Coronary Microcirculatory Dysfunction in People With HIV and Its Association With Antiretroviral Therapy.

Background: HIV infection and abacavir-containing antiretroviral regimens are associated with vascular endothelial dysfunction and increased cardiovascular risk. Positron emission tomography (PET)-derived myocardial blood flow reserve (MBFR), the ratio of vasodilator stress to rest myocardial blood flow, is a well-validated measure of coronary microvascular health and marker of cardiovascular risk. Our objective was to compare MBFR among people with HIV (PWH) with matched non-HIV controls and to assess whether switching from dolutegravir/lamivudine/abacavir to the non-abacavir regimen bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) would improve MBFR.

Modeling the Cost and Health Impacts of Diagnostic Strategies in Patients with Suspected Transthyretin Cardiac Amyloidosis.

Background Transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis (ATTR-CMP) is an increasingly recognized and treatable cause of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. Multimodality cardiac imaging is recommended for ATTR-CMP diagnosis, but its cost-effectiveness in current clinical practice has not been well studied. Methods and Results Using a microsimulation model, we compared the cost-effectiveness of a combination of strategies involving technetium pyrophosphate (PYP), cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, and endomyocardial biopsy for the diagnosis of ATTR-CMP.

Association of Pulmonary Function With Late-Life Cardiac Function and Heart Failure Risk: The ARIC Study.

Background Pulmonary and cardiac functions decline with age, but the associations of pulmonary dysfunction with cardiac function and heart failure (HF) risk in late life is not known. We aimed to determine the associations of percent predicted forced vital capacity (ppFVC) and the ratio of forced expired volume in 1 second (FEV) to forced vital capacity (FVC; FEV/FVC) with cardiac function and incident HF with preserved or reduced ejection fraction in late life. Methods and Results Among 3854 HF-free participants in the ARIC (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities) cohort study who underwent echocardiography and spirometry at the fifth study visit (2011-2013), associations of FEV/FVC and ppFVC with echocardiographic measures, cardiac biomarkers, and risk of HF, HF with preserved ejection fraction, and HF with reduced ejection fraction were assessed.

Scope and Social Determinants of Food Insecurity Among Adults With Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease in the United States.

Background Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) results in high out-of-pocket healthcare expenditures predisposing to food insecurity. However, the burden and determinants of food insecurity in this population are unknown. Methods and Results Using 2013 to 2018 National Health Interview Survey data, we evaluated the prevalence and sociodemographic determinants of food insecurity among adults with ASCVD in the United States.

Determinants of Influenza Vaccine Uptake in Patients With Cardiovascular Disease and Strategies for Improvement.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Influenza infection is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events (myocardial infarction, stroke, and heart failure exacerbation) and mortality, and all-cause mortality in patients with CVD. Infection with influenza leads to a systemic inflammatory and thrombogenic response in the host body, which further causes destabilization of atherosclerotic plaques.

Assessment of Cardiac Masses by Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Histological Correlation and Clinical Outcomes.

Background Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging ( CMR ) provides useful information for characterizing cardiac masses, but there are limited data on whether CMR can accurately distinguish benign from malignant lesions. We aimed to describe the distribution and imaging characteristics of cardiac masses identified by CMR and to determine the diagnostic accuracy of CMR for distinguishing benign from malignant tumors. Methods and Results We examined consecutive patients referred for CMR between May 2008 and August 2013 to identify those with a cardiac mass.