Comparison of population characteristics and clinical outcomes of patients with type B aortic dissection or aortic intramural hematoma underwent thoracic endovascular aortic repair: a propensity score-matched analysis.

Backgrounds: Survival and aortic-related adverse events after thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) for aortic intramural hematoma (IMH) and aortic dissection (AD) are controversial. We aimed to assess the preoperative characteristics and to evaluate TEVAR outcomes of acute type B IMH and AD.

Methods: Between June 2002 and May 2021, 83 patients with acute type B IMH and 755 patients with acute type B AD underwent TEVAR at the General Hospital of Northern Theater Command.

MicroRNA-574-5p targeting HOXC6 expression inhibits the hepatocyte lipid uptake to alleviate non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the main causes of liver disease that has reached its last stage. Over the past few years, evidence for miRNAs' centrality in NAFLD pathogenesis has accumulated. According to some studies, miR-574-5p plays a role in lipid metabolism.

Implementing screening for myocardial injury in non-cardiac surgery: perspectives of an ad-hoc interdisciplinary expert group.

. Perioperative myocardial injury (PMI) is increasingly recognised as an important complication of non-cardiac surgery, with often clinically silent presentation, but detrimental prognosis. Active screening for PMI, involving the detection of dynamic and elevated levels of cardiac troponin, has recently been advocated by an increasing number of guidelines; however, active PMI screening has not been reflected in clinical practice.

Functional identification of hot-spot mutations in cardiac calcium channel genes associated with the J wave syndromes.

J wave syndrome (JWS) is an inherited cardiac channelopathy associated with malignant ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death (SCD), which comprises early repolarization syndrome and Brugada syndrome. Here, we explore the association between variants in the -type calcium channel gene subunits, α () and β2b (), and the JWS phenotype. Using next-generation genetic sequencing of 402 JWS probands and their family members, we identified a -G37R (p.

Fibroblast growth factor 21 and prognosis of patients with cardiovascular disease: A meta-analysis.

Background: The role of fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) in predicting the long-term prognosis of patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains unknown.

Methods: A comprehensive search in PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library was performed to identify studies reporting the association between FGF21 and prognosis among patients with CVD. A meta-analysis was performed, with patients stratified by coronary artery disease (CAD) or heart failure (HF).

A Comprehensive Secondary Prevention Benchmark (2PBM) Score Identifying Differences in Secondary Prevention Care in Patients After Acute Coronary Syndrome.

Purpose: The objective of this study was to quantify secondary prevention care by creating a secondary prevention benchmark (2PBM) score for patients undergoing ambulatory cardiac rehabilitation (CR) after acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

Methods: In this observational cohort study, 472 consecutive ACS patients who completed the ambulatory CR program between 2017 and 2019 were included. Benchmarks for secondary prevention medication and clinical and lifestyle targets were predefined and combined in the comprehensive 2PBM score with maximum 10 points.

A graphical analysis of aspects contributing to the spreading of measurements of left ventricular function.

The Simpson's method is the standard technique to determine left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF) on echocardiography. The large inter-observer variability of measuring LVEF is well documented but not fully understood. A graphical analysis was used to elaborate what contributes to the inter-observer difference.

Temporal hierarchy of cortical responses reflects core-belt-parabelt organization of auditory cortex in musicians.

Human auditory cortex (AC) organization resembles the core-belt-parabelt organization in nonhuman primates. Previous studies assessed mostly spatial characteristics; however, temporal aspects were little considered so far. We employed co-registration of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and magnetoencephalography (MEG) in musicians with and without absolute pitch (AP) to achieve spatial and temporal segregation of human auditory responses.

Long-term outcomes of perioperative myocardial infarction/injury after non-cardiac surgery.

Aims: Perioperative myocardial infarction/injury (PMI) following non-cardiac surgery is a frequent cardiac complication. Better understanding of the underlying aetiologies and outcomes is urgently needed.

Methods And Results: Aetiologies of PMIs detected within an active surveillance and response programme were centrally adjudicated by two independent physicians based on all information obtained during clinically indicated PMI work-up including cardiac imaging among consecutive high-risk patients undergoing major non-cardiac surgery in a prospective multicentre study.

[How to: clinical use of antiarrhythmic drugs].

Antiarrhythmic drugs are important for the noninvasive rhythm control therapy of heart rhythm disorders. Antiarrhythmic drugs, which can be categorized into subgroups based on their different effects on ion channels, are clinically used for various types of arrhythmias. Knowledge about these specific electrophysiological effects contributes to a better understanding in order to select the correct drug for each specific arrhythmia.

Acute heart failure after non-cardiac surgery: incidence, phenotypes, determinants and outcomes.

Aims: Primary acute heart failure (AHF) is a common cause of hospitalization. AHF may also develop postoperatively (pAHF). The aim of this study was to assess the incidence, phenotypes, determinants and outcomes of pAHF following non-cardiac surgery.

Impact of the period of the day on all-cause mortality and major cardiovascular complications after arterial vascular surgeries.

Background: Conflicting results are reported about daytime variation on mortality and cardiac outcomes after non-cardiac surgeries. In this cohort study, we evaluate whether the period of the day in which surgeries are performed may influence all-cause mortality and cardiovascular outcomes in patients undergoing non-cardiac arterial vascular procedures.

Methods: 1,267 patients who underwent non-cardiac arterial vascular surgeries between 2012 and 2018 were prospectively included in our cohort and categorized into two groups: morning (7 a.

Clinical characteristics and electrophysiologic properties of SCN5A variants in fever-induced Brugada syndrome.

Background: Brugada syndrome (BrS) is a severe inherited arrhythmia syndrome that can be unmasked by fever.

Methods: A multicentre clinical analysis was performed in 261 patients diagnosed with fever-induced BrS, including 198 (75.9%) and 27 (10.

Complement and endothelial cell activation in COVID-19 patients compared to controls with suspected SARS-CoV-2 infection: A prospective cohort study.

Background: Thromboinflammation may influence disease outcome in COVID-19. We aimed to evaluate complement and endothelial cell activation in patients with confirmed COVID-19 compared to controls with clinically suspected but excluded SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Methods: In a prospective, observational, single-center study, patients presenting with clinically suspected COVID-19 were recruited in the emergency department.

Extending the no objective testing rules to patients triaged by the European Society of Cardiology 0/1-hour algorithms.

Aims: After rule-out of non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) with the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) 0/1 h-algorithms, it is unclear which patients require further anatomical or functional cardiac testing. To test the safety and efficacy of the no-objective-testing (NOT)-rules after NSTEMI rule-out by the ESC 0/1 h-algorithms.

Methods And Results: International, prospective, diagnostic multicentre study enrolling adult patients presenting with chest pain to the emergency department.

The prognostic significance of bundle branch block in acute heart failure: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Aims: The aim of this study was to conduct a meta-analysis of prospective studies assessing the relationship between bundle branch block (BBB) or wide QRS and risk of all-cause mortality in patients with acute heart failure (AHF).

Methods And Results: We searched the PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science database from inception to February 2022 to identify single centre or multicentre studies including a minimum of 400 patients and assessing the association between BBB or wide QRS and mortality in patients with AHF. Study-specific hazard ratio (HR) estimates were combined using a random-effects meta-analysis.

Inverse relationship between IL-6 and sodium levels in patients with COVID-19 and other respiratory tract infections: data from the COVIVA study.

Objective: Hyponatremia in COVID-19 is often due to the syndrome of inadequate antidiuresis (SIAD), possibly mediated by interleukin-6 (IL-6)-induced non-osmotic arginine vasopressin (AVP) secretion. We hypothesized an inverse association between IL-6 and plasma sodium concentration, stronger in COVID-19 compared to other respiratory infections.

Design: Secondary analysis of a prospective cohort study including patients with COVID-19 suspicion admitted to the Emergency Department, University Hospital of Basel, Switzerland, between March and July 2020.

Patient experience of very high power short duration radiofrequency ablation for atrial fibrillation under mild conscious sedation.

Background: Very high power short duration (vHPSD) radiofrequency ablation (RFA) may reduce ablation times and improve patient tolerability, permitting pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) under mild conscious sedation (mCS) and promoting same day discharge (SDD).

Methods: First, a retrospective feasibility study was performed at 2 tertiary cardiac centres in the UK. Consecutive cases of first-time PVI using vHPSD ablation with 90 W lesions for up to 4 s were compared against cases performed using standard RF (sRF) and cryoballoon (Cryo) therapy.