Epicardial fat volume (EFV) has been suggested to promote atherosclerotic plaque development in coronary arteries, and has been correlated with both coronary stenosis and acute coronary events. Although associated with progression of coronary calcification burden, a relationship with progression of coronary atheroma volume has not been previously tested. We studied patients who had clinically indicated serial 320-row multi-detector computer tomography coronary angiography with a median 25-month interval. EFV was measured at baseline and follow-up. In vessels with coronary stenosis, quantitative analysis was performed to measure atherosclerotic plaque burden, volume and aggregate plaque volume at baseline and follow-up. The study comprised 64 patients (58.4 ± 12.2 years, 27 males, 192 vessels, 193 coronary segments). 79 (41 %) coronary segments had stenosis at baseline. Stenotic segments were associated with greater baseline EFV than those without coronary stenosis (117.4 ± 45.1 vs. 102.3 ± 51.6 cm(3), P = 0.046). 46 (24 %) coronary segments displayed either new plaque formation or progression of adjusted plaque burden at follow-up. These were associated with higher baseline EFV than segments without stenosis or those segments that had stenoses that did not progress (128.7 vs. 101.0 vs. 106.7 cm(3) respectively, P = 0.006). On multivariate analysis, baseline EFV was the only independent predictor of coronary atherosclerotic plaque progression or new development (P = 0.014). High baseline EFV is associated with the presence of coronary artery stenosis and plaque volume progression. Accumulation of EFV may be implicated in the evolution and progression of coronary atheroma.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10554-015-0762-3 | DOI Listing |
Stroke
December 2024
Department of Cardiology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Denmark (H.S., S.L.K., R.S., L.K., E.L.F., N.E.V.).
Background: Sparse information regarding the long-term risk of acute myocardial infarction (MI) following a transient ischemic attack (TIA) emphasizes further research to guide preventive strategies and risk stratification in patients with a TIA.
Methods: We conducted a nationwide cohort study to investigate the 5-year risk of MI and all-cause mortality in patients with a first-time TIA. Patients with a first-time TIA were identified in the Danish Stroke Registry (2013-2020), matched on age, sex, and calendar year (1:4) with the general population and (1:1) with patients with first-time ischemic stroke.
Circ Cardiovasc Interv
December 2024
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. (M.S., S.L., E.A.S.).
Background: Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) use in aortic endovascular interventions, including thoracic endovascular aneurysm repair (TEVAR) and endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR), may have similar benefits to those seen in coronary and peripheral interventions, but limited utilization and outcome data exist.
Methods: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services claims data were used to identify patients undergoing TEVAR and EVAR from 2016 to 2023. Utilization trends were stratified by region, urbanicity, distressed communities index, community versus academic center, Medicare versus dual enrollment status, indication, urgency, and presence of dissection with malperfusion.
Catheter Cardiovasc Interv
December 2024
Cardiothoracovascular Department, Division of Structural Interventional Cardiology, Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy.
Background: Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] is associated with increased cardiovascular risk, but its influence on plaque characteristics at optical coherence tomography (OCT) evaluation is not fully understood.
Aims: This study seeks to explore the impact of Lp(a) levels on plaque morphology as assessed by OCT in a very high-risk subset of patients.
Methods: Consecutive patients admitted for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and undergoing OCT-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) at a large tertiary care center between 2019 and 2022 were deemed eligible for the current analysis.
Circ Cardiovasc Interv
December 2024
Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Cardiology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA. (J.K.Y., L.W., A.C.T., H.C., A.W.R., L.F.P., S.R.C., A.M.D., D.B.M.).
Background: Varying rates of nonsustained ventricular tachycardia (NSVT) have been reported early after transcatheter pulmonary valve replacement (TPVR) with the Harmony valve, but data regarding rhythm outcomes beyond hospital discharge are limited. This study aims to characterize ventricular arrhythmias after Harmony TPVR from implant through mid-term follow-up.
Methods: Ventricular arrhythmia data from postimplant telemetry and follow-up extended rhythm monitoring (ERM) were analyzed after Harmony TPVR.
Hypertension
December 2024
Vanderbilt Autonomic Dysfunction Center, Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN. (L.E.O., A.D., C.A.S., A.G., B.K.B., S.P., I.B.).
Background: The cholinesterase inhibitor pyridostigmine is used to treat orthostatic hypotension by facilitating cholinergic neurotransmission in autonomic ganglia, thereby harnessing residual sympathetic tone to increase blood pressure (BP) preferentially in the upright posture. We hypothesized that less severe autonomic impairment was associated with greater pressor responses to pyridostigmine.
Methods: To identify predictors of pressor response, linear regression analyses between the effect of pyridostigmine on upright BP and markers of autonomic impairment were retrospectively conducted on 38 patients who had a medication trial with pyridostigmine (60 mg single dose).
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