Pregnancy & cardiovascular disease: the PREG-CVD-HH registry.

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death in pregnant and peripartal women in western countries. Physiological changes during pregnancy can lead to cardiovascular complications in the mother; women with pre-existing heart disease may not tolerate these changes well, increasing their susceptibility to adverse cardiovascular outcomes during pregnancy. The aim of this study is to characterize pregnancy-induced changes in cardiac function, biomarker concentrations and cardiovascular outcomes in women with CVD during pregnancy at a tertiary care hospital in Germany.

Conflicting European and North American Society Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) Volume Guidelines Differentially Discriminate Peri-operative Mortality After Elective Open AAA Repair.

Objective: The European Society for Vascular Surgery (ESVS) guidelines endorse a minimum abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair volume of 20 open (OAR) and or endovascular (EVAR) AAA repair procedures per year as a proxy for high quality care. In contrast, the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) espouses 10 exclusively OARs per year. Given the differences in these volume standards and definitions, debate persists regarding surgeon credentialing and healthcare resource allocation.

Association Between Carotid Atherosclerosis and Atrial Fibrillation, Cardiac, and Renal Function.

Objective: The aim was to analyse whether the association between carotid atherosclerosis (CA) and atrial fibrillation (AF), heart function, and renal function is mediated by traditional risk factors.

Methods: In the prospective, single centre, long term, population based Hamburg City Health Study citizens, between 45 and 74 years of age were studied by cross sectional analysis of the first cohort. Laboratory values, blood pressure, heart rhythm, and body mass index (BMI) were examined.

ACTION-1: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial on ACT-guided heparinization during open abdominal aortic aneurysm repair.

Background: Heparin is used worldwide for 70 years during all non-cardiac arterial procedures (NCAP) to reduce thrombo-embolic complications (TEC). But heparin also increases blood loss causing possible harm for the patient. Heparin has an unpredictable effect in the individual patient.

Aspirin, clopidogrel and prasugrel monotherapy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a double-blind randomised controlled trial of the effects on thrombotic markers and microRNA levels.

Background: Despite increased atherothrombotic risk in type 2 diabetes mellitus, (T2DM) the best preventative antithrombotic strategy remains undetermined. We defined the effects of three antiplatelet agents on functional readout and biomarker kinetics in platelet activation and coagulation in patients with T2DM.

Materials And Methods: 56 patients with T2DM were randomised to antiplatelet monotherapy with aspirin 75 mg once daily (OD), clopidogrel 75 mg OD or prasugrel 10 mg OD during three periods of a crossover study.

Hemodynamic Effects of Mechanical Circulatory Support Devices in Ventricular Septal Defect.

Background: Ventricular septal defect (VSD) is a lethal complication of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and is often associated with cardiogenic shock. The optimal form of percutaneous mechanical circulatory support (MCS) for AMI-VSD is unknown.

Methods And Results: We used a previously validated cardiovascular model to simulate AMI-VSD with parameters adjusted to replicate average hemodynamics reported in the literature, including a pulmonary-to-systemic blood flow ratio of 3.

Comparative Analysis of Circulating Noncoding RNAs Versus Protein Biomarkers in the Detection of Myocardial Injury.

Rationale: Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), including microRNAs (miRNAs), circular RNAs (circRNAs), and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), are proposed novel biomarkers of myocardial injury. Their release kinetics have not been explored without confounding by heparin nor has their relationship to myocardial protein biomarkers.

Objective: To compare ncRNA types in heparinase-treated samples with established and emerging protein biomarkers for myocardial injury.

Early Outcomes After Branched and Fenestrated Endovascular Aortic Repair in Octogenarians.

Aim: To compare early outcome after complex endovascular aortic repair in octogenarians (age ≥ 80 years) versus non-octogenarians (age < 80 years) treated with fenestrated or branched stent grafts.

Methods: Single centre retrospective analysis from a prospectively collected database of all patients undergoing repair with fenestrated or branched stent grafts for para/suprarenal aortic aneurysm, type Ia endoleak after previous endovascular aortic repair, and thoraco-abdominal aortic aneurysm between January 2015 and December 2017. Early all cause mortality, major adverse events, and need for re-intervention were analysed for non-octogenarians (age < 80 years) and octogenarians (age ≥ 80 years) at the time of repair.

Indication and short-term clinical outcomes of high-risk percutaneous coronary intervention with microaxial Impella® pump: results from the German Impella® registry.

Background: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is an alternative strategy to coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in patients with high perioperative risk. The microaxial Impella pump (Abiomed, Danvers, MA, USA), used as prophylactic and temporary support, is currently the most common device for "protected high-risk PCI" to ensure hemodynamic stability during complex coronary intervention.

Methods: The study is an observational, retrospective multi-center registry.

Editor's Choice - The Impact of Centralisation and Endovascular Aneurysm Repair on Treatment of Ruptured Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms Based on International Registries.

Objectives: Current management of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms (RAAA) varies among centres and countries, particularly in the degree of implementation of endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) and levels of vascular surgery centralisation. This study assesses these variations and the impact they have on outcomes.

Materials And Methods: RAAA repairs from vascular surgical registries in 11 countries, 2010-2013, were investigated.

Editor's Choice - Assessment of International Outcomes of Intact Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair over 9 Years.

Background: Case mix and outcomes of complex surgical procedures vary over time and between regions. This study analyses peri-operative mortality after intact abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair in 11 countries over 9 years.

Methods: Data on primary AAA repair from vascular surgery registries in 11 countries for the years 2005-2009 and 2010-2013 were analysed.

Genome-wide Trans-ethnic Meta-analysis Identifies Seven Genetic Loci Influencing Erythrocyte Traits and a Role for RBPMS in Erythropoiesis.

Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have identified loci for erythrocyte traits in primarily European ancestry populations. We conducted GWAS meta-analyses of six erythrocyte traits in 71,638 individuals from European, East Asian, and African ancestries using a Bayesian approach to account for heterogeneity in allelic effects and variation in the structure of linkage disequilibrium between ethnicities. We identified seven loci for erythrocyte traits including a locus (RBPMS/GTF2E2) associated with mean corpuscular hemoglobin and mean corpuscular volume.

Concomitant implantation of Impella on top of veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation may improve survival of patients with cardiogenic shock.

Aims: Veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) support stabilizes patients with cardiogenic shock. Despite improved oxygenation and peripheral circulation, LV unloading may be impeded due to the increased afterload, resulting in a failing static left ventricle and in high mortality.

Methods And Results: We describe for the first time a large series of patients treated with the combination of VA-ECMO and Impella compared with patients with VA-ECMO only.

Health-related quality of life compared with cardiopulmonary exercise testing at the midterm follow-up visit after tetralogy of Fallot repair: a study of the German competence network for congenital heart defects.

This nationwide study aimed to evaluate health-related quality of life (QoL) experienced by children after tetralogy of Fallot repair and to compare self-reported physical ability with objective exercise performance. This prospective nonrandomized, government-funded multicenter study enrolled 168 patients (70 girls; ages 8-16 years) after tetralogy of Fallot repair at eight German heart centers. Health-related QoL was analyzed by the self-reported KINDL-R quality-of-life questionnaire.

Impact of age and gender on cardiac pathology in children and adolescents with Marfan syndrome.

Cardiac pathologies are the major aspect in the treatment strategies for Marfan syndrome (MFS). In this progressive disease, less is known about manifestations and progression of cardiovascular symptoms in children. To define a certain decision regarding therapeutic options, knowledge concerning the onset of cardiovascular findings is essential.