Imaging Predictors of Left Ventricular Functional Recovery after Reperfusion Therapy of ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction Assessed by Cardiac Magnetic Resonance.

Background: Left ventricular global longitudinal strain (LV GLS) is a superior predictor of adverse cardiac events in patients with myocardial infarction and heart failure. We investigated the ability of morphological features of infarcted myocardium to detect acute left ventricular (LV) dysfunction and predict LV functional recovery after three months in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).

Methods: Sixty-six STEMI patients were included in the C-reactive protein (CRP) apheresis in Acute Myocardial Infarction Study (CAMI-1).

Sex-related differences in outcome after left atrial appendage occlusion: Insights from Europe and the EWOLUTION registry.

Background: Women with atrial fibrillation (AF) generally experience worse symptoms, poorer quality of life, and have a higher risk of stroke and death. There is limited availability of sex-related differences regarding left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO).

Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate the sex-related differences in patients undergoing LAAO in EWOLUTION.

Implantation of an Innovative Intracardiac Microcomputer System for Web-Based Real-Time Monitoring of Heart Failure: Usability and Patients' Attitudes.

Background: Heart failure (HF) management guided by the measurement of intracardiac and pulmonary pressure values obtained through innovative permanent intracardiac microsensors has been recently proposed as a valid strategy to individualize treatment and anticipate hemodynamic destabilization. These sensors have potential to reduce patient hospitalization rates and optimize quality of life.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the usability and patients' attitudes toward a new permanent intracardiac device implanted to remotely monitor left intra-atrial pressures (V-LAP, Vectorious Medical Technologies, Tel Aviv, Israel) in patients with chronic HF.

C-Reactive Protein Apheresis as Anti-inflammatory Therapy in Acute Myocardial Infarction: Results of the CAMI-1 Study.

C-reactive protein (CRP) is a well-known marker of inflammation. It is less known that CRP mediates tissue damage in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) thus potentially worsening prognosis. A newly developed specific CRP adsorber allows efficient lowering of CRP levels and may improve survival.

18F-FDG PET-Based Imaging of Myocardial Inflammation Predicts a Functional Outcome Following Transplantation of mESC-Derived Cardiac Induced Cells in a Mouse Model of Myocardial Infarction.

Cellular inflammation following acute myocardial infarction has gained increasing importance as a target mechanism for therapeutic approaches. We sought to investigate the effect of syngeneic cardiac induced cells (CiC) on myocardial inflammation using 18F-FDG PET (Positron emission tomography)-based imaging and the resulting effect on cardiac pump function using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging in a mouse model of myocardial infarction. Mice underwent permanent left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) ligation inducing an acute inflammatory response.

Left atrial appendage occlusion in patients older than 85 years. Safety and efficacy in the EWOLUTION registry.

Introduction And Objectives: Elderly patients with atrial fibrillation are at greater risk of both cardioembolic events and major bleeding than younger patients. Left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) could be an attractive alternative for these patients, but there are limited data on outcomes with LAAO in patients ≥ 85 years old. The aim of the present study was to assess the safety and efficacy of LAAO in patients ≥ 85 years old.

Evaluating Real-World Clinical Outcomes in Atrial Fibrillation Patients Receiving the WATCHMAN Left Atrial Appendage Closure Technology: Final 2-Year Outcome Data of the EWOLUTION Trial Focusing on History of Stroke and Hemorrhage.

Background: Left atrial appendage occlusion with WATCHMAN has emerged as viable alternative to vitamin K antagonists in randomized controlled trials. Evaluating real-life clinical outcomes in atrial fibrillation patients receiving the WATCHMAN left atrial appendage closure technology was designed to collect prospective multicenter outcomes of thromboembolic events, bleeding, and mortality for patients implanted with a WATCHMAN in routine daily practice.

Methods: One thousand twenty patients with a WATCHMAN implant procedure were prospectively followed in 47 centers.

Atrial fibrillation ablation strategies and outcome in patients with heart failure: insights from the German ablation registry.

Background: Heart failure (HF) and atrial fibrillation (AF) often coexist, but data on the prognostic value of differing ablation strategies according to left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) are rare.

Methods And Results: From January 2007 until January 2010, 728 patients with HF were enrolled in the multi-center German ablation registry prior to AF catheter ablation. Patients were divided into three groups according to LVEF: HF with preserved LVEF (≥ 50%, HFpEF, n = 333), mid-range LVEF (40-49%, HFmrEF, n = 207), and reduced LVEF (< 40%, HFrEF, n = 188).

Efficacy and safety of left atrial appendage closure with WATCHMAN in patients with or without contraindication to oral anticoagulation: 1-Year follow-up outcome data of the EWOLUTION trial.

Background: Left atrial appendage (LAA) occlusion with WATCHMAN has emerged as viable alternative to vitamin K antagonists in randomized controlled trials.

Objective: EWOLUTION was designed to provide data in routine practice from a prospective multicenter registry.

Methods: A total of 1025 patients scheduled for a WATCHMAN implant were prospectively and sequentially enrolled at 47 centers.

REVIVE Trial: Retrograde Delivery of Autologous Bone Marrow in Patients With Heart Failure.

Unlabelled: Cell therapy is an evolving option for patients with end-stage heart failure and ongoing symptoms despite optimal medical therapy. Our goal was to evaluate retrograde bone marrow cell delivery in patients with either ischemic heart failure (IHF) or nonischemic heart failure (NIHF). This was a prospective randomized, multicenter, open-label study of the safety and feasibility of bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC) infused retrograde into the coronary sinus.

Do gender differences in primary PCI mortality represent a different adherence to guideline recommended therapy? a multicenter observation.

Background: It is uncertain whether gender differences in outcome after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are only attributable to different baseline characteristics or additional factors.

Methods: Databases of two German myocardial infarction network registries were combined with a total of 1104 consecutive patients admitted with acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and treated according to standardized protocols.

Results: Approximately 25% of patients were females.

Parachute implant: CT morphological criteria of our center to identify the suitable patient.

Aims: In this study, we present and discuss our institutionalized and standardized computed tomography (CT) morphological criteria for the treatment of patients with a parachute device.

Methods And Results: After clinical and echocardiographic screening of 79 patients with ischemic heart failure, 28 were examined using multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) to assess their suitability for treatment with a parachute implant. From the 28 examined patients, nine were suitable for parachute implantation.

Challenges in patient selection for the parachute device implantation.

Background: A novel percutaneous ventricular restoration therapy (PVRT) has been recently proposed to treat patients with ischemic heart failure (IHF) and antero-apical regional wall motion abnormalities after myocardial infarction (MI). In this prospective, single center, non-randomized study, we herein propose safety and feasibility evaluation of the device, in which a different patient selection strategy was used.

Material And Methods: A three-stage evaluation was adopted in a series of patients referred for a Parachute Ventricular Partitioning Device (Parachute™).

Short term cost effectiveness of a regional myocardial infarction network.

Aims: Myocardial infarction networks have been shown to improve guideline adherent therapy and outcomes in patients presenting with acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Our objective was to assess the short term cost effectiveness of a network structure.

Methods And Results: Outcome data and reimbursement data for the index hospital stay were gathered in consecutive patients with acute STEMI (n = 536) admitted to any of the hospitals in a 350.

Correlation between the functional impairment of bone marrow-derived circulating progenitor cells and the extend of coronary artery disease.

Background: Bone marrow-derived circulating progenitor cells (BM-CPCs) in patients with coronary heart disease are impaired with respect to number and functional activity. However, the relation between the functional activity of BM-CPCs and the number of diseased coronary arteries is yet not known. We analyzed the influence of the number of diseased coronary arteries on the functional activity of BM-CPCs in peripheral blood (PB) in patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD).

Intra coronary freshly isolated bone marrow cells transplantation improve cardiac function in patients with ischemic heart disease.

Background: Autologous bone marrow cell transplantation (BMCs-Tx) is a promising novel option for treatment of cardiovascular disease. In this study we analyzed whether intracoronary autologous freshly isolated BMCs-Tx have beneficial effects on cardiac function in patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD).

Results: In this prospective nonrandomized study we treated 12 patients with IHD by freshly isolated BMCs-Tx by use of point of care system and compared them with a representative 12 control group without cell therapy.

Relation between the frequency of CD34⁺ bone marrow derived circulating progenitor cells and the number of diseased coronary arteries in patients with myocardial ischemia and diabetes.

Background: Bone marrow-derived circulating progenitor cells (BM-CPCs) in patients with coronary heart disease are impaired with respect to number and mobilization. However, it is unknown whether the mobilization of BM-CPCs depends on the number of diseased coronary arteries. Therefore, in our study, we analysed the correlation between the diseased coronary arteries and the frequency of CD34/45+ BM-CPCs in peripheral blood (PB) in patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD).

Impaired mobilization of CD133(+) bone marrow-derived circulating progenitor cells with an increased number of diseased coronary arteries in ischemic heart disease patients with diabetes.

Background: The influence of the number of diseased coronary arteries on the mobilization of CD133/45(+) bone marrow-derived circulating progenitor cells (BM-CPCs) in peripheral blood (PB) in patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD) was analyzed.

Methods And Results: Mobilization of CD133/45(+) BM-CPCs by flow cytometry was measured in 120 patients with coronary 1 vessel (IHD1, n=40), coronary 2 vessel (IHD2, n=40), and coronary 3 vessel disease (IHD3, n=40), and in a control group (n=40). The mobilization of CD133/45(+) BM-CPCs was significantly reduced in patients with IHD compared to the control group (P<0.

Hypereosinophilic Syndrome: a rare case of Loeffler's endocarditis documented in cardiac MRI.

Cardiac manifestation of Hypereosinophilic Syndrome usually presents as Loeffler's endocarditis; this case of unusual manifestation of Hypereosinophilic Syndrome, however, revealed restrictive left ventricular dysfunction and increased left ventricular wall mass. Both, an endocardiac eosinophilic mass and layers of intraventricular thrombus were demonstrated and followed by echocardiography and MRI under treatment. The current case demonstrates not only the diagnostic potential of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to visualize eosinophilic infiltrate and thrombus, but also morphologic changes with treatment by oral anticoagulation and immunosuppression.

Recurrent left ventricular apical ballooning induced by recurrent stress.

This paper reports on a 67-year-old woman with apical ballooning and recurrent dyskinesia of left ventricular wall. During MRI-examination the patient developed severe apical dyskinesia of the left ventricle induced by agoraphobia in the magnet.