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Am J Cardiol 2022 May 18. Epub 2022 May 18.

Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Heart and Vascular Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio. Electronic address:

The simultaneous presence of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and secondary tricuspid regurgitation (STR) portends particularly poor outcomes. However, not all patients with PAH develop significant STR, and the mechanisms and clinical implications underlying this phenomenon remain unclear. We sought to describe the functional, anatomic, hemodynamic, and clinical characteristics of patients with PAH with and without STR. Read More

Am J Cardiol 2022 May 18. Epub 2022 May 18.

Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University Hospitals Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio. Electronic address:

Previous studies reported that new-onset persistent left bundle branch block (NOP-LBBB) was related to worse outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). However, these results can be confounded by the presence of permanent pacemaker (PPM) implantation before and after TAVI. Long-term outcomes and the risk stratification of NOP-LBBB not having PPM implantation before and after TAVI have not been fully investigated. Read More

Am J Cardiol 2022 May 18. Epub 2022 May 18.

Division of General Cardiology, Cardiothoracic Vascular Department, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi and University of Florence, Italy.

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a psychiatric disorder that may lead to cardiac complications. The objective of this study was to evaluate global and regional longitudinal strain changes in patients affected by AN as an early marker of myocardial damage. We prospectively enrolled 48 consecutive patients with AN and 44 age-matched and gender-matched healthy controls. Read More

Am J Cardiol 2022 May 18. Epub 2022 May 18.

Harrington Heart and Vascular Institute, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio. Electronic address:

The optimal timing of postinfarction ventricular septal defect (PI-VSD) repair is subject to debate. Patients with ventricular septal defect (VSD) and ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) were queried using appropriate International Classification of Diseases, Ninth and Tenth Revision Clinical Modification codes from the National Inpatient Sample (2003 to 2018). VSD repair was identified using appropriate International Classification of Diseases, Ninth and Tenth Revision Procedure Coding System codes. Read More

Am J Cardiol 2022 May 17. Epub 2022 May 17.

Division of Cardiology, Lahey Hospital and Medical Center, Beth Israel Lahey Health, Burlington, Massachusetts.

Heart transplant (HT) recipients represent a unique and vulnerable population in whom medium and long-term outcomes are significantly affected by the risk of arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. The use of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) in this population remains debated. A retrospective analysis of the National Inpatient Sample data between 2009 and 2018 was conducted. Read More

Am J Cardiol 2022 May 17. Epub 2022 May 17.

Department of Cardiology, Westchester Medical Center, New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York.

Although obesity is associated with increased phenotypic expression in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HC), the effect of body mass index (BMI) on in-hospital mortality in hospitalized patients with HC has not been established. We evaluated the National Inpatient Sample in the United States to identify all adults with HC hospitalized for cardiac illnesses between 2008 and 2017. Using International Classification of Diseases codes, the study cohort was stratified into underweight (BMI ≤19. Read More

Am J Cardiol 2022 May 17. Epub 2022 May 17.

Graduate Institute of Injury Prevention and Control, College of Public Health, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address:

Long-term exposure to high concentrations of air pollution is known to lead to increased cardiovascular disease, but it remains unclear whether short-term exposure increases the incidence of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and acute heart failure (AHF). A time-stratified case-crossover design was used, including data from the 2-year period (January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2018), from the National Health Insurance Academic Research Database of Taiwan. Air pollution data were obtained from the Air Quality Monitoring Station of the Environmental Protection Agency of the Executive Yuan. Read More

Am J Cardiol 2022 May 16. Epub 2022 May 16.

Division of Cardiology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Electronic address:

As advancements in care improve longevity in patients with congenital heart disease (CHD), it is crucial to further characterize this rapidly growing adult population. It is also essential that equitable care is offered across demographic groups. Hospitalizations for adults with CHD in the National Inpatient Sample were identified to describe trends in overall and cause-specific rates of admission per 1,000 adults with CHD from 2000 to 2018. Read More

Am J Cardiol 2022 May 14. Epub 2022 May 14.

Keele Cardiovascular Research Group, Centre for Prognosis Research, Institutes of Primary Care and Health Sciences, Keele University, Keele, United Kingdom; Royal Stoke University Hospital, Stoke-on-Trent, United Kingdom. Electronic address:

Complex High-risk but indicated Percutaneous coronary interventions (CHiPs) is increasingly common in contemporary practice. However, data on ethnic differences in CHiP types, outcomes, and trends in patients with stable angina are limited; this is pertinent given the population of Black, Asian, and other ethnic minorities (BAME) in Europe is increasing. We conducted a retrospective analysis of CHiP procedures undertaken in patients with stable angina using data obtained from the BCIS (British Cardiovascular Intervention Society) registry (2006 to 2017). Read More

Am J Cardiol 2022 May 13. Epub 2022 May 13.

Department of Cardiac Electrophysiology, Heart and Vascular Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio.

Am J Cardiol 2022 May 13. Epub 2022 May 13.

Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.

Substantial gaps in clinical outcomes exist in rural and urban hospitals in the United States. We used the National Inpatient Sample to examine trends in hospitalizations, in-hospital mortality, length of stay, and inflation-adjusted cost of adults admitted for heart failure (HF) and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in rural and urban hospitals between 2004 and 2018. From 2004 to 2013 and 2014, there was an initial decrease in age-adjusted HF hospitalizations in both urban (annual percent change [APC] -3. Read More

Am J Cardiol 2022 May 12. Epub 2022 May 12.

Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, Michigan.

The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that an individualized exercise training target heart rate (HR) based on a maximal graded exercise test (GXT) is associated with greater improvements in exercise tolerance during cardiac rehabilitation (CR) compared with no GXT. In this retrospective study, we identified patients who completed 9 to 36 visits of CR between 2001 and 2016, with a length of stay ≤18 weeks and a visit frequency of 1 to 3 days per week. Patients were grouped based on whether their exercise was guided by a target HR determined from a GXT. Read More

Am J Cardiol 2022 Jun;172:98-106

Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Institute. Electronic address:

Described herein are some clinical and morphologic findings in 23 patients who underwent operative replacement of a previously implanted bioprosthesis in the mitral valve position. Photographs of the operatively excised bioprostheses were provided in 15 (65%) of the 23 patients. A variety of causes were responsible for the bioprosthetic dysfunction. Read More

Am J Cardiol 2022 Jun;172:154-156

HCM Center, Lahey Hospital & Medical Center, Burlington, Massachusetts.

LV outflow obstruction in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy can cause marked limiting symptoms of heart failure, reversible with surgical septal myectomy. Here we provide a patient's perspective on heart failure in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and personal experience undergoing the myectomy operation to correct his substantial disability. Read More

Am J Cardiol 2022 Jun;172:150-153

HCM Center, Lahey Hospital & Medical Center, Burlington, Massachusetts.

On October 16 to 18, 2021, the 3-day 7th International Summit of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy was held virtually with almost 700 registrants and faculty from 40 countries and 42 states (Drs. Martin and Barry Maron, Directors). This meeting, the largest for this disease, was an opportunity to engage on a wide variety of topics with insights relevant to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy provided by 47 lectures, debates, and comprehensive discussions from 36 distinguished international speakers, including Dr. Read More

Am J Cardiol 2022 Jun;172:146-149

HCM Center, Lahey Hospital & Medical Center, Burlington, Massachusetts.. Electronic address:

Am J Cardiol 2022 Jun;172:144-145

From the Baylor Heart and Vascular Institute; the Departments of Internal Medicine and Pathology, Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas, Texas. Electronic address:

Described herein is a 53-year-old man who underwent resection of a fusiform aneurysm of the ascending aorta, and excision of a congenitally malformed stenotic unicuspid aortic valve. Examination of the wall of the aortic aneurysm disclosed classic features of syphilis. Although some degree of pure aortic regurgitation is common in patients with aortic syphilis, the presence of associated aortic valve stenosis, such as occurred in this patient, has been mentioned in only 4 previous publications, none of which included morphologic examination of the ascending aorta or aortic valve. Read More

Am J Cardiol 2022 May 11. Epub 2022 May 11.

Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.

Russell's viper (Daboia russelii) is a deadly venomous snake that causes most snakebite deaths in Sri Lanka. It is widely distributed all over the country, and it commonly causes venom-induced consumption coagulopathy and neuroparalysis. Cardiotoxic manifestations after Russell's viper bites are rare. Read More

Am J Cardiol 2022 May 10. Epub 2022 May 10.

University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida; Cardiovascular Division, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine/Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami, Florida.

Recently, transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has been performed in patients with combined aortic stenosis (AS) and aortic regurgitation. We sought to evaluate in-hospital outcomes and readmission rates after TAVI in patients with mixed aortic valve disease (MAVD). A total of 100,573 TAVI procedures were identified between 2011 and 2017 using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision and International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision procedure codes the from Nationwide Readmissions Database. Read More

Am J Cardiol 2022 May 10. Epub 2022 May 10.

Department of Cardiology, Clermont-Ferrand University Hospital Center, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Clermont Auvergne University, Clermont-Ferrand, France.

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) and fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) are pathologies that appear to be closely related. This study compares the characteristics of the FMD population to the non-FMD population in a SCAD cohort. It thus assesses the involvement of the FMD phenotype in a SCAD population. Read More

Am J Cardiol 2022 May 9. Epub 2022 May 9.

Section of Interventional Cardiology, MedStar Washington Hospital Center, Washington, District of Columbia. Electronic address:

Studies have reported worse outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) in women receiving early generation transcatheter heart valves (THVs). They have smaller aortic annuli, which could result in higher gradients and more patient-prosthesis mismatch (PPM) after TAVI. We investigated the interactions between contemporary THV hemodynamics and outcomes in women who underwent TAVI. Read More

Am J Cardiol 2022 May 9. Epub 2022 May 9.

Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Heart Vascular Stroke Institute, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.

Although the presence of hyperglycemia has been shown to affect the clinical outcome of patients with cardiogenic shock, the extent of hyperglycemia and its association with prognosis have not been fully addressed in a large population. A total of 1,177 consecutive patients with cardiogenic shock were enrolled from January 2014 to December 2018 at 12 hospitals in South Korea. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Read More

Am J Cardiol 2022 May 9. Epub 2022 May 9.

Second Propedeutic Department of Internal Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, General Hospital "Hippokration", Thessaloniki, Greece; Veterans Affairs Medical Center, George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia.

Am J Cardiol 2022 May 9. Epub 2022 May 9.

Division of Cardiology. Electronic address:

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies provided conflicting results regarding the role of left ventricular (LV) function on outcomes after transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER). The study aimed to provide a comprehensive assessment of the interplay between severe LV dysfunction and TEER outcomes. Multiple electronic databases, including PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, and CENTRAL, were searched to identify studies on TEER for secondary mitral regurgitation reporting outcomes stratified for LV ejection fraction <30% and ≥30%. Read More

Am J Cardiol 2022 May 9. Epub 2022 May 9.

Department of Internal Medicine, New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York.

The clinical and biochemical profile of differing Left ventricular hypertrophy phenotypes and its effect on long-term outcomes is ill-defined. The study investigated the differences in risk profiles and prognostic effect of concentric (CH) and eccentric hypertrophy (EH) on long-term adverse outcomes in a contemporary, ethnically diverse cohort. We analyzed follow-up data over 15 years from the Multiethnic Study of Atherosclerosis study. Read More

Am J Cardiol 2022 May 9. Epub 2022 May 9.

Heart Institute, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. Electronic address:

Warfarin is the standard anticoagulation therapy for valvular atrial fibrillation (AF); however, new oral anticoagulants have emerged as an alternative. We compared the efficacy and safety of dabigatran with conventional treatment in AF associated with left-sided valvular heart disease (VHD), including mitral stenosis (MS). Patients with AF and left-sided VHD were randomly assigned to receive dabigatran or conventional treatment. Read More

Am J Cardiol 2022 May 9. Epub 2022 May 9.

Keele Cardiovascular Research Group, Keele University, Stoke on Trent, Keele, United Kingdom. Electronic address:

The association between vascular disease and outcomes of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) has not been well-defined in the diabetes mellitus (DM) population. All patients with DM presenting with AMI between October 2015 and December 2018 in the National Inpatient Sample database were stratified by number and site of extracardiac vascular comorbidity (cerebrovascular [CVD], renovascular, neural, retinal and peripheral [PAD] diseases). Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine the adjusted odds ratios (aORs) of in-hospital adverse outcomes and procedures. Read More

Am J Cardiol 2022 May 9. Epub 2022 May 9.

Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California.

Even in the absence of significant valvular disease, patients with Marfan syndrome (MFS) have evidence of impaired left ventricular (LV) performance, suggestive of a primary cardiomyopathy. However, the true prevalence and long-term outcomes of this disease process remain largely unknown. We performed a retrospective analysis of all adult patients with confirmed MFS followed at Stanford Health Care. Read More

Am J Cardiol 2022 May 5. Epub 2022 May 5.

Barts Heart Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital, London. Electronic address:

Acute decompensated aortic stenosis (ADAS) is common and associated with poor outcomes. Myocardial remodeling and function, including a novel echo staging classification (0 to 4, representing increasing degrees of cardiac damage/dysfunction), impact outcomes in stable aortic stenosis. However, this has not been assessed in patients with ADAS. Read More

Am J Cardiol 2022 May 4. Epub 2022 May 4.

Department of Cardiology, IIS-IP, CIBER-CV, La Princesa University Hospital, Madrid, Spain.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HC) is the most common cardiovascular inherited disease, and it is associated with arrhythmic events, heart failure, and death. Strain analysis by tissue tracking (TT) techniques on cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) is a novel noninvasive diagnostic tool. However, the usefulness of CMR-TT to identify patients with HC at risk of adverse outcomes remains unknown. Read More