Evaluation of Right Ventricular Function on Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Correlation With Hemodynamics in Patients With Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension.

Balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) is an alternative therapy for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). Right heart catheterization (RHC) is essential to evaluate the efficacy of BPA. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) is also now used to assess the structure and function of the right heart non-invasively.

Patency of Saphenous Vein Grafts Using the PAS-Port System During Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery.

Background: Several proximal anastomosis devices have been developed to shorten the time required for a proximal anastomosis and to avoid aortic cross-/side-clamping during coronary artery bypass grafting. This study retrospectively examined the patency of saphenous vein grafts (SVGs) using the PAS-Port System (Cardia Inc, Redwood City, CA).

Methods: From 2004 to 2014, 451 patients underwent coronary artery bypass graft operations requiring at least 1 proximal anastomosis using a PAS-Port device.

Endovascular treatment for chronic pulmonary hypertension: a focus on angioplasty for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.

Introduction: Percutaneous transluminal pulmonary angioplasty (PTPA) was introduced for the treatment of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) in the late 20(th) century, and first attempts in collective patients were made in 2001 with beneficial effects but a moderate amount of complications. It was refined around 2010, and has been recently established as an effective and safe treatment.

Areas Covered: The indication was originally inoperable CTEPH with peripheral lesions, but has now widened to symptomatic or hypoxic patients.

Clinical impact of non-culprit lesions on 1-year mortality in very elderly patients with acute coronary syndrome.

Preventive percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for non-culprit lesions after primary PCI remains controversial in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). We analyzed whether PCI for non-culprit lesions would be associated with a better long-term prognosis in very elderly (≥85 years) patients. This study included 91 consecutive patients with ACS (mean age, 88.

Barthel Index as a Predictor of 1-Year Mortality in Very Elderly Patients Who Underwent Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for Acute Coronary Syndrome: Better Activities of Daily Living, Longer Life.

Background: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is safe and effective in very elderly patients, defined as those who are age ≥85 years, with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). However, the prognostic factors remain unknown. The association between activities of daily living (ADL) and the prognosis after PCI has not yet been investigated.

Comparison of the reliability of E/E' to estimate pulmonary capillary wedge pressure in heart failure patients with preserved ejection fraction versus those with reduced ejection fraction.

Accurate assessment of pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) is essential for physicians to effectively manage patients with acute decompensated heart failure. The ratio of early transmittal velocity to tissue Doppler mitral annular early diastolic velocity (E/E') is used to estimate PCWP noninvasively in a wide range of cardiac patients. However, it remains contentious as to whether mitral E/E' is a reliable predictor of PCWP.

Additional percutaneous transluminal pulmonary angioplasty for residual or recurrent pulmonary hypertension after pulmonary endarterectomy.

Background: Pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA) has been the most effective therapy for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). However, residual or recurrent pulmonary hypertension often persists after PEA. Recently, catheter-based angioplasty, called percutaneous transluminal pulmonary angioplasty (PTPA) or balloon pulmonary angioplasty, has been developed as a promising strategy for CTEPH.

Pressure-wire-guided percutaneous transluminal pulmonary angioplasty: a breakthrough in catheter-interventional therapy for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.

Objectives: This study sought to prove the safety and effectiveness of pressure-wire-guided percutaneous transluminal pulmonary angioplasty (PTPA).

Background: PTPA has been demonstrated to be effective for treatment of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension. However, a major and occasionally fatal complication after PTPA is reperfusion pulmonary edema.

Safety and efficacy of percutaneous transluminal pulmonary angioplasty in elderly patients.

Background: Percutaneous transluminal pulmonary angioplasty (PTPA) is a recently developed catheter-based therapy for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). The aim of the present study was to investigate the safety and efficacy of PTPA in elderly patients with CTEPH.

Methods: In all, 257 PTPA sessions in 70 patients (median age 63 years) were analyzed.

Pulmonary edema predictive scoring index (PEPSI), a new index to predict risk of reperfusion pulmonary edema and improvement of hemodynamics in percutaneous transluminal pulmonary angioplasty.

Objectives: This study sought to identify useful predictors for hemodynamic improvement and risk of reperfusion pulmonary edema (RPE), a major complication of this procedure.

Background: Percutaneous transluminal pulmonary angioplasty (PTPA) has been reported to be effective for the treatment of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). PTPA has not been widespread because RPE has not been well predicted.

Percutaneous transluminal pulmonary angioplasty for the treatment of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.

Background: Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension leads to pulmonary hypertension and right-sided heart failure. The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of percutaneous transluminal pulmonary angioplasty (PTPA) for the treatment of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.

Methods And Results: Twenty-nine patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension underwent PTPA.

Left ventricular dysfunction due to diffuse multiple vessel coronary artery spasm can be concealed in dilated cardiomyopathy.

Aims: Many patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) have been diagnosed on the basis of the exclusion of significant coronary stenosis and the presence of left ventricular (LV) dysfunction. In the present study, we investigated the possibility that coronary multispasm is one of the mechanisms leading to diffuse idiopathic DCM-like LV dysfunction.

Methods And Results: Forty-two patients with severely depressed LV function but without significant coronary stenosis were enrolled (baseline LV ejection fraction, 33 ± 11%).

Heart rate turbulence can predict cardiac mortality following myocardial infarction in patients with diabetes mellitus.

Background: Previous studies have described the clinical utility of heart rate turbulence (HRT) as an autonomic predictor in risk-stratifying patients after myocardial infarction (MI). Some reports showed that diabetes mellitus (DM) affects the prognostic value of autonomic markers. We assessed the utility of HRT as a risk marker in post-MI patients with DM and without DM.

Circadian variation in out-of-hospital cardiac arrests due to cardiac cause in a Japanese patient population.

Background: It has been reported that cardiovascular events occur more frequently in the morning than in the evening. The purpose of the present study was to assess the characteristics of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests due to cardiac cause in a 24-h period in Japanese patients.

Methods And Results: Of 2,199 consecutive patients with cardiopulmonary resuscitation outside hospital, 1,293 cardiogenic patients were enrolled.

Effects of landiolol, an ultra-short-acting beta1-selective blocker, on electrical storm refractory to class III antiarrhythmic drugs.

Background: Occasionally it is difficult to inhibit electrical storm (ES) with standard pharmacological treatment. In the present study the effect of landiolol, an ultra-short-acting beta(1)-selective blocker, on ES refractory to class III antiarrhythmic drugs was evaluated.

Methods And Results: The study group comprised 42 consecutive patients who developed ES for which intravenous class III antiarrhythmic drugs, such as amiodarone and nifekalant, were ineffective.

Circadian variation of late potentials in idiopathic ventricular fibrillation associated with J waves: insights into alternative pathophysiology and risk stratification.

Background: The presence of J waves on ECGs is related to idiopathic ventricular fibrillation (VF).

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the pathophysiology of J waves by assessing risk markers that reflect electrophysiologic abnormalities.

Methods: The study enrolled 22 idiopathic VF patients (17 men and 5 women; mean age 36 +/- 13 years).

Effects of intravenous nifekalant as a lifesaving drug for severe ventricular tachyarrhythmias complicating acute coronary syndrome.

Background: Intravenous amiodarone (AMD) has been used for the treatment of ventricular tachycardia/fibrillation (VT/VF) in emergency care medicine. However, AMD acts slowly and is occasionally accompanied by hypotension and bradycardia. The antiarrhythmic effect of intravenous nifekalant (NIF) was assessed in patients with VT/VF complicating acute coronary syndrome (ACS) according to our study protocol.

Quantitative assessment of cibenzoline administration for vagally mediated paroxysmal atrial fibrillation using frequency-domain heart rate variability analysis.

Background: Cibenzoline (CBZ), a class I antiarrhythmic drug, has been widely used to maintain sinus rhythm in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (P-AF). This agent has an anticholinergic action and will become the drug of first choice for vagally mediated P-AF. We assessed its efficacy quantitatively by analyzing the frequency-domain heart rate variability (FD-HRV) of the Holter electrocardiogram (ECG) in patients with vagal P-AF.