Reexamining Differences Between Black and White Veterans in Hospital Mortality and Other Outcomes in Veterans Affairs and Other Hospitals

OBJECTIVES

To examine Black-White patient differences in mortality and other hospital outcomes among Veterans treated in Veterans Affairs (VA) and non-VA hospitals.

BACKGROUND

Lower hospital mortality has been documented in older Black patients relative to White patients, yet the mechanisms have not been determined. Comparing other hospital outcomes and multiple hospital systems may help inform the reasons for these differences.

METHODS

Repeated cross-sectional analysis of hospitalization records was conducted for Veterans discharged in VA and non-VA hospitals from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2017 in 11 states. Hospital outcomes included 30-day mortality, 30-day readmissions, inpatient costs, and length of stay. Hospitalizations were for acute myocardial infarction, coronary artery bypass graft surgery, gastrointestinal bleeding, heart failure, pneumonia, and stroke. Differences in outcomes were estimated between Black and White patients for VA and non-VA hospitals and age groups younger than 65 years or 65 years and older in regression models adjusting for patient and hospital factors.

RESULTS

There were a total of 459,574 study patients. Older Black patients had lower adjusted mortality for acute myocardial infarction, gastrointestinal bleeding, heart failure, and pneumonia. Adjusted probability of readmission was higher and adjusted mean length of stay and costs were greater for older Black patients relative to White patients in non-VA hospitals for several conditions. Fewer differences were observed in younger patients and in VA hospitals.

CONCLUSION

While older Black patients had lower mortality, other outcomes compared poorly with White patients. Differences were not fully explained by observable patient and hospital factors although social determinants may contribute to these differences.

Renal sympathetic denervation improves pressure-natriuresis relationship in cardiorenal syndrome: insight from studies with Ren-2 transgenic hypertensive rats with volume overload induced using aorto-caval fistula

The aim was to evaluate the effects of renal denervation (RDN) on autoregulation of renal hemodynamics and the pressure-natriuresis relationship in Ren-2 transgenic rats (TGR) with aorto-caval fistula (ACF)-induced heart failure (HF). RDN was performed one week after creation of ACF or sham-operation. Animals were prepared for evaluation of autoregulatory capacity of renal blood flow (RBF) and glomerular filtration rate (GFR), and of the pressure-natriuresis characteristics after stepwise changes in renal arterial pressure (RAP) induced by aortic clamping. Their basal values of blood pressure and renal function were significantly lower than with innervated sham-operated TGR (p < 0.05 in all cases): mean arterial pressure (MAP) (115 ± 2 vs. 160 ± 3 mmHg), RBF (6.91 ± 0.33 vs. 10.87 ± 0.38 ml.min-1.g-1), urine flow (UF) (11.3 ± 1.79 vs. 43.17 ± 3.24 µl.min-1.g-1) and absolute sodium excretion (UNaV) (1.08 ± 0.27 vs, 6.38 ± 0.76 µmol.min-1.g-1). After denervation ACF TGR showed improved autoregulation of RBF: at lowest RAP level (80 mmHg) the value was higher than in innervated ACF TGR (6.92 ± 0.26 vs. 4.54 ± 0.22 ml.min-1.g-1, p < 0.05). Also, the pressure-natriuresis relationship was markedly improved after RDN: at the RAP of 80 mmHg UF equaled 4.31 ± 0.99 vs. 0.26 ± 0.09 µl.min-1.g-1 recorded in innervated ACF TGR, UNaV was 0.31 ± 0.05 vs. 0.04 ± 0.01 µmol min-1.g-1 (p < 0.05 in all cases). In conclusion, in our model of hypertensive rat with ACF-induced HF, RDN improved autoregulatory capacity of RBF and the pressure-natriuresis relationship when measured at the stage of HF decompensation.

Silencing of METTL3 suppressed ferroptosis of myocardial cells by m6A modification of SLC7A11 in a YTHDF2 manner

Myocardial infarction (MI) is the main cause of heart failure (HF). N6-methyladenosine (m6A) methylation is associated with the progression of HF. The study aimed to explore whether METTL3 regulates ferroptosis of cardiomyocytes in HF. We evaluated ferroptosis by detecting lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) release, lipid reactive oxygen species (ROS), Fe2+, glutathione (GSH), and malonaldehyde (MDA) levels. M6A methylation was assessed using methylated RNA immunoprecipitation assay. The binding relationship was assessed using RNA immunoprecipitation assays. The mRNA stability was assessed using actinomycin D treatment. The results showed that METTL3 was upregulated in oxygen glucose deprivation/recovery (OGD/R) cells, which knockdown suppressed OGD/R-induced ferroptosis. Moreover, METTL3 could bind to SLC7A11, promoting m6A methylation of SLC7A11. Silencing of SLC7A11 abrogated the suppression of ferroptosis induced by METTL3 knockdown. Additionally, YTHDF2 was the reader that recognized the methylation of SLC7A11, reducing the stability of SLC7A11. The silencing of METTL3 inhibited OGD/R-induced ferroptosis by suppressing the m6A methylation of SLC7A11, which is recognized by YTHDF2. The findings suggested that METTL3-mediated ferroptosis might be a new strategy for MI-induced HF therapy.

Accelerometer-Measured Physical Activity, Sedentary Time, and Heart Failure Risk in Women Aged 63 to 99 Years

Importance

Heart failure (HF) prevention is paramount to public health in the 21st century.

Objective

To examine incident HF and its subtypes with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and reduced EF (HFrEF) according to accelerometer-measured physical activity (PA) and sedentary time.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This was a prospective cohort study, the Objective Physical Activity and Cardiovascular Health (OPACH) in Older Women study, conducted from March 2012 to April 2014. Included in the analysis were women aged 63 to 99 years without known HF, who completed hip-worn triaxial accelerometry for 7 consecutive days. Follow-up for incident HF occurred through February 2022. Data were analyzed from March to December 2023.

Exposure

Daily PA (total, light, moderate to vigorous PA [MVPA], steps) and sedentary (total, mean bout duration) behavior.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Adjudicated incident HF, HFpEF, and HFrEF.

Results

A total of 5951 women (mean [SD] age, 78.6 [6.8] years) without known HF were included in this analysis. Women self-identified with the following race and ethnicity categories: 2004 non-Hispanic Black (33.7%), 1022 Hispanic (17.2%), and 2925 non-Hispanic White (49.2%). There were 407 HF cases (257 HFpEF; 110 HFrEF) identified through a mean (SD) of 7.5 (2.6) years (range, 0.01-9.9 years) of follow-up. Fully adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for overall HF, HFpEF, and HFrEF associated with a 1-SD increment were 0.85 (95% CI, 0.75-0.95), 0.78 (95% CI, 0.67-0.91), and 1.02 (95% CI, 0.81-1.28) for minutes per day total PA; 0.74 (95% CI, 0.63-0.88), 0.71 (95% CI, 0.57-0.88), and 0.83 (95% CI, 0.62-1.12) for steps per day; and 1.17 (95% CI, 1.04-1.33), 1.29 (95% CI, 1.10-1.51), and 0.94 (95% CI, 0.75-1.18) for minutes per day total sedentary. Cubic spline curves for overall HF and HFpEF were significant inverse for total PA and steps per day and positive for total sedentary. Light PA and MVPA were inversely associated with overall HF (HR per 1 SD: 0.88; 95% CI, 0.78-0.98 and 0.84; 95% CI, 0.73-0.97) and HFpEF (0.80; 95% CI, 0.70-0.93 and 0.85; 95% CI, 0.72-1.01) but not HFrEF. Associations did not meaningfully differ when stratified by age, race and ethnicity, body mass index, physical function, or comorbidity score. Results for sedentary bout duration were inconsistent.

Conclusions and Relevance

Higher accelerometer-measured PA (MVPA, light PA, steps per day) was associated with lower risk (and greater total sedentary time with higher risk) of overall HF and HFpEF in a racially and ethnically diverse cohort of older women. Increasing PA and reducing sedentary time for primary HFpEF prevention may have relevant implications for cardiovascular resilience and healthy aging in later life.

Impairment of the adrenergic reserve associated with exercise intolerance in a murine model of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction

AIM

Exercise intolerance is the central symptom in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. In the present study, we investigated the adrenergic reserve both in vivo and in cardiomyocytes of a murine cardiometabolic HFpEF model.

METHODS

12-week-old male C57BL/6J mice were fed regular chow (control) or a high-fat diet and L-NAME (HFpEF) for 15 weeks. At 27 weeks, we performed (stress) echocardiography and exercise testing and measured the adrenergic reserve and its modulation by nitric oxide and reactive oxygen species in left ventricular cardiomyocytes.

RESULTS

HFpEF mice (preserved left ventricular ejection fraction, increased E/e', pulmonary congestion [wet lung weight/TL]) exhibited reduced exercise capacity and a reduction of stroke volume and cardiac output with adrenergic stress. In ventricular cardiomyocytes isolated from HFpEF mice, sarcomere shortening had a higher amplitude and faster relaxation compared to control animals. Increased shortening was caused by a shift of myofilament calcium sensitivity. With addition of isoproterenol, there were no differences in sarcomere function between HFpEF and control mice. This resulted in a reduced inotropic and lusitropic reserve in HFpEF cardiomyocytes. Preincubation with inhibitors of nitric oxide synthases or glutathione partially restored the adrenergic reserve in cardiomyocytes in HFpEF.

CONCLUSION

In this murine HFpEF model, the cardiac output reserve on adrenergic stimulation is impaired. In ventricular cardiomyocytes, we found a congruent loss of the adrenergic inotropic and lusitropic reserve. This was caused by increased contractility and faster relaxation at rest, partially mediated by nitro-oxidative signaling.

Impedance cardiogram based exploration of cardiac mechanisms in post-traumatic stress disorder during trauma recall

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an independent risk factor for developing heart failure; however, the underlying cardiac mechanisms are still elusive. This study aims to evaluate the real-time effects of experimentally induced PTSD symptom activation on various cardiac contractility and autonomic measures. We recorded synchronized electrocardiogram and impedance cardiogram from 137 male veterans (17 PTSD, 120 non-PTSD; 48 twin pairs, 41 unpaired singles) during a laboratory-based traumatic reminder stressor. To identify the parameters describing the cardiac mechanisms by which trauma reminders can create stress on the heart, we utilized a feature selection mechanism along with a random forest classifier distinguishing PTSD and non-PTSD. We extracted 99 parameters, including 76 biosignal-based and 23 sociodemographic, medical history, and psychiatric diagnosis features. A subject/twin-wise stratified nested cross-validation procedure was used for parameter tuning and model assessment to identify the important parameters. The identified parameters included biomarkers such as pre-ejection period, acceleration index, velocity index, Heather index, and several physiology-agnostic features. These identified parameters during trauma recall suggested a combination of increased sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity and deteriorated cardiac contractility that may increase the heart failure risk for PTSD. This indicates that the PTSD symptom activation associates with real-time reductions in several cardiac contractility measures despite SNS activation. This finding may be useful in future cardiac prevention efforts.

Predictors and prognostic implications of left ventricular ejection fraction trajectory improvement in the spectrum of heart failure with reduced and mildly reduced ejection fraction

BACKGROUND

The latest guidelines emphasize the significance of evaluating the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) trajectory in patients with heart failure (HF). Because patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and HF with mildly reduced ejection fraction (HFmrEF) have reduction in systolic function, they might be in a trajectory of LVEF improvement after medical and device-based therapies. While previous studies have primarily focused on LVEF improvement in HFrEF, there is limited research on LVEF trajectory improvement across the spectrum of HFrEF and HFmrEF. This study aimed to assess the determinants and prognostic implications of LVEF trajectory improvement in HFrEF and HFmrEF patients.

METHODS

The cohort was classified into the improved group (HFrEF-to-HF with improved ejection fraction (HFimpEF) and HFmrEF-to-HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF)) and the unimproved group (lack of improved group criteria). The primary endpoints were the composite of all-cause mortality or HF hospitalization, all-cause mortality, and HF hospitalization. Predictors of LVEF trajectory improvement were also evaluated.

RESULTS

A total 1303 patients were included in the study (improved/unimproved group: n = 497/806). Cox regression analysis showed that the improved group experienced lower risks of prespecified end points than the unimproved group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that atrial flutter, use of spironolactone, and treatment with catheter ablation were associated with LVEF trajectory improvement, while myocardial infarction, prior percutaneous catheter intervention or coronary artery bypass graft, E/e', and left ventricular end-diastolic diameter were identified as negative predictors of LVEF trajectory improvement. In the improved subgroup, the prognosis for the HFrEF-to-HFimpEF and HFmrEF-to-HFpEF was comparable.

CONCLUSIONS

LVEF trajectory improvement patients had improved clinical outcomes and it was associated with important clinical, baseline cardiac structure and function, and treatment factors. Outcomes were similar in both HFrEF-to-HFimpEF and HFmrEF-to-HFpEF subgroups. These results suggest that emphasis should be placed on LVEF trajectory improvement to improve the outcomes of this population.

Effect of sacubitril/valsartan on the hypertensive heart in continuous light-induced and lactacystin-induced pre-hypertension: Interactions with the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system

This study investigated whether sacubitril/valsartan or valsartan are able to prevent left ventricular (LV) fibrotic remodelling and dysfunction in two experimental models of pre-hypertension induced by continuous light (24 hours/day) exposure or by chronic lactacystin treatment, and how this potential protection interferes with the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS). Nine groups of three-month-old male Wistar rats were treated for six weeks as follows: untreated controls (C), sacubitril/valsartan (ARNI), valsartan (Val), continuous light (24), continuous light plus sacubitril/valsartan (24+ARNI) or valsartan (24+Val), lactacystin (Lact), lactacystin plus sacubitil/valsartan (Lact+ARNI) or plus valsartan (Lact+Val). Both the 24 and Lact groups developed a mild but significant systolic blood pressure (SBP) increase, LV hypertrophy and fibrosis, as well as LV systolic and diastolic dysfunction. Yet, no changes in serum renin-angiotensin were observed either in the 24 or Lact groups, though aldosterone was increased in the Lact group compared to the controls. In both models, sacubitril/valsartan and valsartan reduced elevated SBP, LV hypertrophy and fibrosis and attenuated LV systolic and diastolic dysfunction. Sacubitril/valsartan and valsartan increased the serum levels of angiotensin (Ang) II, Ang III, Ang IV, Ang 1-5, Ang 1-7 in the 24 and Lact groups and reduced aldosterone in the Lact group. We conclude that both continuous light exposure and lactacystin treatment induced normal-to-low serum renin-angiotensin models of pre-hypertension, whereas aldosterone was increased in lactacystin-induced pre-hypertension. The protection by ARNI or valsartan in the hypertensive heart in either model was related to the Ang II blockade and the protective Ang 1-7, while in lactacystin-induced pre-hypertension this protection seems to be additionally related to the reduced aldosterone level.

Coronary Artery Calcification and Risk of Cardiac Complication in Geriatric Trauma Population

BACKGROUND

Better means of identifying patients with increased cardiac complication (CC) risk is needed. Coronary artery calcification (CAC) is reported on routine chest CT scans. We assessed the correlation of CAC and CCs in the geriatric trauma population.

STUDY DESIGN

A prospective, observational study of patients 55 years and older who had chest CT scan from May to September 2022 at a level 1 trauma center. Radiologists scored CAC as none, mild, moderate, or severe. None-to-mild CAC (NM-CAC) and moderate-to-severe CAC (MS-CAC) were grouped and in-hospital CCs assessed (arrhythmia, ST elevation myocardial infarction [STEMI], non-STEMI, congestive heart failure, pulmonary edema, cardiac arrest, cardiogenic shock, and cardiac mortality). Univariate and bivariate analyses were performed.

RESULTS

Five hundred sixty-nine patients had a chest CT, of them 12 were excluded due to missing CAC severity. Of 557 patients, 442 (79.3%) had none-to-mild CAC and 115 (20.7%) has MS-CAC; the MS-CAC group was older (73.3 vs 67.4 years) with fewer male patients (48.7% vs 54.5%), had higher cardiac-related comorbidities, and had higher abbreviated injury scale chest injury scores. The MS-CAC group had an increased rate of CC (odds ratio [OR] 1.81, p = 0.016). Cardiac complications statistically more common in MS-CAC were congestive heart failure (OR 3.41, p = 0.003); cardiogenic shock (OR 3.3, p = 0.006); non-STEMI I or II (OR 2.8, p = 0.017); STEMI (OR 5.9, p = 0.029); and cardiac-caused mortality (OR 5.27, p = 0.036). No statistical significance between pulmonary edema (p = 0.6), new-onset arrhythmia (p = 0.74), or cardiac arrest (p = 0.193).

CONCLUSIONS

CAC as reported on chest CT scans demonstrates a significant correlation with CC and should warrant additional cardiac monitoring.

Changes in Cardiac Function Following Fulminant Myocarditis

BACKGROUND

The natural history of myocardial dysfunction in patients with fulminant myocarditis is poorly understood. This study aims to evaluate changes in cardiac function in patients with fulminant myocarditis using a nationwide registry in Japan.

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study included patients with biopsy-proven fulminant myocarditis and available for left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). We described the LVEF on admission, at discharge, and 1 year after discharge. We divided patients into 2 groups based on LVEF at discharge (reduced ejection fraction of <50% or preserved ejection fraction of ≥50%) and analyzed changes in LVEF and prognosis according to groups.

RESULTS

We included 214 patients (the median [first-third quartiles] age of the cohort was 48 [35-62] years, and 63 [38%] were female). Of 153 patients available for LVEF at 1 year, the median (first-third quartiles) LVEF increased from 33% (21-45%) on admission to 59% (49-64%) at discharge and further to 61% (55-66%) at 1 year. Of 153 patients, 45 (29%) and 22 (14%) had LVEF <50% at discharge and at 1 year, respectively. Comparisons between patients with LVEF <50% and those with LVEF ≥50% demonstrated that the former group had a higher adjusted probability of death or heart transplantation (hazard ratio, 8.19 [95% CI, 2.13-31.5]; P=0.002).

CONCLUSIONS

Some patients with fulminant myocarditis had left ventricular dysfunction in the chronic phase. Patients with reduced left ventricular function at discharge had a worse prognosis than those with preserved left ventricular function.

REGISTRATION

URL: https://upload.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr_e/ctr_view.cgi?recptno=R000045352; Unique identifier: UMIN000039763.

The crucial relationship between miRNA-27 and CSE/H2S, and the mechanism of action of GLP-1 in myocardial hypertrophy

Cardiac hypertrophy is the most prevalent compensatory heart disease that ultimately leads to spontaneous heart failure. Mounting evidence suggests that microRNAs (miRs) and endogenous hydrogen sulfide (H2S) play a crucial role in the regulation of cardiac hypertrophy. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether inhibition of miR-27a could protect against cardiac hypertrophy by modulating H2S signaling. We established a model of cardiac hypertrophy by obtaining hypertrophic tissue from mice subjected to transverse aortic constriction (TAC) and from cells treated with angiotensin-II. Molecular alterations in the myocardium were quantified using quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR), Western blotting, and ELISA. Morphological changes were characterized by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining and Masson's trichrome staining. Functional myocardial changes were assessed using echocardiography. Our results demonstrated that miR-27a levels were elevated, while H2S levels were reduced in TAC mice and myocardial hypertrophy. Further luciferase and target scan assays confirmed that cystathionine-γ-lyase (CSE) was a direct target of miR-27a and was negatively regulated by it. Notably, enhancement of H2S expression in the heart was observed in mice injected with recombinant adeno-associated virus vector 9 (rAAV9)-anti-miR-27a and in cells transfected with a miR-27a inhibitor during cardiac hypertrophy. However, this effect was abolished by co-transfection with CSE siRNA and the miR-27a inhibitor. Conversely, injecting rAAV9-miR-27a yielded opposite results. Interestingly, our findings demonstrated that glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists could mitigate myocardial damage by down-regulating miR-27a and up-regulating CSE. In summary, our study suggests that inhibition of miR-27a holds therapeutic promise for the treatment of cardiac hypertrophy by increasing H2S levels. Furthermore, our findings unveil a novel mechanism of GLP-1 agonists involving the miR-27a/H2S pathway in the management of cardiac hypertrophy.

Mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation is the major source of cardiac adenosine triphosphate production in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction

AIMS

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a prevalent disease worldwide. While it is well established that alterations of cardiac energy metabolism contribute to cardiovascular pathology, the precise source of fuel used by the heart in HFpEF remains unclear. The objective of this study was to define the energy metabolic profile of the heart in HFpEF.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Eight-week-old C57BL/6 male mice were subjected to a '2-Hit' HFpEF protocol [60% high-fat diet (HFD) + 0.5 g/L of Nω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester]. Echocardiography and pressure-volume loop analysis were used for assessing cardiac function and cardiac haemodynamics, respectively. Isolated working hearts were perfused with radiolabelled energy substrates to directly measure rates of fatty acid oxidation, glucose oxidation, ketone oxidation, and glycolysis. HFpEF mice exhibited increased body weight, glucose intolerance, elevated blood pressure, diastolic dysfunction, and cardiac hypertrophy. In HFpEF hearts, insulin stimulation of glucose oxidation was significantly suppressed. This was paralleled by an increase in fatty acid oxidation rates, while cardiac ketone oxidation and glycolysis rates were comparable with healthy control hearts. The balance between glucose and fatty acid oxidation contributing to overall adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production was disrupted, where HFpEF hearts were more reliant on fatty acid as the major source of fuel for ATP production, compensating for the decrease of ATP originating from glucose oxidation. Additionally, phosphorylated pyruvate dehydrogenase levels decreased in both HFpEF mice and human patient's heart samples.

CONCLUSION

In HFpEF, fatty acid oxidation dominates as the major source of cardiac ATP production at the expense of insulin-stimulated glucose oxidation.

Implementing a New Algorithm for Reinterpretation of Ambiguous Variants in Genetic Dilated Cardiomyopathy

Dilated cardiomyopathy is a heterogeneous entity that leads to heart failure and malignant arrhythmias. Nearly 50% of cases are inherited; therefore, genetic analysis is crucial to unravel the cause and for the early identification of carriers at risk. A large number of variants remain classified as ambiguous, impeding an actionable clinical translation. Our goal was to perform a comprehensive update of variants previously classified with an ambiguous role, applying a new algorithm of already available tools. In a cohort of 65 cases diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy, a total of 125 genetic variants were classified as ambiguous. Our reanalysis resulted in the reclassification of 12% of variants from an unknown to likely benign or likely pathogenic role, due to improved population frequencies. For all the remaining ambiguous variants, we used our algorithm; 60.9% showed a potential but not confirmed deleterious role, and 24.5% showed a potential benign role. Periodically updating the population frequencies is a cheap and fast action, making it possible to clarify the role of ambiguous variants. Here, we perform a comprehensive reanalysis to help to clarify the role of most of ambiguous variants. Our specific algorithms facilitate genetic interpretation in dilated cardiomyopathy.

impHFrEF trial: study protocol for an open-label, multicentre study of improvement the outcome of patients with heart failure in China using a mobile hEalth-supported platForm

BACKGROUND

Patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) often have a long duration of illness, difficulty in attending follow-up visits, and poor adherence to treatment. As a result, they frequently cannot receive guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) at the desired or maximum tolerable drug dosage. This leads to high hospitalisation and mortality rates for HF patients. Therefore, effective management and monitoring of patients with HF to ensure they receive GDMT is crucial for improving the prognosis.

DESIGN AND METHODS

This is a multicentre, open-label, randomised, parallel-group study involving patients with CHF across five centres. The study aims to assess the impact of an optimised GDMT model for HF patients, established on a mobile health (mHealth) platform, compared with a control group. Patients must have a left ventricular ejection fraction of less than 50% and be receiving medication titration therapy that has not yet reached the target dose, with a modest increase in N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide level. The primary composite outcome is worsening HF events (hospitalisation or emergency treatment with intravenous fluids) or cardiovascular death.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

On 22 December 2021, this study received ethical approval from the Ethics Review Board of the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, with the ethics number 2021-SR-530. All study participants will be informed of the research purpose and their participation will be voluntary. Informed consent will be obtained by providing and signing an informed consent form. We will ensure compliance with relevant laws and regulations regarding privacy and data protection. The results of this study will be published in a peer-reviewed academic journal. We will ensure that the dissemination of study results is accurate, clear and timely.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

ChiCTR2200056527.

Optimization of a centrifugal blood pump designed using an industrial method through experimental and numerical study

With improved treatment of coronary artery disease, more patients are surviving until heart failure occurs. This leads to an increase in patients needing devices for struggling with heart failure. Ventricular assist devices are known as the mainstay of these devices. This study aimed to design a centrifugal pump as a ventricular assist device. In order to design the pump, firstly, the geometrical parameters of the pump, including the gap distance, blade height, and position of the outlet relative to the blade, were investigated. Finally, the selected configuration, which had all the appropriate characteristics, both hydraulically and physiologically, was used for the rest of the study. The study of the blade, as the main component in energy transfer to the blood, in a centrifugal pump, has been considered in the present study. In this regard, the point-to-point design method, which is used in industrial applications, was implemented. The designer chooses the relationship between the blade angles at each radius in the point-to-point method. The present study selected logarithmic and second-order relations for designing the blade's profile. In total, 58 blades were examined in this study, which differed regarding blade inlet and outlet angles and the relationship between angle and radial position. ANSYS CFX 17.0 software was utilized to simulate blades' performances, and a benchmark pump provided by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was used to validate the numerical simulations. Then, the selected impeller from the numerical investigation was manufactured, and its performance was compared experimentally with the FDA benchmark pump. A hydraulic test rig was also developed for experimental studies. The results showed that among the blades designed in this study, the blade with an input angle of 45° and an output angle of 55°, which is designed to implement a logarithmic relationship, has the best performance. The selected impeller configuration can increase the total head (at least by 20%) at different flow rates compared to the FDA pump.

Cardiovascular hospitalizations and mortality among adults aged 25-64 years in the USA

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Declines in cardiovascular mortality have stagnated in the USA since 2011. There is growing concern that these patterns reflect worsening cardiovascular health in younger adults. However, little is known about how the burden of acute cardiovascular hospitalizations and mortality has changed in this population. Changes in cardiovascular hospitalizations and mortality among adults aged 25-64 years were evaluated, overall and by community-level income.

METHODS

Using the National Inpatient Sample, age-standardized annual hospitalization and in-hospital mortality rates for acute myocardial infarction (AMI), heart failure, and ischaemic stroke were determined among adults aged 25-64 years. Quasi-Poisson and quasi-binominal regression models were fitted to compare outcomes between individuals residing in low- and higher-income communities.

RESULTS

Between 2008 and 2019, age-standardized hospitalization rates for AMI increased among younger adults from 155.0 (95% confidence interval: 154.6, 155.4) per 100 000 to 160.7 (160.3, 161.1) per 100 000 (absolute change +5.7 [5.0, 6.3], P < .001). Heart failure hospitalizations also increased (165.3 [164.8, 165.7] to 225.3 [224.8, 225.8], absolute change +60.0 (59.3, 60.6), P < .001), as ischaemic stroke hospitalizations (76.3 [76.1, 76.7] to 108.1 [107.8, 108.5], absolute change +31.7 (31.2, 32.2), P < .001). Across all conditions, hospitalizations rates were significantly higher among younger adults residing in low-income compared with higher-income communities, and disparities did not narrow between groups. In-hospital mortality decreased for all conditions over the study period.

CONCLUSIONS

There was an alarming increase in cardiovascular hospitalizations among younger adults in the USA from 2008 to 2019, and disparities between those residing in low- and higher-income communities did not narrow.

Sacubitril/Valsartan in Patients Hospitalized With Decompensated Heart Failure

BACKGROUND

The efficacy and safety of sacubitril/valsartan in patients hospitalized with heart failure (HF) across the spectrum of left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) has not been described.

OBJECTIVES

Data from randomized trials of sacubitril/valsartan in HF patients with EF ≤40% (PIONEER-HF [Comparison of Sacubitril/Valsartan Versus Enalapril on Effect of NT-proBNP in Patients Stabilized From an Acute Heart Failure Episode] trial) and >40% (PARAGLIDE-HF [Prospective comparison of ARNI with ARB Given following stabiLization In DEcompensated HFpEF] trial) following recent worsening heart failure (WHF) were pooled to examine treatment effect across the EF spectrum.

METHODS

The PIONEER-HF and PARAGLIDE-HF trials were double-blind, randomized trials of sacubitril/valsartan vs control therapy (enalapril or valsartan, respectively). All participants in the PIONEER-HF trial and 69.5% in the PARAGLIDE-HF trial were enrolled during hospitalization for HF after stabilization. The remainder in the PARAGLIDE-HF trial were enrolled ≤30 days after a WHF event. The primary endpoint of both trials was time-averaged proportional change in N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) from baseline through weeks 4 and 8. Adjudicated clinical endpoints were analyzed through the end of follow-up, adjusting for trial.

RESULTS

The pooled analysis included 1,347 patients (881 from PIONEER-HF, 466 from PARAGLIDE-HF). Baseline characteristics included median age 66 years, 36% women, 31% Black, 34% de novo HF, and median EF 30%. The reduction in NT-proBNP was 24% greater with sacubitril/valsartan vs control therapy (n = 1,130; ratio of change = 0.76; 95% CI: 0.69-0.83; P < 0.0001). Cardiovascular death or hospitalization for HF was reduced by 30% with sacubitril/valsartan vs control therapy (HR: 0.70; 95% CI: 0.54-0.91; P = 0.0077). This effect was consistent across the spectrum of EF ≤60%. Sacubitril/valsartan increased symptomatic hypotension (risk ratio: 1.35; 95% CI: 1.05-1.72).

CONCLUSIONS

In patients stabilized after WHF, sacubitril/valsartan led to a greater reduction in plasma NT-proBNP and improved clinical outcome compared with control therapy, in particular across the spectrum of EF ≤60%. (Comparison of Sacubitril/Valsartan Versus Enalapril on Effect of NT-proBNP in Patients Stabilized From an Acute Heart Failure Episode [PIONEER-HF]; NCT02554890; Changes in NT-proBNP, Safety, and Tolerability in HFpEF Patients With a WHF Event [HFpEF Decompensation] Who Have Been Stabilized and Initiated at the Time of or Within 30 Days Post-decompensation [PARAGLIDE-HF]; NCT03988634).

Efficacy of Native T1 Mapping for Patients With Non-Ischemic Cardiomyopathy and Ventricular Functional Mitral Regurgitation Undergoing Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Repair

BACKGROUND

We investigated the efficacy of left ventricular (LV) myocardial damage by native T1mapping obtained with cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) for patients undergoing transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER).Methods and Results: We studied 40 symptomatic non-ischemic heart failure (HF) patients and ventricular functional mitral regurgitation (VFMR) undergoing TEER. LV myocardial damage was defined as the native T1Z-score, which was converted from native T1values obtained with CMR. The primary endpoint was defined as HF rehospitalization or cardiovascular death over 12 months after TEER. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards analysis showed that the native T1Z-score was the only independent parameter associated with cardiovascular events (hazard ratio 3.40; 95% confidential interval 1.51-7.67), and that patients with native T1Z-scores <2.41 experienced significantly fewer cardiovascular events than those with native T1Z-scores ≥2.41 (P=0.001). Moreover, the combination of a native T1Z-score <2.41 and more severe VFMR (effective regurgitant orifice area [EROA] ≥0.30 cm2) was associated with fewer cardiovascular events than a native T1Z-score ≥2.41 and less severe VFMR (EROA <0.30 cm2; P=0.002).

CONCLUSIONS

Assessment of baseline LV myocardial damage based on native T1Z-scores obtained with CMR without gadolinium-based contrast media is a valuable additional parameter for better management of HF patients and VFMR following TEER.

Arginine vasopressin induces ferroptosis to promote heart failure via activation of the V1aR/CaN/NFATC3 pathway

Arginine vasopressin (AVP) is a key contributor to heart failure (HF), but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In the present study, a mouse model of HF and human cardiomyocyte (HCM) cells treated with dDAVP are generated in vivo and in vitro, respectively. Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining is used to evaluate the morphological changes in the myocardial tissues. A colorimetric method is used to measure the iron concentration, Fe 2+ concentration and malondialdehyde (MDA) level. Western blot analysis is used to examine the protein levels of the V1a receptor (V1aR), calcineurin (CaN), nuclear factor of activated T cells isoform C3 (NFATC3), glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) and acyl-CoA synthase long chain family member 4 (ACSL4). Immunoprecipitation (IP) and luciferase reporter assays are performed to determine the interaction between NFATC3 and ACSL4. Both in vivo and in vitro experiments reveal that the V1aR-CaN-NFATC3 signaling pathway and ferroptosis are upregulated in HFs, which are verified by the elevated protein levels of V1aR, CaN, NFATC3 and ACSL4; reduced GPX4 protein level; and enhanced Fe 2+ and MDA levels. We further find that inhibiting NFATC3 by suppressing the V1aR/CaN/NFATC3 pathway via V1aR/CaN inhibitors or sh-NFATC3 not only alleviates HF but also inhibits AVP-induced ferroptosis. Mechanistically, sh-NFATC3 significantly reverses the increase in AVP-induced ACSL4 protein level, Fe 2+ concentration, and MDA level by directly interacting with ACSL4. Our results demonstrate that AVP enhances ACSL4 expression by activating the V1aR/CaN/NFATC3 pathway to induce ferroptosis, thus contributing to HF. This study may lead to the proposal of a novel therapeutic strategy for HF.

[Diagnosis and treatment of arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy in children]

Objective: To summarize the clinical manifestations, experiences in diagnosis and treatment of arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM) in children. Methods: A retrospective analysis of the clinical manifestations, laboratory tests, radiological features, treatment and follow-up results was conducted in 11 children diagnosed with ACM at the center of congenital heart disease, Beijing anzhen hospital from May 2010 to March 2022. Results: A total of 11 patients aged 2 to 16 years, including 5 males and 6 females were diagnosed with ACM. The clinical manifestations included decreased activity tolerance (7 patients), heart failure (4 patients), syncope or sudden death (3 patients), palpitation (3 patients), and chest tightness and pain (3 patients). Electrocardiogram showed right bundle branch block in 9 cases, paroxysmal ventricular tachycardia in 4 cases, frequent premature ventricular contraction in 4 cases, ventricular pre-excitation in 1 case, left bundle branch block in 1 case, and first degree atrioventricular block in 2 cases. Echocardiography showed enlargement of the right heart, widening of the right ventricular outflow tract, and thinning and bulging of the local wall of the right ventricle with reduced pulsation. Ventricular thrombosis was found in 2 cases. Six children underwent cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, which mainly showed severe enlargement of the right heart, thin free wall of the right ventricle, decreased right heart function, enhanced right ventricular myocardium, and formation of right ventricular aneurysm. Two children underwent myocardial biopsy examination and presented with typical pathological changes of ACM. Genetic tests in five patients revealed DSG2 gene mutation in 2 cases, PKP2 gene mutation in 2 cases, and MYH6 gene mutation in 1 case. All patients received anti heart failure treatment and antiarrhythmic drugs. Two children received anticoagulant treatment due to ventricular thrombosis. Radiofrequency ablation was performed in 2 patients. Glenn procedure was performed in 4 patients, and heart transplantation was performed in 1 patient due to progressive heart failure. The follow-up period ranged from 6 months to 12 years. Two cases died of right heart failure, 6 cases had different degrees of heart failure, 1 case had intermittent chest tightness and pain, and 2 cases were stable. Conclusions: ACM is a progressive genetic cardiomyopathy characterized by decreased activity tolerance, cardiac failure and arrhythmia in pediatric patients. The diagnosis is mainly based on clinical manifestations, electrocardiogram, cardiac imaging changes, and genetic testing. Early detection, diagnosis, and personalized treatment can improve the prognosis.

Two-Year Clinical Outcome of MitraClip Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Repair From the J-MITRA Registry Data

BACKGROUND

The introduction of transcatheter edge-to-edge repair for moderate-to-severe or severe mitral regurgitation (MR) utilizing the MitraClip system became reimbursed and clinically accessible in Japan in April 2018. This study presents the 2-year clinical outcomes of all consecutively treated patients who underwent MitraClip implantation in Japan and were prospectively enrolled in the Japanese Circulation Society-oriented J-MITRA registry.Methods and Results: Analysis encompassed 2,739 consecutive patients enrolled in the J-MITRA registry with informed consent (mean age: 78.3±9.6 years, 1,550 males, STS risk score 11.7±8.9), comprising 1,999 cases of functional MR, 644 of degenerative MR and 96 in a mixed group (DMR and FMR). The acute procedure success rate was 88.9%. After MitraClip implantation, >80% exhibited an MR grade ≤2+ and the trend was sustained over the 2 years. Within this observation period, the mortality rate was 19.3% and the rate of heart failure readmissions was 20.6%. The primary composite endpoint, inclusive of cardiovascular death and heart failure readmission, was significantly higher in patients with functional MR than in with degenerative MR (32.0% vs. 17.5%, P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The 2-year clinical outcomes after MitraClip implantation were deduced from comprehensive data within an all-Japan registry.

Sacubitril/valsartan can improve the cardiac function in heart failure patients with a history of cancer: An observational study

Sacubitril/Valsartan, the combination of angiotensin receptor inhibitor and neprilysin inhibitor, is now becoming the class 1 recommendation for HFrEF. Some studies have shown the positive effect of Sacubitril/Valsartan on HFrEF cancer patients, while there is devoid of evidence about the effect of this drug in aged cancer patients with HFmrEF and HFpEF. By searching the patients with a diagnosis of both cancer and Heart failure (HF) over 65, the patients who had received treatment with Sacubitril/Valsartan were selected as the candidates for Sacubitril/Valsartan group, and the patients who had received conventional HF therapy without Sacubitril/Valsartan were chosen as the control group. Data were collected for up to 9 months. We filtered 38 patients and 50 patients valid for Sacubitril/Valsartan group and control group, respectively. After initiation of heart failure management, our study found a better cardiac condition in Sacubitril/Valsartan group, having better LVEF, LVFS, NT-proBNP in 3rd, 6th, 9th month (P < .05) and better NYHA function classification after the treatment. We also observed fewer cases of deterioration on LAD (P = .029) and LVEDD (P = .023) in Sacubitril/Valsartan group. In subgroup analysis, our study showed that all 3 kinds of HF patients had better LVEF, LVFS, and NT-proBNP in Sacubitril/Valsartan group (P < .05). Our study further indicated that Sacubitril/Valsartan can improve cardiac function and benefit cardiac remolding in aged cancer patients of all 3 kinds of HF. This is the first study to provide new evidence for the use of Sacubitril/Valsartan in aged cancer patients of 3 kinds of HF.

Fifteen-minute consultation: When to consider extracorporeal membrane oxygenation

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a form of organ support which is used for severe, potentially reversible respiratory, cardiac or cardiorespiratory failure. While it is associated with significant risk of intracerebral injury in neonates and children, outcomes can be excellent, and timely referral is associated with improved survival and reduced morbidity. This article provides a concise summary of the technical aspects of ECMO support, indications for referral, complications, outcomes and important considerations for follow-up.

Ischemic heart disease-related mortality in Brazil, 2006 to 2020. A study of multiple causes of death

CONTEXT

Both the aging of the population and the increase in noncommunicable diseases may influence the progression and outcomes culminating in death, changing the evolution of ischemic heart diseases (IHDs) and their associated causes. Using the multiple causes of death method could help understand the magnitude of these relationships and enable better targeting of investments in health.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the mortality from IHD in Brazil between 2006 and 2020 using the method of multiple causes and identify differences in the distribution pattern of IHD mortality by sex and geographic region.

METHODS

Based on information extracted from death certificates (DCs) obtained from the database of the Department of Informatics of the Unified Health System (DATASUS), we used the multiple causes method to analyze the causes of death associated with IHD when IHD was defined as the underlying cause of death (UC) and the causes of death listed as the UC when IHD was recorded in any other lines of the DC, from 2006 to 2020, in Brazil. Subsequently, the proportion of these causes of death and differences between sexes and geographic regions were evaluated, with statistical relevance analyzed using the chi-square test, and the dependence between factors illustrated using stacked bar charts and small-world network graphs.

RESULTS

When IHD was listed as the UC of death, the most frequent associated causes of death were, in descending order of frequency, acute myocardial infarction (AMI), arterial hypertension (AH), chronic ischemic heart disease (CHID), heart failure (HF), and diabetes mellitus (DM). When IHD was mentioned in any line of the DC, the most frequent UCs of death were AMI followed by DM, CIHD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), stroke, dyslipidemia, and, in the year 2020, COVID-19. The most frequent cause of death in women were DM as the UC and associated cause of death, AH as the UC, and CIHD and Alzheimer's disease as associated causes of death, while the most frequent causes of death in men were substance dependence as the UC and associated cause of death, and cancer as an associated cause of death. The most frequent causes of death were DM and stroke in the North and Northeast, dyslipidemia and obesity in the Midwest, Alzheimer's disease in the South and Southeast, and atherosclerotic heart disease (AHD) and COPD in the South.

CONCLUSIONS

Several diseases - including AMI, AH, CIHD, HF, and DM - were the most frequent associated causes of death when IHD was recorded as the UC. In contrast, AMI, DM, CIHD, COPD, and stroke were the most frequent UCs when IHD was listed as an associated cause of death. The degree of these associations varied between sexes and geographic regions.

One Endothelium-Targeted Combined Nucleic Acid Delivery System for Myocardial Infarction Therapy

Acute myocardial infarction (MI) and ischemic heart disease are the leading causes of heart failure and mortality. Currently, research on MI treatment is focused on angiogenic and anti-inflammatory therapies. Although endothelial cells (ECs) are critical for triggering inflammation and angiogenesis, no approach has targeted them for the treatment of MI. In this study, we proposed a nonviral combined nucleic acid delivery system consisting of an EC-specific polycation (CRPPR-grafted ethanolamine-modified poly(glycidyl methacrylate), CPC) that can efficiently codeliver siR-ICAM1 and pCXCL12 for the treatment of MI. Animals treated with the combination therapy exhibited better cardiac function than those treated with each nucleic acid alone. In particular, the combination therapy of CPC/siR-ICAM1 and CPC/pCXCL12 significantly improved cardiac systolic function, anti-inflammatory responses, and angiogenesis compared to the control group. In conclusion, CPC-based combined gene delivery systems show impressive performance in the treatment of MI and provide a programmed strategy for the development of codelivery systems for various EC-related diseases.

Iron Status and Risk of Heart Disease, Stroke, and Diabetes: A Mendelian Randomization Study in European Adults

BACKGROUND

The relevance of iron status biomarkers for coronary artery disease (CAD), heart failure (HF), ischemic stroke (IS), and type 2 diabetes (T2D) is uncertain. We compared the observational and Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses of iron status biomarkers and hemoglobin with these diseases.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Observational analyses of hemoglobin were compared with genetically predicted hemoglobin with cardiovascular diseases and diabetes in the UK Biobank. Iron biomarkers included transferrin saturation, serum iron, ferritin, and total iron binding capacity. MR analyses assessed associations with CAD (CARDIOGRAMplusC4D [Coronary Artery Disease Genome Wide Replication and Meta-Analysis Plus The Coronary Artery Disease Genetics], n=181 522 cases), HF (HERMES [Heart Failure Molecular Epidemiology for Therapeutic Targets), n=115 150 cases), IS (GIGASTROKE, n=62 100 cases), and T2D (DIAMANTE [Diabetes Meta-Analysis of Trans-Ethnic Association Studies], n=80 154 cases) genome-wide consortia. Observational analyses demonstrated J-shaped associations of hemoglobin with CAD, HF, IS, and T2D. In contrast, MR analyses demonstrated linear positive associations of higher genetically predicted hemoglobin levels with 8% higher risk per 1 SD higher hemoglobin for CAD, 10% to 13% for diabetes, but not with IS or HF in UK Biobank. Bidirectional MR analyses confirmed the causal relevance of iron biomarkers for hemoglobin. Further MR analyses in global consortia demonstrated modest protective effects of iron biomarkers for CAD (7%-14% lower risk for 1 SD higher levels of iron biomarkers), adverse effects for T2D, but no associations with IS or HF.

CONCLUSIONS

Higher levels of iron biomarkers were protective for CAD, had adverse effects on T2D, but had no effects on IS or HF. Randomized trials are now required to assess effects of iron supplements on risk of CAD in high-risk older people.

Vitamin C deficiency can lead to pulmonary hypertension: a systematic review of case reports

BACKGROUND

In the early literature, unintentional vitamin C deficiency in humans was associated with heart failure. Experimental vitamin C deficiency in guinea pigs caused enlargement of the heart. The purpose of this study was to collect and analyze case reports on vitamin C and pulmonary hypertension.

METHODS

We searched Pubmed and Scopus for case studies in which vitamin C deficiency was considered to be the cause of pulmonary hypertension. We selected reports in which pulmonary hypertension was diagnosed by echocardiography or catheterization, for any age, sex, or dosage of vitamin C. We extracted quantitative data for our analysis. We used the mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) as the outcome of primary interest.

RESULTS

We identified 32 case reports, 21 of which were published in the last 5 years. Dyspnea was reported in 69%, edema in 53% and fatigue in 28% of the patients. Vitamin C plasma levels, measured in 27 cases, were undetectable in 24 and very low in 3 cases. Diet was poor in 30 cases and 17 cases had neuropsychiatric disorders. Right ventricular enlargement was reported in 24 cases. During periods of vitamin C deficiency, the median mPAP was 48 mmHg (range 29-77 mmHg; N = 28). After the start of vitamin C administration, the median mPAP was 20 mmHg (range 12-33 mmHg; N = 18). For the latter 18 cases, mPAP was 2.4-fold (median) higher during vitamin C deficiency. Pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) during vitamin C deficiency was reported for 9 cases, ranging from 4.1 to 41 Wood units. PVR was 9-fold (median; N = 5) higher during vitamin C deficiency than during vitamin C administration. In 8 cases, there was direct evidence that the cases were pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH). Probably the majority of the remaining cases were also PAH.

CONCLUSIONS

The cases analyzed in our study indicate that pulmonary hypertension can be one explanation for the reported heart failure of scurvy patients in the early literature. It would seem sensible to measure plasma vitamin C levels of patients with PH and examine the effects of vitamin C administration.

Associations of Circulating Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 and Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 With Long-Term Cardiac Function

BACKGROUND

Although VCAM-1 (vascular cell adhesion molecule-1) and ICAM-1 (intercellular adhesion molecule-1) have been associated with incident heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and atrial fibrillation (AF), the associations of VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 with sensitive measures of cardiac structure/function are unclear. The objective of this study is to evaluate associations between VCAM-1, ICAM-1, and measures of cardiac structure and function as potential pathways through which cellular adhesion molecules promote HFpEF and AF risk.

METHODS AND RESULTS

In MESA (Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis), we evaluated the associations of circulating VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 at examination 2 (2002-2004) with measures of cardiac structure/function on cardiac magnetic resonance imaging at examination 5 (2010-2011) after multivariable adjustment. Mediation analysis of left atrial (LA) strain on the association between VCAM-1 or ICAM-1 and AF or HFpEF was also performed. Overall, 2304 individuals (63±10 years; 47% men) with VCAM-1 or ICAM-1, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, and covariate data were included in analysis. Higher VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 were associated with lower LA peak longitudinal strain and worse global circumferential left ventricular strain but were not associated with left ventricular myocardial scar or interstitial fibrosis. Lower LA peak longitudinal strain mediated 8% (95% CI, 2-30) of the relationship between VCAM-1 and HFpEF and 9% (95% CI, 2-21) of the relationship between VCAM-1 and AF.

CONCLUSIONS

Higher VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 were associated with lower LA function and left ventricular systolic function but were not associated with myocardial scar or interstitial fibrosis. VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 may promote HFpEF and AF risk through impaired LA reservoir function.

Redo-TAVI with the ACURATE neo2 and Prime XL for balloon-expandable transcatheter heart valve failure

BACKGROUND

There are limited data regarding treatment for failed balloon-expandable transcatheter heart valves (THVs) in redo-transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI).

AIMS

We aimed to assess THV performance, neoskirt height and expansion when performing redo-TAVI with the ACURATE platform inside a SAPIEN 3 (S3) compared to redo-TAVI with an S3 in an S3.

METHODS

Redo-TAVI was performed on the bench using each available size of the S3, the ACURATE neo2 (ACn2) and the next-generation ACURATE Prime XL (AC XL) implanted at 2 different depths within 20 mm/23 mm/26 mm/29 mm S3s serving as the "failed" index THV. Hydrodynamic testing was performed to assess THV function. Multimodality assessment was performed using photography, X-ray, microcomputed tomography (micro-CT), and high-speed videos.

RESULTS

The ACURATE in S3 combinations had favourable hydrodynamic performance compared to the S3 in S3 for all size combinations. In the 20 mm S3, redo-TAVI with the ACn2 had lower gradients compared to the S3 (mean gradient 16.3 mmHg for the ACn2 vs 24.7 mmHg for the 20 mm S3 in 20 mm S3). Pinwheeling was less marked for the ACURATE THVs than for the S3s. On micro-CT, the S3s used for redo-TAVI were underexpanded across all sizes. This was also observed for the ACURATE platform, but to a lesser extent.

CONCLUSIONS

Redo-TAVI with an ACn2/AC XL within an S3 has favourable hydrodynamic performance and less pinwheeling compared to an S3 in S3. This comes at the price of a taller neoskirt.

Myocardial work and left heart deformation parameters across primary mitral regurgitation severity

AIMS

Myocardial work (MW) estimation by pressure-strain loops using speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) has shown to evaluate left ventricular (LV) contraction overcoming the load-dependency limit of LV global longitudinal strain (GLS). This has proved useful in hemodynamic variation settings e.g. heart failure and valvular heart disease. However, the variation of MW and strain parameters across different stages of primary mitral regurgitation (MR) and its impact on symptoms, which was the aim of our study, has never been investigated.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Consecutive patients with mild, moderate and severe MR were prospectively enrolled. Exclusion criteria were: chronic atrial fibrillation, valvular heart prosthesis, previous cardiac surgery. Clinical evaluation, blood sample tests, ECG and echocardiography with STE and MW measurement were performed. Patients were then divided into groups according to MR severity. Differences among the groups and predictors of symptoms (as NYHA class≥2) were explored as study endpoints. Overall, 180 patients were enrolled (60 mild,60 moderate,60 severe MR). LV GLS and global peak atrial longitudinal strain (PALS) reduced according to MR severity. Global constructive work (GCW) and global wasted work (GWW) significantly improved, while global work efficiency (GWE) reduced, in patients with moderate and severe MR. Among echocardiographic parameters, global PALS emerged as the best predictor of NYHA class (p < 0.001;area under curve,AUC = 0.7).

CONCLUSIONS

MW parameters accurately describe the pathophysiology of MR, with initial attempt of LV increased contractility to compensate volume overload parallel to the disease progress, although with low efficacy, while global PALS is the most associated with the burden of MR symptoms.

Kielin/chordin-like protein deficiency aggravates pressure overload-induced cardiac dysfunction and remodeling via P53/P21/CCNB1 signaling in mice

Targeting cardiac remodeling is regarded as a key therapeutic strategy for heart failure. Kielin/chordin-like protein (KCP) is a secretory protein with 18 cysteine-rich domains and associated with kidney and liver fibrosis. However, the relationship between KCP and cardiac remodeling remains unclear. Here, we aimed to investigate the role of KCP in cardiac remodeling induced by pressure overload and explore its potential mechanisms. Left ventricular (LV) KCP expression was measured with real-time quantitative PCR, western blotting, and immunofluorescence staining in pressure overload-induced cardiac remodeling in mice. Cardiac function and remodeling were evaluated in wide-type (WT) mice and KCP knockout (KO) mice by echocardiography, which were further confirmed by histological analysis with hematoxylin and eosin and Masson staining. RNA sequence was performed with LV tissue from WT and KO mice to identify differentially expressed genes and related signaling pathways. Primary cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) were used to validate the regulatory role and potential mechanisms of KCP during fibrosis. KCP was down-regulated in the progression of cardiac remodeling induced by pressure overload, and was mainly expressed in fibroblasts. KCP deficiency significantly aggravated pressure overload-induced cardiac dysfunction and remodeling. RNA sequence revealed that the role of KCP deficiency in cardiac remodeling was associated with cell division, cell cycle, and P53 signaling pathway, while cyclin B1 (CCNB1) was the most significantly up-regulated gene. Further investigation in vivo and in vitro suggested that KCP deficiency promoted the proliferation of CFs via P53/P21/CCNB1 pathway. Taken together, these results suggested that KCP deficiency aggravates cardiac dysfunction and remodeling induced by pressure overload via P53/P21/CCNB1 signaling in mice.

Differential biomarker expression in heart failure patients with and without mitral regurgitation: Insights from BIOSTAT-CHF

BACKGROUND

Mitral regurgitation (MR) frequently coexists with heart failure (HF).

OBJECTIVES

To better understand potential pathophysiological differences between patients with HF with or without moderate-severe MR, we compared differentially expressed circulating biomarkers between these two groups.

METHODS

The Olink Proteomics® Multiplex Cardiovascular (CVD) -II, CVD-III, Immune Response and Oncology-II panels of 363 unique proteins from different pathophysiological domains were used to investigate the biomarker profiles of HF patients from index and validation cohorts of the BIOSTAT-CHF study stratified according to the presence of moderate-to-severe MR or no-mild MR.

RESULTS

The index cohort included 888 patients (46%) with moderate-to-severe MR and 1029 (54%) with no-mild MR at baseline. The validation cohort included 522 patients (33%) with moderate-to-severe MR and 1076 (66%) with no-mild MR at baseline. Compared to patients with no-mild MR, those with moderate-to-severe MR had lower body mass index, higher comorbidity burden, signs and symptoms of more severe HF, lower systolic blood pressure, and larger left atrial and ventricular dimensions, in both cohorts. NT-proBNP, CA125, fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) and growth hormone 1 (GH1) were up-regulated, whereas leptin (LEP) was down-regulated in patients with moderate-severe MR versus no-mild MR, in both index and validation cohorts.

CONCLUSION

Circulating biomarkers differently expressed in HF patients with moderate-severe MR versus no-mild MR were related to congestion, lipid and mineral metabolism and oxidative stress. These findings may be of value for the development of novel treatment targets in HF patients with MR.

Myeloperoxidase, carnitine, and derivatives of reactive oxidative metabolites in heart failure with preserved versus reduced ejection fraction: A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Understanding the pathophysiology of heart failure (HF) with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) continues to be challenging. Several inflammatory and metabolic biomarkers have recently been suggested to be involved in HFpEF.

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this review was to synthesize the evidence on non-traditional biomarkers from metabolomic studies that may distinguish HFpEF from heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and controls without HF.

METHODS

A systematic search was conducted using Medline and PubMed with search terms such as "HFpEF" and "metabolomics", and a meta-analysis was conducted.

RESULTS

Myeloperoxidase (MPO) levels were significantly (p < 0.001) higher in HFpEF than controls without HF, but comparable (p = 0.838) between HFpEF and HFrEF. Carnitine levels were significantly (p < 0.0001) higher in HFrEF than HFpEF, but comparable (p = 0.443) between HFpEF and controls without HF. Derivatives of reactive oxidative metabolites (DROMs) were not significantly (p = 0.575) higher in HFpEF than controls without HF.

CONCLUSION

These data suggest that MPO is operative in HFpEF and HFrEF and may be a biomarker for HF. Furthermore, circulating carnitine levels may distinguish HFrEF from HFpEF.

Prognostic factors of renal cell cancer in elderly patients: a population-based cohort study

Mortality in renal cell cancer (RCC) is high in the elderly population. Comorbidities have a greater impact on overall prognosis of RCC among elderly patients than in younger patients. All new RCC cases were collected in people over 74 years of age between 1995 and 2018 from the Finnish cancer registry. The comorbidities were identified from the Care Registry for Healthcare. Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) was used to evaluate the risk of death based on comorbidities. The overall risk of death was analyzed using the Cox regression model. The risk for RCC death was analyzed using Fine and Gray regression analysis. Individual prognostic role of CCI components was evaluated by adding each component separately into the multivariable Fine and Gray regression model. Using the most prognostic comorbidities we constructed a nomogram to predict RCC mortality. Statistically significant prognostic factors of RCC death were tumor morphology (clear cell, papillary and chromophobe), sex, operative treatment, age, primary tumor extent and CCI. The strongest prognostic factors for overall mortality were tumor extent, tumor morphology and operative treatment. Among the components of CCI, the most important comorbidities predicting mortality were dementia, heart failure and kidney disease. The limitation of this study is that the comorbidities have only been recorded at inpatient and outpatient hospital contacts, which is why the prevalence of comorbidities is probably underestimated. In addition, physical performance status was not available from registry data, but it significantly affects the treatment decisions. RCC mortality is high in the elderly population. Among comorbidities, dementia and heart failure have the greatest impact on the prognosis. Curative treatment in selected elderly patients is efficient and should be considered in patients who can tolerate it and have only limited comorbidities.

Improving Reporting of Exercise Capacity Across Age Ranges Using Novel Workload Reference Equations

Exercise capacity (EC) is an important predictor of survival in the general population and in subjects with cardiopulmonary disease. Despite its relevance, considering the percent-predicted workload (%pWL) given by current equations may overestimate EC in older adults. Therefore, to improve the reporting of EC in clinical practice, our main objective was to develop workload reference equations (pWL) that better reflect the relation between workload and age. Using the Fitness Registry and the Importance of Exercise National Database (FRIEND), we analyzed a reference group of 6,966 apparently healthy participants and 1,060 participants with heart failure who underwent graded treadmill cardiopulmonary exercise testing. For the first group, the mean age was 44 years (18 to 79); 56.5% of participants were males and 15.4% had obesity. Peak oxygen consumption was 11.6 ± 3.0 METs in males and 8.5 ± 2.4 METs in females. After partition analysis, we first developed sex-specific pWL equations to allow comparisons to a healthy weight reference. For males, pWL (METs) = 14.1-0.9×10-3×age2 and 11.5-0.87×10-3×age2 for females. We used those equations as denominators of %pWL, and based on their distribution, we determined thresholds for EC classification, with average EC defined by the range corresponding to 85% to 115%pWL. Compared with %pWL using current equations, the new equations yielded better-calibrated %pWL across different age ranges. We also derived body mass index-adjusted pWL equations that better assessed EC in subjects with heart failure. In conclusion, the novel pWL equations have the potential to impact the report of EC in practice.

Atrial secondary tricuspid regurgitation: pathophysiology, definition, diagnosis, and treatment

Atrial secondary tricuspid regurgitation (A-STR) is a distinct phenotype of secondary tricuspid regurgitation with predominant dilation of the right atrium and normal right and left ventricular function. Atrial secondary tricuspid regurgitation occurs most commonly in elderly women with atrial fibrillation and in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction in sinus rhythm. In A-STR, the main mechanism of leaflet malcoaptation is related to the presence of a significant dilation of the tricuspid annulus secondary to right atrial enlargement. In addition, there is an insufficient adaptive growth of tricuspid valve leaflets that become unable to cover the enlarged annular area. As opposed to the ventricular phenotype, in A-STR, the tricuspid valve leaflet tethering is typically trivial. The A-STR phenotype accounts for 10%-15% of clinically relevant tricuspid regurgitation and has better outcomes compared with the more prevalent ventricular phenotype. Recent data suggest that patients with A-STR may benefit from more aggressive rhythm control and timely valve interventions. However, little is mentioned in current guidelines on how to identify, evaluate, and manage these patients due to the lack of consistent evidence and variable definitions of this entity in recent investigations. This interdisciplinary expert opinion document focusing on A-STR is intended to help physicians understand this complex and rapidly evolving topic by reviewing its distinct pathophysiology, diagnosis, and multi-modality imaging characteristics. It first defines A-STR by proposing specific quantitative criteria for defining the atrial phenotype and for discriminating it from the ventricular phenotype, in order to facilitate standardization and consistency in research.

Preclinical systolic dysfunction relating to ankle-brachial index among high-risk PAD population with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) shares common clinical risk factors, for example, endothelial dysfunction, with preserved ejection fraction (LVEF) heart failure (HFpEF). Whether PAD is associated with preclinical systolic dysfunction and higher HF risk among individuals presenting preserved LVEF remains uncertain. We retrospectively included outpatients with at least one known or established cardiovascular (CV) risk factor with LVEF ≥ 50%. Patients were categorized into high risk and low risk of developing PAD (PAD vs Non-PAD) by ankle-brachial index (ABI) (≤ 0.90 or > 1.4) and further stratified based on their history of HFpEF (HFpEF vs. Non-HFpEF), resulting in the formation of four distinct strata. Preclinical systolic dysfunction was defined using dedicated speckle-tracking algorithm. A total of 2130 consecutive patients were enrolled in the study, with a median follow-up of 4.4 years. The analysis revealed a higher prevalence of high risk of developing PAD in patients with HFpEF compared to those without HFpEF (25.1% vs. 9.4%). Both high risk of developing PAD and HFpEF were independently associated with preclinical systolic dysfunction (global longitudinal strain, GLS ≥ - 18%) (odds ratio, OR: 1.38; 95% confidence interval, CI: 1.03-1.86). In comparison to patients at low risk of developing PAD without HFpEF (Non-PAD/Non-HFpEF group), those categorized as having a high risk of developing PAD with HFpEF (PAD/HFpEF group) exhibited the most impaired GLS and a heightened susceptibility to heart failure hospitalization (hazard ratio, HR: 6.51; 95% CI: 4.43-9.55), a twofold increased risk of all-cause mortality (HR: 2.01; 95% CI: 1.17-3.38), cardiovascular mortality (HR: 2.44; 95% CI: 1.08-5.51), and non-cardiovascular mortality (HR: 1.78; 95% CI: 0.82-3.84). A high risk of developing PAD was strongly linked to impaired preclinical systolic function and an increased likelihood for subsequent hospitalization for HF, all-cause mortality, CV mortality and non-CV mortality. There is a clear need for preventive strategies aimed at reducing hospitalizations for HF and mortality in this high-risk population.

Sex Disparities in Cardiovascular Disease

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in women. It remains underdiagnosed, undertreated, and portends worse outcomes in women than men. Disparities exist in every stage of science, from bench research to the editorial board of major journals and in every cardiovascular subspecialty. This review summarizes differences in cardiovascular risk factors and disparities in management and outcomes of ischemic heart disease, heart failure, aortic stenosis, and atrial fibrillation. It also provides an overview of female representation as participants and leaders of clinical trials, editorial boards, and academic institutions. Strategies to overcome these disparities are proposed with examples of successful programs.

Targeted metabolomic analysis of serum amino acids in heart failure patients

Heart failure (HF) has been recognized as a global epidemic with high rates of morbidity, hospitalization, and mortality. The role of amino acids, which provide the body with energy, in the development of HF is still unclear. The aim of this study was to explore changes in serum amino acids in patients with HF and identify potential biomarkers. First, the serum amino acid metabolism profiles of 44 patients with HF and 30 healthy controls (Con) were quantitatively measured. Then, candidate markers were identified through the utilization of T test, multivariate statistical analysis, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. The results found that there were 11 amino acid levels that were significantly different between patients with HF and Con. Based on ROC curve analysis, the biomarkers of eight amino acids (Glutamic acid, Taurine, L-aspartic acid, L-ornithine, Ethanolamine, L-Serine, L-Sarcosine, and Cysteine) showed high sensitivity and specificity (AUC > 0.90), and binary logistic regression analysis was used in MetaboAnalyst 5.0. Among the amino acids examined, six exhibited notable alterations in accordance with the severity of HF. In conclusion, this study cannot only provide clinicians with an objective diagnostic approach for the early identification of HF, but also enhances comprehension of the underlying mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of HF.

Gene therapy encoding cell cycle factors to treat chronic ischemic heart failure in rats

AIMS

Gene therapies to induce cardiomyocyte (CM) cell cycle re-entry have shown a potential to treat subacute ischaemic heart failure (IHF) but have not been tested in the more relevant setting of chronic IHF. Our group recently showed that polycistronic non-integrating lentivirus encoding Cdk1/CyclinB1 and Cdk4/CyclinD1 (TNNT2-4Fpolycistronic-NIL) is effective in inducing CM cell cycle re-entry and ameliorating subacute IHF models and preventing the subsequent IHF-induced congestions in the liver, kidneys, and lungs in rats and pigs. Here, we aim to test the long-term efficacy of TNNT2-4Fpolycistronic-NIL in a rat model of chronic IHF, a setting that differs pathophysiologically from subacute IHF and has greater clinical relevance.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Rats were subjected to a 2-h coronary occlusion followed by reperfusion; 4 weeks later, rats were injected intramyocardially with either TNNT2-4Fpolycistronic-NIL or LacZ-NIL. Four months post-viral injection, TNNT2-4Fpolycistronic-NIL-treated rats showed a significant reduction in scar size and a significant improvement in left ventricular (LV) systolic cardiac function but not in the LV dilatation associated with chronic IHF. A mitosis reporter system developed in our lab showed significant induction of CM mitotic activity in TNNT2-4Fpolycistronic-NIL-treated rats.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrates, for the first time, that TNNT2-4Fpolycistronic-NIL gene therapy induces CM cell cycle re-entry in chronic IHF and improves LV function, and that this salubrious effect is sustained for at least 4 months. Given the high prevalence of chronic IHF, these results have significant clinical implications for developing a novel treatment for this deadly disease.

Perceptions of patient-reported outcome data access and sharing among patients with heart failure: ethical implications for research

AIMS

In the face of growing expectations for data transparency and patient engagement in care, we evaluated preferences for patient-reported outcome (PRO) data access and sharing among patients with heart failure (HF) using an ethical framework.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We conducted qualitative interviews with a purposive sample of patients with HF who participated in a larger 8-week study that involved the collection and return of PROs using a web-based interface. Guided by an ethical framework, patients were asked questions about their preferences for having PRO data returned to them and shared with other groups. Interview transcripts were coded by three study team members using directed content analysis. A total of 22 participants participated in semi-structured interviews. Participants were mostly male (73%), White (68%) with a mean age of 72. Themes were grouped into priorities, benefits, and barriers to data access and sharing. Priorities included ensuring anonymity when data are shared, transparency with intentions of data use, and having access to all collected data. Benefits included: using data as a communication prompt to discuss health with clinicians and using data to support self-management. Barriers included: challenges with interpreting returned results, and potential loss of benefits and anonymity when sharing data.

CONCLUSION

Our interviews with HF patients highlight opportunities for researchers to return and share data through an ethical lens, by ensuring privacy and transparency with intentions of data use, returning collected data in comprehensible formats, and meeting individual expectations for data sharing.

Editor-in-Chief's Top Picks From 2023

Each week, I record audio summaries for every paper in JACC, as well as an issue summary. This process has become a true labor of love due to the time they require, but I am motivated by the sheer number of listeners (16M+), and it has allowed me to familiarize myself with every paper that we publish. Thus, I have selected the top 100 papers (Original Investigations, Review Articles, Society Documents, and the Global Burden of Diseases) from distinct specialties each year. In addition to my personal choices, I have included papers that have been the most accessed or downloaded on our websites, as well as those selected by the JACC Editorial Board members. In order to present the full breadth of this important research in a consumable fashion, we will present these abstracts in this issue of JACC, as well as their Central Illustrations∗ and podcasts. The highlights comprise the following sections: Aorta; Basic and Translational Science; Cardiac Failure, Myocarditis, and Pericarditis; Cardiomyopathies and Genetics; Congenital Heart Disease; Coronary, Peripheral, and Structural Interventions; Coronavirus; Health Promotion and Preventive Cardiology; Imaging; Metabolic and Lipid Disorders; Neurovascular Disease and Dementia; Rhythm Disorders and Thromboembolism; and Valvular Heart Disease.1-104 ∗ To view the full manuscript, including the full-sized Central Illustration, please refer to the original publication in JACC.