Cardiology Research

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to determine national estimates for the percentage of all readmissions with demographic features, length of stay (LOS), cost analysis, comorbidities, complications, overall and gender-specific mortality and complications of transcutaneous tricuspid valve replacement/repair (TTVR) vs. open surgical tricuspid valve replacement/repair (open TVR). METHODS: Data were extrapolated from the Nationwide Readmissions Database (NRD) 2015-19...

BACKGROUND: Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a major cause of human health risk. Necroptosis is a newly and recently reported mode of cell death, whose role in AMI has not been fully elucidated. This study aimed to search for necroptosis biomarkers associated with the occurrence of AMI and to explore their possible molecular mechanisms through bioinformatics analysis. METHODS: The dataset GSE48060 was used to perform weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and differential analysis...

BACKGROUND: Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a leading cause of heart failure and cardiac transplantation globally. Disease-associated genetic variants play a significant role in the development of DCM. Accurately determining the prevalence of genetically associated DCM (genetic DCM) is important for developing targeted prevention strategies. This review synthesized published literature on the global prevalence of genetic DCM across various populations, focusing on two of the most common variants: titin ( TTN ) and myosin heavy chain 7 ( MYH7 )...

BACKGROUND: No studies have reported simultaneous evaluation of the two coronary risk markers of testosterone and skin autofluorescence (SAF) as a marker of advanced glycation end products in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) at present. This study aimed to clarify the clinical significance of both indicators as risk markers of coronary artery disease (CAD), including the association and background factors between testosterone and SAF in male patients with T2DM. METHODS: This study enrolled 162 male patients with T2DM (CAD: n = 35)...

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection is associated with proinflammatory states and adverse health outcomes such as ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and cerebrovascular accidents (CVA). Limited evidence suggests that COVID-19 vaccination may decrease the adverse impact of COVID-19 infections. This study was designed to determine if patients who received COVID-19 vaccination had lower mortality from STEMI and CVA. METHODS: This is a retrospective comparative analysis of 3,050 patients, who were admitted to the hospital and diagnosed with STEMI or CVA between April 1, 2019, and April 1, 2022...

BACKGROUND: Recently, it has been shown that remote ischemic conditioning (RIC) can be used as a healthy regimen to reverse disease and aging. With this in mind, we are studying the consequences of RIC on cardiovascular function in heart failure patients. METHODS: Forty patients with stable heart failure were prospectively enlisted and randomly divided into RIC (n = 20) and control (n = 20) groups. The RIC protocol consists of a 3-min inflation and then deflation of the blood pressure cuff attached to the upper arm to produce transient ischemia of the arm...

Cardiac amyloidosis, increasingly recognized for its significant impact on global heart health and patient survival, demands a thorough review to understand its complexity and the urgency of improved management strategies. As a cause of cardiomyopathy and heart failure, particularly in patients with aortic stenosis and atrial fibrillation, this condition also relates to higher incidences of dementia in the affected populations. The objective of this review was to integrate and discuss the latest advancements in diagnostics and therapeutics for cardiac amyloidosis, emphasizing the implications for patient prognosis...

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A 63-year-old female presented to a freestanding emergency room with dizziness, palpitations, and hypotension, The patient was found to have an irregular wide complex tachycardia, consistent with ventricular tachycardia, hypomagnesemia and severe hypocalcemia. The tachycardia was refractory to treatment with IV amiodarone and magnesium, and only resolved with correction of the serum calcium. Review of the medical record revealed an echocardiogram 19 years earlier reporting left ventricular dysfunction. The patient was unaware of this diagnosis and was not taking medical therapy...

BACKGROUND: Non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (NIDCM) is a form of heart failure with a poor prognosis and unclear optimal management. The aim of the study was to systematically review the literature and assess the efficacy and safety of beta-blockers and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors in the management of chronic heart failure secondary to NIDCM and explore their putative mechanisms of action. METHODS: Studies from 1990 to 2023 were reviewed using PubMed and EMBASE, focusing on their effects on left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in NIDCM patients, according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines...

BACKGROUND: Although the restoration and maintenance of sinus rhythm (SR) in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) have long-term benefits, few studies have investigated the acute hemodynamic benefits immediately after SR restoration. Therefore, we investigated whether hemodynamic changes occurred in the first few minutes after cardioversion from AF to SR. METHODS: We retrospectively enrolled 145 patients with AF and divided them into a pre-AF group comprising patients in whom SR was restored by electrical cardioversion during pulmonary vein isolation (PVI; n = 74) and a control group comprising patients who were in SR throughout the procedure (n = 71)...

BACKGROUND: Non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) is a common form of coronary artery disease, and its prognosis is influenced by multiple factors. This study aimed to analyze the predictive role of the combined application of cardiac troponin and cardiac function indices in NSTEMI patients' prognosis. METHODS: NSTEMI patients were screened and included in the study. Cardiac troponin elevation ratio (cardiac troponin I (cTnI)/upper limit of normal (ULN)) was measured upon admission, and cardiac function was assessed...

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to explore the factors influencing the drug-eluting stent (DES) selection criteria of cardiologists in association with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) volumes and to determine whether they value further DES improvements and modifications. METHODS: The survey was conducted on a group of cardiologist operators from April 10 to 30, 2023. RESULTS: The analysis included 126 operators who answered the questions...

BACKGROUND: Left ventricular mass (LVM) is a predictor of future cardiovascular risk. We determined the association between LVM measured by coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) and the prognosis in patients who have undergone CCTA for screening of coronary artery disease (CAD). METHODS: We performed a prospective cohort study. Five hundred twenty consecutive patients who underwent CCTA at Fukuoka University Hospital (FU-CCTA registry) were enrolled. They were clinically suspected of having CAD or had at least one cardiovascular risk factor, and were a follow-up of up to 5 years...

BACKGROUND: The most recent guidelines (European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA)) all favor prasugrel/ticagrelor over clopidogrel in the setting of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). We therefore sought to investigate which P2Y12 inhibitors were being prescribed in our community hospital setting upon discharge among patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in the setting of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI)...

BACKGROUND: Ischemic heart disease (IHD) is a major global health issue and a leading cause of death. This study compares the effectiveness of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in the management of IHD, focusing on their impact on revascularization, myocardial infarction (MI), and post-procedural stroke. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of PCI and CABG in treating IHD based on an exhaustive literature review of the past 5 years, emphasizing recent advancements and outcomes in IHD management...

BACKGROUND: We investigated the relationship between remnant cholesterol and carotid intraplaque neovascularization (IPN) assessed by contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) in patients with ischemic stroke. METHODS: This was a single-center study. Remnant cholesterol is calculated as total cholesterol minus low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) minus high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). All patients underwent CEUS. IPN is graded according to the presence and location of microbubbles within each plaque...

BACKGROUND: The mortality rate of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) has decreased between 1999 and 2020. The risk factors for sudden cardiac death (SCD) in HCM were updated in the American Heart Association (AHA)/American College of Cardiology Foundation (ACCF) 2020 guidelines by adding new risk factors, like the late gadolinium enhancement on cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a major risk factor for most cardiac diseases; however, it is not included in these guidelines due to a lack of strong evidence of a correlation between T2DM and mortality in HCM...

The subclavian steal syndrome (SSS) is defined by the reversal of flow in the ipsilateral vertebral artery in the setting of subclavian artery stenosis proximal to its origin. Here, we describe a rare case of left SSS with significant left subclavian artery stenosis associated with anomalous origin of the left vertebral artery (LVA) directly from the aortic arch in a patient presenting with signs of vertebrobasilar insufficiency and resolution of symptoms following angioplasty. Through this case, the authors try to emphasize the importance and the correct technique of using Doppler ultrasonography, and the importance of invasive angiography in understanding the mechanism of subclavian steal in patients with anomalous LVA origin...

BACKGROUND: The use of multiple overlapping stents for long lesions in tapered coronary arteries has been associated with poor outcomes. This study was conducted to evaluate the 3-year safety and performance of the BioMime™ Morph sirolimus-eluting stent (SES) in very long (length 30 to ≤ 56 mm) coronary lesions in native coronary arteries with a reference vessel diameter of 2.25 to 3.50 mm. METHODS: This was a prospective, single-center, observational, real-world, post-marketing surveillance study...