Transcoronary cooling and dilution for cardioprotection during revascularisation for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction: Design and rationale of the STEMI-Cool study.

Background: ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is treated with immediate primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) to restore coronary blood flow in the acutely ischaemic territory, but is associated with reperfusion injury limiting the benefit of the therapy. No treatment has proven effective in reducing reperfusion injury. Transcoronary hypothermia has been tested in clinical studies and is well tolerated, but is generally established after crossing the occlusion with a guidewire therefore after initial reperfusion, which might have contributed to the neutral outcomes.

Prognostic value of multimodality imaging in the contemporary management of cardiac sarcoidosis.

Background: Echocardiography, cardiac magnetic resonance and cardiac fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) imaging play key roles in the diagnosis and management of cardiac sarcoidosis (CS), but the relative value of each modality in predicting outcomes has yet to be determined. This study sought to determine the prognostic importance of multimodality imaging data over and above demographic characteristics and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF).

Methods: Consecutive patients newly diagnosed with CS were included.

Rapid Exclusion of COVID Infection With the Artificial Intelligence Electrocardiogram.

Objective: To rapidly exclude severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection using artificial intelligence applied to the electrocardiogram (ECG).

Methods: A global, volunteer consortium from 4 continents identified patients with ECGs obtained around the time of polymerase chain reaction-confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis and age- and sex-matched controls from the same sites. Clinical characteristics, polymerase chain reaction results, and raw electrocardiographic data were collected.

Reduced adrenal stress response in patients on PCSK9 inhibitor therapy.

Background And Aims: Treatment with proprotein convertase subtilisin-kexin type 9 inhibitors (PCSK9i), in addition to statin therapy, reduces LDL-cholesterol (LDL-c) in some patients to extremely low levels (i.e.< 20 mg/dl or < 0.

Place and causes of acute cardiovascular mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objective: To describe the place and causes of acute cardiovascular death during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: Retrospective cohort of adult (age ≥18 years) acute cardiovascular deaths (n=5 87 225) in England and Wales, from 1 January 2014 to 30 June 2020. The exposure was the COVID-19 pandemic (from onset of the first COVID-19 death in England, 2 March 2020).

Patient response, treatments, and mortality for acute myocardial infarction during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Aims: COVID-19 might have affected the care and outcomes of hospitalized acute myocardial infarction (AMI). We aimed to determine whether the COVID-19 pandemic changed patient response, hospital treatment, and mortality from AMI.

Methods And Results: Admission was classified as non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) or STEMI at 99 hospitals in England through live feeding from the Myocardial Ischaemia National Audit Project between 1 January 2019 and 22 May 2020.

COVID-19 pandemic and admission rates for and management of acute coronary syndromes in England.

Background: Several countries affected by the COVID-19 pandemic have reported a substantial drop in the number of patients attending the emergency department with acute coronary syndromes and a reduced number of cardiac procedures. We aimed to understand the scale, nature, and duration of changes to admissions for different types of acute coronary syndrome in England and to evaluate whether in-hospital management of patients has been affected as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: We analysed data on hospital admissions in England for types of acute coronary syndrome from Jan 1, 2019, to May 24, 2020, that were recorded in the Secondary Uses Service Admitted Patient Care database.

A Prospective Pilot Study to Identify a Myocarditis Cohort who may Safely Resume Sports Activities 3 Months after Diagnosis.

International cardiovascular society recommendations to return to sports activities following acute myocarditis are based on expert consensus in the absence of prospective studies. We prospectively enrolled 30 patients with newly diagnosed myocarditis based on clinical parameters, laboratory measurements and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging with mildly reduced or preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) with a follow-up of 12 months. Cessation of physical activity was recommended for 3 months.

Low Plasma Sphingomyelin Levels Show a Weak Association with Poor Neurological Outcome in Cardiac Arrest Patients: Results from the Prospective, Observational COMMUNICATE Trial.

There is interest in novel blood markers to improve risk stratification in patients presenting with cardiac arrest. We assessed associations of different plasma sphingomyelin concentrations and neurological outcome in patients with cardiac arrest. In this prospective observational study, adult patients with cardiac arrest were included upon admission to the intensive care unit (ICU).

Neuron-specific enolase (NSE) improves clinical risk scores for prediction of neurological outcome and death in cardiac arrest patients: Results from a prospective trial.

Aim: Neuron-specific enolase (NSE) increases in response to brain injury and is recommended for outcome prediction in cardiac arrest patients. Our aim was to investigate whether NSE measured at different days after a cardiac arrest and its kinetics would improve the prognostic ability of two cardiac arrest specific risk scores.

Methods: Within this prospective observational study, we included consecutive adult patients after cardiac arrest.

Depression and anxiety in relatives of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients: Results of a prospective observational study.

Purpose: Relatives of patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) may suffer from adverse psychological outcomes. We assessed prevalence and risk factors for depression and anxiety in such relatives 90 days after ICU admission.

Materials And Methods: This study included consecutive relatives of OHCA patients admitted to the ICU of University Hospital in Basel, Switzerland.

Performance of clinical risk scores to predict mortality and neurological outcome in cardiac arrest patients.

Aim: Several scores are available to predict mortality and neurological outcome in cardiac arrest patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). The aim of the study was to externally validate the prognostic value of four previously published risk scores.

Methods: For this observational, single-center study, we prospectively included 349 consecutive adult cardiac arrest patients upon ICU admission.

Whole blood omega-3 fatty acid concentrations are inversely associated with blood pressure in young, healthy adults.

Background: Omega-3 fatty acids (n - 3 FA) may have blood pressure (BP)-lowering effects in untreated hypertensive and elderly patients. The effect of n - 3 FA on BP in young, healthy adults remains unknown. The Omega-3 Index reliably reflects an individuals' omega-3 status.

Multicenter evaluation of dynamic three-dimensional magnetic resonance myocardial perfusion imaging for the detection of coronary artery disease defined by fractional flow reserve.

Background: First-pass myocardial perfusion cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging yields high diagnostic accuracy for the detection of coronary artery disease (CAD). However, standard 2D multislice CMR perfusion techniques provide only limited cardiac coverage, and hence considerable assumptions are required to assess myocardial ischemic burden. The aim of this prospective study was to assess the diagnostic performance of 3D myocardial perfusion CMR to detect functionally relevant CAD with fractional flow reserve (FFR) as a reference standard in a multicenter setting.

Heart transplantation in adolescent and adult patients with congenital heart disease: a case-control study.

Background: The number of adolescent and adult patients with congenital heart disease undergoing heart transplantation is increasing. We aimed to better define the characteristics of these patients and their survival after transplantation.

Methods: We describe a group of patients with end-stage heart failure owing to congenital heart disease undergoing heart transplantation at a single tertiary center and compare their short- and long-term survival with a group of matched controls with dilated cardiomyopathy and the entire cohort of transplanted patients at our center.

Percutaneous PFO closure with Amplatzer PFO occluder: predictors of residual shunts at 6 months follow-up.

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess predictors of residual shunts after percutaneous patent foramen ovale (PFO) closure with Amplatzer PFO occluder (AGA Medical Corporation, Golden Valley, MN, USA).

Methods: All percutaneous PFO closures, using Amplatzer PFO occluder performed at a tertiary center between May 2002 and August 2006, were reviewed. Follow-up, including saline contrast transesophageal echocardiography, was performed in all patients 6 months after the intervention.

High spatial resolution myocardial perfusion cardiac magnetic resonance for the detection of coronary artery disease.

Aims: To evaluate the feasibility and diagnostic performance of high spatial resolution myocardial perfusion cardiac magnetic resonance (perfusion-CMR).

Methods And Results: Fifty-four patients underwent adenosine stress perfusion-CMR. An in-plane spatial resolution of 1.

Low-dose CT coronary angiography in the step-and-shoot mode: diagnostic performance.

Objective: To investigate the performance of low-dose, dual-source computed tomography (DSCT) coronary angiography in the step-and-shoot (SAS) mode for the diagnosis of significant coronary artery stenoses in comparison with conventional coronary angiography (CCA).

Design, Setting And Patients: Prospective, single-centre study conducted in a referral centre enrolling 120 patients (71 men, mean (SD) age 68 (9) years, mean (SD) body mass index 26.2 (3.

Dual-source computed tomography coronary angiography: influence of obesity, calcium load, and heart rate on diagnostic accuracy.

Aims: To prospectively investigate the diagnostic accuracy of dual-source computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA) to diagnose coronary stenoses in relation to body mass index (BMI), Agatston score (AS), and heart rate (HR) as compared with catheter coronary angiography (CCA).

Methods And Results: Hundred and fifty consecutive patients (47 female, mean age 62.9 +/- 12.

Combining dual-source computed tomography coronary angiography and calcium scoring: added value for the assessment of coronary artery disease.

Objective: To prospectively investigate the diagnostic accuracy of dual-source 64-slice computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA), calcium scoring (CS) and both methods combined for assessing significant coronary artery stenoses relative to conventional coronary angiography (CCA).

Design, Setting And Patients: Prospective, single-centre study conducted in a referral centre enrolling 74 consecutive patients (24 women; mean age 62 (SD 12) years) from August-October 2006. All study participants underwent CS, CTCA and CCA.