Physical cardiac rehabilitation effects on cardio-metabolic outcomes in the patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: a systematic review.

Objectives: This systematic review aimed to review existing evidence to evaluate the effects of physical cardiac rehabilitation on cardio-pulmonary outcomes in the patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).

Methods: We conducted a systematic search of the databases PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Scopus, and Google Scholar. The initial search led to 1222 citations after removing duplicate results.

Spatial patterns of high-risk biomechanical metrics in plaques with abnormal vs. normal physiological flow indices.

Background: Plaques associated with abnormally low physiological flow reserve indices are appropriate for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). However, recent trials demonstrate that PCI of ischemia-producing lesions does not reduce major adverse cardiac events (MACE). Low endothelial shear stress (ESS) or high ESS gradient (ESSG) are associated with MACE wherever they occur along the plaque.

Comparative effectiveness of ultrathin vs. standard strut drug-eluting stents: insights from a large-scale meta-analysis with extended follow-up.

Background: Newer generation ultrathin strut stents are associated with less incidence of target lesion failure (TLF) in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in the short term. However, its long-term effect on different cardiovascular outcomes remains unknown.

Objectives: We aim to identify the effects of newer-generation ultrathin-strut stents vs.

Comparative Analysis of PCI Strategies in Aortic Stenosis Patients Undergoing TAVI: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis.

Background: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has been increasingly used in patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS). Since coronary artery disease (CAD) is common among these patients, it is crucial to choose the best method and timing of revascularization. This study aims to compare different timing strategies of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with severe AS undergoing TAVI to clarify whether PCI timing affects the patients' outcomes or not.

Comprehensive biomechanical and anatomical atherosclerotic plaque metrics predict major adverse cardiovascular events: A new tool for clinical decision making.

Background And Aims: Anatomical imaging alone of coronary atherosclerotic plaques is insufficient to identify risk of future adverse events and guide management of non-culprit lesions. Low endothelial shear stress (ESS) and high plaque structural stress (PSS) are associated with events, but individually their predictive value is insufficient for risk prediction. We determined whether combining multiple complementary, biomechanical and anatomical plaque characteristics improves outcome prediction sufficiently to inform clinical decision-making.

Anthracyclines and the risk of arrhythmias: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: There have been controversial findings from recent studies regarding anthracyclines use and the subsequent risk of arrhythmias. This study aimed to evaluate the existing evidence of the risk of arrhythmias in patients treated with anthracyclines.

Methods: PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were searched up to April 2022 using keywords such as "anthracycline" and "arrhythmia.

The plaque hypothesis: understanding mechanisms of plaque progression and destabilization, and implications for clinical management.

Purpose Of Review: Major adverse cardiac events (MACE) typically arise from nonflow-limiting coronary artery disease and not from flow-limiting obstructions that cause ischemia. This review elaborates the current understanding of the mechanism(s) for plaque development, progression, and destabilization and how identification of these high-risk features can optimally inform clinical management.

Recent Findings: Advanced invasive and noninvasive coronary imaging and computational postprocessing enhance an understanding of pathobiologic/pathophysiologic features of coronary artery plaques prone to destabilization and MACE.

The role of endothelial shear stress, shear stress gradient, and plaque topography in plaque erosion.

Background And Aims: Plaque erosion is a common underlying cause of acute coronary syndromes. The role of endothelial shear stress (ESS) and endothelial shear stress gradient (ESSG) in plaque erosion remains unknown. We aimed to determine the role of ESS metrics and maximum plaque slope steepness in plaques with erosion versus stable plaques.

Endothelial shear stress computed from coronary computed tomography angiography: A direct comparison to intravascular ultrasound.

Introduction: Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) studies have shown that biomechanical variables, particularly endothelial shear stress (ESS), add synergistic prognostic insight when combined with anatomic high-risk plaque features. Non-invasive risk assessment of coronary plaques with coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) would be helpful to enable broad population risk-screening.

Aim: To compare the accuracy of ESS computation of local ESS metrics by CCTA vs IVUS imaging.

Association between insomnia and the incidence of myocardial infarction: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Insomnia has been closely associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) including myocardial infarction (MI). Our study aims to assess the eligibility of insomnia as a potential risk factor for MI.

Methods: PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched using terms; such as "Insomnia" and "MI.

Multimodality imaging results of TAP versus novel modified TAP stenting in coronary bifurcation: From bench testing to first-in-man investigation.

Objectives: We investigated the results of T and small protrusion (TAP) versus a novel modification of TAP (mTAP) stenting by multimodality imaging in bench testing and in patients with coronary bifurcation lesions (CBL).

Background: TAP stenting is a suboptimal technique for bailout side branch (SB) stenting.

Methods: In a bench model, optical coherence tomography (OCT), microscopic examinations (ME), and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) were performed after TAP and mTAP stenting.

The role of far-field intravascular ultrasound in transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

Precise and accurate characterization of the aortic valve complex is a vital step in the procedure planning for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Far-field intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) is a novel technology that can be utilized to assess aortic valve annulus and predict paravalvular leak, with comparable results to multi-detector computed tomography-the current gold standard in the preprocedural planning in TAVR. Far-field IVUS carries the advantage of minimal contrast use and lower radiation exposure.

Reviewing imaging modalities for the assessment of plaque erosion.

Plaque rupture followed by intracoronary thrombus formation is recognized as the most common pathophysiological mechanism in acute coronary syndromes (ACS). The second most common underlying substrate for ACS is plaque erosion whose hallmark is thrombus formation without cap disruption. Invasive and non-invasive methods have emerged as a promising tool for evaluation of plaque features that either predict or detect plaque erosion.

Preemptive percutaneous coronary intervention for coronary artery disease: identification of the appropriate high-risk lesion.

Purpose Of Review: Management of patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) has been based on identification of a coronary obstruction causing ischemia and performing a revascularization procedure to reduce that ischemia, with the goal of thereby preventing subsequent major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) in that vascular territory. Recent investigations demonstrate that preemptive percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of nonculprit coronary lesions (NCLs) that may not cause ischemia in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) reduces MACE. In this review, we focus on preemptive PCI, discuss its mechanistic benefits and speculate on its potential value for other coronary syndromes.

A new intravascular ultrasound-guided stenting strategy compared with angiography on stent expansion and procedural outcomes in patients with positive lesion remodeling.

Objectives: We investigated the role of a new intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)-guided stenting strategy versus angiography on optimal stent expansion (OSE) and procedural outcomes in patients with positive lesion remodeling.

Background: There are no IVUS criteria on how to achieve OSE.

Methods: A total of 100 patients were assigned to a new IVUS-guided stenting strategy (IVUS group) versus angiography-guided stenting (Angio group).

Role of Proximal Optimization Technique Guided by Intravascular Ultrasound on Stent Expansion, Stent Symmetry Index, and Side-Branch Hemodynamics in Patients With Coronary Bifurcation Lesions.

Background: Bench models of coronary bifurcation lesions demonstrated that the proximal optimization technique (POT) expanded the stent and opened the side branch (SB). We investigated the role of POT guided by intravascular ultrasound on the main vessel (MV) stent expansion and SB fractional flow reserve (FFR) in patients with coronary bifurcation lesion.

Methods And Results: In 40 patients with coronary bifurcation lesion, 120 intravascular ultrasound examinations of the MV were performed at baseline, after MV stenting, and POT followed by 95 FFR measurements of the SB.

Large-field intravascular ultrasound for annular sizing and predicting paravalvular regurgitation during TAVR: comparisons with multidetector computed tomography and transoesophageal echocardiography.

Aims: The use of contrast media with multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) may induce acute kidney injury in patients with renal failure undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). We investigated the role of large-field intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) vs. MDCT and two-dimensional transoesophageal echocardiography (2D-TEE) for annular sizing and predicting paravalvular regurgitation (PVR) during TAVR.

Optical coherence tomography for guiding wire into a side branch coronary artery with flush total occlusion.

We report a case of flush occlusion, where a novel use of optical coherence tomography (OCT) helped in successful crossing and stenting of the lesion.

Intravascular ultrasound comparison of left main coronary artery disease between white and Asian patients.

We assessed the ethnic differences in coronary atherosclerosis lesion morphology between white and Asian patients. Our hypothesis was that left main coronary artery (LMCA) disease was more focal and less complex in Asian than in Western white patients. We studied 99 Asian patients (Japan and South Korea) and 99 matched control United States white patients with a stable clinical presentation and >30% LMCA angiographic diameter stenosis by visual estimation.

Serial gray scale intravascular ultrasound findings in late drug-eluting stent restenosis.

The primary aim of the present study was to assess the gray scale intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) findings that might be associated with late drug-eluting stent restenosis. The study included 47 patients (54 lesions) who had undergone either baseline IVUS-guided stent implantation or IVUS-guided repeat stenting to treat in-stent restenosis and then had IVUS follow-up data for ≥1.5 years afterward without any intervening procedures.

High platelet reactivity on clopidogrel therapy correlates with increased coronary atherosclerosis and calcification: a volumetric intravascular ultrasound study.

Objectives: This study sought to evaluate the relationship between platelet reactivity and atherosclerotic burden in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with pre-intervention volumetric intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) imaging.

Background: Atherosclerosis progresses by the pathologic sequence of subclinical plaque rupture, thrombosis, and healing. In this setting, increased platelet reactivity may lead to more extensive arterial thrombosis at the time of plaque rupture, leading to a more rapid progression of the disease.