Assessing melanoma prognosis: the interplay between patient profiles, survival, and BRAF, NRAS, KIT, and TWT mutations in a retrospective multi-study analysis.

The incidence and prevalence of melanoma are increasing globally, presenting a significant public health concern. The main genetic drivers of melanoma include BRAF, NRAS, KIT and triple wild-type (TWT) mutations. Little is known about the effects of these mutations on outcomes in terms of demographics and patient characteristics. We examined differences in melanoma mortality risk and mutation count across mutation type and patient disease profile. We extrapolated primary melanoma patient data from 14 studies via the cBioportal database. Patients were divided into demographic groups and classified according to BRAF, NRAS, KIT and TWT mutation status. Analyses included two-sample Student t-test and two-way analysis of variance tests analysis with Tukey's post hoc test. Survival outcomes were compared via Kaplan-Meier curve and Cox regression. NRAS-mutated patients exhibited decreased overall survival compared to BRAF-mutated patients. Male patients had higher mutation counts across all gene groups than females, with the fewest TWT mutations in comparison to BRAF, NRAS and KIT mutations. Males also exhibited increased mortality risk for NRAS, KIT and TWT mutations compared to BRAF mutations. An unknown primary melanoma was associated with increased mortality risk across all gene groups. NRAS-mutated acral melanoma patients had an increased mortality risk compared to NRAS-mutated cutaneous melanoma patients. Older patients had a higher mortality risk than younger patients. Patients with heavier versus lower weights had lower mortality risk, which was more pronounced for BRAF-mutated patients. These relationships highlight the importance of demographic and pathologic relationships to aid in risk assessment and personalize treatment plans.

Deep learning approach for automated segmentation of myocardium using bone scintigraphy single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography in patients with suspected cardiac amyloidosis.

BACKGROUND: We employed deep learning to automatically detect myocardial bone-seeking uptake as a marker of transthyretin cardiac amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) in patients undergoing 99mTc-pyrophosphate (PYP) or hydroxydiphosphonate (HDP) single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)/computed tomography (CT). METHODS: We identified a primary cohort of 77 subjects at Brigham and Women's Hospital and a validation cohort of 93 consecutive patients imaged at the University of Pennsylvania who underwent SPECT/CT with PYP and HDP, respectively, for evaluation of ATTR-CM. Global heart regions of interest (ROIs) were traced on CT axial slices from the apex of the ventricle to the carina. Myocardial images were visually scored as grade 0 (no uptake), 1 (uptakeribs). A 2D U-net architecture was used to develop whole-heart segmentations for CT scans. Uptake was determined by calculating a heart-to-blood pool (HBP) ratio between the maximal counts value of the total heart region and the maximal counts value of the most superior ROI. RESULTS: Deep learning and ground truth segmentations were comparable (p=0.63). A total of 42 (55%) patients had abnormal myocardial uptake on visual assessment. Automated quantification of the mean HBP ratio in the primary cohort was 3.1±1.4 versus 1.4±0.2 (p<0.01) for patients with positive and negative cardiac uptake, respectively. The model had 100% accuracy in the primary cohort and 98% in the validation cohort. CONCLUSION: We have developed a highly accurate diagnostic tool for automatically segmenting and identifying myocardial uptake suggestive of ATTR-CM.

Clinical correlates of CT imaging-derived phenotypes among lean and overweight patients with hepatic steatosis.

The objective of this study is to define CT imaging derived phenotypes for patients with hepatic steatosis, a common metabolic liver condition, and determine its association with patient data from a medical biobank. There is a need to further characterize hepatic steatosis in lean patients, as its epidemiology may differ from that in overweight patients. A deep learning method determined the spleen-hepatic attenuation difference (SHAD) in Hounsfield Units (HU) on abdominal CT scans as a quantitative measure of hepatic steatosis. The patient cohort was stratified by BMI with a threshold of 25 kg/m2 and hepatic steatosis with threshold SHAD ≥ - 1 HU or liver mean attenuation ≤ 40 HU. Patient characteristics, diagnoses, and laboratory results representing metabolism and liver function were investigated. A phenome-wide association study (PheWAS) was performed for the statistical interaction between SHAD and the binary characteristic LEAN. The cohort contained 8914 patients-lean patients with (N = 278, 3.1%) and without (N = 1867, 20.9%) steatosis, and overweight patients with (N = 1863, 20.9%) and without (N = 4906, 55.0%) steatosis. Among all lean patients, those with steatosis had increased rates of cardiovascular disease (41.7 vs 27.8%), hypertension (86.7 vs 49.8%), and type 2 diabetes mellitus (29.1 vs 15.7%) (all p < 0.0001). Ten phenotypes were significant in the PheWAS, including chronic kidney disease, renal failure, and cardiovascular disease. Hepatic steatosis was found to be associated with cardiovascular, kidney, and metabolic conditions, separate from overweight BMI.

PET Radiotracers in Atherosclerosis: A Review.

Traditional atherosclerosis imaging modalities are limited to late stages of disease, prior to which patients are frequently asymptomatic. Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging allows for the visualization of metabolic processes underscoring disease progression via radioactive tracer, allowing earlier-stage disease to be identified. 2-deoxy-2-[fluorine-18]fluoro-D-glucose (18F-FDG) uptake largely reflects the metabolic activity of macrophages, but is unspecific and limited in its utility. By detecting areas of microcalcification, 18F-Sodium Fluoride (18F-NaF) uptake also provides insight into atherosclerosis pathogenesis. Gallium-68 DOTA-0-Tyr3-Octreotate (68Ga-DOTATATE) PET has also shown potential in identifying vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques with high somatostatin receptor expression. Finally, 11-carbon (11C)-choline and 18F-fluoromethylcholine (FMCH) tracers may identify high-risk atherosclerotic plaques by detecting increased choline metabolism. Together, these radiotracers quantify disease burden, assess treatment efficacy, and stratify risk for adverse cardiac events.

Acrophialophora: A Comprehensive Review of Clinical Guidelines and Diagnosis.

Acrophialophora is a saprotrophic genus of fungi found in both temperate and tropical regions. The genus is comprised of 16 species, with the subspecies A. fusispora and A. levis necessitating the most clinical concern. Acrophialophora is an opportunistic pathogen with a broad range of clinical manifestations; the fungus has been implicated in cases of fungal keratitis, lung infection, and brain abscess. Acrophialophora infection is particularly of concern for immunocompromised patients, who often present with a more severe disease course involving disseminated infection and may not exhibit typical symptoms. Early diagnosis and therapeutic intervention are critical to the successful clinical management of Acrophialophora infection. Guidelines for antifungal treatment have yet to be established, partially due to the lack of documented cases. Aggressive use of antifungal agents and long-term treatment is required, especially in immunocompromised patients and patients with systemic involvement, due to the potential for morbidity and mortality. In addition to outlining the rarity and epidemiology of the disease, this review provides an overview of the diagnosis and clinical management of Acrophialophora infection to facilitate an early diagnosis and appropriate interventions.

Socioeconomic Status and Burden of Atrial Fibrillation Hospitalizations Among Black US Adults: A Fifteen Year Analysis.

Socioeconomic status (SES) may help delineate inequities in atrial fibrillation (AF) among Blacks versus non-blacks. We queried the National Inpatient Sample database from January 2004 to December 2018 to determine trends in AF hospitalizations and in-hospital mortality stratified by Black race and SES. Total admissions for AF in the US has increased by 12% from 1077 to 1202 per 1 million US adults. Among patients hospitalized with AF, the proportion of Black adults is increasing. In those of low SES, both Black and non-black patients have had increases in AF hospitalizations. In those of high SES, Black patients have had a modest increase while non-black patients have had a progressive decrease in rate of hospitalizations. Overall, in-hospital mortality rates improved in Blacks and non-blacks, regardless of SES. Joint associations of SES and race can further qualify disparities in AF care.

Effect of Immunosuppressive Therapy and Biopsy Status in Monitoring Therapy Response in Suspected Cardiac Sarcoidosis.

BACKGROUND: Patients with suspected cardiac sarcoidosis frequently undergo fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) imaging to assess disease activity at baseline and after treatment initiation. OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the effect of immunosuppressive therapy and biopsy status to achieve complete treatment response (CTR), partial treatment response (PTR), or no response (NR) on myocardial FDG-PET/CT. METHODS: This study analyzed 83 patients with suspected cardiac sarcoidosis (aged 53 ± 1.8 years, 71% were male, 69% were White, 61% had a history of biopsy-confirmed sarcoidosis) who were treatment naive, had evidence of myocardial FDG at baseline, and underwent repeat PET imaging after treatment initiation. CTR was graded visually, and PTR/NR were measured both visually and quantitatively using the total glycolytic activity. Patients were also evaluated for the occurrence of death, sustained ventricular arrhythmias, and heart failure admissions. RESULTS: Overall, 59 patients (71%) achieved CTR/PTR (30%/41%) at follow-up scan (P = 0.04). Total glycolytic activity and visual estimate of PTR/NR had excellent agreement (κ = 0.86 [95% CI: 0.72-0.99]; P < 0.0001). In patients receiving prednisone only, the highest rates of CTR/PTR were observed in patients initiated on moderate or high dose (P < 0.01). In a regression model, moderate prednisone start dose (P = 0.03) was more strongly associated with achieving CTR/PTR than was high prednisone start dose. However, the latter patients were tapered faster between start dose and follow-up scan (P < 0.01). After a median follow-up of 4.7 (IQR: 3.1-7.8) years, patients who were biopsy-proven (vs non-biopsy-proven; P = 0.029) and with preserved left ventricular function (P = 002) were less likely to experience major adverse cardiac events. Outcomes based on treatment response status (CTR vs PTR vs NR; P = 0.23) were not significantly different. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with suspected sarcoidosis and evidence of myocardial inflammation, treatment response by serial FDG-PET was variable, but a favorable response was more common when using moderate-to-high intensity prednisone dose. Biopsy-proven individuals and those with preserved systolic function were less likely to experience adverse outcomes during follow-up.

Comprehensive nutrient consumption estimation and metabolic profiling during ketogenic diet and relationship with myocardial glucose uptake on FDG-PET.

AIMS: The ketogenic diet (KD) is standard-of-care to achieve myocardial glucose suppression (MGS) for assessing inflammation using fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET). As KD protocols remain highly variable between centres (including estimation of nutrient intake by dietary logs for adequacy of dietary preparation), we aimed to assess the predictive utility of nutrient intake in achieving MGS. METHODS AND RESULTS: Nineteen healthy participants underwent short-term KD, with FDG-PET performed after 1 and 3 days of KD (goal carbohydrate intake <20 g/day). Nutrient consumption was estimated from dietary logs using nutrition research software. The area under receiver operating characteristics (AUROC) of macronutrients (carbohydrate, fat, and protein intake) for predicting MGS was analysed. The association between 133 nutrients and 4 biomarkers [beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), non-esterified fatty acids, insulin, and glucagon] with myocardial glucose uptake was assessed using mixed effects regression with false discovery rate (FDR) correction. Median (25th-75th percentile) age was 29 (25-34) years, 47% were women, and 42% were non-white. Median (25th-75th percentile) carbohydrate intake (g) was 18.7 (13.1-30.7), 16.9 (10.4-28.7), and 21.1 (16.6-29.0) on Days 1-3. No macronutrient intake (carbohydrate, fat, or protein) predicted MGS (c-statistic 0.45, 0.53, 0.47, respectively). Of 133 nutrients and 4 biomarkers, only BHB was associated with myocardial glucose uptake after FDR correction (corrected P-value 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: During highly supervised, short-term KD, approximately half of patients meet strict carbohydrate goals. Yet, in healthy volunteers, dietary review does not provide reassurance for adequacy of myocardial preparation since no clear thresholds for carbohydrate or fat intake reliably predict MGS.

A nationwide cohort analysis to determine the prevalence of sinus node dysfunction and rates of pacemaker implantation in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has been known to have various degrees of cardiac involvement. However, limited evidence exists on prevalence of heart rhythm disorders in patients with SLE who have subsequent pacemaker (PM) implantation. The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of sinus node dysfunction (SND) in patients with SLE. The data was retrospectively analysed from the National Inpatient Sample database for the years 2010 to 2014 using the International Classification of Disease-9 diagnosis codes for SLE and SND in patients 18 years or older. We analysed data of 158,368 patients with SLE that were admitted from 2010 to 2014. The sample of patients ranged between 18 and 101 years of age (M = 52.13 ± 17.61), were primarily female (88.2%), and were Caucasian (50.6%). The prevalence of SND was 4.3%. In patients with both SLE and SND, the prevalence of PM implantation over the five-year period of analysis was 3.6% and the majority of these patients had a dual-chamber PM (85.6%). Prevalence rates of SND in patients with SLE increased for females over this five-year period (p = 0.023). Prevalence estimates of complications associated with PM in patients with SLE and SND were venous thromboembolism (2.1%), cardiac tamponade (0.4%), sepsis and severe sepsis (0.4%), septic shock (0%), pneumothorax (0%) and PM site hematoma (1.7%). The findings of this study revealed that the prevalence of SND and the prevalence of PM in patients with both SLE and SND have remained relatively consistent over the five years that our study analysed.

Venous thromboembolism detected by FDG-PET/CT in cancer patients: a common, yet life-threatening observation.

Cancer patients are at markedly increased risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE). Early detection of VTE may decrease morbidity and mortality in this population. We conducted this study to evaluate the ability of FDG-PET/CT to detect thrombosis in cancer patients. This retrospective study included 131 cancer patients with a history of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism (PE) referred for 2-deoxy-2-[18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT). All subjects underwent PET/CT imaging 60 minutes after FDG injection. Images were visually assessed for increased FDG uptake within the venous lumen. For positive cases, clinical follow-up and Doppler ultrasonography and/or contrast-enhanced CT scans were reviewed. FDG-PET/CT revealed abnormal uptake in the venous system of 26 (19.8%) patients. Eighteen (69.2%) had a history of DVT, and 13 (50%) had a history of PE. The most common site of thrombosis was the inferior vena cava (IVC) (n=14, 53.8%), followed by lower extremities veins (n=9, 34.6%), jugular veins (n=2, 7.7%), and superior vena cava (n=1, 3.8%). The presence of thrombi was confirmed by reviewing clinical follow-up in 6 (23.1%) patients. Among this group, thrombosis was detected in lower extremity veins (n=4, 15.8%), jugular veins (n=1, 3.8%), and IVC (n=1, 3.8%). Our study demonstrates that thrombi prior to their clinical manifestation can be detected by FDG-PET/CT in cancer patients. Moving forward, physicians must carefully consider the venous system when reporting FDG-PET/CT for cancer patients.

Left Ventricular Torsion Obtained Using Equilibrated Warping in Patients with Repaired Tetralogy of Fallot.

Patients after surgical repair of Tetralogy of Fallot (rTOF) may suffer a decrease in left ventricular (LV) function. The aim of our study is to evaluate a novel method of assessing LV torsion in patients with rTOF, as an early indicator of systolic LV dysfunction. Motion tracking based on image registration regularized by the equilibrium gap principle, known as equilibrated warping, was employed to assess LV torsion. Seventy-six cases of rTOF and ten normal controls were included. The group of controls was assessed for reproducibility using both equilibrated warping and standard clinical tissue tracking software (CVI42, version 5.10.1, Calgary, Canada). Patients were dichotomized into two groups: normal vs. loss of torsion. Torsion by equilibrated warping was successfully obtained in 68 of 76 (89%) patients and 9 of 10 (90%) controls. For equilibrated warping, the intra- and interobserver coefficients of variation were 0.095 and 0.117, respectively, compared to 0.260 and 0.831 for tissue tracking by standard clinical software. The intra- and inter-observer intraclass correlation coefficients for equilibrated warping were 0.862 and 0.831, respectively, compared to 0.992 and 0.648 for tissue tracking. Loss of torsion was noted in 32 of the 68 (47%) patients with rTOF. There was no difference in LV or RV volumes or ejection fraction between these groups. The assessment of LV torsion by equilibrated warping is feasible and shows good reliability. Loss of torsion is common in patients with rTOF and its robust assessment might contribute into uncovering heart failure in an earlier stage.

An understanding of the atherosclerotic molecular calcific heterogeneity between coronary, upper limb, abdominal, and lower extremity arteries as assessed by NaF PET/CT.

We aimed to quantify the heterogeneity of atherosclerosis in upper and lower limb vessels using 18F-NaF-PET/CT and compare calcification in coronary arteries to peripheral arteries. 68 healthy controls (42±13.5 years, 35 females, 33 males) and 40 patients at-risk for cardiovascular disease (55±11.9 years, 22 females, 18 males) underwent PET/CT imaging 90 minutes after the injection of 18F-NaF (2.2 Mbq/Kg). The following arteries were examined: coronary artery (CA), ascending aorta (AS), arch of aorta (AR), descending aorta (DA), abdominal aorta (AA), common iliac artery (CIA), external iliac artery (EIA), femoral artery (FA), popliteal artery (PA). Average SUVmean (aSUVmean) was calculated for each arterial segment. A paired t-test compared the aSUVmean between CA vs. AS, AR, DA, AA, CIA, EIA, FA, and PA. CA aSUVmean in the at-risk group was higher than the healthy control group (0.74±0.04 vs. 0.67±0.04, P=0.03). Furthermore, the 18F-NaF uptake in the CA was lower than in AS, AR, DA, AA, CIA, EIA, FA, and PA in both healthy (all P≤0.0001) and at-risk (all P≤0.0001). Higher 18F-NaF uptake in non-cardiac arteries in both healthy controls and patients at-risk suggests CA calcification is a late manifestation of atherosclerosis. This differential expression of atherosclerosis is likely due to interaction of hemodynamic parameters specific to the vascular bed and systemic factors related to the development of atherosclerosis.

Retraining Convolutional Neural Networks for Specialized Cardiovascular Imaging Tasks: Lessons from Tetralogy of Fallot.

Ventricular contouring of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging is the gold standard for volumetric analysis for repaired tetralogy of Fallot (rTOF), but can be time-consuming and subject to variability. A convolutional neural network (CNN) ventricular contouring algorithm was developed to generate contours for mostly structural normal hearts. We aimed to improve this algorithm for use in rTOF and propose a more comprehensive method of evaluating algorithm performance. We evaluated the performance of a ventricular contouring CNN, that was trained on mostly structurally normal hearts, on rTOF patients. We then created an updated CNN by adding rTOF training cases and evaluated the new algorithm's performance generating contours for both the left and right ventricles (LV and RV) on new testing data. Algorithm performance was evaluated with spatial metrics (Dice Similarity Coefficient (DSC), Hausdorff distance, and average Hausdorff distance) and volumetric comparisons (e.g., differences in RV volumes). The original Mostly Structurally Normal (MSN) algorithm was better at contouring the LV than the RV in patients with rTOF. After retraining the algorithm, the new MSN + rTOF algorithm showed improvements for LV epicardial and RV endocardial contours on testing data to which it was naïve (N = 30; e.g., DSC 0.883 vs. 0.905 for LV epicardium at end diastole, p < 0.0001) and improvements in RV end-diastolic volumetrics (median %error 8.1 vs 11.4, p = 0.0022). Even with a small number of cases, CNN-based contouring for rTOF can be improved. This work should be extended to other forms of congenital heart disease with more extreme structural abnormalities. Aspects of this work have already been implemented in clinical practice, representing rapid clinical translation. The combined use of both spatial and volumetric comparisons yielded insights into algorithm errors.

Global brain glucose uptake on 18F-FDG-PET/CT is influenced by chronic cardiovascular risk.

PURPOSE: The goal of this study was to assess global cerebral glucose uptake in subjects with known cardiovascular risk factors by employing a quantitative 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose-PET/computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) technique. We hypothesized that at-risk subjects would demonstrate decreased global brain glucose uptake compared to healthy controls. METHODS: We compared 35 healthy male controls and 14 male subjects at increased risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) as assessed by the systematic coronary risk evaluation (SCORE) tool. All subjects were grouped into two age-matched cohorts: younger (<50 years) and older (≥50 years). The global standardized uptake value mean (Avg SUVmean) was measured by mapping regions of interest of the entire brain across the supratentorial structures and cerebellum. Wilcoxon's rank-sum test was used to assess the differences in Avg SUVmean between controls and at-risk subjects. RESULTS: Younger subjects demonstrated higher brain Avg SUVmean than older subjects. In addition, in both age strata, the 10-year risk for fatal CVD according to the SCORE tool was significantly greater in the at-risk groups than in healthy controls (younger: P = 0.0304; older: P = 0.0436). In the younger cohort, at-risk subjects demonstrated significantly lower brain Avg SUVmean than healthy controls (P = 0.0355). In the older cohort, at-risk subjects similarly had lower Avg SUVmean than controls (P = 0.0343). CONCLUSIONS: Global brain glucose uptake appears to be influenced by chronic cardiovascular risk factors. Therefore, FDG-PET/CT may play a role in determining the importance of CVD on brain function and has potential for monitoring the efficacy of various therapeutic interventions.

Comparison of atherosclerotic burden in non-lower extremity arteries in patients with and without peripheral artery disease using 18F-NaF-PET/CT imaging.

Atherosclerosis is the most common cause of peripheral artery disease (PAD). We compared the atherosclerotic burden in non-lower extremity arteries in patients with and without PAD using 18F-sodium fluoride (NaF)-PET/CT. We identified five individuals (61.8±6.6 years, one male, four females) with PAD and matched to five individuals without PAD based on age and gender from the unfavorable cardiovascular risk profile group of the CAMONA trial (60±7.2 years, one male, four females). Individuals underwent PET/CT imaging 90 minutes after the injection of NaF (2.2 Mbq/Kg). CT imaging was conducted to account for attenuation correction and anatomic referencing. The NaF uptake was measured by manually defining regions of interest on each axial slice on the following arteries: coronary artery (CA), carotid artery (CR), ascending aorta (AS), arch of aorta (AR), descending aorta (DA), and abdominal aorta (AA). Average SUVmean (aSUVmean) was calculated for each segment. Wilcoxon's signed rank test was used for statistical analysis. The total aSUVmean was higher in the PAD group compared to the non-PAD group (6.54±0.9 vs. 5.03±0.45, P=0.043). Comparison revealed higher NaF uptake in CR, AS, AR, and DA in the PAD group compared to the non-PAD group (0.93±0.25 vs. 0.54±0.14, P=0.01; 1.28±0.20 vs. 0.86±1.19, P<0.01; 1.18±0.17 vs. 0.90±0.19, P=0.03; 1.32±0.24 vs. 0.91±0.15, P=0.01). The NaF uptake in CA and AA was similar between the two groups (0.77±0.04 vs. 0.71±0.05, P=0.11; 1.07±0.28 vs. 1.12±0.30, P=0.82). We found individuals with PAD had higher atherosclerotic burden in the carotid arteries and thoracic aorta compared to non-PAD subjects.

Utilization of NaF-PET/CT in assessing global cardiovascular calcification using CHADS2 and CHADS2-VASc scoring systems in high risk individuals for cardiovascular disease.

CHADS2 and CHA2DS2-VASc scores are used to estimate the risk of strokes in patients with atrial fibrillation. We sought to determine the global quantification of cardiovascular molecular calcification in high risk individuals by NaF-PET/CT and compare it with CHADS2 and CHA2DS2-VASc scores. We identified 40 high risk individuals for cardiovascular disease from the Cardiovascular Molecular Calcification Assessed by 18F-NaF PET CT (CAMONA) trial and calculated CHADS2 and CHADS2-VASc scores for each. Ninety minutes after NaF injection (2.2 Mbq/kg), PET/CT imaging was performed. CT imaging was done for attenuation correction and anatomic correlation. The global cardiac uptake was calculated from regions of interest manually drawn on axial PET/CT images made in OsirixMD. Global cardiac average SUVmean (aSUVmean) values were calculated, and linear regression analysis was employed for statistical purposes. Subjects had mean age of 55 ± 11.9 SD years, (Range: 23-73 years), female 55%. The sample consisted of subjects with a mean aSUVmax of 2.9 ± 1.4, aSUVmean was 0.8 ± 0.2, CHADS2 0.9 ± 0.6 (Range: 0-3), CHA2DS2-VASc 1.8 ± 1.3 (Range: 0-5). Based on the linear regression models, we found a direct correlation between global cardiac aSUVmean and CHADS2 score (r=0.58, P≤0.0001) and also between global cardiac aSUVmean and CHA2DS2-VASc (r=0.37, P=0.01). Based on the results of our study we conclude that patients with a higher CHADS2 and CHA2DS2-VASc scores had a higher atherosclerotic burden and could be at greater risk of cardiovascular events. These scoring systems can help with risk stratification for predicting future adverse atherosclerotic events.

Association between atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk score estimated by pooled cohort equation and coronary plaque burden as assessed by NaF-PET/CT.

Pooled Cohort Equations (PCE) combines metabolic and non-metabolic parameters to predict the 10-year risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Therefore, we hypothesize that ASCVD risk score is correlated to global cardiac microcalcification, as assessed by 18F-sodium fluoride-positron emission tomography/computed tomography (NaF-PET/CT). Sixty-one individuals (53.4±8.9 years, 32 females, 100% Caucasian) without known ASCVD underwent NaF-PET/CT imaging. Global cardiac average SUVmean (aSUVmean), also known as the Alavi-Carlsen Calcification Score, was calculated across manually defined regions of interest on each axial slice for each individual. The 10-year ASCVD risk score was determined for each individual using the PCE as per ACC/AHA guidelines, and then individuals were categorized into low-, borderline-, intermediate-, and high-risk groups based on their score. Linear regression analysis was applied to compare each individual's ASCVD score and aSUVmean. Global cardiac aSUVmean stratified by groups estimated by 10-year ASCVD risk score were 0.67±0.09 for low risk (n=32), 0.70±0.11 for borderline risk (n=10), 0.72±0.10 for intermediate risk (n=17), and 0.78±0.10 for high risk (n=2). ASCVD risk score was significantly correlated to aSUVmean (r=0.27, P=0.03). This is among the first studies to compare ASCVD risk scores to cardiac plaque burden as assessed by NaF-PET/CT. Large, prospective studies are needed to further investigate the potential of NaF uptake in ASCVD.

COVID-19 and the Heart.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) which causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has resulted in a global health crisis. Prior to the arrival of this viral pandemic, the world was already plagued with a significant burden of cardiovascular disease. With the introduction of the novel virus, the world now faces a double jeapordy. Early reports have suggested an increased risk of death in individuals with underlying cardio-metabolic disorders. The exact effects of COVID-19 on the cardiovascular system are not well determined, however lessons from prior viral epidemics suggest that such infections can trigger acute coronary syndromes, arrhythmias and heart failure via direct and indirect mechanisms. In this article, we aimed to discuss the effects and potential underlying mechanisms of COVID -19 as well as potential implications of treatments targeted against this virus on the cardiovascular system.

El síndrome respiratorio agudo severo coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) que causa la enfermedad por coronavirus (COVID-19) ha provocado una crisis en la salud global. Antes de la llegada de esta pandemia, se tenia una carga importante de enfermedad cardiovascular a nivel mundial. Con la introducción del nuevo virus, el mundo ahora se enfrenta a un doble peligro. Los primeros informes han sugerido un mayor riesgo de muerte en personas con trastornos cardio-metabólicos de base. Los efectos causados por el COVID-19, en el sistema cardiovascular aun no están bien determinados, sin embargo, el conocimiento sobre otras epidemias virales previamente ocurridas en el mundo, sugieren que estas infecciones pueden desencadenar síndromes coronarios agudos, arritmias e insuficiencia cardíaca a través de mecanismos directos e indirectos. En este artículo, nuestro objetivo fue analizar los efectos y los posibles mecanismos subyacentes de COVID -19, así como las posibles implicaciones de los tratamientos dirigidos contra este virus en el sistema cardiovascular.