Silent myocardial infarction and risk of heart failure: Current evidence and gaps in knowledge

Presence and utility of electrocardiographic abnormalities in long-term childhood cancer survivors

BACKGROUND

We assessed the prevalence and diagnostic value of ECG abnormalities for cardiomyopathy surveillance in childhood cancer survivors.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, 1381 survivors (≥5 years) from the Dutch Childhood Cancer Survivor Study part 2 and 272 siblings underwent a long-term follow-up ECG and echocardiography. We compared ECG abnormality prevalences using the Minnesota Code between survivors and siblings, and within biplane left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) categories. Among 880 survivors who received anthracycline, mitoxantrone or heart radiotherapy, logistic regression models using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator identified ECG abnormalities associated with three abnormal LVEF categories (<52% in male/<54% in female, <50% and <45%). We assessed the overall contribution of these ECG abnormalities to clinical regression models predicting abnormal LVEF, assuming an absence of systolic dysfunction with a <1% threshold probability.

RESULTS

16% of survivors (52% female, mean age 34.7 years) and 14% of siblings had major ECG abnormalities. ECG abnormalities increased with decreasing LVEF. Integrating selected ECG data into the baseline model significantly improved prediction of sex-specific abnormal LVEF (c-statistic 0.66 vs 0.71), LVEF <50% (0.66 vs 0.76) and LVEF <45% (0.80 vs 0.86). While no survivor met the preset probability threshold in the first two models, the third model used five ECG variables to predict LVEF <45% and was applicable for ruling out (sensitivity 93%, specificity 56%, negative predictive value 99.6%). Calibration and internal validation tests performed well.

CONCLUSION

A clinical prediction model with ECG data (left bundle branch block, left atrial enlargement, left heart axis, Cornell's criteria for left ventricular hypertrophy and heart rate) may aid in ruling out LVEF <45%.

Negative work-to-family spillover stress and heightened cardiovascular risk biomarkers in midlife and older adults

OBJECTIVES

The current study aimed to investigate the health implications of negative work-to-family spillover on cardiovascular risk biomarkers.

METHODS

In a large-scale cross-sectional dataset of working or self-employed midlife and older adults in the United States (N = 1179), we examined five biomarkers linked to cardiovascular risk, including high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglyceride, interleukin-6, and C-reactive protein. Negative work-to-family spillover, measured using a four-item self-reported questionnaire, was included into our model to study its association with these cardiovascular risk biomarkers.

RESULTS

Our findings indicate a significant association between negative work-to-family spillover and cardiovascular risk biomarkers - higher triglycerides (β = 0.108, p < .001), interleukin-6 (β = 0.065, p = .026), and C-reactive protein (β = 0.067, p = .022), and lower HDL cholesterol (β = -0.104, p < .001). The associations on triglycerides (β = 0.094, p = .001) and HDL cholesterol (β = -0.098, p < .001) remained significant even after controlling numerous control variables of demographics, medication, health-status, and health-related behaviors. The findings were also consistent against slight variations in the analytic method and adjustment for multiple comparisons.

CONCLUSIONS

The current study supports the premise that spillover of work-related tensions into family life is associated with objective physiological changes that contribute to cardiovascular risk.

The impact of variation in out-of-hours doctors' referral practices: a Norwegian registry-based observational study

BACKGROUND

In a gatekeeping system, the individual doctor's referral practice is an important factor for hospital activity and patient safety.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study was to investigate the variation in out-of-hours (OOH) doctors' referral practice, and to explore these variations' impact on admissions for selected diagnoses reflecting severity, and 30-day mortality.

METHODS

National data from the doctors' claims database were linked with hospital data in the Norwegian Patient Registry. Based on the doctor's individual referral rate adjusted for local organizational factors, the doctors were sorted into quartiles of low-, medium-low-, medium-high-, and high-referral practice. The relative risk (RR) for all referrals and for selected discharge diagnoses was calculated using generalized linear models.

RESULTS

The OOH doctors' mean referral rate was 110 referrals per 1,000 consultations. Patients seeing a doctor in the highest referring practice quartile had higher likelihood of being referred to hospital and diagnosed with the symptom of pain in throat and chest, abdominal pain, and dizziness compared with the medium-low quartile (RR 1.63, 1.49, and 1.95). For the critical conditions of acute myocardial infarction, acute appendicitis, pulmonary embolism, and stroke, we found a similar, but weaker, association (RR 1.38, 1.32, 1.24, and 1.19). The 30-day mortality among patients not referred did not differ between the quartiles.

CONCLUSIONS

Doctors with high-referral practice referred more patients who were later discharged with all types of diagnoses, including serious and critical conditions. With low-referral practice, severe conditions might have been overlooked, although the 30-day mortality was not affected.

Time trends in income-related disparity in incidence of acute coronary syndrome

BACKGROUND

Higher incidence of acute coronary syndrome (ACS), among those with lower income, has been recognized in the most recent decades. Still, there is a paucity of data on temporal changes. This study aims to investigate 20-year time trends in income-related disparity in the incidence of ACS in Denmark.

METHODS

This Population-based repeated cross-sectional study included all patients with first-time ACS, aged ≥20 years, registered in the Danish National Patient Registry 1998-2017. Aggregated sociodemographic data for the Danish population was accessed from Statistics Denmark. Yearly incidence rates (IR) and incidence rate ratios (IRR), with the highest-income quartile as a reference, were standardized using cell-specific personal equivalent income according to year, sex and age group with 95% confidence intervals. Interaction analysis was executed for differences in IR of ACS between the lowest- and highest-income quartile over time.

RESULTS

A total of 220 070 patients hospitalized with ACS from 1998 to 2017 were identified. The yearly standardized ACS IRs decreased in all income quartiles. However, the IR remained higher in the lowest-income quartile compared to the highest for both men [1998: IRR 1.45 (95% confidence interval, CI 1.39-1.52) and 2017: 1.47 (1.40-1.54)] and women [1998: IRR 1.73 (1.64-1.82) and 2017: 1.76 (1.65-1.88)]. Interaction analysis showed that over the period the difference in IR between the lower- and the highest-income quartile decreased with 1-5 ACS cases per 100 000 person-year.

CONCLUSION

Income-related disparity in the incidence of ACS was present in Denmark between 1998 and 2017. Despite a marked overall decrease in the yearly ACS incidence, the extent of income-related disparity remained unchanged.

Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Assessment of the Protective Effect of Remote Ischemic Postconditioning on Coronary Microcirculation after Reperfusion Therapy for Acute ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction

This study intends to evaluate the characteristics of coronary microcirculatory function in patients with myocardial infarction undergoing reperfusion and its predictive value in assessing cardiac function, myocardial activity, recovery of ventricular wall motion after infarction, and distant myocardial remodeling by cardiac magnetic resonance technique (CMRI). Materials and Methods. The 293 cases of patients with myocardial infarction treated in our hospital from August 2017 to August 2021 were selected as the subjects of this retrospective study, 13 cases were shed due to transfer and moving, and the rest were divided into 140 cases each in the emergency and elective groups according to emergency percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and elective PCI. The patients' myocardial infarct volume ventricular volume, microcirculatory obstruction volume ventricular volume, microcirculatory obstruction volume/myocardial infarct volume, and LVEF, combined with BP and troponin T, were analysed by CMR for comparative analysis, hemodynamic, and cardiac function index differences. Results. The hemodynamics (CO, CI, SV, SI, LVSW1, and LCW) measured at different times were significantly different between the two groups; patients in the emergency group had significantly lower EDV and ESV than the elective group at 7-10 d postoperatively; and EDV, ESV, and LVEF improved in both groups after 3 months, while EDV, ESV, and LVEF improved significantly better in the emergency group than in the elective group, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The myocardial infarct quality, VSM score, and ventricular wall motion abnormality score were significantly lower in the emergency group than in the elective group from 7 to 10 d after PCI; myocardial infarct quality, VSM score, and ventricular wall motion abnormality score improved in both groups at 3 months after PCI; and the degree of improvement of myocardial infarct quality and VSM score was significantly better in the emergency group than in the elective group (P < 0.05). Conclusion. Acute myocardial infarction patients with significant effect of emergency PCI treatment can be on their postmyocardial infarction left ventricular function, and in the treatment of coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction diagnosis has a certain reference value.

Hypertensive Heart Failure in Asia

Hypertension (HT) is an important risk factor for heart failure (HF). The prevalence of HT among the HF population is higher in Asia than in other regions around the world. In Asia, HT is the most common cause of HF after ischemic heart disease. Hypertensive HF (HHF) results from structural and functional adaptations of the heart, which lead to left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy (LVH). Hypertensive LVH can cause ventricular diastolic dysfunction and becomes a risk factor for myocardial infarction, which is a well-known cause of LV systolic dysfunction. Asymptomatic systolic and diastolic LV dysfunction easily progress to clinically overt HF with other precipitating factors. Although the precise pathophysiology of HHF is still unclear, we have known that HHF can be reversed by effective control of blood pressure (BP). Thus, HT control is essential not only for primary prevention but also for the secondary prevention of HF. Here, we reviewed the epidemiology, pathophysiology, outcome, and implication of BP management in HHF patients, especially in the Asian population.

Dynamic detection and reversal of myocardial ischemia using an artificially intelligent bioelectronic medicine

Myocardial ischemia is spontaneous, frequently asymptomatic, and contributes to fatal cardiovascular consequences. Importantly, myocardial sensory networks cannot reliably detect and correct myocardial ischemia on their own. Here, we demonstrate an artificially intelligent and responsive bioelectronic medicine, where an artificial neural network (ANN) supplements myocardial sensory networks, enabling reliable detection and correction of myocardial ischemia. ANNs were first trained to decode spontaneous cardiovascular stress and myocardial ischemia with an overall accuracy of ~92%. ANN-controlled vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) significantly mitigated major physiological features of myocardial ischemia, including ST depression and arrhythmias. In contrast, open-loop VNS or ANN-controlled VNS following a caudal vagotomy essentially failed to reverse cardiovascular pathophysiology. Last, variants of ANNs were used to meet clinically relevant needs, including interpretable visualizations and unsupervised detection of emerging cardiovascular stress. Overall, these preclinical results suggest that ANNs can potentially supplement deficient myocardial sensory networks via an artificially intelligent bioelectronic medicine system.

The impact of diabetes on heart failure development: The cardio-renal-metabolic connection

Heart failure (HF) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) are often associated in type 2 diabetes (T2D), aggravate each other and exert synergistic effects to increase the risk of cardiac and renal events. The risks of renal worsening in HF patients and HF in CKD patients need to be evaluated to tailor preventive therapy. The recent CV and renal trials enriched our knowledge about the natural history of HF and CKD in T2D and provided evidence for the benefit of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) in HF and renal decline prevention. SGLT-2is are the best choice in patients with HFrEF to improve CV prognosis and HF-related outcomes and also to prevent kidney-related outcomes, and in CKD patients to slow down renal failure and also reduce hospitalization for HF and CV death. In both situations the number of patients to treat in order to prevent such events in one patient is lower than in the general T2D population at high CV risk. GLP1-receptor agonists could be an alternative in a patient who is intolerant or has a contraindication to SGLT-2is. A tight collaboration between diabetologists, nephrologists and cardiologists should be encouraged for a holistic and effective strategy to reduce the burden of cardio-renal-metabolic interaction.

Late gadolinium enhancement is a risk factor for major adverse cardiac events in unrecognised myocardial infarction without apparent symptoms: a meta-analysis

AIM

To assess the prognostic role of unrecognised myocardial infarction (UMI) detected at late gadolinium enhancement cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (LGE-CMRII).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Electronic databases including PubMed, EMBASE, Medline, and Cochrane were searched systematically for studies exploring the predictive value of UMI detected by LGE-CMRI for major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) and all-cause mortality in patients without apparent symptoms. Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) along with their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were obtained from a random-effects model. Subgroup analyses were performed according to the different participants and outcomes.

RESULTS

Eight studies (2,009 participants) were identified comprising 442 patients with UMI detected at LGE-CMRI and 1,567 without UMI. The presence of UMI on LGE was associated with a significantly increased risk for MACEs (HRs: 3.44, 95% CI: 2.06 to 5.75; p<0.001) and all-cause mortality (HRs: 2.43, 95% CI: 1.00 to 5.87; p=0.05). In the subgroup analysis, the presence of UMI on LGE remained significantly associated with the risk of MACEs in patients with suspected coronary artery disease (HRs: 3.82, 95% CI: 2.49 to 5.85; p<0.01) and diabetes mellitus (HRs: 4.97, 95% CI: 3.02 to 8.18; p<0.01).

CONCLUSION

The presence of UMI detected by LGE-CMRI is associated with an increased risk of MACEs and all-cause mortality in patients without symptoms. LGE-CMRI could provide important prognostic information and guide risk stratification in patients with UMI.

Interrelations of Cumulative Social Risk, Silent Myocardial Infarction, and Mortality in the General Population

Cumulative social risk (CSR), defined as experiencing more than one social risk factor, is associated with a significant increase in cardiovascular mortality. However, it is unclear whether CSR is associated with prevalent silent myocardial infarction (SMI), and whether their joint presence is predictive of mortality more than the presence of CSR in isolation. This analysis included 6,708 participants from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey who were free of clinical cardiovascular disease at the time of enrollment. Baseline social risk factors (poverty-income ratio <1, minority race, education <12 grade, and living single) were used to create the CSR score with values ranging from 0 to ≥3. SMI was defined as electrocardiographic evidence of MI in the absence of clinical MI. In a multivariable-adjusted logistic regression model, baseline CSR ≥ 3 (vs 0) was associated with a higher prevalence of SMI (odds ratio [95% confidence interval]: 2.21 [1.16 to 4.23]). Over a median follow-up of 14 years, there were 2,151 all-cause deaths. Compared with CSR of 0 and no SMI, the risk of mortality with CSR was higher in the presence of SMI than without SMI (multivariable adjusted Hazard Ratios [95% confidence intervals] with vs without SMI were 1.76 [1.13 to 2.75] vs 1.27 [1.10 to 1.46] for CSR≥ 3; 2.06 [1.31 to 3.24] vs 1.21 [1.06 to 1.39] for CSR = 2; and 2.02 [1.31 to 3.12] vs 1.33 [0.63 to 2.82] for CSR = 1, respectively). In conclusion, exposure to CSR is associated with increased risk of SMI, and concomitant presence of SMI with CSR is associated with a higher risk of mortality than presence of CSR alone.

Diagnosis and Prevention of Hypertensive Heart Failure

Elevated blood pressure (BP) has a strong and continuous association with Stage B and C heart failure (HF) and carries the highest attributable risk for HF. Intensive treatment of hypertension is crucial, as progression from hypertension (Stage A HF) to left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) or other structural damage (Stage B HF) is common despite therapy. Echo cardiography is the modality of choice to detect Stage B HF. Ideally, Stage B HF should be prevented. However, regression of established LVH and other structural damage is feasible and improves prognosis. Despite differences among antihypertensive agents, control of BP remains the most important goal.

Serum Cotinine and Silent Myocardial Infarction in Individuals Free from Cardiovascular Disease

Serum cotinine is a sensitive and specific marker of tobacco exposure, including second-hand smoke exposure. We sought to explore the association of tobacco exposure determined by serum cotinine with electrocardiographic silent myocardial infarction (SMI). A total of 7,006 participants (59.0 ± 13.3 years; 52.6% women, 49.7% non-Hispanic whites) without cardiovascular disease from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) were included in this analysis. SMI was defined as electrocardiographic evidence of MI in the absence of a history of MI. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association between SMI and serum cotinine tertiles. SMI was detected in 114 (1.63%) of the participants. The prevalence of SMI was higher among those with higher levels of serum cotinine (SMI prevalence was 1.25%, 1.49%, and 2.14% across serum cotinine lower [0.03 to 0.12 ng/ml], middle [0.12 to 1.39 ng/ml], and higher [1.40 to 1890 ng/ml] tertiles, respectively). In a model adjusted for potential confounders, participants within the highest serum cotinine tertile had significantly greater odds of SMI (odds ratio [95% confidence interval]: 2.51 [1.55 to 4.08]) compared with those with serum cotinine levels in the first tertile. Each 10 ng/ml increase in serum cotinine levels was associated with a 2% (p <0.0001) increase in the prevalence of SMI. This association was stronger in white than nonwhite participants (interaction p value = 0.05). In conclusion, elevated serum cotinine levels are associated with SMI. These findings further highlight the risk associated with passive and active smoking on cardiovascular health and underscore the potential utility of serum cotinine in identifying those at risk.