Analysis on echocardiographic data of fetal heart defects at high altitude in Yunnan province and surrounding high altitude areas / 中华心血管病杂志

Objective: To explore the current situation of fetal heart defects in Yunnan Province and surrounding high altitude areas and the social factors affecting pregnancy outcome. Methods: This is a retrospective study. Pregnant woman who underwent fetal echocardiography and diagnosed as fetal cardiac defects in Yunnan Fuwai Cardiovascular Hospital from June 2017 to January 2021 were included. According to the clinical prognostic risk scoring system and grading criteria of fetal cardiac birth defects, the cases were divided into grade Ⅰ to Ⅳ. The disease distribution and proportion of each prognostic grade, pregnancy outcomes were analyzed and compared. The cases were divided into continued pregnancy group and terminated pregnancy group according to pregnancy outcome. The social factors that may affect the selection of pregnancy outcomes were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results: A total of 4 929 fetal echocardiography examination data were collected, and 4 464 cases (90.57%) were from Yunnan Province and surrounding high altitude areas. 2 166 cases of heart defects were finally analyzed, including 998 cases of congenital heart disease (CHD), 93 cases of cardiac tumors, cardiomyopathy and arrhythmia, 1 075 cases of foramen ovale, ductus arteriosus abnormalities and normal variations. The pregnant women were (29.2±5.0) years old with (25.6±3.8) gestational weeks. The number of cases with prognostic grade from Ⅰ to Ⅳ was 1 037 (47.88%), 620 (28.62%), 314 (14.50%), and 44 (2.03%), respectively. And 151 cases (6.97%) were not classified. The cases of normal variation and thin aortic arch development accounted for 42.66% (924/2 166), 5.22% (113/2 166), respectively. The top 3 diseases of grade Ⅱ were ventricular septal defect, coarctation of aorta and mild-moderate pulmonary stenosis, respectively, and their distribution was 11.63% (252/2 166), 3.92% (85/2 166) and 2.35% (51/2 166) respectively in all cases of heart defects, and 25.25% (252/998), 8.52% (85/998) and 5.11% (51/998) respectively in cases of CHD. Among the cases rated as grade Ⅲ and Ⅳ, most of them were complicated congenital heart disease, and the disease types are scattered. The more common cases in grade Ⅲ were complete transposition of great arteries (accounting for 2.40% (52/2 166) of all cases with heart defects, 5.21% (52/998) of all cases with CHD) and pulmonary artery occlusion (type Ⅰ to Ⅲ) with ventricular septal defect (accounting for 2.17% (47/2 166) of all cases with heart defects, and 4.71% (47/998) of all cases with CHD). In grade Ⅳ, single ventricle (0.74% (16/2 166) of all cases with heart defects, 1.60% (16/998) of all cases with CHD) and left ventricular dysplasia syndrome (0.65% (14/2 166) of all cases with heart defects, 1.40% (14/998) of all cases with CHD) are more common. A total of 1 084 cases were successfully followed up, and 675 cases were born, 392 cases were terminated, spontaneous abortion occurred in 17 cases. The proportion of terminated pregnancy cases was significantly increased from grade Ⅰ to Ⅳ, accounting for 5.24% (21/401), 27.78% (70/252), 89.54% (214/239) and 95.56% (43/45), respectively. Among the terminated pregnancy cases, those with grade Ⅲ accounted for the highest proportion (54.59% (214/392)). The distribution of terminated pregnancy cases was mainly complex congenital malformations or diseases with very poor prognosis (pregnancy outcome grade Ⅲ and Ⅳ), and proportion of terminated pregnancy with pregnancy outcome grade Ⅰ and Ⅱ cases (normal variation or good prognosis) accounted for 5.36% (21/392) and 17.86% (70/392), respectively. The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that pregnant women with low education (high school and below: OR=2.73, 95%CI 1.26-5.93, P<0.001; illiteracy: OR=3.27, 95%CI 1.29-7.10, P<0.001) and low family income (Annual income<100 000 yuan: OR=2.47, 95%CI 1.69-5.12, P<0.001) were more likely to choose termination of pregnancy in case of fetal heart defect. Conclusion: In Yunnan province and the surrounding high altitude areas, the disease distribution of fetal heart defect is mainly simple or low-risk disease, but the complex malformation, especially the disease with poor pregnancy outcome, accounts for a relative high proportion. Pregnancy termination also occurs in some cases with good pregnancy outcome. The education level and family income of pregnant women may affect their choice of pregnancy outcome in case of fetal heart defect.

A prospective study to evaluate the efficacy of an intracardiac electrogram-based atrioventricular and interventricular intervals optimization method in cardiac resynchronization therapy / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) with biventricular pacing improves cardiac function, functional capacity and quality of life in selected patients with heart failure. The current study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of the intracardiac electrogram (IEGM)-based optimization method, QuickOpt(TM), in Chinese patients treated with CRT.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Aortic time velocity integrals (AVTI) achieved at the sensed atrioventricular (AV), paced AV and interventricular (VV) interval settings recommended by both QuickOpt(TM) and standard echocardiographic optimization were measured in 101 patients. Consistency and the strength of the relationship between the two timing cycle optimization methods were assessed by intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The ICC showed good agreement and correlation with what the AVTI achieved at the optimal sensed AV (ICC = 0.9683 (0.9535 - 0.9785)), paced AV (ICC = 0.9642 (0.9475 - 0.9757)) and VV (ICC = 0.9730 (0.9602 - 0.9817)) interval settings determined by the two optimization methods. The average time required by echocardiographic optimization and by QuickOpt(TM) were (78.32 ± 32.40) minutes and (1.98 ± 1.64) minutes respectively (P < 0.0001).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The QuickOpt(TM) algorithm provides a quicker, simpler and reliable alternative to the standard method for timing cycle optimization.</p>

Effects of extracorporeal cardiac shock wave therapy in patients with ischemic heart failure / 中华心血管病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the feasibility, safety and efficiency of extracorporeal cardiac shock wave therapy (CSWT) in patients with ischemic heart failure.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Fifty patients with ischemic heart failure and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) < 50% were randomized to CSWT (shots/spot at 0.09 mJ/mm(2) for 9 spots, 9 times within 3 month) or control group. Dual isotope simultaneous acquisition single-photon emission computed tomography with (99)Tc(m)-sestamibi/(18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose ((99)Tc(m)-MIBI/(18)F-FDG) was performed before randomization and at 1 month after CSWT/control to locate and evaluate viable myocardium region. Canadian cardiovascular society (CCS) class sores, NYHA, Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ), 6-min walk test (6 MWT), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (LVEDD) and the dosage of nitroglycerin use were compared between two groups at each time point.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>All patients completed the study protocol without procedural complications. At 1 month, patients in CSWT group experienced improvement in NYHA (P < 0.01), CCS (P < 0.01), SAQ (P = 0.021), 6 MWT (P = 0.012) and dosage of nitroglycerin use (P < 0.01) compared to baseline. LVEF [45.0 (39.0, 48.0) vs. 47.0 (42.0, 50.0) P = 0.001], LVEDD [58.0 (56.0, 59.0) vs. 56.0 (55.0, 58.0) P = 0.002], summed perfused score [23.0 (20.5, 24.5) vs. 20.0 (18.0, 22.0) P < 0.01] and metabolic score [25.0 (23.0, 26.0) vs. 24.0 (21.5, 25.0) P = 0.028] were also improved in CSWT group. All these parameters remained unchanged in control group between baseline and at 1 month. CSWT was independent factor for improved cardiac function, quality of life and echocardiography parameters after adjusting for known factors which might affect outcome.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>CSWT could improve symptom, cardiac function, quality of life and exercise tolerance in patients with ischemic heart failure, CSWT might serve as a new, non-invasive, safe and efficient therapy for these patients.</p>

Initial experiences of maintaining atrioventricular intrinsic conduction during cardiac resynchronization therapy in non-responders / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is a major breakthrough in therapy for advanced heart failure patients; however, a number of key clinical research questions remain, perhaps most importantly the issue of why apparently suitable patients do not respond to CRT.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Seven patients, six males and one female, aged (56.43 +/- 6.13) years, all diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy, were included in this study. They were all non-responders to CRT who underwent routine optimization postoperatively, and received optimal drug therapy. On the basis of biventricular pacing, titrating various atrioventricular (AV) intervals were performed to get the true fusional QRS complexes composed of biventricular pacing and AV intrinsic conduction. Then, the effects of AV intrinsic conduction during CRT were evaluated.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>On the setting of AV intrinsic conduction during CRT, the true fusional QRS complexes were the narrowest, and all patients showed alleviation of symptoms, improvement of exercise tolerance, life quality and hemodynamic parameters during more than 6 months of follow-up.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Titrating AV intervals to get the true fusional QRS complexes composed of biventricular pacing and AV intrinsic conduction will be beneficial for non-responders to CRT. Maintaining AV intrinsic conduction during CRT may decrease the rates of non-responders to CRT.</p>