Global, Regional, and National Burden of Calcific Aortic Valve and Degenerative Mitral Valve Diseases, 1990-2017.

Background: Nonrheumatic valvular diseases are common; however, no studies have estimated their global or national burden. As part of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017, mortality, prevalence, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) for calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD), degenerative mitral valve disease, and other nonrheumatic valvular diseases were estimated for 195 countries and territories from 1990 to 2017.

Methods: Vital registration data, epidemiologic survey data, and administrative hospital data were used to estimate disease burden using the Global Burden of Disease Study modeling framework, which ensures comparability across locations.

Stent thrombosis with bioabsorbable polymer drug-eluting stents: insights from the Food and Drug Administration database.

Background: SYNERGY, a bioabsorbable polymer-based, everolimus-eluting stent (BP-DES), recently received regulatory approval in the USA for use in percutaneous coronary interventions. Yet, information on the safety of BP-DES in routine clinical practice is limited. Our aim was to compare the safety of the recently approved BP-DES with current durable polymer drug-eluting stents (DP-DES) by analyzing adverse events, namely, stent thrombosis (ST), reported to the Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience (MAUDE) database.

Stability of pacing indices and need for pacing in cardiac transplant patients over 1 year of follow-up.

Background: A significant minority of cardiac transplant patients require permanent pacemaker (PPM) implant, primarily for sinus node dysfunction. The stability of pacing indices has not been determined in this unique patient population, and data regarding ongoing need for pacing are limited.

Methods: Pacing indices (sensing, threshold, and impedance) as well as the percentage of time patients required pacing were recorded, from 30 cardiac transplant patients that underwent PPM implant, over 1 year of follow-up.

Increased Risk of Adverse Neurocognitive Outcomes With Proprotein Convertase Subtilisin-Kexin Type 9 Inhibitors.

Background: There is encouraging evidence of the efficacy of proprotein convertase subtilisin-kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors; however, their long-term safety remains unclear. We performed a meta-analysis of studies to evaluate the long-term safety of PCSK9 inhibitors.

Methods And Results: Our search strategy yielded 11 studies (9 smaller early-phase and 2 larger outcome trials).

Oxygen Administration Does Not Influence the Prognosis of Acute Myocardial Infarction: A Meta-Analysis.

Background: The safety and efficacy of supplemental oxygen in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) remains unclear.

Study Question: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of supplemental oxygen in patients who present with AMI.

Data Sources: We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, ISI Web of Science, Scopus, and conference proceedings from inception through January 2016.

Impact of Cell Therapy on Myocardial Perfusion and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Patients With Angina Refractory to Medical Therapy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Rationale: The effect of stem/progenitor cells on myocardial perfusion and clinical outcomes in patients with refractory angina remains unclear because studies published to date have been small phase I-II trials.

Objective: We performed a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials to evaluate the effect of cell-based therapy in patients with refractory angina who were ineligible for coronary revascularization.

Methods And Results: Several data sources were searched from inception to September 2015, which yielded 6 studies.

Mesenchymal stem cell transplantation mitigates electrophysiological remodeling in a rat model of myocardial infarction.

Introduction: Transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) has shown therapeutic potential for cardiovascular diseases, but the electrophysiological implications are not understood. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of MSC transplantation on adverse electrophysiological remodeling in the heart following myocardial infarction (MI).

Methods And Results: Three weeks after coronary ligation to induce MI in rats, MSCs or culture medium were directly injected into each infarct.

Role of KATP channels in the maintenance of ventricular fibrillation in cardiomyopathic human hearts.

Rationale: Ventricular fibrillation (VF) leads to global ischemia. The modulation of ischemia-dependent pathways may alter the electrophysiological evolution of VF.

Objective: We addressed the hypotheses that there is regional disease-related expression of K(ATP) channels in human cardiomyopathic hearts and that K(ATP) channel blockade promotes spontaneous VF termination by attenuating spatiotemporal dispersion of refractoriness.

Efficacy of noncontact mapping in detecting epicardial activation.

The aim of this study is to determine if some of the characteristics of reconstructed unipolar electrograms from the noncontact mapping system can be used to detect epicardial electrical activation in a canine heart. This would help the electrophysiologist know where exactly the origin or the critical point in tissue is located. Following this, arrhythmia can be successfully treated by ablating that part of the tissue of heart.

Short-term memory and restitution during ventricular fibrillation in human hearts: an in vivo study.

Background: Action potential duration (APD) variation is an important determinant of wave break and reentry. The determinants of APD variability during early ventricular fibrillation (VF) in myopathic human hearts have not been studied. The objective of this study was to study the role of APD restitution and short-term cardiac memory on variation in human VF.