Publications by authors named "Eva Rickers"
Objective: Systemic inflammation, aging, and type 2 diabetes (T2DM) all contribute to the development of cardiovascular dysfunction and impaired aerobic exercise capacity but their interplay remains unclear. This study evaluates the impact of age, sex, and inflammation on coronary and peripheral vascular function and exercise capacity in elderly individuals with and without type 2 diabetes (T2DM).
Research Design And Methods: Elderly individuals (age ≥65 years) underwent biochemical and tissue inflammatory phenotyping, cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET), cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging, and vascular reactivity testing.
Article Synopsis
- This study evaluated the effectiveness of cardiac magnetic resonance techniques—specifically extracellular volume fraction (ECV) and global longitudinal strain (GLS)—in predicting outcomes for patients with suspected heart failure but no coronary artery disease.
- Out of 474 patients monitored for an average of 18 months, 12% experienced all-cause death or heart failure hospitalization, with ECV and GLS showing significant associations with these outcomes even after adjusting for other factors.
- The combination of ECV and GLS improved risk prediction models beyond traditional measures like left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE), suggesting they could be valuable tools in heart failure risk assessment.