Heart International最新文献

It has been recognized for decades that dissections occur as a mechanism of balloon angioplasty. A successful angioplasty result contains some degree of intimal splitting and disruption, which usually heals well. Nonetheless, some dissections are extensive, leading to serious ischaemic complications. The concept of therapeutic coronary dissection started evolving in the 1970s and seems to be a favourable mechanism for drug delivery in the current era of drug-coated balloons. This article will primarily focus on studies undertaken to understand the mechanism of balloon angioplasty and the morphological changes in the plaque post-balloon angioplasty. In the early days of balloon angioplasty, there was an enormous interest in dissections, mainly to prevent acute vessel closure events and to address the importance of their occurrence in relation to vessel restenosis. We will review the historical background, studies defining the clinical, angiographic and morphological patterns of the dissection spectrum and various currently evolving management strategies.

Tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is a common valvular heart disease that is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Traditional surgical interventions, though definitive, carry considerable complexities and risks, especially for high-risk patients, with in-hospital mortality rates of ˜9%. This resulted in the undertreatment of many patients with TR, creating a substantial unmet need. This has stimulated the development of transcatheter techniques, such as transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement, tricuspid edge-to-edge repair, tricuspid annuloplasty, caval valve implantation and many others, which offer less-i nvasive alternatives with promising early results and sustained benefits. This review provides a contemporary outlook on different transcatheter tricuspid valve interventions in patients with severe TR and assesses the existing clinical data regarding the safety and effectiveness of these devices in a rapidly expanding space.

Background: Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DC) is a syndrome of heart failure occurring in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM), independent of other risk factors. It is a relatively underdiagnosed condition with a prolonged subclinical phase. There is an abundance of studies put forward to explain the underlying pathogenic mechanisms observed in this condition. This review aims to summarize the evidence available in contemporary medical literature with regard to the molecular mechanisms, abnormalities in signalling and metabolism and structural and functional abnormalities manifesting as DC. Methods: We conducted a literature search using the terms 'diabetic cardiomyopathy', 'heart failure AND Diabetes mellitus', 'Cardiomyopathy AND Diabetes mellitus'. We searched the reference lists of included studies and relevant systematic reviews. Results: In this review, we elucidate all the mechanisms that have been postulated to have a role in the pathogenesis of DC, in addition to insulin resistance, such as inflammation, renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system activation and deranged protein homeostasis. Conclusions: DC is an underrecognized cardiac complication of DM. A comprehensive knowledge of all the pathways and mediators will aid in the development of diagnostic and prognostic markers, screening protocols and novel management strategies.

Leadless pacemakers are considered one of the major technological advancements in cardiology in recent years. Many efforts are made to provide physiological atrio-ventricular (AV) pacing. With the first-generation leadless ventricular, dual, dual (VDD) pacemaker, Micra AV (Medtronic, Inc., Minneapolis, MN, USA), a high variability in AV synchrony was reported. A second generation, Micra AV2, is now available for clinical use, promising smarter and higher automatic AV synchrony. This article reviews the different improvements proposed for this new device.

Background: Radial access is considered the preferred method for coronary angiography (CAG) and percutaneous coronary intervention. Radial artery thrombosis (RAT) stands out as the primary complication associated with trans-radial access. Our objective was to explore the occurrence of RAT and its associated risk factors. Method: A study encompassing 150 patients who underwent coronary interventions via radial access was conducted. Colour Doppler ultrasonography was used to assess proximal and distal radial flow rates 4-6 hours post-procedure. Patients diagnosed with RAT constituted the study group, while those without RAT were designated as controls. Results: Among the 150 patients, 20 (13.3%) developed RAT, with partial occlusions observed in 2.7% and total occlusions in 10.7%. Univariate analysis identified potential correlations between RAT and variables such as female gender, hypertension (HT), history of coronary artery disease, use of anti-thrombocyte medications, duration of compression, indication for CAG, haematocrit levels, neutrophil count, creatinine levels and estimated glomerular filtration rate. However, only HT showed a statistically significant association. Multivariate analysis confirmed HT, anti-thrombocyte drug use, duration of compression, haematocrit levels and creatinine levels as independent predictors of RAT. Conclusion: HT, anti-thrombocyte drug use, duration of compression, haematocrit levels and creatinine levels are identified as independent predictors of RAT. Standard pulse examination may not adequately detect RAT.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.17925/HI.2024.18.1.5.].

Introduction: This systematic review aims to summarize the procedural arrhythmia termination rates in catheter ablation (CA) procedures of atrial or ventricular arrhythmias using the commonly used mapping systems (CARTO, Rhythmia and EnSite/NavX). Materials and Methods: A systematic search in MEDLINE and Cochrane databases through February 2021 was performed. Results: With regard to atrial fibrillation ablation procedures, acute success rates ranged from 15.4 to 96.0% and 9.1 to 100.0% using the CARTO and EnSite/NavX mapping systems, respectively; acute atrial tachycardia (AT) termination to sinus rhythm ranged from 75 to 100% using the CARTO system. The acute success rate for different types of AT ranged from 75 to 97% using Rhythmia, while the NavX mapping system was also found to have excellent efficacy in the setting of AT, with acute arrhythmia termination rates ranging from 73 to 99%. With regard to ventricular tachycardia, in the setting of ischaemic cardiomyopathy, acute success rates ranged from 70 to 100% using CARTO and 64% using EnSite/NavX systems. The acute success rate using the Rhythmia system ranged from 61.5 to 100.0% for different clinical settings. Conclusions: Mapping systems have played a crucial role in high-density mapping and the observed high procedural success rates of atrial and ventricular CA procedures. More data are needed for the comparative efficacy of mapping systems in acute arrhythmia termination, across different clinical settings.

Transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis (ATTR-CA) represents an inexorably progressive and fatal cardiomyopathy. Increased understanding of the underlying pathogenesis responsible for the misfolding of transthyretin and the subsequent accumulation of amyloid fibrils within the myocardium has led to the development of several disease-modifying therapies that act on different stages of the disease pathway. Tafamidis is the first, and to date remains the only, therapy approved for the treatment of ATTR-CA, which, alongside acoramidis, stabilizes the transthyretin tetramer, preventing disaggregation, misfolding and formation of amyloid fibrils. Gene-silencing agents, such as patisiran, vutrisian and eplontersen, and novel gene-editing therapies, such as NTLA-2001, act to reduce the hepatic synthesis of transthyretin. Anti-amyloid therapies represent another strategy in the treatment of ATTR-CA and are designed to bind amyloid fibril epitopes and stimulate macrophage-mediated removal of amyloid fibrils from the myocardium. Many of these treatments are at an early investigational stage but represent an important area of unmet clinical need and could potentially reverse disease and restore cardiac functions even in patients with advanced disease.

Purpose: Epidemiological studies have shown an association between coronary artery disease (CAD) and osteoporosis. We studied the prevalence of CAD among postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. Factors that were significantly associated with CAD were also assessed. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted over a period of 2 years. Consecutive postmenopausal women aged ≥50 years were recruited. The details of an underlying CAD were obtained. Bone biochemical parameters, bone mineral density and body composition were assessed. Results: A total of 370 postmenopausal women with mean (standard deviation [SD]) ages of 61.6 (6.2) and 60.1 (6.0) years and a body mass index of 25.3 (14.1) kg/m² were recruited. Among them, 110 of 370 patients (29.7%) had an underlying CAD and 222 of 370 (60%) had osteoporosis at either the femoral neck or lumbar spine (LS). The odds of CAD among those with osteoporosis were 3.5 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.1-5.9). An LS T-score of ≤-2.2 had a sensitivity of 80% and a specificity of 45% in predicting CAD (area under the curve, AUC: 0.736; 95% CI: 0.677-0.795; p<0.001). A femoral neck T-score of ≤-1.9 had a sensitivity of 80% and a specificity of 60% in predicting CAD (AUC: 0.748; 95% CI: 0.696-0.800; p<0.001). On a logistic regression analysis after adjusting for various clinical parameters, femoral neck osteoporosis had the highest odds of CAD. Conclusion: The prevalence of CAD was higher among postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. Femoral neck osteoporosis conferred the highest odds of CAD after adjustment for other clinical factors.

Semaglutide is a glucagon-l ike peptide 1 receptor agonist that has been noted to have a significant role in the reduction of body weight and glycaemic control. An increasing body of evidence from recent trials (SUSTAIN-6, SELECT and STEP HF) has shown significant cardiovascular benefits of semaglutide in both patients with and without diabetes and in people who are obese or overweight. Additional studies in a more diverse patient population and safety assessment are warranted prior to adding semaglutide to the increasing pool of guideline-directed medical therapy for the treatment and prevention of cardiac diseases.