Women and the Heart: Webcast April 16 2024.

This 62-minute webcast features a conversation about "Women and the Heart: Gender-Related Differences in Cardiovascular Care"-the focus of Issue 20.2. Led by the issue's editor, the discussion engages the authors on emerging themes and lessons learned while researching and writing the articles.

Interatrial Septum Assessment by Transthoracic Echocardiography Part 1: Secundum ASD.

This 10-minute video aims at improving skills for the structural assessment of the interatrial septum using 2-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) to increase the ability to diagnose-or rule out-the different types of interatrial communications. Of the five types of lesions, this video focuses on ostium secundum atrial septal defect. This is the first video in our MicroLearning Video Series, designed to help a target audience of sonographers, general cardiologists, general practitioners who want to gain knowledge on fundamental cardiology, and technicians.

Mobile Cardiac Telemetry Use to Predict Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes in Patients With Congenital Heart Disease.

Background: Patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) have a higher incidence of arrhythmias during pregnancy, yet the utility of mobile cardiac telemetry (MCT) to predict adverse outcomes is unknown.

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to determine whether arrhythmias on screening MCT correlate with adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Methods: Patients with CHD prospectively enrolled in the Standardized Outcomes in Reproductive Cardiovascular Care initiative underwent 24-hour MCT (within 18 months prior to pregnancy).

The effects of pregnancy in subjects with repaired tetralogy of Fallot.

Background: Previous reports reveal inconsistent findings of right ventricular (RV) changes following pregnancy in subjects with repaired tetralogy of Fallot (rTOF).

Methods: A two-center, retrospective cohort study which included women with rTOF who completed pregnancy that were matched to nulliparous women with rTOF by age at the time of baseline cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR), RV ejection fraction (RVEF), and indexed RV end-diastolic volume (RVEDVi). Pre-pregnancy and postpartum cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) were analyzed and compared to sequential CMR of nulliparous subjects with rTOF.

The Impact of Pregnancy in Patients with Thoracic Aortic Disease: Epidemiology, Risk Assessment, and Management Considerations.

Thoracic aortic disease (TAD) poses substantial risks during pregnancy, particularly for women with genetic conditions such as Marfan syndrome, Loeys-Dietz syndrome, and vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. This review examines the epidemiology, risk assessment, and management of TAD in pregnancy. Preconception counseling is vital considering the hereditary nature of TAD and potential pregnancy-related complications.

The Role of Multimodality Imaging in the Evaluation of Heart Failure and Surgical Transplant Planning of Patients with Adult Congenital Heart Disease.

Cardiac imaging is pivotal in evaluating ventricular function, residual lesions, and long-term complications in patients with adult congenital heart disease (ACHD). Longitudinal imaging in ACHD is key for the timely identification of patients requiring evaluation for advanced therapies. The guidelines recommend routine imaging surveillance.

Genetic syndromes associated with congenital heart disease.

Congenital heart defects are the most common type of birth defect, affecting 1% of live births. The underlying cause of congenital heart disease is frequently unknown. However, advances in human genetics and genome technologies have helped expand congenital heart disease pathogenesis knowledge during the last few decades.

Percutaneous Structural Interventions in Adult Congenital Heart Disease: State-of-the-Art Review.

Structural interventions play a crucial role in the management of adult congenital heart disease (ACHD). In recent years, this field has seen significant advancements in catheter-based procedures despite limited investment from industry and lack of device development specific to this population. Because each patient is unique in their anatomy, pathophysiology, and surgical repair, many devices are used off-label with a "best fit" strategy.

Genetically Triggered Thoracic Aortic Disease: Who Should be Tested?

Up to 25% of patients with thoracic aortic disease have an underlying Mendelian pathogenic variant. This is a heterogeneous group of disorders known as heritable thoracic aortic diseases (HTAD). Diagnosing associated pathogenic gene variants and syndromes is critical, as the underlying genetics have an implication in medical management, surveillance, thresholds for surgical intervention, surgical risk, pregnancy risk, and risk of inheritance by the offspring.

A Patient with Dyspnea and an Enlarged Right Ventricle.

Case report of a patient with no significant past medical history who presented with reports of dizziness, dyspnea on exertion, and palpitations that had been ongoing for at least 5 years. It demonstrates the importance of considering the presence of an inter-atrial shunt when evaluating a patient with an unexplained dilated right atrium and right ventricle.

PFO Closure after Pulmonary Valve Intervention in Patients with Hypoxemia Due to Right-to-Left Intracardiac Shunt.

Four patients with pulmonary valve (PV) disease and patent foramen ovale (PFO) presented with dyspnea on exertion. Work-up revealed hypoxemia secondary to right-to-left intracardiac shunt. We demonstrate that correction of the primary culprit right heart overload lesion via PV replacement enabled safe PFO repair and resolution of hypoxemia.

Arrhythmias in Repaired Tetralogy of Fallot: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association.

Arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death remain common in repaired tetralogy of Fallot and affect even those with excellent anatomic repairs. Atrial arrhythmia often has mechanisms different from those in acquired heart disease. Ventricular arrhythmia remains a major source of mortality in repaired tetralogy of Fallot.

Evaluation and Management of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension in Congenital Heart Disease.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a common complication in patients with congenital heart disease (CHD), aggravating the natural course of the underlying defect. Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) has a multifactorial etiology depending on the size and nature of the cardiac defect as well as environmental factors. Although progress has been made in disease-targeting therapy using pulmonary vasodilators to treat Eisenmenger syndrome, important gaps still exist in the evaluation and management of adult patients with CHD-associated PAH (PAH-CHD) who have systemic-to-pulmonary shunts.

Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve Performance During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period.

Increasing numbers of women with congenital heart disease are undergoing pregnancy after transcatheter pulmonary valve replacement (TPVR). We present the course of 9 pregnancies in 7 women with TPVR, noting pre-pregnancy, antepartum, and postpartum gradients, as well as maternal cardiac, obstetric, and neonatal outcomes. ().

Timing of Delivery in Women with Cardiac Disease.

Objective: Guidelines do not exist to determine timing of delivery for women with cardiovascular disease (CVD) in pregnancy. The neonatal benefit of a term delivery as compared with an early term delivery is well described. We sought to examine maternal outcomes in women with CVD who delivered in the early term period (37 through 38 weeks) compared with those who delivered later.

Impact of Pregnancy on Ventricular Strain in Women with Repaired Tetralogy of Fallot.

Increasing numbers of women with repaired tetralogy of Fallot (rTOF) are reaching reproductive age and seek counseling regarding their cardiovascular risks related to pregnancy. Therefore, the aim of this study was to characterize changes in left ventricular (LV) strain in women with rTOF during pregnancy and in the postpartum period. Seventeen pregnancies in women with rTOF were included (mean age at repair = 3.

Prevalence and Prognostic Association of a Clinical Diagnosis of Depression in Adult Congenital Heart Disease: Results of the Boston Adult Congenital Heart Disease Biobank.

Background In adults with acquired heart disease, depression is common and associated with adverse outcomes. Depression may also be important in adults with congenital heart disease (CHD). Methods and Results We conducted a cohort study of outpatients with CHD, aged ≥18 years, enrolled in a prospective biobank between 2012 and 2017.

Relation of Right Ventricular Dilation After Pulmonary Valve Replacement to Outcomes in Patients With Repaired Tetralogy of Fallot.

The rationale for timing of pulmonary valve replacement (PVR) in patients with repaired Tetralogy of Fallot (rTOF) has focused on pre-PVR threshold values of indexed right ventricular end-diastolic volume (RVEDVi) that lead to normalization of right ventricular (RV) size after valve implantation. The goal of this study was to determine whether persistent RV dilation after PVR is associated with adverse clinical outcomes. Subjects with rTOF who underwent PVR and had a cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) exam after valve implantation at a single center from 2001 to 2017 were included.

Pharmacodynamic Comparison of Prasugrel Versus Ticagrelor in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Coronary Artery Disease: The OPTIMUS (Optimizing Antiplatelet Therapy in Diabetes Mellitus)-4 Study.

Background: Patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) are at increased risk of atherothrombotic events, underscoring the importance of effective platelet inhibiting therapies. Prasugrel and ticagrelor reduce thrombotic complications to a greater extent than clopidogrel. Subgroup analyses of pivotal clinical trials testing prasugrel and ticagrelor versus clopidogrel showed DM patients to have benefits that were consistent with the overall trial populations, although the magnitude of the ischemic risk reduction appeared to be enhanced with prasugrel.

Outcomes of patients with ischemic mitral regurgitation undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.

Ischemic mitral regurgitation (IMR) is associated with poor outcomes in patients with coronary artery disease. The impact of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) on patients with IMR is not well elucidated. We sought to determine the outcomes of patients with severe IMR who underwent PCI.

Clinical predictors of adverse patient outcomes in an experience of more than 5000 chronic endovascular pacemaker and defibrillator lead extractions.

Background: It is difficult to predict adverse patient outcomes associated with transvenous lead extraction (TLE) procedures.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the safety and efficacy of chronic endovascular pacemaker and implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) lead extraction and risk factors associated with adverse patient outcomes.

Methods: Consecutive patients undergoing TLE at the Cleveland Clinic between August 1996 and August 2011 were included in the analysis.

Transvenous extraction of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator leads under advisory--a comparison of Riata, Sprint Fidelis, and non-recalled implantable cardioverter-defibrillator leads.

Background: Comparative safety and efficacy associated with transvenous lead extraction (TLE) of recalled and non-recalled implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) leads has not been well characterized.

Objectives: To compare the indications, techniques, and procedural outcomes of recalled vs non-recalled ICD lead extraction procedures.

Methods: TLE procedures performed at our institution from June 2002 to June 2012 in which Riata, Sprint Fidelis, or non-recalled ICD leads were extracted were included in the analysis.

Characteristics, treatment, and outcomes of periprocedural cerebrovascular accidents during electrophysiologic procedures.

Objectives: We sought to identify the characteristics, treatment, and outcomes of periprocedural cerebrovascular accident (PCVA) during electrophysiologic (EP) procedures.

Background: Periprocedural cerebrovascular accident is one of the most feared complications during EP procedures with very few data regarding its characteristics, management, and outcomes.

Methods: Between January 1998 and December 2008, we reviewed 30,032 invasive EP procedures for PCVA occurrence and characteristics.