Urinary NT-proBNP compared head-to-head to plasmatic NT-proBNP in a real life collective with an ICD.

Aims: Plasma NT-proBNP is an established marker of heart failure. Previous studies suggested urinary NT-proBNP has potential as marker of chronic heart failure as well. The objective of this study was to compare urinary NT-proBNP to plasma NT-proBNP in a real-life collective of patients with an ICD, especially regarding ICD-therapies.

Less major bleeding and higher hemoglobin after left atrial appendage closure in high-risk patients: Data from a long-term, longitudinal, two-center observational study.

Background: Left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) is a mechanical alternative for stroke prevention in patients at risk who cannot tolerate oral anticoagulation (OAC).

Hypothesis: Our hypothesis was that the reduction of anticoagulation following LAAC results in a decrease of bleeding events and a rise in serum hemoglobin in a high-risk collective of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF).

Methods: Bleeding events, use of erythrocyte concentrates, anticoagulation, embolic events, and serum hemoglobin levels before and following LAAC were compared over more than 4 years.

Adverse childhood experiences and insecure attachment: The indirect effects of dissociation and emotion regulation difficulties.

Objective: Difficulties with dissociation and emotion regulation are well-documented reactions to early adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Although findings identify dissociation and emotion dysregulation as explaining the relationship between various forms of ACEs and adult psychopathology, less is known about their combined effect in the relationship between ACEs and insecure attachment in adulthood. This study examined the indirect effects of dissociation and emotion regulation difficulties in the relationship between early adverse experiences and insecure attachment traits.

Cardiovascular Risk Factor Control in 70- to 95-Year-Old Individuals: Cross-Sectional Results from the Population-Based AugUR Study.

Cardiovascular risk factors such as high glucose, LDL-cholesterol, blood pressure, and impaired kidney function are particularly frequent in old-aged individuals. However, population-based data on the extent of cardiovascular risk factor control in the old-aged population is limited. AugUR is a cohort of the mobile "70+"-year-old population of/near Regensburg, recruited via population registries.

Effects of percutaneous coronary intervention on dyspnea in stable coronary artery disease.

Background: Dyspnea is a frequent symptom in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD) and is recognized as a possible angina equivalent.

Objectives: This study was to assess the impact of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) on dyspnea, quality of life, and angina pectoris in patients with stable CAD.

Methods: The prospective, multi-center PLA-pCi-EBO-pilot trial included 144 patients with symptomatic stable CAD and successful PCI.

Tachycardiomyopathy entails a dysfunctional pattern of interrelated mitochondrial functions.

Tachycardiomyopathy is characterised by reversible left ventricular dysfunction, provoked by rapid ventricular rate. While the knowledge of mitochondria advanced in most cardiomyopathies, mitochondrial functions await elucidation in tachycardiomyopathy. Pacemakers were implanted in 61 rabbits.

The emotional impact of self-criticism on self-reflection and rumination.

Objectives: The goals of this study were to determine whether self-reflection is a beneficial exercise for highly self-critical individuals and to examine the effects of self-focused thought including reflection and rumination on mood. This was investigated by measuring the levels of self-criticism, as well as mood before and after exposure to a reflective prompt or a ruminative prompt.

Design: Experimental design with random assignment to reflection, rumination or control groups.

NAG: potential cardiorenal biomarker indicates the progression of chronic kidney disease in implantable cardioverter defibrillator patients, contrary to KIM-1.

NAG and KIM-1 as markers of tubular damage are suggested as potential biomarkers for the cardiorenal syndrome. The aim of the study was to assess the prognostic capability of NAG and KIM-1 regarding progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). We included 313 patients with an ICD and collected plasma and urine samples.

Evaluation of a multimarker panel in chronic heart failure: a 10-year follow-up.

We assessed the 10-year prognostic role of 11 biomarkers with different pathophysiological backgrounds. Blood samples from 144 patients with heart failure were analyzed. After 10 years of follow-up (median follow-up was 104 months), data regarding all-cause mortality were acquired.

Distribution and specificity of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T in older adults without acute cardiac conditions: cross-sectional results from the population-based AugUR study.

Objective: European guidelines recommended a uniform upper reference limit of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hsTnT) to rule out non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction. Our study aimed to provide a hsTnT reference distribution and to assess the specificity of the 14 ng/L cut-off value in the mobile population ≥70 years of age.

Design: A cross-sectional analysis was performed in the German AugUR study (ltersbezogene ntersuchungen zur esundheit der niversity of egensburg).

Increased Serum Levels of soluble ST2 as a Predictor of Disease Progression in Systemic Sclerosis.

Objective: Interleukin-33 (IL-33) has been investigated as a mediator in the pathogenesis of fibrosis in lung, liver, and heart. There is accumulating evidence for the involvement of the IL-33/IL-33 receptor ST2L signalling pathway in systemic sclerosis (SSc). Little is known about the role of serum sST2 in SSc, which is the subject of the present investigation.

Urinary N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide: prognostic value in patients with acute chest pain.

Aims: The objective of this study was to investigate the prognostic value of urinary N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) compared with plasma NT-proBNP in patients presenting with acute chest pain in the emergency department.

Methods And Results: We measured simultaneously plasma and urinary NT-proBNP at admission in 301 patients with acute chest pain. In our cohort, 174 patients suffered from acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

N-acetyl-b-D-glucosaminidase: A potential cardiorenal biomarker with a relevant impact on ICD shock therapies and mortality.

Aims: Chronic heart failure may lead to chronic kidney disease. Previous studies suggest tubular markers N-acetyl-b-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) and Kidney-injury-molecule-1 (KIM-1) as potential markers for the cardiorenal syndrome (CRS). The prognostic value of NAG and KIM-1 regarding implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) shock therapies is unknown.

Alterations of the renin angiotensin system in human end-stage heart failure before and after mechanical cardiac unloading by LVAD support.

Heart transplantation is often an unrealizable therapeutic option for end-stage heart failure, which is why mechanical left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) become an increasingly important therapeutic alternative. Currently, there is a lack of information about molecular mechanisms which are influenced by LVADs, particularly regarding the pathophysiologically critical renin angiotensin system (RAS). We, therefore, determined regulation patterns of key components of the RAS and the β-arrestin signaling pathways in left ventricular (LV) tissue specimens from 8 patients with end-stage ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM) and 12 patients with terminal dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) before and after LVAD implantation and compared them with non-failing (NF) left ventricular tissue samples: AT1R, AT2R, ACE, ACE2, MasR, and ADAM17 were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction.

The Bright and Dark Aspects of Grit in the Pursuit of Success.

Grit, defined as passion and perseverance for long-term goals, predicts success in a number of social domains. The present two studies examined grit and its subscales, and how these relate to both adaptive and maladaptive personality traits pertaining to success. For Study 1, based on data from 249 participants, results indicated that grit was correlated positively with proactive personality, personal growth initiative, and competitiveness, and the perseverance subscale also was correlated positively with self- and other-oriented perfectionism.

Skeletal muscle alterations in tachycardia-induced heart failure are linked to deficient natriuretic peptide signalling and are attenuated by RAS-/NEP-inhibition.

Background: Heart failure induced cachexia is highly prevalent. Insights into disease progression are lacking.

Methods: Early state of left ventricular dysfunction (ELVD) and symptomatic systolic heart failure (HF) were both induced in rabbits by tachypacing.

N-acety-b-D-glucosaminidase: A potential biomarker for early detection of acute kidney injury in acute chest pain.

Aim: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is often underdiagnosed due to several limitations of the renal marker creatinine. Tubular urinary biomarkers may substantially contribute to diagnose AKI early. For early detection of AKI, we evaluated for the first time N-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminidase (NAG), Kidney-injury-molecule-1 (KIM-1) and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) in acute chest pain.

The role of the tubular biomarkers NAG, kidney injury molecule-1 and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin in patients with chest pain before contrast media exposition.

We evaluated the role of the tubular biomarkers N-acetyl-ß-D-glucosaminidase (NAG), kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) in patients with chest pain. Serum and urine samples were collected of 223 patients and 47 healthy controls. None of them was exposed to contrast media.

Cardiac unloading by LVAD support differentially influences components of the cGMP-PKG signaling pathway in ischemic and dilated cardiomyopathy.

Implantation of left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) as bridge to transplant in end-stage heart failure allows for analyzing reverse remodeling processes of the supported heart. Whether this therapy influences the cGMP-PKG signaling pathway, which is currently under thorough investigation for developing new heart failure therapeutics, is unknown. In fourteen end-stage heart failure patients (8 with dilated cardiomyopathy, DCM; 6 with ischemic cardiomyopathy, ICM) tissue specimens of left ventricles were collected at LVAD implantation and afterwards at receiver heart explantation, respectively.

3D vena contracta area after MitraClip© procedure: precise quantification of residual mitral regurgitation and identification of prognostic information.

Background: Percutaneous mitral valve repair (PMVR) is increasingly performed in patients with severe mitral regurgitation (MR). Post-procedural MR grading is challenging and an unsettled issue. We hypothesised that the direct planimetry of vena contracta area (VCA) by 3D-transoesophageal echocardiography allows quantifying post-procedural MR and implies further prognostic relevance missed by the usual ordinal scale (grade I-IV).

Erratum to: Resolution of ST deviation after myocardial infarction in patients with and without sleep-disordered breathing.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1007/s11818-018-0154-8.].

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: current management and future strategies : Expert opinion on the behalf of the Nucleus of the "Heart Failure Working Group" of the German Society of Cardiology (DKG).

About 50% of all patients suffering from heart failure (HF) exhibit a reduced ejection fraction (EF ≤ 40%), termed HFrEF. The others may be classified into HF with midrange EF (HFmrEF 40-50%) or preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF, EF ≥ 50%). Presentation and pathophysiology of HFpEF is heterogeneous and its management remains a challenge since evidence of therapeutic benefits on outcome is scarce.