Publications by authors named "Marco Fabio Costantino"
Background: The extent of residual mitral regurgitation (MR) (1+ vs ≥2+) has a notable impact on the outcome of MitraClip (MC) repair of significant functional MR. In this retrospective single-center study, we evaluated the predictors of MI ≥2+ at 1 year in one of our case series.
Methods: Overall, 58 patients with moderate severe functional MR underwent MC implantation; of these, 48 patients had instrumental clinical follow-up for 1 year.
Stress Echocardiography in Italian Echocardiographic Laboratories: A Survey of the Italian Society of Echocardiography and Cardiovascular Imaging.
J Cardiovasc Echogr
November 2023
Article Synopsis
- The Italian Society of Echography and Cardiovascular Imaging (SIECVI) conducted a national survey to investigate stress echocardiography (SE) practices across Italy, collecting data from 228 laboratories in November 2022.
- The survey revealed that out of 179 centers performing SE, most were located in northern Italy, and the study categorized them into low, moderate, and high volume of activity based on the number of SE examinations.
- Key findings indicated differences in the use of stressors, with a tendency for high-volume centers to employ multiple stress techniques and incorporate advanced evaluations like coronary flow velocity reserve (CFVR) more frequently than low and moderate volume centers.
Background: Regional wall motion abnormality is considered a sensitive and specific marker of ischemia during stress echocardiography (SE). However, ischemia is a multifaceted entity associated with either coronary artery disease (CAD) or angina with normal coronary arteries, a distinction difficult to make using a single sign. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic potential of the five-step ABCDE SE protocol for CAD detection.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOrganization and Activity of Italian Echocardiographic Laboratories: A Survey of the Italian Society of Echocardiography and Cardiovascular Imaging.
J Cardiovasc Echogr
May 2023
Background: The Italian Society of Echocardiography and Cardiovascular Imaging (SIECVI) conducted a national survey to understand better how different echocardiographic modalities are used and accessed in Italy.
Methods: We analyzed echocardiography laboratory activities over a month (November 2022). Data were retrieved via an electronic survey based on a structured questionnaire, uploaded on the SIECVI website.
Article Synopsis
- Atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases are major global health issues, with recent studies suggesting vitamin D deficiency as a potential risk factor for these conditions.
- The review outlines the biological importance of vitamin D, explores its connections to cardiovascular health, and evaluates existing literature on its role in preventing and treating heart diseases.
- While vitamin D is crucial for bone health and may offer some cardiovascular protection, current evidence does not support routine vitamin D supplementation specifically for cardiovascular disease management.
The profile of infective endocarditis (IE) has changed over the past few decades. The modified Duke's criteria is currently employed for diagnosis of IE. Emphasis on imaging modalities however, have been increasing due to the variety of presenting symptoms leading to diagnostic conundrums.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Pulmonary congestion is the main cause of hospital admission in patients with heart failure (HF). Lung ultrasound (LUS) is a useful tool to identify subclinical pulmonary congestion. We evaluated the usefulness of LUS in addition to physical examination (PE) in the management of outpatients with HF.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA perforated cardiac pseudoaneurysm complicating an acute myocardial infarction.
J Cardiovasc Med (Hagerstown)
December 2018
Quality control of B-lines analysis in stress Echo 2020.
Cardiovasc Ultrasound
September 2018
Article Synopsis
- The "Stress echo (SE) 2020" trial investigates innovative uses of stress echocardiography (SE) for diagnosing coronary artery disease and includes a lung ultrasound component to assess pulmonary congestion.
- A group of 60 readers from 16 countries undertook a training module before evaluating video clips of lung ultrasounds, aiming for a high diagnostic accuracy and standardized reading criteria.
- All readers achieved accreditation with an average diagnostic accuracy of 95%, and even those new to B-lines scoring performed comparably to experts, highlighting the effectiveness of the web-based quality control training.
Background: The trial "Stress Echo (SE) 2020" evaluates novel applications of SE beyond coronary artery disease. The aim of the study was control quality and harmonize reading criteria.
Methods: One reader from 78 centers of the SE 2020 network asked for credentials to read a set of 20 SE video-clips selected by the core lab.
Article Synopsis
- Stress echocardiography (SE) is widely used and recognized in guidelines, but its applications now extend beyond just coronary artery disease (CAD), highlighting the need for comprehensive studies on its diverse uses.
- A prospective, international study will involve over 100 high-volume SE labs, collecting clinical and imaging data across various heart conditions, aiming to uncover new insights regarding cardiac response to therapy.
- The project plans to recruit around 10,000 patients over a 5-year span and will focus on diverse issues such as heart failure types, cardiac therapies, and genetic heart diseases to analyze the effectiveness and consistency of SE parameters.
Introduction And Objectives: The variation between rest and peak stress end-systolic pressure-volume relation is an afterload-independent index of left ventricular contractility. Whether and to what extent it depends on end-diastolic volume remains unclear. The aim of this study was to assess the dependence of the delta rest-stress end-systolic pressure-volume relation on end-diastolic volume in patients with negative stress echo and all ranges of resting left ventricular function.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- A study analyzed the impact of mitral regurgitation (MR) on patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) over a period from 2010 to 2014, involving 165 patients aged around 80 years.
- Results showed that while most patients had mild-to-moderate MR pre-procedure, those with moderate-to-severe MR experienced significant improvement in their condition within a month after TAVI, and these benefits persisted for up to a year.
- The findings suggest that having moderate-to-severe MR does not increase the risk of TAVI failure, and TAVI itself not only addresses aortic valve issues but also leads to improvements in MR.
Article Synopsis
- A study involving 891 patients aimed to evaluate whether changes in cardiovascular hemodynamics during stress tests can predict heart-related events in those with negative stress echocardiography results.
- The researchers analyzed data such as left ventricular end-systolic elastance index (E(LV)I), ventricular arterial coupling (VAC), and systemic vascular resistance (SVR) during stress, focusing on how these measures changed from rest to peak stress.
- Key findings revealed that E(LV)I reserve and VAC reserve during stress testing were significant predictors of adverse outcomes, including death and hospitalization for heart failure, highlighting that negative stress echocardiography does not completely rule out risk.
Article Synopsis
- - The study compared the effects of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) and traditional aortic valve replacement (AVR) on left ventricular (LV) function and geometry in patients with aortic stenosis, assessing 45 TAVI and 33 AVR patients through echocardiograms before and two months after procedures.
- - Results showed that TAVI patients were older and had greater LV mass index (LVMi) at baseline; however, both procedures significantly reduced transvalvular gradients and LV metrics after two months, with TAVI showing a more pronounced improvement in LV geometry and function.
- - The findings indicate that TAVI leads to a greater reduction in estimated LV filling pressure compared to AVR, and these
Article Synopsis
- Patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) face a risk of pulmonary hypertension, leading to poor health outcomes, and exercise Doppler echocardiography helps identify increases in pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) during physical activity.
- A study of 164 SSc patients found that 42% experienced significant increases in PASP during exercise, with predictors including age, interstitial lung disease, and diastolic dysfunction, but elevated pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) was rare.
- The findings indicate that while nearly half of these patients show exercise-induced increases in PASP, the underlying causes are complex and vary, highlighting the diverse mechanisms of pulmonary hypertension in SSc.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to examine the link between carotid and aortic atherosclerosis in patients who show no symptoms of cardiovascular issues.
- A total of 83 patients underwent transesophageal echocardiography, revealing that 40 patients had aortic plaques, and 43% had carotid atherosclerosis, with a higher prevalence (75%) in those with aortic atherosclerosis.
- The findings suggest that carotid atherosclerosis is a significant predictor of aortic plaques, indicating that ultrasound assessments of both areas should be considered for asymptomatic individuals.