Gender-Based Differences in Outcomes After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention of Chronic Total Occlusions (Insights from a Large Single-Center Registry).

Patients who undergo percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of chronic total occlusions (CTO) are at a high risk for both periprocedural and post-procedural adverse events. Whether gender-differences in outcomes exist after PCI of CTO remain unclear. Therefore, we sought to investigate gender-based differences in outcomes after CTO-PCI. All patients who underwent elective CTO intervention from January 2012 to December 2017 at The Mount Sinai Hospital (New York, New York) were included. The primary end point of interest was major adverse cardiac events defined as the composite of death, myocardial infarction, and target vessel revascularization at 1 year of follow-up. A total 1,897 patients were included, of which 368 were women (19.4%). Mean follow-up time was 174 days. Women were older (66.8 ± 11.3 years vs 62.6 ± 10.9 years) and had a higher prevalence of co-morbidities including diabetes and chronic kidney disease. There were no significant differences in the rate of successful CTO-PCI between groups (73.5% vs 73.2%, p = 0.91). Women had higher rates of procedure-related complications including increased risk of post-procedural bleeding (4.1% vs 1.8%, p = 0.009) and acute vessel closure (1.36% vs 0.2%, p = 0.009). In multivariable-adjusted analysis, female gender was associated with higher risk of major adverse cardiac event and target vessel revascularization at 1 year. In conclusion, in this large single-center study, women who underwent percutaneous CTO revascularization experienced higher rates of periprocedural complications and worse clinical outcomes at 1 year compared with men. Further research is needed to address disparities in gender-specific outcomes of CTO-PCI.

Safety profile of ultrasound enhancing agents in echocardiography.

INTRODUCTION: Ultrasound enhancing agents (UEAs) are often utilized to enhance ultrasound image quality; however, concerns about adverse reactions have limited their use. Moreover, these agents had been either contraindicated or are labeled with a warning in patients with intra-cardiac shunts because of a theoretic risk of systemic microvascular obstruction. This labeling was recently removed in the United States, but data in these patients are lacking. METHODS: Over a 15-month period, patients receiving three different FDA-approved UEAs at our center were prospectively evaluated for clinically significant adverse events (AEs). RESULTS: A total of 5521 UEA administrations were performed (Definity® : 3306, Lumason® : 2137, Optison® : 78). There were 14 AEs (0.25%) reported (Lumason® : 0.05% [n = 1] vs Definity® : 0.39% [n = 13], P = 0.02). Back pain was the most common complaint (n = 9), followed by headache (n = 2), rash (n = 2), dyspnea (n = 2), and palpitations (n = 1). Among the 33 patients known to have intra-cardiac shunts, there were no AEs. Known right-to-left shunts with positive saline bubble study were present in 20 patients (Lumason® : n = 9, Definity® : n = 11). Left-to-right atrial shunts based on color Doppler were present in 10 patients (Lumason® : n = 5, Definity® n = 5). Three patients were known to have ventricular septal defect with left-to-right flow (Definity® : n = 2, Optison® : n = 1). CONCLUSION: Adverse events were significantly higher with Definity® ; however, overall incidences were low, and AEs were minor. Furthermore, no AEs were reported in patients with known intra-cardiac shunts. UEAs showed a good safety profile in our study and should be afforded to all appropriate patients, including those with known intra-cardiac shunts.

Cardiac T2* magnetic resonance analysis of membranous interventricular septum in assessment of cardiac iron overload in pediatric thalassemia patients: A pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac iron deposition in transfusion-dependent thalassemia patients is patchy in distribution. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to assess the correlation between T2* matrices of membranous interventricular septum (MIVS) and T2* values of muscular interventricular septum (IVS) on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and to evaluate the relationship of myocardial T2* at these two locations with MRI-estimated liver iron concentrations (LIC) and electrocardiographic (ECG) parameters. MATERIAL AND METHODS: MRI of heart and liver was performed in 16 consecutive pediatric patients of transfusion-dependent thalassemia major to calculate liver iron concentration and T2* time of membranous and muscular IVS. ECG parameters of these patients were charted and correlated with MRI parameters. RESULTS: No significant correlation between T2* values of muscular IVS and MIVS was observed. Mean T2* of MIVS (9.8 ms) was significantly lower than that of muscular IVS (26.9 ms). T2* of MIVS correlated strongly with LIC where as a weak correlation was observed between T2* of IVS and LIC. Significantly higher mean QTc (corrected QT interval) value (439.86 ms) was seen in patients with T2* IVS <20 ms. CONCLUSION: Addition of T2* analysis of MIVS to the existing MRI protocol, consisting of muscular IVS analysis, may offer a more sensitive estimation of cardiac iron overload.

Exercise hemodynamics in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy identify risk of incident heart failure but not ventricular arrhythmias or sudden cardiac death.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether abnormal blood pressure response (ABPR), with or without left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (LVOTO), is associated with adverse heart failure and arrhythmia outcomes in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). METHODS: A retrospective, single-center analysis was performed for adult HCM patients who underwent exercise stress testing. RESULTS: Of 589 patients included in the study, 192 (33%) demonstrated ABPR. A similar proportion of patients with ABPR had LVOTO compared to those without ABPR (56% vs 63%, p = 0.11). Patients with ABPR demonstrated lower percent predicted VO2 and METs achieved than those with LVOTO (16.9 ±â€¯6.8 vs 21.6 ±â€¯7.9, p = 0.002 and 5.3 ±â€¯2.4 vs 7.4 ±â€¯3.1, p < 0.001). In a subgroup of 17 patients with LVOTO and ABPR who subsequently underwent successful myectomy, 5 (30%) demonstrated persistent ABPR. 23 patients (3.8%) experienced sudden cardiac death or ventricular arrhythmias, which were not associated with ABPR, regardless of age group. In multivariable analysis, syncope (p = 0.04), left ventricular hypertrophy (p = 0.02) and left atrial diameter (p = 0.006) were significantly associated with the composite outcome of sudden death or severe ventricular arrhythmia, whereas ABPR was not (p = 0.38). In contrast, ABPR was associated with subsequent heart failure hospitalization (p = 0.002), regardless of presence or absence of LVOTO (p = 0.04, p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: ABPR is associated with reduced functional capacity in HCM regardless of the presence of LVOTO but is not associated with adverse arrhythmia outcomes. Patients with ABPR have a higher incidence of subsequent heart failure hospitalization.

Routine Papillary Muscle Realignment and Septal Myectomy for Obstructive Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.

BACKGROUND: Septal myectomy has been the mainstay of the surgical treatment of obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM); however, recently there is growing appreciation for associated mitral valve abnormalities that contribute to left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) obstruction. In this study, we describe our experience with combined papillary muscle realignment (PMR) and septal myectomy for the treatment of obstructive HCM. METHODS: We identified 44 patients undergoing surgery for obstructive HCM whose anatomy was amenable to combined PMR and septal myectomy at our institution over a 20-month period. All patients underwent resting and stress echocardiography preoperatively and postoperatively. Demographic, clinical, and imaging data were prospectively collected in a cardiac surgery database. RESULTS: Patient age ranged broadly, with mean age of 54 (range, 18 to 76) years. Preoperatively, 70% of patients were New York Heart Association functional class III or IV, the mean stress LVOT gradient was 144 mm Hg, and severe mitral regurgitation (MR) with stress was seen in 81%. Additional procedures included division of myocardial bands (50%) and chordae (43%) and resection of accessory papillary muscles (25%). Following the procedure, mean resting and stress gradients were reduced to normal (12 and 27 mm Hg, respectively; p < 0.0001). No patient had severe MR and only 3 (6.8%) had moderate MR (p < 0.0001). Mean length of stay was 6 days and there were no mortalities. CONCLUSIONS: Septal myectomy combined with PMR is a safe, highly effective, and reproducible procedure that reliably relieves LVOT obstruction and corrects MR without the need for mitral valve repair or replacement.

Standardized Goal-Directed Valsalva Maneuver for Assessment of Inducible Left Ventricular Outflow Tract Obstruction in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.

BACKGROUND: The Valsalva maneuver is widely used to provoke left ventricular outflow tract obstruction in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Whereas early experiments used a standardized, goal-directed approach by maintaining an intraoral pressure >40 mm Hg for >10 sec, current practice depends on patients' understanding and effort. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of the goal-directed Valsalva maneuver (GDV) in HCM as a method to provoke left ventricular outflow tract obstruction. METHODS: In this prospective study, patients blew into a syringe barrel connected to a manometer with rubber tubing and maintained an intraoral pressure of >40 mm Hg for >10 sec (GDV). Using Doppler echocardiography, peak left ventricular outflow tract gradient (pLVOTG) was measured at rest and using the provocative maneuvers of the self-directed Valsalva maneuver (SDV), GDV, and exercise. RESULTS: A total of 52 patients were included. Mean pLVOTG with GDV was higher compared with SDV (48 vs 38 mm Hg, P = .001, n = 52) and was similar to exercise (GDV, 52 mm Hg; exercise, 58 mm Hg; P = .42; n = 43). Reclassification to obstructive HCM (pLVOTG ≥ 30 mm Hg) with GDV was significantly higher than with SDV (38% vs 16.6%, P = .016) and comparable with exercise (50%, P = .51). Reclassification to severe obstruction (pLVOTG ≥ 50 mm Hg) was higher with GDV compared with SDV (28.3% vs 13.5%, P = .045) and was similar to exercise (29.7%). Furthermore, GDV identified two patients with occult severe obstruction in isolation. CONCLUSIONS: GDV is an objective, practical, and effective physiologic method of provoking left ventricular outflow tract obstruction. It can significantly alter patient management by reclassifying disease severity and should be incorporated in the routine clinical evaluation of patients with HCM.

Effect of Moderate-Intensity Exercise Training on Peak Oxygen Consumption in Patients With Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Formulating exercise recommendations for patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is challenging because of concern about triggering ventricular arrhythmias and because a clinical benefit has not been previously established in this population. Objective: To determine whether moderate-intensity exercise training improves exercise capacity in adults with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Design, Setting, and Participants: A randomized clinical trial involving 136 patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy was conducted between April 2010 and October 2015 at 2 academic medical centers in the United States (University of Michigan Health System and Stanford University Medical Center). Date of last follow-up was November 2016. Interventions: Participants were randomly assigned to 16 weeks of moderate-intensity exercise training (n = 67) or usual activity (n = 69). Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome measure was change in peak oxygen consumption from baseline to 16 weeks. Results: Among the 136 randomized participants (mean age, 50.4 [SD, 13.3] years; 42% women), 113 (83%) completed the study. At 16 weeks, the change in mean peak oxygen consumption was +1.35 (95% CI, 0.50 to 2.21) mL/kg/min among participants in the exercise training group and +0.08 (95% CI, -0.62 to 0.79) mL/kg/min among participants in the usual-activity group (between-group difference, 1.27 [95% CI, 0.17 to 2.37]; P = .02). There were no occurrences of sustained ventricular arrhythmia, sudden cardiac arrest, appropriate defibrillator shock, or death in either group. Conclusions and Relevance: In this preliminary study involving patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, moderate-intensity exercise compared with usual activity resulted in a statistically significant but small increase in exercise capacity at 16 weeks. Further research is needed to understand the clinical importance of this finding in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, as well as the long-term safety of exercise at moderate and higher levels of intensity. Trial Registration: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01127061.

Cardiomyopathy from 1,1-Difluoroethane Inhalation.

Consumer aerosol products can be inhaled for their psychoactive effects, but with attendant adverse health effects including "sudden sniffing death." Cardiomyopathy has rarely been described in association with 1,1-difluoroethane (DFE), a common aerosol propellant. We report a 33-year-old male who developed acute myocardial injury and global hypokinesis along with rhabdomyolysis, acute kidney injury, and fulminant hepatitis after 2 days' nearly continuous huffing. Workup for other causes, including underlying coronary artery disease, was negative. His cardiac function improved over time. The exact mechanism of DFE's effects is uncertain but may include catecholamine-induced cardiomyopathy, coronary vasospasm, or direct cellular toxicity.

Physical activity and other health behaviors in adults with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

The clinical expression of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HC) is undoubtedly influenced by modifying genetic and environmental factors. Lifestyle practices such as tobacco and alcohol use, poor nutritional intake, and physical inactivity are strongly associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes and increased mortality in the general population. Before addressing the direct effect of such modifiable factors on the natural history of HC, it is critical to define their prevalence in this population. A voluntary survey, drawing questions in part from the 2007 to 2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), was posted on the HC Association website and administered to patients with HC at the University of Michigan. Propensity score matching to NHANES participants was used. Dichotomous and continuous health behaviors were analyzed using logistic and linear regression, respectively, and adjusted for body mass index and propensity score quintile. Compared to the matched NHANES participants, the patients with HC reported significantly less alcohol and tobacco use but also less time engaged in physical activity at work and for leisure. Time spent participating in vigorous or moderate activity was a strong predictor of self-reported exercise capacity. The body mass index was greater in the HC cohort than in the NHANES cohort. Exercise restrictions negatively affected emotional well-being in most surveyed subjects. In conclusion, patients with HC are less active than the general United States population. The well-established relation of inactivity, obesity, and cardiovascular mortality might be exaggerated in patients with HC. More data are needed on exercise in those with HC to strike a balance between acute risks and the long-term health benefits of exercise.