Post-myocardial infarction heart failure dysregulates the bone vascular niche.

The regulation of bone vasculature by chronic diseases, such as heart failure is unknown. Here, we describe the effects of myocardial infarction and post-infarction heart failure on the bone vascular cell composition. We demonstrate an age-independent loss of type H endothelium in heart failure after myocardial infarction in both mice and humans.

Early hemodynamic changes after transcatheter aortic valve implantation in patients with severe aortic stenosis measured by invasive pressure volume loop analysis.

Replacement of a stenotic aortic valve reduces immediately the ventricular to aortic gradient and is expected to improve diastolic and systolic left ventricular function over the long term. However, the hemodynamic changes immediately after valve implantation are so far poorly understood. Within this pilot study, we performed an invasive pressure volume loop analysis to describe the early hemodynamic changes after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) with self-expandable prostheses.

Aortic valve replacement in patients with preexisting liver disease: Transfemoral approach with favorable survival.

Introduction: The treatment of aortic stenosis has been revolutionized by transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), but the experience in patients with liver disease is limited. To address this open question, we report the outcome of patients with liver disease undergoing surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR), transapical (TA), and transfemoral (TF) TAVR.

Methods And Results: Between January 2004 and August 2016, 4,394 patients received aortic valve replacement at our institution.

Cryoballoon versus radiofrequency ablation for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety outcomes of the treatment with cryoballoon (CB) compared to the treatment with traditional irrigated radiofrequency ablation (RF) for pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (pAF) and refractory to antiarrhythmic drug therapy (AAD).

Design: We conducted a systemic review to find and include more than two randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with at least 20 patients in each of the CB and RF groups. Thereafter, we performed a meta-analysis to compare the treatment with CB and RF in primary outcomes including 1 year free from AF, complications and re-ablation procedures.

Changes in the prevalence, treatment and control of hypertension in Germany? A clinical-epidemiological study of 50.000 primary care patients.

Introduction: Medical societies have developed guidelines for the detection, treatment and control of hypertension (HTN). Our analysis assessed the extent to which such guidelines were implemented in Germany in 2003 and 2001.

Methods: Using standardized clinical diagnostic and treatment appraisal forms, blood pressure levels and patient questionnaires for 55,518 participants from the cross-sectional Targets and Essential Data for Commitment of Treatment (DETECT) study (2003) were analyzed.

[Cardiovascular risk assessment by primary-care physicians in Germany and its lack of agreement with the Established Risk Scores (DETECT)].

Background: The concordance of several cardiovascular risk scores (PROCAM Score, Framingham Score and ESC Score) and its agreement with the treating physicians' risk assessment is unclear.

Methods: For 8,957 nationally representative primary-care patients without known cardiovascular disease (age 40-65 years), the 10-year risk for experiencing a myocardial infarction or coronary death was determined by using various established risk scores in addition to risk prediction by the treating primary-care physician.

Results: In this sample, the mean 10-year coronary morbidity risk was estimated by PROCAM to be 4.