Circulation Journal最新文献

Background: Outdoor air pollutants are known to have adverse health impacts, but knowledge of the relationship between exposure to air pollutant mixtures and cardiovascular health (CVH) remains limited.

Methods and results: We examined the association of air pollutant mixtures with CVH using the American Heart Association's Life's Essential 8 (LE8), which is based on 4 health behaviors and 4 biometric health factors. Data from a nationally representative sample of 27,763 adults were analyzed. One-year moving average concentrations of PM₁₀, PM_2.5, SO₂, NO₂, CO, and O₃were estimated through air pollution modeling. CVH was evaluated using LE8 scores (range 0-100), with higher scores indicating superior CVH. The association of a 1-quantile increment in air pollutant mixture with the expected change in LE8 score was evaluated using Quantile g-computation. The mean LE8 score in study participants was 63.7. In the adjusted model, a 1-quantile increment in air pollutant mixture was linked to a 1.67-point (95% confidence interval -2.18, -1.16) decrease in LE8 score. CO, O₃, PM_2.5, and NO₂accounted for 43.7%, 28.7%, 23.9%, and 3.7%, respectively, of the inverse association of the air pollutant mixture with the overall LE8 score.

Conclusions: Our study revealed that long-term exposure to outdoor air pollutants is associated with poor CVH, suggesting the need for supporting policy interventions to reduce air pollutant levels and mitigate their health impacts.

Background: In Japan, intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) is indicated during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for calcified lesions when the calcium score assessed by intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) or optical coherence tomography (OCT) is ≥3. This study evaluated the effectiveness of IVL in achieving optimal stent expansion in lesions with an OCT calcium score ≥3, regardless of the IVUS calcium score.

Methods and results: We retrospectively compared 26 consecutive PCIs in 23 patients who underwent IVL with pre-PCI OCT or optical frequency domain imaging and simultaneous pre- and post-PCI IVUS with 102 patients who underwent PCI without atherectomy but similar imaging protocols. Of all 128 PCIs, 84 with an OCT calcium score ≥3 and a simultaneous IVUS calcium score ≤2 were analyzed. Stent expansion was measured by IVUS. Among the 84 PCIs included in the analysis, 17 were performed using IVL and 67 were performed without atherectomy or IVL (non-IVL group). Stent expansion at the site of maximum superficial calcium was greater in the IVL than non-IVL group (90.9% vs. 84.6%, respectively; P=0.028). The non-IVL group was independently associated with reduced stent expansion at the site of maximum superficial calcium, even after adjusting for IVUS calcium score components (B=-0.817; P<0.001).

Conclusions: Even in calcified lesions with an IVUS calcium score ≤2, IVL was independently associated with favorable stent expansion when the OCT calcium score was ≥3.

Background: The association between blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels and incident heart failure (HF) in the general population is still unclear.

Methods and results: We assessed the association of BUN level with incident HF in 14,167 ARIC participants without a history of HF at baseline (1987-1989) (mean age 54.1 years, 54.4% female, 25.2% Black). BUN levels (mg/dL) were divided into quartiles, with the highest quartile further divided into tertiles (Q1 ≤13, Q2 13-15, Q3 15-17, Q4a 17-19, Q4b 19-21, Q4c >21). HF events were identified through to December 31, 2019, using diagnostic codes on discharge records or death certificates. Hazard ratios (HRs) were estimated using multivariable Cox models. During a median follow-up of 26.2 years, 3,482 participants developed HF (incidence rate 10.7 per 1,000 person-years). In a multivariable Cox model adjusted for sociodemographic variables, the highest BUN quartile (Q4) had a HR of 1.19 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.09, 1.31) compared with Q1. HRs for Q4a, Q4b, and Q4c were 1.14 (95% CI 1.02, 1.28), 1.11 (0.96, 1.28), and 1.42 (1.22, 1.63), respectively. After further adjustment for clinical factors, the association remained significant for Q4c (HR 1.23 [1.06, 1.43]). Associations were consistent across demographic and clinical subgroups.

Conclusions: In this community-based cohort, higher BUN levels were significantly associated with incident HF. BUN, routinely measured in clinical care, may help identify individuals at risk of HF.

Background: Selexipag, an oral prostacyclin (PGI₂) receptor agonist, is approved for adult patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of selexipag for Japanese pediatric patients with PAH.

Methods and results: The study enrolled 6 patients who received selexipag twice daily at an individualized dose based on body weight; maintenance doses were determined for each patient by 12 weeks after starting administration. Efficacy, including pulmonary hemodynamics, was evaluated after 16 weeks, and efficacy and safety were further evaluated 52 weeks after treatment was initiated in the last enrolled patient. The mean (±SD) change in the pulmonary vascular resistance index from baseline to Week 16 (the primary endpoint of the study) was -5.55±6.88 Wood units·m²; improvements were also seen in other pulmonary hemodynamic parameters. The 6-min walk distance increased and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide decreased up to Week 64, but the between-subject variability was large. The World Health Organization functional class was improved in 1 of 6 patients at Week 16 and in 2 of 4 patients at Week 64. No patient worsened. The major side effects of selexipag were those characteristic of PGI₂, and the safety profile of selexipag was similar to that in adult patients.

Conclusions: The efficacy and safety of selexipag in Japanese pediatric patients with PAH were demonstrated.

Background: The impact of home-based cardiac rehabilitation (HBCR) during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on changes in exercise frequency and capacity according to sex and age has not been studied.

Methods and results: This cohort study included 118 patients participating in HBCR and 149 patients participating in center-based cardiac rehabilitation (CBCR) for whom data on exercise and peak oxygen uptake (V̇O_2peak) were available at program enrollment and completion. Changes in these parameters were compared HBCR and CBCR, and according to sex and age in the HBCR group. The change in HBCR group was equivalent to or superior to CBCR group. In the HBCR group, there were no differences between males and females in the change in exercise (1.7±2.7 vs. 1.6±2.5 days/week and 18±19 vs. 19±18 min/day), or V̇O_2peak(5.5±6.5 vs. 3.8±4.5 mL/kg/min). Although there was no difference in the change in exercise between the younger and older groups (1.4±2.7 vs. 1.9±2.7 days/week and 19±19 vs. 17±18 min/day), the increase in V̇O_2peakwas greater for younger than older patients (7.1±6.1 vs. 3.2±5.3 mL/kg/min). After adjustment for potential confounders, linear regression revealed that the change in V̇O_2peakwas larger among younger patients.

Conclusions: During the COVID-19 pandemic, exercise frequency and capacity increased similarly among men and women. Younger patients showed a greater improvement in exercise capacity than older patients.

Background: Anthracyclines are widely used in cancer treatment, yet their potential for anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity (AIC) limits their clinical utility. Despite the significant anatomical relevance of pericardial adipose tissue (PeAT) to cardiovascular disease, its response to anthracycline exposure remains poorly understood.

Methods and results: Male New Zealand White rabbits (n=17) received weekly doxorubicin injections and underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans biweekly for 10 weeks. PeAT volumes (total, left paraventricular, right paraventricular) were measured together with ventricular function. Histopathological evaluations were also conducted. A mixed linear model identified the earliest timeframe for detectable changes in PeAT volume and left ventricular function. Total PeAT volume decreased from the 6th week (1.17±0.06, P<0.05) and continued to decrease until the 8th week (0.96±0.06, P<0.05) and left paraventricular adipose tissue volume decreased significantly, but no changes were observed in right paraventricular adipose tissue volume. The volume of PeAT exhibited a positive correlation with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (r=0.43, P<0.05), which declined below 50% by the 8th week, and a negative correlation with myocardial cell injury scores (r=-0.595, P<0.05).

Conclusions: Anthracycline administration led to an early reduction in PeAT volume, particularly in the left paraventricular region, detectable by MRI as early as the 6th week. Changes in PeAT volume preceded alterations in LVEF and were associated with declines in cardiac function and myocardial cell damage.

Background: The Japanese Circulation Society (JCS) launched a Certified Heart Failure Educator (CHFE) program in 2021. However, reports regarding this program are lacking. Here we describe the initial experience following implementation of CHFE program and assess its association with hospital quality measures.

Methods and results: We performed a retrospective study using data from CHFE certification data for 2021-2024 and data from the Japanese Registry of All Cardiac and Vascular Diseases-Diagnosis Procedure Combination in 2021. The cumulative number of CHFEs increased from 1,771 in 2021 to 6,603 in 2024. Various medical professionals joined the system, and almost all CHFEs were affiliated with hospitals. Of all 813 hospitals included, 416 (51.2%) had at least 1 CHFE in 2021, with a median number of 2 CHFEs per hospital. The group of hospitals with CHFEs had a higher proportion of JCS training hospitals and a higher number of annual heart failure (HF) hospitalizations and cardiology beds. Of 71,678 patients hospitalized for acute HF and discharged to home, 41,558 (58.0%) were hospitalized in facilities with CHFEs. After adjustment for baseline characteristics, hospital admission to a facility with a CHFE was associated with higher achievement of process measures and lower in-hospital mortality.

Conclusions: The CHFE system was successfully implemented and contributed to HF management primarily in high-quality hospitals. Our findings may provide insights for future strategies regarding this system.

Background: Polypharmacy, driven by guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) and medications for comorbidities, including potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs), is common in older adults with heart failure (HF). Although medication profiles affect survival, the effects of frailty and disability status remain underexplored.

Methods and results: This retrospective study assessed polypharmacy (≥5 medications), the use of GDMT, and PIMs based on the Beers Criteria. Frailty and disability status were determined using Japan's Long-term Care Insurance (LTCI) certification. Patients were stratified according to LTCI, and the prognostic impact of medication profiles was analyzed. The total medication count was correlated with both GDMT and PIM use. Among 1,264 patients, those with LTCI were older, had more severe comorbidities, higher polypharmacy and PIM use, and lower use of GDMT medications. In multivariate Cox regression analysis, regardless of LTCI, GDMT medication use was associated with a favorable prognosis (LTCI: odds ratio [OR] 0.47, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.258-0.866, P=0.015; no LTCI: OR 0.57, 95% CI 0.400-0.799, P=0.001). PIM use was associated with a poor prognosis only in the no-LTCI group (OR 1.51; 95% CI 1.040-2.203; P=0.030).

Conclusions: Polypharmacy may have both beneficial and harmful effects, with prognostic implications potentially influenced by frailty and disability status. Although GDMT medications were consistently associated with favorable outcomes, the impact of PIMs appeared to differ depending on LTCI.