Sex Differences in the Development of Anthracycline-Associated Heart Failure.

Background: Female sex is frequently cited as a risk factor for anthracycline cardiotoxicity based on pediatric data, but the role of sex in the development of cardiotoxicity has not been clearly established in adults.

Objectives: To assess the effect of female sex on the development of incident heart failure (HF) in adult patients treated with anthracyclines.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of 1525 adult patients with no prior history of HF or cardiomyopathy who were treated with anthracyclines between 1992 and 2019.

The Spatial Ventricular Gradient Is an Independent Predictor of Anthracycline-Associated Cardiotoxicity.

Background: Anthracyclines are effective chemotherapies that are limited by cardiotoxicity. The spatial ventricular gradient (SVG) is a marker of electrical heterogeneity linked to adverse cardiovascular outcomes, including sudden cardiac death and heart failure (HF).

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess if SVG values before chemotherapy are associated with the risk of anthracycline-associated HF or cardiomyopathy (CM).

Automated analysis of limited echocardiograms: Feasibility and relationship to outcomes in COVID-19.

Background: As automated echocardiographic analysis is increasingly utilized, continued evaluation within hospital settings is important to further understand its potential value. The importance of cardiac involvement in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 provides an opportunity to evaluate the feasibility and clinical relevance of automated analysis applied to limited echocardiograms.

Methods: In this multisite US cohort, the feasibility of automated AI analysis was evaluated on 558 limited echocardiograms in patients hospitalized with COVID-19.

Tie2 activation protects against prothrombotic endothelial dysfunction in COVID-19.

Endothelial dysfunction accompanies the microvascular thrombosis commonly observed in severe COVID-19. Constitutively, the endothelial surface is anticoagulant, a property maintained at least in part via signaling through the Tie2 receptor. During inflammation, the Tie2 antagonist angiopoietin-2 (Angpt-2) is released from endothelial cells and inhibits Tie2, promoting a prothrombotic phenotypic shift.

Tie2 activation protects against prothrombotic endothelial dysfunction in COVID-19.

Profound endothelial dysfunction accompanies the microvascular thrombosis commonly observed in severe COVID-19. In the quiescent state, the endothelial surface is anticoagulant, a property maintained at least in part via constitutive signaling through the Tie2 receptor. During inflammation, the Tie2 antagonist angiopoietin-2 (Angpt-2) is released from activated endothelial cells and inhibits Tie2, promoting a prothrombotic phenotypic shift.