Safety and Efficacy of Two Ultrathin Biodegradable Polymer Sirolimus-Eluting Stents in Real-World Practice: Genoss DES Stents Versus Orsiro Stents From a Prospective Registry.

Background: The Orsiro and Genoss DES stents are biodegradable polymer drug-eluting stents (DESs) with ultrathin struts.

Objective: To investigate the safety and efficacy of these two ultrathin DESs in real-world practice.

Methods: From a single-center prospective registry, we included 751 and 931 patients treated with the Genoss DES and Orsiro stents, respectively.

Failed Thrombus Aspiration and Reduced Myocardial Perfusion in Patients With STEMI and Large Thrombus Burden.

Background: Thrombus aspiration (TA) is used to decrease large thrombus burden (LTB), but it can cause distal embolization.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of TA failure on defective myocardial perfusion in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and LTB.

Methods: In total, 812 consecutive patients with STEMI and LTB (thrombus grade ≥3) were enrolled, who underwent manual TA during the primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

Comparative Analysis of Biological Signatures between Freshly Preserved and Cryo-Preserved Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can differentiate into multiple connective tissue lineages, including osteoblasts, chondrocytes, and adipocytes. MSCs secrete paracrine molecules that are associated with immunomodulation, anti-fibrotic effects, and angiogenesis. Due to their orchestrative potential, MSCs have been therapeutically applied for several diseases.

Atherosclerosis Imaging Quantitative Computed Tomography (AI-QCT) to guide referral to invasive coronary angiography in the randomized controlled CONSERVE trial.

Aims: We compared diagnostic performance, costs, and association with major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) of clinical coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) interpretation versus semiautomated approach that use artificial intelligence and machine learning for atherosclerosis imaging-quantitative computed tomography (AI-QCT) for patients being referred for nonemergent invasive coronary angiography (ICA).

Methods: CCTA data from individuals enrolled into the randomized controlled Computed Tomographic Angiography for Selective Cardiac Catheterization trial for an American College of Cardiology (ACC)/American Heart Association (AHA) guideline indication for ICA were analyzed. Site interpretation of CCTAs were compared to those analyzed by a cloud-based software (Cleerly, Inc.

Impact of the ultra-long 48 mm drug-eluting stent on procedural and clinical outcomes in patients with diffuse long coronary artery disease.

Background: Diffuse coronary artery disease (CAD) is a prognostic factor after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and requires multiple overlapping stent implantations.

Hypothesis: We investigated the impact of ultra-long 48 mm drug-eluting stent (DES) on procedural and clinical outcomes in real-world practice.

Methods: Patients who underwent DES implantation for a lesion length of >40 mm were selected from a prospective registry between 2019 and 2021.

Identification of Cardiovascular Disease-Related Genes Based on the Co-Expression Network Analysis of Genome-Wide Blood Transcriptome.

Inference of co-expression network and identification of disease-related modules and gene sets can help us understand disease-related molecular pathophysiology. We aimed to identify a cardiovascular disease (CVD)-related transcriptomic signature, specifically, in peripheral blood tissue, based on differential expression (DE) and differential co-expression (DcoE) analyses. Publicly available blood sample datasets for coronary artery disease (CAD) and acute coronary syndrome (ACS) statuses were integrated to establish a co-expression network.

Validation of age- and sex-dependent association of uric acid and incident hypertension in rural areas.

Background: A previous study based on urban areas suggested the age- and sex-dependent association of uric acid (UA) and incident hypertension. We aimed to investigate whether this association is valid even in rural areas with different lifestyle.

Methods: Data from the cardiovascular disease association study, a prospective cohort study based on rural residents, was analyzed.

Optimal Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Levels in Adults Without Diabetes Mellitus: A Nationwide Population-Based Study Including More Than 4 Million Individuals From South Korea.

Background: Although the strong association between low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) is well-known, the threshold LDL-C level at which the risk of CVD begins to increase in individuals without diabetes mellitus (DM) remains unknown. We aimed to evaluate the association between incident CVD and serum LDL-C levels with or without statin use in individuals without DM.

Methods: We identified 4,182,117 individuals without previous CVD who underwent a health screening examination in 2009 and 2011 from the Korean National Health Insurance Cohort database.

Reference diameter and characteristics of the distal radial artery based on ultrasonographic assessment.

Background/aims: While distal radial artery (DRA) access is increasingly being used for diagnostic coronary angiography, limited information is available regarding DRA size. We aimed to determine the DRA reference diameters of Korean patients and identify the predictors of DRA diameter < 2.3 mm.

Central blood pressure lowering effect of telmisartan-rosuvastatin single-pill combination in hypertensive patients combined with dyslipidemia: A pilot study.

This multicenter, phase 4, Prospective Randomized Open, Blinded End-point (PROBE) study aimed to evaluate safety and efficacy of telmisartan/rosuvastatin single-pill combination (SPC) therapy on lowering central blood pressure (BP) compared with telmisartan monotherapy in hypertensive patients with dyslipidemia in Korea. Study was terminated earlier than planned due to COVID-19 pandemic, thus should be considered as a pilot study. Among 125 patients who met the inclusion criteria of hypertension and dyslipidemia (defined as 10-year Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease risk score over 5%), 80 patients went through 4-week single-group run-in period with telmisartan 40-80 mg, then randomized to telmisartan 80 mg + rosuvastatin (10 or 20 mg) SPC group or telmisartan 80 mg monotherapy group.

A Deep Neural Network for Estimating Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol From Electronic Health Records: Real-Time Routine Clinical Application.

Background: Previously, we constructed a deep neural network (DNN) model to estimate low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C).

Objective: To routinely provide estimated LDL-C levels, we applied the aforementioned DNN model to an electronic health record (EHR) system in real time (deep LDL-EHR).

Methods: The Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and the Wonju Severance Christian Hospital (WSCH) datasets were used as training and testing datasets, respectively.

Effect of hepatic steatosis on native T1 mapping of 3T magnetic resonance imaging in the assessment of T1 values for patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Purpose: This study investigated whether T1 values in native T1 mapping of 3T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the liver were affected by the fatty component.

Methods: This prospective study involved 340 participants from a population-based cohort study between May 8, 2018 and August 8, 2019. Data obtained included: (1) hepatic stiffness according to magnetic resonance elastography (MRE); (2) T1 value according to T1 mapping; (3) fat fraction and iron concentration from multi-echo Dixon; and (4) clinical indices of hepatic steatosis including body mass index, waist circumference, history of diabetes, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, and triglycerides.

Office Blood Pressure Range and Cardiovascular Events in Patients With Hypertension: A Nationwide Cohort Study in South Korea.

Background It is unclear what office blood pressure (BP) is the optimal treatment target range in patients with hypertension. Methods and Results Using the Korean National Health Insurance Service database, we extracted the data on 479 359 patients with hypertension with available BP measurements and no history of cardiovascular events from 2002 to 2011. The study end point was major cardiovascular events (MACE), a composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke.

Age and sex dependent association of uric acid and incident hypertension.

Background And Aims: A previous meta-analysis suggested that the relationship between hyperuricemia and hypertension may be stronger in younger individuals and women. We aimed to investigate the age and sex dependent association of uric acid (UA) and incident hypertension.

Methods And Results: We analyzed data from the Health Examinees Study, a community-based prospective cohort study conducted in Korea from 2004 to 2013.

Metabolic Syndrome Severity Score for Predicting Cardiovascular Events: A Nationwide Population-Based Study from Korea.

Background: Recently, a metabolic syndrome severity score (MS score) using a dataset of the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys has been developed. We aimed to determine whether the newly developed score is a significant predictor of cardiovascular (CV) events among the Korean population.

Methods: From the Korean National Health Insurance System, 2,541,364 (aged 40 to 59 years) subjects with no history of CV events (ischemic stroke or myocardial infarction [MI]), who underwent health examinations from 2009 to 2011 and were followed up until 2014 to 2017, were identified.

Association of Metabolically Healthy Obesity and Future Depression: Using National Health Insurance System Data in Korea from 2009-2017.

(1) Background: The health implications associated with the metabolically healthy obese (MHO) phenotype, in particular related to symptoms of depression, are still not clear. the purpose of this study is to check whether depression and metabolic status are relevant by classifying them into four groups in accordance with the MHO diagnostic standard. Other impressions seen were the differences between sexes and the effects of the MHO on the occurrence of depression.

Risk of Cardiovascular Disease and Chronic Kidney Disease According to 2017 Blood Pressure Categories in Diabetes Mellitus.

The association between blood pressure (BP) defined by the 2017 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Hypertension Clinical Practice Guidelines with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and chronic kidney disease in patients with diabetes mellitus remains unclear. This study used the National Health Insurance Database of Korea that has health information of 8 922 940 persons who were screened from 2009 to 2014. We determined the BP status of 490 352 diabetes mellitus: level 1 (systolic <120 mm Hg and diastolic <80 mm Hg), level 2 (systolic 120-129 mm Hg and diastolic <80 mm Hg), level 3 (systolic 130-139 mm Hg or diastolic 80-89 mm Hg), and level 4 (systolic ≥140 mm Hg or diastolic ≥90 mm Hg).

Prediction of incident hypertension with the coronary artery calcium score based on the 2017 ACC/AHA high blood pressure guidelines.

Coronary artery calcification (CAC), a marker of atherosclerosis, is predictive of incident hypertension based on the 2017 ACC/AHA high blood pressure guidelines. We performed a large cohort study to investigate whether incident hypertension could be predicted from CAC measurements as a measure of atherosclerosis, even when updated hypertension criteria are applied. A total of 27,918 male subjects who underwent CAC examination during a health screening program between 2011 and 2017 were enrolled.

Machine learning insight into the role of imaging and clinical variables for the prediction of obstructive coronary artery disease and revascularization: An exploratory analysis of the CONSERVE study.

Background: Machine learning (ML) is able to extract patterns and develop algorithms to construct data-driven models. We use ML models to gain insight into the relative importance of variables to predict obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) using the Coronary Computed Tomographic Angiography for Selective Cardiac Catheterization (CONSERVE) study, as well as to compare prediction of obstructive CAD to the CAD consortium clinical score (CAD2). We further perform ML analysis to gain insight into the role of imaging and clinical variables for revascularization.

Transient receptor potential channel TRPV4 mediates TGF-β1-induced differentiation of human ventricular fibroblasts.

Background: Cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) are principal extracellular matrix-producing cells. In response to injury, CFs transdifferentiate into myofibroblasts. Intracellular calcium (Ca2+) signaling, involved in fibroblast proliferation and differentiation, is activated in fibroblasts through transient receptor potential (TRP) channels, but the function of these channels has not been investigated in human ventricular CFs.