Clinical characteristics and one-year all-cause mortality outcomes in Africans with dilated cardiomyopathy.

Aims: Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a common cause of heart failure in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The affected individuals present with new-onset heart failure with reduced ejection fraction and no identifiable primary or secondary aetiology. We aim to describe the clinical characteristics of participants with heart failure of unknown origin.

The genetic basis for adult-onset idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy in people of African descent.

Cardiomyopathies are a heterogeneous group of cardiac muscle disorders that result in dilated, hypertrophic, or restrictive pathophysiological entities. Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is the most common form in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). However, population-specific research studies reporting the actual burden of DCM in this region are still lacking.

Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Imaging Findings in Africans with Idiopathic Dilated Cardiomyopathy.

In sub-Saharan Africa, idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDCM) is a common yet poorly investigated cause of heart failure. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging is the gold standard for tissue characterisation and volumetric quantification. In this paper, we present CMR findings obtained from a cohort of patients with IDCM in Southern Africa suspected of having a genetic cause of cardiomyopathy.

A comprehensive overview of pneumococcal vaccination recommendations for adults in South Africa, 2022.

Pneumococcal infections remain a common global cause of significant morbidity and mortality. The first recommendations for adult pneumococcal vaccination, published in South Africa in 1999, contained information only on the 23-valent polysaccharide vaccine (PPV23). With the introduction of the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) for use in adults and the perceived uncertainty that most clinicians had regarding use of these vaccines in adults, these vaccine recommendations were updated in 2022.

Emerging Role of Platelet-Endothelium Interactions in the Pathogenesis of Severe SARS-CoV-2 Infection-Associated Myocardial Injury.

Cardiovascular dysfunction and disease are common and frequently fatal complications of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Indeed, from early on during the SARS-CoV-2 virus pandemic it was recognized that cardiac complications may occur, even in patients with no underlying cardiac disorders, as part of the acute infection, and that these were associated with more severe disease and increased morbidity and mortality. The most common cardiac complication is acute cardiac injury, defined by significant elevation of cardiac troponins.

The prevalence of depression, stress and anxiety symptoms in patients with chronic heart failure.

Background: Mental health illnesses are associated with frequent hospitalisation and an increased risk of all-cause mortality. Despite the high prevalence of depression in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF), there is a paucity of data on this subject from low and middle-income countries (LMIC). The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms in patients attending a dedicated CHF clinic.

Coronary revascularization in patients with HIV.

With combined antiretroviral therapy, people living with HIV (PLWH) survive longer and are now more likely to die from cardiovascular diseases. PLWH presenting with a ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction are likely to have a high thrombus burden and are at high risk for in-hospital and long-term adverse events. An increasing number of PLWH are presenting with stable coronary artery disease related to atherosclerosis.

Pregnancy outcomes in women with aortic coarctation.

Objective: Pregnancy in women with aortic coarctation (CoA) has an estimated moderately increased risk (mWHO II-III) of adverse cardiovascular, obstetric or fetal events, but prospective data to validate this risk classification are scarce. We examined pregnancy outcomes and identified associations with adverse outcomes.

Methods: Pregnancies in women with CoA were selected from the worldwide prospective Registry of Pregnancy and Cardiac Disease (ROPAC, n=303 out of 5739), part of the European Society of Cardiology EURObservational Research Programme.

Association of chronic inflammation and accelerated atherosclerosis among an indigenous black population with chronic kidney disease.

Introduction: Inflammation plays a major role in the development of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. Toll-like receptor-4 (TLR4) is a major receptor for lipopolysaccharides (endotoxin) and other ligands involved in the pathogenesis of inflammation. We determined whether endotoxin levels and the presence of TLR4 polymorphisms are associated with markers of inflammation and atherosclerosis among South African CKD patients.

APOL1 Genetic Variants Are Associated with Serum-Oxidized Low-Density Lipoprotein Levels and Subclinical Atherosclerosis in South African CKD Patients.

Introduction: Apolipoprotein L1 (APOL1) plays an important role in cholesterol metabolism and attenuation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation. While protecting against Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense infection, APOL1 risk alleles confer greater risk for CKD and cardiovascular disease among patients of African descent.

Objectives: We investigated whether APOL1 risk variants are associated with atherosclerosis and oxidized LDL (OxLDL) levels among black South African CKD patients.

Biomarkers for Diagnosis and Prediction of Outcomes in Contrast-Induced Nephropathy.

Background: Serum creatinine is suboptimal as a biomarker in the early diagnosis of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN). In this study, we investigated a panel of novel biomarkers in the early diagnosis of CIN and in assessing patient outcomes.

Methods: This single-centre, nested, prospective case-controlled study included 30 patients with CIN and 60 matched controls.

Endothelial dysfunction in HIV-positive patients with acute coronary syndromes.

Aim: This study investigated endothelial function in HIV-positive patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Flow-mediated dilatation, pulse-wave velocity, carotid intima-media thickness and endothelial biomarkers were used to non-invasively investigate endothelial dysfunction.

Methods: Twenty HIV-positive patients with ACS (HIV+/ACS) were compared to 20 HIV-negative patients with ACS (HIV-/ACS) and 20 HIV-positive patients without ACS (HIV+/no ACS).

Dynamic Changes in the Molecular Signature of Adverse Left Ventricular Remodeling in Patients With Compensated and Decompensated Chronic Primary Mitral Regurgitation.

Background: There is no proven medical therapy that attenuates adverse left ventricular remodeling in patients with chronic primary mitral regurgitation (CPMR). Identification of molecular pathways important in the progression of left ventricular remodeling in patients with CPMR may lead to development of new therapeutic strategies.

Methods And Results: We performed baseline echocardiographic, cardiac catheterization, and serum NT-pro-BNP analysis in patients with severe CPMR awaiting mitral valve surgery and stratified the study population into compensated or decompensated CPMR.

Effects of Serelaxin in Patients with Acute Heart Failure.

Background: Serelaxin is a recombinant form of human relaxin-2, a vasodilator hormone that contributes to cardiovascular and renal adaptations during pregnancy. Previous studies have suggested that treatment with serelaxin may result in relief of symptoms and in better outcomes in patients with acute heart failure.

Methods: In this multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled, event-driven trial, we enrolled patients who were hospitalized for acute heart failure and had dyspnea, vascular congestion on chest radiography, increased plasma concentrations of natriuretic peptides, mild-to-moderate renal insufficiency, and a systolic blood pressure of at least 125 mm Hg, and we randomly assigned them within 16 hours after presentation to receive either a 48-hour intravenous infusion of serelaxin (30 μg per kilogram of body weight per day) or placebo, in addition to standard care.

Interleukin-6 gene polymorhisms and interleukin-6 levels are associated with atherosclerosis in CKD patients.

Inflammation is a major risk factor for atherosclerosis. Genetic polymorphisms in the inflammatory cytokine genes have been associated with atherosclerosis. Because levels of inflammatory cytokines are markedly elevated in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), we hypothesized that genotypic variations in the interleukin-6 (IL-6) gene are a cause of systemic inflammatory states and atherosclerosis in South African CKD patients.

Atherosclerotic plaque in HIV-positive patients presenting with acute coronary syndromes.

Aim: This study aimed to characterise the atherosclerotic plaque and plaque burden in HIV-positive patients presenting with acute coronary syndromes (ACS), using intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and virtual histology (VH).

Methods: This was a prospective study of 20 HIV-positive patients who presented with ACS. IVUS and VH were used to assess plaque burden and plaque characteristics in the culprit and non-culprit coronary arteries.

Atherosclerotic vascular disease and its correlates in stable black South African kidney transplant recipients.

Background: Despite remarkable improvement in renal function attributable to kidney transplantation, the burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) among kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) remains high in the post-transplant period. Aggressive use of statins in KTRs may make lipoprotein ratios correlate better with atherosclerotic vascular disease (AsVD) when compared with traditional lipid profile parameters. We therefore evaluated the clinical and echocardiographic correlates of AsVD among non-diabetic, stable, black KTRs in South Africa.

Transforming Growth Factor- Protects against Inflammation-Related Atherosclerosis in South African CKD Patients.

Background: Transforming growth factor- (TGF-) may inhibit the development of atherosclerosis. We evaluated serum levels of TGF- isoforms concurrently with serum levels of endotoxin and various inflammatory markers. In addition, we determined if any association exists between polymorphisms in the gene and atherosclerosis in South African CKD patients.

Evaluation of coronary features of HIV patients presenting with ACS: The CUORE, a multicenter study.

Background And Aims: The risk of recurrence of myocardial infarction (MI) in HIV patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is well known, but there is limited evidence about potential differences in coronary plaques compared to non-HIV patients.

Methods: In this multicenter case-control study, HIV patients presenting with ACS, with intravascular-ultrasound (IVUS) data, enrolled between February 2015 and June 2017, and undergoing highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), were retrospectively compared to non-HIV patients presenting with ACS, before and after propensity score with matching, randomly selected from included centers. Primary end-point was the prevalence of multivessel disease.

Left ventricular remodelling in chronic primary mitral regurgitation: implications for medical therapy.

Surgical repair or replacement of the mitral valve is currently the only recommended therapy for severe primary mitral regurgitation. The chronic elevation of wall stress caused by the resulting volume overload leads to structural remodelling of the muscular, vascular and extracellular matrix components of the myocardium. These changes are initially compensatory but in the long term have detrimental effects, which ultimately result in heart failure.

A New Face of Cardiac Emergencies: Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Related Cardiac Disease.

The human immunodeficiency virus epidemic is a major health challenge of the twenty-first century as the transition from infectious complications to noncommunicable disease becomes more evident. These patients may present to the emergency department with a variety of cardiovascular diseases, such as acute coronary syndromes, heart failure, pericardial disease, infective endocarditis, venothromboembolism, and other conditions. Increased awareness is needed among health care professionals to enhance adequate identification and promote prompt management of these patients.

Cardiovascular Efficacy and Safety of Bococizumab in High-Risk Patients.

Background: Bococizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody that inhibits proprotein convertase subtilisin-kexin type 9 (PCSK9) and reduces levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. We sought to evaluate the efficacy of bococizumab in patients at high cardiovascular risk.

Methods: In two parallel, multinational trials with different entry criteria for LDL cholesterol levels, we randomly assigned the 27,438 patients in the combined trials to receive bococizumab (at a dose of 150 mg) subcutaneously every 2 weeks or placebo.

Periprocedural myocardial infarction during percutaneous coronary intervention in an academic tertiary centre in Johannesburg.

Background: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is effective therapy for significant atherosclerotic coronary artery disease. Despite medical and technological advances in PCI, periprocedural myocardial infarction (PMI) remains a common complication. The frequency and factors associated with PMI have been well investigated in the developed world, yet there is a paucity of data from the developing world, especially Sub-Saharan Africa.

HIV and Nonischemic Heart Disease.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated heart disease encompasses a broad spectrum of diseases. HIV infection may involve the pericardium, myocardium, coronary arteries, pulmonary vasculature, and valves, as well as the systemic vasculature. Access to combination antiretroviral therapy, as well as health resources, has had a significant influence on the prevalence and severity of the effects on each cardiac structure.