International heart journal最新文献

Left ventricular (LV) pseudoaneurysm is a rare complication that occurs shortly after myocardial infarction or previous cardiac surgery. We present here a case of an elderly patient with an LV pseudoaneurysm that developed over a long period of time after Dor operation. An 83-year-old man with rapid LV enlargement 18 years after Dor operation presented with dyspnea. We diagnosed his mass as an LV pseudoaneurysm using multiple non-invasive imaging modalities. The suture between the patch and the LV myocardium became fragile and detached over time. However, due to adhesion in the thorax and slow blood flow, the enlargement stopped. Surgery was considered, but due to his age and renal dysfunction, he did not undergo surgery. Conservative treatment with antihypertensive and heart failure therapy was continued. Clinical manifestations of LV pseudoaneurysm vary from asymptomatic to signs of heart failure and even sudden death. Surgery is recommended for LV pseudoaneurysm because of the high risk of rupture, but conservative treatment may be an option that has been developed long after surgery in the era of an increasing number of elderly OMI or post-cardiac surgery patients. Proper diagnosis using multiple imaging modalities may lead to the avoidance of this devastating complication.

We herein report a case of left ventricular dysfunction due to cardiac sarcoidosis following cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator (CRT-D) in an 87-year-old man. He presented to our hospital after receiving shock therapy while conscious. Device interrogation revealed that inappropriate shock occurred due to sinus tachycardia. Due to the setting of a low ventricular tachycardia (VT) detection rate because of a history of slow VT, increasing the VT detection rate was not feasible. After initiation of treatment with ivabradine, the sinus rate decreased and there was no recurrence of inappropriate shock during a 3-year follow-up period. Ivabradine was effective for preventing inappropriate shock due to sinus tachycardia.

To compare the clinical outcomes of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) and preserved ejection fraction (pEF) according to flow-gradient status.This retrospective study focused on patients with severe AS and pEF (≥ 50%) undergoing TAVR with newer generation valves (Sapien3/3 Ultra, Evolut Pro/Pro+/FX) between 2018 and 2022 (n = 781). Patients were divided into 3 groups: normal-flow high-gradient (NF-HG, stroke volume index ≥ 35 mL/m² and mean pressure gradient ≥ 40 mmHg or peak velocity ≥ 4 m/second), low-flow high-gradient (LF-HG), and paradoxical low-flow low-gradient (pLF-LG) groups. Multivariable Cox regression hazard model was used to adjust for confounders.There were 525, 188, and 68 patients in the NF-HG, LF-HG, and pLF-LG groups, respectively. For the entire cohort, the median age was 82 years, and the periprocedural, 1-year, and 5-year mortality rates were 1.8%, 12%, and 48%, respectively. During a median follow-up period of 25 (range 0-72) months, the rates of all-cause mortality and the composite of all-cause mortality and rehospitalization for heart failure were significantly higher in the LF-HG group compared with the NF-HG group, with adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) of 1.41 (95% confidence interval: 1.02-1.92) and 1.35 (1.01-1.79), respectively. In contrast, there were no significant differences between the LF-NG and pLF-LG groups.In patients undergoing TAVR for severe AS and pEF, LF-HG AS had a higher risk of all-cause mortality and the composite outcome compared with NF-HG AS.

Persistent or paroxysmal atrial fibrillation is typically treated with pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) ablation under deep sedation with propofol. Intraoperative hemodynamic or respiratory instability often interferes with the surgical procedure. We retrospectively investigated risk factors in 80 patients who underwent their first PVI ablation for atrial fibrillation at our hospital. Background and echocardiography findings were collected from their electronic charts and the questionnaires they completed during hospitalization. Total intraoperative propofol dose and bolus injections (total number and volume) were defined as surrogate measures of patient instability. Single and stepwise multiple regression were performed using each measure as the dependent variable. When total propofol dose was employed as the dependent variable, significant associations were observed with drinking status (P < 0.05) and body mass index (BMI) (P < 0.05). When total number or volume of intravenous propofol boluses were each used as the dependent variable, significant associations were noted with age (P < 0.05) and BMI (P < 0.05). Separately, statistical analyses were conducted using total propofol dose or total number of bolus injections as the dependent variable and echocardiography parameters as independent variables. A significant association was detected between total dose and left atrial dimension (P < 0.05). These results suggested that younger age, higher BMI (obesity), and current drinking status adversely affect patient stability under deep sedation. To ensure safe ablation, physicians should pay attention to these risk factors when administering deep sedation for PVI.

An 83-year-old man with a 5-month history of asthma presented to the emergency department with chest oppression and dyspnea. Electrocardiography showed ST-segment depression. Transthoracic echocardiography showed no asynergy with an ejection fraction of 62%. Coronary angiography revealed no stenosis. On day 3, he developed worsening dyspnea, cough, and rapidly progressive acute decompensated heart failure with abdominal purpura and lower extremity petechiae.Myocardial and skin biopsies revealed eosinophilic infiltration. He was diagnosed with acute eosinophilic myocarditis and heart failure due to eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis. Methylprednisolone pulse therapy dramatically improved his symptoms and congestion. Dual single-photon emission computed tomography after 1 year demonstrated lesion improvement.

To examine the role of CITED2 in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury (MIRI) in a cell model and uncover the mechanism, hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) -stimulated H9C2 cell model was utilized as a MIRI cell model. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) as well as immunoblot assays were carried out to determine the expression of CITED2 in the MIRI cell model. MTT as well as lactate dehydrogenase assays were employed to detect the survival of H/R-stimulated H9C2 cells. Immunoblot, flow cytometry, qPCR, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were carried out to assess the pyroptosis and inflammation in H9C2 cells. Immunoblot assays were used to confirm the mechanism. The expression of CITED2 was low in H/R-stimulated H9C2 cells. CITED2 can increase the survival of H/R-stimulated H9C2 cells. Additionally, CITED2 restrained H/R-stimulated pyroptosis of H9C2 cells. It also restrained the release of H/R-induced inflammatory factors. Mechanically, CITED2 inhibited HIF-1α expression, thereby suppressing MIRI progression. CITED2 attenuates MIRI in cardiomyocytes via mediating HIF-1α expression.

It remains unclear whether elevated ventricular wall pressure and left ventricular enlargement in patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) can lead to left bundle branch block (LBBB). In this study, 801 consecutive hospitalized patients with a left ventricular ejection fraction of < 50% were enrolled. The primary outcome was the occurrence of new-onset LBBB or heart failure-related hospitalization, all-cause mortality, ventricular tachycardia, or implantation of an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) /cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). During a median follow-up of 56 months, 70 cases of new-onset LBBB were observed, with a cumulative incidence rate of 10.1%. Multivariate Cox regression analysis demonstrated that paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) (hazard ratio [HR] 2.907, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.552-5.444, P = 0.001), coronary artery disease (CAD) (HR 6.680, 95% CI 3.451-12.930, P < 0.001), dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) (HR 6.394, 95% CI 3.501-11.675, P < 0.001), QRS duration (HR 1.018, 95% CI 1.010-1.027, P < 0.001), left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (LVEDD) (HR 1.032, 95% CI 1.006-1.059, P = 0.016), and β-blockers (HR 0.327, 95% CI 0.199-0.536, P < 0.001) were independent predictors of new-onset LBBB. A Kaplan-Meier survival curve analysis demonstrated that patients with new-onset LBBB had a higher incidence of composite endpoint events (P < 0.001), heart failure-related hospitalization (P < 0.001), and ventricular tachycardia or implantation of an ICD or CRT (P < 0.001) than patients without new-onset LBBB. Moreover, new-onset LBBB (HR 1.603, 95% CI 1.207-2.129, P = 0.001) was an independent predictor of composite endpoint events.DCM, LVEDD, CAD, PAF, and QRS duration were independent predictive factors for the subsequent development of LBBB in patients with LVSD. New-onset LBBB was independently associated with a poor prognosis.

The postprocedural outcomes of coronary chronic total occlusion (CTO) revascularization in patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) are still unclear. In this study, the periprocedural safety of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) for revascularization of CTO in patients with LVSD is evaluated.In this study, patients hospitalized for coronary heart disease complicated by LVSD who underwent CTO PCI or CTO CABG between 2014 and 2020 were involved. The primary endpoint was 30-day major adverse cardiac or cerebrovascular events (MACCE), defined as the composite of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, stroke, myocardial infarction (MI), and target vessel revascularization. To evaluate the influence of the CTO revascularization strategies on 30-day outcomes, inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) based on the propensity score was employed, and to identify predictors of 30-day MACCE, Cox regression was utilized.Among the 658 patients who satisfied the criteria, 440 (66.87%) underwent CTO PCI, and 218 (33.13%) underwent CTO CABG. The primary endpoint occurred in 30 (4.56%) patients, which is mainly attributed to all-cause mortality. Following IPTW adjustment, CTO CABG was found to be associated with significantly elevated risks of 30-day MACCE and MI (all P < 0.05).In this study in which patients with CTO and LVSD were examined, an increased risk of 30-day MACCE was observed in those who underwent CTO CABG. For such complex and high-risk patients, CTO PCI may represent a revascularization strategy that offers superior postprocedural safety.

To date, only a few studies have assessed the dietary preferences, lifestyle habits, and risk factors of patients with acute myocardial infarction. This study aimed to investigate the dietary preferences and lifestyle habits of these patients to reflect on the implementation of an effective comprehensive diet therapy in the future.In total, 117 patients who were admitted to Fukuoka University Nishijin Hospital due to acute myocardial infarction from April 2014 to January 2020 were enrolled. Test values, dietary preferences, and lifestyle habits as well as specificity were investigated in patients aged < 70 years (n = 62) and ≥ 70 years (n = 55).Of the patients < 70 years of age, 56.5% preferred high-fat foods and 29.0% preferred high-salt foods, whereas of the patients ≥ 70 years of age, 41.8% preferred high-sugar foods and 32.7% preferred high-salt foods (P < 0.01). The percentages of patients who tended to eat out and drink were 60.7% and 34.2%, respectively. The percentage of patients with a smoking habit was 31.6%.Since improved lipid levels are an important target in nutritional guidance, we should consider adjusting the diet and guiding patients to stop drinking and smoking among young people and reducing sugar and salt intake in the elderly.

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of obesity on in-hospital outcomes of patients with HF undergoing AF catheter ablation. This population-based, retrospective observational study extracted data from the US Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) database 2005-2018. Patients ≥ 20 years with HF and undergoing catheter ablation for AF were eligible for inclusion. Propensity-score matching (PSM) was utilized to balance the baseline characteristics between obese and non-obese groups. Univariate and multivariable regression analyses were used to determine the associations between obese status and other variables with the in-hospital outcomes. These outcomes included non-home discharge, prolonged length of stay (LOS), complications, and a composite outcome that encompassed these outcomes along with in-hospital mortality. A total of 18,751 patients were included. After PSM, 8,014 patients remained in the study sample. The mean age was 64.6 ± 0.1 years. After adjustment, significant association was detected between obesity and greater odds of non-home discharge (adjusted odd ratio [aOR] = 1.18), prolonged LOS (aOR = 1.18), complications (aOR = 1.30), respiratory failure/mechanical ventilation (aOR = 1.56) and acute kidney injury (AKI) (aOR = 1.28), central nervous system and peripheral neuropathy (aOR = 1.33), and transient ischemic attack (aOR = 8.16), as well as poor composite outcome (aOR = 1.28) compared with non-obese patients. In US patients with HF undergoing AF catheter ablation, obesity is associated with a higher risk for non-home discharge, prolonged LOS, and several major complications. Clinicians should exercise heightened vigilance when administering therapy to this subgroup of patients.