Increased incidence of infective endocarditis after the 2009 European Society of Cardiology guideline update: a nationwide study in the Netherlands.

Aims: After the introduction of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines on prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of infective endocarditis (IE) in 2009, prophylaxis for patients at risk became less strict. We hypothesize that there will be a rise in IE after the introduction of the guideline update.

Methods And Results: We performed a nationwide retrospective trend study using segmented regression analysis of the interrupted time series.

Effect of a nurse-coordinated prevention programme on cardiovascular risk after an acute coronary syndrome: main results of the RESPONSE randomised trial.

Objective: To quantify the impact of a practical, hospital-based nurse-coordinated prevention programme on cardiovascular risk, integrated into the routine clinical care of patients discharged after an acute coronary syndrome, as compared with usual care only.

Design: RESPONSE (Randomised Evaluation of Secondary Prevention by Outpatient Nurse SpEcialists) was a randomised clinical trial.

Setting: Multicentre trial in secondary and tertiary healthcare settings.

Percutaneous edge-to-edge mitral valve repair in high-surgical-risk patients: do we hit the target?

Objectives: This study sought to assess the feasibility and safety of percutaneous edge-to-edge mitral valve (MV) repair in patients with an unacceptably high operative risk.

Background: MV repair for mitral regurgitation (MR) can be accomplished by use of a clip that approximates the free edges of the mitral leaflets.

Methods: All patients were declined for surgery because of a high logistic EuroSCORE (>20%) or the presence of other specific surgical risk factors.

Effects of eprosartan on diastolic function and neurohormones in patients with hypertension and diastolic dysfunction.

Objective: To compare the effects of an angiotensin receptor blocker(ARB)-based regimen versus a non-ARB based regimen on diastolic function and neurohormones in patients with hypertension and diastolic dysfunction.

Methods: 97 patients with a systolic blood pressure (SBP) > or =140 mmHg, a left ventricular ejection fraction >0.50, and echocardiographic evidence of diastolic dysfunction were randomly assignment to open-label treatment with eprosartan (with other anti-hypertensives; n = 47) or other anti-hypertensives alone (n = 50).

Advanced glycation end-products, anti-hypertensive treatment and diastolic function in patients with hypertension and diastolic dysfunction.

Aims: To investigate the relationship between advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) and diastolic function and the response to blood pressure treatment in patients with hypertension and diastolic dysfunction.

Methods And Results: Data were analysed from 97 patients (aged 65 +/- 10 years, 36% male) who were randomly assigned to 6 months open-label treatment with either eprosartan on top of other anti-hypertensive drugs (n = 47) or other anti-hypertensive drugs alone (n = 50). Tissue AGE accumulation was measured using a validated skin-autofluorescence (skin-AF) reader (n = 26).

Myocardial perforation by a guidewire crossing a stenotic aortic valve during cardiac catheterization.

Myocardial perforation by a guidewire after retrograde crossing of a stenotic aortic valve during cardiac catheterization is rare. We present a patient with calcific aortic stenosis who suffered this potentially life-threatening complication and in whom conservative treatment was successful. Early recognition of this complication is important for the operator performing cardiac catheterizations in patients with calcific aortic stenosis.

Comparison of outcome and complications using different types of devices for percutaneous closure of a secundum atrial septal defect in adults: a single-center experience.

The objective of this study was to find differences in outcome and complications using three different types of devices for percutaneous atrial septal defect (ASD) closure in adults. Percutaneous closure of a secundum-type ASD is increasingly performed in adult patients. All adult patients who underwent a percutaneous closure of a secundum-type ASD in our center between November 1996 and November 2004 were included.

The Carpentier-Edwards Classic and Physio mitral annuloplasty rings: a randomized trial.

Objective: To evaluate clinical and echocardiographic outcomes for the semi-flexible Carpentier-Edwards Physio and the rigid Classic mitral annuloplasty ring.

Methods: Ninety-six patients were randomized for either a Classic (n = 53) or a Physio (n = 43) ring from October 1995 through July 1997. Mean follow-up was 5.

Traumatic aorto-right ventricular fistula with aortic insufficiency.

We present a case of a traumatic aorto-right ventricular fistula coexistent with aortic insufficiency due to perforation of the left coronary leaflet, which is a lesion rarely described in the literature. We compare our experience with reports from the literature.

Percutaneous transcatheter closure of atrial septal defects: initial single-centre experience and follow-up results. Initial experience with three-dimensional echocardiography.

Objective: Registry to report our single-centre experience in closing defects of the atrial septum.

Methods: Between 1996 and 2001, transcatheter device closure of significant atrial septal defects was performed in 32 adults (mean age 45.1 years, range from 15 to 76 years), using different device types.

Tolerability of carvedilol and ACE-Inhibition in mild heart failure. Results of CARMEN (Carvedilol ACE-Inhibitor Remodelling Mild CHF EvaluatioN).

Background: Management guidelines for heart failure recommend ACE-I and beta-blockers. The perception of difficult up-titration might have added to the slow uptake of beta-blockers despite their mortality and morbidity benefits.

Aims: CARMEN offered a possibility to study safety and tolerability of enalapril against carvedilol and their combination.

The benefits of early combination treatment of carvedilol and an ACE-inhibitor in mild heart failure and left ventricular systolic dysfunction. The carvedilol and ACE-inhibitor remodelling mild heart failure evaluation trial (CARMEN).

Aims: Heart failure (HF) treatment guidelines of the ESC recommend ACE-inhibitors (ACE-I) as first-line treatment and beta-blockers added if patients remain symptomatic. CARMEN explored the need for combined treatment for remodelling and order of introduction by comparing the ACE-I enalapril against carvedilol and their combination.

Methods: In a parallel-group, 3-arm study of 18 months duration, 572 mild heart failure patients were randomly assigned to carvedilol (N = 191), enalapril (N = 190) or their combination (N = 191).

Spectral pulsed tissue Doppler imaging in diastole: a tool to increase our insight in and assessment of diastolic relaxation of the left ventricle.

Background: Conventional Doppler echocardiography offers an indirect assessment of left ventricular (LV) diastolic function, hampered by preload dependency. Tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) is a tool to study diastolic function in a more direct and less preload-dependent manner.

Methods: The Medline database has been searched for literature on TDI for the analysis of diastolic function.

Additional value of three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography for patients with mitral valve stenosis undergoing balloon valvuloplasty.

The objective of this study was to validate the additional value of 3-dimensional (3D) transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) for patients with mitral valve stenosis undergoing percutaneous mitral balloon valvotomy (PTMV). Therefore, in a series of 21 patients with severe mitral valve stenosis selected for PTMV, 3D TEE was performed before and after PTMV. The mitral valve area was assessed by planimetry pre- and post-PTMV; the mitral valve volume was assessed and attention was paid to the amount of fusion of the commissures.

The effect of maze operations on atrial volume.

Background: Unmodified maze III operations show long-term eradication of atrial fibrillation (AF) in more than 85% of patients with or without structural heart disease. The effect of this procedure on atrial volumes is not known.

Methods: Two patient populations were studied: (1) patients undergoing unmodified maze III operations combined with surgical structural heart disease, mostly mitral valve operations (group A; n = 32); and (2) patients with only AF selected for unmodified maze III operations (group B; n = 32).

Efficacy and safety of percutaneous treatment of iatrogenic femoral artery pseudoaneurysm by biodegradable collagen injection.

Unlabelled: OBJECTIVES; The goal of this study was to assess the safety and efficacy of femoral artery pseudoaneurysm (FAP) closure by collagen injection. BACKGROUND; The FAP is an infrequent but troublesome complication after percutaneous transfemoral catheter procedures. If ultrasound-guided compression repair (UGCR) fails, vascular surgery is indicated.