Heart Failure Preserved Ejection Fraction in Women: Insights Learned from Imaging.

While the prevalence of heart failure, in general, is similar in men and women, women experience a higher rate of HFpEF compared to HFrEF. Cardiovascular risk factors, parity, estrogen levels, cardiac physiology, and altered response to the immune system may be at the root of this difference. Studies have found that in response to increasing age and hypertension, women experience more concentric left ventricle remodeling, more ventricular and arterial stiffness, and less ventricular dilation compared to men, which predisposes women to developing more diastolic dysfunction. A multi-modality imaging approach is recommended to identify patients with HFpEF. Particularly, appreciation of sex-based differences as described in this review is important in optimizing the evaluation and care of women with HFpEF.

ANMCO position paper: guide to the appropriate use of the wearable cardioverter defibrillator in clinical practice for patients at high transient risk of sudden cardiac death.

Extended risk stratification and optimal management of patients with a permanently increased risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD) are becoming increasingly important. There are several clinical conditions where the risk of arrhythmic death is present albeit only transient. As an example, patients with depressed left ventricular function have a high risk of SCD that may be only transient if there will be a significant recovery of function. It is important to protect the patients while receiving and titrating to the optimal dose the recommended drugs that may lead to an improved left ventricular function. In several other conditions, a transient risk of SCD can be observed even if the left ventricular function is not compromised. Examples are patients with acute myocarditis, during the diagnostic work-up of some arrhythmic conditions or after extraction of infected catheters while eradicating the associated infection. In all these conditions, it is important to offer a protection to these patients. The wearable cardioverter defibrillator (WCD) is of particular importance as a temporary non-invasive technology for both arrhythmia monitoring and therapy in patients with increased risk of SCD. Previous studies have shown the WCD to be an effective and safe therapy for the prevention of SCD caused by ventricular tachycardia/fibrillation. The aim of this ANMCO position paper is to provide a recommendation for clinical utilization of the WCD in Italy, based upon current data and international guidelines. In this document, we will review the WCD functionality, indications, clinical evidence, and guideline recommendations. Finally, a recommendation for the utilization of the WCD in routine clinical practice will be presented, in order to provide physicians with a practical guidance for SCD risk stratification in patients who may benefit from this device.

[ANMCO Position paper: Wearable cardioverter defibrillator appropriate use guidance for the management of patients at high transient risk of sudden cardiac death]. / Position paper ANMCO: Guida all'uso appropriato del defibrillatore indossabile nella pratica clinica per i pazienti ad elevato rischio transitorio di morte improvvisa.

Extended risk stratification and optimal management of patients with a permanently increased risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD) is becoming increasingly important. There are several clinical conditions where the risk of arrhythmic death is present albeit only transient. As an example, patients with depressed left ventricular function have a high risk of SCD that may be only transient when there is a significant recovery of function. It is important to protect the patients while receiving the recommended measures and drugs that may either lead or not to an improved left ventricular function. In several other conditions a transient risk of SCD can be observed even if the left ventricular function is not compromised. Examples are patients with acute myocarditis, during the diagnostic work-up of some arrhythmic conditions or after extraction of infected catheters while eradicating the associated infection. In all these conditions it is important to offer a protection to these patients. The wearable cardioverter-defibrillator (WCD) is of particular importance as a temporary non-invasive technology for both arrhythmia monitoring and therapy in patients with increased risk of SCD. Previous studies have shown the WCD to be an effective and safe therapy for the prevention of SCD caused by ventricular tachycardia/fibrillation. The aim of this ANMCO position paper is to provide a recommendation for clinical utilization of the WCD in Italy, based upon current data and international guidelines. In this document we will review the WCD functionality, indications, clinical evidence as well as guideline recommendations. Finally, a recommendation for the utilization of the WCD in routine clinical practice will be presented, in order to provide physicians with a practical guidance for SCD risk stratification in patients who may benefit from this device.

[Role of fractional flow reserve for invasive functional evaluation in surgical myocardial revascularization: available evidence and state of the art]. / Ruolo della valutazione funzionale mediante riserva frazionale di flusso nella rivascolarizzazione miocardica chirurgica: evidenze disponibili e stato dell'arte.

Fractional flow reserve (FFR) is the ratio of distal to proximal pressure during maximal hyperemia and indirectly estimates the blood flow across a stenotic coronary artery and the related degree of myocardial ischemia. Several studies have investigated the role of FFR in the setting of percutaneous myocardial revascularization and further research is ongoing. However, current evidence on FFR-guided surgical myocardial revascularization is controversial and limited. The main scientific interest is to clarify whether FFR-guided coronary artery bypass surgery is associated with clinical benefits in terms of mortality, myocardial infarction, major adverse cardiovascular events, minimally invasive surgical access compared with sternotomy and off-pump surgery. Furthermore some data suggest that conduit selection for coronary artery bypass grafting and surgical technique might be affected by FFR value. The aim of this article is to review the most recent available evidence about FFR-guided coronary artery bypass grafting and to discuss clinical implications and future perspectives.

Analysis of Risk Factors Independently Associated with Cognitive Impairment in Patients with Permanent Atrial Fibrillation: A Cross-sectional Observational Study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is associated with an increased risk of stroke and development of cognitive impairment. Our cross-sectional study aims to identify risk factors for cognitive impairment in patients with permanent AF. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 212 consecutive outpatients with history of permanent AF lasting more than 1 year were enrolled and the Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire (SPMSQ) was used to assess cognitive impairment (number of errors ≥5). The type of antithrombotic therapy, the time in therapeutic range (TTR) in case of treatment with warfarin and the degree of heart rate (HR) control (upon Holter ECG monitoring) were also assessed. RESULTS: ROC curve analysis indicated that TTR was associated with cognitive impairment (AUC 0.85 ± 0.03; 95% CI 0.77-0.88; p < 0.0001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed an independent association of previous cerebrovascular or cardiovascular events (OR 7.24, 95% CI 1.37-38.25; p = 0.020), aspirin therapy instead of anticoagulant therapy (OR 24.74, 95% CI 1.27-482.12; p = 0.034), warfarin use with TTR ≤60% (OR 21.71 , 95%CI 4.35-108; p < 0.001) and an average daily HR either <60 bpm or >100 bpm (OR 6.04, 95% 1.09-33.29; p = 0.039) with cognitive impairment. CONCLUSION: Among patients with permanent AF, cognitive impairment is more frequent in those with inadequate antithrombotic therapy (aspirin therapy instead of anticoagulant therapy) and with suboptimal oral anticoagulation (TTR ≤60%) or heart rate control. Efforts should be made to optimize therapies related to these parameters.

[Intravascular ultrasound-guided antegrade recanalization of a complex chronic total occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery: a case report]. / Disostruzione anterograda di complessa occlusione cronica totale del ramo interventricolare anteriore guidata dall'ecografia intravascolare: caso clinico.

Patients with coronary chronic total occlusion (CTO) if symptomatic for angina or with extensive inducible ischemia at provocative tests may be revascularized percutaneously or surgically. Percutaneous revascularization can be performed by antegrade or retrograde approach. In our case, in the presence of a long CTO of the left anterior descending coronary artery, the antegrade approach was chosen using an intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) catheter positioned in a secondary branch, to accurately identify the proximal lesion cap. IVUS is useful for selecting the appropriate stent size and length to ensure lesion coverage and stent optimization and to detect related complications.

Omega 3 and atrial fibrillation: Where are we?

Anti-arrhythmic properties of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, at least in part mediated by anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic power, have been widely proved. Effect of fish oil on atrial fibrillation, both in primary and in secondary prevention and after cardiac surgery, are controversial, mostly due to lack of homogeneity between studies but also due to individual variability in response to fatty acids administration. Inclusion of measurement of incorporation of fish oil into cell membranes, appears to be essential in future studies, to assess their antiarrhythmic effect.