Abstract Objectives The goal of this study was to assess the independent and collective diagnostic value of various modalities in cardiac sarcoidosis, delineate the role of cardiac magnetic resonance ...(CMR), and identify patients at risk. Background Cardiac sarcoidosis is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. CMR is a key modality in the evaluation of patients with cardiac symptoms, but the complementary role of CMR to conventional tests for the diagnosis of cardiac sarcoidosis is not fully defined. Methods Patients (N = 321) with biopsy-proven sarcoidosis underwent conventional cardiac testing and CMR with late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) and were followed up for primary (composite of all-cause mortality, sustained ventricular tachycardia VT episodes, or hospitalization for heart failure) and secondary (nonsustained VT episodes) endpoints. Results Cardiac sarcoidosis was diagnosed in 29.9% of patients according to the Heart Rhythm Society consensus criteria. CMR was the most sensitive and specific test (area under the curve: 0.984); it detected 44 patients with cardiac symptoms and/or electrocardiogram (ECG) abnormalities but normal echocardiogram, as well as 15 asymptomatic patients with normal baseline testing. Echocardiography added to cardiac history and ECG did not change sensitivity of the initial screening strategy (68.8% vs. 72.9%). Despite a high positive predictive value (83.9%), echocardiography had a low sensitivity (27.1%). During follow-up, 7.2% of patients reached the primary endpoint and another 3.4% reached the secondary endpoint. LGE was and independent predictor of primary endpoints (hazard ratio: 5.68; 95% CI: 1.74 to 18.49; p = 0.004). LGE, age, and baseline nonsustained VT were independent predictors of all events. In patients with cardiac symptoms and/or an abnormal ECG, CMR increased diagnostic accuracy and independently predicted primary endpoints (hazard ratio: 12.71; 95% confidence interval: 1.48 to 109.35; p = 0.021). Conclusions Of all cardiac tests, CMR was the most valuable in the diagnosis and prognosis of cardiac sarcoidosis in a general sarcoidosis population. Echocardiography had an overall limited diagnostic value as a screening test, and an abnormal study, despite a high positive predictive value, may still need confirmation with CMR.
Transcatheter closure of patent foramen ovale (PFO) is a highly effective therapy for patients with left circulation thromboembolism, not attributable to other conditions.
This retrospective cohort ...study investigates the impact of baseline foramen ovale anatomy on the severity of the postclosure shunt.
Patients with PFO, who underwent percutaneous closure, were followed up for at least 5 years postimplantation. Patients were classified into two groups based on the presence of high-risk features of the baseline PFO anatomy. At the follow-up follow-up, residual right-to-left shunt was assessed for the high and non-highrisk anatomy groups, via transcranial Doppler at rest and after performing the Valsalva maneuver, with the injection of agitated saline.
38 patients were examined after a mean follow-up period of 9 ± 3 years after implantation. After retrospective evaluation of the baseline transthoracic and transesophageal echo studies, 14 patients with high-risk PFO anatomy were identified. The degree of the residual right-to-left shunt, as assessed by the number of microbubbles was higher in the high-risk PFO anatomy group compared to the non-high-risk group, both at rest 1.50 (IQR: 0.00-3.25) vs. 0.00 (IQR: 0.00-0.00), p < 0.001 and post-Valsalva maneuver 7.50 (IQR: 1.50- 10.25) vs. 0.00 (IQR: 0.00-3.75), p = 0.003. Furthermore, in the high-risk group, more microbubbles were detected at rest (p = 0.008) and post-Valsalva (p = 0.002) in subjects without antiplatelet treatment compared to subjects on prolonged antiplatelet therapy.
Baseline PFO anatomy affects the severity of the residual right-to-left shunt. Prolonged antiplatelet therapy may benefit patients with high-risk anatomical features.
Renal Denervation (RDN) is an interventional, endovascular procedure used for the management of hypertension. The procedure itself aims to ablate the renal sympathetic nerves and to interrupt the ...renal sympathetic nervous system overactivation, thus decreasing blood pressure (BP) levels and total sympathetic drive in the body. Recent favorable evidence for RDN resulted in the procedure being included in the recent European Guidelines for the management of Hypertension, while RDN is considered the third pillar, along with pharmacotherapy, for managing hypertension. Sympathetic overactivation, however, is associated with numerous other pathologies, including diabetes, metabolic syndrome and glycemic control, which are linked to adverse cardiovascular health and outcomes. Therefore, RDN, via ameliorating sympathetic response, could be also proven beneficial for maintaining an euglycemic status in patients with cardiovascular disease, alongside its BP-lowering effects. Several studies have aimed, over the years, to provide evidence regarding the pathophysiological effects of RDN in glucose homeostasis as well as investigate the potential clinical benefits of the procedure in glucose and insulin homeostasis. The purpose of this review is, thus, to analyze the pathophysiological links between the autonomous nervous system and glycemic control, as well as provide an overview of the available preclinical and clinical data regarding the effect of RDN in glycemic control.
Patent foramen ovale (PFO) is a remnant of the foetal circulation resulting from incomplete occlusion of the septum primum and septum secundum. Although prevalent in about 25% of the population, it ...mainly remains asymptomatic. However, its clinical significance in situations such as cryptogenic stroke, migraine, and decompression illness (DCI) has been well described. Recent randomised clinical trials (RCTs) have demonstrated the efficacy of percutaneous PFO closure over pharmacological therapy alone for secondary stroke prevention in carefully selected patients. Notably, these trials have excluded older patients or those with concurrent thrombophilia. Furthermore, the role of closure in other clinical conditions associated with PFO, like decompression sickness (DCS) and migraines, remains under investigation. Our review aims to summarise the existing literature regarding epidemiology, pathophysiological mechanisms, optimal management, and closure indications for these special patient groups.
Tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is a common valvular pathology, estimated to affect 1.6 million people in the United States alone. Even though guidelines recommend either medical therapy or surgical ...treatment for TR, the misconception of TR as a benign disease along with the high mortality rates of surgical intervention led to undertreating this disease and commonly describing it as a "forgotten" valve. Recently, the development of transcatheter interventions for TR show promising potential for use in the clinical setting. There are currently few approved and numerous tested percutaneously delivered devices, which can be categorized, based on their mechanism of action, to either valve repair or valve replacement procedures. Both procedures were tested in clinical trials and show an echocardiographic reduction in TR sustained for at least 1 year after the procedure, as well as symptom relief and functional improvement of the patients. Device selection should be personalized, taking into consideration the anatomy of each valve and the available options at each heart center. Moreover, appropriate patient selection and timing of the procedure are also crucial for the success of the procedure. In this review, we analyze the clinical trials available for all devices currently approved or tested, aiming to provide a comprehensive summary of the most recent evidence in the field of transcatheter TR interventions.
Ultra-low contrast percutaneous coronary interventions (ULPCIs) are a novel field of interventional cardiology, aiming to reduce the risk of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN), which is a ...well-described adverse event after angiography. CIN is a well-described adverse event following PCI, especially in high-risk patients, i.e., patients with an already deteriorating renal function or chronic kidney disease, as well as patients of advanced age or requiring an increased amount of contrast during their intervention. Among the techniques described for ULPCI procedures, intravascular imaging guidance seems a promising option, as it allows lesion recognition and characterization, stent implantation, and PCI optimization. Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) is the modality most commonly used, as it does not require contrast injection, contrary to optical coherence tomography (OCT). Several clinical trials, assessing IVUS in the context of ULPCI, have shown that it can be safely used in this setting while offering a substantial reduction in contrast media volume, as well as renal adverse outcomes. This review aims to describe the need for ULPCI and technical considerations regarding the use of intravascular imaging in this setting, as well as analyze the available evidence from clinical trials regarding the safety and efficacy of IVUS-ULPCI, in order to provide a comprehensive summary for practicing physicians.
Paravalvular leak (PVL) is a common complication following valve replacement, which leads to heart failure and hemolysis. Transcatheter PVL closure has emerged as a reliable alternative with ...promising results. We quote the combined three-center experience of PVL patients treated percutaneously.
Consecutive patients treated percutaneously for PVL were retrospectively studied. Procedural characteristics, inhospital, and long-term clinical outcomes were assessed. Technical (successful deployment) and clinical (NYHA and/or hemolysis improvement) success were evaluated.
In total, 39 patients treated for PVL in either the aortic (12 patients) or the mitral (27 patients) position were studied. Amplatzer Vascular Plug III was the most commonly used device among the 45 devices totally implanted. Postprocedurally, the rates of at least moderate PVL (87.5% preprocedurally vs 10.5% at discharge) and functional status (mean NYHA class 2.8 ± 0.7 on admission vs 1.5 ± 0.8 at follow-up) were statistically significantly improved.
Total population technical success rate was 89.7%, being comparable between patients treated for mitral or aortic valve PVLs (92.6% vs 83.3%, respectively). Clinical success was achieved in 82.1% of patient cohort without statistical difference among those with isolated aortic or mitral PVL or among those with PVL closure an indication of heart failure or hemolysis. During a mean follow-up of 33.5 months, five patients died, including one periprocedural death.
This multicenter recorded experience confirms that percutaneous PVL closure can be performed with high technical and clinical success rates and limited complications that lead to significant PVL reduction and functional status improvement.
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The ACURATE neo transcatheter aortic valve is a self-expanding device suitable for both transfemoral and transapical approach, but specific groups of patients are under-represented in clinical ...trials. We aim to provide a comprehensive systematic review on TAVI with ACURATE neo in those special populations. TAVI in bicuspid aortic valve, TAVI in patients with small aortic annulus, TAVI for pure aortic regurgitation and valve-in-valve procedures, were systematically reviewed. The primary endpoint was device success as defined by VARC-2 criteria. The secondary endpoints were safety and performance outcomes according to VARC-2 consensus document.ACURATE neo exhibited similar outcomes in bicuspid vs tricuspid aortic valve except for pre and post-dilatation rates in one observational study. Lower mean aortic gradient and higher pre-dilatation rates with comparable safety outcomes were described for ACURATE neo when compared to Lotus and Evolut-R for bicuspid aortic valve stenosis. 2 studies compared ACURATE in small aortic annuli. ACURATE neo showed lower transvalvular gradients and lower patient prosthesis mismatch rates compared to Sapien 3 and when compared to Evolut R/ Evolut PRO/ Portico, results were similar except for pre-dilatation rates. 3 studies investigated ACURATE neo for pure aortic regurgitation and one for valve-in-valve procedure and demonstrated safety and efficacy, with the exception of malposition events in patients designated for higher valve deployment in the valve-in-valve implantation study.ACURATE neo valve may be a feasible and safe option for patients with bicuspid anatomy, small aortic annulus, previously implanted bioprosthetic aortic valve and pure aortic regurgitation.
Available at https://osf.io/aus26 (DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/AUS26).
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Stress echocardiography (SE) is a well established and valid technique, widely used for the diagnostic evaluation of patients with ischemic and nonischemic cardiac diseases. This statement of the ...Echocardiography Working Group of the Hellenic Society of Cardiology summarizes the consensus of the writing group regarding the applications of SE, based on the expertise of their members and on a critical review of present medical literature. The main objectives of the consensus document include a comprehensive review of SE methodology and training—which focus on the preparation, the protocols used, the analysis of the SE images, and updated, evidence-based knowledge about SE applications on ischemic and nonischemic heart diseases, such as in cardiomyopathies, heart failure, and valvular heart disease.
AS, aortic stenosis; MR, mitral regurgitation; MS, mitral stenosis; AR, aortic regurgitation; HFpEF, Heart Failure with preserved Ejection Fraction; HOCM, Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy; DCM, dilated cardiomyopathy. Display omitted
Cardiovascular diseases are the first cause of death in western societies. Therapeutic interventions in the individual patient should be guided by the so-called ischemic risk of this patient.
The aim ...of the study was to study the ischemic prognostic scores GRACE and CHA2DS2-VASc, in patients underwent angioplasty to highlight which best predicts better the ischemic risk.
Consecutives patients who underwent Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) due to Acute Coronary Disease, or elective PCI in one centre in Athens, Greece, where included in the study. The GRACE score and the CHA2DS2-VASc score were calculated.
667 patients participated in the study with an average age of 61 ± 11 years and were followed-up for 2 years. The GRACE score and its predicted incidence at 3 years, was compared to the CHA2DS2-VASc score. CHA2DS2-VASc score was able to show a marginally better prognosis of future ischemic events, with an AUC of 0.624 vs 0.608 of the GRACE score.
In our study, The CHA2DS2-VASc score managed to predict, marginally better, the appearance of MACCE over GRACE, in patients with angioplasty.
The CHA2DS2-VASc score managed to predict, marginally better, the appearance of MACCE over GRACE in patients who have undergone angioplasty. Display omitted
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