Efficacy of dapagliflozin in improving arrhythmia-related outcomes after ablation for atrial fibrillation: a retrospective single-center study.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a widespread type of sustained arrhythmia that poses significant health risks. Catheter ablation is the preferred treatment; however, arrhythmia recurrence remains challenging. Sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors, particularly dapagliflozin (DAPA), have exhibited cardiovascular benefits.

Rate of Change in 10-Year Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Risk and Its Implications for Primary Prevention.

Background: Contemporary cardiovascular primary prevention is based on the assessment of the 10-year risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). However, the clinical implications of temporal change in the 10-year ASCVD risk estimate (∆10-year ASCVD risk/year) are unknown.

Methods: A total of 211 077 participants without established ASCVD and with repetitive 10-year ASCVD risk assessment at an interval of 4 to 5 years were selected from the Korean National Health Insurance Service data.

Differences in Plaque Characteristics and Myocardial Mass: Implications for Physiological Significance.

Background: The mechanism of the fractional flow reserve (FFR) difference according to sex has not been clearly understood.

Objectives: This study sought to evaluate sex differences in coronary stenosis, plaque characteristics, and left ventricular (LV) mass and their implications for physiological significance.

Methods: This was a post hoc analysis of a pooled population of multicenter, international prospective cohorts.

Differential cardiovascular and renal benefits of SGLT2 inhibitors and GLP1 receptor agonists in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Background: The differential benefits of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP1RA) in cardiovascular or renal outcomes have not been fully investigated.

Methods: Patients with diabetes prescribed SGLT2i or GLP1RA were retrospectively identified. Patients treated with antihyperglycemic medications other than SGLT2i or GLP1RA were used as a control group.

Artificial intelligence versus physicians on interpretation of printed ECG images: Diagnostic performance of ST-elevation myocardial infarction on electrocardiography.

Background: Smartphone-based ECG analyzer using camera input can be useful as everyone have it. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether such a system can outperform clinicians in detecting ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) regardless of image acquisition conditions.

Methods: We retrospectively enrolled suspected STEMI patients in an emergency department from January to October 2021.

Differential Prognostic Implications of Pre- and Post-Stent Fractional Flow Reserve in Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

Background And Objectives: The influence of pre-intervention coronary physiologic status on outcomes post percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is not well known. We sought to investigate the prognostic implications of pre-PCI fractional flow reserve (FFR) combined with post-PCI FFR.

Methods: A total of 1,479 PCI patients with pre-and post-PCI FFR data were analyzed.

Algorithm for diagnosing hypertension using out-of-office blood pressure measurements.

The authors developed and validated a diagnostic algorithm using the optimal upper and lower cut-off values of office and home BP at which ambulatory BP measurements need to be applied. Patients presenting with high BP (≥140/90 mm Hg) at the outpatient clinic were referred to measure office, home, and ambulatory BP. Office and home BP were divided into hypertension, intermediate (requiring diagnosis using ambulatory BP), and normotension zones.

Characteristics of Individuals with Disagreement between Home and Ambulatory Blood Pressure Measurements for the Diagnosis of Hypertension.

Home and ambulatory blood pressure (BP) measurements are recommended for the diagnosis of hypertension. However, the clinical characteristics of individuals showing a diagnostic disagreement between their home and ambulatory BP measurements are unclear. Of the 470 individuals who were not on antihypertensive drug treatment with a BP ≥140/90 mmHg at an outpatient clinic, 399 who had valid office, home, and ambulatory BP results were included.

Role of Post-Stent Physiological Assessment in a Risk Prediction Model After Coronary Stent Implantation.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to develop a risk model incorporating clinical, angiographic, and physiological parameters to predict future clinical events after drug-eluting stent implantation.

Background: Prognostic factors after coronary stenting have not been comprehensively investigated.

Methods: A risk model to predict target vessel failure (TVF) at 2 years was developed from 2,200 patients who underwent second-generation drug-eluting stent implantation and post-stent fractional flow reserve (FFR) measurement.

Effect of Sex Difference of Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction on Long-Term Outcomes in Deferred Lesions.

Objectives: This study investigated the sex difference of long-term cardiovascular outcomes on coronary flow reserve (CFR) and index of microcirculatory resistance (IMR) in patients with deferred coronary artery lesions.

Background: Coronary microvascular dysfunction is associated with poorer long-term outcomes. It can be assessed by CFR and the IMR.

Sex Differences in Instantaneous Wave-Free Ratio or Fractional Flow Reserve-Guided Revascularization Strategy.

Objectives: This study sought to evaluate sex differences in procedural characteristics and clinical outcomes of instantaneous wave-free ratio (iFR)- and fractional flow reserve (FFR)-guided revascularization strategies.

Background: An iFR-guided strategy has shown a lower revascularization rate than an FFR-guided strategy, without differences in clinical outcomes.

Methods: This is a post hoc analysis of the DEFINE-FLAIR (Functional Lesion Assessment of Intermediate stenosis to guide Revascularization) study, in which 601 women and 1,891 men were randomized to iFR- or FFR-guided strategy.

Long-Term Comparison of Platinum Chromium Everolimus-Eluting Stent vs. Cobalt Chromium Zotarolimus-Eluting Stent - 3-Year Outcomes From the HOST-ASSURE Randomized Clinical Trial.

Background: There are limited data on the long-term outcome of platinum chromium-based everolimus-eluting stents (PtCr-EES) vs. cobalt chromium-based zotarolimus-eluting stents (CoCr-ZES).

Methods and results: A total of 3,755 patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were randomized 2:1 to PtCr-EES or CoCr-ZES, and 96.

Associations of serum liver enzyme levels and their changes over time with all-cause and cause-specific mortality in the general population: a large-scale national health screening cohort study.

Objectives: To investigate the associations of the levels of liver enzymes, such as alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and gamma glutamyltransferase (GGT), at baseline and their changes over time with mortality.

Design: Cohort study.

Setting, Participants And Outcome Measures: We analysed the data of 484 472 individuals from the National Health Insurance Service-National Health Screening Cohort (2002-2013).

Influence of Sex on Relationship Between Total Anatomical and Physiologic Disease Burdens and Their Prognostic Implications in Patients With Coronary Artery Disease.

Background Total atherosclerosis disease burden is associated with clinical outcomes in patients with coronary artery disease. However, the influence of sex on the relationship between total anatomical and physiologic disease burdens and their prognostic implications have not been well defined. Methods and Results A total of 1136 patients who underwent fractional flow reserve (FFR) measurement in all 3 major coronary arteries were included in this study.

Prognostic implication of thermodilution coronary flow reserve in patients with indeterminate pressure-bounded coronary flow reserve.

Background: Recently, the concept of pressure-bounded coronary flow reserve (PB-CFR) has been introduced. However, using pressure-only data, a substantial proportion of patients could not be classified into high or low PB-CFR and remained as indeterminate PB-CFR. The current study evaluated the prognostic implication of thermodilution-based CFR (thermo-CFR) in patients with indeterminate PB-CFR.

Assessing Impact of High-Dose Pitavastatin on Carotid Artery Elasticity with Speckle-Tracking Strain Imaging.

Aim: Speckle-tracking imaging has been introduced for the precise assessment of vessel mechanics. However, there are no data on the role of this imaging tool in assessing the changes in vasculature with statin therapy, which is known to enhance vascular elasticity.

Methods: This study was a prospective study including 48 statin-naïve patients (age, 58.

Efficacy and Safety of Adding Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Statin-treated Patients with Residual Hypertriglyceridemia: ROMANTIC (Rosuvastatin-OMAcor iN residual hyperTrIglyCeridemia), a Randomized, Double-blind, and Placebo-controlled Trial.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy and safety of adding ω-3 fatty acids to rosuvastatin in patients with residual hypertriglyceridemia despite statin treatment.

Methods: This study was a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. After a 4-week run-in period of rosuvastatin treatment, the patients who had residual hypertriglyceridemia were randomized to receive rosuvastatin 20 mg/d plus ω-3 fatty acids 4 g/d (ROSUMEGA group) or rosuvastatin 20 mg/d (rosuvastatin group) with a 1:1 ratio and were prescribed each medication for 8 weeks.

Similarity and Difference of Resting Distal to Aortic Coronary Pressure and Instantaneous Wave-Free Ratio.

Background: Instantaneous wave-free ratio (iFR) has been used in clinical practice to identify functionally significant stenosis and to guide treatment strategy. However, there are limited clinical data regarding another resting pressure-derived index, resting distal to aortic coronary pressure (Pd/Pa), and similarities and differences between resting Pd/Pa and iFR.

Objectives: The authors investigated the changes in resting Pd/Pa and iFR according to anatomic and hemodynamic stenosis severity and their prognostic implications.

Exploring Coronary Circulatory Response to Stenosis and Its Association With Invasive Physiologic Indexes Using Absolute Myocardial Blood Flow and Coronary Pressure.

Background: Although invasive physiological assessment for coronary stenosis has become a standard practice to guide treatment strategy, coronary circulatory response and changes in invasive physiological indexes, according to different anatomic and hemodynamic lesion severity, have not been fully demonstrated in patients with coronary artery disease.

Methods: One hundred fifteen patients with left anterior descending artery stenosis who underwent both N-ammonia positron emission tomography and invasive physiological measurement were analyzed. Myocardial blood flow (MBF) measured with positron emission tomography and invasively measured coronary pressures were used to calculate microvascular resistance and stenosis resistance.