Acta Cardiologica Sinica最新文献

Aims: Contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) is a condition characterized by rapidly decreasing renal funciton following by the application of contrast material. Precutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is a life-saving treatment method that should be applied under emergent conditions. Unfortunately, the incidence of CIN after PCI is common. Patients with insulin resistance or diabetes have a greater risk of developing CIN than most of the population. Therefore, studies on the predictive effects of insulin resistance indicators on CIN are gaining momentum. One of the most popular indicators is triglyceride/glucose-body mass index (TyG-BMI). In this study we aimed to evaluate the effect of TyG-BMI index on CIN.

Materials and methods: A total of 960 patinets who underwent emergency PCI due to ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) between 2020 and 2023 were included in the study. Laboratory and demographic parameters were compared between the patients who did and did not develop CIN.

Results: While CIN developed in 120 of the 980 patients included in the study, it did not develop in 860 patients. There were significant differences between the groups in terms of age (p < 0.001), gender (p = 0.005), presence of hypertension (p = 0.021), heart rate (p = 0.049), amount of contrast material (p < 0.001), left ventricular ejection fraction (p < 0.001), stent length (p = 0.022), SYNTAX score (p < 0.001), fasting plasma glucose (p < 0.001), baseline creatinine (p < 0.001), glomerular filtration rate (p < 0.001), uric acid (p < 0.001), C reactive protein (CRP) (p < 0.001), baseline creatin kinase myocard band (CKMB) (p = 0.019), CKMB peak (p = 0.030), triglyceride (p = 0.017), and TyG-BMI (p < 0.001). CRP, creatinine, uric asid, amount of contrast material, and TyG-BMI were independent predictors for the development of CIN.

Conclusions: TyG-BMI was a predictor of CIN in STEMI patient who underwent PCI under emergency conditions. In addition, the predicitive power of TyG-BMI was stronger than triglyceride-glucose index.

In the past, patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) were advised to avoid exercise due to concerns that it might strain cardiac function and exacerbate symptoms. However, recent evidence indicates that structured exercise programs can enhance outcomes and improve health-related quality of life for these patients. Consequently, exercise rehabilitation is now recommended in international guidelines as a key component of PH management. This consensus statement, developed by experts from the Taiwan Society of Cardiology Pulmonary Hypertension and Circulation Committee, the Taiwan Academy of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation, and the Taiwan Association of Caring for pulmonary arterial hypertension, emphasizes the significance of rehabilitation and tailored exercise programs for PH patients. This article aims to raise awareness and promote the adoption of these practices among healthcare professionals treating patients with PH.

Background: Overweight is associated with dysrhythmia and sudden cardiac death, while sodium glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2-is) have been shown to possess cardioprotective effects in patients with hyperglycemia.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of overweight on cardiac remodeling and the potential effect of SGLT2-is.

Methods: Twenty-four rabbits were randomized into 4 groups: controls (Group 1), high-fat diet (HFD) (Group 2), controls treated with empagliflozin (Group 3), and HFD treated with empagliflozin (Group 4). All rabbits underwent electrophysiologic studies and ventricular tachycardia/ventricular fibrillation (VF) inducibility tests (maximal output with shortest 1:1 cycle length pacing). Atrial and ventricular myocardium were harvested for Western blot and Trichrome staining.

Results: Among all groups, Group 2 had the longest atrial effective refractory periods (ERPs) in both left and right atria, as well as the longest ventricular ERPs in both left and right ventricles. VF inducibility was highest in Group 2. The degree of fibrosis in both atria and ventricles was most severe in Group 2 and similar to that in Group 4. Enhanced calcium handling protein (CaV 1.2) expressions were noted in Group 2 compared to those in Group 1 and Group 3, respectively, and returned to baseline in Group 4.

Conclusions: Overweight causes atrial and ventricular remodeling with prolongation of effective refractoriness, increased vulnerability to VF induction, upregulation of calcium handling proteins, and advanced fibrosis. Empagliflozin attenuates these remodeling effects, leading to decreased cardiac arrhythmogenicity and a reduced risk of sudden cardiac death.

Objective: Our objective was to investigate the perceived stress levels among pharmacy students enrolled at the University of Duhok both prior to and following examination periods, with a concurrent assessment of potential cardiovascular effects.

Methods: The study included 49 participants from the College of Pharmacy at the University of Duhok and utilized a pre-post cohort design. High-stress pre-examination assessments were scheduled at 8:30 AM on the day of the examination, and low-stress post-examination assessments were also conducted at 8:30 AM over a two-week period without academic examinations.

Results: The pre-exam serum cortisol level was significantly higher compared to the post-exam period (16.66 vs. 14.04 μg/dL; p = 0.013). Elevated levels of non-high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and cholesterol/HDL ratio were recorded during high-stress periods. Remarkably, social media emerged as the sole significant predictor (p = 0.038) with a negative impact on serum cortisol levels during the pre-exam phase. Additionally, we observed that females had higher stress levels during both periods, as indicated by the regression model.

Conclusions: This investigation revealed a significant elevation in serum cortisol levels during the pre-examination phase, likely attributable to the stress induced by impending examinations.

For the primary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), the recommended treatment target for each modifiable risk factor is as follows: reducing body weight by 5-10%; blood pressure < 130/80 mmHg (systolic pressure < 120 mmHg in high-risk individuals); low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) < 100 mg/dL in high-risk individuals, LDL-C < 115 mg/dL in moderate-risk individuals, LDL-C < 130 mg/dL in low-risk individuals, and LDL-C < 160 mg/dL in those with a minimal; complete and persistent abstinence from cigarette smoking; hemoglobin A1C < 7.0%; fulfilling recommended amounts of the six food groups according to the Taiwan food guide; and moderate-intensity physical activity 150 min/wk or vigorous physical activity 75 min/wk. For the primary prevention of ASCVD by pharmacological treatment in individuals with modifiable risk factors/clinical conditions, statins are the first-line therapy for reducing LDL-C levels; some specific anti-diabetic drugs proven to be effective in randomized controlled trials for the primary prevention of ASCVD are recommended in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus; pharmacological treatment is recommended to assist in weight management for obese patients with a body mass index ≥ 30 kg/m² (or 27 kg/m² who also have at least one ASCVD risk factor or obesity-related comorbidity); an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist, a sodium-dependent glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor, and finerenone can be used in diabetic patients with chronic kidney disease for the primary prevention of ASCVD. Of note, healthcare providers are at full discretion in clinical practice, owing to the diversity of individuals and practice, and the availability of resources and facilities.

Background: Mixed evidence exists regarding stroke rates when comparing self-expanding valves (SEVs) to balloon-expandable valves (BEVs) in transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). This study investigates the debris captured by the SENTINEL cerebral protection system (CPS) during TAVR.

Methods: Seventy-five consecutive patients who underwent TAVR with CPS from March to December 2023 were recruited. Collected debris underwent histopathologic analysis, categorized by size (< 2 mm, 2-5 mm, > 5 mm) and quantity. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify predictors for the presence of particles > 5 mm in size.

Results: Of the 75 patients, 39 received SEVs and 36 received BEVs. Baseline characteristics were similar between the groups. The BEV group had significantly more frequent concomitant percutaneous coronary interventions (p = 0.013), while the SEV group had longer TAVR procedure (p = 0.019) and fluoroscopy times (p = 0.006). All patients had visible debris, predominantly valve tissue (SEV vs. BEV = 79.8% vs. 47.2%; p = 0.308), calcification (SEV vs. BEV = 23.1% vs. 36.1%; p = 0.215), and thrombus (SEV vs. BEV = 15.4% vs. 5.6%; p = 0.855). No significant differences were observed in particle count and particle size < 5 mm between the SEV and BEV groups. However, logistic regression analysis revealed that the patients who received SEVs had a 16.78-fold increased likelihood of having captured debris > 5 mm compared to those who received BEVs.

Conclusions: Our study demonstrated that significantly more particles sized > 5 mm were captured by the CPS during TAVR in the SEV group, underscoring the importance of using the CPS during TAVR, especially in younger patients receiving SEVs.

Background: Of all electrocardiogram (ECG) deep-learning (DL) models used to detect left-sided valvular heart diseases, aortic regurgitation (AR) has been the hardest to detect. Moreover, to what extent ECGs could detect AR-related left ventricular (LV) remodeling and dysfunction is unknown.

Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the ability of DL-based ECG models to predict LV remodeling parameters associated with hemodynamically significant AR.

Methods: From 573 consecutive patients, 1457 12-lead ECGs close to baseline transthoracic echocardiograms confirming ≥ moderate-severe AR and before aortic valve surgery were retrospectively collected. A ResNet-based model was used to predict LV ejection fraction (LVEF), LV end-diastolic dimension (LVEDD), LV end-systolic dimension index (LVESDi), LV mass index (LVMi), LV end-diastolic volume index (LVEDVi), LV end-systolic volume index (LVESVi), and bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) from the ECGs. Five-fold cross-validation was used for model development (80%) with the held-out testing set (20%) to evaluate its performance.

Results: Our DL model achieved area under receiver operating characteristic curves (AUROCs) of 0.77, 0.80, and 0.87 for discriminating LVEF < 55%, < 50%, and < 40%. For LVEDD > 65 mm, LVESDi > 30 mm/m², LVESVi > 45 ml/m², LVEDVi > 99 ml/m², LVMi > 158 mm/m², and BAV, our model also achieved significant results, with AUROCs of 0.83, 0.85, 0.84, 0.81, 0.78, and 0.74, respectively. The SHapley Additive exPlanation values showed that our model focused on the QRS complex while making decisions.

Conclusions: Our DL model found correlations between ECGs and parameters indicating LV remodeling and dysfunction in patients with significant AR. Analyzing ECGs with DL models may assist in the timely detection of LV dysfunction and screening for the necessity of additional echocardiography exams, especially when echocardiography might not be readily available.