Work Environment, Burnout, and Intent to Leave Current Job Among Cardiologists and Cardiology Health Care Workers: Results From the National Coping With COVID Survey.

Background: Little is known about factors contributing to burnout and intent to leave in cardiologists and other cardiology health care workers.

Methods And Results: The Coping With COVID survey assessed work conditions, burnout, and intent to leave among physicians, nurses, advanced practice providers, and other clinical staff (OCS) from April 2020 to December 2020. Single-item measures assessed work conditions, burnout (emotional exhaustion), and intent to leave.

Temporary-permanent pacemakers are associated with better clinical and safety outcomes compared to balloon-tipped temporary pacemakers.

Background: Balloon Tipped Temporary Pacemakers (BTTP) are the most used temporary pacemakers; however, they are associated with a risk of dislodgement and thromboembolism. Recently, Temporary Permanent Pacemakers (TPPM) have been increasingly used. Evidence of outcomes with TPPM compared to BTTP remains scarce.

Impact of arteriovenous fistula on flow states in the evaluation of aortic stenosis among ESKD patients on dialysis.

Introduction: An arteriovenous fistula (AVF) in patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) can influence flow states. We sought to evaluate if assessment of aortic stenosis (AS) by transthoracic echocardiographic (TTE) differs in the presence of AVF compared to other dialysis accesses in patients on dialysis.

Methods: We identified consecutive ESKD patients on dialysis and concomitant AS from a single center between January 2000 and March 2021.

Proportional troponin changes and risk for outcomes with intervention strategies in non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome across kidney function.

Aims: This analysis evaluates whether proportional serial cardiac troponin (cTn) change predicts benefit from an early versus delayed invasive, or conservative treatment strategies across kidney function in non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS).

Methods: Patients diagnosed with NSTE-ACS in the Veterans Health Administration between 1999 and 2022 were categorized into terciles (<20%, 20 to ≤80%, >80%) of proportional change in serial cTn. Primary outcome included mortality or rehospitalization for myocardial infarction at 6 and 12 months, in survivors of index admission.

Racial Differences and Contributory Cardiovascular and Non-Cardiovascular Risk Factors Towards Chronic Kidney Disease Progression.

Background: The prevalence of advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) is higher in Black than in White Americans. We evaluated CKD progression in Black and White participants and the contribution of biological risk factors. We included the study of lung function (measured by forced vital capacity [FVC]), which is part of the emerging notion of interorgan cross-talk with the kidneys to racial differences in CKD progression.

Renal impairment and mortality in patients with STEMI and cardiogenic shock/cardiac arrest.

Objectives: We sought to study the association of renal impairment (RI) with mortality in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) complicated by cardiogenic shock and/or cardiac arrest (CS/CA).

Methods: Patients with RI (estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL/min/1.73 m ) were identified from the Midwest STEMI consortium, a prospective registry of four large regional programs comprising consecutive patients over 17 years.

Recognizing blind spots on echocardiography: Incremental benefit of cardiac CT in investigating the source of systemic embolism.

Transesophageal echocardiography is the gold-standard for evaluating potential central sources of thromboembolism. Despite its routine use and excellent safety profile, limitations exist in the ability to effectively assess the aortic arch and proximal descending aorta with this imaging modality. We herein present a case of a 59 year-old patient presenting with renal and splenic infarcts, without obvious cardioembolic source on echocardiography, who was found to have a large, mobile aortic thrombus on gated cardiac computed tomography.

Aspirin for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease: What do the current USPSTF guidelines say?

The 2022 US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendation notes that the decision to initiate daily aspirin therapy for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) should be made on a case-by-case basis for adults ages 40 to 59 with a 10% or greater 10-year CVD risk. The recommendation applies to those without signs or symptoms of clinically evident CVD who are not at an increased risk of bleeding. Clinicians are encouraged to use their judgment in weighing the risks and benefits of aspirin therapy, while taking patient preference into account for patients ages 40 to 60.

Nontraditional Risk Factors for Progression Through Chronic Kidney Disease Risk Categories: The Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Study.

Background: There may be nontraditional pathways of chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression that are complementary to classical pathways. Therefore, we aimed to examine nontraditional risk factors for incident CKD and its progression.

Methods: We used the generally healthy population (n = 4382) starting at age 27-41 years in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) cohort, which is an observational longitudinal study.

Rapidly Progressive and Catastrophic Calciphylaxis After Mechanical Valve Replacement: An Anticoagulation Dilemma.

Warfarin is the only approved anticoagulant after mechanical valve replacement, but it is a well described risk factor for calciphylaxis among patients with end-stage kidney disease. Our patient with end-stage kidney disease rapidly developed calciphylaxis after dual mechanical valve replacement in association with warfarin initiation, posing significant challenges in clinical management and a fatal outcome. ().

Progression of Chronic Kidney Disease Risk Categories and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease and Total Mortality: Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Cohort.

Background Previous studies of worsening chronic kidney disease (CKD) based on declining estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) or increasing urine albumin-creatinine ratio (UACR) are limited to later middle-age and older adults. We examined associations of CKD progression and incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality in younger adults. Methods and Results We studied 4382 adults in CARDIA (Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults) initially aged 27 to 41 years and prospectively over 20 years.

Interobserver variability among experienced electrocardiogram readers to diagnose acute thrombotic coronary occlusion in patients with out of hospital cardiac arrest: Impact of metabolic milieu and angiographic culprit.

Objectives: We sought to evaluate interobserver concordance among experienced electrocardiogram (ECG) readers in predicting acute thrombotic coronary occlusion (ATCO) in the context of abnormal metabolic milieu (AMM) following resuscitated out of hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA).

Methods: OHCA patients with initial shockable rhythm who underwent invasive coronary angiography (ICA) were included. AMM was defined as one of: pH < 7.

Coronary Artery Disease in Chronic Kidney Disease: Need for a Heart-Kidney Team-Based Approach.

Chronic kidney disease and coronary artery disease are co-prevalent conditions with unique epidemiological and pathophysiological features, that culminate in high rates of major adverse cardiovascular outcomes, including all-cause mortality. This review outlines a summary of the literature, and nuances pertaining to non-invasive risk assessment of this population, medical management options for coronary heart disease and coronary revascularisation. A collaborative heart-kidney team-based approach is imperative for critical management decisions for this patient population, especially coronary revascularisation; this review outlines specific periprocedural considerations pertaining to coronary revascularisation, and provides a proposed algorithm for approaching revascularisation choices in patients with end-stage kidney disease based on available literature.

Saving time saves lives! A time focused evaluation of a single-view echocardiographic screening protocol for subclinical rheumatic heart disease.

Background: Rheumatic heart disease affects 33 million people in low and middle income countries and is the leading cause of cardiovascular death among children and young adults. Evidence increasingly supports that simplified screening protocols can identify at risk children with good accuracy. One of the more proximal and pragmatic hurdles that has not been completely explored is the time required for executing the screening exam.

Ischemic ST-Segment Depression Maximal in V1-V4 (Versus V5-V6) of Any Amplitude Is Specific for Occlusion Myocardial Infarction (Versus Nonocclusive Ischemia).

Background Occlusion myocardial infarctions (OMIs) of the posterolateral walls are commonly missed by ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) criteria, with >50% of patients with circumflex occlusion not receiving emergent reperfusion and experiencing increased mortality. ST-segment depression maximal in leads V1-V4 (STDmaxV1-4) has been suggested as an indicator of posterior OMI. Methods and Results We retrospectively reviewed a high-risk population with acute coronary syndrome.

5-Year Outcomes Comparing Surgical Versus Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare 5-year cardiovascular, renal, and bioprosthetic valve durability outcomes in patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) or surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR).

Background: Patients with severe AS and CKD undergoing TAVR or SAVR are a challenging, understudied clinical subset.

Methods: Intermediate-risk patients with moderate to severe CKD (estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL/min/m) from the PARTNER (Placement of Aortic Transcatheter Valve) 2A trial (patients randomly assigned to SAPIEN XT TAVR or SAVR) and SAPIEN 3 Intermediate Risk Registry were pooled.

An indolent cause of high-output heart failure in end-stage kidney disease-Application of the Nicoladoni-Israel-Branham test: A case report.

Background: A hemodynamically significant arteriovenous fistula (AVF) in end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) causes a high flow state, resulting in pathologic cardiovascular remodeling, and deserves timely clinical recognition.

Case: A 55-year-old woman with history of ESKD with deceased donor kidney transplant with failing graft function and baseline creatinine of 2.8 mg/dl presented to the clinic with nocturnal cough, orthopnea, dyspnea on exertion and pedal edema.

Do not disregard the initial 12 lead ECG after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: It predicts angiographic culprit despite metabolic abnormalities.

Objectives: The initial 12 lead electrocardiogram (ECG) following return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), is often disregarded by clinicians in ability to predict acute thrombotic coronary occlusion (ATCO) due to markedly abnormal metabolic milieu (AMM). We sought to evaluate the accuracy of initial vs. follow-up ECG prior to invasive coronary angiography (ICA) to predict ATCO following resuscitated OHCA.

A Plant-Centered Diet and Markers of Early Chronic Kidney Disease during Young to Middle Adulthood: Findings from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Cohort.

Background: Few studies have evaluated whether plant-centered diets prevent progression of early stage chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Objectives: We examined the association between plant-centered diet quality and early CKD markers.

Methods: We prospectively examined 2869 black and white men and women in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Study free of diagnosed kidney failure in 2005-2006 [examination year 20 (Y20); mean age: 45.

Evaluation and Management of Aortic Stenosis in Chronic Kidney Disease: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association.

Aortic stenosis with concomitant chronic kidney disease (CKD) represents a clinical challenge. Aortic stenosis is more prevalent and progresses more rapidly and unpredictably in CKD, and the presence of CKD is associated with worse short-term and long-term outcomes after aortic valve replacement. Because patients with advanced CKD and end-stage kidney disease have been excluded from randomized trials, clinicians need to make complex management decisions in this population that are based on retrospective and observational evidence.