Indirect comparison of capmatinib treatment from GEOMETRY mono-1 trial to SOC in German patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC harboring METex14 skipping mutations.

Background: This study provides comparative evidence of the selective MET inhibitor capmatinib versus standard of care (SOC) in first-line (1 L) and second-line (2 L) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with METex14 mutations in German routine care.

Methods: SOC data were collected from German routine care via retrospective chart review. Analyses were conducted as naive and propensity score adjusted (PSA) comparisons to capmatinib-treated patients within the GEOMETRY mono-1 trial.

[Acute dyspnea].

The leading symptom "acute dyspnea" and the causal underlying diseases have a high risk potential for an unfavorable course of treatment with a high letality. This overview of possible causes, diagnostic procedures and guideline-based therapy is intended to help implement a targeted and structured emergency medical care in the emergency department. The leading symptom "acute dyspnea" is present in 10% of prehospital and 4-7% of patients in the emergency department.

[Do we need Respiratory Care Units or Respiratory Emergency Centers?].

Although lung and heart diseases often occur together, the focus in acute medical emergency care frequently lies on the treatment of the cardiological symptoms only. This leads to a repeated patient visit and an impaired quality of life. How can this treatment gap be closed?

Patients with severe aortic stenosis and coexisting pulmonary hypertension treated by transapical transcatheter aortic valve replacement-Is there a need for increased attention?

Objectives: Aim of this study is to elucidate the impact of pulmonary hypertension on patients treated with a transapical aortic valve replacement.

Background: In patients with aortic stenosis (AS) the coexistence of pulmonary hypertension (PH) is associated with increased peri-operative risk for surgical aortic valve replacement. For transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), it is unknown whether transapical TAVR (TA-TAVR) is associated with increased peri-interventional risk in PH patients.

Reduction of sleep-disordered breathing following effective percutaneous mitral valve repair with the MitraClip system.

Purpose: This study tested the hypothesis that a reduction of pulmonary congestion achieved by a reduction of mitral regurgitation (MR) severity in heart failure (HF) patients is associated with reduced event lengths of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB).

Methods: We prospectively enrolled 20 consecutive HF patients who underwent MitraClip implantation. Patients underwent cardiorespiratory polygraphic recording prior to and after percutaneous mitral valve repair (PMVR).

Oxygen dependence of endothelium-dependent vasodilation: importance in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Introduction: Epidemiological studies have shown increased morbidity and mortality in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We aimed to characterize the oxygen dependence of endothelial function in patients with CAD and coexisting COPD.

Material And Methods: In CAD patients with and without COPD ( = 33), we non-invasively measured flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and intima-media thickness (IMT) of the brachial artery (BA), forearm blood flow (FBF), and perfusion of the cutaneous microcirculation with laser Doppler perfusion imaging (LDPI).

Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation in High-Risk/Inoperable Patients: Repositionable versus Non-Repositionable Self-Expanding Valve.

Background And Aim Of The Study: Although next-generation cardiac prostheses have shown favorable results in transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), these have mostly been documented in intermediate-risk patients. Whether this could be translated to high-risk patients is not known. Hence, the safety and clinical performance of the new, repositionable CoreValve Evolut R-System (ERS) was evaluated by comparison with a non-repositionable CoreValve-System (CVS), in 96 high-risk/inoperable (HRI) patients.

Impact of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure on Left Ventricular Systolic Loading and Coronary Flow Reserve in Healthy Young Men.

Background: Increased augmentation index (AIx) is accompanied by an elevated cardiovascular risk. A reduction of AIx is known for long-term continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy. We hypothesised that acute preload and left ventricular workload effects AIx and subendocardial viability ratio (SEVR) as a marker of coronary flow reserve.

Comparison of the simple red blood cell adhesiveness/aggregation test with the laser-assisted optical rotational cell analyzer: Red blood cell aggregation in patients with coronary artery disease and a healthy control group.

Background: Red blood cell (RBC) aggregation influences blood flow properties, impacts blood microcirculation and consequently oxygen delivery. Different methods are established to determine RBC aggregation: under static conditions (i.e.

Reduction of neutrophilic lung inflammation by inhalation of the compatible solute ectoine: a randomized trial with elderly individuals.

Background: Compatible solutes are natural substances that are known to stabilize cellular functions. Preliminary ex vivo and in vivo studies demonstrated that the compatible solute ectoine restores natural apoptosis rates of lung neutrophils and contributes to the resolution of lung inflammation. Due to the low toxicity and known compatibility of the substance, an inhalative application as an intervention strategy for humans suffering from diseases caused by neutrophilic inflammation, like COPD, had been suggested.

Prevalence of De Novo Aortic Valve Insufficiency in Patients After HeartWare VAD Implantation with an Intermittent Low-Speed Algorithm.

De novo aortic valve insufficiency (AI) is a frequent occurrence in patients supported with left ventricular assist device (LVAD). The European version of the HeartWare LVAD has intermittent low-speed software (lavare cycle) to facilitate intermittent aortic valve opening. We examined aortic valve opening status and prevalence of AI in patients supported with HeartWare LVAD and activated lavare cycle.

Severe aortic valve stenosis in the elderly: high prevalence of sleep-related breathing disorders.

Background: Aortic valve stenosis is common in the elderly, with a prevalence of nearly 3% in patients aged 75 years or older. Despite the fact that sleep-related breathing disorders (SRBD) are thought to be associated with cardiac disease, little is known about their prevalence in this patient cohort. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of SRBD in older patients with aortic valve stenosis admitted for transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

Macrovascular and microvascular function after implantation of left ventricular assist devices in end-stage heart failure: Role of microparticles.

Background: The hemodynamic vascular consequences of implanting left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) have not been studied in detail. We investigated the effect of LVAD implantation compared with heart transplant (HTx) on microvascular and macrovascular function in patients with end-stage heart failure and evaluated whether microparticles may play a role in LVAD-related endothelial dysfunction.

Methods: Vascular function was assessed in patients with end-stage heart failure awaiting HTx, patients who had undergone implantation of a continuous-flow centrifugal LVAD, and patients who had already received a HTx.

Stenting as a rescue treatment of a pulmonary artery false aneurysm caused by swan-ganz catheterization.

Pulmonary vascular injury is a rare but life-threatening complication of Swan-Ganz catheterization. We report an 82-year old patient who underwent right heart catheterization by a balloon-tipped catheter because of suspected pulmonary hypertension. After deflation of the catheter in the wedge position, hemoptoe appeared associated with acute respiratory insufficiency requiring respiratory support by intubation and mechanical ventilation.

Recovery of neutrophil apoptosis by ectoine: a new strategy against lung inflammation.

The life span of neutrophilic granulocytes has a determining impact on the intensity and duration of neutrophil driven lung inflammation. Based on the compatible solute ectoine, we aimed to prevent anti-apoptotic reactions in neutrophils triggered by the inflammatory microenvironment in the lung. Neutrophils from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients and control individuals were exposed to inflammatory mediators and xenobiotics in the presence or absence of ectoine.

Dietary inorganic nitrate mobilizes circulating angiogenic cells.

Nitric oxide (NO) was implicated in the regulation of mobilization and function of circulating angiogenic cells (CACs). The supposedly inert anion nitrate, abundant in vegetables, can be stepwise reduced in vivo to form nitrite, and consecutively NO, representing an alternative to endogenous NO formation by NO synthases. This study investigated whether inorganic dietary nitrate influences mobilization of CACs.

Characterization of macro-and microvascular function and structure in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Objective: Diabetes mellitus (DM) leads to accelerated progression of arteriosclerosis with an increased risk of coronary events in comparison to non-diabetic patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). The precise and early detection of DM-induced vascular alterations is crucial to identify patients with high risk for cardiovascular complications. Thus, we aimed at simultaneously characterizing functional, physicomechanical, and structural vascular alterations in diabetic patients using a non-invasive approach.

Nitric oxide influences red blood cell velocity independently of changes in the vascular tone.

Nitric oxide (NO) plays a key role in regulation of vascular tone and blood flow. In the microcirculation blood flow is strongly dependent on red blood cells (RBC) deformability. In vitro NO increases RBC deformability.

Characterization of the non-invasive assessment of the cutaneous microcirculation by laser Doppler perfusion scanner.

Objective: Microcirculatory dysfunction contributes to morbidity and mortality in vascular diseases. Here, we aimed at establishing a sensitive and valid method to measure microvascular reactivity during post-occlusive reactive hyperemia (PORH) using scanning laser Doppler perfusion imaging (LDPI) of the forearm.

Methods: In a first series, LDPI was methodologically evaluated on the volar forearm of healthy volunteers (n = 10) before and after one to five minutes of upper arm occlusion.

Resting microvascular resistance and conduit artery tone: relevance to endothelium-dependent flow-mediated dilation.

Background: Conduit arteries respond to increases in flow by dilating, which is mediated by endothelium-derived nitric oxide. The significance of the interaction between microcirculation and macrocirculation in the flow-mediated dilation (FMD) is poorly understood.

Hypothesis: We hypothesize that baseline conduit artery vasomotor tone (CAVT) and resting microvascular resistance (MVR) predict FMD.

Impaired endothelial progenitor cell function predicts age-dependent carotid intimal thickening.

Objectives: We investigated whether qualitative or quantitative alterations of the endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) pool predict age-related structural vessel wall changes.

Background: We have previously shown that age-related endothelial dysfunction is accompanied by qualitative rather than quantitative changes of EPCs. Animal studies suggest that impaired EPC functions lead to accelerated arterial intimal thickening.

New functional aspects of the L-arginine-nitric oxide metabolism within the circulating blood.

Nitric oxide (NO) is a signaling molecule of major importance modulating not only the function of the vascular wall but also that of blood cells, such as platelets and leukocytes. The synthesis of NO in the circulation has been attributed mainly to the vascular endothelium. Red blood cells (RBC) have been demonstrated to carry a non-functional NOS and--due to their huge haemoglobin content--have been assumed to metabolize large quantities of NO.