Reviews in cardiovascular medicine最新文献

Cirrhotic cardiomyopathy is defined as systolic and diastolic dysfunction in patients with cirrhosis, in the absence of any primary heart disease. These changes are mainly due to the malfunction or abnormalities of cardiomyocytes. Similar to non-cirrhotic heart failure, cardiomyocytes in cirrhotic cardiomyopathy demonstrate a variety of abnormalities: from the cell membrane to the cytosol and nucleus. At the cell membrane level, biophysical plasma membrane fluidity, and membrane-bound receptors such as the beta-adrenergic, muscarinic and cannabinoid receptors are abnormal either functionally or structurally. Other changes include ion channels such as L-type calcium channels, potassium channels, and sodium transporters. In the cytosol, calcium release and uptake processes are dysfunctional and the myofilaments such as myosin heavy chain and titin, are either functionally abnormal or have structural alterations. Like the fibrotic liver, the heart in cirrhosis also shows fibrotic changes such as a collagen isoform switch from more compliant collagen III to stiffer collagen I which also impacts diastolic function. Other abnormalities include the secondary messenger cyclic adenosine monophosphate, cyclic guanosine monophosphate, and their downstream effectors such as protein kinase A and G-proteins. Finally, other changes such as excessive apoptosis of cardiomyocytes also play a critical role in the pathogenesis of cirrhotic cardiomyopathy. The present review aims to summarize these changes and review their critical role in the pathogenesis of cirrhotic cardiomyopathy.

Background: Patients suffering from acute myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock (AMICS), who undergo veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) therapy, typically exhibit high mortality rates. The benefits of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in these patients remains unclear. This study aims to investigate whether PCI can mitigate mortality among patients with AMICS supported by ECMO.

Methods: Data from patients ≥18 years, who underwent VA-ECMO assistance in China between January 1, 2017, and June 30, 2022, were retrieved by searching the Chinese Society of Extracorporeal Life Support (CSECLS) Registry. A total of 1623 patients were included and categorised based on whether they underwent PCI. Using propensity score matching, 320 patient pairs were successfully matched. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality rate. The secondary outcomes included VA-ECMO duration, Hospital stay, ECMO weaning and ECMO related complications.

Results: In the cohort of 1623 patients, 641 (39.5%) underwent PCI. Upon conducting multivariate logistic regression analysis, it was observed that those who underwent PCI had a lower prevalence of hyperlipidemia (13.1% versus [vs.] 17.8%), chronic respiratory disease (2.5% vs. 4.3%) and lower lactic acid (5.90 vs. 8.40). They also had a more significant history of PCI (24.8% vs. 19.8%) and were more likely to be smokers (42.6% vs. 37.0%). Patients in the PCI group exhibited lower in-hospital mortality before and after matching (40.3% vs. 51.6%; p = 0.005), which persisted in multivariable modeling (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 0.69; 95% confidence interval 0.50-0.95; p = 0.024). Patients who received PCI were more successfully weaned from ECMO (88.6% vs. 75.8% before matching). PCI was not a risk factor for ECMO related complications.

Conclusions: Among patients who received ECMO support for AMICS, PCI was associated with a lower rate of in-hospital mortality.

Background: Bystander-administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is crucial for the survival of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests. However, only roughly 58% of bystanders would provide CPR, with wide variations across different regions. Identifying each factor affecting the barrier or readiness to perform resuscitation is a significant challenge for researchers. This study aimed to evaluate the obstacles preventing first-year medical students from initiating CPR, focusing on the size of domestic residential environments and the time and methodology of practical training.

Methods: The original online questionnaire surveyed first-year medical students at the Medical University of Łódź from February 1 to March 2, 2024. The questionnaire development involved a literature review, expert evaluation, and pilot testing. Participation was voluntary and anonymous, with strict inclusion and exclusion criteria. The data were analyzed using PQStat software, employing descriptive statistics.

Results: The study revealed that 271 medical students reported a similar median of barriers regardless of the place of residence (median (Me) = 5, interquartile range (IQR) 2-6.25 vs. Me = 4, IQR 3-6 vs. Me = 4, IQR 3-6, p = 0.620). Out of 18 analyzed barriers, the only significant difference was found for crowded places. Medical students living in cities most frequently reported a willingness to perform CPR with rescue breaths for all victims. Those who grew up in towns <100,000 residents were less willing to start CPR if an unknown adult were the victim (rural area: 39.2% vs. town: 17.6% vs. city: 45.1%, p < 0.01). The number of reported barriers was similar regardless of training type and the time since training; however, the nature of these barriers varied after a year passed.

Conclusions: Respondents across various locations reported similar number and types of barriers to performing CPR, including the most commonly declared fear of harm, uncertainty about recognizing cardiac arrest, and concerns about disease transmission. Although differences connected to the type of victims were observed, its low or moderate practical significance needs more comprehensive research on the impact of the size of the place of residence on the willingness to perform resuscitation and the related barriers.

Background: For patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF), left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) is an alternative to oral anticoagulants (OACs). However, incomplete device endothelialization (IDE) after LAAC has been linked to device-related thrombus (DRT) and subsequent thromboembolic events. Here, the differences in device endothelialization between the Watchman plug device and the LACBES pacifier occluder after implantation were investigated.

Methods: Of 201 consecutive patients with indications for LAAC, 101 received a Watchman 2.5 device, and 100 received a LACBES occluder. IDE was defined as a residual flow of contrast agent inside the left atrial appendage (LAA) on cardiac computed tomography angiography (CCTA) without peri-device leak (PDL) at the 3-month and 6-month follow-ups.

Results: There were no significant differences in DRT or PDL incidence between the two groups. However, the IDE rate in the absence of PDL was higher in the LACBES group than in the Watchman group at 3 months (42.4% versus 25.8%; p = 0.025) and at the 6-month follow-up (24.7% versus 11.2%; p = 0.028) as determined by CCTA.

Conclusions: Our findings indicated that the LACBES occluder took longer to complete endothelialization than the Watchman device after successful LAAC therapy. CCTA is a reliable imaging method for assessing the sealing of LAAC devices and confirming complete device endothelialization.

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) represents a quite rare event but with potentially serious prognostic implications. Meanwhile, SCAD typically presents as an acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Despite the majority of SCAD presentation being characterized by typical ACS signs and symptoms, young age at presentation with an atypical atherosclerotic risk factor profile is responsible for late medical contact and misdiagnosis. The diagnostic algorithm is similar to that for ACS. Low-risk factors prevalence and young age would push toward non-invasive imaging (such as coronary computed tomography (CT)); instead, the gold standard diagnostic exam for SCAD is an invasive coronary angiography (ICA) due to its increased sensitivity and disease characterization. Moreover, intravascular imaging (IVI) improves ICA diagnostic performance, confirming the diagnosis and clarifying the disease mechanism. A SCAD-ICA classification recognizes four angiographic appearances according to lesion extension and features (radiolucent lumen, long and diffuse narrowing, focal stenosis, and vessel occlusion). Concerning its management, the preferred approach is conservative due to the high rates of spontaneous healing in the first months and the low rate of revascularization success (high complexity percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with dissection/hematoma extension risk). Revascularization is recommended in the presence of high-risk features (such as left main or multivessel involvement, hemodynamic instability, recurrent chest pain, or ST elevation). The first choice is PCI; coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) is considered only if PCI is not feasible or too hazardous according to the operators' and centers' experience. Medical therapy includes beta blockers in cases of ventricular dysfunction; however, no clear data are available about antiplatelet treatment because of the supposed risk of intramural hematoma enlargement. Furthermore, screening for extracardiac arthropathies or connective tissue diseases is recommended due to the hypothesized association with SCAD. Eventually, SCAD follow-up is important, considering the risk of SCAD recurrence. Considering the young age of patients with SCAD, subsequent care is essential (including psychological support, also for relatives) with the aim of safe and complete reintegration into a non-limited everyday life.

Myocarditis, a life-threatening disease that can result in cardiac arrest and sudden cardiac death, has garnered significant attention in recent years. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the management of myocarditis-related sudden cardiac death, encompassing its pathology, diagnostic methods, therapeutic strategies, preventive measures, prognostic factors, and risk stratification. Additionally, the review highlights current challenges and future directions in this field. The aim is to enhance understanding of myocarditis-related sudden cardiac death and inform clinical practice, ultimately leading to improved patient outcomes.

Background: Elective unprotected left main (ULM) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has long-term mortality rates comparable to surgical revascularization, thanks to advances in drug-eluting stent (DES) design, improved PCI techniques, and frequent use of intravascular imaging. However, urgent PCI of ULM culprit lesions remains associated with high in-hospital mortality and unfavourable long-term outcomes, including DES restenosis and stent thrombosis (ST). This analysis aimed to examine the long-term outcomes and healing of DES implanted in ULM during primary PCI using high-resolution optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging.

Methods: A total of 15 consecutive patients undergoing long-term OCT follow-up of ULM primary PCI from a high-volume center were included in this analysis. During the index primary PCI all subjects underwent angio-guided DES implantation, and follow-up was uneventful in all but one subject who had a non-target PCI lesion. The primary endpoint was the percentage of covered, uncovered, and malappossed stent struts at long-term follow-up. Secondary endpoints included quantitative and qualitative OCT measurements. For the left main bifurcation, a separate analysis was performed for three different segments: left main (LM), polygon of confluence (POC) and distal main branch (dMB), in all cases.

Results: The average follow-up interval until OCT was 1580 ± 1260 days. Despite aorto-ostial stent protrusions in 40% of patients, optimal image quality was achieved in 93.3% of cases. There were higher rates of malapposed (11.4 ± 16.6 vs. 13.1 ± 8.3 vs. 0.3 ± 0.5%; p < 0.001) and lower rates of covered struts (81.7 ± 16.8 vs. 83.7 ± 9.2 vs. 92.4 ± 6.8%; p = 0.041) observed for the LM and POC segment compared to the dMB. Significantly malapposed stent struts (>400 μm) were less likely to be covered at follow-up, than struts with a measured strut to vessel wall distance of <400 μm (15.4 ± 21.6 vs. 24.8 ± 23.9%; p = 0.011). Neoatherosclerosis was observed in 5 (33.3%) and restenotic neointimal hyperplasia (NIH) in 2 (13.3%) patients, requiring PCI in 33.3% of patients.

Conclusions: Long-term OCT examination of DES implanted during primary PCI for culprit ULM lesions demonstrated high rates of incomplete strut coverage, late malapposition, and high subclinical DES failure rates. These negative OCT results highlight the need for image optimization strategies during primary PCI to improve DES-related long-term outcomes.

Background: Because of the limitations in new-generation drug-eluting stents (DES), treatments advocating for non-stents with a drug-coated balloon (DCB) is now of great interest. Here, we conducted a meta-analysis to testify whether a DCB was more effective and safer than a DES in treating de novo coronary artery disease (CAD).

Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science to obtain high-quality trials comparing DCB with DES for the treatment of de novo CAD. The primary endpoint was target lesion revascularization (TLR), and the secondary endpoints were in-lesion late lumen loss (LLL), all-cause death, myocardial infarction and binary restenosis.

Results: We enrolled 1661 patients from seven randomized clinical trials. Compared with the DES group, the MD (mean difference) of in-lesion LLL was significantly lower in the DCB group (MD -0.19, 95% CI -0.23 to -0.16, p < 0.00001, I² = 0%). The DCB group showed superiority in small vessel disease (SVD) in in-lesion LLL (MD -0.21, 95% CI -0.34 to -0.08, p = 0.001).

Conclusions: The DCB group exhibited a lower in-lesion LLL compared to the DES group, and DCB was not inferior to DES in other endpoints, including in the SVD subgroup. Hence, to our knowledge, DCB is non-inferior to DES for de novo CVD and SVD. DCB in patients with CVD needs further large and long-term clinical trials to demonstrate its long-term efficacy.

The prospero registration: CRD42021268965, https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=268965.

Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging enables a one-stop assessment of heart structure and function. Artificial intelligence (AI) can simplify and automate work flows and improve image post-processing speed and diagnostic accuracy; thus, it greatly affects many aspects of CMR. This review highlights the application of AI for left heart analysis in CMR, including quality control, image segmentation, and global and regional functional assessment. Most recent research has focused on segmentation of the left ventricular myocardium and blood pool. Although many algorithms have shown a level comparable to that of human experts, some problems, such as poor performance of basal and apical segmentation and false identification of myocardial structure, remain. Segmentation of myocardial fibrosis is another research hotspot, and most patient cohorts of such studies have hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Whether the above methods are applicable to other patient groups requires further study. The use of automated CMR interpretation for the diagnosis and prognosis assessment of cardiovascular diseases demonstrates great clinical potential. However, prospective large-scale clinical trials are needed to investigate the real-word application of AI technology in clinical practice.

Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has transformed the management of complex higher risk-indicated patients (CHIPs), representing a pivotal advancement in high-risk procedure navigation. IVUS, complementing conventional angiography, provides unparalleled insights into lesion characteristics, plaque morphology, and vessel structure, enhancing the precision of stent placement and postprocedural care for CHIPs. The ongoing trials underscore the pivotal role of IVUS in optimizing procedural accuracy and improving clinical outcomes for high-risk patients, promising exciting new findings. However, notable gaps persist, encompassing the absence of standardized IVUS protocols, cost implications, and limited integration into routine practice. This study aims to address these gaps comprehensively by further delineating the influence of IVUS on patient outcomes, procedural success, and long-term prognostic indicators. This review aims to provide a clear overview of IVUS-guided PCI in CHIP, highlighting the significance of ongoing trials, identifying prevalent challenges, and outlining the objective of narrowing these gaps.