Histologically Validated Myocardial Fibrosis in Relation to Left Ventricular Geometry and Its Function in Aortic Stenosis.

: The combination of aortic valve stenosis (AS) and ischemic heart disease (IHD) is quite common and is associated with myocardial fibrosis (MF). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between the histologically verified left ventricular (LV) MF and its geometry and function in isolated AS and AS within IHD groups. : In a single-center, prospective trial, 116 patients underwent aortic valve replacement (AVR) with/without concomitant surgery.

One-year initial efficacy and safety outcomes of the premounted dry-pericardium Vienna self-expandable transcatheter aortic valve system: A first-in-human VIVA feasibility study.

Background: The dry-pericardium Vienna transcatheter aortic valve system is repositionable and retrievable, already premounted on the delivery system, eliminating the need for assembly and crimping of the device before valve implantation.

Methods: The VIVA first-in-human feasibility study, a prospective, nonrandomized, single-center trial, evaluated the Vienna aortic valve in 10 patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis, who were at intermediate or high surgical risk. This study, registered at ClinicalTrials.

Safety and performance of the Vienna self-expandable transcatheter aortic valve system: 6-month results of the VIVA first-in-human feasibility study.

Background: The novel Vienna TAVI system is repositionable and retrievable, already pre-mounted on the delivery system, eliminating the need for assembly and crimping of the device prior to valve implantation.

Aims: The purpose of this first-in-human feasibility study was to determine the safety, feasibility, clinical and hemodynamic performance of the Vienna TAVI system at 6-month follow-up. (ClinicalTrials.

Instantaneous wave free ratio value impact on left internal mammary artery graft patency.

Objectives: To assess whether instantaneous wave - free ratio (iFR) value is associated with left internal mammary artery (LIMA) graft failure at 12 months follow-up post coronary artery bypass graft (CABG).

Background: Data suggests bypass to a non-significant left anterior descending artery (LAD) lesion due to visual over-estimation may lead to LIMA graft failure. Implementing iFR may result in better arterial graft patency.

New carotid plaque, but not the progression of intima-media thickness, predicts the progression of high-risk coronary plaque.

Background: Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) is regarded as a controversial risk marker for cardiovascular disease (CVD). We aimed to evaluate the role of CIMT and carotid plaque progression as predictors for the progression of coronary plaque and compositions.

Methods: In the Garlic 4 study, asymptomatic patients with intermediate CVD risk (Framingham risk score 6-20%) were recruited for a serial carotid ultrasound, and coronary artery calcium score (CAC)/coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) studies for subclinical atherosclerosis at a baseline and 1 year.

Association of Coronary Calcium, Carotid Wall Thickness, and Carotid Plaque Progression With Low-Density Lipoprotein and High-Density Lipoprotein Particle Concentration Measured by Ion Mobility (From Multiethnic Study of Atherosclerosis [MESA]).

Current risk stratification strategies do not fully explain cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. We aimed to evaluate the association of low-density lipoprotein (LDL-P) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL-P) particles with progression of coronary artery calcium and carotid wall injury. All participants in the Multi-Ethnic Study Atherosclerosis (MESA) with LDL-P and HDL-P measured by ion mobility, coronary artery calcium score (CAC), carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), and carotid plaque data available at Exam 1 and 5 were included in the study.

Predicting Left Atrial Appendage Thrombus from Left Atrial Volume and Confirmation by Computed Tomography with Delayed Enhancement.

Assessing thromboembolic risk is crucial for proper management of patients with atrial fibrillation. Left atrial volume is a promising predictor of cardiac thrombosis. To determine whether left atrial volume can predict left atrial appendage thrombus in patients with atrial fibrillation, we conducted a prospective study of 73 patients.

A novel density-volume calcium score by non-contrast CT predicts coronary plaque burden on coronary CT angiography: Results from the MACS (Multicenter AIDS cohort study).

Background: The purpose of this study is to determine if a new score calculated with coronary artery calcium (CAC) density and volume is associated with total coronary artery plaque burden and composition on coronary CT angiography (CCTA) compared to the Agatston score (AS).

Methods: We identified 347 men enrolled in the Multicenter AIDS cohort study who underwent contrast and non-contrast CCTs, and had CAC>0. CAC densities (mean Hounsfield Units [HU]) per plaque) and volumes on non-contrast CCT were measured.

Utility of Different Blood Pressure Measurement Components in Childhood to Predict Adult Carotid Intima-Media Thickness.

Childhood blood pressure (BP) levels predict adult subclinical atherosclerosis. However, the best childhood BP component for prediction has not been determined. This study comprised 5925 participants aged 3 to 18 years from 6 cohorts who were followed into adulthood (mean follow-up 25.

Coronary artery calcium and carotid artery intima-media thickness for the prediction of stroke and benefit from statins.

Background: Current guidelines suggest treatment for many individuals who may never develop a stroke. We hypothesized that a combination of coronary artery calcification (CAC) and carotid artery intima-media thickness (C IMT) data could better individualize risk assessment for ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attack events.

Methods: A total of 4720 individuals from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis were evaluated for ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attack.

HDL (High-Density Lipoprotein) Metrics and Atherosclerotic Risk in Women.

Objective- HDL-C (high-density lipoprotein cholesterol) may not always be cardioprotective in postmenopausal women. HDL particles (HDL-P) via ion-mobility may better reflect the antiatherogenicity of HDL. Objectives were (1) to evaluate associations of HDL-C and ion-mobility HDL-P with carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) and carotid plaque separately and jointly in women; and (2) to assess interactions by age at and time since menopause.

Ischemic stroke/transient ischemic attack events and carotid artery disease in the absence of or with minimal coronary artery calcification: Results from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

Background And Aims: The association between minimally elevated coronary artery calcification (CAC) and cerebrovascular disease is not well known. We assessed whether individuals with minimal CAC (Agatston scores of 1-10) have higher ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) frequencies compared with those with no CAC. We also investigated the relative prevalence of carotid atherosclerosis in these two groups.

Correlation of Arterial Stiffness With Left Atrial Volume Index and Left Ventricular Mass Index in Young Adults: Evaluation by Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography.

Background: Increased arterial stiffness is reportedly associated with cardiac remodelling, including the left atrium and left ventricle, in middle-aged and older adults. However, little is known about this association in young adults.

Methods: In total, 73 patients (44 (60%) men) aged 25 to 45 years with suspected coronary artery disease were included in the analysis.

Automated estimation of image quality for coronary computed tomographic angiography using machine learning.

Objectives: Our goal was to evaluate the efficacy of a fully automated method for assessing the image quality (IQ) of coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA).

Methods: The machine learning method was trained using 75 CCTA studies by mapping features (noise, contrast, misregistration scores, and un-interpretability index) to an IQ score based on manual ground truth data. The automated method was validated on a set of 50 CCTA studies and subsequently tested on a new set of 172 CCTA studies against visual IQ scores on a 5-point Likert scale.

Coronary Artery Calcium Progression Is Associated With Coronary Plaque Volume Progression: Results From a Quantitative Semiautomated Coronary Artery Plaque Analysis.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine whether coronary artery calcium (CAC) progression was associated with coronary plaque progression on coronary computed tomographic angiography.

Background: CAC progression and coronary plaque characteristics are associated with incident coronary heart disease. However, natural history of coronary atherosclerosis has not been well described to date, and the understanding of the association between CAC progression and coronary plaque subtypes such as noncalcified plaque progression remains unclear.

The diagnostic performance of SPECT-MPI to predict functional significant coronary artery disease by fractional flow reserve derived from CCTA (FFR): sub-analysis from ACCURACY and VCT001 studies.

Although single photon emission computed tomography-myocardial perfusion image (SPECT-MPI) and fractional flow reserve (FFR) derived from coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) (FFR) have permitted functional assessment of coronary artery disease (CAD), the concordance between these modalities has not been well described. The aim of this study is to compare SPECT-MPI and anatomical stenosis by CCTA and invasive coronary angiography to FFR for assessing functional significance of CAD. We identified 62 patients with suspected CAD who underwent ≥64 slice coronary CTA and SPECT-MPI within 3 months.

Presence, Characteristics, and Volumes of Coronary Plaque Determined by Computed Tomography Angiography in Young Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Prevention and management of coronary artery disease (CAD) is of great concern in patients with diabetes mellitus. Although the impact of coronary atherosclerosis is described well for subjects older than 40 years, the prevalence and types of coronary atherosclerosis in young patients are not well known. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence, extent, severity, and volumes of coronary plaque in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) population younger than of 40 years.

Dobutamine-stress echocardiography speckle-tracking imaging in the assessment of hemodynamic significance of coronary artery stenosis in patients with moderate and high probability of coronary artery disease.

Background And Objective: Myocardial deformation indices are considered as sensitive markers of ischemia and may be useful in the quantification of hemodynamic significance of coronary artery disease (CAD). We sought to determine the diagnostic value of speckle-tracking echocardiography derived myocardial deformation parameters at rest and during stress to determine hemodynamically significance coronary artery stenosis in patients with moderate and high probability of CAD.

Materials And Methods: In 81 patients (mean age, 64±8.

Plaque progression assessed by a novel semi-automated quantitative plaque software on coronary computed tomography angiography between diabetes and non-diabetes patients: A propensity-score matching study.

Background And Aims: We aimed at investigating whether diabetes is associated with progression in coronary plaque components.

Methods: We identified 142 study subjects undergoing serial coronary computed tomography angiography. The resulting propensity score was applied 1:1 to match diabetic patients to non-diabetic patients for clinical risk factors, prior coronary stenting, coronary artery calcium (CAC) score and the serial scan interval, resulting in the 71 diabetes and 71 non-diabetes patients.

Early and late diastolic strain rate vs global longitudinal strain at rest and during dobutamine stress for the assessment of significant coronary artery stenosis in patients with a moderate and high probability of coronary artery disease.

Background: The aim of this prospective study was to assess the usefulness of global longitudinal strain (GLS), regional diastolic and systolic strain, strain rate (SR) parameters at rest and during dobutamine stress echocardiography for detecting significant coronary artery stenosis in patients with a moderate or high probability of coronary artery disease (CAD).

Methods: Dobutamine stress echocardiography and adenosine magnetic resonance imaging (AMRI) were performed on 127 patients with a moderate and high probability of CAD and left ventricle ejection fraction ≥55%. CAD was defined as ≥70% diameter stenosis on coronary angiography validated as hemodynamically significant by AMRI.

Clinical relevance of high sensitivity C-reactive protein in cardiology.

Coping with cardiovascular diseases (CVD), which are of the main causes of death worldwide, has influenced investigation of high sensitivity CRP (hsCRP) and its role in pathogenesis, prognosis and prevention of CVD. hsCRP can be synthesized in vascular endothelium, atherosclerotic plaques, and theory of inflammatory origin of atherosclerosis is being more widely debated, raising questions, whether higher hsCRP plasma concentration might be the cause or the consequence. Summing up controversial data from multiple studies, guidelines recommend hsCRP testing for both, primary (stratifying CVD risk groups, selecting patients for statin therapy) and secondary CVD prevention (prognosis of CVD and its treatment complications, evaluation of treatment efficacy in moderate CVD risk group).

Associations between risk factors in childhood (12-13 years) and adulthood (48-49 years) and subclinical atherosclerosis: the Kaunas Cardiovascular Risk Cohort Study.

Background: The data on the childhood determinants of adult cardiovascular disease (CVD) are lacking in populations of Eastern Europe that are characterised by substantially high CVD mortality. From a public health perspective, it is important to identify high-risk individuals as early as possible in order to have the greatest benefit of preventive interventions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the associations of childhood and adulthood traditional risk factors with subclinical atherosclerosis and arterial stiffness in a Lithuanian cohort followed up for 35 years.

The Effect of Park and Urban Environments on Coronary Artery Disease Patients: A Randomized Trial.

Aim: To test the hypothesis that walking in a park has a greater positive effect on coronary artery disease (CAD) patients' hemodynamic parameters than walking in an urban environment.

Methods: Twenty stable CAD patients were randomized into two groups: 30-minute walk on 7 consecutive days in either a city park or busy urban street. Wilcoxon signed-rank test was employed to study short-term (30 min) and cumulative changes (following 7 consecutive days of exposure) in resting hemodynamic parameters in different environments.

Anthropometric measurements in childhood and prediction of cardiovascular risk factors in adulthood: Kaunas cardiovascular risk cohort study.

Background: This study aimed to examine the associations between anthropometric measurements in childhood and adulthood as well as the effect of childhood body mass index (BMI) and skinfold thickness in the prediction of adult cardiovascular risk factors.

Methods: The Study subjects were participants of the Kaunas Cardiovascular Risk Cohort study. They were 12-13 years old at the time of the baseline survey (1977) and 48-49 years old in the 35-year follow-up survey (2012, n = 506).