Left Ventricular Mass Index Predicts Pacemaker-Induced Cardiomyopathy in Patients with Dual Chamber Permanent Pacemakers Implanted Due to Complete Atrioventricular Block.

Background: Pacing-induced cardiomyopathy (PICM) occurs as a result of high-burden right ventricular (RV) pacing, which usually develops in patients with complete atrioventricular (AV) block. There is a paucity of data on the association between PICM and pre-implantation left ventricular mass index (LVMI). Thus, the purpose of this study was to analyze the influence of LVMI on PICM in patients who had dual chamber permanent pacemakers (PPMs) implanted secondary to complete AV block. Methods: Overall, 577 patients with dual chamber permanent pacemakers (PPMs) were classified into three tertiles according to their pre- implantation LVMI. The average follow-up period was 57 ± 38 months. The baseline characteristics, laboratory and echocardiographic variables were compared between the tertiles. PICM was defined as a ≥ 10% drop in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) from pre-implantation with a resultant LVEF < 50%. PICM occurred in 42 (7.2%) patients. The independent predictors of PICM development, as well as the impact of LVMI on PICM, were investigated. Results: After controlling for confounding baseline variables, the tertile with the greatest LVMI had a 1.8 times higher risk for the development of long-term PICM compared with the tertile with the lowest LVMI, which was accepted as the reference group. A receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed that the best LVMI cut- off value for predicting long-term PICM was 109.8 g/m2 with 71% sensitivity and 62% specificity (area under curve: 0.68; 95% confidence interval: 0.60-0.76; p < 0.001). Conclusions: This investigation revealed that pre-implantation LVMI had a prognostic role in predicting PICM in patients with an implanted dual chamber PPM due to complete AV block.

Performance of the Academic Research Consortium High Bleeding Risk Criteria in Patients With ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction: A Single Center Study.

We assessed the ability of predicting mortality and total in-hospital bleeding and adverse outcomes by the Academic Research Consortium High Bleeding Risk (ARC-HBR) criteria in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI). A total of 1441 STEMI patients were recruited: HBR group 354 (25%) patients and non-HBR group of 1087 (75%) patients. A total of 131 patients (9%) had a bleeding complication during hospitalization. The bleeding complications were also categorized according to other conventional bleeding scores. According to these conventional scores, all bleeding categories were associated with HBR. In univariate logistic regression analysis, female gender, diabetes mellitus, hypertension (HT) and HBR were associated with in-hospital bleeding. However, in multivariable analysis only HT (Odds Ratio [OR] 1.528, 95% CI 1.020-2.290; P = .040) and HBR (OR 1.612, 95% CI 1.075-2.428; P = .022) independently predicted total in-hospital bleeding complications. Hospital duration was longer and mortality rate was significantly higher in patients with HBR (OR 8.755, 95% CI 5.864-13.074; P < .01). The ARC-HBR criteria may predict in-hospital bleeding events and adverse outcomes in STEMI patients undergoing pPCI.

The relation between average 1-year home blood pressure and the change in pro-BNP and left ventricle mass index.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this investigation was to examine the association between average 1-year home blood pressure and the change in left ventricular mass index (LVMI) and pro-brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels. METHODS: This prospective study was a subgroup analysis of lifestyle intervention using mobile technology in patients with high cardiovascular risk: a pragmatic randomized clinical Trial (LIGHT). In total, 242 patients were stratified into tertiles according to their average 1-year home blood pressure. RESULTS: Patients grouped into the tertile 3 (T3) had a lower 1-year mean, SBP and DBP. The T3 group had a 2.1 times higher rate of decrease in pro-BNP and a 1.6 times higher rate of decrease in LVMI compared with T1, compared with the reference group. The area under curve (AUC) value of average 1-year home blood pressure was higher than that of mean SBP or DBP. (AUC, 0.75 vs. AUC, 0.70 vs. AUC, 0.69, respectively). Spearman rank correlation demonstrated that average 1-year home blood pressure had a correlation with Δpro-BNP and ΔLVMI. CONCLUSION: The present study showed that average 1-year home blood pressure may have a significant association with a decrease in LVMI and pro-BNP. Our study appears to be the first to evaluate the association between average 1-year home blood pressure and the change in LVMI and pro-BNP.

Cardiac variables associated with atrial fibrillation occurrence and mortality in octogenarians implanted with dual chamber permanent pacemakers.

BACKGROUND: There is a dearth of data on the predictors of atrial fibrillation (AF) and the association between AF and long-term mortality in octogenarians with dual-chamber permanent pacemakers (PPM). We investigate the occurrence of AF and whether it is associated with overall mortality among octogenarians with dual-chamber PPM implants. METHODS: Three hundred and fifty-four patients with PPM implants were divided into two groups based on their long-term survival status. Baseline characteristics, laboratory variables, and echocardiographic variables were then compared between the groups, and independent predictors of the long-term incidence of AF and mortality were determined. RESULTS: Multivariable Cox regression analysis performed after adjusting for the parameters in univariable analysis revealed that diabetes, urea levels, albumin levels, paced QRS duration, and the frequency of atrial high-rate episodes (AHREs) were independently associated with a long-term risk of AF in octogenarians after having dual chamber PPMs implanted. The left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction, left atrial (LA) anteroposterior diameter, and AHRE + AF (HR 1.498, 95%CI 1.003-2.237, p = 0.048) were independent risk factors for the long-term mortality in octogenarians receiving dual-chamber PPMs implants. CONCLUSION: The occurrence of AF following dual-chamber PPM implantation is a significant prognostic factor in octogenarian patients.

The diagnostic value of laboratory tests in detecting solid organ injuries in pediatric patients with blunt abdominal trauma.

BACKGROUND: Computed tomography of the abdomen (CT) is used as the gold standard for detecting solid organ injuries (SOI) after blunt abdominal trauma (BAT). However, patient selection for CT is still controversial due to its potential risks. In this study, we aimed to investigate the usefulness of laboratory tests in the detection or exclusion of SOI in pediatric patients evaluated in the emergency department due to BAT. METHODS: The study was planned as a prospective, observational study and was conducted in the emergency department of a university hospital between February 2018 and February 2019. Patients under the age of 18 who were evaluated for BAT in the emergency department were included in the study. In the study, the diagnostic value of abnormal laboratory tests in detecting SOI was calculated by accepting CT results as the gold standard. RESULTS: Of the 323 patients included in the study, 118 (36%) were male. There were 283 patients who underwent CT. SOI was detected in 18 (6%) patients. Abnormal alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, amylase and lipase tests were found to be statistically significant in predicting SOI (p < 0.05). However, none of the tests were found to have sufficient sensitivity and specificity. Hemoglobin, hematocrit, lactate and base excess values were not found to be statistically significant in predicting SOI (p > 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: The hematologic laboratory tests are insufficient to rule out solid organ injury in pediatric patient with BAT.

Prognostic value of serum albumin for long-term mortality in patients with dual-chamber permanent pacemakers.

Background: This investigation aims to examine the prognostic utility of albumin concentrations for long-term all-cause mortality in patients undergoing permanent pacemaker implantation. Methods: A total of 1798 patients who received permanent pacemaker implantation were divided into quartiles according to serum albumin concentrations. The significance of albumin in predicting long-term mortality was compared in these quartiles. Results: There was a higher rate of long-term mortality in the Q4 group compared with the Q1-3 groups (49.9 vs 15.8%). The risk of long-term mortality in the Q4 group was 3.6-times higher compared with the Q1-3 groups after adjustment for confounders. Conclusion: Serum albumin level at the time of device implantation has great value when assessing long-term mortality in patients with permanent pacemakers.

Monocyte to high-density lipoprotein ratio at hospital admission predicts intrahospital mortality in patients with Stanford type-A dissection.

BACKGROUND: Immune inflammatory mechanisms have crucial roles not only in the presence but also in the progression of aortic dissection (AD). Monocyte count to high-density lipoprotein ratio (MHR) has recently emerged as an indicator of inflammation and oxidative stress. Thus, we aimed to examine the prognostic value of MHR in patients with AD. METHODS: A total of 204 consecutive patients with Stanford type-A dissection who managed surgically were retrospectively enrolled in the present study. Recruited patients were divided into two groups according to the occurrence of intrahospital death; Group 1 consisted of 165 patients who were discharged alive, and Group 2 consisted of 39 patients who died during index hospitalization. Two groups were compared with respect to baseline clinical data and admission laboratory parameters including MHR. RESULTS: The mean age of the Group 1 was 55.2 ± 12.3 years, while the mean age of the Group 2 was 60.6 ± 10.8 years (p = .012). The patients who were discharged alive (Group 1) had significantly lower MHR than the deceased patients (Group 2) (0.02099 ± 0.00140 vs. 0.02848 ± 0.01513, p = .004). At receiver operating characteristics curve analysis, MHR = 0.020699 had 67% sensitivity and 59% specificity in predicting intrahospital mortality among patients with AD. In multivariate analysis, MHR was found to be an independent risk factor of intrahospital mortality among those (ß = 1.094, p = .011). CONCLUSION: MHR is an inexpensive and easily calculated biomarker, which is useful to predict intrahospital mortality in patients with Stanford type-A dissection who managed surgically.

Effect of a mobile application and smart devices on heart rate variability in diabetic patients with high cardiovascular risk: A sub-study of the LIGHT randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: This investigation aims to evaluate the effect of a mobile application and smart devices on frequency and time domains of heart rate variability (HRV) in diabetic patients in 1-year follow-up. METHODS: This is post-hoc analysis of a diabetic subgroup of "Lifestyle Intervention usinG mobile technology in patients with high cardiovascular risk: a pragmatic randomized clinical Trial" (LIGHT). One hundred and nine and 118 patients were enrolled in two arms: the intervention plus usual care and the usual care arm. The study outcome was the 1-year HRV parameters adjusted to the baseline HRV parameters. HRV measures were recorded for every patient at the randomization and final visits with 24-hour Holter monitoring. RESULTS: There was an improvement in the standard deviation of normal to normal (SDNN) R-R intervals 24-hour by 4.8 (adjusted treatment effect 4.8, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.1-9.5; P = 0.044) in the intervention-plus-usual-care arm compared to usual care after a 1-year follow-up. The improvement was also experienced in other HRV time domains including standard deviation of the mean R-R intervals calculated over a 5-minute period, SDNN, square root of the mean squared difference of successive R-R intervals, and the percentage of the differences between adjacent normal R-R intervals exceeding 50 milliseconds. A significant enhancement was also detected in HRV frequency domains of total power low frequency and high frequency in the intervention plus usual care compared to usual care after a 1-year follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The mobile application and smart device technology compared to usual care alone improved HRV parameters in diabetic patients at 1-year follow-up.

Predictive value of the age, creatinine and ejection fraction score in patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention with bail-out tirofiban therapy.

INTRODUCTION: In patients who have undergone interventional cardiac procedures, the risk of bleeding is higher than in patients who received conservative treatment due to multiple medications and comorbidities. AIM: This study aimed to evaluate the usefulness of the age, creatinine and ejection fraction (ACEF) score for predicting bleeding events and to compare short- and long-term clinical outcomes according to the ACEF score in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) with bail-out tirofiban therapy (BOTT). MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 2,543 patients were included and divided into three groups according to the following ACEF score tertiles: T1 (ACEFlow ≤ 1.033), T2 (1.033 < ACEFmid ≤ 1.371), and T3 (ACEFhigh > 1.371). The main outcomes measured were the incidence rates of relevant bleeding events and mortality within 30 days and 3 years after the procedure. RESULTS: A total of 73 (2.9%) patients had Bleeding Academic Research Consortium bleeding events of grades 3, 4 or 5 and 104 (4%) patients died in a 30-day period. The ACEF score was effective at predicting 30-day bleeding (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC): 0.658, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.579-0.737; p < 0.001), 30-day mortality (AUC = 0.701, 95% CI: 0.649-0.753; p < 0.001) and 3-year mortality (AUC = 0.778, 95% CI: 0.748-0.807; p < 0.001) events. Considering the ACEF score tertiles, T3 patients presented greater 30-day bleeding (1.6%, 2.8% and 4.1%; odds ratio (OR) = 2.56, 95% CI: 1.37-4.80), 30-day mortality (1.7%, 3.5% and 7.1%; OR = 4.53, 95% CI: 2.51-8.18) and 3-year mortality (6.4%, 11% and 19.8%; hazard ratio = 3.56, 95% CI: 2.58-4.91) risks. CONCLUSIONS: The ACEF score is a user-friendly tool with excellent predictive value for bleeding events and mortality in patients undergoing pPCI with BOTT.

Lifestyle intervention using mobile technology and smart devices in patients with high cardiovascular risk: A pragmatic randomised clinical trial.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Mobile technology-based solutions present promising effects against cardiovascular diseases. Long-term follow-up in mobile phone-based interventions has not yet been elucidated as a primary prevention technique for cardiovascular diseases. The objective of the present trial is to evaluate the effectiveness of lifestyle intervention on the change in the atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk score in a 1-year follow-up using smart phone technology in patients with high cardiovascular risk. METHODS: This prospective, randomised, single-centre clinical investigation enrolled 242 and 241 patients to the intervention plus usual care and usual care arms, respectively. The primary outcome of this study was the 1-year ASCVD risk score adjusted to baseline ASCVD risk score. ASCVD risk scores were calculated for every study participant at the randomisation and final stages. RESULTS: After a 1-year follow-up, the intervention plus usual care reduced the ASCVD score by 2.7% (adjusted treatment effect -2.7, 95% confidence interval (CI): -2.2,-3.3, p<0.0001). An improvement was observed in favour of the intervention plus usual care arm in the majority of the pre-specified secondary endpoints. The high sensitive troponin and high sensitive C-reactive protein levels at 1 year were similar between the two arms. The treatment effect was homogenous for diabetes mellitus, gender, systolic blood pressure, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides and body mass index; however, heterogeneity in the treatment effect was observed for age. CONCLUSIONS: The lifestyle intervention using smart phone technology compared to usual care alone in patients with high cardiovascular risk reduced the ASCVD score at 1-year follow-up.

Rationale and design of lifestyle intervention using mobile technology in patients with high cardiovascular risk: A pragmatic randomized clinical trial.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality throughout the world and contributes a considerable burden to healthcare costs. Primary prevention strategies, particularly adopting healthy lifestyle habits, have great potential to reduce the risk of CVD. Patient compliance remains the major cause of the failure of primary prevention strategies. Telehealth interventions and gamification through mobile applications can increase adherence and reduce healthcare costs. The primary objective of this study is to compare the effect of lifestyle intervention using mobile technology plus usual care with usual care alone in patients with a high CVD risk.

Prognostic value of serum uric acid levels in patients with non-STEMI undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.

BACKGROUND: Because myocardial infarction in young adults is rare, there has been limited research on the condition in this patient group. Very few data are available regarding the long-term outcomes of patients under 40 years of age with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) undergoing invasive treatments. The prognostic value of uric acid (UA) in young patients with NSTEMI who undergo percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has also not been studied. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the long-term clinical outcomes of this specific subset of young patients. In addition, we aimed to identify the role of serum UA in predicting the long-term prognosis of young patients with NSTEMI who have undergone PCI. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of 213 young adult patients (≤40 years old) with NSTEMI who underwent PCI during their hospitalization at our tertiary referral center. RESULTS: The mean age of the 213 patients was 36.8 ± 3.3 years (range, 21-40 years). The median follow-up was 930 days. Our patients were predominantly male (88.3%) and the most frequent traditional cardiovascular risk factors were smoking and dyslipidemia. Baseline TIMI flow 0-1, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and UA were found to be independently correlated with long-term major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) in multivariate Cox regression analysis. CONCLUSION: In the present study, baseline TIMI flow 0-1, admission eGFR, and UA levels were correlated with MACEs during long-term follow-up in young patients with NSTEMI.

Renal function in patients with mechanical prosthetic valves : Long-term effects of anticoagulation and over-anticoagulation with warfarin.

BACKGROUND: Warfarin-related nephropathy (WRN) is a complication of warfarin over-anticoagulation that is associated with acute and/or chronic renal dysfunction and increased mortality. The long-term effects of warfarin on renal function has not been adequately studied in patients with a mechanical prosthetic valve (MPV). AIM: To study the time-dependent effects of over-anticoagulation on renal function in patients with a MPV. METHODS: A total of 193 patients who underwent MPV implantation and were followed up in this study were eligible for inclusion. Time above therapeutic international normalized ratio (INR) range (TATR) was calculated by dividing the number of INR measurements above target in a year by the total number of INR measurements within a year. Patients were divided into quartiles according to average TATR at 60 months. RESULTS: At 60 months more patients within the 4th quartile had a ≥20% reduction in the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR, 25.0%, p = 0.04) and chronic kidney disease (CKD, 33.0%, p = 0.07) compared to patients within the 1st quartile. High TATR remained a significant determinant for reduction in eGFR (odds ratio OR: 7.50, 95% confidence interval CI:1.55-36.32) and CKD (OR:5.15, 95% CI: 1.26-20.62) after adjusting for other variables. Longitudinal analysis revealed that the change in eGFR was related to the duration of warfarin use (p < 0.001) and the interaction between the duration of warfarin use and TATR (p = 0.03). Similar findings were observed in patients without CKD at baseline, but not in those with CKD before the index operation. CONCLUSION: Anticoagulation over targeted INR values is associated with a steeper decline in eGFR and an increased frequency of CKD in patients with a MPV.