Longitudinal Assessment of Left Atrial Remodeling in Patients With Chronic Severe Aortic Regurgitation.

BACKGROUND: There are significant sex and age differences in left ventricular (LV) remodeling that may lead to disparity in outcomes when used to inform the timing of aortic regurgitation (AR) intervention. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to examine whether left atrial (LA) parameters might represent better criteria than LV parameters to inform the timing of AR intervention. METHODS: Using data on patients with moderate to severe or severe AR with serial echocardiography (2010-2016), the longitudinal trends in left atrial volume index (LAVI) and left atrial reservoir strain (LAr) were evaluated by sex and age. The incremental utility of these parameters in predicting adverse events over LV parameters was also determined. RESULTS: In 525 patients (25.7% women) with 1,687 echocardiograms over a median follow-up period of 2.0 years (Q1-Q3: 1.0-3.6 years), there was significant increase in LAVI (1.0 mL/m2 per year [95% CI: 0.76-1.2 mL/m2 per year]) and decrease in LAr (-1.3% per year [95% CI: -1.6% to -0.92%]), without a significant interaction by sex or age category (P for interaction ≥ 0.17). In addition, both LAVI and LAr were significant predictors of adverse events independent of LV parameters. The optimal discriminatory thresholds were 37 mL/m2 for LAVI and 35% for LAr. These thresholds were similar across categories of sex and age. Within the relatively short-term follow-up, surgery was associated with survival benefit among patients with LAVI ≥37 mL/m2 (HR: 0.33 [95% CI: 0.15-0.72]; P = 0.006) but was not statistically significant among patients with LAVI <37 mL/m2 (HR: 0.46 [95% CI: 0.18-1.17]; P = 0.09). Similarly, surgery was associated with survival for the subgroup with LAr ≤35% but not among those with LAr >35%. CONCLUSIONS: Unlike LV remodeling, LA remodeling demonstrates a similar rate of progression between categories of sex and age among patients with AR. In addition, LA parameters provide incremental prognostic value over LV parameters.

Pericardial Disease in Cardiac Amyloidosis: A Comprehensive Review.

In patients with cardiac amyloidosis, pericardial involvement is common, with up to half of patients presenting with pericardial effusions. The pathophysiological mechanisms of pericardial pathology in cardiac amyloidosis include chronic elevations in right-sided filling pressures, myocardial and pericardial inflammation due to cytotoxic effects of amyloid deposits, and renal involvement with subsequent uremia and hypoalbuminemia. The pericardial effusions are typically small; however, several cases of life-threatening cardiac tamponade with hemorrhagic effusions have been described as a presenting clinical scenario. Constrictive pericarditis can also occur due to amyloidosis and its identification presents a clinical challenge in patients with cardiac amyloidosis who concurrently manifest signs of restrictive cardiomyopathy. Multimodality imaging, including echocardiography, cardiac computed tomography, and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, is useful in the evaluation and management of this patient population. The recognition of pericardial effusion is important in the risk stratification of patients with cardiac amyloidosis as its presence confers a poor prognosis. However, specific treatment aimed at the effusions themselves is seldom indicated. Cardiac tamponade and constrictive pericarditis may necessitate pericardiocentesis and pericardiectomy, respectively.

Role of aortic valve replacement in moderate aortic stenosis: a 10-year outcomes study.

OBJECTIVE: Patients with moderate aortic stenosis (AS) exhibit high morbidity and mortality. Limited evidence exists on the role of aortic valve replacement (AVR) in this patient population. To investigate the benefit of AVR in moderate AS on survival and left ventricular function. METHODS: In a retrospective cohort study, patients with moderate AS between 2008 and 2016 were selected from the Cleveland Clinic echocardiography database and followed until 2018. Patients were classified as receiving AVR or managed medically (clinical surveillance). All-cause and cardiovascular mortality were assessed by survival analyses. Temporal haemodynamic and structural changes were assessed with longitudinal analyses using linear mixed effects models. RESULTS: We included 1421 patients (mean age, 75.3±5.4 years and 39.9% women) followed over a median duration of 6 years. Patients in the AVR group had lower risk of all-cause (adjusted HR (aHR)=0.51, 95% CI: 0.34 to 0.77; p=0.001) and cardiovascular mortality (aHR=0.50, 95% CI: 0.31 to 0.80; p=0.004) compared with those in the clinical surveillance group irrespective of sex, receipt of other open-heart surgeries and underlying malignancy. These findings were seen only in those with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≥50%. Further, patients in the AVR group had a significant trend towards an increase in LVEF and a decrease in right ventricular systolic pressure compared with those in the clinical surveillance group. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with moderate AS, AVR was associated with favourable clinical outcomes and left ventricular remodelling.

Impact of untreated chronic obstructive coronary artery disease on outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: In transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) recipients, the optimal management of concomitant chronic obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) remains unknown. Some advocate for pre-TAVR percutaneous coronary intervention, while others manage it expectantly. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of varying degrees and extent of untreated chronic obstructive CAD on TAVR and longer-term outcomes. METHODS: The authors conducted a retrospective cohort study of TAVR recipients from January 2015 to November 2021, separating patients into stable non-obstructive or varying degrees of obstructive CAD. The major outcomes of interest were procedural all-cause mortality and complications, major adverse cardiovascular events, and post-TAVR unplanned coronary revascularization. RESULTS: Of the 1911 patients meeting inclusion, 75%, 6%, 10%, and 9% had non-obstructive, intermediate-risk, high-risk, and extreme-risk CAD, respectively. Procedural complication rates overall were low (death 0.4%, shock 0.1%, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation 0.1%), with no difference across groups. At a median follow-up of 21 months, rates of acute coronary syndrome and unplanned coronary revascularization were 0.7% and 0.5%, respectively, in the non-obstructive population, rising in incidence with increasing severity of CAD (P < .001 for acute coronary syndrome/unplanned coronary revascularization). Multivariable analysis did not yield a significantly greater risk of all-cause mortality or major adverse cardiovascular events across groups. One-year acute coronary syndrome and unplanned coronary revascularization rates in time-to-event analyses were significantly greater in the non-obstructive (98%) vs. obstructive (94%) subsets (Plog-rank< .001). CONCLUSIONS: Transcatheter aortic valve replacement can be performed safely in patients with untreated chronic obstructive CAD, without portending higher procedural complication rates and with relatively low rates of unplanned coronary revascularization and acute coronary syndrome at 1 year.

Intracardiac Thrombus in COVID-19 Inpatients: A Nationwide Study of Incidence, Predictors, and Outcomes.

COronaVIrus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) is associated with a hypercoagulable state. Intracardiac thrombosis is a potentially serious complication but has seldom been evaluated in COVID-19 patients. We assessed the incidence, associated factors, and outcomes of COVID-19 patients with intracardiac thrombosis. In 2020, COVID-19 inpatients were identified from the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database. Data on clinical characteristics, intracardiac thrombosis, and adverse outcomes were collected. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with intracardiac thrombosis, in-hospital mortality, and morbidities. In 2020, 1,683,785 COVID-19 inpatients (mean age 63.8 years, 32.2% females) were studied. Intracardiac thrombosis occurred in 0.10% (1830) of cases. In-hospital outcomes included 13.2% all-cause mortality, 3.5% cardiovascular mortality, 2.6% cardiac arrest, 4.4% acute coronary syndrome (ACS), 16.1% heart failure, 1.3% stroke, and 28.3% acute kidney injury (AKI). Key factors for intracardiac thrombosis were congestive heart failure history and coagulopathy. Intracardiac thrombosis independently linked to higher risks of all-cause mortality (odds ratio [OR]: 3.32 (2.42-4.54)), cardiovascular mortality (OR: 2.95 (1.96-4.44)), cardiac arrest (OR: 2.04 (1.22-3.43)), ACS (OR: 1.62 (1.17-2.22)), stroke (OR: 3.10 (2.11-4.56)), and AKI (OR: 2.13 (1.68-2.69)), but not heart failure. While rare, intracardiac thrombosis in COVID-19 patients independently raised in-hospital mortality and morbidity risks.

Optimal antiplatelet strategy following coronary artery bypass grafting: a meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is an established revascularisation strategy for multivessel and left main coronary artery disease. Although aspirin is routinely recommended for patients with CABG, the optimal antiplatelet regimen after CABG remains unclear. We evaluated the efficacies and risks of different antiplatelet regimens (dual (DAPT) versus single (SAPT), and dual with clopidogrel (DAPT-C) versus dual with ticagrelor or prasugrel (DAPT-T/P)) after CABG. METHODS: We followed Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines and performed a comprehensive literature search using PubMed, Ovid Medline, Ovid Embase and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. Data were extracted and pooled using random-effects models and Review Manager (V.5.4). RESULTS: Among the 2970 article abstracts screened, 215 full-text articles were reviewed and 38 studies totaling 77 447 CABG patients were included for analyses. DAPT compared with SAPT was associated with significantly lower all-cause mortality (OR 0.65 with 95% CI 0.50 to 0.86; p=0.002), cardiovascular mortality (OR 0.53, 95% CI 0.33 to 0.84; p=0.008), and major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) (OR 0.68, 95% CI 0.51 to 0.91; p=0.01), but higher rates of major (OR 1.30, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.56; p=0.007) and minor bleeding (OR 1.87, 95% CI 1.28 to 2.74; p=0.001) after CABG. DAPT-T/P compared with DAPT-C was associated with significantly lower all-cause (OR 0.43, 95% CI 0.29 to 0.65; p≤0.0001) and cardiovascular mortality (OR 0.44, 95% CI 0.24 to 0.80; p=0.008), and no differences on other cardiovascular or bleeding outcomes after CABG. CONCLUSION: In patients with CABG, DAPT compared with SAPT and DAPT-T/P compared with DAPT-C were associated with reduction in all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, especially in patients with acute coronary syndrome. Additionally, DAPT was associated with reduction in MACCE, but higher rates of major and minor bleeding. An individualised approach to choosing antiplatelet regimen is necessary for patients with CABG based on ischaemic and bleeding risks.

Sex Differences in the Progression and Long-Term Outcomes of Native Mild to Moderate Aortic Stenosis.

BACKGROUND: There are limited data on the sex differences in the hemodynamic progression and outcomes of early-stage aortic stenosis (AS). OBJECTIVES: The authors sought to determine sex differences in hemodynamic progression and outcomes of mild to moderate native AS. METHODS: This was a retrospective observational cohort study including patients with mild to moderate native tricuspid AS from the Cleveland Clinic echocardiographic database between 2008 and 2016 and followed until 2018. All-cause mortality, aortic valve replacement (AVR), and disease progression assessed by annualized changes in echocardiographic parameters were analyzed based on sex. RESULTS: The authors included 2,549 patients (mean age, 74 ± 7 years and 42.5% women) followed over a median duration of 5.7 years. There was no difference in all-cause mortality between sexes irrespective of age, baseline disease severity, progression to severe AS, and receipt of AVR. Relative to men, women had similar all-cause mortality but lower risk of AVR (adjusted HR: 0.81 [95% CI: 0.67-0.91]; P = 0.009) at 10 years. On 1:1 propensity-matched analysis, men had a significantly faster disease progression represented by greater increases in the median of annualized change in mean gradient (2.10 vs 1.15 mm Hg/y, respectively, P < 0.001), maximum transvalvular velocity (0.42 vs 0.28 m/s/y), left ventricular end-diastolic diameters (0.15 vs 0.048 mm/m2.7/y) (P = 0.014). Women have significantly higher left ventricular ejection fraction, filling pressures, and left ventricular septum thickness over time on follow-up echocardiograms compared with men. CONCLUSIONS: Women with mild to moderate AS had slower hemodynamic progression of AS, were more likely to have preserved left ventricular ejection fraction and concentric left ventricular hypertrophy in addition to lower incidence of AVR compared with men despite similar mortality. These findings provide further evidence that there are distinct sex-specific longitudinal echocardiographic and clinical profiles in patients with AS.

Antiplatelet Therapy, Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Progression, and Clinical Outcomes.

Importance: Preclinical studies suggest a potential role for aspirin in slowing abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) progression and preventing rupture. Evidence on the clinical benefit of aspirin in AAA from human studies is lacking. Objective: To investigate the association of aspirin use with aneurysm progression and long-term clinical outcomes in patients with AAA. Design, Setting, and Participants: This was a retrospective, single-center cohort study. Adult patients with at least 2 available vascular ultrasounds at the Cleveland Clinic were included, and patients with history of aneurysm repair, dissection, or rupture were excluded. All patients were followed up for 10 years. Data were analyzed from May 2022 to July 2023. Main Outcomes and Measures: Clinical outcomes were time-to-first occurrence of all-cause mortality, major bleeding, or composite of dissection, rupture, and repair. Multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional-hazard regression was used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) for all-cause mortality, and subhazard ratios competing-risk regression using Fine and Gray proportional subhazards regression was used for major bleeding and composite outcome. Aneurysm progression was assessed by comparing the mean annualized change of aneurysm diameter using multivariable-adjusted linear regression and comparing the odds of having rapid progression (annual diameter change >0.5 cm per year) using logistic regression. Results: A total of 3435 patients (mean [SD] age 73.7 [9.0] years; 2672 male patients [77.5%]; 120 Asian, Hispanic, American Indian, or Pacific Islander patients [3.4%]; 255 Black patients [7.4%]; 3060 White patients [89.0%]; and median [IQR] follow-up, 4.9 [2.5-7.5] years) were included in the final analyses, of which 2150 (63%) were verified to be taking aspirin by prescription. Patients taking aspirin had a slower mean (SD) annualized change in aneurysm diameter (2.8 [3.0] vs 3.8 [4.2] mm per year; P = .001) and lower odds of having rapid aneurysm progression compared with patients not taking aspirin (adjusted odds ratio, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.49-0.89; P = .002). Aspirin use was not associated with risk of all-cause mortality (adjusted HR [aHR], 0.92; 95% CI, 0.79-1.07; P = .32), nor was aspirin use associated with major bleeding (aHR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.76-1.03; P = .12), or composite outcome (aHR, 1.16; 95% CI, 0.93-1.45; P = .09) at 10 years. Conclusions: In this retrospective study of a clinical cohort of 3435 patients with objectively measured changes in aortic aneurysm growth, aspirin use was significantly associated with slower progression of AAA with a favorable safety profile.

An Unusual Case of Parasitic Constrictive Pericarditis.

Parasitic constrictive pericarditis is a rare entity. We present a case of a 75-year-old man who presented with dyspnea, ascites, and pedal edema and was found to have constrictive pericarditis on multimodality imaging with positive serology for Strongyloides Stercoralis. Treatment required ivermectin and radical pericardiectomy with significant clinical improvement. (Level of Difficulty: Intermediate.).

Evaluating troponin elevation in patients with chronic kidney disease and suspected acute coronary syndrome.

Many patients with chronic kidney disease have chronically elevated cardiac troponin levels, and if they present with symptoms suggesting an acute coronary syndrome, it is often difficult to determine if this is the correct diagnosis. This article briefly reviews the major challenges in diagnosing acute coronary syndrome in patients with chronic kidney disease, describes the mechanisms and prognostic significance of troponin elevation in chronic kidney disease, and provides a diagnostic algorithm to risk-stratify patients with chronic kidney disease who have troponin elevation and suspected acute coronary syndrome.

Clinical outcomes following tricuspid transcatheter edge-to-edge repair with PASCAL: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Patients with severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR) exhibit high morbidity and mortality. Tricuspid transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (T-TEER) is a rapidly evolving strategy to address the unmet clinical need of severe TR therapies. OBJECTIVE: Organize the current body of evidence on outcomes following use of the PASCAL (Edwards Lifesciences) system for T-TEER. METHODS: For this meta-analysis, we searched the MEDLINE/PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases for keywords ["tricuspid"] and ["transcatheter" or "edge-to-edge"] and ["PASCAL" or "leaflet repair" or "valve repair"] from the database inception until January 11, 2023. Primary outcomes of interest were procedural success, mortality, New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class, 6-min walking distance (6MWD), and TR severity. RESULTS: A total of 549 patients undergoing PASCAL or PASCAL Ace T-TEER were included. The mean age ranged from 71.0 to 80.3 years, with 25.0 to 63.6% females. The follow-up duration ranged from 30 days to 1 year. The success rate was 83.5% (409/490). There was improvement in symptoms based on NYHA classification (at 1- to 6-months; NYHA ≥3 RR 0.27 [95% CI 0.19-0.39]; p < 0.001) and 6MWD (at 1-month; 50.96 [95% CI 32.34-69.59]; p < 0.001) post-procedure. On imaging, there was improvement in TR severity post-procedure (at 1- to 12-months; ≥ severe TR 0.21 [95% CI 0.14-0.31]; p < 0.001), which remained significant with each study removed. CONCLUSION: PASCAL for T-TEER is associated with high procedural success rates along with improvements in NYHA functional class, TR severity, 6MWD, and patient-reported outcomes.

The Dicrotic Notch: Mechanisms, Characteristics, and Clinical Correlations.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The dicrotic notch (DN) has long been considered a marker of arterial stiffness and compliance. Herein, we explored the recent developments in vascular medicine research in an attempt to assess the DN utility in clinical cardiovascular medicine. RECENT FINDINGS: Since its discovery, several studies have attempted to measure the changes in different parameters of the DN in physiological and pathological states. Despite the significance of their findings, the clinical role of the DN remained limited. This may have been related to the difficulty of measuring the DN via indwelling arterial catheters in the past. However, over the past two decades, several non-invasive methods have been developed, which may re-ignite interest in DN research. The DN may have broader applications in clinical cardiovascular medicine. Further research is needed to establish the accuracy of DN non-invasive measurement methods and compare its prognostic value to other circulatory parameters.