Characterisation of the octogenarians presenting to the diagnostic heart failure clinic: SHEAF registry.

Introduction: Heart failure (HF) incidence is increasing in older adults with high hospitalisation and mortality rates. Treatment is complicated by side effects and comorbidities. We investigated the clinical characteristics of octogenarians presenting to the HF clinic.

Subclinical Systemic Sclerosis Primary Heart Involvement by Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Shows No Significant Interval Change.

Objective: Subclinical systemic sclerosis (SSc) primary heart involvement is commonly described. Whether these findings progress over time is not clear. The study aimed to investigate cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) interval change of subclinical SSc primary heart involvement.

Cardiovascular outcomes in systemic sclerosis with abnormal cardiovascular MRI and serum cardiac biomarkers.

Objectives: To explore the prognostic value of subclinical cardiovascular (CV) imaging measures and serum cardiac biomarkers in systemic sclerosis (SSc) for the development of CV outcomes of primary heart involvement (pHI).

Methods: Patients with SSc with no clinical SSc-pHI and no history of heart disease underwent cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging, and measurement of serum high-sensitivity-troponin I (hs-TnI) and N-terminal-pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP). Follow-up clinical and CV outcome data were recorded.

Predictors of subclinical systemic sclerosis primary heart involvement characterised by microvasculopathy and myocardial fibrosis.

Objectives: SSc primary heart involvement (SSc-pHI) is a significant cause of mortality. We aimed to characterize and identify predictors of subclinical SSc-pHI using cardiovascular MRI.

Methods: A total of 83 SSc patients with no history of cardiovascular disease or pulmonary arterial hypertension and 44 healthy controls (HCs) underwent 3 Tesla contrast-enhanced cardiovascular MRI, including T1 mapping and quantitative stress perfusion.

Characterisation of the patients with suspected heart failure: experience from the SHEAF registry.

Objectives: To characterise and risk-stratify patients presenting to a heart failure (HF) clinic according to the National Institute for health and Care Excellence (NICE) algorithm.

Methods: This is an observational study of prospectively collected data in the Sheffield HEArt Failure registry of consecutive patients with suspected HF between April 2012 and January 2020. Outcome was defined as all-cause mortality.

The cardiac complications of COVID-19: many publications, multiple uncertainties.

Since the first description of COVID-19 in December 2019, more than 63,000 publications have described its virology, clinical course, management, treatment and prevention. Most physicians are now encountering, or will soon encounter, patients with COVID-19 and must attempt to simultaneously assimilate this avalanche of information while managing an entirely novel disease with few guiding precedents. It is increasingly clear that, although primarily a respiratory illness, COVID-19 is associated with cardiovascular complications.

Feasibility and reproducibility of a cardiovascular magnetic resonance free-breathing, multi-shot, navigated image acquisition technique for ventricular volume quantification during continuous exercise.

Background: Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) image acquisition techniques during exercise typically requires either transient cessation of exercise or complex post-processing, potentially compromising clinical utility. We evaluated the feasibility and reproducibility of a navigated image acquisition method for ventricular volumes assessment during continuous physical exercise.

Methods: Ten healthy volunteers underwent supine cycle ergometer (Lode) exercise CMR on two separate occasions using a free-breathing, multi-shot, navigated, balanced steady-state free precession cine pulse sequence.

Clinical predictors of all-cause mortality in patients presenting to specialist heart failure clinic with raised NT-proBNP and no heart failure.

Aims: Clinical outcomes for patients suspected of having heart failure (HF) who do not meet the diagnostic criteria of any type of HF by echocardiography remain unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical predictors of all-cause mortality in patients with suspected HF, a raised N-terminal pro-b-type natriuretic peptide (NTproBNP) and who do not meet the diagnostic criteria of any type of HF by echocardiography.

Methods And Results: Relevant data were taken from the Sheffield HEArt Failure (SHEAF) registry (222349P4).

Cardiovascular MRI evidence of reduced systolic function and reduced LV mass in rheumatoid arthritis: impact of disease phenotype.

The accelerated risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) requires further study of the underlying pathophysiology and determination of the at-risk RA phenotype. Our objectives were to describe the cardiac structure and function and arterial stiffness, and association with disease phenotype in patients with established) RA, in comparison to healthy controls, as measured by cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR). 76 patients with established RA and no history of CVD/diabetes mellitus were assessed for RA and cardiovascular profile and underwent a non-contrast 3T-CMR, and compared to 26 healthy controls.

Myocardial Effects of Aldosterone Antagonism in Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction.

Background Spironolactone may have prognostic benefit in selected patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. This study assessed the myocardial tissue effects of spironolactone in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. Methods and Results A 1:1 randomized controlled study of 6 months of spironolactone versus control in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.

Regression of Left Ventricular Mass in Athletes Undergoing Complete Detraining Is Mediated by Decrease in Intracellular but Not Extracellular Compartments.

Background: Athletic cardiac remodeling can occasionally be difficult to differentiate from pathological hypertrophy. Detraining is a commonly used diagnostic test to identify physiological hypertrophy, which can be diagnosed if hypertrophy regresses. We aimed to establish whether athletic cardiac remodeling assessed by cardiovascular magnetic resonance is mediated by changes in intracellular or extracellular compartments and whether this occurs by 1 or 3 months of detraining.

A Systematic Review of 4D-Flow MRI Derived Mitral Regurgitation Quantification Methods.

Four-dimensional flow cardiac magnetic resonance (4D flow CMR) is an emerging non-invasive imaging technology that can be used to quantify mitral regurgitation (MR) volume. Current methods of quantification have demonstrated limitations in accurate analysis, particularly in difficult cases such as complex congenital heart disease. 4D flow CMR methods aim to circumvent these limitations and allow accurate quantification of MR volume even in complex cases.

Incidental significant arrhythmia in scleroderma associates with cardiac magnetic resonance measure of fibrosis and hs-TnI and NT-proBNP.

Objectives: To screen for significant arrhythmias with an implantable loop recorder (ILR) in patients with SSc and no known cardiovascular disease, and identify associated disease phenotype, blood and cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) biomarkers.

Methods: Twenty patients with SSc with no history of primary SSc heart disease, traditional cardiovascular disease, diabetes or maximum one traditional cardiovascular risk factor underwent clinical assessment, contrast-enhanced CMR and ILR insertion.

Results: ILR data were available for 19 patients: 63% female, mean (s.

Silent cerebral infarction and cognitive function following TAVI: an observational two-centre UK comparison of the first-generation CoreValve and second-generation Lotus valve.

Objective: To compare the incidence of silent cerebral infarction and impact on cognitive function following transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) with the first-generation CoreValve (Medtronic, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA) and second-generation Lotus valve (Boston Scientific, Natick Massachusetts, USA).

Design: A prospective observational study comprising a 1.5 T cerebral MRI scan, performed preoperatively and immediately following TAVI, and neurocognitive assessments performed at baseline, 30 days and 1 year follow-up.

Clinical evaluation of two dark blood methods of late gadolinium quantification of ischemic scar.

Background: Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) imaging was validated for diagnosis and quantification of myocardial infarction (MI). Despite good contrast between scar and normal myocardium, contrast between blood pool and myocardial scar can be limited. Dark blood LGE sequences attempt to overcome this issue.

Feasibility study of a single breath-hold, 3D mDIXON pulse sequence for late gadolinium enhancement imaging of ischemic scar.

Background: Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) imaging is well validated for the diagnosis and quantification of myocardial infarction (MI). 2D LGE imaging involves multiple breath-holds for acquisition of short-axis slices to cover the left ventricle (LV). 3D LGE methods cover the LV in a single breath-hold; however, breath-hold duration is typically long with images susceptible to motion artifacts.

Carotid artery volumetric measures associate with clinical ten-year cardiovascular (CV) risk scores and individual traditional CV risk factors in rheumatoid arthritis; a carotid-MRI feasibility study.

Background: Common carotid artery intima-media thickness (CIMT), as measured by ultrasound, has utility in stratification of the accelerated cardiovascular risk seen in rheumatoid arthritis (RA); however, the technique has limitations. Carotid magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is emerging as a useful research tool in the general population, but has yet to be applied in RA populations. Our objectives were to describe the utility of carotid artery MRI (carotid-MRI) in patients with RA in comparison to healthy controls and to describe the association with RA disease phenotype.