[Pulmonary hypertension associated with left heart diseases: pathophysiology, diagnosis, treatment]

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a common complication of diseases affecting the left heart, mostly found in patients suffering from heart failure. Left atrial hypertension is the initial driver of post-capillary PH. However, several mechanisms may lead in a subset of patients to structural changes in the pulmonary vessels with development of a pre-capillary component. The right ventricle may be frequently affected, leading to right ventricular failure and a worse outcome. The differential diagnosis of PH associated with left heart disease vs pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is challenging in patients with cardiovascular comorbidities, risk factors for PAH and/or a preserved left ventricular ejection fraction. Multidimensional clinical phenotyping is needed to identify patients in whom hemodynamic confirmation is deemed necessary, that may be completed by provocative testing in the cath lab. In contrast with PAH, management of PH associated with left heart disease should focus on the treatment of the underlying condition. There is currently no approved therapy for PH associated with left heart disease: some PAH-specific treatments have led to an increase in adverse events in these patients.

[Anticoagulation therapy during pulmonary embolism follow-up in clinical practice]

Patients with pulmonary embolism are a heterogeneous population and, after the acute phase and the first 3-6 months, the main issue is whether to continue, and hence how long and at what dose, or to stop anticoagulation therapy. In patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE), direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are the recommended treatment (class I, level of evidence B in the latest European guidelines), and in most cases, an "extended" or "long-term" low-dose therapy is warranted. This paper aims to provide a practical management tool to the clinician dealing with pulmonary embolism follow-up: from the evidence behind the most used exams (D-dimer, ultrasound Doppler of the lower limbs, imaging tests, recurrence and bleeding risk scores), and the use of DOACs in the extended phase, to six real clinical scenarios with the relative management in the acute phase and at follow-up. Lastly, a practical algorithm is shown to deal with anticoagulation therapy in the follow-up of VTE patients in a simple, schematic, and pragmatic way.

Acute coronary syndrome in very elderly patients-a real-world experience

Very elderly population constitutes an increasingly larger proportion of patients admitted for acute coronary syndromes (ACS). Notably, age represents both a proxy of frailty and an exclusion criterion in clinical randomized trials, which probably contributes to lack of data and undertreatment of real-world elderly patients. The aim of the study is to describe patterns of treatment and outcome of very elderly patients with ACS. All consecutive patients aged ≥ 80 years old (yo) admitted between January 2017 and December 2019 with ACS were included. The primary endpoint was in-hospital occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), defined as the composite of cardiovascular death, new onset cardiogenic shock, definite/probable stent thrombosis, and ischemic stroke. The secondary endpoints were in-hospital incidence of Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) major/minor bleedings, contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN), six-month all-cause mortality, and unplanned readmission. One hundred ninety-three patients (mean age 84.1 ± 3.5 yo, 46% females) were included, of whom 86 (44.6%), 79 (40.9%), and 28 (14.5%) presented with ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI), and unstable angina (UA), respectively. The vast majority of patients received an invasive strategy, with 92.7% undergoing coronary angiography and 84.4% to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Aspirin was administered to 180 (93.3%) patients, clopidogrel to 89 (46.1%) patients, and ticagrelor to 85 (44%) patients. In-hospital MACE occurred in 29 patients (15.0%), whereas 3 (1.6%) and 12 patients (7.2%) experienced in-hospital TIMI major and TIMI minor bleeding, respectively. Of the overall population, 177 (91.7%) were discharged alive. After discharge, 11 patients (6.2%) died of all-cause death, whereas 42 patients (23.7%) required a new hospitalization within six months. Invasive strategy of ACS in elderly patients seems safe and effective. Six-month new hospitalization appears inevitably related to age.

[Managing patients with left ventricular thrombosis after acute myocardial infarction: current evidence, uncertainties, and future perspectives]

The incidence of left ventricular thrombosis (LVT) after acute myocardial infarction has declined significantly in recent decades, thanks to advances in the field of revascularization and antithrombotic therapy. Despite oral anticoagulation, embolic events are the most feared complication of LVT. From a pathophysiological point of view, the development of LVT depends on Virchow's triad, that is, endothelial damage caused by myocardial infarction, blood stasis due to left ventricular dysfunction, and hyper-coagulability determined by inflammation. The diagnostic modalities of LVT include transthoracic echocardiography preferably implemented by contrast administration, and cardiac magnetic resonance. Most thrombi develop in the first 2 weeks after acute myocardial infarction, so the role of systematic screening with short to medium term repeated imaging appears limited. Vitamin K antagonists remain the cornerstone of therapy, since the effectiveness of direct oral anticoagulants remains to be established. Only weak evidence supports the routine use of prophylactic anticoagulant therapy, even in high-risk patients.

Safety and feasibility of angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitor in real-world patients with acute decompensated heart failure

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to determine the safety and feasibility of in-hospital sacubitril/valsartan initiation after clinical stabilization in patients with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) and reduced ejection fraction (EF).

METHODS

This retrospective, multicenter observational study included patients admitted for ADHF in 2 Italian centers between February 2017 and January 2022. Feasibility was evaluated by assessing the proportion of patients discharged on sacubitril/valsartan. Key safety endpoints were the incidences of adverse events during hospitalization and during follow-up planned at 1 month, 3-6 months and 12-18 months after discharge.

RESULTS

One hundred and twenty-two patients were included. Median age was 71 (60-78) years, 78% male, 63% New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class III at admission with a median left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) of 25% (20-30). During hospitalization, 94 (77%) patients were treated with intravenous diuretics, 39 (32%) with inotrope/vasopressor, 51 (42%) with continuous positive airway pressure ventilation and 7 (6%) were assisted with an intra-aortic balloon pump. Median time from hospitalization to sacubitril/valsartan initiation was 4 (2-7) days. Sacubitril/valsartan was started at a dosage of 12/13 mg in 52 (43%) patients, 24/26 mg in 61 (50%) patients and 49/51 mg in 8 (7%) patients. Overall, 111 (91%) patients were discharged on sacubitril/valsartan. At 12-18-month follow-up, the vast majority of patients were still on sacubitril/valsartan therapy.

CONCLUSIONS

In-hospital initiation of sacubitril/valsartan treatment in real-world ADHF patients may be a safe and feasible treatment option.

European position paper on the management of patients with patent foramen ovale. Part II - Decompression sickness, migraine, arterial deoxygenation syndromes and select high-risk clinical conditions

Patent foramen ovale (PFO) is implicated in the pathogenesis of a number of medical conditions but to date only one official position paper related to left circulation thromboembolism has been published. This interdisciplinary paper, prepared with the involvement of eight European scientific societies, reviews the available evidence and proposes a rationale for decision making for other PFO-related clinical conditions. In order to guarantee a strict evidence-based process, we used a modified grading of recommendations, assessment, development, and evaluation (GRADE) methodology. A critical qualitative and quantitative evaluation of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures was performed, including assessment of the risk/benefit ratio. The level of evidence and the strength of the position statements were weighed and graded according to predefined scales. Despite being based on limited and observational or low-certainty randomised data, a number of position statements were made to frame PFO management in different clinical settings, along with suggestions for new research avenues. This interdisciplinary position paper, recognising the low or very low certainty of existing evidence, provides the first approach to several PFO-related clinical scenarios beyond left circulation thromboembolism and strongly stresses the need for fresh high-quality evidence on these topics.

Incidence, predictors and outcomes of Valve-in-valve (ViV) Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR): a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

Surgical aortic valve replacement has been the treatment of choice for patients with aortic valve disease before the arrival of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVI), although limited by degeneration of the bioprosthesis. “Redo” intervention itself is burdened by high risk of complications and valve-in-valve (ViV) TAVI could be a valid strategy of redo for patients with comorbidities. The aim of this meta-analysis is to give an overview of the state of the art of ViV TAVI in high-risk patients, analyzing efficacy, safety, intra-hospital outcomes and 1-year outcomes and assess predictors of survival at short and mid-term follow up.

Methods

Two independent reviewers screened all studies investigating patients undergoing ViV TAVI. PubMed database was searched for reports published in English according to the following highly sensitive strategy: (Transcatheter[All Fields] AND “aortic”[All Fields]) AND valve-in-valve[All Fields] AND “implantation”[All Fields] NOT (review[pt] OR editorial[pt] OR letter[pt])AND “humans”[MeSH Terms]). Mortality at 30 days and at 1 year were the primary end point, while procedural and short-term outcomes and echocardiographic parameters at hospital discharge were the secondary end points.

Results

Of 286 studies identified, 26 articles were included, with a total of 1448 patients. Median age was 78.8 years, 57.7% of the patients were male. Median STS-predicted risk of mortality was 9.4% while median Logistic EuroSCORE was 31.3%. Median age of bioprosthesis was 10 years with 84.6% of stented valves. Stenosis (45%), followed by regurgitation (31%) and mixed defects (21%) were the causes of prosthesis failure. Diameter of the degenerated valve was ≤21 mm in 25.4%, 22–25 mm in 55% and >25mm in 11.7% of the patients. Transfemoral approach was preferred (76%), with a prevalence of balloon expandable valve (73.3%). Mean post procedural gradient was 16.7±0.8 mmHg. Mean follow up was 376 days. Overall and cardiovascular mortality at 30 days was 6.5% and 5.5% respectively, while at 1 year it was 14.5% and 8.9% respectively. Regarding short-term outcomes, overall bleeding (10.4%), pacemaker implantation (9.4%) and vascular complications (8.3%) were the most common peri-procedural complications, while stroke (2.3%), myocardial infarction (2.7%) and coronary obstruction (2.8%) were less frequent. At meta-regression analysis study year (p<0.001), Logistic Euroscore (p<0.01) and valve diameter ≤21 mm (p<0.05) at 30 days, and stenosis as reason for failure (p=0.05) at 1 year were identified as possible predictors of survival.

Conclusions

Percutaneous valve-in-valve aortic valve implantation offers a valid strategy to treat high risk patients with a degenerative bioprosthesis. Short and mid-term outcomes are substantially superimposable to those of TAVI, except for coronary obstruction which appears more frequent. Future studies are needed to find predictors of long- term survival and outcomes in lower risk patients.

Outcome of VIV TAVI

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding source: None

Female sex impact on culprit plaque at optical coherence tomography analysis in the setting of acute coronary syndrome in OCT-FORMIDABLE registry

Aim: To evaluate sex difference in culprit plaque features at optical coherence tomography (OCT) and major adverse cardiovascular events at follow-up. Patients and methods: We analyse data from the OCT-FORMIDABLE (OCT-Features Of moRphology, coMposItion anD instABility of culprit and pLaquE in acute coronary syndrome [ACS] patients) registry. A total of 285 patients (20%, 58 females) were included. Results: Females with ST segment elevation myocardial infarction showed a longer ruptured area of the plaque (8.6 ± 7.6 vs 4.6 ± 5.4; p = 0.003) and a major necrotic core macrophage infiltration (43 vs 17%; p = 0.017). Females with non-ST segment elevation-ACS had less lipidic plaques (62 vs 80%; p = 0.04). No between-group sex differences in major adverse cardiovascular events emerged at follow-up (5 vs 9%; p = 0.88 in ST segment elevation myocardial infarction group and 19 vs 15%; p = 0.6 in non-ST segment elevation-ACS group). At multivariate analysis, female sex was not a major risk of plaque rupture (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.59, CI: 0.44–5.67; p = 0.48). Conclusion: Female sex seems to have no significant impact.

ClincalTrial. gov registration number: NCT02486861.

Outcome of Patients With Prior Stroke/Transient Ischemic Attack and Acute Coronary Syndromes

The association between prior stroke/transient ischemic attack (TIA) and clinical outcomes in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) has not been well explored. We evaluated the impact of prior stroke/TIA on this specific patient population. We conducted an international multicenter study including 15 401 patients with ACS from the Bleeding Complications in a Multicenter Registry of Patients Discharged With Diagnosis of Acute Coronary Syndrome registry. They were divided into 2 groups: patients with and without prior stroke/TIA. The primary end point was death at 1-year follow-up. Prior stroke/TIA was associated with higher rate of 1-year death (8.7% vs 3.4%; P < .001). It was an independent predictor of 1-year death even after adjustment for confounding variables (odds ratio, 1.705; 95% confidence interval, 1.046-2.778; P = .032). Besides, patients with prior stroke/TIA had significantly increased 1-year reinfarction (5.6% vs 3.8%, P = .015), in-hospital bleeding (8.7% vs 5.8%, P < .001), and 1-year bleeding (5.2% vs 3.0%, P < .001). No difference of antithrombotic therapies or dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) types on outcomes was observed in patients with prior stroke/TIA. Prior stroke/TIA was associated with higher 1-year death for patients with ACS who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention. No benefits or harms were observed with different antithrombotic therapies or DAPT types in these patients.

Impact of renin-angiotensin system blockade on the prognosis of acute coronary syndrome based on left ventricular ejection fraction

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES

For patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), it is unclear whether angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) are associated with reduced mortality, particularly with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). The goal of this study was to determine the association between ACEI/ARB and mortality in ACS patients undergoing PCI, with and without reduced LVEF.

METHODS

Data from the BleeMACS registry were used. The endpoint was 1-year all-cause mortality. The prognostic value of ACEI/ARB was tested after weighting by survival-time inverse probability and after adjustment by Cox regression, propensity score, and instrumental variable analysis.

RESULTS

Among 15 401 ACS patients who underwent PCI, ACEI/ARB were prescribed in 75.2%. There were 569 deaths (3.7%) during the first year after hospital discharge. After multivariable adjustment, ACEI/ARB were associated with lower 1-year mortality, ≤ 40% (HR, 0.62; 95%CI, 0.43-0.90; P=.012). The relative risk reduction of ACEI/ARB in mortality was 46.1% in patients with LVEF ≤ 40%, and 15.7% in patients with LVEF> 40% (P value for treatment-by-LVEF interaction=.008). For patients with LVEF> 40%, ACEI/ARB was associated with lower mortality only in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (HR, 0.44; 95%CI, 0.21-0.93; P=.031).

CONCLUSION

The benefit of ACEI/ARB in decreasing mortality after an ACS in patients undergoing PCI is concentrated in patients with LVEF ≤ 40%, and in those with LVEF> 40% and ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. In non-ST-segment elevation-ACS patients with LVEF> 40%, further studies are needed to assess the prognostic impact of ACEI/ARB.

European position paper on the management of patients with patent foramen ovale. General approach and left circulation thromboembolism

The presence of a patent foramen ovale (PFO) is implicated in the pathogenesis of a number of medical conditions; however, the subject remains controversial and no official statements have been published. This interdisciplinary paper, prepared with involvement of eight European scientific societies, aims to review the available trial evidence and to define the principles needed to guide decision making in patients with PFO. In order to guarantee a strict process, position statements were developed with the use of a modified grading of recommendations assessment, development, and evaluation (GRADE) methodology. A critical qualitative and quantitative evaluation of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures was performed, including assessment of the risk/benefit ratio. The level of evidence and the strength of the position statements of particular management options were weighed and graded according to predefined scales. Despite being based often on limited and non-randomised data, while waiting for more conclusive evidence, it was possible to conclude on a number of position statements regarding a rational general approach to PFO management and to specific considerations regarding left circulation thromboembolism. For some therapeutic aspects, it was possible to express stricter position statements based on randomised trials. This position paper provides the first largely shared, interdisciplinary approach for a rational PFO management based on the best available evidence.

Prediction of Post-Discharge Bleeding in Elderly Patients with Acute Coronary Syndromes: Insights from the BleeMACS Registry

BACKGROUND

A poor ability of recommended risk scores for predicting in-hospital bleeding has been reported in elderly patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS). No study assessed the prediction of post-discharge bleeding in the elderly. The new BleeMACS score (Bleeding complications in a Multicenter registry of patients discharged with diagnosis of Acute Coronary Syndrome), was designed to predict post-discharge bleeding in ACS patients. We aimed to assess the predictive ability of the BleeMACS score in elderly patients.

METHODS

We assessed the incidence and characteristics of severe bleeding after discharge in ACS patients aged ≥ 75 years. Bleeding was defined as any intracranial bleeding or bleeding leading to hospitalization and/or red blood transfusion, occurring within the first year after discharge. We assessed the predictive ability of the BleeMACS score according to age by Fine-Gray proportional hazards regression analysis, calculating receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves and the area under the ROC curves (AUC).

RESULTS

The BleeMACS registry included 15,401 patients of whom 3,376/15,401 (21.9%) were aged ≥ 75 years. Elderly patients were more commonly treated with clopidogrel and less often treated with ticagrelor or prasugrel. Of 3,376 elderly patients, 190 (5.6%) experienced post-discharge bleeding. The incidence of bleeding was moderately higher in elderly patients (hazard ratio [HR], 2.31, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.92-2.77). The predictive ability of the BleeMACS score was moderately lower in elderly patients (AUC, 0.652 vs. 0.691, p = 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Elderly patients with ACS had a significantly higher incidence of post-discharge bleeding. Despite a lower predictive ability in older patients, the BleeMACS score exhibited an acceptable performance in these patients.

Noninvasive Assessment of Hemodynamic Status in HeartWare Left Ventricular Assist Device Patients: Validation of an Echocardiographic Approach

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this prospective study was to validate an echocardiographic protocol derived from 5 HeartWare left ventricular assist device (HVAD) patients for the noninvasive evaluation of right atrial pressure (RAP) and left atrial pressure (LAP) in HVAD patients.

BACKGROUND

Echocardiography is an invaluable tool to optimize medical treatment and pump settings and also for troubleshooting residual heart failure. Little is known about the echocardiographic evaluation of hemodynamic status in HVAD patients.

METHODS

Right heart catheterization and Doppler echocardiography were performed in 35 HVAD patients. Echocardiography-estimated RAP (eRAP) was assessed using inferior vena cava diameter, hepatic venous flow analysis, and tricuspid E/e' ratio. Echocardiography-estimated LAP was assessed using E/A ratio, mitral E/e' ratio, and deceleration time.

RESULTS

eRAP and estimated LAP significantly correlated with invasive RAP and LAP (respectively, r = 0.839, p < 0.001, and r = 0.889, p < 0.001) and accurately detected high RAP and high LAP (respectively, area under the curve 0.94, p < 0.001, and area under the curve 0.91, p < 0.001). High eRAP was associated with high LAP (area under the curve 0.92, p < 0.001) and correlated with death or hospitalization at 180 days (odds ratio: 8.2; 95% confidence interval: 1.1 to 21.0; p = 0.04). According to estimated LAP and eRAP, patients were categorized into 4 hemodynamic profiles. Fifteen patients (43%) showed the optimal unloading profile (normal eRAP and normal wedge pressure). This profile showed a trend toward a lower risk for adverse cardiac events at follow-up (odds ratio: 0.2; 95% confidence interval: 0.1 to 1.0; p = 0.05) compared with other hemodynamic profiles.

CONCLUSIONS

Doppler echocardiography accurately estimated hemodynamic status in HVAD patients. This algorithm reliably detected high RAP and LAP. Notably, high RAP was associated with high wedge pressure and adverse outcome. The benefit of noninvasive estimation of hemodynamic status in the clinical management of patients with left ventricular assist devices needs further evaluation.

Clinical Outcomes and Prognosis Markers of Patients With Liver Disease Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement

Background—

Chronic liver disease is a known risk factor for perioperative morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Very little data exist about such patients treated with transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Our objective was to evaluate early and late clinical outcomes in a large cohort of patients with liver disease undergoing TAVR and to determine predictive factors of mortality among these patients.

Methods and Results—

This multicenter study collected data from 114 patients with chronic liver disease who underwent TAVR in 12 institutions. Perioperative and long-term outcomes were compared with a cohort of 1118 patients without liver disease after a propensity score–matching analysis (114 matched pairs). In-hospital mortality and vascular and bleeding complications were similar between matched groups. Acute kidney injury was more common in liver disease group (30.8% versus 13.5%; P =0.010). Although cardiovascular mortality was similar between groups (9.4% versus 6.5%; P =0.433) at 2-year follow-up, noncardiac mortality was higher in the liver group (26.4% versus 14.8%; P =0.034). Lower glomerular filtration rate (hazard ratio, 1.10, for each decrease of 5 mL/min in estimated glomerular filtration rate; 95% confidence interval, 1.03–1.17; P =0.005) and Child-Pugh class B or C (hazard ratio, 3.11; 95% confidence interval, 1.47–6.56; P =0.003) were the predictors of mortality in patients with chronic liver disease, with a mortality rate of 83.2% at 2-year follow-up in patients with both factors (estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL/min and Child-Pugh B or C).

Conclusions—

These findings suggested that TAVR is a feasible treatment for severe aortic stenosis in patients with early-stage liver disease or as bridge therapy before a curative treatment of the hepatic condition. Patients with Child-Pugh class B-C, especially in combination with renal impairment, had a very low survival rate, and TAVR should be carefully considered to avoid a futile treatment. These results may contribute to improve the clinical decision-making process and management in patients with liver disease.

Prevalence and outcome of patients with cancer and acute coronary syndrome undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention: a BleeMACS substudy

BACKGROUND

The prevalence and outcome of patients with cancer that experience acute coronary syndrome (ACS) have to be determined.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The BleeMACS project is a multicentre observational registry enrolling patients with acute coronary syndrome undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention worldwide in 15 hospitals. The primary endpoint was a composite event of death and re-infarction after one year of follow-up. Bleedings were the secondary endpoint. 15,401 patients were enrolled, 926 (6.4%) in the cancer group and 14,475 (93.6%) in the group of patients without cancer. Patients with cancer were older (70.8±10.3 vs. 62.8±12.1 years, P<0.001) with more severe comorbidities and presented more frequently with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction compared with patients without cancer. After one year, patients with cancer more often experienced the composite endpoint (15.2% vs. 5.3%, P<0.001) and bleedings (6.5% vs. 3%, P<0.001). At multiple regression analysis the presence of cancer was the strongest independent predictor for the primary endpoint (hazard ratio (HR) 2.1, 1.8-2.5, P<0.001) and bleedings (HR 1.5, 1.1-2.1, P=0.015). Despite patients with cancer generally being undertreated, beta-blockers (relative risk (RR) 0.6, 0.4-0.9, P=0.05), angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers (RR 0.5, 0.3-0.8, P=0.02), statins (RR 0.3, 0.2-0.5, P<0.001) and dual antiplatelet therapy (RR 0.5, 0.3-0.9, P=0.05) were shown to be protective factors, while proton pump inhibitors (RR 1, 0.6-1.5, P=0.9) were neutral.

CONCLUSION

Cancer has a non-negligible prevalence in patients with acute coronary syndrome undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention, with a major risk of cardiovascular events and bleedings. Moreover, these patients are often undertreated from clinical despite medical therapy seems to be protective. Registration:The BleeMACS project (NCT02466854).

One-year follow-up of conduction disturbances following transcatheter aortic valve implantation

AIMS

To describe the postprocedural and 1-year follow-up incidence of heart conduction disturbances in patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI).

METHODS

Ninety-five patients were enrolled from 2008 to 2011 (mean age 81.8 ± 7.2 years, 63.1% women). Clinical and ECG data were recorded at admission, discharge, and 3, 6 and 12 months following TAVI.

RESULTS

Fifty-seven Edwards SAPIEN (31 transapical, 26 transfemoral) and 38 transfemoral CoreValve implants were used. Two (2.1%) patients died during the procedure and 11 (11.6%) patients received a pacemaker prior to discharge (7 CoreValve, 3 transapical, 1 transfemoral SAPIEN; P = 0.18). Among the surviving patients not receiving a pacemaker, TAVI increased the PQ interval (176 ± 29 vs. 188 ± 36 ms; P = 0.001), QRS width (90 ± 15 vs. 108 ± 26 ms; P < 0.001), and first-grade atrioventricular block (17 vs. 29%; P < 0.001). Postprocedural complete left bundle branch block was reported most in transapical (from 10 to 36%; P = 0.01) and CoreValve (from 8 to 64%; P < 0.001) recipients compared to the transfemoral SAPIEN group. At the 12-month follow-up, 24 (25.3%) patients had died [two (2.1%) sudden deaths] and four (4.2%) required pacemaker implantation. Among the survivors not receiving a pacemaker at the 1-year follow-up, the PQ interval (178 ± 27 vs. 188 ± 36 ms; P = 0.39) remained unchanged in the ECG, whereas the QRS width (100 ± 22 vs. 108 ± 26 ms; P = 0.008) decreased compared to measurements taken at discharge.

CONCLUSION

Conduction disturbances following TAVI primarily develop during hospitalization and subsequently stabilize. However, the small percentage of patients suffering sudden death or pacemaker implantation requires attention.

Thirty-day readmission rates after PCI in a metropolitan center in Europe: incidence and impact on prognosis

INTRODUCTION

Thirty-day readmission rates after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) have been related to adverse prognosis, and represent one of the most investigated indicators of quality of care. These data, however, derive from non-European centers evaluating all-cause readmissions, without stratification for diagnosis.

METHODS

All consecutive patients undergoing PCI at our center from January 2009 to December 2011 were enrolled. Thirty-day readmissions related to postinfarction angina, myocardial infarction, unstable angina or heart failure were defined as acute coronary syndrome (ACS) or heart failure rehospitalizations. Major cardiac adverse event (MACE) was the primary outcome, and its single components (death, myocardial infarction and repeated revascularization) the secondary ones.

RESULTS

A total of 1192 patients were included; among them, 53 (4.7%) were readmitted within 30 days, and 25 (2.1%) were classified as ACS/heart failure related. During hospitalization, patients with ACS/heart failure readmissions were more likely to suffer a periprocedural myocardial infarction (22 vs. 4%; P = 0.012), and to undergo PCI at 30 days (52 vs. 0.5%; P < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis indicated that periprocedural myocardial infarction represented the only independent predictor of an ACS/heart failure readmission [odds ratio (OR) 4.5; 1.1-16.8; P = 0.047]. After a median follow-up of 787 days (434-1027; first and third quartiles), patients with a 30-day ACS/heart failure readmission experienced higher rates of MACE, all-cause death and myocardial infarction (64 vs. 21%, P < 0.001; 28 vs. 6%, P = 0.017; and 20 vs. 2.7%, P < 0.001, respectively). Cox multivariate analysis indicated that ACS/heart failure 30-day readmissions were independently related to an increased risk of all-cause death (OR 3.3; 1.1-8.8; P = 0.02), differently from 30-day non-ACS/heart failure readmissions (OR 3.1; 0.7-12.9; P = 0.12).

CONCLUSION

Thirty-day readmissions after PCI in an Italian center are infrequent, and only those patients with ACS/heart failure show a detrimental impact on prognosis who have periprocedural myocardial infarction as the only independent predictor.

Meta-analysis of comparison between self-expandable and balloon-expandable valves for patients having transcatheter aortic valve implantation

Two different devices, 1 self-expanding and 1 balloon-expandable, have been developed for patients who underwent transcatheter aortic valve implantation with contrasting data about efficacy and safety. Pubmed, Medline, and Google Scholar were systematically searched for studies of these different devices, with data derived from randomized controlled trial or registries with multivariate analysis. All-cause death at 30 days and at follow-up were the primary end points, whereas postprocedural moderate or severe aortic regurgitation (AR), stroke, major vascular complications, bleedings, and pacemaker implantation the secondary ones. Six studies with 957 self-expanding and 947 balloon-expandable valves were included: 1 randomized controlled trial and 5 observational studies. At 30 days follow-up, rates of death did not differ between self-expanding and balloon-expandable valves (odds ratio [OR] 0.74, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.47 to 1.17), whereas balloon expandable reduced rates of moderate or severe AR (OR 0.51, 95% CI 0.27 to 0.99) and of pacemaker implantation (OR 0.28, 95% CI 0.17 to 0.47). After a follow-up of 360 days (300 to 390), rates of all-cause death did not differ between the 2 groups. In conclusion, risks of moderate or severe AR and pacemaker implantation were lower with the balloon-expandable devices without an impact on 30 days and midterm mortality.

Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials and adjusted observational results of use of clopidogrel, aspirin, and oral anticoagulants in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention

The optimal antiaggregant therapy after coronary stenting in patients receiving oral anticoagulants (OACs) is currently debated. MEDLINE and Cochrane Library were searched for studies reporting outcomes of patients who underwent PCI and who were on triple therapy (TT) or dual-antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) with aspirin and clopidogrel or dual therapy (DT) with OAC and clopidogrel. Major bleeding was the primary end point, whereas all-cause death, myocardial infarction (MI), stent thrombosis, and stroke were secondary ones. Results were reported for all studies and separately for those deriving from randomized controlled trials or multivariate analysis. In 9 studies, 1,317 patients were treated with DAPT and 1,547 with TT. DAPT offered a significant reduction of major bleeding at 1 year for overall studies and for the subset of observational works providing adjusted data (odds ratio [OR] 0.51, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.39 to 0.68, I2 60% and OR 0.36, 95% CI 0.28 to 0.46) compared to TT. No increased risk of major adverse cardiac events (MACE: death, MI, stroke, and stent thrombosis) was reported (OR 0.71, 95% CI 0.46 to 1.08), although not deriving from randomized controlled trials or multivariate analysis. Six studies tested OAC and clopidogrel (1,263 patients) versus OAC, aspirin, and clopidogrel (3,055 patients) with a significant reduction of bleeding (OR 0.79, 95% CI 0.64 to 0.98), without affecting rates of death, MI, stroke, and stent thrombosis (OR 0.90, 95% CI 0.69 to 1.23) also when including clinical data from randomized controlled trials or multivariate analysis. In conclusion, compared to TT, both aspirin and clopidogrel and clopidogrel and OAC reduce bleeding. No difference in major adverse cardiac events is present for clopidogrel and OAC, whereas only low-grade evidence is present for aspirin and clopidogrel.

Incidence, predictors, and impact on prognosis of systolic pulmonary artery pressure and its improvement after transcatheter aortic valve implantation: a multicenter registry

AIMS

Elevated values of systolic pulmonary artery pressure (sPAP) represent a common finding in patients with aortic stenosis and severe left ventricular hypertrophy. Prognostic impact of sPAP and its potential improvement after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) remains to be determined.

METHODS AND RESULTS

This is a multicenter retrospective registry in five European institutions. All consecutive patients undergoing TAVI were enrolled, and divided into two groups according to sPAP evaluated with echocardiography: ≤40 mm Hg and >40 mm Hg. All-cause mortality at follow-up of at least 1 year was the primary endpoint, while 30-day mortality, periprocedural complications, myocardial infarction, stroke, and reintervention rates at follow-up were the secondary endpoints. Among 674 patients enrolled, a total of 319 (47%) had sPAP >40 mm Hg. This was associated with higher mortality at 30 days (4.5% vs 8.5%; P=.03) and at a median follow-up of 477 days (17% vs 26%; P=.03). Improvement of sPAP was reported in 113 patients (27%), occurring more frequently in absence of moderate or severe mitral regurgitation and of right ventricle dysfunction. With multivariate adjustment, reduced renal function, insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, and sPAP >40 mm Hg were independent predictors of all-cause mortality, improvement in sPAP values was related to a better survival, while ejection fraction was not.

CONCLUSION

Elevated values of sPAP represent a common finding in patients undergoing TAVI. This parameter, along with its improvement, may be used to stratify risk and determine prognosis for patients undergoing TAVI.

Meta-analysis of predictors of all-cause mortality after transcatheter aortic valve implantation

The aim of this study was to identify predictors of 30-day and midterm mortality after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) by means of a systemic review. TAVI was demonstrated to be safe and efficacious in patients with severe aortic stenosis. An accurate estimation of procedural risk of these patients represents an actual challenge. The PubMed and Cochrane Collaboration databases were systematically searched for studies reporting on the incidence and independent predictors of 30-day and midterm mortality. Adverse events were pooled with random effect, whereas independent predictors are reported as odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). A total of 25 studies with 8,874 patients were included (median age 82.5 ± 1.5 years, 54.6% women). At 30 days, 7.5% of patients (n = 663) died. At midterm follow-up (median 365 days, interquartile range 267 to 365 days), the cumulative mortality rate was 21.6% (n = 1,917). Acute kidney injury (AKI) stage ≥2 (OR 18.0, 95% CI 6.3 to 52), preprocedural hospitalization for heart failure (OR 9.4, 95% CI 2.6 to 35), periprocedural acute myocardial infarction (OR 8.5, 95% CI 2.6 to 33.5), and increased pro-brain natriuretic peptide (pro-BNP) levels (OR 5.4, 95% CI 1.7 to 16.5) were the most important independent predictors of 30-day mortality. Increased pro-BNP levels (OR 11, 95% CI 1.5 to 81), AKI stage 3 (OR 6.8, 95% CI 2.6 to 15.7), left ventricular ejection fraction <30% (OR 6.7, 95% CI 3.5 to 12.7), and periprocedural acute myocardial infarction (OR 6.5, 95% CI 2.3 to 18.1) represented the predictors of midterm mortality. In conclusion, in this large meta-analysis of patients undergoing TAVI, we found that high pro-BNP levels and postprocedural AKI were the strongest independent predictors of both 30-day and 1-year mortality. These findings may contribute to a better understanding of the risk assessment process of patients undergoing TAVI.

A gender based analysis of predictors of all cause death after transcatheter aortic valve implantation

The impact of gender-related pathophysiologic features of severe aortic stenosis on transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) outcomes remains to be determined, as does the consistency of predictors of mortality between the genders. All consecutive patients who underwent TAVI at 6 institutions were enrolled in this study and stratified according to gender. Midterm all-cause mortality was the primary end point, with events at 30 days and at midterm as secondary end points. All events were adjudicated according to Valve Academic Research Consortium definitions. Eight hundred thirty-six patients were enrolled, 464 (55.5%) of whom were female. At midterm follow-up (median 365 days, interquartile range 100 to 516) women had similar rates of all-cause mortality compared with men (18.1% vs 22.6%, p = 0.11) and similar incidence of myocardial infarction and cerebrovascular accident. Gender did not affect mortality also on multivariate analysis. Among clinical and procedural features, glomerular filtration rate <30 ml/min/1.73 m(2) (hazard ratio [HR] 2.55, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.36 to 4.79) and systolic pulmonary arterial pressure >50 mm Hg (HR 2.26, 95% CI 1.26 to 4.02) independently predicted mortality in women, while insulin-treated diabetes (HR 3.45, 95% CI 1.47 to 8.09), previous stroke (HR 3.42, 95% CI 1.43 to 8.18), and an ejection fraction <30% (HR 3.82, 95% CI 1.41 to 10.37) were related to mortality in men. Postprocedural aortic regurgitation was independently related to midterm mortality in the 2 groups (HR 11.19, 95% CI 3.3 to 37.9). In conclusion, women and men had the same life expectancy after TAVI, but different predictors of adverse events stratified by gender were demonstrated. These findings underline the importance of a gender-tailored clinical risk assessment in TAVI patients.

Impact of diabetes mellitus on early and midterm outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (from a multicenter registry)

Several clinical and procedural factors have been identified as predictors of early and midterm events after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), but incidence and prognostic impact of diabetes mellitus (DM), especially insulin treated, on short- and midterm outcomes remain to be defined. All consecutive patients who underwent TAVI at our institutions were enrolled and stratified according to DM status. All-cause mortality at 30 days or in hospital and at follow-up was the primary end point, whereas periprocedural complications, rates of myocardial infarction, stroke, and reintervention at follow-up were the secondary ones. All end points were adjudicated according to the Valve Academic Research Consortium definitions. In all, 511 patients were enrolled: 361 without DM, 78 with orally treated DM, and 72 with insulin-treated DM. Orally treated DM patients were more frequently women, whereas insulin-treated DM patients were younger. Thirty-day Valve Academic Research Consortium mortality was not significantly higher in patients with orally treated DM and insulin-treated DM compared with patients without diabetes (6.4%, 9.7%, and 4.7%, p = 0.09). Bleedings, vascular complications, postprocedural acute kidney injury, and periprocedural strokes were not significantly different in the 3 groups. At midterm follow-up (median 400 days), patients with insulin-treated DM had a significantly higher mortality rate (33.3% vs 18.6%, p = 0.01) and higher myocardial infarction incidence (8.3% vs 1.4%, p = 0.002) if compared with patients without diabetes. Strokes and reinterventions at follow-up were similar in the 3 groups. After multivariable adjustment, insulin-treated DM was independently correlated with death (hazard ratio 2, 95% confidence interval 1.3 to 3.3) and myocardial infarction (hazard ratio 3.73, 95% confidence interval 1.1 to 13). In conclusion, DM does not significantly affect rates of complications in patients who underwent TAVI. Insulin-treated DM, but not orally treated DM, is independently associated with death and myocardial infarction at midterm follow-up and should be included into future TAVI-dedicated scores.

30 days and midterm outcomes of patients undergoing percutaneous replacement of aortic valve according to their renal function: a multicenter study

INTRODUCTION

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) constitutes a predictor of adverse events for surgical aortic valve replacement. In patients undergoing TAVI no study was performed to evaluate outcomes according to renal clearance, which represents the most accurate instrument to assess kidney function.

METHODS

From January 2007 to December 2011 all TAVI patients of our institutions were prospectively divided into 3 cohorts. Preserved renal function those with clearance more or equal to 60 ml/min/1.73 m2, moderate CKD those between 30 and 60, and severe CKD those between 15 and 30. Patients with a clearance less than 15 or in dialysis were excluded. All outcomes were adjudicated according to VARC criterion.

RESULTS

72 patients with preserved renal function, 219 with moderate and 73 with severe CKD were included; those in the latter group were older and with lower ejection fraction. At 30 days, severe CKD was associated with a trend toward a higher risk of major events than preserved and moderate CKD: cardiovascular death (2.8% vs 6.7% vs 9%; p=0.256) life threatening bleedings (10% vs 10% vs 16%; p=0.384), major stroke (1.4% vs 2.3% vs 4.1%; p=0.763). At a medium follow-up of 540 ± 250 days, cardiovascular death incidence was higher in patients with severe CKD (7% vs 8 vs 19%; p<0.0001), however this difference was not consistently significant after multivariable adjustment (p=0.300). Overall, 2% of patients developed kidney failure, whereas 47.1% of patients with severe CKD improved to moderate renal impairment.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with severe chronic renal disease presented higher risk of adverse events, mainly driven by increased hazard of bleedings. TAVI procedures could offer kidney functional improvement in an important subset of patients.

[A computer program to retrieve and record ISTAT codes related to pediatric diagnosis]

The paper describes a computer program that retrieves ISTAT codes increasing the efficiency of the retrieving time spent with traditional methods storing the obtained information in a suitable data-base, which may be lately explored by means of commercial programs. To increase the detail of the stored data, many of the official codes have been expanded with an extra character. Some results obtained from an experience conducted at the Pediatric Division of Crema Hospital are also reported.

Movement-related brain macropotentials during skilled performances. A developmental study

A developmental study of movement-related brain macropotentials (MRBMs) during a self-paced bimanual skilled performance task (Papakostopoulos 1980) was carried out. MRBMs were obtained from Fpz, Cz and right and left pre-central and electromyograms were recorded from the left and right flexor muscles of the forearms in 30 normal children ranging from 8 to 13 years of age. A consistent Bereitschaftspotential appeared in children of 10 years; in the younger children it was absent or it was positive at precentral and central locations. The motor cortex potential and P200 were present in all children. The skilled performance positivity (SPP), absent at 8 and 9 years, appeared at 11 years of age and was present in older children. The latency of P200 and SPP decreased with age. ANOVA tests showed a statistically significant age effect on performance, EMG rise time and MRBMs; MRBMs were not statistically influenced by time in the experiment: MCP and P200 increased in amplitude with improvement of performance. The results indicate different rates of maturation of the neuronal systems underlying the genesis of the various movement-related brain macropotentials.