Cardiac power and the association with heart failure and cardiovascular death in the general population.

Background: Cardiac power (CP) integrates echocardiographic and clinical parameters of hemodynamics, yet its prognostic value within the general population remains unexplored. This study investigated the association between CP and incident heart failure (HF) and cardiovascular (CV) death in the general population.

Methods: In this prospective cohort study, we measured CP in a total of 4022 individuals from the general population without prior HF.

Increased preload and echocardiographic assessment of diastolic function.

Aims: Echocardiographic diastolic parameters are used to diagnose and monitor increased left ventricular filling pressure (LVFP) and we hypothesized that increased loading conditions cause increased E/e'. Our aim was to assess the effect of preload augmentation on diastolic parameters among both healthy subjects and subjects with known cardiac disease.

Methods And Results: We included 129 subjects merged from two cohorts; one dialysis cohort (n = 47) and one infusion cohort (n = 82).

Cardiovascular events according to blood pressure thresholds recommended by ACC/AHA.

Aim: The latest guidelines from ACC/AHA define hypertension at systolic blood pressure (SBP) 130-139 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) 80-89 mmHg in contrast to guidelines from ESC/ESH defining hypertension at SBP ≥ 140 mmHg or DBP ≥ 90 mmHg. The aim was to determine whether the ACC/AHA definition of hypertension identifies persons at elevated risk for future cardiovascular outcome.

Methods: In a Danish prospective cardiovascular study, 19,721 white men and women aged 20-98 years were examined up to five occasions between 1976 and 2015.

Aortic Root Dimension Using Transthoracic Echocardiography: Results from the Copenhagen City Heart Study.

Findings regarding the relation between aortic size and risk factors are heterogeneous. This study aimed to generate new insights from a population-based adult cohort on aortic root dimensions and their association with age, anthropometric measures, and cardiac risk factors and evaluate the incidence of acute aortic events. Participants from the fifth examination round of the Copenhagen City Heart study (aged 20 to 98 years) with applicable echocardiograms and no history of aortic disease or valve surgery were included.

Normal values for left atrial strain, volume, and function derived from 3D echocardiography: the Copenhagen City Heart Study.

Aims: 3D echocardiographic (3DE) assessment of the left atrium (LA) is a new modality of potential clinical value. Age- and sex-based normative values are needed to benchmark these parameters for clinical use.

Methods And Results: Of 4466 participants in the 5th Copenhagen City Heart Study, a prospective longitudinal cohort study on the general population, 2082 participants underwent 3DE of the LA.

Even mild mitral regurgitation is associated with incident atrial fibrillation in the general population.

Aims: Mitral regurgitation (MR) can be difficult to quantify. We sought to investigate whether the MR jet area to left atrial (LA) area ratio (MR/LA ratio) method for quantifying MRs can be used to predict incident atrial fibrillation (AF) in the general population.

Methods And Results: The study included 4466 participants from the 5th Copenhagen City Heart Study, a prospective general population study, who underwent transthoracic echocardiography.

Normal age- and sex-based values of right ventricular free wall and four-chamber longitudinal strain by speckle-tracking echocardiography: from the Copenhagen City heart study.

Aim: To promote the implementation of right ventricular (RV) longitudinal strain in clinical practice, we sought to propose normal values for RV free wall (RVFWLS) and four-chamber longitudinal strain (RV4CLS) and investigate the association with clinical and echocardiographic parameters in participants from the general population.

Methods And Results: Participants from the 5th Copenhagen City Heart Study (2011-2015)-a prospective cohort study-with available RV longitudinal strain measurements were included. RVFWLS and RV4CLS were assessed using two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography.

The Influence of Food Intake and Preload Augmentation on Cardiac Functional Parameters: A Study Using Both Cardiac Magnetic Resonance and Echocardiography.

(1) Background: To investigate how food intake and preload augmentation affect the cardiac output (CO) and volumes of the left ventricle (LV) and right ventricle (RV) assessed using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) and trans-thoracic echocardiography (TTE). (2) Methods: Eighty-two subjects with ( = 40) and without ( = 42) cardiac disease were assessed using both CMR and TTE immediately before and after a fast infusion of 2 L isotonic saline. Half of the population had a meal during saline infusion (food/fluid), and the other half were kept fasting (fasting/fluid).

Association between myocardial work indices and cardiovascular events according to hypertension in the general population.

Aims: Pressure-strain loop (PSL) analysis is a novel echocardiographic tool capable of assessing myocardial work non-invasively. In this study, we aim to evaluate the prognostic value of myocardial work indices in the general population.

Methods And Results: This was a prospective community-based cohort study (n = 4466).

Right ventricular free wall and four-chamber longitudinal strain in relation to incident heart failure in the general population.

Aims: Right ventricular free wall (RVFWLS) and four-chamber longitudinal strain (RV4CLS) are associated with adverse events in various patient populations including patients with heart failure (HF). We sought to investigate the prognostic value of RVFWLS and RV4CLS for the development of incident HF in participants from the general population.

Methods And Results: Participants from the 5th Copenhagen City Heart Study (2011-2015) without known chronic ischaemic heart disease or HF at baseline were included.

Right ventricular strain predicts adverse outcomes in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting.

Patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) face an elevated risk of heart failure (HF) and cardiovascular (CV) death. Detailed myocardial tissue analyses of the right ventricle are now possible and may hold prognostic value in these patients. Accordingly, we aimed to evaluate the usefulness of right ventricular (RV) layer-specific RV free wall strain (RVFWS) for predicting HF and/or CV death.

The variability of 2D and 3D transthoracic echocardiography applied in a general population : Intermodality, inter- and intraobserver variability.

Assessment of the left ventricular (LV) function by three-dimensional echocardiography (3DE) is potentially superior to 2D echo echocardiography (2DE) for LV performance assessment. However, intra- and interobserver variation needs further investigation. We examined the intra- and interobserver variability between 2 and 3DE in a general population.

Age- and sex-based normal reference ranges of the cardiac time intervals: the Copenhagen City Heart Study.

Background: Color tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) M-mode can be used to measure the cardiac time intervals including the isovolumic contraction time (IVCT), the left ventricular ejection time (LVET), the isovolumic relaxation time (IVRT), and the combination of all the cardiac time intervals in the myocardial performance index (MPI) defined as [(IVCT + IVRT)/LVET]. The aim of this study was to establish normal age- and sex-based reference ranges for the cardiac time intervals.

Methods And Results: A total of 1969 participants free of cardiovascular diseases and risk factors from the general population with limited age range underwent an echocardiographic examination including TDI.

Normal Values and Reference Ranges for the Ratio of Transmitral Early Filling Velocity to Early Diastolic Strain Rate: The Copenhagen City Heart Study.

Background: The ratio of transmitral early filling velocity to early diastolic strain rate (E/e'sr) has recently emerged as a measure of left ventricular filling pressure. Reference values are needed for this new parameter for it to be used clinically.

Methods: Healthy participants from a prospective general population study, the Fifth Copenhagen City Heart Study, were assessed to establish reference values for E/e'sr derived from two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography.

Left atrial functional measurements' utility in predicting long-term risk of atrial fibrillation after isolated CABG.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia following coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). We hypothesized that measures of left atrial (LA) function would be useful in predicting AF in patients undergoing CABG.

Methods And Results: In the study, 611 patients were included after CABG.

Left atrial reservoir strain predicts ischaemic stroke after coronary artery bypass grafting independent of postoperative atrial fibrillation.

Aims: Measures of left atrial (LA) function are known to predict both ischaemic stroke and atrial fibrillation in specific patient groups. The aim of this study was to investigate the value of LA reservoir strain for predicting ischaemic stroke in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and investigate whether the presence of postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) modified this relationship.

Methods And Results: Patients undergoing isolated CABG were included.

Changes in cardiac time intervals over a decade and the risk of incident heart failure: The Copenhagen City Heart Study.

Background: The cardiac time intervals include the isovolumic contraction time (IVCT), the left ventricular ejection time (LVET), the isovolumic relaxation time (IVRT) and the combination of all the cardiac time intervals in the myocardial performance index (MPI) (defined as [(IVCT+IVRT)/LVET)]. Whether the cardiac time intervals change over time and which clinical factors that accelerate these changes is not well-established. Additionally, whether these changes are associated with subsequent heart failure (HF), remains unknown.

Link between myocardial deformation phenotyping using longitudinal and circumferential strain and risk of incident heart failure and cardiovascular death.

Aims: Left ventricular (LV) systolic deformation is altered early in the ventricular disease process despite normal LV ejection fraction (LVEF). These alterations seem to be characterized by decreased global longitudinal strain (GLS) and augmented global circumferential strain (GCS). This study aimed to investigate the link between myocardial deformation phenotyping using longitudinal and circumferential strain and risk of incident heart failure (HF) and cardiovascular death (CD).

Global myocardial oedema in resuscitated out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance: a pilot study.

Aims: Myocardial dysfunction is well described after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA); however, the underlying mechanisms are not yet understood. We hypothesized that this dysfunction is associated to a global myocardial oedema. Using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR), we assessed the presence of such oedema early after successful resuscitation from OHCA.