Association of traditional risk factors with carotid intima-media thickness and carotid plaque in asymptomatic individuals with a family history of premature cardiovascular disease.

The use of imaging to detect subclinical atherosclerosis helps to inform decision-making in people classified as having intermediate risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). This study sought to use carotid plaque as an alternative to carotid intima media thickness (cIMT). Carotid ultrasound for assessment of cIMT and plaque was obtained in 1031 people (53 years, 61% female) with a family history of atherosclerotic CVD.

Left Ventricular Impaired Relaxation and Interstitial Myocarditis Identified in Sepsis-Associated Cardiac Dysfunction: Use of a Rodent Model.

BACKGROUND Sepsis is a serious clinical problem that results from the systemic response of the body to infection. Left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction is increasingly appreciated as a contributor to morbidity and mortality in sepsis. Animal models may offer a method of studying diastolic dysfunction while controlling for many potential clinical confounders, such as sepsis duration, premorbid condition, and therapeutic interventions.

Carvedilol and Cardiac Biomarkers in Dialysis Patients: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background/aims: Cardiac biomarkers are associated with cardiac abnormalities and adverse outcomes in dialysis patients. Our aim was to report the effect of the beta-blocker carvedilol on cardiac biomarkers in adult dialysis patients.

Methods: The Beta-Blocker to Lower Cardiovascular Dialysis Events Feasibility Study was a randomized controlled trial comparing carvedilol to placebo.

A randomized double-blind trial of an interventional device treatment of functional mitral regurgitation in patients with symptomatic congestive heart failure-Trial design of the REDUCE FMR study.

The Carillon Mitral Contour System has been studied in 3 nonrandomized trials in patients with symptomatic congestive heart failure and functional mitral regurgitation. The REDUCE FMR study is a uniquely designed, double-blind trial evaluating the impact of the Carillon device on reducing regurgitant volume, as well as assessing the safety and clinical efficacy of this device. Carillon is a coronary sinus-based indirect annuloplasty device.

Alterations in regional myocardial deformation assessed by strain imaging in cardiac amyloidosis.

Background: Cardiac amyloidosis results in increased left ventricular (LV) wall thickness and diastolic dysfunction (DD). Strain measurements using velocity vector imaging (VVI) may further characterize myocardial dysfunction.

Methods: A total of 43 AL amyloidosis patients were compared to age-matched normals and hypertensive patients (HT).

Myocardial strain assessment by cine cardiac magnetic resonance imaging using non-rigid registration.

Aims: To evaluate a novel post-processing method for assessment of longitudinal mid-myocardial strain in standard cine cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging sequences.

Methods And Results: Cine CMR imaging and tagged cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (TMRI) were performed in 15 patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and 15 healthy volunteers served as control group. A second group of 37 post-AMI patients underwent both cine CMR and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) CMR exams.

Association of Exercise Intolerance in Type 2 Diabetes With Skeletal Muscle Blood Flow Reserve.

Objectives: This study sought to investigate the association of exercise intolerance in type 2 diabetes (T2DM) with skeletal muscle capillary blood flow (CBF) reserve.

Background: Exercise intolerance in T2DM strongly predicts adverse prognosis, but associations with muscle blood flow independent of cardiac dysfunction are undefined.

Methods: In 134 T2DM patients without cardiovascular disease, left ventricular function and contrast-enhanced ultrasound of the quadriceps (for CBF; i.

Left ventricular global longitudinal strain is associated with cardiovascular risk factors and arterial stiffness in chronic kidney disease.

Background: Global longitudinal strain (GLS) has emerged as a superior method for detecting left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction compared to ejection fraction (EF) on the basis that it is less operator dependent and more reproducible. The 2-dimensional strain (2DS) method is easily measured and integrated into a standard echocardiogram. This study aimed to determine the relationship between GLS and traditional and chronic kidney disease (CKD)-related risk factors of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in patients with CKD.

Recommendations on the Use of Echocardiography in Adult Hypertension: A Report from the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI) and the American Society of Echocardiography (ASE).

Hypertension remains a major contributor to the global burden of disease. The measurement of blood pressure continues to have pitfalls related to both physiological aspects and acute variation. As the left ventricle (LV) remains one of the main target organs of hypertension, and echocardiographic measures of structure and function carry prognostic information in this setting, the development of a consensus position on the use of echocardiography in this setting is important.

Association between left ventricular global longitudinal strain, health-related quality of life and functional capacity in chronic kidney disease patients with preserved ejection fraction.

Aim: Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have a significant burden of dyspnoea and fatigue in spite having normal left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF). Global longitudinal strain (GLS) can detect subtle changes in LV function. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between LV function, functional capacity and quality of life (QOL) in CKD patients with preserved EF.

Recommendations on the use of echocardiography in adult hypertension: a report from the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI) and the American Society of Echocardiography (ASE)†.

Hypertension remains a major contributor to the global burden of disease. The measurement of blood pressure continues to have pitfalls related to both physiological aspects and acute variation. As the left ventricle (LV) remains one of the main target organs of hypertension, and echocardiographic measures of structure and function carry prognostic information in this setting, the development of a consensus position on the use of echocardiography in this setting is important.

Left Ventricular Global Longitudinal Strain (GLS) Is a Superior Predictor of All-Cause and Cardiovascular Mortality When Compared to Ejection Fraction in Advanced Chronic Kidney Disease.

Background: Echocardiographic global longitudinal strain (GLS) is increasingly recognised as a more effective technique than conventional ejection fraction (EF) in detecting subtle changes in left ventricular (LV) function. This study investigated the prognostic value of GLS over EF in patients with advanced Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD).

Methods: The study included 183 patients (57% male, 63% on dialysis) with CKD stage 4, 5 and 5Dialysis (D).

Subclinical LV dysfunction and 10-year outcomes in type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Objective: New imaging techniques have permitted the detection of subclinical LV dysfunction (LVD) in up to half of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) with a normal EF. However, the connection between early LVD and prognosis is unclear. This study aimed to define the long-term outcome of LVD associated with type 2 DM.

A six-month exercise intervention in subclinical diabetic heart disease: effects on exercise capacity, autonomic and myocardial function.

Objective: Autonomic dysfunction may contribute to the etiology and exercise intolerance of subclinical diabetic heart disease. This study sought the efficacy of exercise training for improvement of peak oxygen uptake (VO₂(peak)) and cardiac autonomic function in type 2 diabetic patients with non-ischemic subclinical left-ventricular (LV) dysfunction.

Materials/methods: Forty-nine type 2 diabetic patients with early diastolic tissue Doppler velocity >1 standard deviation below the age-based mean entered an exercise intervention (n=24) or usual care (n=25) for 6-months (controlled, pre-/post- design).

The association between left ventricular global longitudinal strain, renal impairment and all-cause mortality.

Background: Left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction is an important predictor of cardiovascular death. Global longitudinal strain (GLS) is a widely available echocardiographic technique proven to be more sensitive than conventional ejection fraction (EF) in detecting subtle changes in LV function. However, the prognostic value of GLS in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is unknown.

Biomarker and imaging responses to spironolactone in subclinical diabetic cardiomyopathy.

Background: Subclinical diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is frequent in asymptomatic subjects with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). We sought the response of functional and fibrosis markers to therapy in a trial of aldosterone antagonism for treatment of DCM.

Methods: Biochemical, anthropometric, and echocardiographic data were measured in 225 subjects with T2DM.

Hemodynamic benefit of rest and exercise optimization of cardiac resynchronization therapy.

The optimal method of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) optimization is as yet unknown. We sought to investigate the responses of optimization at rest and on exercise. This 2 stage study involved 59 patients (age 65 ± 10, 75% male), who had all recently undergone successful CRT implantation.

Uremic toxin development in living kidney donors: a longitudinal study.

Background: Emerging evidence suggests that uremic toxins, in particular indoxyl sulfate (IS) and p-cresyl sulfate (PCS), may be involved in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease. Despite a significant increase in IS and PCS in patients with established kidney damage, the effect of a nephrectomy in non-chronic kidney disease patients is not yet known.

Methods: Forty-two living kidney donors (Caucasian; 76% female [n=32]; 53 ± 10 years) were enrolled in an observational cohort study and followed up annually for 2 years (before nephrectomy, 1 and 2 years after nephrectomy).

Association of outcome with left ventricular parameters measured by two-dimensional and three-dimensional echocardiography in patients at high cardiovascular risk.

Background: Left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF) measured by two-dimensional echocardiographic (2DE) imaging is an important correlate of survival. Real-time three-dimensional echocardiographic (3DE) imaging has addressed some of the limitations of 2DE imaging. The aim of this study was to determine whether 3DE imaging is more predictive of outcomes than 2DE imaging.

Use of speckle strain to assess left ventricular responses to cardiotoxic chemotherapy and cardioprotection.

Aims: The variability of ejection fraction (EF) poses a problem in the assessment of left ventricular (LV) function in patients receiving potentially cardiotoxic chemotherapy. We sought to use global longitudinal strain (GLS) to compare LV responses to various cardiotoxic chemotherapy regimens and to examine the response to cardioprotection with beta-blockers (BB) in patients showing subclinical myocardial damage.

Methods And Results: We studied 159 patients (49 ± 14 year, 127 women) receiving anthracycline (group A, n = 53, 46 ± 17 year), trastuzumab (group T, n = 61, 53 ± 12 year), or trastuzumab after anthracyclines (group AT, n = 45, 46 ± 9 year).

Clinical application and laboratory protocols for performing contrast echocardiography.

Technically difficult echocardiographic studies with suboptimal images remain a significant challenge in clinical practice despite advances in imaging technologies over the past decades. Use of microbubble ultrasound contrast for left ventricular opacification and enhancement of endocardial border detection during rest or stress echocardiography has become an essential component of the operation of the modern echocardiography laboratory. Contrast echocardiography has been demonstrated to improve diagnostic accuracy and confidence across a range of indications including quantitative assessment of left ventricular systolic function, wall motion analysis, and left ventricular structural abnormalities.

Independent and incremental value of deformation indices for prediction of trastuzumab-induced cardiotoxicity.

Background: Assessment of left ventricular systolic function is necessary during trastuzumab-based chemotherapy because of potential cardiotoxicity. Deformation indices have been proposed as an adjunct to clinical risk factors and ejection fraction (EF), but the optimal parameter and optimal cutoffs are undefined. The aim of this study was to determine the best means of early detection of subsequent reduction of EF in patients with breast cancer treated with trastuzumab.

Ischemic cardiomyopathy: midterm survival and its predictors.

Background: the aim of the study was to analyze all-cause mortality and predictors of long-term survival after myocardial revascularization for ischemic cardiomyopathy.

Method: data of 101 patients (mean age, 63.86 years; age range, 30-85 years; 92% male), operated on with stable coronary artery disease and left ventricular ejection fraction <30% between April 2000 and June 2010, were analyzed.

Heart failure, ventricular dysfunction and risk factor prevalence in Australian Aboriginal peoples: the Heart of the Heart Study.

Background: Limited strategies have been developed to evaluate and address the alarming discrepancy in early mortality between Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations.

Objective: To assess heart failure (HF), HF risk factors and document cardiac characteristics in an Australian Aboriginal population.

Design, Setting, Participants: Adults were enrolled across six Aboriginal communities in Central Australia.

Return to work after coronary artery bypass in patients aged under 50 years.

Background: This study was designed to identify factors associated with return to work and quality of life in patients undergoing primary coronary artery bypass at age <50 years.

Methods: 172 patients<50-years old underwent primary coronary artery bypass between January 2000 and December 2006. Predictors of return to work were analysed from variables in a prospectively collected database and on follow-up by the SF-36 questionnaire in 129 (75%) patients.