n=101). Annualised progression rates of AS severity were compared between these 3 groups. In addition, aortic valves were harvested from 15 sheep: (1) induced inferior MI (n=10) and (2) controls without MI (n=5), for biological and histological analyses. RESULTS: In humans, the acute MI, previous MI and control groups had comparable baseline AS severity. Indexed aortic valve area (AVAi) declined faster in the acute MI group compared with controls (-0.07±0.06 vs -0.04±0.04 cm2/m2/year; p=0.004). After adjustment, acute MI status was significantly associated with faster AVAi progression (mean difference: -0.013 (95% CI -0.023 to -0.003) cm2/m2/year, p=0.008). In the post-MI experimental animal model, aortic valve thickness and qualitative/quantitative expression of collagen were significantly increased compared with controls. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that AS progression is accelerated following acute MI, which could be caused by increased collagen production and thickening of the aortic valve after the ischaemic event.

Echocardiographic Variables Associated with Transvalvular Gradient After a Transcatheter Edge-To-Edge Mitral Valve Repair.

BACKGROUND: Transcatheter edge-to-edge mitral valve repair may lead to a reduction in mitral valve area (MVA) and elevated mean transmitral gradient (TMG). The objectives of this study were to assess the value of baseline MVA by different imaging methods and to explore the associations between MVA indexed to body surface area or left ventricular forward stroke volume and postprocedural TMG. METHODS: Preprocedural echocardiographic images from 76 consecutive patients were retrospectively reviewed. MVA planimetry from two-dimensional (2D) transthoracic echocardiography (MVATTE), 2D transesophageal echocardiography in the transgastric view (MVA2D TEE), and three-dimensional (3D) transesophageal echocardiography (MVA3D) were measured. Postprocedural TMGs were assessed at 1 to 3 months and all-cause mortality at 1 year. RESULTS: Postprocedural mean TMG > 5 mm Hg was associated with a 3.42-fold (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.08-10.87; P = .04) increased risk for 1-year all-cause mortality. Patients with postprocedural TMG > 5 mm Hg (25% [19 of 76]) had significantly smaller preprocedural MVA3D (3.9 ± 0.8 vs 5.2 ± 1.3 cm2, P < .01) and MVATTE (4.9 ± 1.1 vs 5.8 ± 1.5 cm2, P = .01) compared with patients without elevated TMG. No significant difference was found for MVA2D TEE (P = .20). The best threshold values for MVA3D and MVATTE to be associated with postprocedural TMG > 5 mm Hg were, respectively, 3.9 cm2 (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.80; 95% CI, 0.66-0.94; sensitivity 62%, specificity 87%) and 4.6 cm2 (AUC = 0.68; 95% CI, 0.54-0.82; sensitivity 53%, specificity 80%). MVA3D indexed to body surface area and to stroke volume showed overall the best associations with postprocedural mean TMG > 5 mm Hg, with optimal thresholds, respectively, of 2.5 cm2/m2 (AUC = 0.88; 95% CI, 0.77-0.98; sensitivity 92%, specificity 74%) and 95 cm2/L (AUC = 0.87; 95% CI, 0.77-0.97; sensitivity 85%, specificity 82%). CONCLUSIONS: Elevated TMG following transcatheter edge-to-edge mitral valve repair was associated with increased mortality. The present results indicate that MVA3D, MVA3D indexed to body surface area, and MVA3D indexed to stroke volume may be considered potential predictors of postprocedural TMG > 5 mm Hg and could help optimize patient selection, while the use of 2D methods for valve area were poorly associated with TMG.

Impact of sex on the management and outcome of aortic stenosis patients.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the impact of sex on the management and outcome of patients according to aortic stenosis (AS) severity. INTRODUCTION: Sex differences in the management and outcome of AS are poorly understood. METHODS: Doppler echocardiography data of patients with at least mild-to-moderate AS [aortic valve area (AVA) ≤1.5 cm2 and peak jet velocity (VPeak) ≥2.5 m/s or mean gradient (MG) ≥25 mmHg] were prospectively collected between 2005 and 2015 and retrospectively analysed. Patients with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (<50%), or mitral or aortic regurgitation >mild were excluded. RESULTS: Among 3632 patients, 42% were women. The mean indexed AVA (0.48 ± 0.17 cm2/m2), VPeak (3.74 ± 0.88 m/s), and MG (35.1 ± 18.2 mmHg) did not differ between sexes (all P ≥ 0.18). Women were older (72.9 ± 13.0 vs. 70.1 ± 11.8 years) and had more hypertension (75% vs. 70%; P = 0.0005) and less coronary artery disease (38% vs. 55%, P < 0.0001) compared to men. After inverse-propensity weighting (IPW), female sex was associated with higher mortality (IPW-HR: 1.91 [1.14-3.22]; P = 0.01) and less referral to valve intervention (competitive model IPW-HR: 0.88 [0.82-0.96]; P = 0.007) in the whole cohort. This excess mortality in women was blunted in concordant non-severe AS initially treated conservatively (IPW-HR = 1.03 [0.63-1.68]; P = 0.88) or in concordant severe AS initially treated by valve intervention (IPW-HR = 1.25 [0.71-2.21]; P = 0.43). Interestingly, the excess mortality in women was observed in discordant low-gradient AS patients (IPW-HR = 2.17 [1.19-3.95]; P = 0.01) where women were less referred to valve intervention (IPW-Sub-HR: 0.83 [0.73-0.95]; P = 0.009). CONCLUSION: In this large series of patients, despite similar baseline hemodynamic AS severity, women were less referred to AVR and had higher mortality. This seemed mostly to occur in the patient subset with discordant markers of AS severity (i.e. low-gradient AS) where women were less referred to AVR.

Secondary prevention after CABG: do new agents change the paradigm?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery remains the gold-standard treatment for multivessel and left main coronary artery disease. Despite significant improvement in cardiovascular outcomes, patients undergoing CABG remain at risk for recurrent adverse ischemic events and other cardiovascular outcomes (coronary revascularisation, stroke, cardiac death, etc.). The purpose of this review is to summarize the most recent evidence in pharmacological preventive therapies addressing the residual cardiovascular risk in patients who have undergone CABG. RECENT FINDINGS: Novel cardiovascular pharmacological preventive strategies targeting inflammatory, metabolic and prothrombotic (antiplatelet and anticoagulation) pathways have been recently assessed, with promising results for secondary prevention after CABG. SUMMARY: Secondary prevention is an essential part of postoperative care after CABG. Novel lipid-lowering and glucose-controlling agents suggest a strong and consistent benefit on native coronary artery disease and overall cardiovascular outcomes. The role and the choice of enhanced antiplatelet/anticoagulation/lipid/glucose-modulating therapies following CABG should be better defined and deserves further investigation. Additional studies are required to identify new therapeutic target addressing the specific multifactorial nature of the graft CV disease and identifying the best preventive strategies for long-term graft patency.