Echocardiographic Progression of Calcific Aortic Valve Disease in Patients with Preexisting Aortic Valve Sclerosis.

Background: We aimed to evaluate echocardiographic parameters to predict calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD) progression. CAVD ranges from aortic valve sclerosis (ASc) with no functional impairment of the aortic valve to severe aortic stenosis (AS). It remains uncertain, which patients with ASc have a particularly high risk of developing AS.

Genetic and genomic analysis of Belgian Blue's susceptibility for psoroptic mange.

Background: Psoroptic mange, caused by Psoroptes ovis mites, is affecting Belgian Blue cattle's welfare and production potential. The Belgian Blue cattle-known for its high degree of muscling, low feed conversion ratio and high beef quality-is highly susceptible for this disease.

Results: In this study, we phenotyped 1975 Belgian Blue cattle from more than 100 different groups on commercial beef farms for their psoroptic mange susceptibility.

Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Mitral Valve Repair versus Minimally Invasive Mitral Valve Surgery: An Observational Study.

Minimally invasive mitral valve surgery (MIC-MVS) has been established as preferred treatment of mitral regurgitation (MR), but mitral transcatheter edge-to-edge valve repair (M-TEER) is routinely performed in patients at high surgical risk and is increasingly performed in intermediate risk patients. From 2010 to 2021, we performed 723 M-TEER and 123 isolated MIC-MVS procedures. We applied a sensitivity analysis by matching age, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), EuroSCORE II and etiology of MR.

Changes in right ventricular function and clinical outcomes following tricuspid transcatheter edge-to-edge repair.

Aims: Prognostic impact of post-procedural changes in right ventricular (RV) function after tricuspid transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (T-TEER) is still unclear. We investigated association of RV function and its post-procedural changes with clinical outcomes in patients undergoing T-TEER.

Methods And Results: We retrospectively analysed 204 patients who underwent T-TEER and echocardiographic follow-up at 3 months after T-TEER.

Outcomes of transcatheter edge-to-edge repair for atrial functional mitral regurgitation.

Background: The prognostic benefits of transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) remain unclear in patients with atrial functional mitral regurgitation (AFMR).

Aims: We aimed to investigate the clinical outcomes of TEER for patients with AFMR.

Methods: We retrospectively classified functional mitral regurgitation (FMR) patients undergoing TEER into those with AFMR or ventricular FMR (VFMR).