Towards better definition, quantification and treatment of fibrosis in heart failure. A scientific roadmap by the Committee of Translational Research of the Heart Failure Association (HFA) of the European Society of Cardiology.

Fibrosis is a pivotal player in heart failure development and progression. Measurements of (markers of) fibrosis in tissue and blood may help to diagnose and risk stratify patients with heart failure, and its treatment may be effective in preventing heart failure and its progression. A lack of pathophysiological insights and uniform definitions has hampered the research in fibrosis and heart failure.

Changes in Coronary Plaque Composition in Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction Treated With High-Intensity Statin Therapy (IBIS-4): A Serial Optical Coherence Tomography Study.

Objectives: This study assessed changes in optical coherence tomography (OCT)-defined plaque composition in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) receiving high-intensity statin treatment.

Background: OCT is a high-resolution modality capable of measuring plaque characteristics including fibrous cap thickness (FCT) and macrophage infiltration. There is limited in vivo evidence regarding the effects of statins on OCT-defined coronary atheroma composition and no evidence in the context of STEMI.

Gut microbiota-dependent trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) shows a U-shaped association with mortality but not with recurrent venous thromboembolism.

Introduction: Gut microbiota-dependent trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) correlates with arterial thrombotic events including myocardial infarction and stroke, and mortality. However, the association of TMAO with recurrent venous thromboembolism (VTE) and mortality remains unknown.

Methods: TMAO plasma levels were assessed by high performance liquid chromatography in 859 patients aged ≥65 years with acute VTE and categorized into low (<2.

ESC CardioMed.

Reprinted with permission from: Eur Heart J. 2018; 19: 959-961.

Effect of blood glucose level on standardized uptake value (SUV) in F- FDG PET-scan: a systematic review and meta-analysis of 20,807 individual SUV measurements.

Objectives: To evaluate the effect of pre-scan blood glucose levels (BGL) on standardized uptake value (SUV) in F-FDG-PET scan.

Methods: A literature review was performed in the MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane library databases. Multivariate regression analysis was performed on individual datum to investigate the correlation of BGL with SUV and SUV adjusting for sex, age, body mass index (BMI), diabetes mellitus diagnosis, F-FDG injected dose, and time interval.

Pre-existing treatment with aspirin or statins influences clinical presentation, infarct size and inflammation in patients with de novo acute coronary syndromes.

Background: Influence of pre-existing treatment with aspirin and/or statins prior to a first acute coronary syndrome (ACS) on clinical presentation, infarct size and inflammation markers. We analyzed patients from the Swiss Program University Medicine ACS-cohort (SPUM-ACS; ClinicalTrials.govnumber:NCT01075867).

Atrial fibrillation in β-thalassemia Major Patients: Diagnosis, Management and Therapeutic Options.

The prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AFib) in β-thalassemia major (β-TM) patients has increased in the last few years, reaching up to 33.0%. Several factors may drive this value to even more in the next few years.

Approximation of the Incidence of Myocarditis by Systematic Screening With Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

Objectives: This study sought to obtain an approximation of the true incidence of myocarditis by systematic screening of patients at risk using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) in a tertiary care center.

Background: Underdiagnosis of myocarditis and resulting uncertainty about its incidence remain a clinical dilemma. The authors hypothesized that systematic screening of patients presenting with angina-like symptoms, elevated troponin T, and no significant coronary artery disease using CMR will provide an approximation of the true incidence of myocarditis.