Dynamic Three-Dimensional Geometry of the Tricuspid Valve Annulus in Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome with a Fontan Circulation.

Background: Tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is a significant contributor to morbidity and mortality in patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome. The goal of this study was to characterize the dynamic annular motion of the tricuspid valve in patients with HLHS with a Fontan circulation and assess the relation to tricuspid valve function.

Methods: Tricuspid annuli of 48 patients with HLHS with a Fontan circulation were modeled at end-diastole, mid-systole, end-systole, and mid-diastole using transthoracic three-dimensional echocardiography and custom code in 3D Slicer.

Toward predictive modeling of catheter-based pulmonary valve replacement into native right ventricular outflow tracts.

Background: Pulmonary insufficiency is a consequence of transannular patch repair in Tetralogy of Fallot (ToF) leading to late morbidity and mortality. Transcatheter native outflow tract pulmonary valve replacement has become a reality. However, predicting a secure, atraumatic implantation of a catheter-based device remains a significant challenge due to the complex and dynamic nature of the right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT).

Diabetes Risk Assessment in Latinas: Effectiveness of a Brief Diabetes Risk Questionnaire for Detecting Prediabetes in a Community-Based Sample.

Objective: Numerous validated questionnaires use self-reported data to quantify individuals' risk of having diabetes or developing it in the future. Evaluations of these tools have primarily used nationally representative data, limiting their application in clinical and community settings. This analysis tested the effectiveness of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) risk questionnaire for identifying prediabetes in a community-based sample of Latinas.

Comparison of 3D Echocardiogram-Derived 3D Printed Valve Models to Molded Models for Simulated Repair of Pediatric Atrioventricular Valves.

Mastering the technical skills required to perform pediatric cardiac valve surgery is challenging in part due to limited opportunity for practice. Transformation of 3D echocardiographic (echo) images of congenitally abnormal heart valves to realistic physical models could allow patient-specific simulation of surgical valve repair. We compared materials, processes, and costs for 3D printing and molding of patient-specific models for visualization and surgical simulation of congenitally abnormal heart valves.

PREVENT-DM Comparative Effectiveness Trial of Lifestyle Intervention and Metformin.

Introduction: Although the Diabetes Prevention Program and other clinical trials demonstrated the efficacy of intensive lifestyle interventions (ILI) and metformin to prevent type 2 diabetes, no studies have tested their comparative effects in pragmatic settings. This study was designed to compare the real-world effectiveness of ILI, metformin, and standard care among Hispanic women (Latinas) with prediabetes.

Study Design: RCT.

Patient-specific pediatric silicone heart valve models based on 3D ultrasound.

Purpose: Patient-specific heart and valve models have shown promise as training and planning tools for heart surgery, but physically realistic valve models remain elusive. Available proprietary, simulation-focused heart valve models are generic adult mitral valves and do not allow for patient-specific modeling as may be needed for rare diseases such as congenitally abnormal valves. We propose creating silicone valve models from a 3D-printed plastic mold as a solution that can be adapted to any individual patient and heart valve at a fraction of the cost of direct 3D-printing using soft materials.

Image Segmentation and Modeling of the Pediatric Tricuspid Valve in Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome.

Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) is a single-ventricle congenital heart disease that is fatal if left unpalliated. In HLHS patients, the tricuspid valve is the only functioning atrioventricular valve, and its competence is therefore critical. This work demonstrates the first automated strategy for segmentation, modeling, and morphometry of the tricuspid valve in transthoracic 3D echocardiographic (3DE) images of pediatric patients with HLHS.

The rationale, design, and baseline characteristics of PREVENT-DM: A community-based comparative effectiveness trial of lifestyle intervention and metformin among Latinas with prediabetes.

Promotora Effectiveness Versus Metformin Trial (PREVENT-DM) is a randomized comparative effectiveness trial of a lifestyle intervention based on the Diabetes Prevention Program delivered by community health workers (or promotoras), metformin, and standard care. Eligibility criteria are Hispanic ethnicity, female sex, age ≥ 20 years, fluent Spanish-speaking status, BMI ≥ 23 kg/m(2), and prediabetes. We enrolled 92 participants and randomized them to one of the following three groups: standard care, DPP-based lifestyle intervention, or metformin.

Choice of diet impacts the incidence of stroke-related symptoms in the spontaneously hypertensive stroke-prone rat model.

The spontaneously hypertensive stroke-prone (SHRSP) rat is a commonly used model of cerebrovascular disease and hypertension. SHRSP rats have been shown to develop stroke-related symptoms (SRS) by age 14 weeks when fed a purified diet, such as AIN-93G, supplemented with 1% NaCl. We conducted a pathology pilot study to compare the incidence of SRS in SHRSP rats fed either AIN-93G (with 1% NaCl in drinking water) or commercially available rat chow (with 4% NaCl in the diet), starting at 8 weeks of age.

Diets containing blueberry extract lower blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive stroke-prone rats.

Oxidative stress in the vasculature and kidneys contributes to hypertension, a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Blueberries (BB) are rich in antioxidants, and so we hypothesized that feeding diets enriched with BB would slow the development of hypertension in spontaneously hypertensive stroke-prone rats (SHRSP). Eight-week-old normotensive rats and SHRSP were fed either a control diet (Con) or a diet enriched with 3% freeze-dried BB for 8 weeks.