Determinants and effects of microvascular obstruction on serial change in left ventricular diastolic function after reperfused acute myocardial infarction.

Background: Although left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction is more related to functional capacity after acute myocardial infarction (AMI), the determinants of LV diastolic functional change after reperfused AMI remain unknown. This study aimed to investigate the effects of microvascular obstruction (MVO) on mid-term changes in LV diastolic function after reperfused AMI.

Methods: In a cohort of 72 AMI patients who underwent successful revascularization, echocardiography and cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging were repeated at 9-month intervals.

Simultaneous Viability Assessment and Invasive Coronary Angiography Using a Therapeutic CT System in Chronic Myocardial Infarction Patients.

Purpose: In a preclinical study using a swine myocardial infarction (MI) model, a delayed enhancement (DE)-multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) scan was performed using a hybrid system alongside diagnostic invasive coronary angiography (ICA) without the additional use of a contrast agent, and demonstrated an excellent correlation in the infarct area compared with histopathologic specimens. In the present investigation, we evaluated the feasibility and diagnostic accuracy of a myocardial viability assessment by DE-MDCT using a hybrid system comprising ICA and MDCT alongside diagnostic ICA without the additional use of a contrast agent.

Materials And Methods: We prospectively enrolled 13 patients (median age: 67 years) with a previous MI (>6 months) scheduled to undergo ICA.

Prediction of the development of new coronary atherosclerotic plaques with radiomics.

Background: Radiomics is expected to identify imaging features beyond the human eye. We investigated whether radiomics can identify coronary segments that will develop new atherosclerotic plaques on coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA).

Methods: From a prospective multinational registry of patients with serial CCTA studies at ≥ 2-year intervals, segments without identifiable coronary plaque at baseline were selected and radiomic features were extracted.

Exploring the Genetic Causes for Postnatal Growth Failure in Children Born Non-Small for Gestational Age.

The most common causes of short stature (SS) in children are familial short stature (FSS) and idiopathic short stature (ISS). Recently, growth plate dysfunction has been recognized as the genetic cause of FSS or ISS. The aim of this study was to investigate monogenic growth failure in patients with ISS and FSS.

How early can atherosclerosis be detected by coronary CT angiography? Insights from quantitative CT analysis of serial scans in the PARADIGM trial.

Background: Non-obstructing small coronary plaques may not be well recognized by expert readers during coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) evaluation. Recent developments in atherosclerosis imaging quantitative computed tomography (AI-QCT) enabled by machine learning allow for whole-heart coronary phenotyping of atherosclerosis, but its diagnostic role for detection of small plaques on CCTA is unknown.

Methods: We performed AI-QCT in patients who underwent serial CCTA in the multinational PARADIGM study.

Effects of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone-system inhibitors on coronary atherosclerotic plaques: The PARADIGM registry.

Background And Aims: Inhibition of Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone-System (RAAS) has been hypothesized to improve endothelial function and reduce plaque inflammation, however, their impact on the progression of coronary atherosclerosis is unclear. We aim to study the effects of RAAS inhibitor on plaque progression and composition assessed by serial coronary CT angiography (CCTA).

Methods: We performed a prospective, multinational study consisting of a registry of patients without history of CAD, who underwent serial CCTAs.

Progression of non-obstructive coronary plaque: a practical CCTA-based risk score from the PARADIGM registry.

Objectives: No clear recommendations are endorsed by the different scientific societies on the clinical use of repeat coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) in patients with non-obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD). This study aimed to develop and validate a practical CCTA risk score to predict medium-term disease progression in patients at a low-to-intermediate probability of CAD.

Methods: Patients were part of the Progression of AtheRosclerotic PlAque Determined by Computed Tomographic Angiography Imaging (PARADIGM) registry.

Association of Early Hysterectomy With Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in Korean Women.

Importance: Women who undergo surgical hysterectomy before natural menopause may have an earlier increase in hematocrit and storage iron levels than those who continue menstruation, thereby increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) at ages younger than usually seen. Examining this issue may provide important implications for women's cardiovascular health to both physicians and patients.

Objective: To evaluate the association of hysterectomy with the risk of incident CVD among women before age 50 years.

Outcomes of singleton preterm very low birth weight infants born to mothers with pregnancy-induced hypertension.

The association between maternal pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) and neonatal mortality and morbidities in preterm infants has not been consistent. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of maternal PIH on mortality and morbidities in singleton infants with very low birth weight born before 30 weeks of gestational age using the Korean Neonatal Network (KNN) database. A total of 5340 singleton infants with very low birth weight were registered in the KNN registry, who were born at 23 to 29 weeks of gestational age between January 2015 and December 2020.

Prevalence of asthma in preterm and associated risk factors based on prescription data from the Korean National Health Insurance database.

We retrospectively analyzed National Health Insurance claims data (January 2002-December 2018) to determine the asthma prevalence and risk factors among preterm infants born in Korea. Patients with asthma were defined as those with a history of asthma medication prescriptions at least twice per year with International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Edition codes J45 and J46. We enrolled 99,139 preterm infants.

Arterial Stiffness is Associated with False-Positive ST-Segment Depression in Supine Bicycle Exercise Stress Echocardiography.

Background: Although exercise stress electrocardiography (ECG) is a popular tool for detecting coronary artery disease (CAD), the induced ST-depression without coronary artery stenosis (FST) remains a challenge for accurate diagnosis. Exercise-induced ST depression is related to poor prognosis even in non-obstructive disease; however, its determinants have not been fully defined. We sought to investigate whether ventriculo-vascular interactional indexes such as arterial stiffness index, exercise hemodynamic parameters and echocardiographic left ventricular (LV) functional parameters were related to FST.

Clinical and Coronary Plaque Predictors of Atherosclerotic Nonresponse to Statin Therapy.

Background: Statins reduce the incidence of major cardiovascular events, but residual risk remains. The study examined the determinants of atherosclerotic statin nonresponse.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate factors associated with statin nonresponse-defined atherosclerosis progression in patients treated with statins.

Association between Sarcopenic Obesity Status and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Fibrosis.

Background/aims: There are no data regarding the association between sarcopenic obesity status and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and NAFLD-associated liver fibrosis. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the relationship between sarcopenic obesity status (sarcopenia only, obesity only, and sarcopenic obesity) and NAFLD and liver fibrosis in Korean adults.

Methods: In total, 2,191 subjects completed a health checkup program, including abdominal ultrasonography and FibroScan.

Glycemic control is independently associated with rapid progression of coronary atherosclerosis in the absence of a baseline coronary plaque burden: a retrospective case-control study from the PARADIGM registry.

Background: The baseline coronary plaque burden is the most important factor for rapid plaque progression (RPP) in the coronary artery. However, data on the independent predictors of RPP in the absence of a baseline coronary plaque burden are limited. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the predictors for RPP in patients without coronary plaques on baseline coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) images.

Longitudinal Quantitative Assessment of Coronary Atherosclerotic Plaque Burden Related to Serum Hemoglobin Levels.

Background: Despite a potential role of hemoglobin in atherosclerosis, data on coronary plaque volume changes (PVC) related to serum hemoglobin levels are limited.

Objectives: The authors sought to evaluate coronary atherosclerotic plaque burden changes related to serum hemoglobin levels using serial coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA).

Methods: A total of 830 subjects (age 61 ± 10 years, 51.

Association Between Changes in Perivascular Adipose Tissue Density and Plaque Progression.

Background: The association between the change in vessel inflammation, as quantified by perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) density, and the progression of coronary atherosclerosis remains to be determined.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to explore the association between the change in PVAT density and the progression of total and compositional plaque volume (PV).

Methods: Patients were selected from a prospective multinational registry.

Relationship Between Coronary Artery Calcium and Atherosclerosis Progression Among Patients With Suspected Coronary Artery Disease.

Background: Among symptomatic patients, it remains unclear whether a coronary artery calcium (CAC) score alone is sufficient or misses a sizeable burden and progressive risk associated with obstructive and nonobstructive atherosclerotic plaque.

Objectives: Among patients with low to high CAC scores, our aims were to quantify co-occurring obstructive and nonobstructive noncalcified plaque and serial progression of atherosclerotic plaque volume.

Methods: A total of 698 symptomatic patients with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) underwent serial coronary computed tomographic angiography (CTA) performed 3.

Longitudinal quantitative assessment of coronary atherosclerosis related to normal systolic blood pressure maintenance in the absence of established cardiovascular disease.

Background: Atherosclerosis-related adverse events are commonly observed even in conditions with low cardiovascular (CV) risk. Longitudinal data regarding the association of normal systolic blood pressure maintenance (SBP ) with coronary plaque volume changes (PVC) has been limited in adults without traditional CV disease.

Hypothesis: Normal SBP is important to attenuate coronary atherosclerosis progression in adults without baseline CV disease.

MAFLD Predicts the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease Better than NAFLD in Asymptomatic Subjects with Health Check-Ups.

Background And Aim: Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) was proposed to compensate for the conventional concept of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). We investigated the superiority of MAFLD versus NAFLD in predicting the risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD).

Methods: A total of 2,144 subjects without a history of ASCVD, who underwent a comprehensive medical health check-up, were selected for the study.

The association between cardiac involvement and long-term clinical outcomes in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Aims: Despite advances in contemporary cardiopulmonary therapies, cardiomyopathy remains the leading cause of death in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Also, the long-term clinical outcomes of patients with DMD and cardiomyopathy is unknown. This study investigated long-term clinical outcomes and their associated factors in patients with late-stage DMD.