Characteristics, Trends, and Outcomes of Intravascular Lithotripsy-Assisted Transfemoral Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement in United States.

Background: Transfemoral (TF) access is the preferred approach for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Limited data exist regarding the outcomes of intravascular lithotripsy (IVL)-assisted TF TAVR in patients with peripheral artery disease.

Objectives: This study sought to examine contemporary characteristics, trends, and outcomes of IVL TAVR in the United States.

Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement in Special Populations.

Since its food and drug administration (FDA) approval in 2011, transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has revolutionized the highly prevalent disease of aortic stenosis. In this review, we present a comprehensive overview of the data and considerations for utilization of TAVR in special populations who were either excluded from or not adequately represented in the seminal TAVR trials, due to high-risk valvular and/or systemic factors. These include nonagenarians, patients with renal dysfunction, chronic thrombocytopenia, bicuspid aortic valve, rheumatic valve disease, patients with failed aortic valve bioprosthesis requiring valve-in-valve intervention and patients with mixed aortic valve disease.

Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Repair of Mitral Valve Regurgitation: Closing the Gap to Broaden the Coverage.

Background: Transcatheter edge-to-edge repair of mitral valve (M-TEER) is reasonable consideration in symptomatic patients with severe degenerative mitral regurgitation (MR) who are at high or prohibitive risk of surgical repair or replacement. In symptomatic patients on maximally tolerated medical therapy with severe secondary MR from left ventricular systolic dysfunction, M-TEER is reasonable therapeutic option.

Methods: In this review, we present a comprehensive overview of the most recent literature and considerations for M-TEER in patients excluded from key trials.

Preadmission Oral Anticoagulation for Atrial Fibrillation/Flutter and Death or Thrombotic Events During COVID-19 Admission.

Atrial fibrillation/flutter (AF) and COVID-19 are associated with an elevated risk of arterial and venous thrombosis. Whether preadmission oral anticoagulation (OAC) for AF reduces the incidence of in-hospital death or thrombotic events among patients with COVID-19 is unknown. We identified 630 patients with pre-existing AF and a hospitalization diagnosis of COVID-19 and stratified them according to preadmission OAC use.

Comparison of telecardiac rehabilitation with centre-based cardiac rehabilitation and usual care: a protocol for systematic review including a meta-analysis.

Introduction: Cardiac diseases are the leading causes of morbidity and mortality. Cardiac rehabilitation is proven to be beneficial in reducing morbidity, mortality and rehospitalisation rates. Recently, more emphasis is given to home-based telemonitored cardiac rehabilitation due to the recent pandemic of SARS-CoV-2.

SARS-COV-2/COVID-19: scenario, epidemiology, adaptive mutations, and environmental factors.

The coronavirus pandemic of 2019 has already exerted an enormous impact. For over a year, the worldwide pandemic has ravaged the whole globe, with approximately 250 million verified human infection cases and a mortality rate surpassing 4 million. While the genetic makeup of the related pathogen (SARS-CoV-2) was identified, many unknown facets remain a mystery, comprising the virus's origin and evolutionary trend.

Physical and Psychological Outcomes of Patients Undergoing Traditional Cardiac Rehabilitation and Intensive Cardiac Rehabilitation.

Purpose: Both traditional cardiac rehabilitation (TCR) and intensive cardiac rehabilitation (ICR) have proven benefits for patients with cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to compare ICR versus TCR on cardiac rehabilitation (CR) outcomes in patients with cardiovascular disease.

Methods: In a retrospective cohort study of 970 patients (n = 251, ICR; n = 719, TCR) who were referred for CR between January 2018 and December 2019, 693 (71.

Preadmission Statin Treatment and Outcome in Patients Hospitalized With COVID-19.

Preadmission statin therapy is associated with improved outcome in patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Whether inhibition of inflammation and myocardial injury are in part responsible for this observation has not been studied. The aim of the present study was to relate preadmission statin usage to markers of inflammation, myocardial injury, and clinical outcome among patients with established atherosclerosis who were admitted with COVID-19.

Circulating S-Glutathionylated cMyBP-C as a Biomarker for Cardiac Diastolic Dysfunction.

Background cMyBP-C (Cardiac myosin binding protein-C) regulates cardiac contraction and relaxation. Previously, we demonstrated that elevated myocardial S-glutathionylation of cMyBP-C correlates with diastolic dysfunction (DD) in animal models. In this study, we tested whether circulating S-glutathionylated cMyBP-C would be a biomarker for DD.

Endovascular Intravascular Lithotripsy in the Treatment of Calcific Common Femoral Artery Disease: A Case Series With an 18-Month Follow-Up.

Background: Intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) is a novel endovascular treatment for calcified common femoral artery disease (CFA). Data on midterm effectiveness for clinically driven target lesions revascularization (CD-TLR) is lacking. This study investigated CD-TLR during 18-month follow-up in patients requiring IVL for CFA disease treatment.

Intravascular Lithotripsy vs Atherectomy in the Treatment of Calcified Common Femoral Artery Disease.

Background: Common femoral artery (CFA) disease is often heavily calcified and prone to low patency rates with endovascular treatment compared with surgical endarterectomy. Recent data suggest promising short-term outcomes with the adjunct use of intravascular lithotripsy; however, data on its midterm effectiveness are lacking. We compared clinically driven target lesion revascularization (CD-TLR) between patients receiving drug-coated balloon angioplasty with adjunct intravascular lithotripsy (IVL-DCB) vs adjunct atherectomy (Ath-DCB) for treatment of CFA disease.

Nano-remediation technologies for the sustainable mitigation of persistent organic pollutants.

The absence of novel and efficient methods for the elimination of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) from the environment is a serious concern in the society. The pollutants release into the atmosphere by means of industrialization and urbanization is a massive global hazard. Although, the eco-toxicity associated with nanotechnology is still being debated, nano-remediation is a potentially developing tool for dealing with contamination of the environment, particularly POPs.

Cardiovascular Outcomes of Patients Referred to Home Based Cardiac Rehabilitation.

Background: Home Based Cardiac Rehabilitation (HBCR) has been considered a reasonable alternative to Center-based Cardiac Rehabilitation (CBCR) in patients with established cardiovascular disease, especially in the midst of COVID-19 pandemic. However, the long-term cardiovascular outcomes of patients referred to HBCR remains unknown.

Objectives: To compare outcomes of patients who were referred and attended HBCR vs patients referred but did not attend HBCR (Non-HBCR).

Association Between COVID-19 Diagnosis and In-Hospital Mortality in Patients Hospitalized With ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction.

Importance: There has been limited research on patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and COVID-19.

Objective: To compare characteristics, treatment, and outcomes of patients with STEMI with vs without COVID-19 infection.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Retrospective cohort study of consecutive adult patients admitted between January 2019 and December 2020 (end of follow-up in January 2021) with out-of-hospital or in-hospital STEMI at 509 US centers in the Vizient Clinical Database (N = 80 449).

Cardiac Resynchronization and Circulating Markers of Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Calcium Handling and Sudden Death Risk.

Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) can improve heart function and decrease arrhythmic events. We tested whether CRT altered circulating markers of calcium handling and sudden death risk. Circulating cardiac sodium channel messenger RNA (mRNA) splicing variants indicate arrhythmic risk, and a reduction in sarco/endoplasmic reticulum calcium adenosine triphosphatase 2a (SERCA2a) is thought to diminish contractility in heart failure.

Eosinophilic Myocarditis in a Patient With Sickle Cell Disease.

A 23-year-old man with sickle cell disease treated with splenectomy and allogenic stem cell transplantation presented with recurrent chest pain, elevated cardiac enzymes, and unremarkable electrocardiography. His work-up revealed eosinophilia, raising concern for eosinophilic myocarditis. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging showed patchy late gadolinium enhancement of the left ventricular free wall, suggestive of myocarditis.

Novel Validated Index for the Measurement of Disinformation Susceptibility at the County Level.

In the past decade, disinformation has become an increasingly dangerous enemy of public health, scientific advancement, and social stability. To address and counter this trend, it is essential to first identify communities most at risk for disinformation. The Jin-Hafiz Disinformation Index (JHDI) is developed and validated as a tool to counter disinformation and address deficits of good information on a county level in the United States.

Cardiac rehabilitation in women; comparison of enrollment, adherence and outcomes between heart failure and coronary artery disease.

Background: There is paucity of data on cardiac rehabilitation (CR) enrollment and outcomes in women with heart failure (HF).

Methods: In this retrospective analysis, we compared enrollment, adherence and outcomes between women with HF versus coronary artery disease (CAD)-related indications referred to a university-affiliated CR program from June 2014-July 2018. A multivariate regression analysis was performed to adjust for imbalanced variables at baseline and baseline value of each outcome to compare change in outcomes between HF and CAD groups RESULTS: A total of 538 women (HF=63 vs CAD=475) were included in the study.

Efficacy of adding activity of daily living simulation training to traditional pulmonary rehabilitation on dyspnea and health-related quality-of-life.

Introduction: Exercise modalities offered as part of traditional pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) do not always translate to successful performance of Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and may hinder gains in patient's sense of well-being. Data is lacking on the efficacy of incorporation of ADL-focused training in PR. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of incorporation of ADL simulation and energy-conservation training in PR as part of a quality-initiative on health-related-quality-of-life (HRQOL), dyspnea, fatigue, and six-minute-walk-test among PR patients.

Role of sodium glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors in patients with heart failure: an elusive mechanism.

Heart failure (HF) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, and the burden of HF continues to rise. There has been an interest in sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors for their role in reducing HF hospitalizations in pivotal trials. Since these agents were approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the management of diabetes mellitus, multiple small trials and analyses have tried to explain the underlying beneficial mechanisms in HF .

A Review of the Pharmacological Management of Chronic Pain in Patients with Heart Failure.

The incidence rates of heart failure (HF) and chronic pain increase with age. In the geriatric population, both disorders often coexist and pose a challenge to clinicians in treating them simultaneously. We conducted an online literature search for reports of the heart failure effects of pharmacological treatments for chronic pain.

Endovascular Revascularization of Superficial Femoral Artery Stent Occlusion by Combined Retrograde Access With Catheter-Directed Thrombolysis and Pharmaco-Mechanical Thrombectomy.

We report a case of a patient with history of peripheral arterial disease who presented to the hospital with critical limb ischemia. We performed endovascular revascularization of stent thrombosis in superficial femoral artery (SFA), by retrograde pedal access with wire exteriorization. This case highlights the utility of retrograde pedal access in failed antegrade approach of culprit lesion in SFA and the effectiveness of multimodal endovascular thrombectomy to restore blood flow in patients who are otherwise not suitable for surgical interventions.

Pulmonary Hypertension Post Liver-Kidney Transplant.

Porto-pulmonary hypertension has been recently recognized in patients post-liver transplantation with or without pre-transplant hepatopulmonary syndrome. We present a unique case of pulmonary hypertension in a 65-year-old patient after simultaneous liver-kidney transplantation for cirrhosis secondary to chronic hepatitis C infection and alcohol use disorder and end-stage renal disease secondary to diabetic nephropathy. He presented to pulmonary hypertension clinic with progressive shortness of breath and elevated right-sided pulmonary pressures on echocardiogram.

Home-Based Cardiac Rehabilitation Alone and Hybrid With Center-Based Cardiac Rehabilitation in Heart Failure: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background Center-based cardiac rehabilitation (CBCR) has been shown to improve outcomes in patients with heart failure (HF). Home-based cardiac rehabilitation (HBCR) can be an alternative to increase access for patients who cannot participate in CBCR. Hybrid cardiac rehabilitation (CR) combines short-term CBCR with HBCR, potentially allowing both flexibility and rigor.