Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Patients Who Underwent Leadless Pacemaker Implantation.

Evidence regarding racial disparities in leadless pacemaker (LP) utilization and outcomes is limited. We aimed to explore ethnicity-based disparities in LP utilization and clinical outcomes of patients who underwent LP implantation. All consecutive patients who underwent LP between January 2019 and January 2023 at our institution were included. Charts were reviewed for baseline characteristics and clinical outcomes. The primary outcomes were procedure-related complications, cardiac rehospitalization, worsening heart failure (HF) or HF hospitalization, and all-cause mortality. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS Statistics 22 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). The p <0.05 was considered statistically significant. A total of 196 adult patients underwent LP implantation during the study period (48% Caucasians, 36.2% Hispanic, 8.2% Asians, and 7.7% African-American). The groups were balanced with respect to baseline demographics, clinical characteristics, and procedure-related complications. During the median follow-up of 104 days (interquartile range 24 to 382), no statistically significant differences were observed in worsening HF or HF hospitalization or all-cause mortality among the ethnic groups. After multivariable logistic regression, Asian individuals had higher odds of cardiac readmissions (odds ratio 4.1, 95% confidence interval 1.4 to 12.3, p = 0.01). Patients from racial and ethnic minorities face significant inequities in arrhythmia care, including patients who have undergone LP implantation. Awareness and a system-based approach (understanding cultural preferences, effective application of evidence-based guidelines, and population-based policies) are crucial to lessen disparities in health care among minorities.

Prognostic benefit of catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation in heart failure: An updated meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background: The prognostic role of catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with heart failure (HF) remains uncertain, with guideline recommendations largely based on a single trial. We conducted a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the prognostic impact of AF ablation in patients with HF. Methods: Electronic databases were searched for RCTs comparing 'AF ablation' versus 'other care' (medical therapy and/or atrioventricular node ablation with pacing) in patients with HF. Primary endpoints were ≥1-year mortality, HF hospitalization and change in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Meta-analyses were performed using random-effects modelling. Results: Nine RCTs (n = 1462) met inclusion criteria. Compared to 'other care', AF ablation significantly reduced ≥1-year mortality (relative risk [RR] 0.65; 95% confidence intervals [CI], 0.49-0.87) and HF hospitalization (RR 0.64; 95% CI, 0.51-0.81). AF ablation demonstrated significantly greater improvement in LVEF (mean difference [MD] 5.4; 95% CI, 4.4-6.4), 6-min walk test distance (MD 21.5 meters; 95% CI, 4.6-38.4) and quality of life as measured by Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire score (MD 7.2; 95% CI, 2.8-11.7). Meta-regression analyses showed the beneficial impact of AF ablation on LVEF was significantly blunted by higher prevalence of ischaemic cardiomyopathy. Conclusions: Our meta-analysis demonstrates AF ablation is superior to 'other care' in improving mortality, HF hospitalization, LVEF and quality of life in patients with HF. However, the highly selected study populations in included RCTs and effect modification mediated by etiology of HF suggests these benefits do not uniformly apply across the HF population.

A Caseating Tricuspid Mass in an Adult With Eisenmenger Syndrome Secondary to Aorto-Pulmonary Window.

We present the case of a 55-year old Caucasian man with Eisenmenger syndrome secondary to uncorrected aorto-pulmonary window, whose clinical course has been complicated by recurrent cerebral abscesses and dynamic tricuspid annular caseation with probable pulmonary embolization. (Level of Difficulty: Intermediate.).

CARD 2023: expanded curation, support for machine learning, and resistome prediction at the Comprehensive Antibiotic Resistance Database.

The Comprehensive Antibiotic Resistance Database (CARD; card.mcmaster.ca) combines the Antibiotic Resistance Ontology (ARO) with curated AMR gene (ARG) sequences and resistance-conferring mutations to provide an informatics framework for annotation and interpretation of resistomes. As of version 3.2.4, CARD encompasses 6627 ontology terms, 5010 reference sequences, 1933 mutations, 3004 publications, and 5057 AMR detection models that can be used by the accompanying Resistance Gene Identifier (RGI) software to annotate genomic or metagenomic sequences. Focused curation enhancements since 2020 include expanded ß-lactamase curation, incorporation of likelihood-based AMR mutations for Mycobacterium tuberculosis, addition of disinfectants and antiseptics plus their associated ARGs, and systematic curation of resistance-modifying agents. This expanded curation includes 180 new AMR gene families, 15 new drug classes, 1 new resistance mechanism, and two new ontological relationships: evolutionary_variant_of and is_small_molecule_inhibitor. In silico prediction of resistomes and prevalence statistics of ARGs has been expanded to 377 pathogens, 21,079 chromosomes, 2,662 genomic islands, 41,828 plasmids and 155,606 whole-genome shotgun assemblies, resulting in collation of 322,710 unique ARG allele sequences. New features include the CARD:Live collection of community submitted isolate resistome data and the introduction of standardized 15 character CARD Short Names for ARGs to support machine learning efforts.

Anteroposterior Versus Anterolateral Electrode Position for Direct Current Cardioversion of Atrial Fibrillation: A Meta-Analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials.

OBJECTIVE: Data regarding optimal electrode positioning for direct current cardioversion (DCCV) of atrial fibrillation (AF) has been inconsistent. This meta-analysis was conducted to systematically compare the efficacy of anteroposterior (AP) versus anterolateral (AL) electrode placement for DCCV of AF. METHODS: Electronic databases were searched for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing AP versus AL electrode positioning in patients undergoing DCCV for AF. Primary endpoints were first-shock success and overall DCCV success. Subgroup analysis was performed by defibrillator waveform (monophasic versus biphasic). Meta-regression analyses were performed to assess for significant moderators. RESULTS: Twelve (12) RCTs, including a total of 2,046 patients, met inclusion criteria. Neither first-shock success (relative risk [RR] 0.92; 95% CI 0.79-1.07; p=0.28) nor overall DCCV success (RR 1.01; 95% CI 0.96-1.05; p=0.78) were significantly different with AP versus AL electrode positioning. The mean number of shocks (mean difference [MD] 0.3, 95% CI -0.4 to 0.9), energy level of first successful shock (MD 3 joules; 95% CI -20 to 27) and cumulative energy delivered (MD 39 joules; 95% CI -168 to 246) were similar in AP versus AL arms. In subgroup analysis of six RCTs using biphasic defibrillators, improvement in first-shock success (RR 0.85; 95% CI 0.69-1.03; p=0.10) and overall DCCV success (RR 0.97; 95% CI 0.93-1.01; p=0.09) with AL electrode positioning did not reach statistical significance. Meta-regression analyses identified older age, higher body mass index, and longer AF duration as significant moderators favouring AL electrode positioning. CONCLUSIONS: Pooled analysis of randomised data overall does not show a significant difference in efficacy between AP versus AL electrode positioning. Meta-regression and subgroup analyses suggest that, in contemporary practice with use of biphasic defibrillators, there may be a subset of AF patients in whom AL electrode positioning improves efficacy of DCCV.

Catheter Ablation for Ventricular Tachycardia in Ischaemic Versus Non-Ischaemic Cardiomyopathy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: There are differences in substrate and ablation approaches for ventricular tachycardia (VT) in ischaemic (ICM) and non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy (NICM). OBJECTIVE: To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis comparing clinical and procedural characteristics/outcomes of VT ablation in ICM versus NICM. METHODS: Electronic databases were searched for comparative studies reporting outcomes of VT ablation in patients with ICM and NICM. Primary outcomes were acute procedural success, VT recurrence and long-term mortality. Meta-analyses were performed using random-effects modelling. RESULTS: Thirty-one (31) studies (7,473 patients; 4,418 ICM and 3,055 NICM) were included. Patients with ICM were significantly older (67.0 vs 55.3 yrs), more commonly male (89% vs 79%), had lower left ventricular ejection fraction (29% vs 38%) were less likely to undergo epicardial access (11% vs 36%) and were more likely to require haemodynamic support during ablation (relative risk [RR] 1.30; 95% CI 1.01-1.69). Acute procedural success (i.e. non-inducibility of VT) was higher in the ICM cohort (RR 1.10, 95% CI 1.05-1.15). Recurrence of VT at follow-up was significantly lower in the ICM cohort (RR 0.77; 95% CI 0.70-0.84). Peri-procedural mortality, incidence of procedural complications and long-term mortality were not significantly different between the cohorts. CONCLUSIONS: NICM and ICM patients undergoing VT ablation are fundamentally different in their clinical characteristics, ablation approaches, acute procedural outcomes and likelihood of VA recurrence. VT ablation in NICM has a lower likelihood of procedural success with increased risk of VA recurrence, consistent with known challenging arrhythmia substrate.

Assessing Bladder Radiotherapy Response With Quantitative Diffusion-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging Analysis.

AIMS: Radiotherapy with radiosensitisation offers opportunity for cure with organ preservation in muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). Treatment response assessment and follow-up are reliant on regular endoscopic evaluation of the retained bladder. In this study we aim to determine the role of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) analysis to assess bladder radiotherapy response. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with T2-T4aN0-3M0 MIBC suitable for radical radiotherapy were recruited prospectively to an ethics approved protocol. Following transurethral resection of the bladder tumour and prior to any treatment, magnetic resonance imaging including DWI was performed on a 1.5T system using b values of 0, 100, 150, 250, 500, 750 s/mm2. DWI was repeated 3 months after completing radiotherapy. Cystoscopy and tumour site biopsy were undertaken following this. The response was dichotomised into response (0.9, P < 0.01). ΔADCall mean of 0.16 × 10-3 mm2/s and ΔADCb100 mean 0.12 × 10-3 mm2/s predicted radiotherapy response with sensitivity/specificity/positive predictive value/negative predictive value of 92.9%/100.0%/100.0%/75.0% and 89.3%/100.0%/100.0%/66.7%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Quantitative DWI analysis can successfully provide non-invasive assessment of bladder radiotherapy response. Multicentre validation is required before prospective testing to inform MIBC radiotherapy follow-up schedules and decision making.

Slow gait speed is associated with worse postoperative outcomes in cardiac surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Frailty is associated with poorer outcomes in cardiac surgery, but the heterogeneity in frailty assessment tools makes it difficult to ascertain its true impact in cardiac surgery. Slow gait speed is a simple, validated, and reliable marker of frailty. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine the effect of slow gait speed on postoperative cardiac surgical patients. METHODS: PubMED, MEDLINE, and EMBASE databases were searched from January 2000 to August 2021 for studies comparing slow gait speed and "normal" gait speed. Primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes were composite mortality and major morbidity, AKI, stroke, deep sternal wound infection, prolonged ventilation, discharge to a healthcare facility, and ICU length of stay. RESULTS: There were seven eligible studies with 36,697 patients. Slow gait speed was associated with increased likelihood of in-hospital mortality (risk ratio [RR]: 2.32; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.87-2.87). Additionally, they were more likely to suffer from composite mortality and major morbidity (RR: 1.52; 95% CI: 1.38-1.66), AKI (RR: 2.81; 95% CI: 1.44-5.49), deep sternal wound infection (RR: 1.77; 95% CI: 1.59-1.98), prolonged ventilation >24 h (RR: 1.97; 95% CI: 1.48-2.63), reoperation (RR: 1.38; 95% CI: 1.05-1.82), institutional discharge (RR: 2.08; 95% CI: 1.61-2.69), and longer ICU length of stay (MD: 21.69; 95% CI: 17.32-26.05). CONCLUSION: Slow gait speed is associated with poorer outcomes in cardiac surgery. Frail patients are twofold more likely to die during hospital admission than nonfrail counterparts and are at an increased risk of developing various perioperative complications.

Imaging features of the evolving patterns of metastatic prostate cancer.

The pattern of metastases in prostate cancer (PC) is evolving. Increased use of imaging, newer imaging techniques with higher sensitivity for disease detection and patients receiving multiple lines of novel therapies with increased life expectancy are likely to be contributory. Awareness of metastatic disease patterns improves early diagnosis, accurate staging, and initiation of appropriate therapy, and can inform prognostic information and anticipate potential disease complications. The aim of this review is to document the spectrum of metastases in PC including emerging and unusual patterns, and to highlight the role of novel imaging including prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-positron-emission tomography (PET) and whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (WB-MRI) to improve diagnostic and response assessment accuracy.

Parallel implementation of L + S signal recovery in dynamic MRI.

Dynamic MRI is useful to diagnose different diseases, e.g. cardiac ailments, by monitoring the structure and function of the heart and blood flow through the valves. Faster data acquisition is highly desirable in dynamic MRI, but this may lead to aliasing artifacts due to under-sampling. Advanced image reconstruction algorithms are required to obtain aliasing-free MR images from the acquired under-sampled data. One major limitation of using the advanced reconstruction algorithms is their computationally expensive and time-consuming nature, which make them infeasible for clinical use, especially for applications like cardiac MRI. L + S decomposition model is an approach provided in literature which separates the sparse and low-rank information in dynamic MRI. However, L + S decomposition model is a computationally complex process demanding significant computation time. In this paper, a parallel framework is proposed to accelerate the image reconstruction process of L + S decomposition model using GPU. Experiments are performed on cardiac perfusion dataset ([Formula: see text]) and cardiac cine dataset ([Formula: see text]) using NVIDIA's GeForce GTX780 GPU and Core-i7 CPU. The results show that the proposed method provides up to 18 × speed-up including the memory transfer time (i.e. data transfer between the CPU and GPU) and ~ 46 × speed-up without memory transfer for the cardiac perfusion dataset in our experiments. This level of improvement in the reconstruction time will increase the usefulness of L + S reconstruction by making it feasible for clinical applications.

Estrogen receptor-α expressing neurons in the ventrolateral VMH regulate glucose balance.

Brain glucose-sensing neurons detect glucose fluctuations and prevent severe hypoglycemia, but mechanisms mediating functions of these glucose-sensing neurons are unclear. Here we report that estrogen receptor-α (ERα)-expressing neurons in the ventrolateral subdivision of the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus (vlVMH) can sense glucose fluctuations, being glucose-inhibited neurons (GI-ERαvlVMH) or glucose-excited neurons (GE-ERαvlVMH). Hypoglycemia activates GI-ERαvlVMH neurons via the anoctamin 4 channel, and inhibits GE-ERαvlVMH neurons through opening the ATP-sensitive potassium channel. Further, we show that GI-ERαvlVMH neurons preferentially project to the medioposterior arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus (mpARH) and GE-ERαvlVMH neurons preferentially project to the dorsal Raphe nuclei (DRN). Activation of ERαvlVMH to mpARH circuit and inhibition of ERαvlVMH to DRN circuit both increase blood glucose. Thus, our results indicate that ERαvlVMH neurons detect glucose fluctuations and prevent severe hypoglycemia in mice.

Respiratory motion-corrected, compressively sampled dynamic MR image reconstruction by exploiting multiple sparsity constraints and phase correlation-based data binning.

INTRODUCTION: Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (cMRI) is a standard method that is clinically used to evaluate the function of the human heart. Respiratory motion during a cMRI scan causes blurring artefacts in the reconstructed images. In conventional MRI, breath holding is used to avoid respiratory motion artefacts, which may be difficult for cardiac patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This paper proposes a method in which phase correlation-based binning, followed by image registration-based sparsity along with spatio-temporal sparsity, is incorporated into the standard low rank + sparse (L+S) reconstruction for free-breathing cardiac cine MRI. The proposed method is validated on clinical data and simulated free-breathing cardiac cine data for different acceleration factors (AFs). The reconstructed images are analysed using visual assessment, artefact power (AP) and root-mean-square error (RMSE). The results of the proposed method are compared with the contemporary motion-corrected compressed sensing (MC-CS) method given in the literature. RESULTS: Our results show that the proposed method successfully reconstructs the motion-corrected images from respiratory motion-corrupted, compressively sampled cardiac cine MR data, e.g., there is 26% and 24% improvement in terms of AP and RMSE values, respectively, at AF = 4 and 20% and 16.04% improvement in terms of AP and RMSE values, respectively, at AF = 8 in the reconstruction results from the proposed method for the cardiac phantom cine data. CONCLUSION: The proposed method achieves significant improvement in the AP and RMSE values at different AFs for both the phantom and in vivo data.

Serum Uric Acid - Risk Factor for Acute Ischemic Stroke and Poor Outcomes.

Over the last decades several studies among the adult population have attempted to establish a correlation between the risk of stroke incidence and serum uric acid (SUA) concentration, and how these levels influence the patient's neurological outcome after a stroke. But, to date, the results are conflicting. In this review, an extensive literature search was performed through PubMed for articles published until May 2019 to review the association. The study selection was narrowed by searching PubMed database using the Medical Subject Headings (MesH) and associated keywords. Only articles conducted in English and on human subjects were included. We considered an article for this review if it had statistics on either the incidence, stroke mortality or post-stroke functional outcomes along with serum uric acid levels in adults. This review includes 21 articles with data of 33,580 cases of stroke and 1,100,888 participants. We can divide the articles reviewed into two separate cohorts of studies. One relates serum uric acid levels to stroke frequency and mortality, while the other is associated with serum uric acid and outcomes for stroke survivors. Based on our review, no significant relationship is observed with uric acid exhibiting protective effects on stroke outcome. Large clinical trials are advised to provide well-defined solutions to further assess the benefits of uric acid level lowering treatment in patients of vascular events, such as a stroke. However, we confidently report that increasing uric acid levels poses a higher risk for incidence of stroke.

Insomnia: Risk Factor for Neurodegenerative Diseases.

Insomnia can be defined as difficulty falling asleep or maintaining sleep, waking up earlier than expected, or having non-restorative sleep. It is one of the most common sleep disorders in the world. Insomnia is a common symptom of many neurodegenerative diseases but only recently has it been found that it is a risk factor for neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. We did a traditional review to analyze the relationship between insomnia and neurodegenerative diseases. We analyzed all the relevant articles on Pubmed and included studies done on humans over the last 10 years with full text available. After reviewing the available literature on Pubmed, we conclude that insomnia is an important risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases. In addition, insomnia and neurodegenerative disorders have a complex and bi-directional relationship. We think it requires further study to understand the sole contribution of insomnia to the development of various neurodegenerative diseases when different factors like mood problems, genetic factors, and environmental factors also contribute to the disease. It would also be advisable to use cognitive screening questionnaires in all sleep clinics in insomnia patients over 50 years of age to diagnose dementia early and to gather more sleep study data for prospective and retrospective research. The role of hypnotics in preventing neurodegenerative diseases through treating insomnia should also be assessed.

Association of the Thrombo-embolic Phenomenon with Electroconvulsive Therapy Treatment in Schizophrenia with Catatonia Patient.

Catatonia is a condition in which patients manifest with a complex of symptoms of behavioral and motor abnormalities. This condition can present with schizophrenia, bipolar, depression, and certain neurological illnesses. In this article, we analyze the coincidence of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) in schizophrenia with catatonia patients managed with electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and the possible outcome of complications as an adverse event. The conclusion drawn from this traditional review reveals the importance of early diagnosis and treatment intervention of catatonia patients with ECT. No bleeding-related complications occurred with the use of anticoagulants by catatonic patients managed with ECT and having underlying thrombosis. Literature also indicates that ECT can be safely administered for patients with distal deep venous thrombosis (DVT) treated with anticoagulants, while those with proximal DVT, ECT should be halted and anticoagulation treatment should be continued until the resolution of DVT to safely resume the ECT sessions. A possible alternative to ECT therapy for the patients with refractory schizophrenia with catatonia (who have safety concerns) is recombinant transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). Nonetheless, more studies are needed to support our assertion.

The Association between Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy and Peripartum Cardiomyopathy.

Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a diagnosis of exclusion and a heterogeneous disorder that presents during the last month of pregnancy or the first five months postpartum. It is a rare but potentially life-threatening illness. A lot of work has been done trying to discover the causes of this condition, and several risk factors have been identified, including hypertension during pregnancy (HDP), ethnicity, advanced age, and multiple gestations. HDP affects 40% of cases of PPCM, and the strength of the association increases with increasing severity of hypertension. Among PPCM patients, there is a 1.5 times higher prevalence of HDP and a four-fold higher prevalence of preeclampsia (PE). Besides, the risk of PPCM markedly increases among women with HDP (5-21 times) compared with normotensive women. The experimental work done in animal models has provided support for the angiogenic-imbalance theory proposed regarding the association between these two conditions. The presence of the same risk factors also supports the prevalence of the coexistence of PE and PPCM. During the last part of gestation, the placenta secretes more anti-angiogenic factors, which leads to the development of both PE and PPCM. However, not all patients with HDP develop PPCM. In fact, most PPCM patients do not show any signs of HDP. Further work in these patients elucidated that there is an underlying susceptibility in some women that predisposes them to develop this condition and results in a worse prognosis as compared with those PPCM patients who have HDP. Better provision of care, genetic variations, and association with HDP have been cited as some of the factors affecting prognosis. HDP has also been found to increase the risk of other forms of cardiomyopathies in the future. A lot of work still needs to be done to uncover all the pathologic mechanisms and genetic variations involved in this disorder. More intensive and focussed research may help in developing new therapies to better manage this condition and address all of its complications.

Contact Force and Ablation Index.

Radiofrequency ablation of arrhythmias depends on durable lesion formation. Catheter tip-tissue contact force (CF) is a key determinant of lesion quality; excessive CF is associated with major complications, whereas insufficient CF increases the risk of electrical reconnection and arrhythmia recurrence. In recent years, CF-sensing catheters have emerged with the ability to directly measure CF and provide operators with real-time feedback. CF-guided ablation has been associated with improved outcomes in observational studies. However, randomized controlled trials have not shown any reduction in procedural durations, fluoroscopy exposure, incidence of major complications, or long-term arrhythmia recurrence with use of CF-sensing catheters.