Impact of Echocardiographic Cardiac Damage Staging on Mortality and Heart Failure Hospitalizations in Aortic Stenosis Patients Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement.

A significant proportion of elderly patients referred to transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) do not experience an improvement of their symptoms. New tools are needed to better select candidates and avoid futile procedures. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of a new echocardiographic classification which assesses the consequences of chronic elevation of afterload on mortality and hospitalizations for heart failure (HF) in patients with severe AS undergoing TAVR.

Short- and long-term outcomes of percutaneous left atrial appendage occlusion in cancer patients.

Introduction And Objectives: Percutaneous left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) is a viable option to mitigate bleeding and stroke risks in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) who are not eligible for oral anticoagulation. Its safety and efficacy in cancer patients remain unclear due to their exclusion from trials. This study aimed to compare short- and long-term LAAO outcomes between cancer and non-cancer patients.

Real-World Experience in Tricuspid Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Repair: Transcatheter Tricuspid Valve Repair in Spain Registry.

Background: Significant tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. The development of transcatheter valve repair therapies has opened a wide range of opportunities for treatment of patients with high surgical risk. Real-world data might improve patient selection and outcome.

Guideline-directed medical therapy for heart failure in arrhythmia-induced cardiomyopathy with improved left ventricular ejection fraction.

Aims: No study has analyzed the impact of guideline-directed medical therapy in preventing heart failure (HF) relapse in patients with arrhythmia-induced cardiomyopathy (AiCM) following left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) improvement.

Methods And Results: We analyzed data from a single-center cohort of 200 patients admitted for HF, LVEF <50% and cardiac arrhythmia considered by cardiologists to be the precipitating cause of the episode. The primary endpoint was time-to-HF relapse, defined as the composite of readmission for HF, Emergency Department (ED) visit for HF, or significant decline in LVEF.

The prognostic value of the Dandel's index in patients undergoing tricuspid transcatheter edge-to-edge repair.

Aims: Conventional parameters of right ventricular (RV) function are load-dependent and therefore do not accurately reflect contractility in patients with relevant tricuspid regurgitation (TR). RV adaptability to load has been characterized using the Dandel's index in patients with heart failure, but its prognostic value in patients undergoing tricuspid transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (T-TEER) has not been investigated so far.

Methods And Results: From the EuroTR registry (2019 to 2022), patients with complete datasets and a minimum of 2-years of follow-up were included.

Impact of Optimal Procedural Result After Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Tricuspid Valve Repair: Results From TRI-SPA Registry.

Background: Procedural success following tricuspid transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) has been defined variably over time; however, the consequences of achieving a tricuspid regurgitation (TR) grade of 0/1+ are still unclear.

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the predictors and prognostic impact of achieving TR 0/1+ after TEER and its role in clinical events.

Methods: This multicenter registry included patients undergoing tricuspid TEER in 15 Spanish centers from June 2020 and May 2023.

Left ventricular outflow tract obstruction after transcatheter mitral valve replacement: a case report with a multifaceted approach.

An 83-year-old woman was admitted to our center because of heart failure. Transthoracic echocardiography revealed severe mitral annular calcification resulting in a double mitral valve lesion. After discussion by the heart team, transcatheter mitral valve replacement with Tendyne (Abbott Structural, Santa Clara, CA, USA) was performed.

Mitral Regurgitation and Left Ventricular Outflow Tract Obstruction: Confluence of Challenges for Transcatheter Treatment.

The intricate interplay between mitral regurgitation (MR) and left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) obstruction may result in two clinical scenarios: prosthesis-related LVOT obstruction after mitral valve replacement (TMVR) and systolic anterior motion (SAM)-associated MR. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the pathophysiology, risk assessment, and transcatheter interventions for mitigating the likelihood of LVOT obstruction in patients undergoing TMVR. In addition, it extends its focus to SAM-associated MR, elucidating the different aetiological mechanisms contributing to this phenomenon, beyond hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Diagnostic Challenges in Aortic Stenosis.

Aortic stenosis (AS) is the most prevalent degenerative valvular disease in western countries. Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is considered, nowadays, to be the main imaging technique for the work-up of AS due to high availability, safety, low cost, and excellent capacity to evaluate aortic valve (AV) morphology and function. Despite the diagnosis of AS being considered straightforward for a very long time, based on high gradients and reduced aortic valve area (AVA), many patients with AS represent a real dilemma for cardiologist.

Residual tricuspid regurgitation after tricuspid transcatheter edge-to-edge repair: Insights into the EuroTR registry.

Aims: Data on the prognostic impact of residual tricuspid regurgitation (TR) after tricuspid transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (T-TEER) are scarce. The aim of this analysis was to evaluate 2-year survival and symptomatic outcomes of patients in relation to residual TR after T-TEER.

Methods And Results: Using the large European Registry of Transcatheter Repair for Tricuspid Regurgitation (EuroTR registry) we investigated the impact of residual TR on 2-year all-cause mortality and New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class at follow-up.

First-in-Human Treatment of Severe Tricuspid Regurgitation Using a Novel Cross-Caval Heterotopic Device.

A 79-year-old woman, previously surgically treated for mitral and aortic valve replacement, experienced recurrent torrential tricuspid regurgitation after 2 transcatheter edge-to-edge repair procedures. Heart team assessment deemed the patient high risk for redo surgery and excluded transcatheter edge-to-edge repair and orthotopic replacement. The patient was then scheduled for a novel cross-caval device implantation.

Vaccine-carditis study: Spanish multicenter registry of inflammatory heart disease after COVID-19 vaccination.

Introduction And Objectives: Vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 have been a major scientific and medical achievement in the control of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, very infrequent cases of inflammatory heart disease have been described as adverse events, leading to uncertainty in the scientific community and in the general population.

Methods: The Vaccine-Carditis Registry has included all cases of myocarditis and pericarditis diagnosed within 30 days after COVID-19 vaccination since August 1, 2021 in 29 centers throughout the Spanish territory.

Transcatheter Tricuspid Valve Replacement With a Dedicated Device in a Patient With 2 Endocardial Leads.

A 79-year-old woman with a history of dilated cardiomyopathy who required a permanent peacemaker, recently upgraded to implantable cardioverter-defibrillator cardiac resynchronization therapy, was admitted for right heart failure. On echocardiography, torrential tricuspid regurgitation was noted, with 2 leads across the valve. After multidisciplinary evaluation, a dedicated transcatheter valve replacement was successfully implanted.

Hypotension at heart failure discharge: Should it be a limiting factor for drug titration?

Background: Medical treatment in Heart Failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF; LVEF ≤40%) has shifted towards quadruple therapy. Maximum tolerated dose is the goal, yet no hypotension's cut-off point has been specified. In this work, we analyze the impact of intensive drug titration in clinical events, focusing on low blood pressure (BP) patients at hospital discharge.

Myocarditis related SARS-CoV-2 infection or vaccination: an expert consensus statement on its diagnosis and management.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has revealed several cardiovascular complications, including myocarditis caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection (COVID-19) or after messenger RNA vaccine administration. Because of the high prevalence of COVID-19, the expansion of vaccination programs, and the appearance of new information on myocarditis in these contexts, there is a need to condense the knowledge acquired since the start of the pandemic. To meet this need, this document was drafted by the Myocarditis Working Group of the Heart Failure Association of the Spanish Society of Cardiology, with the collaboration of the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products (AEMPS).

Transcatheter Tricuspid Valve Replacement: Illustrative Case Reports and Review of State-of-Art.

Tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is one of the most common heart valve diseases, associated a with poor prognosis since significant TR is associated with an increased mortality risk compared to no TR or mild regurgitation. Surgery is the standard treatment for TR, although it is associated with high morbidity, mortality, and prolonged hospitalization, particularly in tricuspid reoperation after left-sided surgery. Thus, several innovative percutaneous transcatheter approaches for repair and replacement of the tricuspid valve have gathered significant momentum and have undergone extensive clinical development in recent years, with favorable clinical outcomes in terms of mortality and rehospitalization during the first year of follow-up.