Predicting readmission for heart failure patients by echocardiographic assessment of elevated left atrial pressure.

BACKGROUND: Pathophysiologically, an elevated left ventricular (LV) filling pressure is the major reason for heart failure (HF) readmission. The 2016 American Society of Echocardiography (ASE)/European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI) guidelines provide a simplified algorithm for the echocardiographic assessment of LV filling pressure; however, this algorithm is yet to be sufficiently validated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively studied 139 consecutive patients with acute decompensated HF. High estimated left atrial pressure (eLAP) was defined according to the 2016 ASE/EACVI guidelines. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify significant risk factors for HF readmission within one year of discharge. RESULTS: Across the study cohort, 68 patients (49%) did not have a high eLAP, 32 (23%) had an indeterminate eLAP, and 39 (28%) had a high eLAP. The number of HF readmission events within one year in the without high eLAP, indeterminate, and high eLAP groups were 4 (7.5%), 5 (18.5%), and 10 (33.3%), respectively. The HF readmission rate was significantly higher in patients with high eLAP than in those without high eLAP. Multivariate analysis revealed high eLAP (odds ratio, 5.924; 95% confidence interval, 1.664-21.087; P = 0.006) as a significant risk factor for HF readmission within one year. Furthermore, the exploratory analysis of the two-year outcomes revealed a similar finding: patients with high eLAP had a significantly higher rate of readmission for HF. CONCLUSIONS: The present study demonstrated that echocardiographic assessment of elevated LAP based on the 2016 ASE/EACVI guidelines is clinically valid for predicting readmission in patients with HF.

Considerations in cardio-oncology: Multiple mobile left-sided cardiac thrombi in chemotherapy-induced cardiomyopathy.

With advances in cancer chemotherapy, the importance of the new clinical discipline of cardio-oncology, which is concerned with the cardiac effects of chemotherapy, is increasing. Herein we describe the case of a 48-year-old woman with a history of breast cancer who presented with symptoms of heart failure due to chemotherapy-induced cardiomyopathy. Treatment for the patient's breast cancer had included surgery and chemotherapy with anthracyclines and trastuzumab. Echocardiography revealed multiple mobile thrombi in the left ventricle and atrium. In addition, brain magnetic resonance imaging revealed small acute cerebral infarctions due to embolization. Given the high risk of re-embolization, surgical thrombectomy was performed. Thus far, there are no standardized therapeutic guidelines for left-sided cardiac thrombi and the optimal treatment remains contentious. Although this patient was managed successfully with surgical thrombectomy, patients should be managed individually, taking into consideration embolization, bleeding, and surgical risks. With further improvements in cancer chemotherapy, there may be an increase in the incidence of complications such as multiple cardiac thrombi. From the cardio-oncology standpoint, we propose close interactions between cardiologists and oncologists for the optimal care of cancer patients.

Cardiac dysfunction of pulmonary artery aneurysm in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary artery aneurysm (PAA) occurs in some patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). We evaluated the characteristics of cardiac dysfunction in patients with PAH complicated by PAA. METHODS: Echocardiography and right-heart catheterization were performed in 130 PAH patients to measure the maximum dimensions of the main pulmonary artery (MPA) trunk and evaluate right ventricular (RV) and left ventricular (LV) function. RESULTS: A diameter of >40mm was defined as PAA in the MPA trunk. The maximum MPA diameter was >40mm in 32 of 130 PAH patients (24.6%: Group PAA). Systolic pulmonary artery pressure (68.0±18.5 vs. 58.9±21.6mm Hg, P=0.0354) and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (10.8±3.9 vs. 7.7±2.6mm Hg, P<0.0001) were significantly higher in Group PAA than in Group non-PAA. RV end-diastolic area index (19.6±6.8 vs. 14.9±5.1 cm²/m², P<0.0001), and RV fractional area change (32.3±7.8 vs. 37.3±8.8%, P=0.0048) and RV longitudinal strain (-15.4±5.1 vs. -20.4±6.1, P=0.0012) were significantly lower, and E/e' was significantly higher (8.1±2.2 vs. 6.7±1.4, P=0.0002) in Group PAA than in Group non-PAA. CONCLUSIONS: In PAH patients with PAA, RV was larger and RV dysfunction was more severe, and LV diastolic dysfunction appeared. It is important to investigate the appearance of PAA and the severity of RV and LV dysfunction in PAH patients with PAA.

Evaluation of right atrial function using right atrial speckle tracking analysis in patients with pulmonary artery hypertension.

BACKGROUND: In patients with pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH), right ventricular pressure overload eventually causes right heart failure (RHF), leading to a poor prognosis. Right atrial (RA) overload and RA dysfunction occur in patients with PAH-complicated RHF. OBJECTIVES: We evaluated RA function using right atrial longitudinal strain (RALS) by two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (2D-STE) and investigated the association between RALS and the severity of RHF in patients with pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH) noninvasively. METHODS: We performed 2D-STE in 56 PAH patients and 20 normal control subjects. The peak global RALS and peak global RA longitudinal strain rate (RALSR) were analyzed by 2D-STE. Simultaneous right heart catheterization was performed to determine the right atrial pressure (RAP) and cardiac index (CI). RESULTS: Peak global RALS (34.6 ± 14.1 vs. 58.3 ± 9.9%, p < 0.0001) and peak global RALSR (2.5 ± 1.3 vs. 3.1 ± 1.2 s(-1), p < 0.0001) were significantly lower in PAH patients compared with normal controls. There was a significant negative correlation between peak global RALS and RAP (r = -0.8037, p < 0.0001). There was a significant positive correlation between peak global RALS and CI (r = 0.8179, p < 0.0001). Peak global RALSR was also correlated with RAP (r = -0.7308, p < 0.0001) and CI (r = 0.7596, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: RALS and RALSR by 2D-STE were useful for noninvasive evaluation of RA dysfunction and the severity of RHF in patients with PAH.