Prevalence and Prognostic Implications of Moderate or Severe Mitral Regurgitation in Patients with Bicuspid Aortic Valve.

Background: Significant (moderate or greater) mitral regurgitation (MR) could augment the hemodynamic effects of aortic valvular disease in patients with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV), imposing a greater hemodynamic burden on the left ventricle and atrium, possibly culminating in a faster onset of left ventricular dilation and/or symptoms. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and prognostic implications of significant MR in patients with BAV.

Methods: In this large, multicenter, international registry, a total of 2,932 patients (mean age, 48 ± 18 years; 71% men) with BAV were identified.

Impact of Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction on Clinical Outcomes in Bicuspid Aortic Valve Disease.

Background: The prognostic impact of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in patients with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) disease has not been previously studied.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine the prognostic impact of LVEF in BAV patients according to the type of aortic valve dysfunction.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the data collected in 2,672 patients included in an international registry of patients with BAV.

Left ventricular remodelling in bicuspid aortic valve disease.

Aims: Characterization of left ventricular (LV) geometric pattern and LV mass could provide an important insight into the pathophysiological adaptations of the LV to pressure and/or volume overload in patients with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) and significant (≥moderate) aortic valve (AV) disease. This study aimed to characterize LV remodelling and its prognostic impact in patients with BAV according to the predominant type of valvular dysfunction.

Methods And Results: In this international, multicentre BAV registry, 1345 patients [51.

Multi-View 3-D Fusion Echocardiography: Enhancing Clinical Feasibility with a Novel Processing Technique.

A novel system for fusing 3-D echocardiography data sets from complementary acoustic windows was evaluated in 12 healthy volunteers and 12 patients with heart failure. We hypothesized that 3-D fusion would enable 3-D echocardiography in patients with limited acoustic windows. At least nine 3-D data sets were recorded, while three infrared cameras tracked the position and orientation of the transducer and chest respiratory movements.

The incidence of stroke in patients with early echocardiography after acute myocardial infarction.

Left ventricular (LV) thrombus formation after ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) increases the risk of stroke. In our center, most echocardiograms are performed within 2 days post-STEMI. However, LV thrombi often become visible later.

Prognostic implications of left atrial dilation in aortic regurgitation due to bicuspid aortic valve.

Objective: To investigate the prognostic value of left atrial volume index (LAVI) in patients with moderate to severe aortic regurgitation (AR) and bicuspid aortic valve (BAV).

Methods: 554 individuals (45 (IQR 33-57) years, 80% male) with BAV and moderate or severe AR were selected from an international, multicentre registry. The association between LAVI and the combined endpoint of all-cause mortality or aortic valve surgery was investigated with Cox proportional hazard regression analyses.

Effects of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation on Frailty and Quality of Life.

Background: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is an effective alternative to surgical valve replacement in high-risk patients with severe aortic stenosis. Although measures of frailty have been used to attempt to predict outcomes in this population, few studies have demonstrated changes in these measures.

Methods: We performed a prospective, observational study of 171 patients undergoing TAVI, of whom 44 had maximal follow-up of 1 month and 50 had maximal follow-up of 1 year.

Success Begins With Failure: An Alternative Approach in Transfemoral Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Using an Antegrade Wire Crossing Technique.

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement has transitioned from an experimental procedure to an important alternative therapy for patients with symptomatic aortic stenosis and high surgical risk. We present a case outlining an approach to deal with the issue of "failure to cross" the aortic valve in transcatheter aortic valve replacement from the transfemoral retrograde approach.

Prognostic implications of left ventricular global longitudinal strain in patients with bicuspid aortic valve disease and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction.

Aims: In patients with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) and preserved left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF), the frequency of impaired LV global longitudinal strain (GLS) and its prognostic implications are unknown. The present study evaluated the proportion and prognostic value of impaired LV GLS in patients with BAV and preserved LVEF.

Methods And Results: Five hundred and thirteen patients (68% men; mean age 44 ± 18 years) with BAV and preserved LVEF (>50%) were divided into five groups according to the type of BAV dysfunction: (i) normal function BAV, (ii) mild aortic stenosis (AS) or aortic regurgitation (AR), (iii) ≥moderate isolated AS, (iv) ≥moderate isolated AR, and (v) ≥moderate mixed AS and AR.

Resistant Hypertension From Renal Artery Stenosis Leading to Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction.

Resistant hypertension remains an important cause of heart failure. In this article, we describe a case of resistant hypertension in a 63-year-old woman leading to heart failure and marked morbidity. Her clinical course was characterized by chronic pleural effusions and recurrent hospitalizations with respiratory failure and flash pulmonary edema associated with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.

Titration and Tolerability of Sacubitril/Valsartan for Patients With Heart Failure in Clinical Practice.

Little is known about the dosing and tolerability of sacubitril/valsartan (LCZ696; Entresto, Quebec, Canada) in a nonclinical trial population. This study was conducted to evaluate the use and tolerability of sacubitril/valsartan in patients followed at a multidisciplinary heart failure (HF) clinic. We performed a retrospective chart review of 126 patients with HF, initiated on sacubitril/valsartan, and seen at a specialty HF clinic between August 1, 2015, and August 1, 2017.

Cardiac involvement in critically ill patients with leptospirosis: A prospective study using myocardial deformation imaging.

Background: Myocardial inflammation often complicates leptospirosis, a re-emerging global zoonosis. Leptospirosis associated myocardial dysfunction is equivocal and the pattern of cardiac involvement may not differ from that of sepsis associated myocarditis.

Methods: We prospectively compared cardiac involvement in 113 intensive care unit patients with severe leptospirosis to 31 patients with sepsis syndrome using a comprehensive assessment comprising of clinical presentation, electrocardiography, two-dimensional echocardiography (with global longitudinal strain calculation), and cardiac biomarker evaluation.

Impact of contrast echocardiography on accurate discrimination of specific degree of left ventricular systolic dysfunction and comparison with cardiac magnetic resonance imaging.

Aim: Limited data exist on the impact of contrast-enhanced echocardiography on treatment decisions in heart failure patients that require specific left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) criteria. This study assessed accuracy of contrast-enhanced echocardiography in identifying patients with LVEF >35% vs ≤35% with cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) used as reference method.

Methods And Results: Fifty-five patients from prospective Alberta HEART cohort with LVEF ≤50% on CMR were included.

Transcatheter Mitral Valve Intervention for Chronic Mitral Regurgitation: A Plethora of Different Technologies.

Chronic mitral regurgitation (MR) remains a common cardiovascular condition resulting in significant morbidity and mortality. With an aging population, increasing trends for both primary (degenerative) and secondary (functional) MR have become apparent. Although the gold standard remains surgical intervention with mitral valve repair/replacement, comorbid conditions have steered the development of less invasive technologies to mitigate perioperative surgical risk.

Prognostic Implications of Raphe in Bicuspid Aortic Valve Anatomy.

Importance: Little is known about the association between bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) morphologic findings and the degree of valvular dysfunction, presence of aortopathy, and complications, including aortic valve surgery, aortic dissection, and all-cause mortality.

Objective: To investigate the association between BAV morphologic findings (raphe vs nonraphe) and the degree of valve dysfunction, presence of aortopathy, and prognosis (including need for aortic valve surgery, aortic dissection, and all-cause mortality).

Design, Setting, And Participants: In this large international multicenter registry of patients with BAV treated at tertiary referral centers, 2118 patients with BAV were evaluated.

Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy in Non-Ischemic Cardiomyopathy.

Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is an established therapy for heart failure patients who remain symptomatic despite optimal medical therapy, have reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (<35%) and wide QRS duration (>120 ms), preferably with left bundle branch block morphology. The response to CRT depends on the cardiac substrate: presence of correctable left ventricular mechanical dyssynchrony, presence of myocardial fibrosis (scar) and position of the left ventricular pacing lead. Patients with non-ischemic cardiomyopathy have shown higher response rates to CRT compared with patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy.

Transcatheter Valve-in-Valve: A Cautionary Tale.

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) by valve-in-valve (VIV) implantation is an alternative treatment for high-risk patients with a degenerating aortic bioprosthesis. We present a case of transapical TAVR VIV with a 29-mm Edwards SAPIEN XT (ESV) (Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, CA) into a 29-mm Medtronic Freestyle stentless bioprosthesis (Medtronic Inc, Minneapolis, MN) in which unanticipated dilatation of the Freestyle bioprosthesis resulted in intraprocedural embolization of the TAVR valve, necessitating urgent conversion to a conventional surgical aortic valve replacement (AVR). Our experience suggests that TAVR VIV with the 29-mm ESV in the setting of a degenerated 29-mm Freestyle stentless bioprosthesis must be undertaken with caution.

Predictive value of various Doppler-derived parameters of atrial conduction time for successful atrial fibrillation ablation.

Various Doppler-derived parameters of left atrial electrical remodeling have been demonstrated to predict recurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) after AF ablation. The aim of this study was to compare three Doppler-derived measures of atrial conduction time in patients undergoing AF ablation, and to investigate their predictive value for successful procedure. In 32 prospectively enrolled patients undergoing the first AF ablation, atrial conduction time was estimated by measuring the time delay between the onset of P-wave on the surface ECG to the peak of the a'-wave on the pulsed-wave Doppler and color-coded tissue Doppler imaging of the left atrial lateral wall, and to the peak of the A-wave on the pulsed-wave Doppler of the mitral inflow.

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation in patients with bicuspid aortic valve: A patient level multi-center analysis.

Objective: We sought to evaluate the safety and efficacy of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) in patients with bicuspid aortic valve (BiAV).

Background: BiAV remains a relative contraindication to TAVI resulting in exclusion from TAVI trials and thus limiting data on the clinical performance of transcatheter valves in these patients.

Methodology: We conducted an international patient level multicenter analysis on outcomes in patients with BiAV undergoing TAVI.

Troponin rise in hospitalized patients with nonacute coronary syndrome: retrospective assessment of outcomes and predictors.

Background: Cardiac troponin is elevated in several clinical settings apart from thrombotic acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and is associated with increased adverse events. It is not clear whether troponin elevation in type II myocardial infarction (MI) is associated with increased cardiovascular events. Our objectives were to identify the cause of mortality in type II MI and to attempt to establish the threshold range of cardiac troponin-I (cTnI) elevation as well as clinical factors associated with adverse outcomes in type II MI.

Three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography with agitated saline injection to differentiate between atrial septal defects and echo drop-out artifacts.

The diagnosis of multiple atrial septal defects is less challenging with 3-D transesophageal echocardiography. However, the common occurrence of echo drop-out (acoustic shadow) artifacts with 3-D echocardiography can make the differentiation between a second defect and an artifact challenging. Agitated saline injection with direct visualization using 3-D echocardiography can help resolve this by allowing visualization of the bubbles crossing from true defects.

Anderson-Fabry cardiomyopathy: prevalence, pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment.

Anderson-Fabry disease (AFD) is a lysosomal storage disease caused by the inappropriate accumulation of globotriaosylceramide in tissues due to a deficiency in the enzyme α-galactosidase A (α-Gal A). Anderson-Fabry cardiomyopathy is characterized by structural, valvular, vascular and conduction abnormalities, and is now the most common cause of mortality in patients with AFD. Large-scale metabolic and genetic screening studies have revealed AFD to be prevalent in populations of diverse ethnic origins, and the variant form of AFD represents an unrecognized health burden.

Canadian Cardiovascular Society guidelines on the use of cardiac resynchronization therapy: implementation.

Recent studies have provided the impetus to update the recommendations for cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). This article provides guidance on the implementation of CRT and is intended to serve as a framework for the implementation of CRT within the Canadian health care system and beyond. These guidelines were developed through a critical evaluation of the existing literature, and expert consensus.