Transcatheter aortic valve implantation in low-risk tricuspid or bicuspid aortic stenosis: the NOTION-2 trial.

Background And Aims: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has become the first choice to treat older patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis (AS). This study aimed to compare TAVI with surgery in low-risk patients ≤75 years of age, including both tricuspid and bicuspid AS.

Methods: The Nordic Aortic Valve Intervention (NOTION)-2 trial enrolled and 1:1 randomized low-risk patients aged ≤75 years with severe symptomatic AS to TAVI or surgery.

Cohort profile: the European Unified Registries On Heart Care Evaluation and Randomized Trials (EuroHeart)-acute coronary syndrome and percutaneous coronary intervention.

Aims: The European Unified Registries On Heart Care Evaluation and Randomized Trials (EuroHeart) aims to improve the quality of care and clinical outcomes for patients with cardiovascular disease. The collaboration of acute coronary syndrome/percutaneous coronary intervention (ACS/PCI) registries is operational in seven vanguard European Society of Cardiology member countries.

Methods And Results: Adults admitted to hospitals with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) are included, and individual patient-level data collected and aligned according to the internationally agreed EuroHeart data standards for ACS/PCI.

Transplantation of a bioengineered tissue patch promotes uterine repair in the sheep.

Innovative bioengineering strategies utilizing extracellular matrix (ECM) based scaffolds derived from decellularized tissue offer new prospects for restoring damaged uterine tissue. Despite successful fertility restoration in small animal models, the translation to larger and more clinically relevant models have not yet been assessed. Thus, our study investigated the feasibility to use a 6 cm graft constructed from decellularized sheep uterine tissue, mimicking a future application to repair a uterine defect in women.

Association between pre-operative prolonged corrected QT interval and all-cause mortality after non-cardiac surgery.

Background: Prolonged corrected QT interval (QTc) has been linked to risk of arrhythmias and mortality in the general population. Pre-operative electrocardiography is often obtained for patient-and procedural cardiovascular risk assessment. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of pre-operative QTc and all-cause mortality in a non-cardiac surgical cohort.

[Acute myocardial infarction in young adults: incidence, risk factors and prognosis].

Introduction: The incidence of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) might not be decreasing as much among young adults as in the general population in recent years. The goal of our study was to explore incidence, risk factors and prognosis of AMI among young patients in Iceland.

Material And Methods: This was a retrospective case control study.

[Management of patients with left main stem stenosis in Iceland 2010-2020: PCI or CABG].

Introduction: Coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG) has been standard treatment for patients with left main coronary artery disease (LMCAD) but percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) can be a good alternative. Our aim was to evaluate revascularization of LMCAD-patients in Iceland and treatment changes in recent years. We also assessed the impact of patient background factors on treatment choice and long-term survival.

Mesenchymal stem cells establish a pro-regenerative immune milieu after decellularized rat uterus tissue transplantation.

Decellularized tissue is generally considered immune privileged after transplantation and is an attractive scaffold type for tissue regeneration, including applications for infertility treatment. However, the immune response following transplantation of decellularized tissue is insufficiently studied, in particular after they have been recellularized with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Therefore, we replaced a large uterus segment with a bioengineered graft developed from decellularized uterus tissue and analyzed the immune response during the first 4 months in acellular or MSCs-recellularized scaffolds in the rat.

[Management and revascularization of diabetics with coronary artery disease in Iceland].

Background: The incidence of diabetes is growing, and diabetics have increased risk of atherosclerosis and diffuse coronary artery disease (CAD). Our aim was to assess the revascularization treatment of diabetics with CAD in Iceland from 2010-2020, changes in management and long-term survival of patients.

Methods: All patients in Iceland with diabetes and CAD on cardiac catheterization 2010-2020 were included in this retrospective, population-based study.

Long-term survival of Icelandic women following acute myocardial infarction.

. To evaluate the impact of sex on treatment and survival after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in Iceland. .

[Impact of renal dysfunction on early outcomes of coronary artery bypass grafting surgery].

Introduction: Impaired renal function as seen in chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a known risk factor for coronary artery diseases and has been linked to inferior outcome after myocardial revascularization. Studies on the outcome of coronary bypass grafting (CABG) in CKD-patients are scarce. We aimed to study this subgroup of patients following CABG in a well defined whole-nation cohort, focusing on short term complications and 30 day mortality.

[Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated non-pharmaceutical interventions on diagnosis of myocardial infarction and selected infections in Iceland 2020].

Introducton: Nonpharmaceutical interventions to contain the spread of COVID-19 infections in Iceland in 2020 were successful, but the effects of these measures on incidence and diagnosis of other diseases is unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the diagnosis of myocardial infarction (MI) and selected infections with different transmission routes.

Materials And Methods: Health records of individuals 18 years or older who were admitted to Landspitali University Hospital (LUH) in 2016-2020 with pneumonia or MI were extracted from the hospital registry.

5-Year Outcomes of PCI Guided by Measurement of Instantaneous Wave-Free Ratio Versus Fractional Flow Reserve.

Background: Instantaneous wave-free ratio (iFR) is a coronary physiology index used to assess the severity of coronary artery stenosis to guide revascularization. iFR has previously demonstrated noninferior short-term outcome compared to fractional flow reserve (FFR), but data on longer-term outcome have been lacking.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the prespecified 5-year follow-up of the primary composite outcome of all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction, and unplanned revascularization of the iFR-SWEDEHEART trial comparing iFR vs FFR in patients with chronic and acute coronary syndromes.

A retrospective study on adherence to secondary prevention medications after coronary bypass surgery.

Objectives: We assessed adherence to statins, beta-blockers and renin-angiotensin system (RAS) inhibitors after coronary artery bypass graft surgery and factors associated with non-adherence.

Methods: This nationwide retrospective cohort study included all individuals undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery from 22 May 2007 to 20 December 2018, at Landspitali-the National University Hospital (n = 1536). Data on dispensed prescriptions were retrieved from the National Prescription Medicine Registry.

[Advances in lung cancer diagnosis and treatment - a review].

Lung cancer is the second and third most common cancer in Iceland for females and males, respectively. Although the incidence is declining, lung cancer still has the highest mortality of all cancers in Iceland. Symptoms of lung cancer can be specific and localized to the lungs, but more commonly they are unspecific and result in significant diagnostic delay.

Genetic variants associated with platelet count are predictive of human disease and physiological markers.

Platelets play an important role in hemostasis and other aspects of vascular biology. We conducted a meta-analysis of platelet count GWAS using data on 536,974 Europeans and identified 577 independent associations. To search for mechanisms through which these variants affect platelets, we applied cis-expression quantitative trait locus, DEPICT and IPA analyses and assessed genetic sharing between platelet count and various traits using polygenic risk scoring.

[Cardiac Lipoma - Case presentation].

Cardiac lipomas are very rare benign tumors of the heart. They are usually asymptomatic and are often an incidental finding on cardiac imaging. This case report involves an 82-year-old female with a history of diabetes admitted because of poor glycemic control.

Acute gastrointestinal bleeding among patients on antiplatelet and anticoagulant therapy after percutaneous coronary intervention.

Background: Patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) require dual antiplatelet therapy and some require additional anticoagulation. We aimed to investigate the incidence of acute gastrointestinal bleeding (AGIB) among PCI patients receiving antiplatelet and anticoagulant therapy.

Methods: A population-based study that included all patients undergoing PCI during 2008-2016 in Iceland.

[Indications and outcomes of TAVI (transcatheter aortic valve implantation) in Iceland].

Introduction: Surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) has been the standard of treatment for aortic stenosis but transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is increasingly used as treatment in Iceland and elsewhere. Our objective was to assess the outcome of TAVI in Iceland, focusing on indications, complications and survival.

Material And Methods: This retrospective study included all TAVI-procedures performed in Iceland between January 2012 and June 2020.

Final analysis of a 14-year long-term follow-up study of the effectiveness and immunogenicity of the quadrivalent human papillomavirus vaccine in women from four nordic countries.

Background: The quadrivalent human papillomavirus (qHPV) vaccine prevented vaccine HPV type-related infection and disease in young women in the 4-year FUTURE II efficacy study (NCT00092534). We report long-term effectiveness and immunogenicity at the end of 14 years of follow-up after enrollment in FUTURE II.

Methods: Young women (16-23 years of age) from Denmark, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden who received three qHPV vaccine doses during the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled FUTURE II base study were followed for effectiveness for an additional ≥10 years through national registries.

Association Between Preoperative Opioid and Benzodiazepine Prescription Patterns and Mortality After Noncardiac Surgery.

Importance: The number of patients prescribed long-term opioids and benzodiazepines and complications from their long-term use have increased. Information regarding the perioperative outcomes of patients prescribed these medications before surgery is limited.

Objective: To determine whether patients prescribed opioids and/or benzodiazepines within 6 months preoperatively would have greater short- and long-term mortality and increased opioid consumption postoperatively.

Reclassification of Treatment Strategy With Instantaneous Wave-Free Ratio and Fractional Flow Reserve: A Substudy From the iFR-SWEDEHEART Trial.

Objectives: The authors sought to compare reclassification of treatment strategy following instantaneous wave-free ratio (iFR) and fractional flow reserve (FFR).

Background: iFR was noninferior to FFR in 2 large randomized controlled trials in guiding coronary revascularization. Reclassification of treatment strategy by FFR is well-studied, but similar reports on iFR are lacking.