Normal and reference values for cardiovascular magnetic resonance-based pulse wave velocity in the middle-aged general population.

Background: Aortic stiffness, assessed through pulse wave velocity (PWV), is an independent predictor for cardiovascular disease risk. However, the scarce availability of normal and reference values for cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) based PWV is limiting clinical implementation. The aim of this study was to determine normal and reference values for CMR assessed PWV in the general population.

Association Between Hepatic Triglyceride Content and Coagulation Factors: The Netherlands Epidemiology of Obesity Study.

Objective: Whether hepatic triglyceride content (HTGC) contributes to hypercoagulability beyond total body fat (TBF) and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) is unclear. We, therefore, aimed to investigate the association between HTGC and coagulation factors (F)I (fibrinogen), VIII, IX, and XI while adjusting for TBF and VAT. Approach and Results: In this cross-sectional analysis of the NEO study (Netherlands Epidemiology of Obesity; n=6671), a random subset of participants underwent magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance spectroscopy to assess VAT and HTGC (n=2580).

Hypertensive Exposure Markers by MRI in Relation to Cerebral Small Vessel Disease and Cognitive Impairment.

Objectives: This study sought to investigate the extent of hypertensive exposure as assessed by cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in relation to cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) and cognitive impairment, with the aim of understanding the role of hypertension in the early stages of deteriorating brain health.

Background: Preserving brain health into advanced age is one of the great challenges of modern medicine. Hypertension is thought to induce vascular brain injury through exposure of the cerebral microcirculation to increased pressure/pulsatility.

Metabolomics: a search for biomarkers of visceral fat and liver fat content.

Intoduction: Excess visceral and liver fat are known risk factors for cardiometabolic disorders. Metabolomics might allow for easier quantification of these ectopic fat depots, instead of using invasive and costly tools such as MRI or approximations such as waist circumference.

Objective: We explored the potential use of plasma metabolites as biomarkers of visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and hepatic triglyceride content (HTGC).

Adherence to dietary guidelines in relation to visceral fat and liver fat in middle-aged men and women: the NEO study.

Background: It is unclear to what extent adherence to dietary guidelines may specifically affect visceral fat and liver fat. We aimed to study the association between the Dutch Healthy Diet Index (DHD-index) and total body fat, visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and hepatic triglyceride content (HTGC) in middle-aged men and women.

Design: In this cross-sectional study, VAT was assessed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in 2580 participants, and HTGC by proton-MR spectroscopy in 2083 participants.

Diagnosing Recurrent DVT of the Leg by Two Different Non-Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Direct Thrombus Imaging Techniques: A Pilot Study.

 Magnetic resonance direct thrombus imaging (MRDTI) is a promising technique to improve the diagnostic management of patients with a suspected ipsilateral recurrent deep vein thrombosis (DVT) by direct visualization of a thrombus. Another magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique, T1-weighted turbo spin-echo spectral attenuated inversion recovery (TSE-SPAIR), has the potential to image a thrombus directly with a high spatial resolution as well. The main aim of this pilot study was to investigate if adding the TSE-SPAIR sequence to an MRDTI sequence performed in patients with suspected recurrent DVT may increase the diagnostic confidence of expert MRDTI readers.

Chest X-Ray Not Routinely Indicated Prior to the YEARS Algorithm in the Diagnostic Management of Suspected Pulmonary Embolism.

 The YEARS algorithm was designed to simplify the diagnostic process of suspected pulmonary embolism (PE) and to reduce the number of required computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) scans. Chest X-ray (CXR) is often used as initial imaging test in patients suspected for PE.  To determine if CXR results differ between patients with confirmed PE and with PE ruled out, and to investigate whether CXR provides incremental diagnostic value to the YEARS criteria that is used for selecting patients with CTPA indication.

Altered ascending aortic wall shear stress in patients with corrected atrioventricular septal defect: a comprehensive cardiovascular magnetic resonance and 4D flow MRI evaluation.

Aim: In patients after atrioventricular septal defect correction, altered geometry leads to a changed position and subsequent flow over the left ventricular outflow tract. We hypothesised that this altered flow may influence haemodynamics in the ascending aorta.

Methods: In total, 30 patients after atrioventricular septal defect correction (age 27.

Quantification of aortic pulse wave velocity from a population based cohort: a fully automatic method.

Background: Aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV) is an indicator of aortic stiffness and is used as a predictor of adverse cardiovascular events. PWV can be non-invasively assessed using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). PWV computation requires two components, the length of the aortic arch and the time taken for the systolic pressure wave to travel through the aortic arch.

Consumption of Alcoholic and Sugar-Sweetened Beverages is Associated with Increased Liver Fat Content in Middle-Aged Men and Women.

Background: Fatty liver is the leading cause of chronic liver diseases and increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. Besides alcohol consumption, energy-containing nonalcoholic beverages may contribute to liver fat accumulation.

Objective: We aimed to study the consumption of alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages and their mutual replacement in relation to hepatic triglyceride content (HTGC) in middle-aged men and women.

Added Value of Ultra-low-dose Computed Tomography, Dose Equivalent to Chest X-Ray Radiography, for Diagnosing Chest Pathology.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the clinical value of ultra-low-dose computed tomography (ULDCT) compared with chest x-ray radiography (CXR) for diagnosing chest pathology.

Materials And Methods: A total of 200 patients referred for CXR by outpatient clinics or general practitioners were enrolled prospectively. They underwent CXR (posteroanterior and lateral) and ULDCT (120 kV, 3 mAs) on the same day.

Value of Relative Myocardial Perfusion at MRI for Fractional Flow Reserve-Defined Ischemia: A Pilot Study.

Correcting the perfusion in areas distal to coronary stenosis (risk) according to that of normal (remote) areas defines the relative myocardial perfusion index, which is similar to the fractional flow reserve (FFR) concept. The aim of this study was to assess the value of relative myocardial perfusion by MRI in predicting lesion-specific inducible ischemia as defined by FFR. Forty-six patients (33 men and 13 women; mean [± SD] age, 61 ± 9 years) who underwent adenosine perfusion MRI and FFR measurement distal to 49 coronary artery stenoses during coronary angiography were retrospectively evaluated.

Sweet Snacks Are Positively and Fruits and Vegetables Are Negatively Associated with Visceral or Liver Fat Content in Middle-Aged Men and Women.

Background: Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and hepatic triglyceride content (HTGC) are major risk factors for cardiometabolic diseases.

Objective: We aimed to investigate the association of dietary intake of the main food groups with VAT and HTGC in middle-aged men and women.

Methods: We used data from the Netherlands Epidemiology of Obesity study, a population-based study including 6671 participants aged 45-65 y at baseline.

Associations of different body fat deposits with serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations.

Background & Aims: Obesity is a well-established risk factor of vitamin D deficiency. However, it is unclear which fat deposit is most strongly related to serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations. Our aim was to distinguish the specific contributions of total body fat (TBF), abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue (aSAT), visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and hepatic fat on 25(OH)D concentrations.

Automated Cardiac Valve Tracking for Flow Quantification with Four-dimensional Flow MRI.

Purpose To compare four-dimensional flow MRI with automated valve tracking to manual valve tracking in patients with acquired or congenital heart disease and healthy volunteers. Materials and Methods In this retrospective study, data were collected from 114 patients and 46 volunteers who underwent four-dimensional flow MRI at 1.5 T or 3.

Deep Learning-based Method for Fully Automatic Quantification of Left Ventricle Function from Cine MR Images: A Multivendor, Multicenter Study.

Purpose To develop a deep learning-based method for fully automated quantification of left ventricular (LV) function from short-axis cine MR images and to evaluate its performance in a multivendor and multicenter setting. Materials and Methods This retrospective study included cine MRI data sets obtained from three major MRI vendors in four medical centers from 2008 to 2016. Three convolutional neural networks (CNNs) with the U-NET architecture were trained on data sets of increasing variability: (a) a single-vendor, single-center, homogeneous cohort of 100 patients (CNN1); (b) a single-vendor, multicenter, heterogeneous cohort of 200 patients (CNN2); and (c) a multivendor, multicenter, heterogeneous cohort of 400 patients (CNN3).

Habitual Sleep Measures are Associated with Overall Body Fat, and not Specifically with Visceral Fat, in Men and Women.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the associations of sleep duration and sleep quality with visceral adipose tissue (VAT) in middle-aged individuals.

Methods: In this cross-sectional analysis of baseline measurements of the Netherlands Epidemiology of Obesity (NEO) study, participants underwent anthropometry and completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) for assessing short sleep duration (as sex-specific age-adjusted percentiles) and poor quality (PSQI > 5). VAT was assessed by magnetic resonance imaging in a random subgroup.

Excellent durability of homografts in pulmonary position analysed in a predefined adult group with tetralogy of Fallot.

Objectives: In repaired tetralogy of Fallot, surgical pulmonary valve replacement (PVR) is in certain cases required. Our institution reported earlier about 26 patients who received a pulmonary homograft via PVR. To date, we have data from more than 17 years of follow-up.

Disproportionate intraventricular viscous energy loss in Fontan patients: analysis by 4D flow MRI.

Aims: To non-invasively assess intraventricular viscous energy loss (EL) and proportionality to kinetic energy (KE) in Fontan patients using 4D flow magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and compare to healthy controls.

Methods And Results: Thirty Fontan patients and 15 controls underwent 4D flow MRI. Ventricular EL was computed and normalized by end-diastolic volume (EDV).