International journal of cardiology. Heart & vessels最新文献

Background

Patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) are reported to have a poorer health-related quality of life (HRQoL) compared to healthy age- and gender-matched individuals. Moreover, HRQoL seems to predict survival in CVD populations. We studied HRQoL and the association with outcome during follow-up in a population undergoing surgery for peripheral artery disease or cerebrovascular large artery disease.

Methods

In the Athero-Express biobank cohort study patients filled in a questionnaire containing RAND-36. We stratified the cohort to compare HRQoL scores (range 0–100, higher scores representing better HRQoL) and assessed three-year event-free survival for composite cardiovascular endpoints of patients with good (above median) versus poor (equal to and below median) HRQoL at baseline. Additionally we compared the cohort to a healthy age-matched population.

Results

2012 and 865 patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy (CEA) or endarterectomy of femoral/iliac arteries (FEA) were included respectively. The median HRQoL was 75 (IQR 0–100 (both patient groups)) for physical role limitations versus 0 (IQR 0–100 (CEA) and 0–66.7 (FEA)) for emotional role limitations. No differences in HRQoL subscores were found, CVD burden did not associate with HRQoL and three-year composite event rates did not associate with the reported HRQoL in both CEA and FEA. Both groups had poor HRQoL scores compared to an age-matched general population, especially regarding emotional role limitations and social functioning.

Conclusions

HRQoL is poor and does not associate with CVD burden within patients suffering from severe atherosclerotic disease. Reported HRQoL was not associated with incident cardiovascular events during follow-up.

Objective

Patients with inherited long QT syndrome (LQTS) are prone to torsade de pointes and sudden death (SD). Identifying affected individuals is important for SD prevention. This study aimed to determine the cause and genotype–phenotype characteristics of LQTS in a large Omani family.

Methods

Upon LQTS diagnosis of a 5-year-old girl (proband), targeted mutation screening was performed based on the gene-specific ECG pattern identified in her mother. ECG-guided family genotyping was conducted for identifying additional affected individuals.

Results

ECGs of the proband demonstrated 2:1 AV block, incomplete right bundle branch block (IRBBB) and markedly prolonged QTc (571–638 ms) with bizarre T waves. Cardiac imaging revealed dilatation of the ascending aorta and pulmonary artery, and left ventricular non-compaction. Her parents were first cousins. Both showed mild QT prolongation, with the mother presenting a LQT2 T wave pattern and the father IRBBB. Targeted KCNH2 screening identified a novel homozygous frameshift mutation p.T1019Pfs × 38 in the proband within 3 days. Family genotyping uncovered 3 concealed LQT2 and confirmed 11 members showing LQT2 ECG patterns as heterozygous mutation carriers. All heterozygous carriers were asymptomatic, with 71% showing normal to borderline prolonged QTc (458 ± 33 ms, range 409–522 ms).

Conclusion

p.T1019Pfs × 38, a novel KCNH2 mutation, has been identified in a large LQTS family in Oman. Consanguineous marriages resulted in a homozygous with severe LQTS. ECG-guided phenotyping and genotyping achieved a high efficiency. Genetic testing is essential in identifying concealed LQTS. Further investigation is warranted to determine if there is a causative relationship between homozygous p.T1019Pfs × 38 and cardiovascular anomaly.

Background

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) patients may develop interatrial activation delay, indicated by a complete separation of the right and left atrial activation on the ECG. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of interatrial activation delay and the relation to atrial tachycardia (AT) cycle length (CL) in HCM patients.

Methods

159 HCM patients were included (mean age 52 ± 14 y). In group I (n = 15, 9%) patients had atrial arrhythmias and progressive ATCL. In group II (n = 22, 14%) patients had a stable ATCL. In group III (n = 122, 77%) HCM patients without AT were included. P wave morphology and change in P wave duration (ΔP and P_max) and changes in ATCL (ΔATCL) were analyzed. Mean follow-up was 8.7 ± 4.7 years.

Results

In group I 33% (n = 5) had separated P waves. In group II no P wave separation was identified (OR 1.50 [1.05–2.15], p = 0.007). In group I patients were older compared to group III (62.6 ± 15.1 vs. 50.2 ± 14.0 y, p = 0.002) and had longer follow-up (13.4 ± 2.2 vs. 7.8 ± 4.6 y, p < 0.001). In group III P_max and ΔP were significantly lower (105.1 ± 22.0 ms and 8.9 ± 13.2 ms, both p < 0.0001). Group I patients had an increased LA size compared to group II (61.1 ± 11.6 vs. 53.7 ± 7.5 mm, p = 0.028) and higher E/A and E/E prime ratios (p = 0.007; p = 0.037, respectively). In group I 93.3% of the identified mutations were typical Dutch founder mutations of the MYBPC3 gene.

Conclusion

In HCM patients a unique combination of separated P waves and regularization of ATs is associated with larger atria, higher LA pressures and myosin binding protein mutations.

Surgical ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) is currently performed in many major hospitals throughout the world. This paper reviews the development of surgical procedures for AF ablation. It is hoped that the paper can provide a foundation for those involved with ablation of AF to improve patient care. AF is triggered by a rapidly firing focus and could be treated with a localized ablation procedure. A large body of literature has confirmed the safety and efficacy of surgical ablation of AF. New ablation technologies have simplified the surgical treatment of AF and expanded the indications. Generally, more extensive lesion sets have had better long-term outcomes. Despite the tremendous progress that has been made in the development of surgical ablation of AF, many questions remain unanswered. It is anticipated that well designed clinical trials will continue to provide solid evidence to help formulate practice guidelines in the future.

Background

Sedentary aging leads to adverse changes in vascular function and cardiac performance. We published improvements in vascular function with moderate intensity physical activity (PA) in continuous bouts. Whether moderate intensity PA also impacts cardiac structure and cardiovascular performance of the aging left ventricle (LV) is unknown.

Methods

We recruited and analyzed results from 102 sedentary older adults ages ≥ 50 from a randomized controlled trial with 3 study groups: control (group 1), a pedometer-only intervention (group 2), or a pedometer with an interactive website employing strategies to increase habitual physical activity (PA, group 3) for 12 weeks. Transthoracic echocardiograms were performed prior to and following the 12 week intervention period to assess cardiac morphology, left ventricular (LV) systolic performance, LV diastolic function, and arterial and LV ventricular elastance. Step count and PA intensity/distribution were measured by a pedometer and an accelerometer.

Results

We found no significant changes in cardiac morphology. Further, we found no improvement in the aforementioned cardiac functional parameters. Comparing those who achieved the following benchmarks to those who did not showed no significant changes in cardiac structure or performance: 1) 10,000 steps/day, 2) ≥ 30 min/day of moderate intensity physical activity, or 3) moderate intensity PA in bouts ≥ 10 min for ≥ 20 min/day

Conclusions

In sedentary older adults, increasing moderate intensity PA to currently recommended levels does not result in favorable changes in LV morphology or performance over 12 weeks. More prolonged exposure, higher PA intensity, or earlier initiation of PA may be necessary to see benefits.

Background

Both aortic aneurysms and coronary artery ectasia (CAE) frequently coexist and are associated with more pronounced inflammation. Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NL ratio) is widely used as a marker of inflammation. However, relation between CAE and NL ratio in patients with aortic aneurysms is not fully understood. This study was undertaken to assess relation between CAE and NL ratio in patients with aortic aneurysms.

Methods

This study consisted of 93 consecutive patients with aortic aneurysms (AA group) and 79 patients without aortic aneurysms who had angiographically normal coronary arteries as the control group. Moreover, patients with aortic aneurysms were classified into two groups based on the presence of CAE; CAE (+) group (n = 44) and CAE (−) group (n = 49). We compared blood chemical parameters in both groups.

Results

In the AA group, 44 patients (47.3%) had CAE. The AA group had a significantly higher NL ratio than the control group (2.93 ± 1.43 vs. 2.45 ± 1.05, p = 0.027). Furthermore, the CAE (+) group had a significantly higher NL ratio than the CAE (−) group (3.39 ± 1.67 vs. 2.52 ± 1.04, p < 0.01). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the high NL ratio was an independent predictor for CAE in patients with aortic aneurysms (odds ratio 1.76, 95% confidence interval 1.24–2.69, p = 0.001).

Conclusions

Patients with aortic aneurysms had a significantly higher NL ratio than those without aortic aneurysms. Furthermore, the NL ratio might predict the presence of CAE in patients with aortic aneurysms.

Aims

Daily practice shows that patients with pre-capillary pulmonary hypertension (PH) may develop a secondary elevation of their pulmonary artery wedge pressure (PAWP) above the 15 mm Hg limit. This phenomenon has not been precisely described yet. We aimed at identifying factors present at initial diagnosis that could predict this secondary elevation of PAWP, its possible causes and impact on survival.

Methods and results

We included 90 patients followed between 2004 and 2011 in our center. At the end of follow-up (3.0 ± 1.6 years), patients were divided into two groups according to the successive PAWP measurements (always ≤ 15 mm Hg or > 15 mm Hg on at least one right heart catheterization (RHC)). Demographical, biological, echographic and hemodynamical data at first RHC were compared. Possible causes for PAWP > 15 mm Hg were searched. A Kaplan–Meier method was used to assess differences in survival. One third of our cohort developed an elevation of PAWP above 15 mm Hg and patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension were at smaller risk (OR 0.20 [0.05–0.82]; p = 0.026). We did not identify any other baseline predictive factors. We highlighted several possible causes and factors that may unmask an underlying left ventricular diastolic dysfunction. Survival was not different between both groups (p = 0.42).

Conclusion

Secondary elevation of PAWP in pre-capillary PH was frequent but less observed in idiopathic PH. We detailed many possible causes that can be sought, many of which may be related to an underlying left ventricular diastolic dysfunction.

Background

The PANORAMA study was designed to collect concurrent data on subjects from different worldwide regions implanted with CRM devices.

Methods

In this prospective, multi-center study, we analyzed baseline data on 8586 subjects implanted with CRM devices with no additional selection criteria (66% pacemaker (IPG), 16% implantable cardiac defibrillators (ICD), 17% cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) and < 1% Internal Loop Recorder) from 156 hospitals across 6 geographical regions between 2005 and 2011.

Results

Regardless of the device implanted, subjects from the Middle East and India often had more diabetes than other regions. Eastern and Western Europe had higher rates of atrial fibrillation reported, and men were more likely to smoke than women (46% vs 11%, p < 0.001). Within the CRT cohort there was significant variation in the proportion of males receiving a device, ranging from 55% in India to 83% in Eastern Europe.

Conclusions

We provide comprehensive descriptive data on patients receiving CRM devices from a range of geographies that are not typically reported in literature. We found significant variations in clinical characteristics and implant practices. Long term follow-up data will help evaluate if these variations require adjustments to outcome expectations.

Background/objectives

The goal of this paper is to identify the predictors of delay in total ischemia time that would be the focus of improvement efforts in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

Methods

Data was collected retrospectively through the patient's clinical records and by direct telephone interview.

Total ischemic time was categorized in two classes according to the elapsed time since symptom presentation until restored flow, less than 6 h and 6 h or less. Logistic regression analysis was applied to evaluate the relationship between total ischemic time and a set of variables. Discrimination ability of the model was also assessed, as well as sensitivity and specificity, through ROC curves.

Results

Data from 128 patients, 74.22% males and 25.78% females, were analyzed. The average age was approximately 62 years (± 13.6).

Six variables associated with total ischemia were selected in the final model: the patient age, the level of pain intensity, the region of origin, the socioeconomic status, the activity that the patient was performing at the time of symptoms onset, and the fact that the patient has been transferred from another hospital.

Conclusion

The identification of variables associated with the total ischemia time allows the recognition of patients with possibility of worse prognosis, for which should be directed educational efforts and also the identification of variables that can be modified to optimize the therapy.