Predicting In-Hospital Mortality in Acute Type B Aortic Dissection: Evidence From International Registry of Acute Aortic Dissection

Predictors of short-term mortality in cardiogenic shock: insights from an Egyptian multicenter registry

BACKGROUND

Cardiogenic shock (CS) remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality, particularly in developing countries where there are limited resources and a lack of data on CS outcomes. This study aimed to investigate 30-day all-cause mortality in Egyptian patients with CS at tertiary referral centers.

RESULTS

This prospective, observational multicenter registry analyzed 16,681 patients from six cardiac centers, to evaluate the incidence, causes and predictors of CS-related mortality. Among the 529 diagnosed CS patients, 68.2% had an ischemic etiology. No discernable variations were observed in clinical or laboratory features, as well as mortality rates, between ischemic and non-ischemic CS patients. Within 30 days, 210 deaths (39.7%) occurred. Non-survivors with ischemic CS had a higher prevalence of diabetes, worsening renal function, and were more likely to receive multiple inotropes. Mortality did not significantly differ between acute coronary syndrome patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and non-STEMI (NSTEMI) (42.7% vs. 43.7%, p < 0.887). However, anterior STEMI patients had significantly higher mortality than those with inferior STEMI (49.5% vs. 21.6%, p < 0.003). Multivariate regression analysis identified predictors of mortality in CS, including the median hospital stay duration, leucocyte count, alanine transaminase levels, highest creatinine levels, resuscitated cardiac arrest, and use of norepinephrine, epinephrine, and dopamine.

CONCLUSION

In an Egyptian cohort, CS incidence was 3.17%, with no mortality difference based on the underlying etiology. Independent predictors of 30-day all-cause mortality included worsening renal function, leucocyte count, resuscitated cardiac arrest, and use of multiple inotropes/vasopressors.

Sex Differences in Cardiovascular Disease-Related Hospitalization and Mortality in Japan - Analysis of Health Records From a Nationwide Claim-Based Database, the Japanese Registry of All Cardiac and Vascular Disease (JROAD)

BACKGROUND

The prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is rising in Japan with its aging population, but there is a lack of epidemiological data on sex differences in CVD, including acute coronary syndrome (ACS), acute heart failure (AHF), and acute aortic disease.

METHODS AND RESULTS

This retrospective study analyzed data from 1,349,017 patients (January 2012-December 2020) using the Japanese Registry Of All Cardiac and Vascular Diseases database. ACS patients were youngest on average (70.5±12.9 years) and had the lowest female proportion (28.9%). AHF patients had the oldest mean age (79.7±12.0 years) and the highest proportion of females (48.0%). Acute aortic disease had the highest in-hospital mortality (26.1%), followed by AHF (11.5%) and ACS (8.9%). Sex-based mortality differences were notable in acute aortic disease, with higher male mortality in Stanford Type A acute aortic dissection (AAD) with surgery (males: 14.2% vs. females: 10.4%, P<0.001) and similar rates in Type B AAD (males: 6.2% vs. females: 7.9%, P=0.52). Aging was a universal risk factor for in-hospital mortality. Female sex was a risk factor for ACS and acute aortic disease but not for AHF or Types A and B AAD.

CONCLUSIONS

Sex-based disparities in the CVD-related hospitalization and mortality within the Japanese national population have been highlighted for the first time, indicating the importance of sex-specific strategies in the management and understanding of these conditions.

Admission Left-Arm Systolic Blood Pressure and In-Hospital Mortality After Acute Type A Aortic Dissection Repair

AIM

Admission systolic blood pressure is a significant predictor of in-hospital mortality in patients with acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD). While previous studies have focussed on recording the highest blood pressure value from both arms, this study aimed to evaluate the associations between blood pressure in bilateral arms and in-hospital mortality.

METHODS

Data were analysed from 262 patients with ATAAD treated at a single centre. The relationship between bilateral arm blood pressure upon admission and in-hospital mortality was assessed in a logistic regression model. To comprehensively evaluate potential non-linear relationships, the association between admission bilateral systolic blood pressure (SBP) and the risk of in-hospital mortality was analysed using restricted cubic splines on a continuous scale.

RESULTS

Mean age was 53.6±12.5 years and 194 (74.0%) were male. Baseline and operative data showed that ages, body mass index, smoking, left-arm SBP, left-arm diastolic blood pressure (DBP), right-arm SBP, right-arm DBP, syncope, cerebral/cardiac ischaemia, retrograde brain perfusion, Bentall procedure, coronary artery bypass grafting, and aortic valve replacement significantly differed among the left-arm SBP tertiles. In-hospital mortality was 17.6% (46 of 262). Restricted cubic splines demonstrated that the relationship between presenting left-arm SBP and in-hospital mortality followed a U-shaped curve, whereas non-linearity was not detected in the right arm.

CONCLUSION

This study found a U-shaped association between admission left-arm SBP and in-hospital mortality in ATAAD surgery patients, whereas a non-linearity relationship was not detected for right-arm SBP. Low left-arm SBP independently correlated with increased in-hospital mortality, underscoring the significance of bilateral blood pressure differences in ATAAD prognosis.

Combined blood pressure and heart rate trajectories are associated with prognosis in critically ill patients with acute aortic dissection: A group-based multi-trajectory analysis

Background

Managing systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and heart rate (HR) is pivotal in acute aortic dissection (AAD) care. However, no prior studies have jointly analyzed the trajectories of these parameters. This research aimed to characterize their joint longitudinal trajectories and investigate the influence on AAD prognosis.

Methods

We included AAD patients from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care (MIMIC)-IV database. Using group-based multi-trajectory modeling (GBMTM), we identified combined trajectories of SBP, DBP, and HR within the initial 24 h of intensive care unit (ICU) admission. Cox proportional hazard regression, log-binomial regression, and logistic regression were employed to assess the association between trajectory groups and mortality outcomes.

Results

Data from 337 patients were analyzed. GBMTM identified five combined trajectory groups. Group 1 featured rapidly declining SBP and DBP with high pulse pressure and low HR; Group 2 showed high to moderate SBP with slight rebound and persistently low HR; Group 3 displayed persistently moderate BP and HR; Group 4 was characterized by moderate blood pressure with persistently high HR; and Group 5 had high to moderate SBP with slight rebound, high but gradually declining DBP, and slightly high HR. Group 3 demonstrated a lower risk of mortality, with an adjusted hazard ratio of 0.32 (95 % CI, 0.14-0.74), and the adjusted relative risks for in-hospital, 30-day, and 1-year mortalities were 0.37 (95 % CI, 0.15-0.87), 0.25 (95 % CI, 0.10-0.62), and 0.41 (95 % CI, 0.22-0.79), respectively. The time-independent C-index curve demonstrated that the multi-trajectory groups had higher C-index values than any univariate trajectory groups or admission values of SBP, DBP, and HR.

Conclusions

Utilization of GBMTM can yield data-driven insights to identify distinct subphenotypes in AAD patients. The combined trajectories of SBP, DBP, and HR within 24 h of ICU admission significantly influenced the mortality rate.

Causal relationship between type 2 diabetes mellitus and aortic dissection: insights from two-sample Mendelian randomization and mediation analysis

Objective

Some evidence suggests a reduced prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in patients with aortic dissection (AD), a catastrophic cardiovascular illness, compared to general population. However, the conclusions were inconsistent, and the causal relationship between T2DM and AD remains unclear.

Methods

In this study, we aimed to explore the causal relationship between T2DM and AD using bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. Mediation MR analysis was conducted to explore and quantify the possible mediation effects of 1400 metabolites in T2DM and AD.

Results

The results of 26 datasets showed no causal relationship between T2DM and AD (P>0.05). Only one dataset (ebi-a-GCST90006934) showed that T2DM was a protective factor for AD (I9-AORTDIS) (OR=0.815, 95%CI: 0.692-0.960, P=0.014), and did not show horizontal pleiotropy (P=0.808) and heterogeneity (P=0.525). Vanillic acid glycine plays a mediator in the causal relationship between T2DM and AD. The mediator effect for vanillic acid glycine levels was -0.023 (95%CI: -0.066-0.021).

Conclusion

From the perspective of MR analysis, there might not be a causal relationship between T2DM and AD, and T2DM might not be a protective factor for AD. If a causal relationship does exist between T2DM and AD, with T2DM serving as a protective factor, vanillic acid glycine may act as a mediator and enhance such a protective effect.

Deep learning-based radiomics of computed tomography angiography to predict adverse events after initial endovascular repair for acute uncomplicated Stanford type B aortic dissection

PURPOSE

This study aimed to construct a predictive model integrating deep learning-derived radiomic features from computed tomography angiography (CTA) and clinical biomarkers to forecast postoperative adverse events (AEs) in patients with acute uncomplicated Stanford type B aortic dissection (uTBAD) undergoing initial thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR).

METHODS

We retrospectively evaluated 369 patients treated with TEVAR for acute uTBAD from January 2015 to December 2022. A three-dimensional (3D) deep convolutional neural network (CNN) automated radiomic feature extraction from CTA images. Feature selection, using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) algorithms, refined a radiomic score (Rad-Score). This score, alongside clinical parameters, was modelled via Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) analysis. Model calibration was assessed by calibration curves.

RESULTS

The integration of the Rad-Score with clinical factors including albumin and C-reactive protein levels moderately enhanced predictive efficiency, exhibiting an area under the curve (AUC) of 1.000 (95%CI, 1.000-1.000) in the training cohort and 0.990 (95%CI, 0.966-1.000) in the internal validation cohort. In an independent validation cohort from another hospital, the combined model yielded an AUC of 0.985 (95%CI, 0.965-1.000), with an accuracy, precision, sensitivity, and specificity of 0.92, 0.92, 0.94, and 0.91, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The synergistic application of deep learning-based radiomics from CTA and clinical indicators holds promise for anticipating AEs post-initial thoracic endovascular aortic repair in patients with acute uTBAD. The clinical utility of the constructed combined model, offering prognostic foresight during follow-up, has been substantiated.

Natural history of visceral branch artery dissections and the influence of concurrent aortic dissection on overall and intervention-free survival

OBJECTIVE

Visceral branch artery dissection (VBAD) is uncommon and may occur with or without an associated aortic dissection (AD). We hypothesized that isolated VBAD would have a more benign clinical course than those with concurrent AD and compared survival outcomes stratified based on aortic involvement.

METHODS

VBAD over a 5-year period were identified using International Classification of Diseases codes. Data related to patient demographics, comorbid conditions, clinical presentation, management (including procedural interventions), and survival were obtained from medical records. Anatomic imaging studies were reviewed to characterize anatomy, including the presence or absence of concurrent AD. Overall survival and intervention-free survival were evaluated using Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards models.

RESULTS

A total of 299 VBAD were identified, 174 of which were isolated VBAD and 125 were associated with concurrent AD. Seventy-one percent of patients were men, 77% were White, and 85% were non-Hispanic. The mean age was 61.1 ± 14.4 years. The mean follow-up was 53.2 ± 50.0 months. The estimated overall survival was 88.2% and the estimated overall intervention-free survival was 55.6% at 12 months. Isolated VBAD had better overall survival than those with concurrent AD (69.2% vs 32.4%; P < .001). Concurrent AD was also associated with inferior intervention-free survival (57.5% vs 7.3%; P < .001). Acute presentation was associated with decreased intervention-free survival (86.1% vs 13.4%; P < .001). Acute presentation was also associated with decreased overall survival in patients with isolated VBAD (60.8% vs 80.0% at 180 months; P < .001) and inferior intervention-free survival (48.4% vs 69.5% at 180 months; P < .001) in the subgroup of patients with isolated VBAD. Multivariable Cox models identified that age (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.05, standard deviation [SD]: 0.02; P = .001) was associated with inferior survival and renal dissections (HR: 3.08, SD: 0.99; P = .001) or mesenteric and renal dissections (HR: 3.39, SD: 1.44; P = .004) were associated with inferior intervention-free survival.

CONCLUSIONS

Isolated VBAD has superior overall and intervention-free survival to those associated with concurrent AD. The absence vs presence of aortic involvement is useful for risk stratification and may support tailored approaches to the frequency of imaging surveillance.

Long-term survival and risk analysis of thoracic endovascular aortic repair for type B aortic dissection

To explore the safety and efficacy of thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) in the treatment of patients with type B aortic dissection, and to evaluate the risk factors for long-term mortality. Our study retrospectively evaluated 729 patients with type B aortic dissection, who were divided into the thoracic endovascular aortic repair group and the optimal medical treatment group according to their treatment. In-hospital mortality, death within 30 days, and aortic-related mortality were lower in the thoracic endovascular aortic repair group than in the optimal medical treatment group (p < 0.05). The cumulative overall survival rates for the thoracic endovascular aortic repair group at 1 year, 5 years, and 10 years were 92.5%, 84.1%, and 73.5%, respectively. The Cox analysis found that TEVAR was beneficial in reducing mortality and that a vertical length of the dissection exceeding 150 mm was a risk factor for mortality.

Forgetfulness as the primary presenting symptom of type A acute aortic dissection

Acute aortic dissection (AAD) is the most common lethal disease affecting the aorta. Neurological symptoms have been linked to AAD in some patients. Although aortic dissection patients have previously been shown to present with neurological symptoms, AAD with forgetfulness as the first manifestation is extremely rare. To increase the awareness of AAD among clinicians, we report the first case of a male Chinese patient with AD presenting with forgetfulness as the initial symptom. A 53-year-old man presented to the emergency department with forgetfulness. Based on the concept that "time is brain," stroke was initially considered in the differential diagnosis. The patient underwent emergency coronary angiography and was diagnosed with acute myocardial infarction. After contrast-enhanced computed tomography angiography, the patient was finally diagnosed with AAD. Because valuable time was lost in diagnosis rather than treatment, optimal timing for surgery missed. The patient died following an aortic dissection rupture while waiting for emergency surgery. When forgetfulness cannot be completely accounted for in patients presenting with acute myocardial infarction, AAD should be considered. We believe that this case report contains a worthwhile clinical lesson for clinicians.

Deep learning-based multi-stage postoperative type-b aortic dissection segmentation using global-local fusion learning

Objective.Type-b aortic dissection (AD) is a life-threatening cardiovascular disease and the primary treatment is thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR). Due to the lack of a rapid and accurate segmentation technique, the patient-specific postoperative AD model is unavailable in clinical practice, resulting in impracticable 3D morphological and hemodynamic analyses during TEVAR assessment. This work aims to construct a deep learning-based segmentation framework for postoperative type-b AD.Approach.The segmentation is performed in a two-stage manner. A multi-class segmentation of the contrast-enhanced aorta, thrombus (TH), and branch vessels (BV) is achieved in the first stage based on the cropped image patches. True lumen (TL) and false lumen (FL) are extracted from a straightened image containing the entire aorta in the second stage. A global-local fusion learning mechanism is designed to improve the segmentation of TH and BR by compensating for the missing contextual features of the cropped images in the first stage.Results.The experiments are conducted on a multi-center dataset comprising 133 patients with 306 follow-up images. Our framework achieves the state-of-the-art dice similarity coefficient (DSC) of 0.962, 0.921, 0.811, and 0.884 for TL, FL, TH, and BV, respectively. The global-local fusion learning mechanism increases the DSC of TH and BV by 2.3% (p< 0.05) and 1.4% (p< 0.05), respectively, based on the baseline. Segmenting TH in stage 1 can achieve significantly better DSC for FL (0.921 ± 0.055 versus 0.857 ± 0.220,p< 0.01) and TH (0.811 ± 0.137 versus 0.797 ± 0.146,p< 0.05) than in stage 2. Our framework supports more accurate vascular volume quantifications compared with previous segmentation model, especially for the patients with enlarged TH+FL after TEVAR, and shows good generalizability to different hospital settings.Significance.Our framework can quickly provide accurate patient-specific AD models, supporting the clinical practice of 3D morphological and hemodynamic analyses for quantitative and more comprehensive patient-specific TEVAR assessments.

Twenty years' experience of type B aortic dissections: a population-based national registry study from Finland

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this study was to investigate the incidence, treatment and survival of Stanford type B aortic dissection (BTAD) during 20 years in the Finnish population.

METHODS

Data collection was made from the Nationwide Care Register for Health Care, Finnish National Institute for Health and Welfare. All patients over 15 years of age with BTAD from 2000 to 2019 were included in the study. A data search of the Registry of Death Cause (Statistic Finland) was carried out to identify the date and cause of death.

RESULTS

There were 1742 cases of BTAD during the study period. BTAD represented 45.6% of all aortic dissections leading to hospital admission. Incidence for BTAD was 1.62 per 100 000 inhabitants per year. The median survival was 12.7 years [95% confidence interval (CI) 9.63-14.7], 12.4 years (95% CI 10.5-14.4) and 8.6 years (95% CI 7.5-9.7) for patients treated with thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR), surgery and medical treatment (MT), respectively. Survival was significantly better after TEVAR and surgery, compared to MT only (P < 0.001). Age-adjusted survival was significantly better after TEVAR compared to patients treated with MT or surgery (hazard ratio 0.578, 95% CI 0.420-0.794, P < 0.001). Aortic-related death was the most common cause of death in all groups (41%).

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence of BTAD seems to be similar in the Finnish population compared to other populational studies. Patients treated with TEVAR had significantly better survival compared to other patients. A high risk for late aortic-related death should be recognized in patients with BTAD.

Establishing and Validating a Morphological Prediction Model Based on CTA to Evaluate the Incidence of Type-B Dissection

Background: Many patients with Type B aortic dissection (TBAD) may not show noticeable symptoms until they become intervention and help prevent critically ill, which can result in fatal outcomes. Thus, it is crucial to screen people at high risk of TBAD and initiate the necessary preventive and therapeutic measures before irreversible harm occurs. By developing a prediction model for aortic arch morphology, it is possible to accurately identify those at high risk and take prompt action to prevent the adverse consequences of TBAD. This approach can facilitate timely the development of serious illnesses. Method: The predictive model was established in a primary population consisting of 173 patients diagnosed with acute Stanford TBAD, with data collected from January 2017 and December 2018, as well as 534 patients with healthy aortas, with data collected from April 2018 and December 2018. Explicitly, the data were randomly separated into the derivation set and validation set in a 7:3 ratio. Geometric and anatomical features were extracted from a three-dimensional multiplanar reconstruction of the aortic arch. The LASSO regression model was utilized to minimize the data dimension and choose relevant features. Multivariable logistic regression analysis and backward stepwise selection were employed for predictive model generation, combining demographic and clinical features as well as geometric and anatomical features. The predictive model's performance was evaluated by examining its calibration, discrimination, and clinical benefit. Finally, we also conducted internal verification. Results: After applying LASSO logistic regression and backward stepwise selection, 12 features were entered into the prediction model. Age, aortic arch angle, total thoracic aorta distance, ascending aorta tortuosity, aortic arch tortuosity, distal descending aorta tortuosity, and type III arch were protective factors, while male sex, hypertension, aortic arch height, and aortic arch distance were risk factors. The model exhibited satisfactory discrimination (AUC, 0.917 [95% CI, 0.890-0.945]) and good calibration in the derivation set. Applying the predictive model to the validation set also provided satisfactory discrimination (AUC, 0.909 [95% CI, 0.864-0.953]) and good calibration. The TBAD nomogram for clinical use was established. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that a multivariable logistic regression model can be used to predict TBAD patients.

Aortic dissection: results of the invasive treatment in France between 2012 and 2018 according to the French national database

BACKGROUND

To evaluate results of the invasive repair in the management of acute aortic dissection (AoD) in France.

METHODS

Patients admitted to hospital with acute AoD from 2012 to 2018 were identified. Patient demographics, severity score at admission, treatment strategy and in-hospital mortality were described. For patients undergoing intervention, perioperative complications rate was reported. A secondary analysis evaluating patients' outcome as regards of the annual caseload per center was conducted.

RESULTS

Overall, 14,706 patients with acute AoD were identified (male 64%, mean age 67, median modified Elixhauser score 5). The overall incidence increased during the study period (from 3.8 in 2012 to 4.4/100,000 in 2018) associated with a North-South gradient (respectively 3.6 vs. 4.7/100,000) and a winter peak; 45.5% (N.=6697) of patients received medical treatment alone. Among those with invasive repair, 6276 (78.3%) were defined as type A AoD (TAAD), whereas type B AoD (TBAD) accounted for 1733 patients (21.7%), of whom 1632 (94%) had TEVAR and 101 (6%) had other arterial procedures; 30-day mortality was respectively 18.9% in TAAD and 9.5% for TBAD. In high-volume centers (i.e. >20 AoD/year), a lower 3-month mortality of 22.3% was noted compared to 31.4% in the low-volume centres (P<0.001); 47% of patients reported ≥1 early major complication. TEVAR exhibited less complication (P<0.001) compared to other arterial reconstructions in TBAD.

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence of acute AoD increased in France over the period of the study and was associated with stable postoperative early mortality. Early postoperative mortality is significantly reduced in high-volume centers.

Population risk profile analysis of acute uncomplicated type B aortic dissection patients undergoing thoracic endovascular aortic repair

BACKGROUND

Uncomplicated type B aortic dissection (unTBAD) comprises the estimated majority of type B aortic dissection (TBAD), presenting without any of the complications associated with complicated TBAD (coTBAD). Although first-line treatment for coTBAD is thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR), and despite the fact that TEVAR has proven its safety and effectiveness in the treatment of unTBAD, unTBAD is still being predominantly managed conservatively with medical therapy, with a small proportion of patients being offered TEVAR.

AIMS

The main scope of this review is to highlight the evidence in the literature of the demographic characteristics and associated co-morbidities of unTBAD patients undergoing TEVAR in order to produce a risk stratification system to achieve favourable outcomes.

METHODS

A comprehensive literature search was conducted using multiple electronic databases including PubMed, Ovid, Scopus, and EMBASE.

RESULTS

Multiple demographic characteristics and associated co-morbidities of unTBAD patients affecting TEVAR outcomes were identified, assessed, and investigated, including age, gender, race, genetics, medical conditions, such as hypertension and diabetes, and lifestyle factors such as smoking. Most factors were associated with increased risks of mortality and morbidity, while others, such as race, were identified as being protective against those when it comes to TEVAR.

CONCLUSION

Despite the favourable results yielded by TEVAR in unTBAD, there remains a grey area concerning its management. Thus, it is important to incorporate the demographics and co-morbidities of unTBAD patients' when into clinical judgement when assessing indications for TEVAR intervention to ensure optimum results can be achieved.

Twenty-five years of observations from the International Registry of Acute Aortic Dissection (IRAD) and its impact on the cardiovascular scientific community

OBJECTIVE

The International Registry of Acute Aortic Dissection (IRAD) celebrated its 25th anniversary in January 2021. This study evaluated IRAD's role in promoting the understanding and management of acute aortic dissection (AD) over these years.

METHODS

IRAD studies were identified, analyzed, and ranked according to their citations per year (c/y) to determine the most-cited IRAD studies and topics. A systematic search of the literature identified cardiovascular guidelines on the diagnosis and management of acute AD. Consequently, IRAD's presence and impact were quantified using these documents.

RESULTS

Ninety-seven IRAD studies were identified, of which 82 obtained more than 10 cumulative citations. The median c/y index was 7.33 (25th-75th percentile, 4.01-16.65). Forty-two studies had a greater than median c/y index and were considered most impactful. Of these studies, most investigated both type A and type B AD (n = 17, 40.5%) and short-term outcomes (n = 26, 61.9%). Nineteen guideline documents were identified from 26 cardiovascular societies located in Northern America, Europe, and Japan. Sixty-nine IRAD studies were cited by these guidelines, including 38 of the 42 most-impactful IRAD studies. Among them, partial thrombosis of the false lumen as a predictor of postdischarge mortality and aortic diameters as a predictor of type A occurrence were determined as most-impactful specific IRAD topics by their c/y index.

CONCLUSIONS

IRAD has had and continues to have an important role in providing observations, credible knowledge, and research questions to improve the outcomes of patients with acute AD.

Prediction of preoperative in-hospital mortality rate in patients with acute aortic dissection by machine learning: a two-centre, retrospective cohort study

OBJECTIVES

To conduct a comprehensive analysis of demographic information, medical history, and blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) variability during hospitalisation so as to establish a predictive model for preoperative in-hospital mortality of patients with acute aortic dissection (AD) by using machine learning techniques.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

SETTING

Data were collected from the electronic records and the databases of Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine and the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University between 2004 and 2018.

PARTICIPANTS

380 inpatients diagnosed with acute AD were included in the study.

PRIMARY OUTCOME

Preoperative in-hospital mortality rate.

RESULTS

A total of 55 patients (14.47%) died in the hospital before surgery. The results of the areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves, decision curve analysis and calibration curves indicated that the eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) model had the highest accuracy and robustness. According to the SHapley Additive exPlanations analysis of the XGBoost model, Stanford type A, maximum aortic diameter >5.5 cm, high variability in HR, high variability in diastolic BP and involvement of the aortic arch had the greatest impact on the occurrence of in-hospital deaths before surgery. Moreover, the predictive model can accurately predict the preoperative in-hospital mortality rate at the individual level.

CONCLUSION

In the current study, we successfully constructed machine learning models to predict the preoperative in-hospital mortality of patients with acute AD, which can help identify high-risk patients and optimise the clinical decision-making. Further applications in clinical practice require the validation of these models using a large-sample, prospective database.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

ChiCTR1900025818.

Comparative Analysis of Endovascular Repair of Single-Branched Stent-Graft and Hybrid Procedure for Patients With Type B Acute Aortic Dissection Involving the Left Subclavian Artery

PURPOSE

Thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) with left subclavian artery (LSA) revascularization has been used in patients with type B aortic dissection (TBAD), with inadequate proximal landing zone (PLZ). The outcomes of comparisons between TEVAR and hybrid procedure on patients with TBAD, with inadequate PLZ, are rarely reported. This study sought to compare and clarify the early and midterm outcomes between TEVAR and hybrid procedure in patients with TBAD, with inadequate PLZ.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Between January 2019 and December 2021, 93 patients with TBAD, with inadequate PLZ, who underwent TEVAR or hybrid procedure, were retrospectively evaluated in Beijing Anzhen hospital. Demographics, comorbidities, preoperative imaging features, periprocedural details, and follow-up outcomes were analyzed. Survival was analyzed according to Kaplan-Meier method.

RESULTS

TEVAR procedures were performed on 41 patients (TEVAR group) and hybrid procedures on 52 patients (hybrid group). Early events, 30 day mortality, and all-cause mortality, were not significantly different between the 2 groups. However, patients receiving TEVAR had significantly shorter procedure time (p<0.001), hospital stay (p<0.001), and intensive care unit (ICU) stay (p=0.001) compared with those in the hybrid group. Patients receiving TEVAR had significantly lower midterm events (p=0.014) and re-intervention (p=0.015) compared with those in the hybrid group.

CONCLUSION

The study indicated that TEVAR with LSA revascularization for TBAD with inadequate PLZ is associated with a trend toward lower rates of midterm events, while the early and midterm mortalities were comparable with those in hybrid procedure.

CLINICAL IMPACT

This study is novel as it compared the outcomes between thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) and hybrid procedure in patients with type B aortic dissection (TBAD), with inadequate proximal landing zone, which has been rarely reported previously. We believe that our study makes a significant contribution to the literature because it is clinically relevant as it demonstrated that TEVAR with left subclavian artery (LSA) revascularization for TBAD with inadequate proximal landing zone is associated with a trend toward lower rates of mid-term events, while the early and mid-term mortalities were comparable with those in the hybrid procedure.

Gender differences in acute aortic syndromes

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Acute aortic syndromes include acute aortic dissection, intramural hematoma, and penetrating aortic ulcer, and are associated with high mortality and morbidity. This review focuses on recent findings and current understanding of gender-related and sex-related differences in acute aortic syndromes.

RECENT FINDINGS

Large international and national registries, population studies, and multicentre national prospective cohort studies show evidence of sex differences in acute aortic syndromes. Recent studies of risk factors, aorta remodelling, and genetics provide possible biological basis for sex differences. The 2022 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Aortic Disease revise recommendations for surgical management for aortic root and ascending aorta dilatation, which could impact outcome differences between the sexes.

SUMMARY

Acute aortic syndromes affect men more frequently than women. The prevalence of acute aortic syndromes and prevalence of many risk factors rise sharply with age in women leading to higher age at presentation for women. Times from symptom onset to presentation and presentation to diagnosis are delayed in female patients. Females with type A dissection are also more commonly treated conservatively than male counterparts. These factors likely contribute to higher early mortality and complications in women.

Inter-observer variability of expert-derived morphologic risk predictors in aortic dissection

OBJECTIVES

Establishing the reproducibility of expert-derived measurements on CTA exams of aortic dissection is clinically important and paramount for ground-truth determination for machine learning.

METHODS

Four independent observers retrospectively evaluated CTA exams of 72 patients with uncomplicated Stanford type B aortic dissection and assessed the reproducibility of a recently proposed combination of four morphologic risk predictors (maximum aortic diameter, false lumen circumferential angle, false lumen outflow, and intercostal arteries). For the first inter-observer variability assessment, 47 CTA scans from one aortic center were evaluated by expert-observer 1 in an unconstrained clinical assessment without a standardized workflow and compared to a composite of three expert-observers (observers 2-4) using a standardized workflow. A second inter-observer variability assessment on 30 out of the 47 CTA scans compared observers 3 and 4 with a constrained, standardized workflow. A third inter-observer variability assessment was done after specialized training and tested between observers 3 and 4 in an external population of 25 CTA scans. Inter-observer agreement was assessed with intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and Bland-Altman plots.

RESULTS

Pre-training ICCs of the four morphologic features ranged from 0.04 (-0.05 to 0.13) to 0.68 (0.49-0.81) between observer 1 and observers 2-4 and from 0.50 (0.32-0.69) to 0.89 (0.78-0.95) between observers 3 and 4. ICCs improved after training ranging from 0.69 (0.52-0.87) to 0.97 (0.94-0.99), and Bland-Altman analysis showed decreased bias and limits of agreement.

CONCLUSIONS

Manual morphologic feature measurements on CTA images can be optimized resulting in improved inter-observer reliability. This is essential for robust ground-truth determination for machine learning models.

KEY POINTS

• Clinical fashion manual measurements of aortic CTA imaging features showed poor inter-observer reproducibility. • A standardized workflow with standardized training resulted in substantial improvements with excellent inter-observer reproducibility. • Robust ground truth labels obtained manually with excellent inter-observer reproducibility are key to develop reliable machine learning models.

Development and validation of a nomogram to predict postoperative delirium in type B aortic dissection patients underwent thoracic endovascular aortic repair

Objective

Postoperative delirium (POD) is a common postoperative complication after cardiovascular surgery with adverse outcomes. No prediction tools are currently available for assessing POD in the type B aortic dissection (TBAD) population. The purposes of this study were to develop and validate a nomogram for predicting POD among TBAD patients who underwent thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR).

Methods

The retrospective cohort included 631 eligible TBAD patients who underwent TEVAR from January 2019 to July 2021. 434 patients included before 2021 were in the develop set; 197 others were in the independent validation set. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and logistic regression were applied to identify the most useful predictive variables for constructing the nomogram. Discrimination and the agreement of the model was assessed with the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), Brier score and the Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test. The results were validated using a bootstrap resampling and the validation set.

Results

The incidence rate of POD observed in the development and validation cohort were 15.0% and 14.2%, respectively. Seven independent risk factors, including age ≥60 years, syncope or coma, postoperative blood transfusion, atelectasis, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) &lt;80 ml/min/1.73 m2, albumin &lt;30 g/L, and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio, were included in the nomogram. The model showed a good discrimination with an AUC of 0.819 (95% CI, 0.762–0.876) in the developed set, and adjusted to 0.797 (95% CI, 0.735–0.849) and 0.791 (95% CI, 0.700–0.881) in the internal validation set and the external validation, respectively. Favorable calibration of the nomogram was confirmed in both the development and validation cohorts.

Conclusion

The nomogram based on seven readily available predictors has sufficient validity to identify POD risk in this population. This tool may facilitate targeted initiation of POD preventive intervention for healthcare providers.

Admission Lysophosphatidic Acid Is Related to Impaired Kidney Function in Acute Aortic Dissection: 2-Year Retrospective Follow-Up Study

Background

Delayed treatment of acute aortic dissection (AAD)-related acute kidney injury (AKI) significantly increases the burden of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and mortality. Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is a shared mediator of kidney disease and AAD. Here, we evaluated the relationship between LPA and kidney injury in AAD patients.

Methods

We measured the plasma concentration of LPA in a cohort of 80 patients with AAD. Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) regression and Logistic regression were used to evaluate the effect and interaction of LPA on AKI. Additive generalized model and penalized spline method were used to describe the non-linear association. Multivariable analyses with the Cox proportional-hazards model were used for subgroup analysis and interaction in LPA and subsequent CKD.

Results

The participant’s average age was 54.27 ± 11.00 years, 68.75% of them were males, and the incidence of AKI was 43.75%. Patients with AKI had higher levels of LPA on admission, and the more significant the increase, the higher the risk of AKI. There was a non-linear positive correlation between admission LPA and AKI, and the premeditated inflection point was 346.33 (μg/dL) through two-piecewise linear regression and recursive algorithm. Subgroup analysis identified a stronger association between admission LPA and AKI in the elder, female and medically treated patients. The incidence of CKD was 22.67% in the 2-year follow-up. Patients with subsequent CKD had higher LPA levels on admission in the follow-up cohort, and a similar interaction trend was also observed through Cox proportional—hazards model.

Conclusion

Admission LPA levels show a non-linear positive correlation with AKI and increase the risk of subsequent CKD, which is more pronounced in elderly, female, and medically treated patients.

Sex‐Related Differences in Clinical Features and In‐Hospital Outcomes of Type B Acute Aortic Dissection: A Registry Study

Background

The association between female sex and poor outcomes following surgery for type A acute aortic dissection has been reported; however, sex‐related differences in clinical features and in‐hospital outcomes of type B acute aortic dissection, including classic aortic dissection and intramural hematoma, remain to be elucidated.

Methods and Results

We studied 2372 patients with type B acute aortic dissection who were enrolled in the Tokyo Acute Aortic Super‐Network Registry. There were fewer and older women than men (median age [interquartile range]: 76 years [66–84 years], n=695 versus 68 years [57–77 years], n=1677; P<0.001). Women presented to the aortic centers later than men. Women had a higher proportion of intramural hematoma (63.7% versus 53.7%, P<0.001), were medically managed more frequently (90.9% versus 86.3%, P=0.002), and had less end‐organ malperfusion (2.4% versus 5.7%, P<0.001) and higher in‐hospital mortality (5.3% versus 2.7%, P=0.002) than men. In multivariable analysis, age (per year, odds ratio [OR], 1.06 [95% CI, 1.03–1.08]; P<0.001), hyperlipidemia (OR, 2.09 [95% CI, 1.13–3.88]; P=0.019), painlessness (OR, 2.59 [95% CI, 1.14–5.89]; P=0.023), shock/hypotension (OR, 2.93 [95% CI, 1.21–7.11]; P=0.017), non–intramural hematoma (OR, 2.31 [95% CI, 1.32–4.05]; P=0.004), aortic rupture (OR, 26.6 [95% CI, 14.1–50.0]; P<0.001), and end‐organ malperfusion (OR, 4.61 [95% CI, 2.11–10.1]; P<0.001) were associated with higher in‐hospital mortality, but was not female sex (OR, 1.67 [95% CI, 0.96–2.91]; P=0.072).

Conclusions

Women affected with type B acute aortic dissection were older and had more intramural hematoma, a lower incidence of end‐organ malperfusion, and higher in‐hospital mortality than men. However, female sex was not associated with in‐hospital mortality after multivariable adjustment.

Early Prediction Model of Acute Aortic Syndrome Mortality in Emergency Departments

Purpose

Acute aortic syndrome is a constellation of life-threatening medical conditions for which rapid assessment and targeted intervention are important for the prognosis of patients who are at high risk of in-hospital death. The current study aims to develop and externally validate an early prediction mortality model that can be used to identify high-risk patients with acute aortic syndrome in the emergency department.

Patients and Methods

This retrospective multi-center observational study enrolled 1088 patients with acute aortic syndrome admitted to the emergency departments of two hospitals in China between January 2017 and March 2021 for model development. A total of 210 patients with acute aortic syndrome admitted to the emergency departments of Peking University Third Hospital between January 2007 and December 2021 was enrolled for model validation. Demographics and clinical factors were collected at the time of emergency department admission. The predictive variables were determined by referring to the results of previous studies and the baseline analysis of this study. The study’s endpoint was in-hospital death. To assess internal validity, we used a fivefold cross-validation method. Model performance was validated internally and externally by evaluating model discrimination using the area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC). A nomogram was developed based on the binary regression results.

Results

In the development cohort, 1088 patients with acute aortic syndromes were included, and 88 (8.1%) patients died during hospitalization. In the validation cohort, 210 patients were included, and 20 (9.5%) patients died during hospitalization. The final model included the following variables: digestive system symptoms (OR=2.25; P=0.024), any pulse deficit (OR=7.78; P<0.001), creatinine (µmol/L)(OR=1.00; P=0.018), lesion extension to iliac vessels (OR=4.49; P<0.001), pericardial effusion (OR=2.67; P=0.008), and Stanford type A (OR=10.46; P<0.001). The model’s AUC was 0.838 (95% CI 0.784–0.892) in the development cohort and 0.821 (95% CI 0.750–0.891) in the validation cohort, and the Hosmer–Lemeshow test showed p=0.597. The fivefold cross-validation demonstrated a mean accuracy of 0.94, a mean precision of 0.67, and a mean recall of 0.13.

Conclusion

This risk prediction tool uses simple variables to provide robust prediction of the risk of in-hospital death from acute aortic syndrome and validated well in an independent cohort. The tool can help emergency clinicians quickly identify high-risk acute aortic syndrome patients, although further studies are needed for verifying the prospective data and the results of our study.

A Novel Solution for Distal Dilation of Chronic Dissection After Repair Involving Visceral Branches: The Road Block Strategy

Aim

Notwithstanding that unprecedented endovascular progress has been achieved in recent years, it remains unclear what is the best strategy to preserve the blood perfusion of abdominal visceral arteries and promote positive aortic remodeling in patients with distal dilatation of chronic aortic dissection in abdominal visceral part (CADAV) after aortic repair. The present study developed a Road Block Strategy (RBS) to solve this conundrum.

Methods and Results

This prospective single-center clinical study included patients suffering from symptomatic distal dilatation of CADAV after aortic repair treated with RBS from January 2015 to December 2019 and followed up regularly for at least 2 years. Stent grafts were implanted first to cover distal tears and expand the true lumen. Device embolization was performed to induce proximal and distal segmental false lumen thrombosis (FLT) apart from the level of the ostia of vital branches. Successful RBS was performed in 13 patients. Significant differences were found in maximum true lumen diameter (p < 0.05), blood flow area in false lumen (FL) (p < 0.001), and the ratio of blood lumen to FL area (p < 0.05) between the pre-procedure and the latest follow-up results. No aortic rupture, vital branches occlusion, thoracic and abdominal pain, or death occurred during hospitalization and follow-up.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that RBS is feasible in treating distal dilatation of chronic aortic dissection after prior proximal repair, inducing false lumen thrombosis, preventing deterioration of aortic dissection, and maintaining the patency of abdominal visceral arteries.

Comparison of Outcomes and Complications Among Patients with Different Indications of Acute/Subacute Complicated Stanford Type B Aortic Dissection Treated by TEVAR: Data from the JaPanese REtrospective multicenter stuDy of ThoracIc Endovascular Aortic Repair for Complicated Type B Aortic Dissection (J-Predictive Study)

PURPOSE

To investigate the relationships between indications for thoracic endovascular aortic repair for acute/subacute complicated Stanford type B aortic dissection and clinical outcomes, and complications specific to thoracic endovascular aortic repair.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The J-predictive study retrospectively collected data of patients treated with thoracic endovascular aortic repair for complicated Stanford type B aortic dissection at 20 institutions from January 2012 to March 2017. From the database, those treated for acute/subacute complicated Stanford type B aortic dissection were extracted (n = 118; 96 men; average age, 66.1 years; standard deviation, ± 13) and classified into groups 1, 2, and 3 according to thoracic endovascular aortic repair indications (rupture, superior mesenteric artery malperfusion, and renal or lower extremity malperfusion, respectively). Primary and secondary measures were mortality (overall and aortic-related) and complications related to thoracic endovascular aortic repair, respectively. For each outcome, the risks of being in groups 1 and 2 were statistically compared with that of being in group 3 as a control using Fisher's exact test.

RESULTS

Mortality rate (odds ratio, 5.22; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.33-20.53) and prevalence of paraparesis/paraplegia (odds ratio, 30.46; confidence interval, 1.71-541.77) were higher in group 1 than in group 3. Compared to group 3, group 2 showed no statistically significant differences in mortality or complications related to thoracic endovascular aortic repair.

CONCLUSIONS

Rupture as an indication for thoracic endovascular aortic repair for type B aortic dissection was more likely to result in worse mortality and high prevalence of spinal cord ischemia.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level 4, Case series.

Pleural effusion: a potential surrogate marker for higher-risk patients with acute type B aortic dissections

OBJECTIVES

Pleural effusions (PEffs) are known to occur in type B acute aortic dissection (TBAAD). We investigated the relationship between pleural effusion and the development of early or late complications following TBAAD.

METHODS

The incidence of PEff (defined as at least an obliteration of the costophrenic angle in a frontal projection) diagnosed on their initial chest X-ray in patients with TBAAD enrolled in the International Registry of Acute Aortic Dissection was examined. We analysed in-hospital outcomes and long-term survival separately for patients with and without PEffs (PEff+ versus PEff-, respectively).

RESULTS

Included were 1252 patients with TBAAD, of whom 224 (17.9%) had PEff. Compared with patients without PEff in the initial chest X-ray, these were significantly older [mean age 67 (SD: 14.7) vs 63.4 (SD: 14.2) years, P = 0.001] and more often female (42.4% vs 34.2%, P = 0.021) and had more comorbidities (known aortic aneurysm, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic renal failure, diabetes, congestive heart failure or mitral valve disease). PEff was associated with higher in-hospital mortality (16.1% vs 9.1%, P = 0.002) and increased rates of neurological complications (16.6% vs 11.1%, P = 0.029), acute renal failure (27.2% vs 19.7%, P = 0.017) and hypotension (17.4% vs 9.6%, P = 0.001). In addition, patients with PEff underwent aortic repair more frequently (44.6% vs 32.5%, P < 0.001). In the long-term patients with PEff showed lower 5-year post-discharge survival (67.6% vs 77.6%, P = 0.004). Multivariable analysis with propensity-matched data showed that PEff was not an independent risk factor for in-hospital mortality (odds ratio 1.9, 95% CI 0.8-4.4, P = 0.141).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with TBAAD and evidence of PEff showed a higher in-hospital mortality, are more likely to develop additional in-hospital complications and have a decreased likelihood of survival during follow-up. However, according to propensity-matched analysis, PEff remained not as an independent predictor of worse outcome but might serve as an early surrogate marker to identify higher-risk patients.

Endovascular repair of acute type B thoracic aortic dissection

Approximately one-third of patients with acute Stanford type B or DeBakey type III aortic dissection (TBAD) will develop complications, including persistent symptoms, malperfusion, enlarging aneurysms and impending rupture. In these cases, TBAD becomes a surgical emergency that requires endovascular intervention to complement the medical therapy. The immediate goal of endovascular therapy is to reestablish flow to the true lumen, stabilize the aneurysm and prevent rupture. Long-term goals are the remodeling of the descending thoracic aorta and the prevention of further surgeries in the thoracoabdominal aorta. In this report, we describe our step-by-step endovascular approach to TBAD repair.

Misdiagnosis of aortic dissection: A systematic review of the literature

BACKGROUND

Aortic dissection is a rare but potentially catastrophic condition. Misdiagnosis of aortic dissection is not uncommon as symptoms can overlap with other diagnoses.

OBJECTIVE

We conducted a systematic review to better understand the factors contributing to incorrect diagnosis of this condition.

METHODS

We searched MEDLINE and EMBASE for studies that evaluated the misdiagnosis of aortic dissection. The rate of misdiagnosis was pooled and results were narratively synthesized.

RESULTS

A total of 12 studies with were included with 1663 patients. The overall rate of misdiagnosis of aortic dissection was 33.8%. The proportion of patients presenting with chest pain, back pain and syncope were 67.5%, 24.8% and 6.8% respectively. The proportion of patients with pre-existing hypertension was 55.4%, 30.5% were smokers while the proportion of patients with coronary artery disease, previous cardiovascular surgery or surgical trauma and Marfan syndrome was 14.7%, 5.8%, and 3.7%, respectively. Factors related to misdiagnosis included the presence of symptoms and features associated with other diseases (such as acute coronary syndrome, stroke and pulmonary embolism), the absence of typical features (such as widened mediastinum on chest X-ray) or concurrent conditions such congestive heart failure. Factors associated with more accurate diagnosis included more comprehensive history taking and increased use of imaging.

CONCLUSIONS

Misdiagnosis in patients with an eventual diagnosis of aortic dissection affects 1 in 3 patients. Clinicians should consider aortic dissection as differential diagnosis in patients with chest pain, back pain and syncope. Imaging should be used early to make the diagnosis when aortic dissection is suspected.

Risk factors of acute kidney injury in patients with Stanford type B aortic dissection involving the renal artery who underwent thoracic endovascular aortic repair

Background

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is one of the most common and serious complications in patients with type B aortic dissection (TBAD). This study aimed at investigating the incidence and risk factors of in-hospital AKI in TBAD patients involving the renal artery who underwent thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) only.

Methods

A total of 256 patients who were diagnosed as TBAD combined with renal artery involvement were included in this retrospective study. All patients were divided into the AKI group and the non-AKI group according to the KDIGO criteria. The risk factors for AKI were identified using a multivariate logistic regression model.

Results

A total of 256 patients were included in this study, and the incidence of AKI was 18% (46/256). Patients in the AKI group were more likely to have a higher proportion of the youth, a higher level of body mass index, and a shorter time from onset to admission. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the youth (age ≤40 years) (OR: 2.853, 95%CI: 1.061–7.668, p = .038) were prone to AKI, and lower estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) (OR: 1.526, per 15-ml/min/1.73 m² decrease, 95%CI: 1.114–2.092; p = .009), higher diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (OR: 1.418, per 10-mmHg increase; 95%CI: 1.070–1.879; p = .015), and fasting blood glucose (FBG) ≥7 mmol/L on admission (OR: 2.592; 95%CI: 1.299–5.174; p = .007) were independent risk factors for AKI.

Conclusions

Higher incidence of AKI had been perceived in this study, most of them were young and middle-aged patients. Renopreventive measures should be considered in those high-risk patients with younger age, lower eGFR, higher DBP, and higher FBG on admission.

Machine Learning Models for Predicting In-Hospital Mortality in Acute Aortic Dissection Patients

Background: Acute aortic dissection is a potentially fatal cardiovascular disorder associated with high mortality. However, current predictive models show a limited ability to efficiently and flexibly detect this mortality risk, and have been unable to discover a relationship between the mortality rate and certain variables. Thus, this study takes an artificial intelligence approach, whereby clinical data-driven machine learning was utilized to predict the in-hospital mortality of acute aortic dissection. Methods: Patients diagnosed with acute aortic dissection between January 2015 to December 2018 were voluntarily enrolled from the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University in the study. The diagnosis was defined by magnetic resonance angiography or computed tomography angiography, with an onset time of the symptoms being within 14 days. The analytical variables included demographic characteristics, physical examination, symptoms, clinical condition, laboratory results, and treatment strategies. The machine learning algorithms included logistic regression, decision tree, K nearest neighbor, Gaussian naive bayes, and extreme gradient boost (XGBoost). Evaluation of the predictive performance of the models was mainly achieved using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. SHapley Additive exPlanation was also implemented to interpret the final prediction model. Results: A total of 1,344 acute aortic dissection patients were recruited, including 1,071 (79.7%) patients in the survivor group and 273 (20.3%) patients in non-survivor group. The extreme gradient boost model was found to be the most effective model with the greatest area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (0.927, 95% CI: 0.860-0.968). The three most significant aspects of the extreme gradient boost importance matrix plot were treatment, type of acute aortic dissection, and ischemia-modified albumin levels. In the SHapley Additive exPlanation summary plot, medical treatment, type A acute aortic dissection, and higher ischemia-modified albumin level were shown to increase the risk of hospital-based mortality.

Diseases of the Aorta and Kidney Disease: Conclusions from a Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) Controversies Conference

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is an independent risk factor for the development of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), as well as for cardiovascular and renal events and all-cause mortality following surgery for AAA or thoracic aortic dissection. In addition, the incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) after any aortic surgery is particularly high, and this AKI per se is independently associated with future cardiovascular events and mortality. On the other hand, both development of AKI after surgery and the long-term evolution of kidney function differ significantly depending on the type of AAA intervention (open surgery vs. the various subtypes of endovascular repair). Current knowledge regarding AAA in the general population may not be always applicable to CKD patients, as they have a high prevalence of co-morbid conditions and an elevated risk for periprocedural complications. This summary of a Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes Controversies Conference group discussion reviews the epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of Diseases of the Aorta in CKD and identifies knowledge gaps, areas of controversy, and priorities for future research.

Central and peripheral arterial diseases in chronic kidney disease: conclusions from a Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) Controversies Conference

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects about 10% of all populations worldwide, with about 2 million people requiring dialysis. Although patients with CKD are at high risk of cardiovascular disease and events, they are often underrepresented or excluded in clinical trials, leading to important knowledge gaps about how to treat these patients. KDIGO (Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes) convened the fourth clinical Controversies Conference on the heart, kidney and vasculature in Dublin, Ireland, in February 2020, entitled Central and Peripheral Arterial Diseases in Chronic Kidney Disease. A global panel of multidisciplinary experts from the fields of nephrology, cardiology, neurology, surgery, radiology, vascular biology, epidemiology, and health economics attended. The objective was to identify key issues related to the optimal detection, management, and treatment of cerebrovascular diseases, central aortic disease, renovascular disease, and peripheral artery disease in the setting of CKD. This report outlines the common pathophysiology of these vascular processes in the setting of CKD, describes best practices for their diagnosis and management, summarizes areas of uncertainty, addresses ongoing controversial issues, and proposes a research agenda to address key gaps in knowledge that, when addressed, could improve patient care and outcomes.

Short Term Prognosis of Renal Artery Stenosis Secondary to Acute Type B Aortic Dissection With TEVAR

Objective: To determine the effect of renal artery stenosis (RAS) resulting from acute type B aortic dissection (ATBAD) with thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) on early prognosis in patients with ATBAD.

Methods: A total of 129 ATBAD patients in the National Acute Aortic Syndrome Database (AASCN) who underwent TEVAR between 2019 and 2020 were enrolled in our study. Patients were divided into two groups: the RAS group and the non-RAS group.

Results: There were 21 RAS patients (16.3%) and 108 non-RAS patients (83.7%) in our cohort. No patient in our cohort died during the 1-month follow-up. There was no significant difference in preoperative creatinine clearance rate (CCr) between the two groups (90.6 ± 46.1 μmol/L in the RAS group vs. 78.7 ± 39.2 μmol/L in the non-RAS group, P = 0.303) but the RAS group had a significantly lower estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) than the non-RAS group (83.3 ± 25.0 vs. 101.9 ± 26.9 ml/min, respectively; P = 0.028).One month after TEVAR, CCr was significantly higher (99.0 ± 68.1 vs. 78.5 ± 25.8 ml/min, P = 0.043) and eGFR (81.7 ± 23.8 vs. 96.0 ± 20.0 ml/min, P = 0.017) was significantly lower in the RAS group than in the non-RAS group.

Conclusions: In ATBAD, RAS could result in acute kidney injury (AKI) in the early stage after TEVAR. The RAS group had a high incidence of hypertension. These results suggest that patients with RAS may need further treatment.

Outcomes and risk management in type B aortic dissection patients with acute kidney injury: a concise review

Purpose

Type B aortic dissection is a rare but life-threatening disease. Thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) was widely used for Type B aortic dissection patients in the last decade due to the lower mortality and morbidity compared with open chest surgical repair (OCSR). AKI in type B aortic dissection is a well-recognized complication and indicates poor short-term and long-term outcome. The objective of this concise review was to identify the risk factors and the impact of AKI on type B aortic dissection patients.

Methods and results

A literature search was performed using PubMed, Embase, MEDLINE, and Cochrane Library with the search terms ‘type B aortic dissection’ and ‘acute kidney injury’ (AKI), and all English-language literatures published in print or available online from inception through August 2020 were thoroughly reviewed. Studies that reported relative AKI risks and outcomes in type B aortic dissection patient were included. Major mechanisms of AKI in type B aortic dissection included renal hypoperfusion, inflammation response, and the use of contrast medium. Type B aortic dissection patients with AKI significantly had increased hospital stay duration, need of renal replacement therapy, and 30-d and 1-year mortality.

Conclusions

AKI in type B aortic dissection is a well-recognized complication and associated with poor short-term and long-term outcome. Early identification of high-risk patients, early diagnosis of AKI, stabilization of the hemodynamic parameters, avoidance of nephrotoxic drugs, and optimization of the use of contrast agents are the major strategies for the reduction of AKI in type B aortic dissection patients.

Prognostic dynamic nomogram integrated with metabolic acidosis for in-hospital mortality and organ malperfusion in acute type B aortic dissection patients undergoing thoracic endovascular aortic repair

BACKGROUND

Organ malperfusion is a lethal complication in acute type B aortic dissection (ATBAD). The aim of present study is to develop a nomogram integrated with metabolic acidosis to predict in-hospital mortality and organ malperfusion in patients with ATBAD undergoing thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR).

METHODS

The nomogram was derived from a retrospectively study of 286 ATBAD patients who underwent TEVAR from 2010 to 2017 at a single medical center. Model performance was evaluated from discrimination and calibration capacities, as well as clinical effectiveness. The results were validated using a prospective study on 77 patients from 2018 to 2019 at the same center.

RESULTS

In the multivariate analysis of the derivation cohort, the independent predictors of in-hospital mortality and organ malperfusion identified were base excess, maximum aortic diameter ≥ 5.5 cm, renal dysfunction, D-dimer level ≥ 5.44 μg/mL and albumin amount ≤ 30 g/L. The penalized model was internally validated by bootstrapping and showed excellent discriminatory (bias-corrected c-statistic, 0.85) and calibration capacities (Hosmer-Lemeshow P value, 0.471; Brier Score, 0.072; Calibration intercept, - 0.02; Slope, 0.98). After being applied to the external validation cohort, the model yielded a c-statistic of 0.86 and Brier Score of 0.097. The model had high negative predictive values (0.93-0.94) and moderate positive predictive values (0.60-0.71) for in-hospital mortality and organ malperfusion in both cohorts.

CONCLUSIONS

A predictive nomogram combined with base excess has been established that can be used to identify high risk ATBAD patients of developing in-hospital mortality or organ malperfusion when undergoing TEVAR.

Postoperative acute kidney injury and early and long-term mortality in acute aortic dissection patients: A meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the impact of postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI) on early and long-term mortality in patients with acute aortic dissection by conducting a meta-analysis.

METHODS

An extensive literature search was performed in PubMed and Embase databases until February 15, 2020. Observational studies that reported the associations between postoperative AKI and early (in-hospital and within 30 days) or long-term mortality in patients with acute aortic dissection were included.

RESULTS

Seven studies comprising 1525 acute aortic dissection patients were identified. A random effect meta-analysis showed that postoperative AKI was significantly associated with higher risk of long-term mortality (risk ratio [RR] 2.32; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.50-3.59). Subgroup analysis revealed that the pooled RR of long-term mortality was 1.42 (95% CI 0.90-2.22) for stage 1 AKI, 1.72 (95% CI 0.95-3.12) for stage 2 AKI, and 4.46 (95% CI 2.72-7.32) for stage 3 AKI, respectively. Furthermore, postoperative stage 3 AKI was associated with an increased risk of early mortality (RR 11.3; 95% CI 4.2-30.5).

CONCLUSIONS

This meta-analysis provided clinical evidence that postoperative stage 3 AKI is associated with higher risk of early and long-term mortality, even after adjusting important confounding factors. However, the current findings should be interpreted with caution due to the retrospective nature and limited number of studies analyzed.

The short-term prognostic value of serum platelet to hemoglobin in patients with type A acute aortic dissection

PURPOSE

Type A acute aortic dissection (AAD) is an uncommon catastrophic cardiovascular disease with high pre-hospital mortality rate without timely and effectively treated. The aim of this study was to assess the value of serum platelet to hemoglobin (PHR) in predicting in-hospital mortality in type A AAD patients.

METHODS

A total of 183 type A AAD patients were included in this retrospective investigation from January 2017 to December 2019. Admission blood routine parameters were gathered and PHR was computed. The outcome was all-cause in-hospital mortality within 30 days.

RESULTS

The average levels of serum PHR were significant higher in survivor group than those in non-survivor group (1.14 ± 0.57 vs 0.87 ± 0.47, p = 0.006) and serum PHR was an independent factor associated with in-hospital mortality (hazard ratio (HR): 2.831; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.108-7.231; p = 0.030). ROC noted that 0.8723 was chosen as the ideal cutoff value with a sensitivity of 64.3% and specificity of 72.5%. In addition, the area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 0.693 (95% CI 0.599-0.787, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Admission serum PHR can be used as an independent predictor of in-hospital mortality in patients with type A AAD.

Non-O blood group is associated with lower risk of in-hospital mortality in non-surgically managed patients with type A aortic dissection

BACKGROUND

The association between different ABO blood groups and mortality of aortic dissection (AD) remains controversial. This study aimed to examine whether different ABO blood groups affect the prognosis of AD.

METHODS

Demographic and clinical data were collected from 877 patients diagnosed with AD from 2015 to 2019 in the First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College. The association between in-hospital mortality of AD patients and ABO blood group was analyzed using Cox proportional hazards regression models.

RESULTS

This retrograde cohort study demonstrated that for 877 patients, male gender, non-O blood group, Stanford type B AD (TBAD), higher presenting systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and being a recipient of aortic arch replacement surgery (surgery) or endovascular stent-graft implantation (stent-graft) were associated with decreased in-hospital mortality of AD. In Cox proportional hazards models, non-O blood group was associated with lower risk of early mortality regardless of adjustment (HR = 0.668, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.473-0.944 before adjustment, HR = 0.662, 95% CI 0.468-0.935 after adjustment for age and sex, and HR = 0.641, 95% CI 0.453-0.906 after adjustment for AD types, SBP and surgery). Further analyses revealed that for patients diagnosed with type A AD (TAAD), non-O blood group renders a significant 34.3% decrease in the risk of in-hospital mortality compared with blood group O. Specifically, this difference in mortality risk was found among TAAD patients who did not undergo surgery (HR = 0.579, 95% CI 0.377-0.889), rather than those who did. There was no significant difference in early mortality for patients with TBAD, whether or not stent-grafts were implanted.

CONCLUSIONS

Non-O blood type decreases the risk of in-hospital mortality, especially for TAAD, in AD patients without surgical intervention. More attention must be paid to blood type O TAAD patients without surgical interventions, and early surgical intervention may be an effective means to decrease in-hospital mortality of TAAD.

Long-term prognostic value of the combined assessment of clinical and computed tomography findings in type: An acute aortic dissection

Type A acute aortic dissection (TAAAD) carries a high mortality rate in the absence of surgical treatment. This study sought to determine whether combining the assessment of clinical and computed tomography (CT) findings can be used to predict the long-term all-cause mortality rate of patients with TAAAD.Eighty-five consecutive patients with TAAAD who had undergone CT imaging and surgery were retrospectively reviewed. For the clinical and CT findings, univariate testing followed by multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify independent predictors of death. Then, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the combined prediction model was calculated.The long-term mortality rate was 34.1% in our cohort (a median follow-up period of 60 months). Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified the following presenting variables as predictors of death: male sex (odds ratio [OR]: 6.67; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.67-25.0; P = .007), kidney malperfusion (OR: 2.18; 95% CI: 1.16-4.1; P = .02), and descending aorta size (OR: 1.12; 95% CI: 1.00-1.25; P = .05). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.84 when using the combined model for prediction of long-term all-cause mortality (P ≤ .01).The combined assessment of clinical and CT findings can reasonably predict the long-term prognosis of TAAAD with surgery.

Outcomes of Acute Aortic Dissection Surgery in Octogenarians

Background Octogenarians (≥80 years old) are high-risk patients for acute aortic dissection (AAD) surgery. However, no population-based study has investigated the late outcomes of AAD surgery in octogenarians. This study aimed to investigate the late outcomes of AAD surgery in octogenarians. Methods and Results A total of 3998 patients who received AAD surgery from 2005 to 2013 were identified from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. In-hospital complications and late outcomes including all-cause mortality, major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular event, respiratory failure, and redo aortic surgery were evaluated. The risks of late outcomes between octogenarians and nonoctogenarians were compared using the multivariable Cox proportional hazard model or Fine and Gray competing model. The numbers of the octogenarians who underwent type A and B AAD surgeries were 206 (6%; 206/3423) and 79 (13.7%; 79/575), respectively. Compared with the nonoctogenarians, the type A octogenarians had higher risks of in-hospital mortality and several in-hospital complications, whereas the type B octogenarians did not. Furthermore, compared with the nonoctogenarians, the type A octogenarians had a higher risk of all-cause mortality (61.7% vs 32.5%; hazard ratio [HR], 2.35; 95% CI, 1.95-2.84) and a higher cumulative incidence of major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular event and respiratory failure, and the type B octogenarians demonstrated a higher risk of all-cause mortality (44.3% vs 30.4%; HR, 1.74; 95% CI, 1.18-2.55). The octogenarians receiving AAD surgeries had higher mortality rates than the normal octogenarian population. Conclusions Octogenarians receiving AAD surgeries exhibit worse late outcomes than nonoctogenarian counterparts.

Prognostic role of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in aortic disease: a meta-analysis of observational studies

OBJECTIVE

Recent studies have reported that neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is associated with cardiovascular disease. The aim of the present study was to investigate the prognostic value of NLR in aortic disease.

METHODS

We systematically searched electronic databases (Cochrane, PubMed, Elsevier, Medline, and Embase) from their inception to March 2020. Observational studies that evaluated the relationship between NLR and aortic disease were eligible for critical appraisal. Data were extracted from applicable articles, risk ratio (RR), weighted mean differences (MD) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated by RevMan 5.3, and statistical heterogeneity was assessed by the I² statistic.

RESULTS

Fourteen studies enrolling 4066 individuals were included in the meta-analysis. Compared with the control group, NLR was significantly higher in the aortic disease group (MD 3.44, 95%CI: 0.81-6.07, P = 0.01, I² = 99%). The NLR was also significantly higher in non-survivors with aortic disease, compared to the survivors (MD 4.62, 95%CI: 2.75-6.50, P < 0.00001, I² = 60%). Compared with the aortic disease patients with a low NLR, mortality was significantly higher in those with a high NLR (RR 2.63, 95%CI: 1.79-3.86, P < 0.00001, I² = 67%).

CONCLUSION

Based on current evidence, an elevated NLR was associated with aortic disease and in-hospital mortality. Raised NLR also demonstrated a significantly increased the risk of mortality after surgical repair in aortic disease patients. NLR may be a good prognostic biomarker in aortic disease and deserve further research in this area.

Prognostic nutritional index predicts in-hospital mortality in patients with acute type A aortic dissection

BACKGROUND

The prognostic nutritional index (PNI) has recently been reported to associate with the surgical prognosis of patients with some cardiovascular diseases. However, the prognosis significance of the preoperative PNI in patients with acute type A aortic dissection (AAAD) remains unclear.

OBJECTIVES

The present study aimed to explore the relationship between PNI and postoperative in-hospital mortality in patients with AAAD.

METHODS

Between June 2013 and December 2019, we retrospectively reviewed the clinical data of 651 patients undergoing AAAD surgery. Patients were divided into two groups according to the median PNI. The risk factors of postoperative in-hospital mortality were identified by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

In-hospital mortality was significantly more common in the low group (24.8% vs 16.3%: P = .007). The percentage of prolonged mechanical ventilation (58.9% vs 49.8%: P = .020) and the median duration of intensive care unit stays (7.0 vs 6.0 days: P = .003) were also higher and longer in the low group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the PNI, age, hypertension, and operation time independently predicted in-hospital mortality. Besides, compared with patients with a history of hypertension, the low PNI affected in-hospital mortality more than those without (odds ratio [OR]: 2.07; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.20-3.56; P = .009).

CONCLUSIONS

Lower PNI may be independently associated with in-hospital mortality of patients after AAAD surgery.

Downregulation of HDAC1 suppresses media degeneration by inhibiting the migration and phenotypic switch of aortic vascular smooth muscle cells in aortic dissection

Although much progress has been made in the diagnosis and treatment of thoracic aortic dissection (TAD), the overall morbidity and mortality rates of TAD are still high. Therefore, the molecular pathogenesis and etiology of TAD need to be elucidated. In this study, we found that histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) expression is dramatically higher in the aortic wall of patients with TAD (than that in a normal group) and negatively correlates with the levels of the vascular smooth muscle cell (SMC) contractile-phenotype markers. Knockdown of HDAC1 upregulated both smooth muscle 22 α (SM22α) and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) in platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-BB-treated and -untreated SMCs. In addition, the knockdown of HDAC1 markedly decreased SMC viability and migration in contrast to the control group under the conditions of quiescence and PDGF-BB treatment. We also showed that the expression of polycystic kidney disease 1 (PKD1) is decreased in the aortic wall of patients with TAD and negatively correlates with HDAC1 expression. Overexpressed PKD1 obviously increased SM22α and α-SMA expression and reduced the viability and migration of SMCs, but these effects were attenuated by HDAC1. Furthermore, we demonstrated that HDAC1 serves as an important modulator of the migration and phenotypic switch of SMCs by suppressing the PKD1- mammalian target of the rapamycin signaling pathway. HDAC1 downregulation inhibited media degeneration and attenuated the loss of elastic-fiber integrity in a mouse model of TAD. Our results suggest that HDAC1 might be a new target for the treatment of a macrovascular disease such as TAD.

A meta-analysis of combined proximal stent grafting with or without adjunctive distal bare stent for the management of aortic dissection

BACKGROUND

The efficacy and safety of placement of a proximal covered stent graft combined with a distal bare stent are controversial because of the lack of evidence. This systematic review and meta-analysis compared the outcomes of combined proximal covered stent grafting with distal bare stenting (BS group) and proximal covered stent grafting without distal bare stenting (non-BS group).

METHODS

The MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases and key references were searched up to January 26, 2019. Predefined outcomes of interest were mortality, morbidity, and postoperative assessment of aortic remodeling. We pooled risk ratios (RRs) of the outcomes of interest using fixed effects model or random effects model.

RESULTS

Overall, eight observational studies involving 914 patients were included. There were no significant differences in overall aorta-related mortality (RR, 0.54; confidence interval [CI], 0.24-1.24; P = .15), complete thoracic false lumen (FL) thrombosis rate (RR, 1.23; CI, 0.83-1.81; P = .30), or complete abdominal FL thrombosis rate (RR, 1.96; CI, 0.68-5.69; P = .21) between the BS group and the non-BS group. The BS group had a lower rate of partial thoracic FL thrombosis (RR, 0.40; CI, 0.25-0.65; P = .0002), a lower stent graft-induced new entry rate (RR, 0.08; CI, 0.02-0.41; P = .003), and a lower reintervention rate (RR, 0.42; CI, 0.26-0.69; P = .0005).

CONCLUSIONS

Combined proximal covered stent grafting with distal adjunctive bare stenting had the potential to reduce the partial thoracic FL thrombosis rate and the rates of stent graft-induced new entry and reintervention but was not associated with lower aorta-related mortality or the complete FL thrombosis rate. Further research with a stricter methodology is needed.

The Penn Classification Predicts Hospital Mortality in Acute Stanford Type A and Type B Aortic Dissections

OBJECTIVES

Mortality in acute aortic dissection varies depending on anatomic location, extent, and associated complications. The Stanford classification guides surgical versus medical management. The Penn classification stratifies mortality risk in patients with Stanford type A aortic dissections undergoing surgery. The objective of the present study was to determine whether the Penn classification can predict hospital mortality in patients with acute Stanford type A and type B aortic dissections undergoing surgical or medical management.

DESIGN

Retrospective, observational study.

SETTING

Tertiary care, university hospital.

PARTICIPANTS

Patients with acute aortic dissection between January 2008 and December 2017.

INTERVENTIONS

Examination of hospital mortality after surgical or medical management.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Three hundred fifty-two patients had confirmed dissections (186 type A, 166 type B). The overall mortality was 18.8% for type A and 13.3% for type B. Penn class A patients with type A or type B dissections undergoing surgical repair had the lowest mortality (both 3.1%). Penn class B, C, or B+C patients with type A dissections and Penn class B+C patients with type B dissections undergoing medical management had the greatest incidence of mortality (50.0%-57.1%). All others had intermediate mortality (6.7%-39.3%). Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that Penn class B, C, and B+C patients had a greater odds of mortality and predicted mortality than did Penn class A patients.

CONCLUSIONS

The Penn classification predicts hospital mortality in patients with acute Stanford type A or type B aortic dissections undergoing surgical or medical management. Early endovascular repair may confer lower risk of mortality in patients with type B dissections presenting without ischemia.