Low-Gradient Severe Aortic Stenosis: Insights From the CURRENT AS Registry-2.

Background: Low-gradient (LG) aortic stenosis (AS) has not been fully characterized compared with high-gradient (HG) AS in terms of cardiac damage, frailty, aortic valve calcification, and clinical outcomes.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the clinical characteristics and outcomes between each hemodynamic type of LG AS and HG AS.

Methods: The current study included 3,363 patients in the CURRENT AS (Contemporary outcomes after sURgery and medical tREatmeNT in patients with severe Aortic Stenosis) Registry-2 after excluding patients without indexed stroke volume or left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) data.

Safety of Calcium Channel Blockers in Patients With Severe Aortic Stenosis and Hypertension.

Background: There is a paucity of data on safety of calcium channel blockers (CCB) in patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) and hypertension.

Methods And Results: Among 2,460 patients with severe AS and hypertension receiving antihypertensive therapy in the CURRENT AS registry-2, we compared the clinical outcomes between patients taking antihypertensive therapy with CCB (CCB group) and without CCB (no CCB group). In the entire study population, CCB was prescribed in 1,763 patients (71.

[Arterial Anastomosis( Aorta, Middle Artery, Dissected Vessels, and Artificial Vessels)].

Ascending aortic replacement is a basic procedure in aortic surgery. The crucial factor is the anastomosis method, including the anastomosis site formation. The anastomosis method is usually completely different between true aneurysms and acute aortic dissection because of the difference in the fragility of the aorta.

Planned Y-shaped Muscle Wrapping for Salvaging Aortic Graft Infection: Latissimus Dorsi and Reverse Serratus Anterior Muscles.

Aorta-related infections are life threatening. Aggressive replacement surgery using artificial aortic grafts should be performed using well-vascularized tissue wrapping to avoid reinfection. An omental flap is the first choice; however, a history of abdominal surgery necessitates other methods.

Bioprosthetic Valve Positions in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation - Insights From the BPV-AF Registry.

Background: Data on the impact of valve position on clinical outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and bioprosthetic valves (BPVs) are limited.

Methods And Results: The BPV-AF Registry was a multicenter, prospective, observational study involving 894 patients with BPVs and AF. In this post-hoc substudy, patients were classified according to BPV position: aortic (n=588; 65.

Acquired von Willebrand Disease Associated With Severe Functional Mitral Regurgitation Improved by TEER.

A 75-year-old man with a history of small intestinal angioectasia underwent transcatheter edge-to-edge repair for severe functional mitral regurgitation, resulting in recovery of large von Willebrand Factor multimers. This case highlights the potential of transcatheter edge-to-edge repair to manage both heart failure and acquired von Willebrand disease associated with functional mitral regurgitation.

Simultaneous electro-dynamic stimulation accelerates maturation of engineered cardiac tissues generated by human iPS cells.

Electrical and dynamic stimulation are commonly employed to enhance the maturation of engineered cardiac tissue (ECT) derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), reflecting the physiological environment of the heart. While electrical stimulation mimics natural bioelectrical signals and dynamic stimulation replicates mechanical forces, the combined effects of these stimuli on ECT maturation have not been thoroughly explored. We hypothesized that simultaneous electro-dynamic stimulation would enhance ECT maturation and function more effectively than either stimulus alone.

Living-donor lobar lung transplantation for pulmonary Langerhans cell histiocytosis complicated by extensive thrombi in central pulmonary arteries.

Background: Pulmonary Langerhans cell histiocytosis (PLCH) is a rare disorder characterized by the proliferation of Langerhans cells along the small airways, which causes nodular and cystic changes in the lung parenchyma. Lung transplantation can be a life-saving option for patients with severe respiratory failure or pulmonary hypertension. Herein, we present a case of successful lung transplantation in a patient with PLCH who developed unusually large thrombi in the central pulmonary artery.

miR-124-3p downregulates EGR1 to suppress ischemia-hypoxia reperfusion injury in human iPS cell-derived cardiomyocytes.

Ischemic heart diseases are a major global cause of death, and despite timely revascularization, heart failure due to ischemia-hypoxia reperfusion (IH/R) injury remains a concern. The study focused on the role of Early Growth Response 1 (EGR1) in IH/R-induced apoptosis in human cardiomyocytes (CMs). Human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived CMs were cultured under IH/R conditions, revealing higher EGR1 expression in the IH/R group through quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blotting (WB).

Clinically significant incidental noncardiac findings on preprocedural computed tomography in patients with aortic stenosis undergoing aortic-valve replacement.

Background: There is a scarcity of data on the prevalence of abnormal findings on preprocedural computed tomography (CT) before aortic valve replacement (AVR) in patients with aortic stenosis (AS).

Methods: Among consecutive 593 patients with severe AS who were planned to undergo AVR, we evaluated the prevalence of clinically significant incidental noncardiac findings on preprocedural CT. Clinically significant incidental noncardiac findings were defined as newly detected abnormalities that required therapy, consultation for expert, further investigation, or clinical follow-up.