Atrial arrhythmias (AA) commonly affect patients with cardiac amyloidosis (CA) and are a contributing risk factor for the development of heart failure (HF). This study sought to investigate the ...long-term efficacy and impact of catheter ablation on HF progression in patients with CA and AA.
Thirty-one patients with CA and AA undergoing catheter ablation were retrospectively included (transthyretin-ATTR CA 61% and light chain-AL CA 39%). AA subtypes included atrial fibrillation (AFib) in 22 (paroxysmal in 10 and persistent in 12), atrial flutter (AFl) in 17 and atrial tachycardia (AT) in 11 patients. Long-term AA recurrence rates were evaluated along with the impact of sinus rhythm (SR) maintenance on HF and mortality.
AA recurrence was observed in 14 patients (45%) at a median of 3.5 months (AFib n = 8, AT n = 6, AFl = 0). Post-cardioversion, medical therapy or catheter ablation, 10 patients (32%) remained in permanent AA. Over a median follow-up of 19 months, all-cause mortality was 39% (n = 12): 3 with end-stage HF, 5 due to late complications of CA, 1 sudden cardiac death, 1 stroke, 1 COVID 19 (and one unknown). With maintenance of SR following catheter ablation, significant reductions in serum creatinine and natriuretic peptide levels were observed with improvements in NYHA class. Two patients required hospitalization for HF in the SR maintenance cohort compared to 5 patients in the AA recurrence cohort (p = 0.1). All 3 patients with deaths secondary to HF had AA recurrence compared to 11 out of the 28 patients whom were long-term survivors or deaths not related to HF (p = 0.04). All-cause mortality was not associated with AA recurrence.
This study demonstrates moderate long-term efficacy of SR maintenance with catheter ablation for AA in patients with CA. Improvements in clinical and biological status with positive trends in HF mortality are observed if SR can be maintained.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) commonly affects patients with cardiac amyloidosis (CA). Amyloid deposition within the left atrium may be responsible for the subtype of AF in either permanent or ...non-permanent form. The prognostic implications of AF and its clinical subtype according to the type of CA are still controversial in this population. This study sought to investigate the prevalence, incidence and prognostic implications of AF and the clinical subtype of AF (permanent or non-permanent) in patients with CA.
Methods: Two hundred and thirty-eight patients with CA and full medical records were retrospectively enrolled in the study: About 115 (48%) with light chain (AL) amyloidosis and 123 (52%) with transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR). Patient's medical records were reviewed to establish baseline prevalence, incidence and impact on all-cause and cardiovascular mortality during follow-up of AF.
Results: One hundred and four (44%) patients had history of AF at the time of diagnosis: 62 (60%) permanent and 42 (40%) non-permanent. There were 30 (26%) and 74 (60%) patients with history of AF among patients with AL and ATTR (including 5 hereditary and 69 wild-type), respectively (p<.0001). During the follow-up, 48 new patients developed AF (29, 12 and 7 among patients with AL, wild-type ATTR and hereditary ATTR). After adjustment for age, survival was similar in patients with or without history of AF (HR 0.87 (95% CI, 0.60 to 1.27; p = .467). AF had no impact on cardiovascular mortality. Among the 152 patients with history of AF included in the whole study, there were 75 (49%) patients with permanent AF. After adjustment for age, survival was similar in patients with permanent and non-permanent AF: HR 1.29 (95% CI, 0.84 to 1.99; p = .251). The results were the same among patients with AL or wild-type amyloidosis. Subtype of AF had no impact on cardiovascular mortality.
Conclusions: AF is common in patients with CA. However, AF and clinical subtype of AF have no impact on all-cause mortality, whatever the type of amyloidosis.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Precise data about ATTR-CM incidence rates at national level are scarce. Consequently, this study aimed to estimate the annual incidence and survival of transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) ...in France between 2011 and 2019 using real world data. We used the French nationwide exhaustive data (SNDS database) gathering in- and out-patient claims. As there is no specific ICD-10 marker code for ATTR-CM, diagnosis required both amyloidosis (identified by E85. ICD-10 code or a tafamidis meglumine delivery) and a cardiovascular condition (identified by ICD-10 or medical procedure codes related to either heart failure, arrhythmias, conduction disorders or cardiomyopathies), not necessarily reported at the same visit. Patients with probable AL-form of amyloidosis or probable AA-form of amyloidosis were excluded. Between 2011 and 2019, 8,950 patients with incident ATTR-CM were identified. Incidence rates increased from 0.6 / 100,000 person-years in 2011 to 3.6 / 100,000 person-years in 2019 (p < 0.001), reaching 2377 new cases in 2019. Sex ratios (M/F) increased from 1.52 in 2011 to 2.23 in 2019. In 2019, median age at diagnosis was 84.0 years (85.5 for women and 83.5 for men). Median survival after diagnosis was 41.9 months (95% CI 39.6, 44.1). This is the first estimate of nationwide ATTR-CM incidence in France using comprehensive real-world databases. We observed an increased incidence over the study period, consistent with an improvement in ATTR-CM diagnosis in recent years.
Background:
The study of left atrial (LA) longitudinal strain by speckle tracking is a reliable method for analyzing LA function that could provide relevant information in young patients with ...cryptogenic stroke (CS). The aim of this study was to investigate whether the presence of a patent foramen ovale (PFO) impacts the LA longitudinal strain in a population of young patients with first CS.
Methods and Results:
Patients aged 18 to 54 years, treated consecutively in a university hospital for first CS, were included in this study. The presence of a PFO and an atrial septal aneurysm (ASA) was investigated using transesophageal echocardiography and transcranial Doppler. Speckle tracking analysis was performed on transthoracic echocardiography, allowing the measurement of global, passive, and active longitudinal LA strain, corresponding to the reservoir, conduit, and contractile function, respectively. A total of 51 patients were included in the study. In a multivariable analysis, overweight was associated with reduced global and passive LA longitudinal strain (
P
= 0.013 and
P
= 0.018, respectively), and hypertension was associated with reduced active LA longitudinal strain (
P
= 0.049). LA longitudinal strain was not different between patients with PFO or PFO plus ASA and patients without PFO.
Conclusion:
LA longitudinal strain in young subjects with CS was impaired in the presence of overweight and hypertension, but not of PFO or PFO plus ASA.
BackgroundCardiac amyloidosis (CA) is a life-threatening restrictive cardiomyopathy. Identifying patients with a poor prognosis is essential to ensure appropriate care. The aim of this study was to ...compare myocardial work (MW) indices with standard echocardiographic parameters in predicting mortality among patients with CA.MethodsClinical, biological and transthoracic echocardiographic parameters were retrospectively compared among 118 patients with CA. Global work index (GWI) was calculated as the area of left ventricular pressure–strain loop. Global work efficiency (GWE) was defined as percentage ratio of constructive work to sum of constructive and wasted works. Sixty-one (52%) patients performed a cardiopulmonary exercise.ResultsGWI, GWE, global longitudinal strain (GLS), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and myocardial contraction fraction (MCF) were correlated with N-terminal prohormone brain natriuretic peptide (R=−0.518, R=−0.383, R=−0.553, R=−0.382 and R=−0.336, respectively; p<0.001). GWI and GLS were correlated with peak oxygen consumption (R=0.359 and R=0.313, respectively; p<0.05). Twenty-eight (24%) patients died during a median follow-up of 11 (4–19) months. The best cut-off values to predict all-cause mortality for GWI, GWE, GLS, LVEF and MCF were 937 mm Hg/%, 89%, 10%, 52% and 15%, respectively. The area under the receiver operator characteristic curve of GWE, GLS, GWI, LVEF and MCF were 0.689, 0.631, 0.626, 0.511 and 0.504, respectively.ConclusionIn CA population, MW indices are well correlated with known prognosis markers and are better than LVEF and MCF in predicting mortality. However, MW does not perform better than GLS.
Background-Transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis (ATTR-CA) prevalence increases with age. The interplay between frailty and heart failure has been increasingly recognized. The objective of this study is ...to compare clinical, biological, and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) characteristics of older ATTR-CA patients according to the G8 frailty screening tool. Methods-Patients over 75 years old with a confirmed diagnosis of ATTR-CA were included between January 2020 and April 2021. All patients underwent a routine blood test, TTE, and a functional assessment with a six-minute walking distance test (6MWD) or cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET), and the G8 score was calculated. Results-Fifty-two patients were included. Thirty-nine (75%) patients were frail and their mean NYHA stage was more severe (2.2 vs. 1.7;
= 0.004); 62% of them had a Gilmore stage of 2 or 3 (
= 0.05). Global left ventricular strain (GLS) was lower (-11.7% vs. -14.9%;
= 0.014) and the interventricular septum was thicker (18 ± 2 mm vs. 17 ± 2 mm;
= 0.033) in frail patients. There were no significant differences according to functional tests. Conclusion-The majority of older patients with ATTR-CA are frail according to the G8 score. They are more symptomatic and have an increased cardiac involvement and a poorer prognosis, requiring more personalized cardiac management.
Atrial arrhythmia (AA) is common among patients with cardiac amyloidosis (CA), who have an increased risk of intracardiac thrombus. The aim of this study was to explore the prognostic impact of ...vitamin K-antagonists (VKA) and direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) in patients with CA.
273 patients with CA and history of AA with long term anticoagulation-69 (25%) light chain amyloidosis (AL), 179 (66%) wild-type transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTRwt) and 25 (9%) variant transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTRv)-were retrospectively included between January 2012 and July 2020. 147 (54%) and 126 (46%) patients received VKA and DOAC, respectively. Patient receiving VKA were more likely to have AL with renal dysfunction, higher NT-proBNP and troponin levels. Patients with ATTRwt were more likely to receive DOAC therapy. There were more bleeding complications among patients with VKA (20 versus 10%;
= 0.013) but no difference for stroke events (4 vs. 2%;
= 0.223), as compared to patients with DOAC. A total of 124 (45%) patients met the primary endpoint of all-cause mortality: 96 (65%) and 28 (22%) among patients with VKAs and DOACs, respectively (
< 0.001). After multivariate analysis including age and renal function, VKA was no longer associated with all-cause mortality.
Among patients with CA and history of AA receiving oral anticoagulant, DOACs appear to be at least as effective and safe as VKAs.
Aims
Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a common cause of heart failure (HF). It remains unclear who, when and why to direct towards coronary revascularization. The outcomes of coronary ...revascularization in HF patients are still a matter of debate nowadays. This study aims to evaluate the effect of revascularization strategy on all‐cause of death in the context of ischaemic HF.
Methods and results
An observational cohort was conducted on 692 consecutive patients who underwent coronary angiography at the University Hospital of Toulouse between January 2018 and December 2021 for either a recent diagnosis of HF or a decompensated chronic HF, and in whom coronary angiograms showed at least 50% obstructive coronary lesion. The study population was divided into two groups according to the performance or not of a coronary revascularization procedure. The living status (alive or dead) of each of the study's participants was observed by April 2022. Seventy‐three per cent of the study population underwent coronary revascularization either by percutaneous coronary intervention (66.6%) or coronary artery bypass grafting (6.2%). Baseline characteristics including age, sex and cardiovascular risk factors did not differ between the invasive and conservative groups, respectively. Death occurred in 162 study participants resulting in an all‐cause mortality rate of 23.5%; 26.7% of observed deaths have occurred in the conservative group versus 22.2% in the invasive group (P = 0.208). No difference in survival outcomes has been observed over a mean follow‐up period of 2.5 years (P = 0.140) even after stratification by HF categories (P = 0.132) or revascularization modalities (P = 0.366).
Conclusions
Findings from the present study showed comparable all‐cause mortality rates between groups. Coronary revascularization does not modify short‐term survival outcomes in HF patients compared with optimal medical therapy alone outside the setting of acute coronary syndrome.
The relationship between arteriovenous access flow (Qa) and cardiovascular changes is complex. Several studies have shown cardiac remodeling and symptoms of heart failure for high-flow arteriovenous ...fistulas (AVF). To evaluate the early cardiovascular impact of AVF. Forty-seven patients with an AVF, hospitalized for the evaluation of high-flow AVF or a pre-kidney transplant assessment were included. We collected clinical and biological data. We also collected data of the assessment by transthoracic echocardiography, functional evaluation by 6-min-walk test and peak oxygen consumption, and measurement of coronary flow reserve by dynamic myocardial perfusion imaging. The measurement of Qa was performed by color Doppler ultrasound and then indexed to the body surface area (Qai) and to the cardiac output (CO) (Qa/CO). Patients were poorly symptomatic (18 and 1 patients NYHA stage 2 and 3, respectively). There was no correlation between Qa, Qai, or Qa/CO and functional status, assessed by peak oxygen consumption (
P
= 0.891;
P
= 0.803;
P
= 0.939, respectively). Symptomatic patients did not have higher Qa, Qai or Qa/CO than asymptomatic (2260 vs 2197 mL/min,
P
= 0.402; 1257 vs 1256 mL/min/m
2
,
P
= 0.835; and 34% vs 37%,
P
= 0.701, respectively). There was no correlation between Qa, Qai or Qa/CO and left ventricular end-diastolic volume or left ventricular ejection fraction. There was no correlation between coronary flow reserve and these 3 parameters of vascular access flow. However, the global longitudinal strain (GLS) was correlated with Qa and Qa/CO (
R
= 0.331,
P
= 0.023 and
R
= 0.380,
P
= 0.008, respectively). Increase of Qa or Qa/CO was associated with an alteration of the GLS. A cut-off value of 2250 mL/min for Qa allowed 83% sensitivity and 63% specificity for detecting an alteration of the GLS > − 18%. A cut-off value of 33% for Qa/CO allowed 92% sensitivity and 65% specificity. Impact of AVF on cardiac parameters is weak. However, GLS is the first parameter to be impacted by the flow of the fistula. Systematic transthoracic echocardiography evaluation with measurement of GLS should be proposed for all patients with Qa > 2250 mL/min or Qa/CO > 33%, to detect those at higher risk of cardiac impact of the AVF.
Background
Right ventricular (RV) systolic parameters are difficult to assess in heart transplant recipients (HTRs) compared to healthy people because of discordant data, and their impact on exercise ...capacity remains undefined. We sought to retrospectively assess the impact of RV systolic function on exercise capacity after heart transplantation.
Methods
We analyzed data from 61 HTRs who underwent transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR), and exercise capacity assessment by 6‐minute walking test (6MWT) and cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) at 1‐ and 2‐year follow‐ups.
Results
Transthoracic echocardiography RV longitudinal systolic function including tricuspid annular plan systolic excursion (TAPSE), peak systolic S′ wave tricuspid annular velocity (PSVtdi) and RV free wall longitudinal strain was decreased at 1 year (respectively, 15 ± 3 mm, 10 ± 3 cm/s, and −19 ± 5%) and at 2 years (respectively, 15 ± 3 mm, 10 ± 2 cm/s, and −20 ± 5%) with no significant difference between both evaluations; meanwhile, RV ejection fraction (RVEF) measured by CMR was preserved. Mean percentage of predicted peak oxygen consumption was altered, but improved between the first and second year (55 ± 18 vs 60 ± 18%, P = .038). PSVtdi was weakly correlated with 6MWT distance (r = .426, P = .017) and RVEF with the predicted distance at 6MWT (r = .410, P = .027) at the 1‐year follow‐up.
Conclusions
Despite decreasing values, RV longitudinal systolic function has a weak impact on exercise capacity of HTRs. PSVtdi and RVEF are the most pertinent parameters to assess the impact of RV systolic function on exercise capacity after heart transplantation. These results should lead to redefine normal RV systolic function thresholds for HTRs.
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