Pub Date : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2025-12-16DOI: 10.1007/s12471-025-02008-4
M Libbrecht, T De Meyer, M Boulaksil
{"title":"An ominous ECG.","authors":"M Libbrecht, T De Meyer, M Boulaksil","doi":"10.1007/s12471-025-02008-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12471-025-02008-4","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":18952,"journal":{"name":"Netherlands Heart Journal","volume":" ","pages":"83-84"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12852557/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145763317","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2026-01-21DOI: 10.1007/s12471-026-02024-y
Pim van der Harst
{"title":"More than numbers: survival, symptoms, and what care triggers.","authors":"Pim van der Harst","doi":"10.1007/s12471-026-02024-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12471-026-02024-y","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":18952,"journal":{"name":"Netherlands Heart Journal","volume":" ","pages":"45"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12852545/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146011450","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2026-01-21DOI: 10.1007/s12471-025-02016-4
Lineke Derks, Maaike M Roefs, Gijs J van Steenbergen, Saskia Houterman, Dennis van Veghel
Objective: The aim of this study is to gain insight into mortality rates and causes of death after major cardiac interventions, using nationwide real-world data from the Netherlands.
Methods: For this retrospective observational study, data from Statistics Netherlands and the Dutch all-payer claims database in the period 2016-2019 were used to select the intervention groups: coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), percutaneous coronary intervention, surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR), SAVR + CABG, mitral valve surgery, transcatheter heart valve intervention, pulmonary vein isolation and minimally-invasive maze surgery. For all interventions, survival status, date, and cause of death were retrieved. Causes of death were clustered for cardiovascular (CV) and non-CV causes by their corresponding ICD-10 code at different time intervals up to 5 years after the intervention.
Results: A total of 203,001 interventions were included, and 13.7% (27,832) of the patients died during the 5‑year follow-up. Of these, 45.1% (12,560) were CV, and 54.9% (15,272) were non-CV deaths. After coronary revascularization, valve intervention, and aortic valve intervention and coronary revascularization combined, respectively, non-CV mortality increased from 14.2%, 12.9% and 20.7% at 30 days to 44.5%, 47.0% and 44.5% after 2 years. Of all deaths up to 5 years, 54.7%, 54.3% and 55.3% were non-CV.
Conclusion: Initially main cause of death after cardiac intervention is CV-related. The proportion of non-CV deaths increases during follow-up, impacting survival for all patients up to 5 years after intervention. (Fig. 1).
{"title":"Mortality rates and causes of death after cardiac interventions: real-world short- and long-term insights from the Netherlands.","authors":"Lineke Derks, Maaike M Roefs, Gijs J van Steenbergen, Saskia Houterman, Dennis van Veghel","doi":"10.1007/s12471-025-02016-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12471-025-02016-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>The aim of this study is to gain insight into mortality rates and causes of death after major cardiac interventions, using nationwide real-world data from the Netherlands.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>For this retrospective observational study, data from Statistics Netherlands and the Dutch all-payer claims database in the period 2016-2019 were used to select the intervention groups: coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), percutaneous coronary intervention, surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR), SAVR + CABG, mitral valve surgery, transcatheter heart valve intervention, pulmonary vein isolation and minimally-invasive maze surgery. For all interventions, survival status, date, and cause of death were retrieved. Causes of death were clustered for cardiovascular (CV) and non-CV causes by their corresponding ICD-10 code at different time intervals up to 5 years after the intervention.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 203,001 interventions were included, and 13.7% (27,832) of the patients died during the 5‑year follow-up. Of these, 45.1% (12,560) were CV, and 54.9% (15,272) were non-CV deaths. After coronary revascularization, valve intervention, and aortic valve intervention and coronary revascularization combined, respectively, non-CV mortality increased from 14.2%, 12.9% and 20.7% at 30 days to 44.5%, 47.0% and 44.5% after 2 years. Of all deaths up to 5 years, 54.7%, 54.3% and 55.3% were non-CV.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Initially main cause of death after cardiac intervention is CV-related. The proportion of non-CV deaths increases during follow-up, impacting survival for all patients up to 5 years after intervention. (Fig. 1).</p>","PeriodicalId":18952,"journal":{"name":"Netherlands Heart Journal","volume":" ","pages":"60-71"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12852519/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146011485","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2025-12-01DOI: 10.1007/s12471-025-02003-9
Quinten P Hoogervorst, Charlotte E P Siegers, Jan van Ramshorst, Maurits T Dirksen, Ton A C M Heestermans, Olivier Drexhage, Victor A W M Umans
Introduction: The number of octo and nonagenarians presenting with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is rising and underreported. Therefore, this study aims to clarify patient characteristics and compare outcomes of an initial invasive strategy versus optimal medical treatment.
Methods: All consecutive ACS patients from 2020 until 2023 were admitted, and with EHR data extracted. Multi-variation analyses were carried out in three age groups: 80-84, 85-89 and 90+.
Results: A total of 1,036 consecutive patients over 80 years old were analyzed. A predominance of women, lower rates of angiography/PCI and hypercholesterolemia were observed in the nonagenarians. CABG was only performed in the 80-84 yrs group. No differences in the complication rates (type 3a bleeding, CVA, or secondary ICU admission) between the invasive and OMT group at any age. At 3 months, a trend towards a better outcome in all-cause mortality was seen in the invasive group in the age groups: 80-84: HR 0.44 (0.19-1.04) (p = 0.06), 85-89: HR 0.46 (0.20-1.07) (p = 0.07) and significant better in 90+: HR 0.16 (0.03-0.85) (p = 0.03).
Conclusion: In this consecutive cohort of 6,168 ACS patients, 1,036 (17%) were octo- and nonagenarians. Nonagenarians differ compared to 80+ and 85+ patients. At 30 days, mortality rates were 4% in the 80-84 group, 10% in the 85-89 group (p = < 0.001), and 15% in the nonagenarians (p < 0.001). This all-comer single-center study shows that appropriate selection may be feasible for an invasive strategy in ACS octo and nonagenarians in terms of safety and outcome.
{"title":"The impact of aging on acute coronary syndromes: an EHR-based analysis.","authors":"Quinten P Hoogervorst, Charlotte E P Siegers, Jan van Ramshorst, Maurits T Dirksen, Ton A C M Heestermans, Olivier Drexhage, Victor A W M Umans","doi":"10.1007/s12471-025-02003-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12471-025-02003-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>The number of octo and nonagenarians presenting with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is rising and underreported. Therefore, this study aims to clarify patient characteristics and compare outcomes of an initial invasive strategy versus optimal medical treatment.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>All consecutive ACS patients from 2020 until 2023 were admitted, and with EHR data extracted. Multi-variation analyses were carried out in three age groups: 80-84, 85-89 and 90+.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 1,036 consecutive patients over 80 years old were analyzed. A predominance of women, lower rates of angiography/PCI and hypercholesterolemia were observed in the nonagenarians. CABG was only performed in the 80-84 yrs group. No differences in the complication rates (type 3a bleeding, CVA, or secondary ICU admission) between the invasive and OMT group at any age. At 3 months, a trend towards a better outcome in all-cause mortality was seen in the invasive group in the age groups: 80-84: HR 0.44 (0.19-1.04) (p = 0.06), 85-89: HR 0.46 (0.20-1.07) (p = 0.07) and significant better in 90+: HR 0.16 (0.03-0.85) (p = 0.03).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>In this consecutive cohort of 6,168 ACS patients, 1,036 (17%) were octo- and nonagenarians. Nonagenarians differ compared to 80+ and 85+ patients. At 30 days, mortality rates were 4% in the 80-84 group, 10% in the 85-89 group (p = < 0.001), and 15% in the nonagenarians (p < 0.001). This all-comer single-center study shows that appropriate selection may be feasible for an invasive strategy in ACS octo and nonagenarians in terms of safety and outcome.</p>","PeriodicalId":18952,"journal":{"name":"Netherlands Heart Journal","volume":" ","pages":"27-35"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12779784/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145648966","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2025-12-18DOI: 10.1007/s12471-025-02010-w
Annelot J L Peijster, Cees van Nieuwkoop, Ruud W M Keunen, Susanne Felix, Berend J van Welzen, Ilse J E Kouijzer, C H Edwin Boel, Nelianne J Verkaik, Ka Yan Lam, Robert J M Klautz, Andor W J M Glaudemans, Ricardo P J Budde, Alexander H Maass, Reinoud E Knops, Otto Kamp, Wilco Tanis
This review evaluates the 2023 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines for the management of infective endocarditis (IE) and offers insights into topics particularly relevant to clinical practice in the Netherlands. The multidisciplinary IE Working Group assessed all ESC recommendations and concluded that the majority could be endorsed, albeit with certain modifications. The IE Working Group presents a refined (and simplified) antibiotic prophylactic regimen and an updated table to guide the analysis of suspected blood culture-negative IE. Furthermore, the pivotal role of the Endocarditis Team in the management of patients with suspected and confirmed IE was reaffirmed, along with reinforced recommendations for nearly all cardiac and extracardiac imaging in these cases. Notably, a preliminary recommendation was issued for switching to oral antibiotic therapy in patients with native valve endocarditis caused by viridans streptococci, while awaiting the revision of the Dutch Working Group on Antibiotic Policy (SWAB) IE guideline. In addition, the surgical recommendations were evaluated and revised, including improved clinical criteria in case of cardiac surgery following neurological complications of IE and an advised disregard of the new class I ESC recommendation for surgery in early prosthetic valve endocarditis (< 6 months). Moreover, an additional device recommendation was proposed for the choice of (alternate) devices in case of device reimplantation after IE.
{"title":"2023 European Society of Cardiology guidelines for the management of infective endocarditis : Statement of endorsement by the NVVC Full version.","authors":"Annelot J L Peijster, Cees van Nieuwkoop, Ruud W M Keunen, Susanne Felix, Berend J van Welzen, Ilse J E Kouijzer, C H Edwin Boel, Nelianne J Verkaik, Ka Yan Lam, Robert J M Klautz, Andor W J M Glaudemans, Ricardo P J Budde, Alexander H Maass, Reinoud E Knops, Otto Kamp, Wilco Tanis","doi":"10.1007/s12471-025-02010-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12471-025-02010-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This review evaluates the 2023 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines for the management of infective endocarditis (IE) and offers insights into topics particularly relevant to clinical practice in the Netherlands. The multidisciplinary IE Working Group assessed all ESC recommendations and concluded that the majority could be endorsed, albeit with certain modifications. The IE Working Group presents a refined (and simplified) antibiotic prophylactic regimen and an updated table to guide the analysis of suspected blood culture-negative IE. Furthermore, the pivotal role of the Endocarditis Team in the management of patients with suspected and confirmed IE was reaffirmed, along with reinforced recommendations for nearly all cardiac and extracardiac imaging in these cases. Notably, a preliminary recommendation was issued for switching to oral antibiotic therapy in patients with native valve endocarditis caused by viridans streptococci, while awaiting the revision of the Dutch Working Group on Antibiotic Policy (SWAB) IE guideline. In addition, the surgical recommendations were evaluated and revised, including improved clinical criteria in case of cardiac surgery following neurological complications of IE and an advised disregard of the new class I ESC recommendation for surgery in early prosthetic valve endocarditis (< 6 months). Moreover, an additional device recommendation was proposed for the choice of (alternate) devices in case of device reimplantation after IE.</p>","PeriodicalId":18952,"journal":{"name":"Netherlands Heart Journal","volume":" ","pages":"1-13"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12779890/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145775008","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2026-01-07DOI: 10.1007/s12471-025-02012-8
Pim van der Harst, Clara E E van Ofwegen-Hanekamp, Maryam Kavousi, Martin E W Hemels, Joris R de Groot, Peter Damman
{"title":"Advancing cardiovascular care-key insights from the Netherlands Heart Journal 2025.","authors":"Pim van der Harst, Clara E E van Ofwegen-Hanekamp, Maryam Kavousi, Martin E W Hemels, Joris R de Groot, Peter Damman","doi":"10.1007/s12471-025-02012-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12471-025-02012-8","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":18952,"journal":{"name":"Netherlands Heart Journal","volume":"34 1","pages":"1-6"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12779840/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145912391","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2025-12-17DOI: 10.1007/s12471-025-02006-6
Tsvetan R Yordanov, Hatem Al-Farra, Anita C J Ravelli, Saskia Houterman, Bas Ajm de Mol, Toon A Winkelman, Leo Timmers, Marije Vis, Pim Tonino, Ronak Delewi, Ameen Abu-Hanna, José P S Henriques
Background: Patients undergoing a transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) are at risk for Major Adverse Cardiac Events (MACE). We describe temporal trends of TAVI-related MACEs, stratified by age and sex.
Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of TAVI patients from the Netherlands Heart Registration (NHR) between 2013 and 2022. The outcomes were: mortality at 30 days, mortality at one year, permanent pacemaker implantation at 30 days (PPI), major vascular complication at 30 days (MVC), and stroke at three days. We calculated incidence and trends in TAVI patients and their outcomes.
Results: The cohort consisted of 19,746 TAVI patients, with a mean age of 80 years. The annual number of TAVI procedures increased over the years from 786 to 2876 (p < 0.001). Initially, more women received TAVI, but the trend shifted over time to more men (p < 0.001). Outcomes incidence was: 30-day mortality (3.3%), one-year mortality (10.6%), PPI (10.7%), MVC (2.9%), and stroke (2.0%). Incidence of both mortality outcomes decreased over time (6.7% to 2.7%, and 15.8% to 8.8% for 30-day and one-year mortality, respectively), as did PPI (12.3% to 10.4%) and MVC (3.6% to 2.5%). Women had a higher incidence of MVC and stroke. Men had a higher incidence of one-year mortality and PPI, and their incidence increased more with age than it did in women.
Conclusion: The volume of TAVI procedures has increased significantly over time, while mortality, PPI, MVC, and MACE incidence have significantly decreased. Sex-specific differences in MACE outcome incidence were present.
{"title":"Incidence and trends of patient MACE outcomes after Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI): analysis by age and sex.","authors":"Tsvetan R Yordanov, Hatem Al-Farra, Anita C J Ravelli, Saskia Houterman, Bas Ajm de Mol, Toon A Winkelman, Leo Timmers, Marije Vis, Pim Tonino, Ronak Delewi, Ameen Abu-Hanna, José P S Henriques","doi":"10.1007/s12471-025-02006-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12471-025-02006-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Patients undergoing a transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) are at risk for Major Adverse Cardiac Events (MACE). We describe temporal trends of TAVI-related MACEs, stratified by age and sex.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We performed a retrospective analysis of TAVI patients from the Netherlands Heart Registration (NHR) between 2013 and 2022. The outcomes were: mortality at 30 days, mortality at one year, permanent pacemaker implantation at 30 days (PPI), major vascular complication at 30 days (MVC), and stroke at three days. We calculated incidence and trends in TAVI patients and their outcomes.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The cohort consisted of 19,746 TAVI patients, with a mean age of 80 years. The annual number of TAVI procedures increased over the years from 786 to 2876 (p < 0.001). Initially, more women received TAVI, but the trend shifted over time to more men (p < 0.001). Outcomes incidence was: 30-day mortality (3.3%), one-year mortality (10.6%), PPI (10.7%), MVC (2.9%), and stroke (2.0%). Incidence of both mortality outcomes decreased over time (6.7% to 2.7%, and 15.8% to 8.8% for 30-day and one-year mortality, respectively), as did PPI (12.3% to 10.4%) and MVC (3.6% to 2.5%). Women had a higher incidence of MVC and stroke. Men had a higher incidence of one-year mortality and PPI, and their incidence increased more with age than it did in women.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The volume of TAVI procedures has increased significantly over time, while mortality, PPI, MVC, and MACE incidence have significantly decreased. Sex-specific differences in MACE outcome incidence were present.</p>","PeriodicalId":18952,"journal":{"name":"Netherlands Heart Journal","volume":" ","pages":"36-44"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12779812/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145768571","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2025-12-16DOI: 10.1007/s12471-025-02005-7
Errol W Aarnink, Marina F M Huijboom, Frank van der Kley, Richard Folkeringa, Joris R de Groot, Pepijn H van der Voort, Yuri Blaauw, Marisevi Chaldoupi, Jeroen Stevenhagen, George J Vlachojannis, Nicolas M van Mieghem, Martin J Swaans, Vincent F van Dijk, Marcel G Dijkgraaf, Ewoud J van Dijk, Jan G P Tijssen, Lucas V A Boersma
Introduction: The left atrial appendage is the dominant source of cardioembolic stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Contemporary guidelines recommend considering left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) in AF patients contraindicated to oral anticoagulation therapy (OAC), but randomized controlled trial (RCT) data for this subpopulation are lacking.
Methods: COMPARE LAAO was designed as an event-driven, multicenter, prospective, randomized, open, blinded endpoint (PROBE) trial that randomized AF patients with an increased thromboembolic risk and a contraindication to OAC 2:1 to LAAO or standard-of-care (SOC). The co-primary endpoints comprised 1) time to first occurrence of ischemic/hemorrhagic/undetermined stroke and 2) time to first occurrence of all-cause stroke/TIA/SE. The trial aimed to enroll 609 patients.
Results: After randomization of 69 patients, the trial was terminated prematurely by the sponsor due to a slow inclusion rate. Results are discussed briefly without formal statistical testing. All-cause stroke occurred in 7/48 and 2/21 patients randomized to LAAO and SOC, respectively. According to the as-treated principle, all-cause stroke occurred in 5/41 and 4/28 patients treated with LAAO and SOC. The composite of all-cause stroke/TIA/SE occurred in 10/48 and 4/21 patients randomized to and 8/41 and 6/28 patients treated with LAAO and SOC.
Conclusion: Insufficient statistical power of COMPARE LAAO impedes drawing any conclusions. Among other factors, the loss of perceived clinical equipoise among physicians proved problematic for successful trial completion. Conducting an RCT on LAAO vs SOC in OAC-ineligible patients appears infeasible globally, which threatens to preclude reimbursement in the Netherlands for these patients that have no proven alternative.
{"title":"Left atrial appendage occlusion vs standard of care in high stroke risk atrial fibrillation patients ineligible for anticoagulation: COMPARE-LAAO.","authors":"Errol W Aarnink, Marina F M Huijboom, Frank van der Kley, Richard Folkeringa, Joris R de Groot, Pepijn H van der Voort, Yuri Blaauw, Marisevi Chaldoupi, Jeroen Stevenhagen, George J Vlachojannis, Nicolas M van Mieghem, Martin J Swaans, Vincent F van Dijk, Marcel G Dijkgraaf, Ewoud J van Dijk, Jan G P Tijssen, Lucas V A Boersma","doi":"10.1007/s12471-025-02005-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12471-025-02005-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>The left atrial appendage is the dominant source of cardioembolic stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Contemporary guidelines recommend considering left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) in AF patients contraindicated to oral anticoagulation therapy (OAC), but randomized controlled trial (RCT) data for this subpopulation are lacking.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>COMPARE LAAO was designed as an event-driven, multicenter, prospective, randomized, open, blinded endpoint (PROBE) trial that randomized AF patients with an increased thromboembolic risk and a contraindication to OAC 2:1 to LAAO or standard-of-care (SOC). The co-primary endpoints comprised 1) time to first occurrence of ischemic/hemorrhagic/undetermined stroke and 2) time to first occurrence of all-cause stroke/TIA/SE. The trial aimed to enroll 609 patients.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>After randomization of 69 patients, the trial was terminated prematurely by the sponsor due to a slow inclusion rate. Results are discussed briefly without formal statistical testing. All-cause stroke occurred in 7/48 and 2/21 patients randomized to LAAO and SOC, respectively. According to the as-treated principle, all-cause stroke occurred in 5/41 and 4/28 patients treated with LAAO and SOC. The composite of all-cause stroke/TIA/SE occurred in 10/48 and 4/21 patients randomized to and 8/41 and 6/28 patients treated with LAAO and SOC.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Insufficient statistical power of COMPARE LAAO impedes drawing any conclusions. Among other factors, the loss of perceived clinical equipoise among physicians proved problematic for successful trial completion. Conducting an RCT on LAAO vs SOC in OAC-ineligible patients appears infeasible globally, which threatens to preclude reimbursement in the Netherlands for these patients that have no proven alternative.</p>","PeriodicalId":18952,"journal":{"name":"Netherlands Heart Journal","volume":" ","pages":"18-26"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12779848/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145763400","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2025-12-18DOI: 10.1007/s12471-025-02011-9
Annelot J L Peijster, Cees van Nieuwkoop, Ruud W M Keunen, Susanne Felix, Berend J van Welzen, Ilse J E Kouijzer, C H Edwin Boel, Nelianne J Verkaik, Ka Yan Lam, Robert J M Klautz, Andor W J M Glaudemans, Ricardo P J Budde, Alexander H Maass, Reinoud E Knops, Otto Kamp, Wilco Tanis
This review evaluates the 2023 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines for the management of infective endocarditis (IE) and offers insights into topics particularly relevant to clinical practice in the Netherlands. The multidisciplinary IE Working Group assessed all ESC recommendations and concluded that the majority could be endorsed, albeit with certain modifications. The IE Working Group presents a refined (and simplified) antibiotic prophylactic regimen and an updated table to guide the analysis of suspected blood culture-negative IE. Furthermore, the pivotal role of the Endocarditis Team in the management of patients with suspected and confirmed IE was reaffirmed, along with reinforced recommendations for nearly all cardiac and extracardiac imaging in these cases. Most notable, a preliminary recommendation was issued for switching to oral antibiotic therapy in patients with native valve endocarditis caused by viridans streptococci, while awaiting the revision of the Dutch Working Group on Antibiotic Policy (SWAB) IE guideline. In addition, the surgical recommendations were evaluated and revised, including improved clinical criteria in case of cardiac surgery following neurological complications of IE and an advised disregard of the new class I ESC recommendation for surgery in early prosthetic valve endocarditis (< 6 months). Moreover, an additional device recommendation was proposed for the choice of (alternate) devices in case of device reimplantation after IE.
{"title":"2023 European Society of Cardiology guidelines for the management of infective endocarditis : Statement of endorsement by the NVVC Short version.","authors":"Annelot J L Peijster, Cees van Nieuwkoop, Ruud W M Keunen, Susanne Felix, Berend J van Welzen, Ilse J E Kouijzer, C H Edwin Boel, Nelianne J Verkaik, Ka Yan Lam, Robert J M Klautz, Andor W J M Glaudemans, Ricardo P J Budde, Alexander H Maass, Reinoud E Knops, Otto Kamp, Wilco Tanis","doi":"10.1007/s12471-025-02011-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12471-025-02011-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This review evaluates the 2023 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines for the management of infective endocarditis (IE) and offers insights into topics particularly relevant to clinical practice in the Netherlands. The multidisciplinary IE Working Group assessed all ESC recommendations and concluded that the majority could be endorsed, albeit with certain modifications. The IE Working Group presents a refined (and simplified) antibiotic prophylactic regimen and an updated table to guide the analysis of suspected blood culture-negative IE. Furthermore, the pivotal role of the Endocarditis Team in the management of patients with suspected and confirmed IE was reaffirmed, along with reinforced recommendations for nearly all cardiac and extracardiac imaging in these cases. Most notable, a preliminary recommendation was issued for switching to oral antibiotic therapy in patients with native valve endocarditis caused by viridans streptococci, while awaiting the revision of the Dutch Working Group on Antibiotic Policy (SWAB) IE guideline. In addition, the surgical recommendations were evaluated and revised, including improved clinical criteria in case of cardiac surgery following neurological complications of IE and an advised disregard of the new class I ESC recommendation for surgery in early prosthetic valve endocarditis (< 6 months). Moreover, an additional device recommendation was proposed for the choice of (alternate) devices in case of device reimplantation after IE.</p>","PeriodicalId":18952,"journal":{"name":"Netherlands Heart Journal","volume":" ","pages":"7-17"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12779872/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145775049","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}