Pub Date : 2026-02-01DOI: 10.1016/j.ejim.2025.106510
Henning Johann Steffen , Michael Behnes , Jonas Dudda , Alexander Schmitt , Noah Abel , Felix Lau , Marielen Reinhardt , Thomas Bertsch , Kathrin Weidner , Daniel Duerschmied , Ibrahim Akin , Tobias Schupp
Objective
This study investigated the prognostic value of left ventricular (LV) dilatation in patients with heart failure with mildly reduced ejection fraction (HFmrEF).
Background
Adverse cardiac remodeling may lead to LV dilatation and impaired prognosis in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Its significance in HFmrEF remains unclear.
Methods
Patients hospitalized with HFmrEF (2016–2022) were included and stratified by the presence or absence LV dilatation (males: LV end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD) >58 mm; females: >52 mm). Kaplan–Meier and multivariable Cox regression analyses assessed 30-month all-cause mortality and HF-related rehospitalization.
Results
Among 2154 patients (median LVEDD 49.0 mm), 290 (13.5 %) had LV dilatation. These patients were younger (73 vs. 76 years; p = 0.001), less often males (42.2 % vs. 67.2 %; p = 0.001), and more likely to have non-ischemic cardiomyopathy (10.0 % vs. 6.3 %; p = 0.019). LV dilatation was not associated with 30-month all-cause mortality (29.7 % vs. 31.4 %; HR = 0.933; 95 % CI 0.744–1.171; p = 0.548) but was linked to higher HF-related rehospitalization risk (19.1 % vs. 12.5 %; HR = 1.606; 95 % CI 1.193–2.161; p = 0.003), even after multivariable adjustment (HR = 1.613; 95 % CI 1.163–2.238; p = 0.004).
Conclusion
In HFmrEF, LV dilatation independently predicts HF-related rehospitalization but not all-cause mortality.
目的:探讨左室扩张对心力衰竭伴轻度射血分数降低(HFmrEF)患者的预后价值。背景:不良的心脏重构可导致左室扩张和心力衰竭伴射血分数降低(HFrEF)的预后受损。其在HFmrEF中的意义尚不清楚。方法:纳入住院的HFmrEF患者(2016-2022),并根据是否存在左室扩张进行分层(男性:左室舒张末期直径(LVEDD) >58 mm;雌:>52毫米)。Kaplan-Meier和多变量Cox回归分析评估了30个月的全因死亡率和hf相关的再住院。结果:在2154例患者(中位LVEDD 49.0 mm)中,290例(13.5%)发生左室扩张。这些患者较年轻(73岁对76岁,p = 0.001),男性较少(42.2%对67.2%,p = 0.001),更可能患有非缺血性心肌病(10.0%对6.3%,p = 0.019)。左室扩张与30个月全因死亡率无关(29.7% vs. 31.4%; HR = 0.933; 95% CI 0.744-1.171; p = 0.548),但与hf相关的再住院风险较高相关(19.1% vs. 12.5%; HR = 1.606; 95% CI 1.193-2.161; p = 0.003),即使在多变量调整后也是如此(HR = 1.613; 95% CI 1.163-2.238; p = 0.004)。结论:在HFmrEF中,左室扩张独立预测hf相关的再住院,但不能预测全因死亡率。
{"title":"Prognostic impact of left ventricular dilatation in heart failure with mildly reduced ejection fraction","authors":"Henning Johann Steffen , Michael Behnes , Jonas Dudda , Alexander Schmitt , Noah Abel , Felix Lau , Marielen Reinhardt , Thomas Bertsch , Kathrin Weidner , Daniel Duerschmied , Ibrahim Akin , Tobias Schupp","doi":"10.1016/j.ejim.2025.106510","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ejim.2025.106510","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study investigated the prognostic value of left ventricular (LV) dilatation in patients with heart failure with mildly reduced ejection fraction (HFmrEF).</div></div><div><h3>Background</h3><div>Adverse cardiac remodeling may lead to LV dilatation and impaired prognosis in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Its significance in HFmrEF remains unclear.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Patients hospitalized with HFmrEF (2016–2022) were included and stratified by the presence or absence LV dilatation (males: LV end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD) >58 mm; females: >52 mm). Kaplan–Meier and multivariable Cox regression analyses assessed 30-month all-cause mortality and HF-related rehospitalization.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Among 2154 patients (median LVEDD 49.0 mm), 290 (13.5 %) had LV dilatation. These patients were younger (73 vs. 76 years; <em>p</em> = 0.001), less often males (42.2 % vs. 67.2 %; <em>p</em> = 0.001), and more likely to have non-ischemic cardiomyopathy (10.0 % vs. 6.3 %; <em>p</em> = 0.019). LV dilatation was not associated with 30-month all-cause mortality (29.7 % vs. 31.4 %; HR = 0.933; 95 % CI 0.744–1.171; <em>p</em> = 0.548) but was linked to higher HF-related rehospitalization risk (19.1 % vs. 12.5 %; HR = 1.606; 95 % CI 1.193–2.161; <em>p</em> = 0.003), even after multivariable adjustment (HR = 1.613; 95 % CI 1.163–2.238; <em>p</em> = 0.004).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>In HFmrEF, LV dilatation independently predicts HF-related rehospitalization but not all-cause mortality.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50485,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Internal Medicine","volume":"144 ","pages":"Article 106510"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145082239","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-01DOI: 10.1016/j.ejim.2025.106562
G Sinigiani , L De Michieli , S Nistri , D Cecchin , D Mele , A Cipriani
Cardiac amyloidosis (CA) is a progressive and underdiagnosed cause of heart failure, primarily due to transthyretin (ATTR) or immunoglobulin light-chain (AL) amyloid deposition. Non-invasive imaging has transformed the clinical approach to CA by improving early detection, risk stratification, and therapeutic monitoring. This narrative review summarizes the clinical value of multimodality imaging in CA, focusing on the diagnostic and prognostic contributions of echocardiography, cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR), bone scintigraphy, and positron emission tomography (PET). Echocardiography remains the first-line modality for identifying CA “red flags,” including biventricular hypertrophy, diastolic dysfunction, and apical sparing of longitudinal strain. CMR offers superior tissue characterization through late gadolinium enhancement, native T1 and T2 mapping, and extracellular volume quantification (ECV), which correlate with disease severity and response to therapy. ECV can be assessed also by cardiac computed tomography. Bone scintigraphy allows non-invasive diagnosis of ATTR-CA in the absence of monoclonal protein. PET imaging with amyloid-binding tracers is emerging as a promising tool for early detection, quantification and differential diagnosis. Multimodality imaging offers complementary information that is essential for the diagnosis, staging, and longitudinal follow-up of patients with CA. Familiarity with the strengths and limitations of each diagnostic modality is essential to guide their appropriate use in clinical practice—not only for cardiologists, but also for internists, geriatricians, and general practitioners, who frequently manage these patients. Future advancements, including the integration of artificial intelligence, may further enhance the diagnostic and prognostic role of imaging in CA.
{"title":"Multimodality imaging for cardiac amyloidosis: clinical applications and future directions","authors":"G Sinigiani , L De Michieli , S Nistri , D Cecchin , D Mele , A Cipriani","doi":"10.1016/j.ejim.2025.106562","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ejim.2025.106562","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cardiac amyloidosis (CA) is a progressive and underdiagnosed cause of heart failure, primarily due to transthyretin (ATTR) or immunoglobulin light-chain (AL) amyloid deposition. Non-invasive imaging has transformed the clinical approach to CA by improving early detection, risk stratification, and therapeutic monitoring. This narrative review summarizes the clinical value of multimodality imaging in CA, focusing on the diagnostic and prognostic contributions of echocardiography, cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR), bone scintigraphy, and positron emission tomography (PET). Echocardiography remains the first-line modality for identifying CA “red flags,” including biventricular hypertrophy, diastolic dysfunction, and apical sparing of longitudinal strain. CMR offers superior tissue characterization through late gadolinium enhancement, native T1 and T2 mapping, and extracellular volume quantification (ECV), which correlate with disease severity and response to therapy. ECV can be assessed also by cardiac computed tomography. Bone scintigraphy allows non-invasive diagnosis of ATTR-CA in the absence of monoclonal protein. PET imaging with amyloid-binding tracers is emerging as a promising tool for early detection, quantification and differential diagnosis. Multimodality imaging offers complementary information that is essential for the diagnosis, staging, and longitudinal follow-up of patients with CA. Familiarity with the strengths and limitations of each diagnostic modality is essential to guide their appropriate use in clinical practice—not only for cardiologists, but also for internists, geriatricians, and general practitioners, who frequently manage these patients. Future advancements, including the integration of artificial intelligence, may further enhance the diagnostic and prognostic role of imaging in CA<strong><em>.</em></strong></div></div>","PeriodicalId":50485,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Internal Medicine","volume":"144 ","pages":"Article 106562"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145410703","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-01DOI: 10.1016/j.ejim.2025.106595
Elsa Dent , Peter Hanlon , Paul Kowal , Emiel O. Hoogendijk
Frailty is a highly prevalent geriatric condition, affecting between 12–24% of older adults globally. It remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality in older adults. Incorporating frailty measurement into clinical decision making can guide optimal patient care. This updated review presents an outline of current frailty definitions and measurement approaches in both research and clinical practice, including: Fried’s frailty phenotype; Rockwood and Mitnitski’s Frailty Index (FI) of cumulative deficits; Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS); Fatigue, Resistance, Ambulation, Illness and Loss of weight (FRAIL) scale; Edmonton Frail Scale (EFS); electronic Frailty Index (eFI); Hospital Frailty Risk Score (HFRS); Study of Osteoporotic Fractures (SOF) Index; Tilburg Frailty Indicator (TFI); Groningen Frailty Indictor (GFI); Multidimensional Prognostic Index (MPI); the Kihon Checklist (KCL); Geriatric 8 (G8) for oncology; the Essential Frailty Toolset (EFT) for cardiology; plus gait speed and grip strength. The main strengths and limitations of existing frailty measurements are summarised, including how well these measurements operationalise frailty in terms of their accuracy in identifying frailty, their basis on biological causative theory, and their ability to reliably predict patient outcomes and response to potential therapies.
{"title":"Frailty measurement in research and clinical practice: An updated review","authors":"Elsa Dent , Peter Hanlon , Paul Kowal , Emiel O. Hoogendijk","doi":"10.1016/j.ejim.2025.106595","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ejim.2025.106595","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Frailty is a highly prevalent geriatric condition, affecting between 12–24% of older adults globally. It remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality in older adults. Incorporating frailty measurement into clinical decision making can guide optimal patient care. This updated review presents an outline of current frailty definitions and measurement approaches in both research and clinical practice, including: Fried’s frailty phenotype; Rockwood and Mitnitski’s Frailty Index (FI) of cumulative deficits; Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS); Fatigue, Resistance, Ambulation, Illness and Loss of weight (FRAIL) scale; Edmonton Frail Scale (EFS); electronic Frailty Index (eFI); Hospital Frailty Risk Score (HFRS); Study of Osteoporotic Fractures (SOF) Index; Tilburg Frailty Indicator (TFI); Groningen Frailty Indictor (GFI); Multidimensional Prognostic Index (MPI); the Kihon Checklist (KCL); Geriatric 8 (G8) for oncology; the Essential Frailty Toolset (EFT) for cardiology; plus gait speed and grip strength. The main strengths and limitations of existing frailty measurements are summarised, including how well these measurements operationalise frailty in terms of their accuracy in identifying frailty, their basis on biological causative theory, and their ability to reliably predict patient outcomes and response to potential therapies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50485,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Internal Medicine","volume":"144 ","pages":"Article 106595"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145574814","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Corrigendum to “Natural history of the severe subtype of MYH9-related disease (Epstein syndrome)” [European Journal of Internal Medicine 138 (2025) 6354]","authors":"Kazuma Shinno , Shinji Kunishima , Atsushi Sakamoto , Toru Uchiyama , Akira Ishiguro","doi":"10.1016/j.ejim.2025.106623","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ejim.2025.106623","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":50485,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Internal Medicine","volume":"144 ","pages":"Article 106623"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145745292","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-01DOI: 10.1016/j.ejim.2025.106515
William F. McIntyre , Linda S. Johnson , Alexander P. Benz , Maria E. Vadakken , Nicole R. Latendresse , Chinthanie Ramasundarahettige , Faith Kirabo , Jorge A. Wong , Jason D. Roberts , Jeff S. Healey
Background
Approximately one-third-of patients with transient new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF) during hospitalization for noncardiac surgery or medical illness will have recurrent AF within 1 year when assessed using two 14-day ECG monitors. The proportion of patients that would be diagnosed with recurrent AF with less monitoring is unknown.
Methods
We used data from a prospective cohort of participants with transient new-onset AF while hospitalized for noncardiac surgery or medical illness, who wore one or two 14-day ECG monitors. We calculated the proportion of patients that would be diagnosed with recurrent AF with different durations of ECG monitoring and the median time-to-detection of recurrent AF lasting ≥30 s.
Results
A total of 139 participants (41.0 % female, median CHA2DS2-VASc 3) wore an ECG monitor a median of 1.5 months following hospital discharge; 83 (59.7 %) wore a second monitor at median of 5.8 months after the first monitor. Recurrent AF was detected in 5.0 % of participants by 1 day, 5.8 % by 2 days, 6.5 % by 3 days, 12.2 % by 7 days, 21.6 % by 14 days and in 28.8 % by the end of the second 14-day monitor. Median monitoring time to recurrent AF was 5.3 (IQR 1.4–9.7) days.
Conclusions
In patients with transient new-onset AF during hospitalization for another reason, the rate of detection of recurrent AF increased with longer monitoring durations. Approximately 80 % of diagnoses were made after 2 days of monitoring; the likelihood of capturing recurrent AF was 4 times higher with 14 days of monitoring compared to 2 days.
{"title":"Monitoring time-to-detection of recurrent atrial fibrillation in patients with transient new-onset atrial fibrillation detected initially during hospitalization for noncardiac surgery or medical illness","authors":"William F. McIntyre , Linda S. Johnson , Alexander P. Benz , Maria E. Vadakken , Nicole R. Latendresse , Chinthanie Ramasundarahettige , Faith Kirabo , Jorge A. Wong , Jason D. Roberts , Jeff S. Healey","doi":"10.1016/j.ejim.2025.106515","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ejim.2025.106515","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Approximately one-third-of patients with transient new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF) during hospitalization for noncardiac surgery or medical illness will have recurrent AF within 1 year when assessed using two 14-day ECG monitors. The proportion of patients that would be diagnosed with recurrent AF with less monitoring is unknown.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We used data from a prospective cohort of participants with transient new-onset AF while hospitalized for noncardiac surgery or medical illness, who wore one or two 14-day ECG monitors. We calculated the proportion of patients that would be diagnosed with recurrent AF with different durations of ECG monitoring and the median time-to-detection of recurrent AF lasting ≥30 s.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>A total of 139 participants (41.0 % female, median CHA<sub>2</sub>DS<sub>2</sub>-VASc 3) wore an ECG monitor a median of 1.5 months following hospital discharge; 83 (59.7 %) wore a second monitor at median of 5.8 months after the first monitor. Recurrent AF was detected in 5.0 % of participants by 1 day, 5.8 % by 2 days, 6.5 % by 3 days, 12.2 % by 7 days, 21.6 % by 14 days and in 28.8 % by the end of the second 14-day monitor. Median monitoring time to recurrent AF was 5.3 (IQR 1.4–9.7) days.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>In patients with transient new-onset AF during hospitalization for another reason, the rate of detection of recurrent AF increased with longer monitoring durations. Approximately 80 % of diagnoses were made after 2 days of monitoring; the likelihood of capturing recurrent AF was 4 times higher with 14 days of monitoring compared to 2 days.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50485,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Internal Medicine","volume":"144 ","pages":"Article 106515"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145276587","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-01DOI: 10.1016/j.ejim.2025.106582
Hui Chen
{"title":"Methodological considerations for interpreting the association between central systolic blood pressure and brain health","authors":"Hui Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.ejim.2025.106582","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ejim.2025.106582","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":50485,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Internal Medicine","volume":"144 ","pages":"Article 106582"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145446515","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Antibiotic use in hospitalized older adults according to WHO AWaRe classification: data from the REPOSI register","authors":"Chiara Elli, Chiara Crippa, Luca Pasina, REPOSI, Investigators","doi":"10.1016/j.ejim.2025.106551","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ejim.2025.106551","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":50485,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Internal Medicine","volume":"144 ","pages":"Article 106551"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145642191","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}