Prognostic impact of muscle ultrasound-guided diagnosis of sarcopenia in older adults with severe aortic stenosis.

Background: Muscle ultrasound is increasingly popular thanks to its advantages over other techniques. However, its usefulness in the diagnosis of sarcopenia in older adults with aortic stenosis (AS) has not been studied to date.

Objectives: to analyze the prevalence of sarcopenia using muscle ultrasound and its impact on the health outcomes in older patients with AS.

Self-expanding TAVI using the cusp overlap technique versus the traditional technique: electrocardiogram changes and 1-year cardiovascular outcomes.

Introduction And Objectives: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) using the cusp overlap technique (COT) has shown a lower pacemaker implantation rate at 30 days. The objective of this study was to compare electrocardiogram changes and clinical outcomes between COT and the traditional technique (TT) at 1 year of follow-up.

Methods: Observational, retrospective, nonrandomized study of consecutive patients undergoing TAVI between January 2015 and January 2021.

Frailty Assessment in a Cohort of Elderly Patients with Severe Symptomatic Aortic Stenosis: Insights from the FRailty Evaluation in Severe Aortic Stenosis (FRESAS) Registry.

Background: Precise evaluation of the degree of frailty is a fundamental part of the global geriatric assessment that helps to avoid therapies that could be futile. Our main objective was to determine the prevalence of frailty in a specific consult of patients undergoing aortic valve replacement.

Methods: From May 2018 to February 2020, all consecutive patients ≥75 years old, with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis, undergoing valve replacement in the Principality of Asturias (Northern Spain) were evaluated.

Risk factors associated with valvular calcification in patients with chronic kidney disease. Analysis of NEFRONA study.

Introduction: Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are at high risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Subclinical cardiac structural alterations have prognostic value in these patients. The aim was to analyse the prevalence of valvular calcification, the evolution and the relationship with different risk factors.

Risk factors associated with valvular calcification in patients with chronic kidney disease. Analysis of NEFRONA Study.

Introduction: Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are at high risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Subclinical cardiac structural alterations have prognostic value in these patients. The aim was to analyse the prevalence of valvular calcification, the evolution and the relationship with different risk factors.

Early Everolimus Initiation Fails to Counteract the Cytotoxic Response Mediated by CD8 T and NK Cells in Heart Transplant Patients.

The positive long-term effects of conversion to everolimus (EVL) after heart transplantation (HT) have been evaluated in several studies. However, the timing of EVL initiation, the best way to combine it with other immunosuppressive treatments, and the impact of these combinations on the immune response are poorly understood aspects. Here, we analyzed the immune phenotype and function of HT patients ( = 56) at short and long terms (prospective and retrospective cohorts), taking into account the time of EVL initiation: early (3 months post-transplant, EVL-E group) or late (>1 year post-transplant, EVL-L group) compared with mycophenolate mofetil treatment (MMF group).

Randomised evaluation of a novel biodegradable polymer-based sirolimus-eluting stent in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction: the MASTER study.

Aims: The MASTER study was designed to compare the performance of a new biodegradable polymer sirolimus-eluting stent (BP-SES) with a bare metal stent (BMS) in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).

Methods And Results: The study was a prospective, randomised (3:1), controlled, single-blind multicentre trial that enrolled 500 STEMI patients within 24 hours of symptom onset during 2013-2015. Three hundred and seventy-five patients were treated with BP-SES and 125 with BMS.

Analysis of early failure of Biotronik Linox Smart implantable cardioverter-defibrillator leads: A comparative study of three defibrillator leads.

Background And Objectives: Early failure of Biotronik Linox and Linox Smart leads (Biotronik, Berlin, Germany) has been reported in numerous recent publications. The aim of this study was to assess the performance of this lead compared with that of two other contemporary leads.

Methods: We conducted an ambispective study of all consecutive first implantations of defibrillator leads carried out in our center: Endotak (model 148, 158, Boston Scientific, Marlborough, MA, USA) (n = 173), Sprint Quattro (model 6644, 6947, Medtronic, Dublin, Ireland) (n = 145), and Linox Smart (Biotronik, model SD 65/16) (n = 120).

More intensive CMV-infection in chronic heart failure patients contributes to higher T-lymphocyte differentiation degree.

Immunosenescence in chronic heart failure (CHF) is characterized by a high frequency of differentiated T-lymphocytes, contributing to an inflammatory status and a deficient ability to generate immunocompetent responses. CMV is the best known inducer of T-lymphocyte differentiation, and is associated with the phenomenon of immunosenescence. In this study, we included 58 elderly chronic heart failure patients (ECHF), 60 healthy elderly controls (HEC), 40 young chronic heart failure patients (YCHF) and 40 healthy young controls (HYC).

The impact of waiting for intervention on costs and effectiveness: the case of transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

Objectives: The economic crisis in Europe might have limited access to some innovative technologies implying an increase of waiting time. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the impact of waiting time on the costs and benefits of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) for the treatment of severe aortic stenosis.

Methods: This is a cost-utility analysis from the perspective of the Spanish National Health Service.

Anomalous right coronary artery origin with interarterial pathway-importance of morphological origin assessment and the role of percutaneous interventionism.

Anomalies in coronary arteries (CA) are an important issue in cardiology and cardiovascular surgery. Specifically the anomalous origin of the right coronary artery (RCA) is of special importance because it is the most frequent anomaly. Clinical practice guidelines recommend the revascularization treatment in cases of interarterial pathway and documented myocardial ischemia and when hypoplasia, compression or obstruction is evident.

Disease complexity in acute coronary syndrome is related to the patient's immunological status.

Background: Our aim was to investigate whether patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) display an overall T cell immunosenescence that could be contributing to worsening the stage of the disease.

Methods And Results: We compared the immunological status of 52 ACS patients, 21 controls with absence of coronary artery disease (CAD) (C1), and 50 healthy individuals (C2). We characterized leukocyte and T lymphocyte subpopulations by flow cytometry.

Transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve replacement compared with surgical replacement in patients with severe aortic stenosis and comparable risk: cost-utility and its determinants.

Objective: To evaluate cost-effectiveness of transfemoral TAVR vs surgical replacement (SAVR) and its determinants in patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis and comparable risk.

Methods: Patients were prospectively recruited in 6 Spanish hospitals and followed up over one year. We estimated adjusted incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) (Euros per quality-adjusted life-year [QALY] gained) using a net-benefit approach and assessed the determinants of incremental net-benefit of TAVR vs SAVR.

Immunosenescence and inflammation characterize chronic heart failure patients with more advanced disease.

Background: Chronic heart failure (CHF) is characterized by an inflammatory status with high levels of cytokines such as IL-6. We hypothesized that patients with CHF may develop immunosenescence due to inflammation and that this may be associated with a worse stage of the disease.

Methods And Results: We compared the immunological features of 58 elderly CHF patients (ECHF), 40 young CHF patients (YCHF), 60 healthy elderly controls (HEC) and 40 healthy young controls (HYC).