Reduced Pulmonary Artery Compliance in a Conscious State Predicts Cardiac Event After Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Repair in Patients With Ventricular Secondary Mitral Regurgitation.

Background: Right ventricular (RV) dysfunction negatively affects mitral valve transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (M-TEER) outcomes in patients with ventricular secondary mitral regurgitation (vSMR). However, RV dysfunction occurs in the late phase of heart failure, when it may not respond to interventions. The pulsatile component of RV afterload, pulmonary artery (PA) compliance, is a sensitive parameter that decreases before RV dysfunction occurs.

Peri-procedural outcome according to VARC-3 criteria and hemodynamic mid-term follow-up after Valve-in-valve transcatheter aortic valve replacement for failed aortic bioprosthesis.

Despite the widespread adoption of valve-in-valve transcatheter aortic valve replacement (VIV-TAVR) for patients with failed aortic bioprosthesis, the effectiveness of this treatment for Japanese patients frequently associated with small aortic annuli remains unclear. From December-2011 to October-2022, 41 consecutive patients undergoing VIV-TAVR were enrolled in this study. The endpoints were technical success, device success, early safety, and two-year mortality according to implanted surgical valve size (small valves: 19-mm and 21-mm, n = 23; large valves: 23-mm and 25-mm, n = 18).

Usefulness of exercise stress echocardiography for predicting cardiovascular events and atrial fibrillation in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Background: In hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), the determinants of exercise tolerance and the usefulness of exercise stress echocardiography (ESE) for predicting hard endpoints have not been fully investigated. We aimed to assess the key parameters of ESE for exercise tolerance and the factors predictive of cardiovascular events and new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with HCM.

Methods: Seventy-four consecutive patients with HCM who underwent ESE and with an ejection fraction ≥50 % were enrolled.

Comparison Between Heart Failure Without Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction and Progression to End-Stage in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.

Background: The incidence and prognostic predictors of heart failure (HF) without left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), particularly their differences in terms of developing LVSD (progression to end-stage) or sudden cardiac death (SCD), are not fully elucidated.

Methods And Results: This study included 330 consecutive HCM patients with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≥50%. HF hospitalization without LVSD and development of LVSD were evaluated as main outcomes.

Accuracy of Shunt Volume Measured by Three-Dimensional Echocardiography and Cardiac Magnetic Resonance in Patients With an Atrial Septal Defect and a Dilated Right Ventricle.

Background: The accuracy of right ventricular (RV) quantification by three-dimensional echocardiography (3DE) has been reported mainly in patients with a normal right ventricle (RV). However, there are no data regarding the accuracy of 3DE in patients with a dilated RV, as in shunt diseases. In this study, we evaluated the accuracy of 3DE and that of volumetric (Vol) cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) for assessment of RV and left ventricular (LV) stroke volume (SV) and the pulmonary (Q)/systemic (Q) blood flow ratio in patients with an atrial septal defect (ASD) using the two-dimensional phase contrast (2DPC) method as the gold standard.

Prognostic Predictors of Tricuspid Regurgitation Worsening after Mitral Regurgitation Surgery with Mild Tricuspid Regurgitation.

We aimed to investigate the prevalence and predictors of postoperative tricuspid regurgitation (TR) worsening in patients with mitral regurgitation (MR) and concomitant ≤mild TR. A total of 620 patients underwent surgery for MR from 2013 to 2017. Of these, 260 had ≤mild preoperative TR and no concomitant tricuspid valve surgery and were enrolled in this single-center retrospective study.

Clinical application of artificial intelligence algorithm for prediction of one-year mortality in heart failure patients.

Risk prediction for heart failure (HF) using machine learning methods (MLM) has not yet been established at practical application levels in clinical settings. This study aimed to create a new risk prediction model for HF with a minimum number of predictor variables using MLM. We used two datasets of hospitalized HF patients: retrospective data for creating the model and prospectively registered data for model validation.

Prevalence and predictive factors for clinical outcomes of isolated functional tricuspid regurgitation.

Background: A substantial number of patients have functional tricuspid regurgitation (TR). Isolated functional TR has been undertreated and may be a next target for transcatheter intervention. However, the prevalence, patient characteristics, and predictive factors for prognosis remain unclear.

Clinical Outcomes of Radiologic Relapse in Patients With Cardiac Sarcoidosis Under Immunosuppressive Therapies.

Although nuclear imaging can detect cardiac involvement of cardiac sarcoidosis (CS), including subclinical states, little is known about the prevalence and outcomes of radiologic relapse under prednisolone (PSL) therapy. This study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics and outcomes in patients with radiologic relapse. A total of 80 consecutive patients with CS whose disease activity on nuclear imaging decreased at least once after initiation of immunosuppressive therapy were identified through a retrospective chart review.

Substitute parameters of exercise-induced pulmonary hypertension and usefulness of low workload exercise stress echocardiography in mitral regurgitation.

In asymptomatic patients with mitral regurgitation (MR), data of exercise-induced pulmonary hypertension (EIPH) are limited, and feasibility of evaluating EIPH is not high. We aimed to investigate prognostic impact of EIPH and its substitute parameters. Exercise stress echocardiography (ESE) were performed in 123 consecutive patients with moderate to severe degenerative MR.

Association of adherence to a 3 month cardiac rehabilitation with long-term clinical outcomes in heart failure patients.

Aims: Although comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation (CCR) is recommended for patients with heart failure (HF), participants often show low adherence. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of CCR completion and response with long-term clinical outcomes.

Methods And Results: We screened 824 HF patients who participated in a 3 month CCR programme and underwent baseline assessment, including cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPX).

Transaortic Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement in Patients From a Single Institution - Feasibility, Safety, and Midterm Outcomes.

Background: Transaortic transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAo-TAVR) is an alternative to peripheral or transapical TAVR. The procedural feasibility, safety, and midterm outcomes of TAo-TAVR were investigated in this study.

Methods and results: Eighty-four consecutive patients underwent TAo-TAVR from 2011 to 2021.

Left coronary ostial stenosis developing 15 months after transcatheter aortic valve replacement with balloon-expandable valve.

We present the case of an 82-year-old man whose left coronary ostium became obstructed 15 months after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) with a balloon-expandable valve. The patient underwent TAVR for symptomatic severe aortic stenosis with no complications. Fifteen months after the initial TAVR, the patient complained of chest pain while exercising, and the exercise stress myocardial perfusion scintigraphy demonstrated the development of regional myocardial ischemia in the region of the left coronary artery.

Left Ventricular Dysfunction Caused by IgG4-related Small Intramural Coronary Periarteritis.

IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a systemic autoimmune disorder known to affect multiple organs. However, IgG4-RD rarely affects the myocardium. We herein report a case of left ventricular dysfunction due to cardiac involvement of IgG4-RD.

Comparison of Clinical Characteristics, Natural History and Predictors of Disease Progression in Patients With Degenerative Mitral Stenosis Versus Rheumatic Mitral Stenosis.

Mitral annular calcification (MAC) is a common echocardiographic finding and an increasingly recognized cause of degenerative mitral stenosis (DMS). However, little is known about the clinical characteristics and disease progression in DMS, particularly in comparison with rheumatic mitral stenosis (RMS). We retrospectively reviewed 203 consecutive patients with mitral stenosis (113 with DMS and 90 with RMS) who underwent echocardiography at our institution between January 2014 and December 2017.

Successful lymphatic embolization using N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate for postoperative lymphorrhea in a patient with renal pelvic cancer.

We present a successful case of percutaneous lymphatic embolization using N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate (NBCA) for postoperative lymphorrhea in a patient with urothelial carcinoma of renal pelvis. A 75-year-old man with urothelial carcinoma of left renal pelvis with para-aortic lymph nodes metastases. The patient presented severe lymphorrhea after neo-adjuvant chemotherapy followed by laparoscopic total left nephroureterectomy and lymph nodes dissection.

Involvement of the phosphatidylinositol kinase pathway in augmentation of ATP-sensitive K(+) channel currents by hypo-osmotic stress in rat ventricular myocytes.

The objective of this study was to investigate the mechanisms of increase in the efficacy of ATP-sensitive K(+) channel (KATP) openings by hypo-osmotic stress. The whole-cell KATP currents (IK,ATP) stimulated by 100 μmol/L pinacidil, a K(+) channel opening drug, were significantly augmented during hypo-osmotic stress (189 mOsmol/L) compared with normal conditions (303 mOsmol/L). The EC50 and Emax value for pinacidil-activated IK,ATP (measured at 0 mV) was 154 μmol/L and 844 pA, respectively, in normal solution and 16.

Determinants of reduced child stunting in Cambodia: analysis of pooled data from three demographic and health surveys.

Objective: To assess how changes in socioeconomic and public health determinants may have contributed to the reduction in stunting prevalence seen among Cambodian children from 2000 to 2010.

Methods: A nationally representative sample of 10 366 children younger than 5 years was obtained from pooled data of cross-sectional surveys conducted in Cambodia in 2000, 2005, and 2010. The authors used a multivariate hierarchical logistic model to examine the association between the prevalence of childhood stunting over time and certain determinants.

7-O-Methylated anthocyanidin glycosides from Catharanthus roseus.

Anthocyanins were isolated from orange-red flowers of Catharanthus roseus cv 'Equator Deep Apricot', and identified as rosinidin 3-O-[6-O-(alpha-rhamnopyranosyl)-beta-galactopyranoside] (1), and also 7-O-methylcyanidin 3-O-[6-O-(alpha-rhamnopyranosyl)-beta-galactopyranoside] (2) by chemical and spectroscopic methods. Pigment 1 was found to be a major anthocyanin in the flowers of this cultivar. By contrast, the distribution of rosinidin glycosides is very limited in plants, and reported only in the flowers of Primula.