Heart Failure With Recovered Ejection Fraction in African Americans: Results From the African-American Heart Failure Trial.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have described the entity of heart failure with recovered ejection fraction (HFrecEF), but population-specific studies remain lacking. The aim of this study was to characterize patients enrolled in the African-American Heart Failure Trial (A-HeFT) who had significant improvement in their ejection fraction (EF) during the 1st 6 months of follow-up. METHODS AND RESULTS: Subjects with HFrecEF (improvement in EF from <35% to >40% in 6 months; n = 59) were compared with 259 subjects with heart failure and persistently reduced EF (HFrEF), defined as EF ≤40% at 6-month follow-up. The effects of improvement in EF on all-cause mortality and 1st and all hospitalizations were analyzed. Compared with HFrEF, subjects with HFrecEF had a nonsignificant trend toward lower mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 0.16, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.02-1.15; P = .068), fewer 1st HF hospitalizations (HR 0.22, 95% CI 0.07-0.71; P = .011), fewer recurrent HF hospitalizations (HR 0.13, 95% CI 0.05-0.37; P <.001), similar 1st all-cause hospitalizations (HR 0.67, 95% CI 0.39-1.15; P = .150), and fewer recurrent all-cause hospitalizations (HR 0.41, 95% CI 0.24-0.68; P <.001). CONCLUSIONS: These data confirm that, as in other populations, a small subgroup of black patients receiving standard care improve their EF with favorable outcomes. Further studies are required to determine whether myocardial recovery is permanent and the best management strategies in such patients.

Current and novel biomarkers in heart failure: bench to bedside.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Natriuretic peptides, high-sensitivity cardiac troponins, and suppression of tumorigenicity 2 are novel biomarkers that reflect the intricate pathophysiology of heart failure and can thus be used for the diagnosis, management, and prognosis of heart failure. RECENT FINDINGS: This review article describes the significance of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), N-terminal prohormone of BNP, ST2, and cardiac troponins. We outline their new roles in guiding the management of heart failure as well as strong prognostic indicators for adverse cardiovascular outcomes. SUMMARY: By recognizing the diagnostic and prognostic significance of these biomarkers, clinicians can utilize these biomarkers to more accurately evaluate and risk stratify patients. These markers can also be used to help guide the medical management of heart failure. The best approach for an accurate diagnosis, management, and prognosis of heart failure will likely involve a multimarker panel of biomarkers, which may include high-sensitivity troponins, BNP, N-terminal prohormone of BNP, and ST2.

Clinical and angiographic outcomes with everolimus eluting stents for the treatment of cardiac allograft vasculopathy.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to examine clinical efficacy, safety, and intermediate clinical outcomes with everolimus-eluting stents (EESs) in patients with transplant coronary artery disease (TCAD). BACKGROUND: TCAD is a major cause of mortality in patients following orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT). Systemic everolimus in OHT patients has been shown to reduce TCAD. The safety and efficacy of an EES, the Xience V, have not been evaluated in this population. METHODS: Patients post-OHT with hemodynamically significant CAD who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with EES were included. Participants were maintained on dual antiplatelet therapy for 1-year post-PCI. We examined procedural success, in-hospital and 1-year mortality, stent thrombosis, angiographic restenosis, and myocardial infarction rates. All patients had follow-up angiography 1-year after PCI. Target vessel revascularization (TVR), target lesion revascularization (TLR), in-segment restenosis, target vessel failure (TVF), and lumen late loss were noted. RESULTS: PCI was performed in 34 de novo lesions in 21 patients, and 40 EES were placed. Procedural success rate was 100%. Average stent was 16.5 ± 5.1 mm long and 3.0 ± 0.6 mm in diameter. All patients had angiographic follow-up (409 ± 201 days). There was no stent thrombosis, deaths, or myocardial infarctions during follow-up. Two patients had focal in-stent restenosis. TLR rate was 5.9% (2/34), and TVR rate was 11.1% (3/27). Quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) showed stenosis diameter to be 19.98 ± 17.57%. CONCLUSIONS: Use of an EES is associated with a low incidence of TVR and TLR in patients with TCAD. Further studies are needed to determine whether PCI with EES changes long-term outcomes.

Feasibility and safety of percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with end-stage liver disease referred for liver transplantation.

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has traditionally not been an option for patients with end-stage liver disease (ESLD) and coronary artery disease (CAD). This retrospective study was designed to demonstrate the feasibility and safety of PCI in liver transplant candidates. Patients with ESLD and hemodynamically significant CAD who were otherwise deemed to be acceptable candidates for liver transplantation underwent PCI. The procedural success rates, mortality and myocardial infarction rates, and bleeding outcomes were examined. Sixteen patients with ESLD underwent PCI: 15 with bare-metal stents (1.3 stents per patient on average) and 1 with balloon angioplasty alone. The median diameter stenosis per lesion was 80%, the median platelet count was 68 × 10(9) /L, the median international normalized ratio was 1.3, and the median Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score was 13. PCI was successful in 94% of the patients. One patient had a suboptimal residual stenosis of 50% after stenting. There were no in-hospital or 30-day deaths or myocardial infarctions, and no patients developed hematomas. One patient required a 1-U platelet transfusion, and another required 1 U of packed red blood cells. All patients remained clinically stable 1 month after PCI. Nine of the 16 patients were listed for liver transplantation, and 3 patients underwent liver transplantation. In conclusion, we have demonstrated the safety and feasibility of PCI in a small cohort of patients with ESLD and hemodynamically significant CAD, the majority of whom had significant thrombocytopenia. Larger studies are required to determine whether PCI is an effective treatment strategy for patients with ESLD and hemodynamically significant CAD who otherwise would not be candidates for liver transplantation.

H1N1 virus infection associated with acute myocardial infarction in a young patient without coronary artery disease--first reported case.

Swine-origin influenza A (H1N1) virus was identified in March of 2009 in Mexico and the United States. The virus spread rapidly, becoming pandemic by June. Previous studies examined the role of influenza infection in cardiovascular disease, however, we present the first case of an acute myocardial infarction in a healthy patient specifically associated with the novel viral infection. This case underscores the importance of prompt diagnosis and treatment as well as vigilance on behalf of health care workers in treating patients affected with influenza A (H1N1). Consideration of this previously undescribed pathology may play a significant role in the coming debates over vaccines and access.

Antithrombotic regimens in patients with atrial fibrillation and coronary artery disease after percutaneous coronary intervention: A focused review.

Atrial fibrillation and coronary artery disease are common comorbidities with increasing incidences worldwide. About 5-15% of atrial fibrillation patients will require coronary stenting at some point in their lives, which necessitates dual antiplatelet therapy with aspirin and a P2Y12 antagonist. Triple therapy refers to the clinical scenario in which a patient is prescribed aspirin, P2Y12 antagonist, and oral anticoagulant, usually in the setting of atrial fibrillation. Current guidelines on atrial fibrillation do not offer strong recommendations on triple therapy management. Furthermore, the optimal duration of dual antiplatelet therapy after percutaneous coronary intervention is evolving based on contemporary research and development of newer generation drug eluting stents, changing the necessary duration of triple therapy in patients with atrial fibrillation. This review will offer an in-depth survey of current guidelines, current evidence, and future studies regarding triple therapy in atrial fibrillation patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.

Usefulness and safety of percutaneous coronary interventions for cardiac transplant vasculopathy.

Late morbidity and death as a result of progressive coronary vascular obliteration remains a major unsolved problem after orthotopic heart transplantation. Various percutaneous catheter intervention (PCI) methods have been used to treat transplant coronary artery disease (CAD), but few reports have assessed the longitudinal results of these procedures. Of 1,440 cardiac transplant patients at University of California, Los Angeles, Medical Center, treated between 1984 and 2004, 65 patients who had undergone orthotopic heart transplantation underwent PCI on a total of 156 coronary artery lesions because of transplant CAD between July 1993 and August 2004. The procedural success rate was 93%. Angiographic follow-up was available for 42 patients and 101 lesions 9.5 +/- 5.8 months after PCI. The global restenosis rate was 36%. Multivariate analysis was used to assess 49 clinical, angiographic, and immunologic variables per lesion. The use of a cutting balloon increased the risk of restenosis (odds ratio 11.5, p <0.01) and the use of stents decreased the risk of restenosis (odds ratio 0.34, p <0.05) compared with other PCI methods. The restenosis rate with drug-eluting stents was 19%, lower than that with bare metal stents (31%). Of the 65 patients, 20 (31%) died within 1.9 +/- 1.8 years after PCI. The actuarial survival rate was 56% at 5 years after the first PCI. In conclusion, although the restenosis rate after PCI was higher than that in nontransplant patients with CAD, the immediate and long-term results were acceptable in this high-risk population. Despite the intense inflammation associated with transplant CAD, drug-eluting stents appeared to reduce the occurrence of restenosis. Compared with historical controls, PCI may also improve the actuarial survival rate of patients undergoing orthotopic heart transplantation.

Reversal agents for direct oral anticoagulants: A focused review.

For several decades the vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants were the only outpatient therapy that existed to reduce the risk of stroke and thromboembolism. When the new direct oral anticoagulants were approved for use and addressed many of the issues associated with oral vitamin K antagonists, a new concern arose-the lack of rapid ability to reverse these agents. Physicians and patients were concerned that in cases of life-threatening bleeding or need for emergent surgery, an antidote to reverse the anticoagulation effect of these agents did not exist. Contemporary research has aimed to produce reversal agents that can be administered to safely neutralize the anticoagulant effect. In this focused review we describe the clinical development as well as mechanisms of action of three agents (idarucizumab, andexanet alpha, and ciraparantag). We review the pharmacokinetics, animal and human study data of these reversal agents and outline the evidence supporting their use. Although questions of safety and appropriate use remain, these reversal agents offer a significant step forward in the widespread use of direct oral anticoagulants and overall management of the anticoagulant effect.

Prognostic Usefulness of Proenkephalin in Stable Ambulatory Patients With Heart Failure.

Patients with heart failure have a poor prognosis, yet outcomes might be improved by early identification of risk. Proenkephalin (proENK), a novel biomarker, is a stable surrogate marker for endogenous enkephalins and is an independent predictor of heart failure and death in patients who had an acute myocardial infarction. This is the first study to evaluate the prognostic utility of this biomarker in stable ambulatory patients. We conducted a 4-year single-center prospective cohort study of 200 patients who were referred for an outpatient echocardiogram. Blood samples were obtained to analyze levels of proENK at the time of the initial echocardiogram. Patients were evaluated for the combined end point cardiovascular-related hospital admission or death. Participants with higher proENK levels were older and had higher serum creatinine and lower estimated glomerular filtration rate, lower ejection fraction, and higher rates of hypertension and diabetes (p ≤0.009). Highest proENK tertile had a hazard ratio of 3.0 (95% confidence interval 1.4 to 6.7) compared with the first tertile (p <0.007) for the primary end point. In conclusion, proENK demonstrated significant prognostic utility for cardiovascular-related hospital admission or death.

Non-Vitamin K Antagonist Oral Anticoagulant Use in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation and Associated Intracranial Hemorrhage: A Focused Review.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia and predisposes patients to an increased risk of embolic stroke. After nearly 60 years, warfarin is no longer the only effective therapeutic option for patients with AF. Large randomized trials have consistently shown that non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants (NOACs) including dabigatran, rivaroxaban, apixaban, and edoxaban significantly reduce from the risk of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) compared with warfarin. We provide a focused review regarding the NOACs and ICH in AF patients by summarizing findings of these large clinical trials, mechanisms of lower ICH, reversal strategies with specific agents, and monitoring strategies.

Prognostic Contribution of Exercise Capacity, Heart Rate Recovery, Chronotropic Incompetence, and Myocardial Perfusion Single-Photon Emission Computerized Tomography in the Prediction of Cardiac Death and All-Cause Mortality.

Chronotropic incompetence, measured by the percentage (%) of heart rate (HR) reserve achieved (%HR reserve), abnormal HR recovery, reduced exercise capacity (EC), and myocardial perfusion single-photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT MPS) abnormalities are known predictors of all-cause mortality (ACM) and cardiac death (CD). The aim of this study was to determine if EC, %HR reserve, and HR recovery add incremental value to MPS in the prediction of ACM and CD. A total of 11,218 patients without valvular disease and not on ß blockers underwent symptom-limited exercise MPS. %HR reserve was (peak HR - rest HR)/(220 - age - rest HR) × 100, with %HR reserve <80 defined as low. HR recovery was peak HR - recovery HR. An HR recovery <22 beats/min at 2 minutes after peak exercise was considered abnormal. Poor EC was defined as exercise duration ≤6 minutes (7 metabolic equivalents). Summed stress scores (SSSs) were calculated using a 20-segment, 5-point MPS model. Statistical analysis was performed using Cox regression models. There were 445 deaths (148 CD) during a mean follow-up of 3.2 ± 2.5 years. In multivariate analysis, the independent predictors of ACM were age, χ(2) = 154.81; EC, χ(2) = 74.00; SSS, χ(2) = 32.99; %HR reserve, χ(2) = 24.74; abnormal electrocardiogram at rest, χ(2) = 23.13; HR recovery, χ(2) = 18.45; diabetes, χ(2) = 17.75; and previous coronary artery disease, χ(2) = 11.85 (p ≤0.0006). The independent predictors of CD were SSS, χ(2) = 54.25; EC, χ(2) = 49.34; age, χ(2) = 46.45; abnormal electrocardiogram at rest, χ(2) = 30.60; previous coronary artery disease, χ(2) = 20.69; Duke treadmill score, χ(2) = 19.50; %HR reserve, χ(2) = 11.43; diabetes, χ(2) = 10.23 (all p ≤0.0014); and HR recovery, χ(2) = 5.30 (p = 0.0214). The exercise variables showed increases in Harrell's C static and net improvement reclassification, with EC showing the strongest incremental improvement in predicting ACM and CD (respective C-index 76.5% and 83.3% and net reclassification index 0.3201 and 0.4996). In conclusion, EC, %HR reserve, and HR recovery are independent predictors of ACM and CD and add incremental prognostic value to extent and severity of MPS.