An anti-angiogenic cleaved prolactin fragment is considered causal for peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM). Experimental and first clinical observations suggested beneficial effects of the prolactin ...release inhibitor bromocriptine in PPCM.
In this multicentre trial, 63 PPCM patients with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤35% were randomly assigned to short-term (1W: bromocriptine, 2.5 mg, 7 days) or long-term bromocriptine treatment (8W: 5 mg for 2 weeks followed by 2.5 mg for 6 weeks) in addition to standard heart failure therapy. Primary end point was LVEF change (delta) from baseline to 6 months assessed by magnetic resonance imaging. Bromocriptine was well tolerated. Left ventricular ejection fraction increased from 28 ± 10% to 49 ± 12% with a delta-LVEF of + 21 ± 11% in the 1W-group, and from 27 ± 10% to 51 ± 10% with a delta-LVEF of + 24 ± 11% in the 8W-group (delta-LVEF: P = 0.381). Full-recovery (LVEF ≥ 50%) was present in 52% of the 1W- and in 68% of the 8W-group with no differences in secondary end points between both groups (hospitalizations for heart failure: 1W: 9.7% vs. 8W: 6.5%, P = 0.651). The risk within the 8W-group to fail full-recovery after 6 months tended to be lower. No patient in the study needed heart transplantation, LV assist device or died.
Bromocriptine treatment was associated with high rate of full LV-recovery and low morbidity and mortality in PPCM patients compared with other PPCM cohorts not treated with bromocriptine. No significant differences were observed between 1W and 8W treatment suggesting that 1-week addition of bromocriptine to standard heart failure treatment is already beneficial with a trend for better full-recovery in the 8W group.
ClinicalTrials.gov, study number: NCT00998556.
This study sought to assess the impact of right ventricular dysfunction (RVD) as defined by impaired right ventricular-to-pulmonary artery (RV-PA) coupling, on survival after edge-to-edge ...transcatheter mitral valve repair (TMVR) for severe secondary mitral regurgitation (SMR).
Conflicting data exist regarding the benefit of TMVR in severe SMR. A possible explanation could be differences in RVD.
Using data from the EuroSMR (European Registry on Outcomes in Secondary Mitral Regurgitation) registry, this study compared the characteristics and outcomes of SMR patients undergoing TMVR, according to their RV-PA coupling, assessed by tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion-to-systolic pulmonary artery pressure (TAPSE/sPAP) ratio.
Overall, 817 patients with severe SMR and available RV-PA coupling assessment underwent TMVR in the participating centers. RVD was present in 211 patients (25.8% with a TAPSE/sPAP ratio <0.274 mm/mm Hg). Although all patients demonstrated significant improvement in their New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class, there was a trend toward a lower rate of NYHA functional class I or II among patients with RVD (56.5% vs. 65.5%, respectively; p = 0.086) after TMVR. Survival rates at 1 and 2 years were lower among patients with RVD (70.2% vs. 84.0%, respectively; p < 0.001; and 53.4% vs. 73.1%, respectively; p < 0.001). On multivariate analysis, a reduced TAPSE/sPAP ratio was a strong predictor of mortality (odds ratio: 1.62; 95% confidence interval: 1.14 to 2.31; p = 0.007).
RVD, as shown by impairment of RV-PA coupling, is a major predictor of adverse outcome in patients undergoing TMVR for severe SMR. The often neglected functional and anatomic RV parameters should be systematically assessed when planning TMVR procedures for patients with severe SMR.
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OBJECTIVESThe aim of this study was to develop a machine learning (ML)-based risk stratification tool for 1-year mortality in transcatheter mitral valve repair (TMVR) patients incorporating metabolic ...and hemodynamic parameters. BACKGROUNDThe lack of appropriate, well-validated, and specific means to risk-stratify patients with mitral regurgitation complicates the evaluation of prognostic benefits of TMVR in clinical trials and practice. METHODSA total of 1,009 TMVR patients from 3 university hospitals within the Heart Failure Network Rhineland were included; 1 hospital (n = 317) served as external validation. The primary endpoint was all-cause 1-year mortality. Model performance was assessed using receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis. In the derivation cohort, different ML algorithms were tested using 5-fold cross-validation. The final model, called MITRALITY (transcatheter mitral valve repair mortality prediction system) was tested in the validation cohort with respect to existing clinical scores. RESULTSExtreme gradient boosting was selected for the MITRALITY score, using only 6 baseline clinical features for prediction (in order of predictive importance): urea, hemoglobin, N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide, mean arterial pressure, body mass index, and creatinine. In the external validation cohort, the MITRALITY score's area under the curve was 0.783 (95% CI: 0.716-0.849), while existing scores yielded areas under the curve of 0.721 (95% CI: 0.63-0.811) and 0.657 (95% CI: 0.536-0.778) at best. CONCLUSIONSThe MITRALITY score is a novel, internally and externally validated ML-based tool for risk stratification of patients prior to TMVR, potentially serving future clinical trials and daily clinical practice.
Recurrent mitral regurgitation (MR) following MitraClip has not been thoroughly investigated. We aimed to examine the predictive factors, morphology, and long-term outcome of recurrent MR after ...MitraClip.
We assessed data from the Heart Failure Network Rhineland registry from August 2010 to October 2018. Competing risk analyses were performed using the Fine and Gray model to assess the risk of recurrent MR.
Among 685 MitraClip patients with a reduction in MR to ≤2+, 61 patients developed recurrent MR within the first 12 months. Flail leaflet (hazard ratio, 3.68;
=0.002) and residual MR (MR grade 2+ versus ≤1+: hazard ratio, 2.56;
=0.03) were the predictors of recurrent MR in primary MR patients, while left atrial volume (per 10 mL increase: hazard ratio, 1.11;
<0.001) and residual MR (hazard ratio, 2.45;
=0.01) were independently associated with recurrent MR in secondary MR patients. In primary MR patients, loss of leaflet insertion or leaflet tear were the predominant morphologies with recurrent MR. In secondary MR patients, more than half of the patients with recurrent MR did not show any disorder of the clip or leaflets. Patients with recurrent MR were more likely to experience unplanned heart failure hospitalization or heart failure symptom with New York Heart Association scale III/IV (54.1% versus 37.8%;
=0.018) and undergo a repeat mitral valve intervention (9.8% versus 2.2%;
=0.005) during the follow-up. In the landmark survival analysis, patients with recurrent MR tended to have lower long-term survival (58.7% versus 83.9%;
=0.08) than patients without recurrent MR.
Flail leaflet and residual MR were the predictors of recurrent MR in primary MR patients, while a larger left atrial volume and residual MR were associated with recurrent MR in secondary MR patients, which may be associated with long-term clinical outcomes of patients after MitraClip.
Background
Improved imaging modalities contributed to increasing awareness of cardiac amyloidosis. Contemporary data on frequency trends in Germany are lacking.
Methods
In a retrospective study using ...health claims data of a German statutory health insurance, patients with diagnostic codes of amyloidosis and concomitant heart failure between 2009 and 2018 were identified.
Results
Prevalence increased from 15.5 to 47.6 per 100,000 person-years, and incidence increased from 4.8 to 11.6 per 100,000 person-years, with a continuous steepening in the slope of incidence trend. In patients with amyloidosis and heart failure age and proportion of men significantly increased, whereas the frequency of myeloma and nephrotic syndrome significantly decreased over time. Median (IQR) survival time after first diagnosis was 2.5 years (0.5–6 years), with a 9% (95% CI 2–15%,
p
= 0.008) reduced risk of death in the second compared to the first 5 years of observation. In the 2 years prior and 1 year after diagnosis, mean total health care costs were 6568 €, 11,872 € and 21,955 € per person and year.
Conclusion
The rise in cardiac amyloidosis has continuously accelerated in the last decade. Considering the adverse outcome and high health care burden, further effort should be put on early detection of the disease to implement available treatment.
The aim of this study was to assess the impact of residual mitral regurgitation (resMR) on mortality with respect to left ventricular dilatation (LV-Dil) or right ventricular dysfunction (RV-Dys) in ...patients with secondary mitral regurgitation (SMR) who underwent mitral valve transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER).
The presence of LV-Dil and RV-Dys correlates with advanced stages of heart failure in SMR patients, which may impact the outcome after TEER.
SMR patients in a European multicenter registry were evaluated. Investigated outcomes were 2-year all-cause mortality and improvement in New York Heart Association functional class with respect to MR reduction, LV-Dil (defined as LV end-diastolic volume ≥159 ml), and RV-Dys (defined as tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion-to-systolic pulmonary artery pressure ratio of <0.274 mm/mm Hg).
Among 809 included patients, resMR ≤1+ was achieved in 546 (67%) patients. Overall estimated 2-year mortality rate was 32%. Post-procedural resMR was significantly associated with mortality (p = 0.031). Although the improvement in New York Heart Association functional class persisted regardless of either LV-Dil or RV-Dys, the beneficial treatment effect of resMR ≤1+ on 2-year mortality was observed only in patients without LV-Dil and RV-Dys (hazard ratio: 1.75; 95% confidence interval: 1.03 to 3.00).
Achieving optimal MR reduction by TEER is associated with improved survival in SMR patients, especially if the progress in heart failure is not too advanced. In SMR patients with advanced stages of heart failure, as evidenced by LV-Dil or RV-Dys, the treatment effect of TEER on symptomatic improvement is maintained, but the survival benefit appears to be reduced.
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Psychological distress is common in patients with cardiovascular disease and negatively impacts outcome.
Psychological distress is high in acute high risk cardiac patients eligible for a WCD, and ...associated with low quality of life. Distress is aggravated by WCD.
Consecutive patients eligible for a WCD were included in the prospective, multicenter "Cologne Registry of External Defibrillator" registry. Quality of life (Short Form-12), depressive symptoms (Beck-Depression Inventory II) and anxiety (State Trait Anxiety Inventory) were assessed at enrollment and 6-weeks, and associations with WCD prescription were analyzed.
123 patients (mean SD age 59 ± 14 years, 75% male) were included, 85 (69%) of whom received a WCD. At enrollment 21% showed clinically significant depressive symptoms and 52% anxiety symptoms, respectively. At 6 weeks, depressive and anxious symptoms significantly decreased to 7% and 25%, respectively. Depressive symptoms at enrollment and changes at 6 weeks showed significant associations with health-related quality of life, whereas anxious symptoms did not. There was a trend for better improvement of depression scores in patients with WCD (mean SD change in score points: -4.1 6.1 vs -1.8 3.9; p = 0.09), whereas change of the anxiousness score was not different (-4.6 9.5) vs -3.7 9.1, p = 0.68).
In patients eligible for a WCD, depressive and anxiety symptoms were initially common and depressive symptoms showed a strong association with reduced health-related quality of life contributing to their clinical relevance. WCD recipients showed at least similar improvement of depression and anxiety at 6 weeks when compared to non recipients.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Identification of individuals at risk for developing atrial fibrillation (AF) will help to target screening and preventive interventions. We aimed to validate the CHARGE-AF model (including variables ...age, race, height, weight, blood pressure, smoking, antihypertensive medication, diabetes, myocardial infarction and heart failure) for prediction of five-year incident AF in a representative European population with a wide age range.
The CHARGE-AF model was calculated in 24,020 participants of the population-based EPIC Norfolk study with 236 cases of hospitalization with diagnosis of AF within five years. The model showed good discrimination (c-statistic 0.81, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.75-0.85), but weak calibration (Chi(2)-statistic 142) with an almost two-fold overestimation of AF incidence. A recalibration to characteristics of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) Norfolk cohort improved calibration considerably (Chi(2)-statistic 13.3), with acceptable discrimination in participants both >65 and ≤65 years of age (c-statistics 0.70, 95% CI 0.61-0.77 and 0.83, 95% CI 0.74-0.88). The recalibrated model also showed good discrimination in participants free of cardiovascular disease (c-statistics 0.80, 95% CI 0.75-0.84). Categories of predicted risk (<2.5%, 2.5-5% or >5%) showed good concordance with observed five-year AF incidence of 0.62%, 3.49% and 8.74% (log rank test p < 0.001), respectively.
A recalibration of the CHARGE-AF model is necessary for accurate predictions of five-year risk of AF in the EPIC Norfolk population. The recalibrated model showed good discrimination across a wide age range and in individuals free of cardiovascular disease, and hence is broadly applicable in primary care to identify people at risk for development of AF.
Procalcitonin (PCT) is helpful for diagnosing bacterial infections. The diagnostic utility of PCT has not been examined thoroughly in critically ill patients with suspected H1N1 influenza.
Clinical ...characteristics and PCT were prospectively assessed in 46 patients with pneumonia admitted to medical ICUs during the 2009 and 2010 influenza seasons. An individual patient data meta-analysis was performed by combining our data with data from five other studies on the diagnostic utility of PCT in ICU patients with suspected 2009 pandemic influenza A(H1N1) virus infection identified by performing a systematic literature search.
PCT levels, measured within 24 hours of ICU admission, were significantly elevated in patients with bacterial pneumonia (isolated or coinfection with H1N1; n = 77) (median = 6.2 μg/L, interquartile range (IQR) = 0.9 to 20) than in patients with isolated H1N1 influenza pneumonia (n = 84; median = 0.56 μg/L, IQR = 0.18 to 3.33). The area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristic curve of PCT was 0.72 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.64 to 0.80; P < 0.0001) for diagnosis of bacterial pneumonia, but increased to 0.76 (95% CI = 0.68 to 0.85; P < 0.0001) when patients with hospital-acquired pneumonia and immune-compromising disorders were excluded. PCT at a cut-off of 0.5 μg/L had a sensitivity (95% CI) and a negative predictive value of 80.5% (69.9 to 88.7) and 73.2% (59.7 to 84.2) for diagnosis of bacterial pneumonia, respectively, which increased to 85.5% (73.3 to 93.5) and 82.2% (68.0 to 92.0) in patients without hospital acquired pneumonia or immune-compromising disorder.
In critically ill patients with pneumonia during the influenza season, PCT is a reasonably accurate marker for detection of bacterial pneumonia, particularly in patients with community-acquired disease and without immune-compromising disorders, but it might not be sufficient as a stand-alone marker for withholding antibiotic treatment.
The prevalence of left ventricular (LV) thrombus formation following percutaneous mitral valve edge-to-edge repair (TMVR) with the MitraClip system is unclear. Decreased total stroke volume and ...perfusion of the LV apex after mitral valve repair may facilitate thrombus formation especially in the context of reduced LV function. LV thrombus may cause disabling stroke or other thromboembolic events in this elderly and multimorbid patient cohort. Analyses of the prevalence of and risk factors for left ventricular thrombus formation in patients treated with the MitraClip system due to severe mitral valve regurgitation. All discharge and follow-up transthoracic echocardiographic examinations up to 6 months of 453 consecutive patients treated with the MitraClip system were screened for the presence of LV thrombus. Prevalence of LV thrombus formation was 1.1% (5/453). Importantly, LV thrombi were exclusively found in patients with severely depressed left ventricular systolic function (LV-EF < 30%), comprising a prevalence of 4.4% in this subgroup (5/113). Importantly, two of these patients were under active DOAC therapy with Rivaroxaban and Apixaban, respectively. Apart from LV-EF, we did not identify other factors that might have facilitated LV thrombus formation. LV thrombus formation following percutaneous mitral valve repair occurred exclusively in patients with severely depressed LV-EF. As two patients developed LV thrombus despite of DOAC therapy, anticoagulation with a Vitamin K antagonist should be considered in patients with an indication for oral anticoagulation following TMVR.