Sex differences in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction patients treated by primary percutaneous intervention.

Introduction: The impact of sex on coronary artery disease prognosis is debated. It has been postulated that women receive less prompt treatment compared with men, potentially adversely affecting their prognosis by significantly increasing the risk of morbidity and mortality. We aim to investigate the influence of sex on the timing and clinical outcomes of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients using a controlled Swiss registry.

Phaeochromocytoma mimicking acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction.

Phaeochromocytomas are rare catecholamine-secreting tumours, usually benign, originating from chromaffin cells of the adrenal glands. Their typical presentation includes the triad of headaches, sweating and tachycardia due to excessive catecholamine release. However, many patients do not exhibit all three symptoms, making diagnosis challenging.

Anaphylactic shock and cardiac arrest after intravenous injection of sulphur hexafluoride SonoVue.

A male patient in his early 60s was referred to the cardiology department for evaluation of a persistent apical ventricular thrombus following a myocardial infarction. Transthoracic echocardiography could not rule out the presence of an apical thrombus, leading to the intravenous administration of the contrast agent sulphur hexafluoride (SonoVue). The patient quickly exhibited signs of anaphylaxis accompanied by haemodynamic shock, resulting in cardiac arrest.

Ten-year clinical outcomes of everolimus- and biolimus-eluting coronary stents vs. everolimus-eluting bioresorbable vascular scaffolds-insights from the EVERBIO-2 trial.

Background: Bioresorbable vascular scaffolds (BVSs) have been developed as a potential solution to mitigate late complications associated with drug-eluting metallic stents (DESs) in percutaneous coronary intervention for coronary artery disease. While numerous studies have compared BVSs to DESs, none have assessed clinical outcomes beyond 5 years.

Objectives: This study aimed to compare the 10-year clinical outcomes of patients treated with BVSs vs.

Comparison of Postoperative Continuous Wireless Cardiac Rhythm Monitoring with Traditional Telemetry in Cardiac Surgery Patients: the SMART-TEL Study.

Telemetry monitoring (conventional cardiac monitoring system [CCMS]) is a universal method for postoperative arrhythmia detection; however, the clinical challenge of alarm fatigue, primarily associated with noise or cable disconnections, persists. The introduction of wireless continuous cardiac monitoring (WCCM) represents a potential solution to enhance recording fidelity. Patients were simultaneously outfitted with both a monitoring device considered the standard of care and a novel adhesive wireless patch.

Valve-in-Valve-in-Valve.

In the case of the degeneration of surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR), the transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has become the standard. However, these valves are also susceptible to deterioration. In such instances, a new TAVI implantation may be considered.

Predictive Value of HAS-BLED and HEMORR2HAGES Bleeding Risk Scores After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

Background: Various scoring systems have been developed to assess the risk of bleeding in medical settings. HAS-BLED and HEMORR2HAGES risk scores are commonly used to estimate bleeding risk in patients receiving anticoagulation for atrial fibrillation, but data on their predictive value in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are limited.

Methods: This study evaluated and compared the predictive abilities of the HAS-BLED and HEMORR2HAGES bleeding risk scores in all-comer patients undergoing PCI.

Experience with a novel high frequency optical coherence tomography device for intracoronary imaging: a case series.

Introduction: Intravascular imaging, especially optical coherence tomography (OCT), has significantly improved percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), yet its routine clinical application faces challenges. This case series introduces the Gentuity® High-Frequency Optical Coherence Tomography (HF-OCT), a novel device designed to enhance intracoronary imaging with a significantly faster pullback and smaller catheter size, potentially offering enhanced navigability in complex lesions. We aimed to assess the image quality of Gentuity® HF-OCT in complex vessel conditions, as well as presenting a case series to illustrate the application of the device in various clinical scenarios.

Clinical outcomes with thin versus thick strut polymer-free biolimus-coated stents at 3 years.

Background: For high bleeding-risk patients (HBR) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), the LEADERS FREE (LF) and LEADERS FREE II (LF II) trials established the safety and efficacy of a stainless steel polymer-free biolimus-coated stent (SS-BCS) with 30 days of dual antiplatelet treatment (DAPT). The LEADERS FREE III (LF III) trial investigated clinical outcomes after PCI with the next-generation cobalt-chromium thin-strut polymer-free biolimus-coated stent (CoCr-BCS) in HBR patients.

Aims: To report the final 3-year results of the LF III trial and compare them to LF II.

Proximal optimization technique and percutaneous coronary intervention for left main disease: POTENTIAL-LM.

Background: Optimal stent deployment in left main (LM) bifurcation is paramount, and incomplete stent apposition may cause major adverse cardiac events (MACE). Bench studies show that the proximal optimization technique (POT) provides the best stent apposition.

Aims: We aimed to investigate the impact of POT on clinical outcomes in patients treated for unprotected LM (ULM) disease at our institution.

Case Report: Double chimney in valve-in-valve procedures for high-risk coronary obstruction.

The chimney technique has been utilized to minimize the risk of coronary artery obstruction during valve-in-valve procedures. Here, we present a case involving an 89-year-old female patient with low coronary ostia, severe aortic regurgitation, and intractable heart decompensation caused by degenerated aortic bioprosthesis. The patient underwent a successful transcatheter aortic valve implantation procedure using the chimney technique in both coronary ostia.

Effects of SARS-COV-2 infection on outcomes in patients hospitalized for acute cardiac conditions. A prospective, multicenter cohort study (Swiss Cardiovascular SARS-CoV-2 Consortium).

Background: Although the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2) causing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) primarily affects the respiratory system, the disease entity has been associated with cardiovascular complications. This study sought to assess the effect of concomitant SARS-COV-2 infection on clinical outcomes of patients hospitalized primarily for acute cardiac conditions on cardiology wards in Switzerland.

Methods: In this prospective, observational study conducted in 5 Swiss cardiology centers during the COVID-19 pandemic, patients hospitalized due to acute cardiac conditions underwent a reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction test at the time of admission and were categorized as SARS-COV-2 positive (cases) or negative (controls).

Long-term outcomes with biodegradable polymer sirolimus-eluting stents versus durable polymer everolimus-eluting stents in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction: 5-year follow-up of the BIOSTEMI randomised superiority trial.

Background: Biodegradable polymer sirolimus-eluting stents improve early stent-related clinical outcomes compared to durable polymer everolimus-eluting stents in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention. The long-term advantages of biodegradable polymer sirolimus-eluting stents after complete degradation of its polymer coating in patients with STEMI remains however uncertain.

Methods: BIOSTEMI Extended Survival (BIOSTEMI ES) was an investigator-initiated, follow-up extension study of the BIOSTEMI prospective, multicentre, single-blind, randomised superiority trial that compared biodegradable polymer sirolimus-eluting stents with durable polymer everolimus-eluting stents in patients with STEMI undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention at ten hospitals in Switzerland.

Blood Flow Energy Identifies Coronary Lesions Culprit of Future Myocardial Infarction.

The present study establishes a link between blood flow energy transformations in coronary atherosclerotic lesions and clinical outcomes. The predictive capacity for future myocardial infarction (MI) was compared with that of established quantitative coronary angiography (QCA)-derived predictors. Angiography-based computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were performed on 80 human coronary lesions culprit of MI within 5 years and 108 non-culprit lesions for future MI.

Abbreviated or Standard Antiplatelet Therapy in HBR Patients: Final 15-Month Results of the MASTER-DAPT Trial.

Background: Clinical outcomes and treatment selection after completing the randomized phase of modern trials, investigating antiplatelet therapy (APT) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), are unknown.

Objectives: The authors sought to investigate cumulative 15-month and 12-to-15-month outcomes after PCI during routine care in the MASTER DAPT trial.

Methods: The MASTER DAPT trial randomized 4,579 high bleeding risk patients to abbreviated (n = 2,295) or standard (n = 2,284) APT regimens.

[Cardiac tumors in clinical practice].

Cardiac tumors are rare in clinical practice but remain an essential part of the fast-growing field of cardio-oncology. They can be detected incidentally and consist of primary tumors (benign or malignant) and of the more prevalent secondary tumors (metastasis). They form a heterogeneous group of pathologies presenting with a wide panel of clinical symptoms according to their location and size.

Clinical outcomes after unprotected left main coronary artery occlusion: A retrospective multicentre cohort analysis.

Aims: Unprotected left main coronary artery (ULMCA) occlusion is a rare and disastrous condition with scarce data on presentation and outcomes. Herein, we report data on patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome due to ULMCA occlusion at four different institutions.

Methods: This is an international multicentre observational study.

Deep learning-based prediction of future myocardial infarction using invasive coronary angiography: a feasibility study.

Background: Angiographic parameters can facilitate the risk stratification of coronary lesions but remain insufficient in the prediction of future myocardial infarction (MI).

Aims: We compared the ability of humans, angiographic parameters and deep learning (DL) to predict the lesion that would be responsible for a future MI in a population of patients with non-significant CAD at baseline.

Methods: We retrospectively included patients who underwent invasive coronary angiography (ICA) for MI, in whom a previous angiogram had been performed within 5 years.

[Wellens Syndrome: A rare entity not to be neglected].

Wellens syndrome is a particular presentation of acute coronary syndrome which manifests, in a patient most often asymptomatic at the time of the examination, by specific electrocardiographic signs, in particular T waves in the precordial leads V2 and V3. The absence of chest pain at the time of the examination and the normality of cardiac enzymes can be falsely reassuring and constitute diagnostic pitfalls. This syndrome is associated with an often critical stenosis of the IVA (anterior descending artery).

Corrigendum: Yield of the electrophysiological study in patients with new-onset left bundle branch block after transcathether aortic valve replacement: The PR interval matters.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2022.

Yield of the electrophysiological study in patients with new-onset left bundle branch block after transcathether aortic valve replacement: The PR interval matters.

Background: Studies suggest that performing an electrophysiological study (EPS) may be useful to identify patients with new-onset left bundle branch block (LBBB) post-TAVR at risk of atrioventricular block. However, tools to optimize the yield of such strategy are needed. We therefore aimed to investigate whether 12-lead ECG changes post-TAVR may help identify patients with abnormal EPS findings.