Left Atrial Reservoir Strain and Recurrence of Atrial Fibrillation Following De-Novo Pulmonary Vein Isolation　- Results of the ASTRA-AF Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND: Achieving early rhythm control and maintaining sinus rhythm are associated with improved outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) is a validated alternative to medical rhythm control. This study determined associations between left atrial strain reservoir (LASR) and AF recurrence after PVI.Methods and Results: In all, 132 patients (88 with paroxysmal AF [PAF], 44 with persisting AF [PersAF]) who presented in sinus rhythm for de novo PVI of AF between December 2017 and January 2019 were included in the study. All patients underwent preprocedural echocardiography. After 12 months, all patients underwent 24-h Holter electrocardiogram monitoring to screen for AF recurrence. Kaplan-Meier curve analysis revealed an association between decreasing LASRand increased AF recurrence, with a cut-off at 31.4%. In univariable Cox regression analysis, LASRdemonstrated an association with AF recurrence, with hazard ratios (HR) of 0.83 (95% confidence interval [CI] 073-0.93; P=0.001) per 5% increase in univariable models and 0.83 (95% CI 073-0.95; P=0.005) in multivariable analysis. When clinical variables with age, sex and type of AF (PAF/PersAF) were included in the multivariable analysis, LASRremained relevant in a model with age (HR 0.86; 95% CI 073-1.00; P=0.046). CONCLUSIONS: In patients undergoing de novo PVI for AF, LASRcould be of use in risk stratification regarding AF recurrence.

Sex differences in lipidomic and bile acid plasma profiles in patients with and without coronary artery disease.

BACKGROUND: Lipids, including phospholipids and bile acids, exert various signaling effects and are thought to contribute to the development of coronary artery disease (CAD). Here, we aimed to compare lipidomic and bile acid profiles in the blood of patients with and without CAD stratified by sex. METHODS: From 2015 to 2022, 3,012 patients who underwent coronary angiography were recruited in the INTERCATH cohort. From the overall cohort, subgroups were defined using patient characteristics such as CAD vs. no CAD, 1st vs. 3rd tertile of LDL-c, and female vs. male sex. Hereafter, a matching algorithm based on age, BMI, hypertension status, diabetes mellitus status, smoking status, the Mediterranean diet score, and the intake of statins, triglycerides, HDL-c and hs-CRP in a 1:1 ratio was implemented. Lipidomic analyses of stored blood samples using the Lipidyzer platform (SCIEX) and bile acid analysis using liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC‒MS/MS) were carried out. RESULTS: A total of 177 matched individuals were analyzed; the median ages were 73.5 years (25th and 75th percentile: 64.1, 78.2) and 71.9 years (65.7, 77.2) for females and males with CAD, respectively, and 67.6 years (58.3, 75.3) and 69.2 years (59.8, 76.8) for females and males without CAD, respectively. Further baseline characteristics, including cardiovascular risk factors, were balanced between the groups. Women with CAD had decreased levels of phosphatidylcholine and diacylglycerol, while no differences in bile acid profiles were detected in comparison to those of female patients without CAD. In contrast, in male patients with CAD, decreased concentrations of the secondary bile acid species glycolithocholic and lithocholic acid, as well as altered levels of specific lipids, were detected compared to those in males without CAD. Notably, male patients with low LDL-c and CAD had significantly greater concentrations of various phospholipid species, particularly plasmalogens, compared to those in high LDL-c subgroup. CONCLUSIONS: We present hypothesis-generating data on sex-specific lipidomic patterns and bile acid profiles in CAD patients. The data suggest that altered lipid and bile acid composition might contribute to CAD development and/or progression, helping to understand the different disease trajectories of CAD in women and men. REGISTRATION: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04936438 , Unique identifier: NCT04936438.

Association of atrial mechanical dispersion with atrial fibrillation recurrence following catheter ablation: results of the ASTRA-AF pilot study.

AIMS: For patients with symptomatic drug-refractory atrial fibrillation (AF), catheter ablation to achieve rhythm control is an important therapeutic option. The atrial mechanical dispersion measured as standard deviation of the time to peak strain (SD-TPS) is associated with the risk of AF recurrence following catheter ablation. METHODS: The study cohort prospectively enrolled n = 132 consecutive patients with paroxysmal (n = 88) or persistent AF (n = 44) presenting for de novo pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) and followed for 1 year. We related left atrial (LA) volume, LA ejection fraction, SD-TPS, and global longitudinal strain of the left ventricle and clinical variables (sex, age, and type of AF) to AF recurrence. RESULTS: Kaplan-Meier curves showed higher AF recurrence rate with an increase of SD-TPS with the calculated cut-off of 38.6 ms. Uni- and multivariable Cox regression analysis could show that SD-TPS had the highest relevance regarding AF recurrence with a HR of 1.05 (95% CI, 1.01; 1.09, p = 0.01) and HR of 1.05 (95% CI, 1.01; 1.09, p = 0.02) per 10 ms increase. In the additional analyses for the model including the clinical variables age, sex, and type of AF with paroxysmal or persisting AF, SD-TPS did only show a trend and after adjusting for covariates, SD-TPS showed a HR of 1.04 (95% CI, 0.99; 1.09, p = 0.09) per 10 ms increase. CONCLUSION: Atrial mechanical dispersion was associated with recurrent AF.

Sex-specific ventricular morphology, function, and tissue characteristics in arterial hypertension: a magnetic resonance study of the Hamburg city health cohort.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the influence of arterial hypertension (AHT), sex, and the interaction between both left- and right ventricular (LV, RV) morphology, function, and tissue characteristics. METHODS: The Hamburg City Health Study (HCHS) is a population-based, prospective, monocentric study. 1972 individuals without a history of cardiac diseases/ interventions underwent 3 T cardiac MR imaging (CMR). Generalized linear models were conducted, including AHT, sex (and the interaction if significant), age, body mass index, place of birth, diabetes mellitus, smoking, hyperlipoproteinemia, atrial fibrillation, and medication. RESULTS: Of 1972 subjects, 68% suffered from AHT. 42% with AHT and 49% controls were female. Females overall showed a higher ejection fraction (EF) (LV: regression coefficient +2.4% [95% confidence interval: 1.7; 3.1]), lower volumes and LV mass (-19.8% [-21.3; -18.5]), and prolonged native septal T1 (+22.1 ms [18.3; 25.9])/T2 relaxation times (+1.1 ms [0.9; 1.3]) (all p < 0.001) compared to males. Subjects with AHT showed a higher EF (LV: +1.2% [0.3; 2.0], p = 0.009) and LV mass (+6.6% [4.3; 9.0], p < 0.001) than controls. The interaction between sex and AHT influenced mapping. After excluding segments with LGE, males (-0.7 ms [-1.0; -0.3 | ) and females with AHT (-1.1 ms [-1.6; -0.6]) showed shorter T2 relaxation times than the sex-respective controls (p < 0.001), but the effect was stronger in females. CONCLUSION: In the HCHS, female and male subjects with AHT likewise showed a higher EF and LV mass than controls, independent of sex. However, differences in tissue characteristics between subjects with AHT and controls appeared to be sex-specific. CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: The interaction between sex and cardiac risk factors is an underestimated factor that should be considered when comparing tissue characteristics between hypertensive subjects and controls, and when establishing cut-off values for normal and pathological relaxation times. KEY POINTS: There are sex-dependent differences in arterial hypertension, but it is unclear if cardiac MR parameters are sex-specific. Differences in cardiac MR parameters between hypertensive subjects and healthy controls appeared to be sex-specific for tissue characteristics. Sex needs to be considered when comparing tissue characteristics in patients with arterial hypertension to healthy controls.

Prediction of cardiac worsening through to cardiogenic shock in patients with acute heart failure.

AIMS: Acute heart failure (AHF) can result in worsening of heart failure (WHF), cardiogenic shock (CS), or death. Risk factors for these adverse outcomes are not well characterized. This study aimed to identify predictors for WHF or new-onset CS in patients hospitalized for AHF. METHODS AND RESULTS: Prospective cohort study enrolling consecutive patients with AHF admitted to a large tertiary care centre with follow-up until death or discharge. WHF was defined by the RELAX-AHF-2 criteria. CS was defined as SCAI stages B-E. Potential predictors were assessed by fitting logistic regression models adjusted for age and sex. N = 233 patients were enrolled, median age was 78 years, and 80 were women (35.9%). Ischaemic cardiomyopathy was present in 82 patients (40.8%). Overall, 96 (44.2%) developed WHF and 18 (9.7%) CS. In-hospital death (8/223, 3.6%) was related to both events (WHF: OR 6.64, 95% CI 1.21-36.55, P = 0.03; CS: OR 38.27, 95% CI 6.32-231.81, P < 0.001). Chronic kidney disease (OR 2.20, 95% CI 1.25-3.93, P = 0.007), logarithmized serum creatinine (OR 2.90, 95% CI 1.51-5.82, P = 0.002), cystatin c (OR 1.86, 95% CI 1.27-2.77, P = 0.002), tricuspid valve regurgitation (OR 2.08, 95% CI 1.11-3.94, P = 0.023) and logarithmized pro-adrenomedullin (OR 3.01, 95% CI 1.75-5.38, P < 0.001) were significant predictors of WHF. Chronic kidney disease (OR 3.17, 95% CI 1.16-9.58, P = 0.03), cystatin c (OR 1.88, 95% CI 1.00-3.53, P = 0.045), logarithmized pro-adrenomedullin (OR 2.90, 95% CI 1.19-7.19, P = 0.019), and tricuspid valve regurgitation (OR 10.44, 95% CI 2.61-70.00, P = 0.003) were significantly with new-onset CS. CONCLUSIONS: Half of patients admitted with AHF experience WHF or new-onset CS. Chronic kidney disease, tricuspid valve regurgitation, and elevated pro-adrenomedullin concentrations predict these events. They could potentially serve as early warning signs for further deterioration in AHF patients.

Intravascular Lithotripsy-Assisted Transfemoral Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation in Patients with Severe Iliofemoral Calcifications: Expanding Transfemoral Indications.

(1) Background: Transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has become the standard treatment for most patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis. Intravascular lithotripsy may facilitate transfemoral TAVI (IVL-TAVI) even in patients with severely calcified iliofemoral disease. We assessed technical aspects and clinical outcomes of this novel approach compared to alternative transaxillary access (TAX-TAVI). (2) Methods: IVL-TAVI was performed for severe iliofemoral calcifications precluding standard transfemoral access in 30 patients from 2019 to 2022 at a single academic heart center. IVL was performed as part of the TAVI procedure in all cases. Results were compared to a control group of 44 TAX-TAVI procedures performed for the same indication from 2016 to 2021. The safety outcome was a composite of all-cause death, stroke, access-related bleeding ≥ type 2 within 24 h and major vascular access site complications at 30 days. The efficacy outcome was defined as a technical success according to VARC-3. (3) Results: Median age was 78.2 [74.3, 82.6] years, 45.9% were female and mean STS-PROM was 3.6% [2.3, 6.0]. Iliofemoral calcifications were more severe in the IVL-TAVI vs. TAX-TAVI groups (lesion length: 63.0 mm [48.6, 80.3] vs. 48.5 mm [33.1, 68.8]; p = 0.043, severe calcification at target lesion: 90.0% vs. 68.2%; p = 0.047, and median arc calcification 360.0° [297.5, 360.0] vs. 360.0° [180.0, 360.0]; p = 0.033). Technical success was achieved in 93.3% vs. 81.8% (p = 0.187) in IVL- and TAX-TAVI and the safety outcome occurred in 10.0% vs. 31.8% in IVL- and TAX-TAVI (p = 0.047), respectively. (4) Conclusions: IVL-assisted transfemoral TAVI was feasible and safe with favorable outcomes compared to TAX-TAVI. IVL may further expand the number of patients eligible for transfemoral TAVI and may help overcome limitations of an alternative access.

Left atrial strain predicts the rhythm outcome in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation undergoing left atrial cryoablation during minimally invasive mitral valve repair.

Objectives: Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) have lower left atrial (LA) strain, which is a predictor for LA function. Here, we evaluated the prognostic value of LA strain to predict the rhythm outcome in patients with persistent AF undergoing LA cryoablation concomitant to minimally invasive mitral valve repair. Methods: Between 01/2016 and 12/2020, 72 patients with persistent AF underwent LA cryoablation during minimally invasive mitral valve surgery. All patients received a complete LA lesion set and left atrial appendage (LAA) closure with a clip. All patients received preoperative transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) with LA and left ventricular strain measurements. Preoperative LA and LV strain analysis was correlated with postoperative rhythm outcome. Results: The mean age of the patients was 66.9 ± 7.2 years, of whom 42 (58%) were male patients. No major ablation-related complications occurred in any of the patients. Successful LAA closure was confirmed by intraoperative echocardiography in all patients. The 1-year survival rate was 97%. Freedom from AF at 12 months was 72% and 68% off antiarrhythmic drugs. Preoperative LA strain values were statistically significantly higher in patients with freedom from AF at 12 months of follow-up (12.7% ± 6.9% vs. 4.9% ± 4.1%, p = 0.006). Preoperative LV strain value was not associated with postoperative rhythm outcome. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, LA strain (p < 0.001) and AF duration (p = 0.017) were predictors for freedom from AF at 12 months of follow-up. Conclusions: In our study, LA strain analysis predicted the rhythm outcome in patients with persistent AF undergoing concomitant surgical AF ablation. In the future, LA strain might be a useful tool to guide decision-making on ablation strategies in patients with persistent AF.

Transcatheter or Surgical Treatment of Aortic-Valve Stenosis.

BACKGROUND: Among low-risk patients with severe, symptomatic aortic stenosis who are eligible for both transcatheter aortic-valve implantation (TAVI) and surgical aortic-valve replacement (SAVR), data are lacking on the appropriate treatment strategy in routine clinical practice. METHODS: In this randomized noninferiority trial conducted at 38 sites in Germany, we assigned patients with severe aortic stenosis who were at low or intermediate surgical risk to undergo either TAVI or SAVR. Percutaneous- and surgical-valve prostheses were selected according to operator discretion. The primary outcome was a composite of death from any cause or fatal or nonfatal stroke at 1 year. RESULTS: A total of 1414 patients underwent randomization (701 to the TAVI group and 713 to the SAVR group). The mean (±SD) age of the patients was 74±4 years; 57% were men, and the median Society of Thoracic Surgeons risk score was 1.8% (low surgical risk). The Kaplan-Meier estimate of the primary outcome at 1 year was 5.4% in the TAVI group and 10.0% in the SAVR group (hazard ratio for death or stroke, 0.53; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.35 to 0.79; P<0.001 for noninferiority). The incidence of death from any cause was 2.6% in the TAVI group and 6.2% in the SAVR group (hazard ratio, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.24 to 0.73); the incidence of stroke was 2.9% and 4.7%, respectively (hazard ratio, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.35 to 1.06). Procedural complications occurred in 1.5% and 1.0% of patients in the TAVI and SAVR groups, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with severe aortic stenosis at low or intermediate surgical risk, TAVI was noninferior to SAVR with respect to death from any cause or stroke at 1 year. (Funded by the German Center for Cardiovascular Research and the German Heart Foundation; DEDICATE-DZHK6 ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT03112980.).

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation in patients with significant septal hypertrophy.

BACKGROUND: Previous reports suggest septal hypertrophy with an interventricular septum depth (IVSD) ≥ 14 mm may adversely affect outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) due to suboptimal valve placement, valve migration, or residual increased LVOT pressure gradients. AIMS: This analysis investigates the impact of interventricular septal hypertrophy on acute outcomes after TAVI. METHODS: Between 2009 and 2021, 1033 consecutive patients (55.8% male, 80.5 ± 6.7 years, EuroSCORE II 6.3 ± 6.5%) with documented IVSD underwent TAVI at our center and were included for analysis. Baseline, periprocedural, and 30-day outcome parameters of patients with normal IVSD (< 14 mm; group 1) and increased IVSD (≥ 14 mm; group 2) were compared. Data were retrospectively analyzed according to updated Valve Academic Research Consortium-3 (VARC-3) definitions. Comparison of outcome parameters was adjusted for baseline differences between groups using logistic and linear regression analyses. RESULTS: Of 1033 patients, 585 and 448 patients were allocated to groups 1 and 2, respectively. There was no significant difference between groups regarding transfemoral access rate (82.6% (n = 478) vs. 86.0% (n = 381), p = 0.157). Postprocedural mean transvalvular pressure gradient was significantly increased in group 2 (group 1, 7.8 ± 4.1 mmHg, vs. group 2, 8.9 ± 4.9 mmHg, p = 0.046). Despite this finding, there was no significant difference between groups regarding the rates of VARC-3 adjudicated composite endpoint device success (90.0% (n = 522) vs. 87.6% (n = 388), p = 0.538) or technical success (92.6% (n = 542) vs. 92.6% (n = 415), p = 0.639). Moreover, the groups showed no significant differences regarding the rates of paravalvular leakage ≥ moderate (3.1% (n = 14) vs. 2.6% (n = 9), p = 0.993), postprocedural permanent pacemaker implantation (13.4% (n = 77) vs. 13.8% (n = 61), p = 0.778), or 30-day mortality (5.1% (n = 30) vs. 4.5% (n = 20), p = 0.758). CONCLUSION: Although transvalvular mean pressure gradients were significantly higher in patients with increased IVSD after TAVI, acute outcomes were comparable between groups suggesting no early impact of adverse hemodynamics due to elevated IVSD. However, how these differences in hemodynamic findings may affect mid- and long-term outcomes, especially in terms of valve durability, needs to be evaluated in further investigations.

Sex-related differences in patients presenting with heart failure-related cardiogenic shock.

BACKGROUND: Heart failure-related cardiogenic shock (HF-CS) accounts for a significant proportion of all CS cases. Nevertheless, there is a lack of evidence on sex-related differences in HF-CS, especially regarding use of treatment and mortality risk in women vs. men. This study aimed to investigate potential differences in clinical presentation, use of treatments, and mortality between women and men with HF-CS. METHODS: In this international observational study, patients with HF-CS (without acute myocardial infarction) from 16 tertiary-care centers in five countries were enrolled between 2010 and 2021. Logistic and Cox regression models were used to assess differences in clinical presentation, use of treatments, and 30-day mortality in women vs. men with HF-CS. RESULTS: N = 1030 patients with HF-CS were analyzed, of whom 290 (28.2%) were women. Compared to men, women were more likely to be older, less likely to have a known history of heart failure or cardiovascular risk factors, and lower rates of highly depressed left ventricular ejection fraction and renal dysfunction. Nevertheless, CS severity as well as use of treatments were comparable, and female sex was not independently associated with 30-day mortality (53.0% vs. 50.8%; adjusted HR 0.94, 95% CI 0.75-1.19). CONCLUSIONS: In this large HF-CS registry, sex disparities in risk factors and clinical presentation were observed. Despite these differences, the use of treatments was comparable, and both sexes exhibited similarly high mortality rates. Further research is necessary to evaluate if sex-tailored treatment, accounting for the differences in cardiovascular risk factors and clinical presentation, might improve outcomes in HF-CS.

New race-free creatinine- and cystatin C-based equations for the estimation of glomerular filtration rate and association with cardiovascular mortality in the AtheroGene study.

Renal function is associated with cardiovascular outcomes and mortality. Among equations used to eGFR, CKD-EPI equations show more accurate association with cardiovascular risk and mortality than MDRD. Recently, new CKD-EPI equations were proposed which do not include race and would be considered sufficiently accurate to estimate eGFR in clinical practice. It is unknown if these new race-free equations are comparably well associated with cardiovascular outcomes in high-risk individuals. The analysis was performed in the AtheroGene Study cohort including patients at high cardiovascular risk. eGFR was determined using the established as well as the recently developed formulas which are calculated without the otherwise existing coefficient for black race. The outcome was cardiovascular death. Analyses included Cox-proportional hazard regression and area-under-the-curve calculation. The analysis included 2089 patients followed up for a median of 3.8 years with a maximum of 6.9 years, corresponding to an overall period of 7701 patient-years. Cardiovascular death occurred in 93 (4.45%), corresponding to an annualized rate of 1.2/100 person-years. In all Cox regression analyses, the estimated adjusted GFR was an independent predictor of cardiovascular death. The equations which included cystatin C showed higher C-index compared to those which did not include cystatin C (0.75-0.76 vs. 0.71, respectively). The equations for the estimation of eGFR which include cystatin C are better associated with cardiovascular death compared to the race-free equations which include only creatinine. This finding adds on the related literature which supports the elimination of race in GFR-estimating equations, and promotion of the use of cystatin C.

Unrecognized myocardial scar by late-gadolinium-enhancement cardiovascular magnetic resonance: Insights from the population-based Hamburg City Health Study.

BACKGROUND: The presence of myocardial scar is associated with poor prognosis in several underlying diseases. Late-gadolinium-enhancement (LGE) cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging reveals clinically silent "unrecognized myocardial scar" (UMS), but the etiology of UMS often remains unclear. This population-based CMR study evaluated prevalence, localization, patterns, and risk factors of UMS. METHODS: The study population consisted of 1064 consecutive Hamburg City Health Study participants without a history of coronary heart disease or myocarditis. UMS was assessed by standard-phase-sensitive-inversion-recovery LGE CMR. RESULTS: Median age was 66 [quartiles 59, 71] years and 37% (388/1064) were females. UMS was detected in 244 (23%) participants. Twenty-five participants (10%) had ischemic, and 217 participants (89%) had non-ischemic scar patterns, predominantly involving the basal inferolateral left-ventricular (LV) myocardium (75%). Two participants (1%) had coincident ischemic and non-ischemic scar. The presence of any UMS was independently associated with LV ejection fraction (odds ratios (OR) per standard deviation (SD) 0.77 (confidence interval (CI) 0.65-0.90), p = 0.002) and LV mass (OR per SD 1.54 (CI 1.31-1.82), p < 0.001). Ischemic UMS was independently associated with LV ejection fraction (OR per SD 0.58 (CI 0.39-0.86), p = 0.007), LV mass (OR per SD 1.74 (CI 1.25-2.45), p = 0.001), and diabetes (OR 4.91 (CI 1.66-13.03), p = 0.002). Non-ischemic UMS was only independently associated with LV mass (OR per SD 1.44 (CI 1.24-1.69), p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: UMS, in particular with a non-ischemic pattern, is frequent in individuals without known cardiac disease and predominantly involves the basal inferolateral LV myocardium. Presence of UMS is independently associated with a lower LVEF, a higher LV mass, and a history of diabetes.

C-reactive protein modifies lipoprotein(a)-related risk for coronary heart disease: the BiomarCaRE project.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Recent investigations have suggested an interdependence of lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)]-related risk for cardiovascular disease with background inflammatory burden. The aim the present analysis was to investigate whether high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP) modulates the association between Lp(a) and coronary heart disease (CHD) in the general population. METHODS: Data from 71 678 participants from 8 European prospective population-based cohort studies were used (65 661 without/6017 with established CHD at baseline; median follow-up 9.8/13.8 years, respectively). Fine and Gray competing risk-adjusted models were calculated according to accompanying hsCRP concentration (<2 and ≥2 mg/L). RESULTS: Among CHD-free individuals, increased Lp(a) levels were associated with incident CHD irrespective of hsCRP concentration: fully adjusted sub-distribution hazard ratios [sHRs (95% confidence interval)] for the highest vs. lowest fifth of Lp(a) distribution were 1.45 (1.23-1.72) and 1.48 (1.23-1.78) for a hsCRP group of <2 and ≥2 mg/L, respectively, with no interaction found between these two biomarkers on CHD risk (Pinteraction = 0.82). In those with established CHD, similar associations were seen only among individuals with hsCRP ≥ 2 mg/L [1.34 (1.03-1.76)], whereas among participants with a hsCRP concentration <2 mg/L, there was no clear association between Lp(a) and future CHD events [1.29 (0.98-1.71)] (highest vs. lowest fifth, fully adjusted models; Pinteraction = 0.024). CONCLUSIONS: While among CHD-free individuals Lp(a) was significantly associated with incident CHD regardless of hsCRP, in participants with CHD at baseline, Lp(a) was related to recurrent CHD events only in those with residual inflammatory risk. These findings might guide adequate selection of high-risk patients for forthcoming Lp(a)-targeting compounds.

Procedural and one-year outcomes of robotic-assisted versus manual percutaneous coronary intervention.

BACKGROUND: Robotic-assisted percutaneous coronary intervention (rPCI) has proven to be feasible and safe. Comparative analyses of rPCI versus manual PCI (mPCI) are scarce. AIMS: We aimed to investigate procedural aspects and outcomes of rPCI using the second-generation CorPath GRX Vascular Robotic System compared with mPCI in patients with chronic coronary syndrome and non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction acute coronary syndrome. METHODS: From January to April 2021, 70 patients underwent rPCI at the University Heart & Vascular Center Hamburg-Eppendorf and were recruited into the INTERCATH study. By propensity score matching, a control cohort of 210 patients who underwent mPCI from 2015-2021 was identified. Co-primary endpoints were one-year all-cause mortality and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) as a composite of cardiovascular death, unplanned target lesion revascularisation, myocardial infarction, and stroke. RESULTS: The median age of the patients (n=280) was 70.7 (25th percentile-75th percentile: 62.0-78.0) years, and 24.6% were female. The Gensini score (28.5 [16.2-48.1] vs 28.0 [15.5-47.0]; p=0.78) was comparable between rPCI versus mPCI. During the PCI procedure, total contrast fluid volume did not differ, whilst longer fluoroscopy times (20.4 min [13.8-27.2] vs 14.4 min [10.4-24.3]; p=0.001) were documented in the rPCI versus mPCI cohort. After 12 months of follow-up, neither all-cause mortality (p=0.22) nor MACE (p=0.25) differed between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: rPCI was associated with longer fluoroscopy times compared with mPCI, though without increased use of contrast medium. One-year follow-up revealed no differences in all-cause mortality or MACE, supporting the safety of a robotic-assisted approach.

GRACE scores or high-sensitivity troponin for timing of coronary angiography in non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndromes.

BACKGROUND: The GRACE risk score is generically recommended by guidelines for timing of invasive coronary angiography without stating which score should be used. The aim was to determine the diagnostic performance of different GRACE risk scores in comparison to the ESC 0/1 h-algorithm using high-sensitivity cardiac troponin (hs-cTn). METHODS: Prospectively enrolled patients presenting with symptoms suggestive of myocardial infarction (MI) in two large studies testing biomarker diagnostic strategies were included. Five GRACE risk scores were calculated. The amount of risk reclassification and the theoretical impact on guideline-recommended timing of invasive coronary angiography was studied. RESULTS: Overall, 8,618 patients were eligible for analyses. Comparing different GRACE risk scores, up to 63.8% of participants were reclassified into a different risk category. The proportion of MIs identified (i.e., sensitivity) dramatically differed between GRACE risk scores (range 23.8-66.5%) and was lower for any score than for the ESC 0/1 h-algorithm (78.1%). Supplementing the ESC 0/1 h-algorithm with a GRACE risk score slightly increased sensitivity (P < 0.001 for all scores). However, this increased the number of false positive results. CONCLUSION: The substantial amount of risk reclassification causes clinically meaningful differences in the proportion of patients meeting the recommended threshold for pursuing early invasive strategy according to the different GRACE scores. The single best test to detect MIs is the ESC 0/1 h-algorithm. Combining GRACE risk scoring with hs-cTn testing slightly increases the detection of MIs but also increases the number of patients with false positive results who would undergo potential unnecessarily early invasive coronary angiography.

Comparison of a novel self-expanding transcatheter heart valve with two established devices for treatment of degenerated surgical aortic bioprostheses.

AIMS: This study was performed to compare haemodynamic properties of a novel transcatheter heart valve (THV) with two established valve technologies for treatment of failing surgical aortic bioprosthetic valves (SAV). The ALLEGRA THV has been recently described with a proven safety and performance profile. METHODS AND RESULTS: The study was designed as a retrospective, single-centre study investigating 112 patients (77.7 ± 7.1 years, 53.8% female, STS score 6.8 ± 5.8% and logEuroSCORE I 27.4 ± 16.1%) with failing SAV. Patients were treated with the ALLEGRA THV (NVT, n = 24), the CoreValve/EvolutR (MTD, n = 64) or the Edwards Sapien/Sapien XT/Sapien 3 (EDW, n = 24). Adverse events, haemodynamic outcomes and patient safety were analysed according to VARC-3 definitions. Overall procedural success was high (94.6%), even though 58.9% of the treated SAV were classified as small (true inner diameter < 21 mm). After treatment, the mean pressure gradient was significantly reduced (baseline: 33.7 ± 16.5 mmHg, discharge: 18.0 ± 7.1 mmHg), with a corresponding increase in effective orifice area (EOA). The complication rates did not differ in between groups. There was a trend to lower mean transvalvular gradients after implantation of self-expanding THV with supra-annular valve function, despite a higher frequency of smaller SAVs in the NVT and MTD group. Additionally, comparison between NVT and MTD revealed statistically lower transvalvular gradients (NVT 14.9 ± 5.0 mmHg, MTD 18.7 ± 7.5 mmHg, p = 0.0295) in a subgroup analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Valve-in-valve (ViV) treatment of failing SAV with supra-annular design like the ALLEGRA THV resulted in favourable haemodynamic outcomes with similar low clinical event rates and may therefore be an interesting alternative for VIV TAVI.

Multimodal characterization of dilated cardiomyopathy: Geno- And Phenotyping of PrImary Cardiomyopathy (GrAPHIC).

AIMS: Cardiomyopathies (CMPs) are a heterogeneous group of diseases that are defined by structural and functional abnormalities of the cardiac muscle. Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), the most common CMP, is defined by left ventricular dilation and impaired contractility and represents a common cause of heart failure. Different phenotypes result from various underlying genetic and acquired causes with variable effects on disease development and progression, prognosis, and response to medical treatment. Current treatment algorithms do not consider these different aetiologies, due to lack of insights into treatable drivers of cardiac failure in patients with DCM. Our study aims to precisely phenotype and genotype the various subtypes of DCM and hereby lay the foundation for individualized therapy. METHODS AND RESULTS: The Geno- And Phenotyping of PrImary Cardiomyopathy (GrAPHIC) is a currently ongoing prospective observational monocentric cohort study that recruits patients with DCM after exclusion of other causes such as coronary artery disease, valvular dysfunction, myocarditis, exposure to toxins, and peripartum CMP. Patients are enrolled at our heart failure outpatient clinic or during hospitalization at the University Hospital Hamburg. Clinical parameters, multimodal imaging and functional assessment, cardiac biopsies, and blood samples are obtained to enable an integrated genomic, functional, and biomarker analysis. CONCLUSIONS: The GrAPHIC will contribute to a better understanding of the heterogeneous nature of primary CMPs focusing on DCM and provide improved prognostic approaches and more individualized therapies.