Cardiology

INTRODUCTION: Pulmonary hypertension due to left heart failure (PH-LHF) is a disease with high prevalence and 3-year mortality rates. Consequently, timely identification of patients with high mortality risk is critical. This study aimed to build a nomogram for predicting 3-year mortality and screening high-risk PH-LHF patients. METHODS: This nomogram was developed on a training cohort of 175 patients with PH-LHF diagnosed by right heart catheterization (RHC). Multivariate Cox regression was used to identify independent predictors and develop this nomogram...

Objective To investigate the relationship between the box-2 of the high mobility group (HMGB2) and valve calcification in senile degenerative heart valve disease(SDHVD).METHODS:According to the echocardiographic results, patients with calcified heart valves were used as the experimental group and patients without calcified heart valves were used as the control group, and blood was drawn for testing, and serum levels of HMGB2 were measured by an ELISA assay. Human heart valve interstitial cells (hVIC) cultured in vitro were randomly divided into two groups...

BACKGROUND: ECG is the initial diagnostic tool that in combination with typical symptoms often raises the suspicion of pericarditis. Echocardiography remains the first-line imaging modality for assessment of pericardial diseases, particularly effusion/tamponade, constrictive physiology, and assessment of regional wall motion abnormalities as differential diagnoses. However, cardiac CT and cardiac magnetic resonance may be necessary in complicated cases, and to identify pericardial inflammation in specific settings (atypical presentation, new onset constriction), as well as myocardial involvement and monitoring the disease activity...

Antiarrhythmic drugs (AADs) are powerful tools for suppression of ventricular arrhythmias (VAs). In the modern era, the role of AADs has evolved from the primary method of prevention of sudden cardiac death to an important element of multimodality treatment of VAs that can include medications, cardiac implantable electronic devices, and catheter-based ablation procedures. In this editorial, we discuss the changing role of AADs, and how they fit into the quickly evolving arena of intervention available for VAs...

Background Ventricular ectopy is observed in most of the population ranging from isolated premature ventricular contractions to rapid hemodynamically unstable ventricular tachyarrhythmias like ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation. Multiple mechanisms exist for ventricular arrhythmias such as triggered activity, reentry, and automaticity. Scar-based reentry forms the basis of most malignant VA that can lead to sudden cardiac death. Many antiarrhythmic drugs have been utilized for the suppression of ventricular arrhythmia...

INTRODUCTION: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia in the general population, and stroke is the most severe complication of AF. Exosomal miRNAs have been reported to be candidates as biomarkers for cardiovascular diseases, including AF and stroke. This study aimed to identify differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) in serum exosomes of AF and AF-associated ischemic stroke (AF-IS) patients and evaluate their potential in distinguishing AF and AF-IS patients. METHODS: Serum exosomes were isolated from 8 healthy individuals with sinus rhythm (SR controls), 8 AF patients, and 8 AF-IS patients...

Background Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The burden of thrombus in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) has implications on treatment and outcomes. However, the association between Lp(a) and atherothrombosis in STEMI remains unclear. Objectives Determine the association between Lp(a) and culprit artery thrombus burden in younger patients with STEMI. Methods Single-centre study of 83 patients aged <65 years with STEMI between 2016-2018 who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention and measurement of Lp(a); those receiving thrombolytic therapy were excluded...

BACKGROUND: Nonischemic heart disease (NIHD) is the underlying pathology in about 20% of sudden cardiac deaths (SCDs). Psychotropic medication has been reported as a risk factor for SCD among patients with coronary artery disease, but similar information concerning NIHD is scarce. OBJECTIVES: We evaluated the use of psychotropic medication in victims of SCD due to NIHD and compared it to the general medication use in Finland. METHOD: Study population was derived from the Finnish Genetic Study of Arrhythmic Events (Fingesture) (n = 5,869, mean age 65±12, 79% males; 1,404 victims of SCD due to NIHD, mean age 57±13, 77% males)...

INTRODUCTION: Little is known about the prognostic factors among women with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), partly due to the small number of women included in heart failure (HF) clinical trials. Human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) has been proven to be a new biomarker for acute and chronic HF over the years. We hypothesize that HE4 could be a promising predictor. METHODS: This retrospective study analyzed data from Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital. This study included 302 female patients with ACS between January 1, 2021, and December 1, 2021...

BACKGROUND: Advances in cancer therapeutics have improved overall survival and prognosis in this patient population, however this has come at the expense of cardiotoxicity including arrhythmia. SUMMARY: Cancer and its therapies are associated with cardiotoxicity via several mechanisms including inflammation, cardiomyopathy, and off-target effects. Among cancer therapies, anthracyclines and tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are particularly known for their pro-arrhythmia effects...

Elevated native T1 values are independent predictors of obstructive Non-IR artery in ST elevation MI patients. These results suggest the presence of concomitant remote myocardial impairment in the non-infarct territories wit obstructive CAD. The fact that there is a correlation between the presence of obstructive coronary artery and high native T1 values might support the performance of complete revascularization early after STEMI without postponing and waiting for the results of perfusion studies. As opposed to myocardial perfusion imaging, native T1 evaluation can be performed safely early post STEMI, not exposing patients to pharmacologic or physiologic stress...

Among the architects of metabolic pathways, the names Knoop, Warburg, Meyerhof, and Krebs are well known. Here we focus on Hermann "Hugh" Blaschko, whose name may be less well known, but whose work on the synthesis and degradation of catecholamines set the foundation for countless, game-changing therapeutics throughout the 20th and 21st centuries.

INTRODUCTION: Data on first-line ablation treatment for patients with symptomatic atrial fibrillation (AF) are scarce. This study indirectly compared the efficacy and safety of cryoballoon ablation (CBA) vs. radiofrequency ablation (RFA) as initial therapy for symptomatic AF. METHODS: We searched the EMBASE, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared CBA or RFA with antiarrhythmic drugs (AADs) as first-line treatment for AF from the time of database establishment up to December 2021...

Background Acute pancreatitis can rarely present with electrocardiographic changes that imitate myocardial ischemia. Even rarer is for acute pancreatitis to present with ST-segment elevation in contiguous leads, suggestive of an acute coronary syndrome. In this comprehensive review article, we highlight diagnostic challenges and examine possible pathophysiological causes as seen through 34 total cases in which acute pancreatitis has been found to mimic an acute myocardial infarction. Summary It has been shown that regardless of the severity of acute pancreatitis, it can be associated with myocardial injury of varying presentation...

INTRODUCTION: Hospitalization due to heart failure (HF) progression is associated with poor prognosis. This highlights the role of the implementation of guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) in improving the morbidity and mortality of patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). There are limited data about the intrahospital applicability of GDMT in real-world circumstances. We aimed to assess retrospectively the use of cornerstone GDMT including RASi (ACEI/ARB/ARNI), βB, MRA, and SGLT2i treatment in a consecutive real-world HFrEF patient population admitted with signs and symptoms of HF to the HF Unit of a Hungarian tertiary cardiac center between 2019 and 2021...

BACKGROUND: Smartwatches have become a widely used tool for health self-care. Its role in ischemic heart disease (IHD) has not been assessed. Objetcive: The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of smartwatch ECG registry in IHD. METHODS: We present an observational study of 25 consecutive patients with acute IHD. Conventional ECG and smartwatch tracing were obtained simultaneously at admission. Waves of conventional and smartwatch ECGs were objectively compared...

INTRODUCTION: Female patients are at elevated risk for adverse mental health outcomes following hospital admission for ischemic heart disease. These psychosocial characteristics are correlated with unacceptably higher rates of cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality. Guidelines to address mental health following acute coronary syndrome (ACS) can only be developed with the aid of studies elucidating which subgroups of female patients are at the highest risk. METHODS/DESIGN: The Female Risk factors for post-Infarction Depression and Anxiety (FRIDA) Study is a prospective multicenter questionnaire-based study of female participants admitted to hospital with ACS...

BACKGROUND: Incident atrial fibrillation (AF) occurs in 5-10% of patients after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and is associated with adverse outcomes. Guidelines now recommend screening for AF in all elderly patients. However, the relevance of screen-detected AF and short episodes of irregular supraventricular ectopic beats ('micro-AF') after AMI is unknown. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the value of two-week intermittent ECG screening to detect incident AF and 'micro-AF' in elderly patients 12 months after an AMI, and its association with risk of cardiovascular events...

Not applicable.

The treatment of non-culprit coronary arteries during myocardial infarction is still today under discussion. This is the first study performed in STEMI patients that identifies obstructive non-IRA using T1 mapping and in which, CMR tissular analysis might provide interesting complementary information.