Photoplethysmography and intracardiac pressures: early insights from a pilot study.

Aims: Invasive haemodynamic monitoring of heart failure (HF) is used to detect deterioration in an early phase thereby preventing hospitalizations. However, this invasive approach is costly and presently lacks widespread accessibility. Hence, there is a pressing need to identify an alternative non-invasive method that is reliable and more readily available.

Pulmonary artery pressure monitoring in chronic heart failure: effects across clinically relevant subgroups in the MONITOR-HF trial.

Background And Aims: In patients with chronic heart failure (HF), the MONITOR-HF trial demonstrated the efficacy of pulmonary artery (PA)-guided HF therapy over standard of care in improving quality of life and reducing HF hospitalizations and mean PA pressure. This study aimed to evaluate the consistency of these benefits in relation to clinically relevant subgroups.

Methods: The effect of PA-guided HF therapy was evaluated in the MONITOR-HF trial among predefined subgroups based on age, sex, atrial fibrillation, diabetes mellitus, left ventricular ejection fraction, HF aetiology, cardiac resynchronization therapy, and implantable cardioverter defibrillator.

Photon-counting Detector CT in Patients Pre- and Post-Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement.

Photon-counting detector CT (PCD CT) has increasingly garnered interest in cardiothoracic imaging due to its high spatial resolution and ability to perform spectral imaging. CT plays an important role in the planning and postprocedural assessment of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Limitations of current CT technology resulting in blooming and metal artifacts may be addressed with PCD CT.

Wall shear stress-related plaque growth of lipid-rich plaques in human coronary arteries: an near-infrared spectroscopy and optical coherence tomography study.

Aims: Low wall shear stress (WSS) is acknowledged to play a role in plaque development through its influence on local endothelial function. Also, lipid-rich plaques (LRPs) are associated with endothelial dysfunction. However, little is known about the interplay between WSS and the presence of lipids with respect to plaque progression.

Added value of F-FDG-PET/CT and cardiac CTA in suspected transcatheter aortic valve endocarditis.

Backgrounds: Transcatheter-implanted aortic valve infective endocarditis (TAVI-IE) is difficult to diagnose when relying on the Duke Criteria. Our aim was to assess the additional diagnostic value of F-fluorodeoxyglucose (F-FDG) positron emission/computed tomography (PET/CT) and cardiac computed tomography angiography (CTA) in suspected TAVI-IE.

Methods: A multicenter retrospective analysis was performed in all patients who underwent F-FDG-PET/CT and/or CTA with suspected TAVI-IE.

Uncertainties and challenges in surgical and transcatheter tricuspid valve therapy: a state-of-the-art expert review.

Tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is a frequent and complex problem, commonly combined with left-sided heart disease, such as mitral regurgitation. Significant TR is associated with increased mortality if left untreated or recurrent after therapy. Tricuspid regurgitation was historically often disregarded and remained undertreated.

Mid- to Long-Term Clinical Outcomes of Patients Treated With the Everolimus-Eluting Bioresorbable Vascular Scaffold: The BVS Expand Registry.

Objectives: This study sought to report on clinical outcomes beyond 1 year of the BVS Expand registry.

Background: Multiple studies have proven feasibility and safety of the Absorb bioresorbable vascular scaffold (BVS) (Abbott Vascular, Santa Clara, California). However, data on medium- to long-term outcomes are limited and available only for simpler lesions.

[10 years of transcatheter aortic valve implantation: an overview of the clinical applicability and findings].

Aortic valve stenosis is a common heart valve disorder in adults. Its prevalence increases with age and is therefore especially seen in older patients. Thirty to forty per cent of patients with symptomatic aortic valve stenosis are not referred for surgical valve replacement because of high age, their medical history or comorbidities.