Impact of Muscle Mass as a Prognostic Factor for Failed Waiting Time Prior to Heart Transplantation.

Clinical deterioration during the waiting time impairs the prognosis of patients listed for heart transplantation. Reduced muscle mass increases the risk for mortality after cardiac surgery, but its impact on resilience against deterioration during the waiting time remains unclear. We retrospectively analyzed data from 93 patients without a VAD who were listed in Eurotransplant status "high urgent (HU)" for heart transplantation between January 2015 and October 2020.

Septaly Oriented Mild Aortic Regurgitant Jets Negatively Influence Left Ventricular Blood Flow-Insights From 4D Flow MRI Animal Study.

Paravalvular leakage (PVL) and eccentric aortic regurgitation remain a major clinical concern in patients receiving transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), and regurgitant volume remains the main readout parameter in clinical assessment. In this work we investigate the effect of jet origin and trajectory of mild aortic regurgitation on left ventricular hemodynamics in a porcine model. A pig model of mild aortic regurgitation/PVL was established by transcatheter piercing and dilating the non-coronary (NCC) or right coronary cusp (RCC) of the aortic valve close to the valve annulus.

Safety of bioelectrical impedance analysis in advanced heart failure patients.

Background: Cardiac cachexia and frailty are major complications of advanced heart failure (AHF). Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) may provide valuable information regarding fluid balance, muscle mass and prognosis. The main concerns regarding the use of BIA in AHF patients remain arrhythmias and electromagnetic interferences with cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs).