Coronary Plaque Regression and Fractional Flow Reserve Improvement in a Chronic Coronary Syndrome Case: Early Optimal Medical Therapy and Fractional Flow Reserve-Computed Tomography Follow-Up Strategy.

Optimal medical therapy (OMT) is increasingly recognized as a cornerstone in managing chronic coronary syndrome (CCS), offering a non-invasive alternative to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). A 38-year-old male with diabetes, dyslipidemia, and hypertension was treated with early and comprehensive OMT, including statins, ezetimibe, sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i), pioglitazone, and renin-angiotensin system inhibitors. Insulin was introduced during the acute phase to stabilize glycemic control.

Cytokine Storms and Anaphylaxis Following COVID-19 mRNA-LNP Vaccination: Mechanisms and Therapeutic Approaches.

Acute adverse reactions to COVID-19 mRNA vaccines are a major concern, as autopsy reports indicate that deaths most commonly occur on the same day of or one day following vaccination. These acute reactions may be due to cytokine storms triggered by lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) and anaphylaxis induced by polyethene glycol (PEG), both of which are vital constituents of the mRNA-LNP vaccines. Kounis syndrome, in which anaphylaxis triggers acute coronary syndrome (ACS), may also be responsible for these cardiovascular events.

Long-term clinical outcomes of drug-coated balloon angioplasty for de novo coronary lesions in patients with diabetes mellitus.

Background: We investigated whether drug-coated balloon (DCB) treatment is effective for all de novo cases of coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients with diabetes mellitus. Furthermore, we also investigated the relationship between the degree of diabetes mellitus and clinical outcomes after DCB treatment.

Methods: In this study, we included 516 consecutive patients with de novo CAD who were treated with DCB.

Platypnea-Orthodeoxia Syndrome After the Bentall Procedure.

Platypnea-orthodoxia syndrome (POS) is a clinical condition that causes dyspnea and hypoxia in the sitting and standing positions. In this case, a 67-year-old man showed hypoxemia after undergoing the Bentall procedure that worsened in the standing position during rehabilitation. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography of the thorax and abdomen revealed no cause of respiratory failure.

Upsizing of GORE® Cardioform ASD Occluder for Atrial Septal Defect With Atrial Septal Aneurysm.

Atrial septal defects (ASDs) often present with multiple foramina, including a patent foramen ovale (PFO) and atrial septal aneurysms (ASAs). Transcatheter device closure of an ASD may require additional supportive techniques in complex cases. Here, we report a case of a secundum ASD complicated by an ASA and a PFO in a man in his 50s.

Real-World Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO) Closure in Japan - 30-Day Clinical Outcomes From the Amplatzer PFO Occluder Japan Post-Marketing Surveillance Study.

Background: The Amplatzer PFO Occluder was approved for marketing in Japan in May 2019, and the Amplatzer PFO Occluder Japan Post-marketing Surveillance (PFO Japan PMS) study was initiated in December 2019. This analysis presents 30-day clinical outcomes for PFO Japan PMS study patients.

Methods And Results: PFO Japan PMS is a prospective single-arm non-randomized multicenter clinical study.

Comparison of left atrial appendage measurements between conventional transesophageal echocardiography and "Virtual TEE" reconstructed from computed tomography for pre-procedural planning of device closure.

For pre-procedural planning of left atrial appendage (LAA) closure, sizing is crucial. Although transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is a standard modality, cardiac computed tomography (CT) is also widely used. The virtual TEE (V-TEE) that our group developed enables us to reconstruct images similar to TEE images from CT images.

Initial results of transcatheter modification of left atrial appendage by obliteration with device in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation: Real-world data from the TERMINATOR registry.

Background: Percutaneous left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) has increased for those who need alternative to long-term anticoagulation with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF).

Methods And Results: From September 2019, after initiating WATCHMAN (Boston Scientific, Maple Grove, MN, USA) device implantation, we established Transcatheter Modification of Left Atrial Appendage by Obliteration with Device in Patients from the NVAF (TERMINATOR) registry. Utilizing 729 patients' data until January 2022, we analyzed percutaneous LAAC data regarding this real-world multicenter prospective registry.

Risk of Mortality Prediction Involving Time-Varying Covariates for Patients with Heart Failure Using Deep Learning.

Heart failure (HF) is challenging public medical and healthcare systems. This study aimed to develop and validate a novel deep learning-based prognostic model to predict the risk of all-cause mortality for patients with HF. We also compared the performance of the proposed model with those of classical deep learning- and traditional statistical-based models.

MitraClip procedure assisted with 3-dimensional electro anatomical mapping system.

Unlabelled: Percutaneous mitral annuloplasty is widely used for the treatment of functional mitral regurgitation. There are limited imaging options to guide MitraClip procedure (Abbott Vascular, Santa Clara, CA, USA) in patients intolerant to transesophageal echocardiography. We describe a case using a 3-dimensional electro anatomical mapping system to facilitate the successful MitraClip procedure.

Transcatheter retrieval of atrial septal defect and patent ductus arteriosus occluder: a guidance for device retrieval based on comprehensive bench tests.

Objectives: The aim of this study is to establish a guidance for device retrieval based on comprehensive bench tests.

Background: Device embolisation remains a major complication in transcatheter closure of atrial septal defect and patent ductus arteriosus. Although percutaneous retrieval is feasible in the majority of cases, surgical retrieval may be required in complicated circumstances.

Exploring and Identifying Prognostic Phenotypes of Patients with Heart Failure Guided by Explainable Machine Learning.

Identifying patient prognostic phenotypes facilitates precision medicine. This study aimed to explore phenotypes of patients with heart failure (HF) corresponding to prognostic condition (risk of mortality) and identify the phenotype of new patients by machine learning (ML). A unsupervised ML was applied to explore phenotypes of patients in a derivation dataset (n = 562) based on their medical records.

Evaluation of the effect of nitric oxide inhalation in the patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension or pulmonary disease during balloon pulmonary angioplasty.

Balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) or pulmonary disease (CTEPD) is performed worldwide. High mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP) during BPA is associated with aggravation of procedure-related complications. Inhaled nitric oxide (NO) acts as a pulmonary vasodilator in CTEPH patients.

Impact and safety of balloon pulmonary angioplasty for elderly patients.

Recently, balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary disease (CTEPD) has become an established procedure with stable results. The number of elderly CTEPH/CTEPD patients has also increased due to the widespread recognition of the disease concept. However, the reports of BPA in the elderly are limited.

Preprocedural frailty is strongly associated with symptoms after balloon pulmonary angioplasty.

Balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) has improved the survival rate of patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). The resolution of symptoms is one of the remaining goals of BPA. Frailty affects the outcome of cardiovascular diseases or treatments.