Specific locations of myocardial inflammation and fibrosis are associated with higher risk of events in cardiac sarcoidosis.

Background: F-Fluorodeoxyglucose (F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/magnetic resonance (MR) can identify inflammation and fibrosis, which are high-risk features in cardiac sarcoidosis.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the involvement of certain myocardial segments is associated with higher risk compared to others.

Methods: One hundred twenty-four patients with suspected clinical sarcoidosis underwent F-FDG-PET/MR.

Inhaled treprostinil in pulmonary hypertension associated with COPD: PERFECT study results.

Background: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) accompanying COPD (PH-COPD) is associated with worse outcomes than COPD alone. There are currently no approved therapies to treat PH-COPD. The PERFECT study (ClinicalTrials.

Cortico-limbic interactions and carotid atherosclerotic burden during chronic stress exposure.

Background And Aims: Chronic stress associates with cardiovascular disease, but mechanisms remain incompletely defined. Advanced imaging was used to identify stress-related neural imaging phenotypes associated with atherosclerosis.

Methods: Twenty-seven individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), 45 trauma-exposed controls without PTSD, and 22 healthy controls underwent 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging (18F-FDG PET/MRI).

Hybrid Magnetic Resonance Positron Emission Tomography Is Associated With Cardiac-Related Outcomes in Cardiac Sarcoidosis.

Background: Imaging with late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) magnetic resonance (MR) and F-fluorodeoxyglucose (F-FDG) PET allows complementary assessment of myocardial injury and disease activity and has shown promise for improved characterization of active cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) based on the combined positive imaging outcome, MR(+)PET(+).

Objectives: This study aims to evaluate qualitative and quantitative assessments of hybrid MR/PET imaging in CS and to evaluate its association with cardiac-related outcomes.

Methods: A total of 148 patients with suspected CS underwent hybrid MR/PET imaging.

Pulmonary Hypertension in Underrepresented Minorities: A Narrative Review.

Minoritized racial and ethnic groups suffer disproportionately from the incidence and morbidity of pulmonary hypertension (PH), as well as its associated cardiovascular, pulmonary, and systemic conditions. These disparities are largely explained by social determinants of health, including access to care, systemic biases, socioeconomic status, and environment. Despite this undue burden, minority patients remain underrepresented in PH research.

Imaging for the assessment of the arrhythmogenic potential of mitral valve prolapse.

Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) is the most common valve disease in the western world and recently emerged as a possible substrate for sudden cardiac death (SCD). It is estimated an annual risk of sudden cardiac death of 0.2 to 1.

F-FDG PET/CT in left ventricular assist device infections: In-depth characterization and clinical implications.

Background: Previous retrospective studies suggest a good diagnostic performance of F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (F-FDG-PET)/computed tomography (CT) in left ventricular assist device (LVAD) infections. Our aim was to prospectively evaluate the role of PET/CT in the characterization and impact on clinical management of LVAD infections.

Methods: A total of 40 patients (aged 58 [53-62] years) with suspected LVAD infection and 5 controls (aged 69 [64-71] years) underwent F-FDG-PET/CT.

Cardiac Insulin Resistance in Subjects With Metabolic Syndrome Traits and Early Subclinical Atherosclerosis.

Objective: Experimental evidence suggests that metabolic syndrome (MetS) is associated with changes in cardiac metabolism. Whether this association occurs in humans is unknown.

Research Design And Methods: 821 asymptomatic individuals from the Progression of Early Subclinical Atherosclerosis (PESA) study (50.

Exploring the Utility of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Radiomic Feature Extraction for Evaluation of Cardiac Sarcoidosis.

Background: The aim of this study is to explore the utility of cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging of radiomic features to distinguish active and inactive cardiac sarcoidosis (CS).

Methods: Subjects were classified into active cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) and inactive cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) based on PET-CMR imaging. CS was classified as featuring patchy [F]fluorodeoxyglucose ([F]FDG) uptake on PET and presence of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) on CMR, while CS was classified as featuring no [F]FDG uptake in the presence of LGE on CMR.

Arrhythmic Mitral Valve Prolapse With Only Mild or Moderate Mitral Regurgitation: Characterization of Myocardial Substrate.

Background: Sustained ventricular tachycardia and sudden cardiac death due to degenerative mitral valve prolapse (MVP) can occur in the absence of severe mitral regurgitation (MR). A significant percentage of patients with MVP-related sudden death do not have any evidence of replacement fibrosis, suggesting other unrecognized proarrhythmic factors may place these patients at risk.

Objectives: This study aims to characterize myocardial fibrosis/inflammation and ventricular arrhythmia complexity in patients with MVP and only mild or moderate MR.

The role of riociguat in combination therapies for pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Effective clinical decision-making in initial treatment selection and switching or escalations of therapy for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) depends on multiple factors including the patient's risk profile. Data from clinical trials suggest that switching from a phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor (PDE5i) to the soluble guanylate cyclase stimulator riociguat may provide clinical benefit in patients not reaching treatment goals. In this review, we cover the clinical evidence for riociguat combination regimens for patients with PAH and discuss their evolving role in upfront combination therapy and switching from a PDE5i as an alternative to escalating therapy.

The Role of Bone Morphogenetic Protein Receptor Type 2 () and the Prospects of Utilizing Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs) in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Disease Modeling.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a progressive disease characterized by increased pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR), causing right ventricular hypertrophy and ultimately death from right heart failure. Heterozygous mutations in the bone morphogenetic protein receptor type 2 () are linked to approximately 80% of hereditary, and 20% of idiopathic PAH cases, respectively. While patients carrying a gene mutation are more prone to develop PAH than non-carriers, only 20% will develop the disease, whereas the majority will remain asymptomatic.

Exploring the Utility of Radiomic Feature Extraction to Improve the Diagnostic Accuracy of Cardiac Sarcoidosis Using FDG PET.

Background: This study aimed to explore the radiomic features from PET images to detect active cardiac sarcoidosis (CS).

Methods: Forty sarcoid patients and twenty-nine controls were scanned using FDG PET-CMR. Five feature classes were compared between the groups.

Use of Cardiopulmonary Stress Testing for Patients With Unexplained Dyspnea Post-Coronavirus Disease.

Objectives: The authors used cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) to define unexplained dyspnea in patients with post-acute sequelae of severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection (PASC). We assessed participants for criteria to diagnose myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS).

Background: Approximately 20% of patients who recover from coronavirus disease (COVID) remain symptomatic.

Pulmonary Artery F-Fluorodeoxyglucose Uptake by PET/CMR as a Marker of Pulmonary Hypertension in Sarcoidosis.

Objectives: This study investigated whether pulmonary artery (PA) F-FDG uptake is associated with hypertension, and if it correlates to elevated pulmonary pressures.

Background: F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) combined with computed tomography or cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) has been used to assess inflammation mostly in large arteries of the systemic circulation. Much less is known about inflammation of the vasculature of the pulmonary system and its relationship to pulmonary hypertension (PH).

Early use of remote dielectric sensing after hospitalization to reduce heart failure readmissions.

Aims: Readmission after hospitalization for acute decompensated heart failure (HF) remains a major public health problem. Use of remote dielectric sensing (ReDS) to measure lung water volume allows for an objective assessment of volume status and may guide medical optimization for HF. We hypothesized that the use of ReDS would lower 30 day readmission in patients referred to rapid follow-up (RFU) clinic after HF discharge.

Challenges in Cardiac and Pulmonary Sarcoidosis: JACC State-of-the-Art Review.

Sarcoidosis is a complex disease with heterogeneous clinical presentations that can affect virtually any organ. Although the lung is typically the most common organ involved, combined pulmonary and cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) account for most of the morbidity and mortality associated with this disease. Pulmonary sarcoidosis can be asymptomatic or result in impairment in quality of life and end-stage, severe, and/or life-threatening disease.

18F-fluoride PET/MR in cardiac amyloid: A comparison study with aortic stenosis and age- and sex-matched controls.

Objectives: Cardiac MR is widely used to diagnose cardiac amyloid, but cannot differentiate AL and ATTR subtypes: an important distinction given their differing treatments and prognoses. We used PET/MR imaging to quantify myocardial uptake of 18F-fluoride in ATTR and AL amyloid patients, as well as participants with aortic stenosis and age/sex-matched controls.

Methods: In this prospective multicenter study, patients were recruited in Edinburgh and New York and underwent 18F-fluoride PET/MR imaging.

Hybrid Positron Emission Tomography/Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Arrhythmic Mitral Valve Prolapse.

Importance: Myocardial replacement fibrosis has been reported to occur in one-third of patients with mitral valve prolapse (MVP) and significant mitral regurgitation (MR). However, it remains unknown whether there are detectable changes in myocardial metabolism suggestive of inflammation or ischemia that accompany the development of fibrosis.

Objectives: To characterize the burden and distribution of fluorine 18-labeled (18F) fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) in patients with degenerative MVP and ventricular ectopy.