Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Super High-Pressure Balloon (SIS-OPN) for Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

Introduction: The super high-pressure NC balloon (OPN NC; SIS Medical AG, Winterthur, Switzerland) is increasingly used in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of its efficacy and safety.

Methods: A systematic review was conducted using PubMed and the Cochrane Library to identify studies using the OPN NC balloon in PCI.

Six-Month Outcomes in the Long-Term Outcomes After the Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children Study.

Importance: Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a life-threatening complication of COVID-19 infection. Data on midterm outcomes are limited.

Objective: To characterize the frequency and time course of cardiac dysfunction (left ventricular ejection fraction [LVEF] <55%), coronary artery aneurysms (z score ≥2.

Impact of age-related changes in buccal epithelial cells on pediatric epigenetic biomarker research.

Cheek swabs, heterogeneous samples consisting primarily of buccal epithelial cells, are widely used in pediatric DNA methylation studies and biomarker creation. However, the decrease in buccal proportion with age in adults remains unexamined in childhood. We analyzed cheek swabs from 4626 typically developing children 2-months to 20-years-old.

Utilization of Palliative Care in Cardiogenic Shock Patients: A Retrospective Analysis of the National Inpatient Sample Database, 2020.

Cardiogenic shock (CS) is one of the leading causes of death in patients with myocardial infarction, myocarditis, and congestive heart failure. The utilization patterns of specialist palliative care (PC) consultation in these patients are currently unknown. To determine the utilization of PC in patients with CS and the overall comorbidities of that population.

Advances in Atrial Fibrillation Management: A Guide for General Internists.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia, impacting approximately 6.1 million adults in the United States, with projections to increase two-fold by 2030. AF significantly increases the risk of stroke and other adverse cardiovascular events, leading to increased morbidity and mortality.

Three-Dimensional Ultrasound for Physical and Virtual Fetal Heart Models: Current Status and Future Perspectives.

Congenital heart defects (CHDs) are the most common congenital defect, occurring in approximately 1 in 100 live births and being a leading cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality. Of note, approximately 25% of these defects are classified as critical, requiring immediate postnatal care by pediatric cardiology and neonatal cardiac surgery teams. Consequently, early and accurate diagnosis of CHD is key to proper prenatal and postnatal monitoring in a tertiary care setting.

An In Silico Investigation of the Pathogenic G151R G Protein-Gated Inwardly Rectifying K Channel 4 Variant to Identify Small Molecule Modulators.

Primary aldosteronism is characterised by the excessive production of aldosterone, which is a key regulator of salt metabolism, and is the most common cause of secondary hypertension. Studies have investigated the association between primary aldosteronism and genetic alterations, with pathogenic mutations being identified. This includes a glycine-to-arginine substitution at position 151 (G151R) of the G protein-activated inward rectifier potassium (K) channel 4 (GIRK4), which is encoded by the gene.

Whole genome sequence-based association analysis of African American individuals with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

In studies of individuals of primarily European genetic ancestry, common and low-frequency variants and rare coding variants have been found to be associated with the risk of bipolar disorder (BD) and schizophrenia (SZ). However, less is known for individuals of other genetic ancestries or the role of rare non-coding variants in BD and SZ risk. We performed whole genome sequencing of African American individuals: 1,598 with BD, 3,295 with SZ, and 2,651 unaffected controls (InPSYght study).

Bodyweight affects mortality in an L-shape pattern in patients undergoing coronary bypass grafting.

Background: The role of body composition as a risk factor for adverse outcomesduring coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG) has been controversial. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effect of body weight on mortality in patients undergoing CABG.

Method: Using a large NIS database and ICD-10 coding for different bodyweight categories, we evaluated the effect of cachexia, overweight, obesity, and morbid obesity on in-hospital mortality after CABG.

Women with breast implants have higher adjusted abnormal cardiac testing and coronary angiography but lower coronary intervention.

Background: Breast implants interfere with myocardial perfusion imaging (SPECT) and echocardiographic windows leading to increased false positive results. To validate this concept, we hypothesized that patients with breast implants should have higher positive cardiac testing and coronary angiogram with lower percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) rates compared to women without a breast implant.

Methods: Using ICD 10 codes for breast implants, abnormal results of cardiac functional study, coronary angiogram, and percutaneous coronary interventions, we evaluated any association between these parameters in adult women with breast implants utilizing the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database.

Percutaneous photoacoustic debulking of infra-inguinal atherosclerotic disease- early European experience with a novel, solid-state, pulsed -wave, ultraviolet 355 nm laser.

The broad spectrum of clinical manifestations caused by peripheral arterial disease [PAD] and the morphologic heterogeneity of associated atherosclerotic lesions present a considerable management challenge. Endovascular interventions are recognized an effective treatment for PAD. Within this revascularization strategy the role of atherectomy debulking modalities continue to evolve.

Stomach and duodenal ulcer as a cause of death in patients with cancer: a cohort study.

Introduction: Non-cancer deaths are now becoming a significant threat to the health of cancer patients. Death from stomach and duodenal ulcer is linked to cancer due to the side effects of treatment and its pathogenesis. However, guidelines for identifying cancer patients at the highest risk of death from stomach and duodenal ulcer remain unclear.

Current approaches to optimize the donor heart for transplantation.

Heart transplantation remains a critical therapy for patients with end-stage heart failure, offering incremental survival and improved quality of life. One of the key components behind the success of heart transplantation is the condition and preservation of the donor's heart. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of ischemic reperfusion injury, risk factors associated with primary graft dysfunction, current use of various preservation solutions for organ procurement, and recent advancements in donor heart procurement technologies.

Mechanism-based myofilament manipulation to treat diastolic dysfunction in HFpEF.

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a major public health challenge, affecting millions worldwide and placing a significant burden on healthcare systems due to high hospitalization rates and limited treatment options. HFpEF is characterized by impaired cardiac relaxation, or diastolic dysfunction. However, there are no therapies that directly treat the primary feature of the disease.

Unmet needs in diagnosis and management of portopulmonary hypertension: How far have we reached?

Portopulmonary hypertension (POPH), a form of pulmonary artery hypertension, occurs because of portal hypertension. Pulmonary hemodynamics and right heart function are key entities that are considered when diagnosing and treating POPH. Medical management, combined with liver transplantation, offers a unique opportunity of POPH "cure," however transplant risk can be significant as it relates to the severity of POPH.

Delivering the News of an Intraoperative Death; Literature Based Guidance from the AATS Wellness Committee.

Objectives: Fortunately, operating room deaths and unexpected deaths are infrequent occurrences. However, when they occur, the surgeon is called upon to deliver this news to family and loved ones. There is a paucity of literature on this topic and little guidance preparing cardiothoracic surgeons for this important but difficult situation.

Sub-Chronic Peroneal Nerve Stimulation Lowers Ambulatory Blood Pressure in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats.

Acute electrical stimulation of the common peroneal nerve (cPNS) has been shown to cause an immediate reduction in systolic blood pressure (SBP) in spontaneous hypertense rats (SHR), but the effect of this treatment in sub-chronic ambulatory SBP is unknown. Here we developed an implantable wireless WNClip neural stimulator to test the efficacy of 5-week cPNS as a treatment for hypertension. Daily cPNS 2 Hz monophasic stimulation at threshold for 8 minutes every day for five weeks, reduced SBP in WKY animals by -4 mm Hg, and in SHR animals by -21 mmHg in week 5 (p < 0.

Defining Echocardiographic Degrees of Right Heart Size and Function in Pulmonary Vascular Disease from the PVDOMICS Study.

Background: Defining qualitative grades of echocardiographic metrics of right heart chamber size and function is critical for screening, clinical assessment, and measurement of therapeutic response in individuals with pulmonary vascular disease (PVD). In a population enriched for PVD, we sought to establish qualitative grades and prognostic value of right heart chamber size and function.

Methods: We investigated 1053 study participants in the Redefining Pulmonary Hypertension through PVD Phenomics program (PVDOMICS) to determine clinical and echocardiographic differences associated with increasing pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) severity.

Relationship Between Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction and ICD-10 Codes Among Patients Hospitalized With Heart Failure.

Introduction: While left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) represents an important means by which to classify patients with heart failure (HF), relatively little is known about the distribution of LVEFs among patients hospitalized for HF based on their International Classification of Disease (ICD)-10 code.

Methods: We performed a retrospective cross-sectional analysis of patients admitted to a large integrated health system within the western US between January 1, 2018 and October 1, 2022 with a principal diagnosis of HF (defined by ICD-10 codes: I50.2, systolic HF; I50.

The distinctive mechanical and structural signatures of residual force enhancement in myofibers.

In muscle, titin proteins connect myofilaments together and are thought to be critical for contraction, especially during residual force enhancement (RFE) when steady-state force is elevated after an active stretch. We investigated titin's function during contraction using small-angle X-ray diffraction to track structural changes before and after 50% titin cleavage and in the RFE-deficient, titin mutant. We report that the RFE state is structurally distinct from pure isometric contractions, with increased thick filament strain and decreased lattice spacing, most likely caused by elevated titin-based forces.

Temporal Trends in Mortality Related to Stroke and Atrial Fibrillation in the United States: A 21-Year Retrospective Analysis of CDC-WONDER Database.

Aims: Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is one of the most strongly associated risk factors for stroke. Our study aims to analyze changes in mortality from 1999 to 2020 in patients with AF and stroke.

Methods: Using the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (CDC-WONDER), we retrospectively analyzed annual age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMR) per million from 1999 to 2020 in stroke patients with AF.

Clinical Outcomes Following Optical Coherence Tomographic Versus Intravascular Ultrasound-Guided Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Background: Optical coherence tomography (OCT) and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) are adjunctive intracoronary imaging modalities used to optimize coronary stent implantation. However, the impact of OCT versus IVUS on clinical outcomes and periprocedural complications is unclear.

Aims: To perform a meta-analysis of all vetted randomized controlled trials comparing OCT-guided versus IVUS-guided percutaneous coronary intervention.