Echocardiographic Changes Following Surgical Myectomy in Severely Symptomatic Obstructive Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: Insights From the SPIRIT-HCM Study.

Background: In obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, myectomy improves symptoms, quality of life, and left ventricular (LV) outflow tract gradients. We prospectively evaluated the temporal changes in various echo parameters after myectomy.

Methods And Results: In 173 adults with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (53±10 years, 63% men) who underwent myectomy between March 2017 and June 2020, clinical and blinded echo assessment (before and at 12±6 months follow-up) was performed prospectively (SPIRIT-HCM [Quality of Life and Functional Capacity Following Septal Myectomy in Obstructive Patients With Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy]).

Guideline-Directed Medical Therapy After Hospitalization for Acute Heart Failure: Insights From the CONNECT-HF.

Background: Significant gap remains in the implementation of guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) in patients with heart failure after a hospitalization. We aimed to evaluate the use and titration of GDMT at discharge and over a 12-month period after hospital discharge and to identify factors associated with GDMT use and titration.

Methods And Results: The CONNECT-HF (Care Optimization Through Patient and Hospital Engagement Clinical Trial for Heart Failure) trial evaluated the effect of a hospital and postdischarge quality improvement intervention in participants with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction.

Moderate Aortic Valve Stenosis Is Associated With Increased Mortality Rate and Lifetime Loss: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Reconstructed Time-to-Event Data of 409 680 Patients.

Background: The mortality risk attributable to moderate aortic stenosis (AS) remains incompletely characterized and has historically been underestimated. We aim to evaluate the association between moderate AS and all-cause death, comparing it with no/mild AS (in a general referral population and in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction).

Methods And Results: A systematic review and pooled meta-analysis of Kaplan-Meier-derived reconstructed time-to-event data of studies published by June 2023 was conducted to evaluate survival outcomes among patients with moderate AS in comparison with individuals with no/mild AS.

Impact of Bariatric Surgery on Left Ventricular Structure and Function.

Background: Obesity leads to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease morbidity and death, including heart failure. Bariatric surgery has been proven to be the most effective long-term weight management treatment. This study investigated the changes in cardiac structure and function after bariatric surgery, including left ventricular global longitudinal strain.

Outcomes Following Acute Coronary Syndrome in Patients With and Without Rheumatic Immune-Mediated Inflammatory Diseases.

Background Rheumatic immune mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) are associated with high risk of acute coronary syndrome. The long-term prognosis of acute coronary syndrome in patients with rheumatic IMIDs is not well studied. Methods and Results We identified Medicare beneficiaries admitted with a primary diagnosis of myocardial infarction (MI) from 2014 to 2019.

Clinical Prediction Models for Heart Failure Hospitalization in Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background Clinical prediction models have been developed for hospitalization for heart failure in type 2 diabetes. However, a systematic evaluation of these models' performance, applicability, and clinical impact is absent. Methods and Results We searched Embase, MEDLINE, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Tufts' clinical prediction registry through February 2021.

Stroke-Related Mortality in the United States-Mexico Border Area of the United States, 1999 to 2018.

BACKGROUND The United States (US)-Mexico border is a socioeconomically underserved area. We sought to investigate whether stroke-related mortality varies between the US border and nonborder counties. METHODS AND RESULTS We used death certificates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research database to examine stroke-related mortality in border versus nonborder counties in California, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona.

Novel Approach to Risk Stratification in Left Ventricular Non-Compaction Using A Combined Cardiac Imaging and Plasma Biomarker Approach.

Background Left ventricular non-compaction remains a poorly described entity, which has led to challenges of overdiagnosis. We aimed to evaluate if the presence of a thin compacted myocardial layer portends poorer outcomes in individuals meeting cardiac magnetic resonance criteria for left ventricular non-compaction . Methods and Results This was an observational, retrospective cohort study involving individuals selected from the Cleveland Clinic Foundation cardiac magnetic resonance database (N=26 531).

Demographic, Regional, and State-Level Trends of Mortality in Patients With Aortic Stenosis in United States, 2008 to 2018.

Background Aortic stenosis-related mortality might vary across demographic subsets, regions, and states in the United States. Methods and Results We reviewed the death certificate data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wide-Ranging OnLine Data for Epidemiologic Research database to examine aortic stenosis-related mortality trends from 2008 to 2018. Crude and age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMRs) per 100 000 people and annual percentage change with 95% CIs were calculated.