Left atrial function during exercise stress echocardiography as a sign of paroxysmal/persistent atrial fibrillation.

Objective: Atrial cardiomyopathy is closely associated with atrial fibrillation (AF), and some patients exhibit no dysfunction at rest but demonstrate evident changes in left atrial (LA) function and LA volume during exercise. This study aimed to identify distinguishing signs during exercise stress echocardiography (ESE) among patients in sinus rhythm (SR), with and without history of paroxysmal/persistent AF (PAF).

Methods: A prospective cohort of 1055 patients in SR was enrolled across 12 centers.

Predictors of hypercontractile heart phenotype in patients with chronic coronary syndromes or heart failure.

Hypercontractile phenotype (HP) of the left ventricle (LV) is an actionable therapeutic target in patients with chronic coronary syndromes (CCS) or heart failure (HF), but its clinical recognition remains difficult. To assess the clinical variables associated with the HP. In a prospective, observational, multicenter study, we recruited 5122 patients (age 65 ± 11 years, 2974 males, 58%) with CCS and/or HF with preserved ejection fraction (EF).

Prognostic value of Doppler echocardiographic coronary flow velocity assessment at rest in elderly patients.

Background: Atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease (CAD) are a common condition and cause of death in the elderly population. There are difficulties with risk assessment in the elderly as the objectification of their symptomatic status can be challenging due to neuromuscular weakness, physical deconditioning or neurological, orthopaedic, peripheral vascular, or respiratory limitations. Non-invasive coronary artery velocity assessment by Doppler method at rest could be helpful in the elderly population.

Role of Coronary Flow Velocity in Predicting Adverse Outcome in Clinical Practice.

There is a lack of information on the prognostic value of local high velocity in coronary arteries during echocardiography. The aim of the study described here was to define the prognostic value of local velocity >70 cm/s in the left main, anterior or circumflex artery during echocardiography. There were 412 patients in the prospective study.

Quality control of regional wall motion analysis in stress Echo 2020.

Background: The trial "Stress Echo (SE) 2020" evaluates novel applications of SE beyond coronary artery disease. The aim of the study was control quality and harmonize reading criteria.

Methods: One reader from 78 centers of the SE 2020 network asked for credentials to read a set of 20 SE video-clips selected by the core lab.

Transthoracic Coronary Flow Data at Rest Predict High-Risk Stress Tests.

Background Several recent studies have reported the opportunity to diagnose significant narrowing of the coronary arteries without stress testing using local flow acceleration. Purpose To define how often patients with increased coronary flow velocities at rest (≥ 0.70 m/s) have a positive exercise echocardiography test.

B-lines with Lung Ultrasound: The Optimal Scan Technique at Rest and During Stress.

Various lung ultrasound (LUS) scanning modalities have been proposed for the detection of B-lines, also referred to as ultrasound lung comets, which are an important indication of extravascular lung water at rest and after exercise stress echo (ESE). The aim of our study was to assess the lung water spatial distribution (comet map) at rest and after ESE. We performed LUS at rest and immediately after semi-supine ESE in 135 patients (45 women, 90 men; age 62 ± 12 y, resting left ventricular ejection fraction = 41 ± 13%) with known or suspected heart failure or coronary artery disease.

Stress echocardiography with smartphone: real-time remote reading for regional wall motion.

The diffusion of smart-phones offers access to the best remote expertise in stress echo (SE). To evaluate the reliability of SE based on smart-phone filming and reading. A set of 20 SE video-clips were read in random sequence with a multiple choice six-answer test by ten readers from five different countries (Italy, Brazil, Serbia, Bulgaria, Russia) of the "SE2020" study network.

A novel method for left anterior coronary artery flow velocity assessment by transthoracic echocardiography at the peak of a supine bicycle test.

Background: Assessment of coronary flow is only performed during pharmacological tests. Supine bicycle tests permit the visualization of coronary flow assessments during exercise.

Purpose: To assess the parameters of coronary flow in the left anterior descending artery (LAD) during exercise, which could be a sign of significant LAD narrowing.

Detection of ischemical dyssynchrony in patients with normal duration of QRS at rest and during exercise echocardiography (Dyssynchrony in coronary artery disease patients during exercise).

Aim: Ischemic segments cannot develop a sufficient amount of strength during systole, so theoretically they begin to contract later in comparison with non-ischemic zones. There is a lack of information about methods that can detect dyssynchrony during exercise in patients with QRS not longer 100 ms. The aim of the study was to compare different methods of detection regarding left ventricular moving dyssynchrony in patients with significant coronary stenosis artery lesions: pulsed-wave of PW-TDI, strain (S) and strain rate (SR).

Comparison of 5-Year Outcomes for Patients With Coronary Artery Disease in Groups With and Without Revascularization With Different Results of Stress Echocardiography.

Background: There is conflicting data in contemporary literature concerning the best way to treat patients with stable coronary artery disease; specifically, whether medical treatment alone or invasive strategies combined with medical treatment are better. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical outcomes of patients with and without revascularization after stress echocardiography and to create formulas for detecting patients with a very high risk of cardiac death/major adverse cardiac event (MACE) in their present conditions.

Methods: We assessed 323 patients (53.

Transthoracic detection of coronary flow in left and right coronary descending arteries during supine bicycle stress echocardiography.

Background: Knowledge of alteration in coronary artery flow during physical activity provides important and valuable information about every patient.

Aim: The aim of our study was (a) to identify the possibility of assessing coronary artery flow parameters using different ultrasound systems during the exercise test and (b) to compare these parameters with angiography data.

Methods: A total of 400 consecutive nonselected patients were enrolled.