Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

J Diabetes Complications 2019 Jan 17. Epub 2019 Jan 17.

Department of Cardiology, School of Health Sciences, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland.

Carotid artery atherosclerosis is a complex and multifactorial chronic disease. Our aim was to assess the associations between obesity, fat depots and carotid artery stenosis (CAS) in patients with high cardiovascular (CV) risk.

Methods: The study group included 391 patients (F/M: 136/255 pts. Read More

Eur Heart J Cardiovasc Imaging 2019 Feb 14. Epub 2019 Feb 14.

Department of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, University Federico II, Via Pansini 5, Naples, Italy.

Aims: Impaired myocardial perfusion reserve (MPR) may occur earlier than coronary atherosclerosis and it may be an early manifestation of developing coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients with resistant hypertension (RH). We evaluated the relationship between RH and MPR in patients with systemic arterial hypertension after balancing for coronary risk factors.

Methods And Results: We studied 360 subjects without overt CAD and normal myocardial perfusion at stress-rest 82Rb positron emission tomography/computed tomography. Read More

IEEE Trans Radiat Plasma Med Sci 2019 Jan 4;3(1):54-60. Epub 2018 Apr 4.

Carl E. Ravin Advanced Imaging Laboratories, the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, the Department of Radiology, the Department of Biomedical Engineering, the Medical Physics Graduate Program, and the Department of Physics, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27705 USA.

The 4D extended cardiac-torso (XCAT) phantom has provided a valuable tool to study the effects of anatomy and motion on medical images, especially cardiac motion. One limitation of the XCAT was that it did not have a physiological basis which to realistically simulate variations in cardiac function. In this work, we incorporate into the XCAT anatomy the four-chamber FE Living Heart Model (LHM) developed by the Living Heart Project (LHP). Read More

Heart 2019 Feb 14. Epub 2019 Feb 14.

University Hospital Hairmyres, East Kilbridge, UK.

CLINICAL INTRODUCTION: A 50-year-old woman presented with an inferoposterior ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and underwent emergency percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Angiography revealed acute occlusion of the circumflex and right coronary (RCA) arteries. PCI was uncomplicated. Read More

Circ Cardiovasc Imaging 2019 Feb;12(2):e007720

Division of Cardiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD (Y.B.S., A.A.-Z., M.R.O., A.L.V., J.B., J.A.C.L., J.M.M.).

Background Ongoing advancements of coronary computed tomographic angiography (CTA) continue to challenge the role of invasive coronary angiography (ICA) as the gold standard for the evaluation of coronary artery disease (CAD). We sought to investigate the diagnostic accuracy of 320-slice CTA for detecting obstructive CAD in reference to ICA and nuclear myocardial perfusion imaging using single-photon emission computed tomography. Methods For the CORE320 study (Coronary Artery Evaluation Using 320-Row Multidetector Computed Tomography Angiography and Myocardial Perfusion), 381 patients at 16 centers underwent CTA, nuclear myocardial perfusion imaging by single-photon emission computed tomography, and ICA for the evaluation of CAD. Read More

Circ Cardiovasc Imaging 2019 Feb;12(2):e008710

Department of Cardiology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

J Card Surg 2019 Feb 14. Epub 2019 Feb 14.

Department of Coronary Artery Disease and Heart Failure, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland.

Coronary artery dissection following its cannulation for cardioplegia administration as a result of aortic valve replacement (AVR) is a rare but nevertheless life-threatening complication. The three cases of a patient suffering from aortic stenosis illustrated below focus on the issue of how to identify and treat the dissected artery. In all of the patients who had undergone AVR diagnosed was a periprocedural myocardial infarction. Read More

J Nucl Cardiol 2019 Feb 13. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

Departament of Nuclear Cardiology, Instituto Nacional de Cardiología Ignacio Chávez, Mexico City, Mexico.

In Figure 3, sensitivity and specificity were interchanged. The corrected Figure 3 is shown below. The author names listed in reference 14 have been corrected; the correct reference reads: Nakanishi R, Gransar H, Slomka P, Arsanjani R, Shalev A, Otaki Y, et al. Read More

Int J Cardiovasc Imaging 2019 Feb 13. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, USA.

Microcirculation 2019 Feb 13:e12536. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

Centre for Vision Research, The Westmead Institute for Medical Research, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia.

Objective: Microvascular changes in microvascular angina are poorly understood due to difficulties in imaging the coronary microcirculation in vivo. The retinal microvasculature may reflect changes in coronary microcirculation. We assessed microvascular changes in the retina in patients with microvascular angina and compared them with patients with angiographically proven coronary artery disease. Read More

Circ Cardiovasc Imaging 2019 Feb;12(2):e008104

Department of Public Health, Shiga University of Medical Science, Otsu, Japan (T.H., A.F., K.M., H.U.).

Background The risk of coronary heart disease remains low in Japan, although distributions of several coronary risk factors have become comparable with those in the United States. We prospectively compared coronary atherosclerosis burden, measured with coronary artery calcium (CAC) progression, between men in the 2 countries. Methods In 2 population-based samples of 1712 US White, Black, Hispanic, Chinese men (baseline, 2000-2002) and 697 Japanese men in Japan (2006-2008) aged 45-74 years without clinical cardiovascular disease, we quantified CAC progression by serial computed tomography with medians of 3. Read More

Endocr Metab Immune Disord Drug Targets 2019 Feb 11. Epub 2019 Feb 11.

Internal Medicine, Kasr Ainy Cairo University, Cairo. Egypt.

Background: Osteoprotegerin (OPG) is a tumor necrosis factor receptor super-family member. It specifically acts on bone by increasing bone mineral density and bone volume. Recent studies have evidenced its close relation to the development of atherosclerosis and plaque destabilization. Read More

J Cardiovasc Comput Tomogr 2019 Jan 29. Epub 2019 Jan 29.

Department of Radiology, New York-Presbyterian Hospital and Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA. Electronic address:

Introduction: Non-statin therapy (NST) is used as second-line treatment when statin monotherapy is inadequate or poorly tolerated.

Objective: To determine the association of NST with plaque composition, alone or in combination with statins, in patients undergoing coronary computed tomography angiography (coronary CTA).

Methods: From the multicenter CONFIRM registry, we analyzed individuals who underwent coronary CTA with known lipid-lowering therapy status and without prior coronary artery disease at baseline. Read More

BMC Cardiovasc Disord 2019 Feb 11;19(1):39. Epub 2019 Feb 11.

Department of Cardiology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China.

Background: The heterogeneity of risk in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) is acknowledged in new guidelines promulgating different treatment recommendations for diabetics at low cardiac risk. We performed a retrospective longitudinal follow-up study to evaluate coronary plaque progression and its impact on cardiac events in asymptomatic diabetic patients.

Methods: Data of 197 asymptomatic patients (63. Read More

Autoimmun Rev 2019 Feb 7. Epub 2019 Feb 7.

Institute of Rheumatology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli - Presidio Columbus, Rome, Italy. Electronic address:

PLoS One 2019 11;14(2):e0211738. Epub 2019 Feb 11.

Utah Center for Advanced Imaging Research (UCAIR), Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America.

Purpose: Dynamic contrast enhanced MRI of the heart typically acquires 2-4 short-axis (SA) slices to detect and characterize coronary artery disease. This acquisition scheme is limited by incomplete coverage of the left ventricle. We studied the feasibility of using radial simultaneous multi-slice (SMS) technique to achieve SA, 2-chamber and/or 4-chamber long-axis (2CH LA and/or 4CH LA) coverage with and without electrocardiography (ECG) gating using a motion-robust reconstruction framework. Read More

Swiss Med Wkly 2019 Feb 11;149:w20014. Epub 2019 Feb 11.

Cardiology Department, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Switzerland.

Patient tailored diagnosis and risk stratification in patients with suspected or known coronary artery disease (CAD) are pivotal. At present, cardiac imaging modalities provide the possibility to evaluate the whole ischaemic cascade noninvasively. In asymptomatic patients, the evaluation of the calcium score may be beneficial and also guide the individual preventive strategy. Read More

Acta Cardiol 2019 Feb 11:1-9. Epub 2019 Feb 11.

a Department of Cardiology , CHU UCL Namur , site Godinne , Yvoir , Belgium.

A strong family history of early-onset coronary artery disease (CAD) may represent a substantial predictor of enhanced development of subclinical atherosclerosis in a sibling population. In this population, standard cardiovascular (CV) risk assessment could be underrated with the predictive capacity of the Framingham Risk Score. At present, cardiac computed tomography (CT) provides a high diagnostic performance for the detection of coronary atherosclerosis. Read More

Cardiovasc Diagn Ther 2018 Dec;8(6):754-764

Department of Pediatric Cardiology and Congenital Heart Disease, Hôpital Marie Lannelongue, Université Paris-Sud, Le Plessis Robinson, France.

Today, more than two thirds of patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) are adults. Cardiac surgery plays an essential role in restoring and maintaining cardiac function, aside from evolving medical treatment and catheter-based interventions. The aim of the present publication was to describe the spectrum of operations performed on adults with CHD (ACHD) by reviewing current literature. Read More

Abdom Radiol (NY) 2019 Feb 8. Epub 2019 Feb 8.

Department of Radiology, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA.

Although not the primary focus of the exams, cardiovascular structures are included to some extent on all abdominal or whole-body cross-sectional studies. Cardiovascular findings often present incidentally and may range from chronic to acute and emergent pathologies. Among the most common cardiovascular findings are the presence of cardiac calcifications, most commonly coronary, which correlate with the presence of coronary artery and valvular disease. Read More

J Nucl Med 2019 Feb 8. Epub 2019 Feb 8.

Stanford University SOM.

Thin-cap fibro atheroma (TCFA), unstable lesions in coronary artery disease (CAD), that prones to rupture resulting in substantial morbidity and mortality worldwide. However, their small size and complex morphological/biological features make early detection and risk assessment difficult. To overcome this limitation, we tested our newly developed catheter-based Circumferential-Intravascular-Radioluminescence-Photoacoustic-Imaging (CIRPI) system in vivo rabbit abdominal aorta to detect and characterize TCFA. Read More

JAMA Cardiol 2019 Feb 8. Epub 2019 Feb 8.

Duke Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Center, Durham, North Carolina.

Importance: Stress cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) is not widely used in current clinical practice, and its ability to predict patient mortality is unknown.

Objective: To determine whether stress CMR is associated with patient mortality.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Real-world evidence from consecutive clinically ordered CMR examinations. Read More

J Nucl Cardiol 2019 Feb 7. Epub 2019 Feb 7.

Department of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, University Federico II, Via Pansini 5, 80131, Naples, Italy.

Background: The frequency of abnormal stress single-photon emission computed tomography myocardial perfusion imaging (MPS) has decreased over the past decades despite an increase in the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors. This study evaluated the temporal trend of abnormal stress MPS and its relationship with risk factors in a cohort of Italian subjects.

Methods: We included all patients who underwent clinically indicated stress MPS at our academic center between January 2006 and December 2017. Read More

J Med Econ 2019 Feb 7. Epub 2019 Feb 7.

a Avalon Health Economics , Morristown , NJ USA.

Aims: The purpose of this study is to assess the economic cost differences and the associated treatment resource changes between the developing coronary artery disease (CAD) diagnostic tool fast strain-encoded cardiac imaging (Fast-SENC) and the current commonly used stress test single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT).

Materials And Methods: We first created a 'payer perspective' model consisting of long-term and short-term components that used a hypothetical cohort of patients of average age (60.8 years) presenting with chest pain and suspected CAD to assess cost-impact. Read More

Int J Cardiol 2019 Jan 28. Epub 2019 Jan 28.

Departments of Pediatrics, Bioengineering and Institute for Computational and Mathematical Engineering, Stanford University, USA. Electronic address:

Background: Thrombosis is a major adverse outcome associated with coronary artery aneurysms (CAAs) resulting from Kawasaki disease (KD). Clinical guidelines recommend initiation of anticoagulation therapy with maximum CAA diameter (D) ≥8 mm or Z-score ≥ 10. Here, we investigate the role of aneurysm hemodynamics as a superior method for thrombotic risk stratification in KD patients. Read More

Phys Med Biol 2019 Feb 6. Epub 2019 Feb 6.

Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, UNITED STATES.

Cardiac SPECT continues to play a critical role in detecting and managing cardiovascular disease, in particularly coronary artery disease (CAD) (Jaarsma et al., 2012; Agostini et al., 2016). Read More

Echocardiography 2019 Feb 6. Epub 2019 Feb 6.

Department of Ultrasound, PLA 967th Hospital, Dalian, China.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the vortex in left ventricle (LV) during the isovolumic contraction (IVC) period and the preejectional flow velocity in LV outflow tract (V ).

Methods: Color Doppler loops were acquired for vector flow mapping in apical long-axis view in 76 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy, 61 patients with coronary artery disease and 36 healthy controls.

Results: All normals exhibited an IVC vortex reaching the LV base. Read More

Echocardiography 2019 Feb 6. Epub 2019 Feb 6.

Division of Cardiovascular Disease, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama.

Background: Dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) is a well-established imaging modality used to screen patients with mild-to-moderate risk for coronary artery disease. In heart transplantation recipients, cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) is a common and lethal complication. The use of DSE to detect CAV showed promising results initially, but later studies showed limitation in its use to detect CAV. Read More

IUBMB Life 2019 Feb 6. Epub 2019 Feb 6.

Department of Clinical Biological Resource Bank, Institute of Pediatrics, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510623, Guangdong, China.

Kawasaki disease (KD) is a systemic vasculitis syndrome that leads to coronary artery aneurysm (CAA). While echocardiography is the most important imaging modality for coronary artery assessment, a specific diagnostic biomarker complementary for CAA has not been reported. We aimed to analyze the profiles of exosomal miRNAs extracted from the serum of KD patients and controls to identify candidate biomarkers for CAA. Read More

J Sleep Res 2019 Feb 6:e12828. Epub 2019 Feb 6.

Cardiovascular Imaging Research Group, Heart and Vascular Center, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Previous studies have assessed the relationship between OSA and coronary artery disease (CAD) using coronary artery calcium score (CAC) measurements. However, limited data are available regarding the association of OSA with non-calcified plaque burden. Read More

Am J Case Rep 2019 Feb 6;20:159-162. Epub 2019 Feb 6.

Department of Cardiology, Rapides Regional Medical Center, Alexandria, LA, USA.

BACKGROUND Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is primarily found in females. SCAD can have many precipitating factors such as exercise, trauma, pregnancy, drugs, and connective tissue disease. Prognosis is poor for left main stem, left anterior descending (LAD) artery, and multivessel involvement, especially for females. Read More

Int J Cardiol 2019 Jan 25. Epub 2019 Jan 25.

Northwick Park Hospital, Harrow, UK; Royal Brompton Hospital, London, UK; National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College, London, UK. Electronic address:

Aims: To assess the clinical effectiveness of a sonographer-led, cardiologist-interpreted stress echocardiography (SE) service in a rapid access stable chest pain clinic (RACPC) setting.

Methods And Results: Baseline data was collected prospectively on 768 consecutive patients, referred from the RACPC, who underwent SE between May 2014 and May 2015. Retrospective analysis was performed on follow-up data for outcomes. Read More

Am J Cardiol 2019 Jan 25. Epub 2019 Jan 25.

Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VAMC, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Electronic address:

There is controversy regarding the utility of left ventricular (LV) mechanics assessed by feature-tracking steady-state free-precession (FT-SSFP), a readily implementable technique in clinical practice. In particular, whether LV mechanics assessed by FT-SSFP predicts outcomes in subjects with heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), or without HF is unknown. We aimed to assess whether LV mechanics measured with FT-SSFP cine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) predicts adverse outcomes. Read More

Eur Radiol 2019 Feb 4. Epub 2019 Feb 4.

Department of Radiology, Charité Medical School, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.

Objectives: To propose and evaluate a four-dimensional (4D) algorithm for joint motion elimination and spatiotemporal noise reduction in low-dose dynamic myocardial computed tomography perfusion (CTP).

Methods: Thirty patients with suspected or confirmed coronary artery disease were prospectively included and underwent dynamic contrast-enhanced 320-row CTP. A novel deformable image registration method based on the principal component analysis (PCA) of the ante hoc temporally smoothed voxel-wise time-attenuation curves (ASTRA4D) is presented. Read More

Circ Cardiovasc Imaging 2019 Feb;12(2):e008626

Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine and Frankel Cardiovascular Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (V.L.M.).

Circ Cardiovasc Imaging 2019 Feb;12(2):e007940

Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC (M.B., A.C., S.V., C.B.F., K.L.L., W.S.J., D.B.M., P.S.D., M.R.P.).

Background: Patients with high-risk coronary artery disease (CAD) may be difficult to identify.

Methods: Using the PROMISE (Prospective Multicenter Imaging Study for Evaluation of Chest Pain) cohort randomized to coronary computed tomographic angiography (n=4589), 2 predictive models were developed for high-risk CAD, defined as left main stenosis (≥50% stenosis) or either (1) ≥50% stenosis [50] or (2) ≥70% stenosis [70] of 3 vessels or 2-vessel CAD involving the proximal left anterior descending artery. Pretest predictors were examined using stepwise logistic regression and assessed for discrimination and calibration. Read More

Atherosclerosis 2019 Jan 24;282:80-84. Epub 2019 Jan 24.

Department of Imaging, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, USA.

Background And Aims: Certain novel biomarkers may predict atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) events; however, data on their relationship to coronary atherosclerosis and its progression as measured by coronary artery calcium (CAC) scanning is lacking. We evaluated the association between novel biomarkers and presence or progression of CAC.

Methods: The EISNER study was a prospective trial of patients without known ASCVD. Read More

J Cardiovasc Comput Tomogr 2019 Jan 26. Epub 2019 Jan 26.

Mayo Clinic, 4500 San Pablo Road, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA. Electronic address:

Background: Infected coronary artery aneurysms (ICAA) represent a rare but potentially fatal complication of pre-existent atherosclerotic or non-atherosclerotic coronary artery disease, percutaneous coronary artery intervention, endocarditis or extracardiac infection.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of four cases in addition to 51 infected coronary artery aneurysms from the literature, for a total of 55 ICAA was performed. Clinical and morphological information including age, sex, clinical presentation, microbial cultures, size, location and associated abnormalities as well as patient outcome was reviewed. Read More

Cardiovasc Revasc Med 2019 Jan 10. Epub 2019 Jan 10.

Oxford Heart Centre, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom.

Heavily calcified and densely fibrotic coronary lesions continue to represent a challenge for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), as they are difficult to dilate, and it is difficult to deliver and implant drug-eluting stents (DES) properly. Poor stent deployment is associated with high rates of periprocedural complications and suboptimal long-term clinical outcomes. Thanks to the introduction of several adjunctive PCI tools, like cutting and scoring balloons, atherectomy devices, and to the novel intravascular lithotripsy technology, the treatment of such lesions has become increasingly feasible, predictable and safe. Read More

Mayo Clin Proc 2019 Feb;94(2):254-261

Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN.

Objective: To determine the frequency of incidental meningioma and identify associated factors in a population-based sample of participants who systematically underwent brain imaging.

Patients And Methods: We searched the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging, a population-based sample of Olmsted County, Minnesota, residents who underwent longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging of the brain. Using a text search of radiologists' notes for 2402 individuals (median age, 75. Read More

Kardiologiia 2019 Jan 27;59(1):28-35. Epub 2019 Jan 27.

Research Institute for Complex Issues of Cardiovascular Disease.

Purpose: to assess diagnostic capabilities of single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) in the detection of obstructive coronary artery (CA) lesions, depending on the meeting appropriate use criteria.

Materials And Methods: We used in this retrospective analysis data from 107 patients with previously diagnosed ischemic heart disease (IHD) or in need to exclude it, who were hospitalized in inpatient departments of the Research Institute for Complex Issues of Cardiovascular Diseases in the period from 2012 to 2015. All patients underwent coronary angiography (CAG) and SPECT (the time interval between the studies did not exceed 3 months) for detection of hemodynamically significant CA stenoses. Read More

Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 2018 Dec 25. Epub 2018 Dec 25.

Department of Psychiatry (MAO, HBL), University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY.

Objective: Although depression is a known risk factor for delirium after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery, it is unclear whether this risk is independent of delirium risk attributable to cognitive impairment or cerebrovascular disease. This study examines depression, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and cerebrovascular disease as post-CABG delirium risk factors.

Methods: This prospective observational cohort study was performed in a tertiary-care academic hospital. Read More

Am J Cardiol 2019 Jan 24. Epub 2019 Jan 24.

Department of Cardiology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.

The implication of coronary artery disease (CAD) without the clinical manifestation of myocardial infarction (non-MI-CAD) on thromboembolic events in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) is not well evaluated. We hypothesized that non-MI-CAD would have a similar risk of future thromboembolism as MI-CAD. Clinical data for 17,073 consecutive patients (mean age, 64. Read More

EJNMMI Res 2019 Jan 31;9(1):11. Epub 2019 Jan 31.

Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.

Background: Myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) with single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is commonly used to assess patients with cardiovascular disease. However, in certain scenarios, it may have limited specificity in the identification of hemodynamically significant coronary artery disease (e.g. Read More

BMC Cardiovasc Disord 2019 Jan 31;19(1):32. Epub 2019 Jan 31.

Department of Science and Research, University Hospital Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic.

Background: Heart failure (HF) is a major chronic illness and results in high morbidity and mortality. The most frequent cause of HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFREF) is coronary artery disease (CAD). Although revascularisation of ischemic myocardium lead to improvements in myocardial contractility and systolic function, it cannnot restore the viability of the already necrotic myocardium. Read More

Catheter Cardiovasc Interv 2019 Jan 31. Epub 2019 Jan 31.

NHLI, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.

Objectives: To investigate the impact of minimal stent area (MSA) evaluated by post-procedural intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) on clinical outcomes after contemporary PCI in patients with three-vessel disease (TVD).

Background: The impact of post-procedural MSA on clinical outcomes has not yet been extensively studied in patients with TVD.

Methods: The SYNTAX II study is a multicenter, all-comers, open-label, single arm study that investigated the impact of a state-of-the-art PCI strategy on clinical outcomes in patients with TVD (454 patients with 1,559 lesions). Read More

Clin Res Cardiol 2019 Jan 30. Epub 2019 Jan 30.

General and Interventional Cardiology, University Heart Center, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistrasse 52, Hamburg, 20246, Germany.

Background: Alterations in native myocardial T1 under vasodilation stress ("T1 reactivity") were recently proposed as a non-contrast cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) method to detect myocardial ischemia. This study evaluated the performance of a segmental, truly non-contrast stress T1 mapping CMR approach to detect inducible ischemia.

Methods And Results: One-hundred patients with suspected/known coronary artery disease underwent CMR at 3. Read More

JAMA Cardiol 2019 Jan 30. Epub 2019 Jan 30.

John Hopkins Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, Baltimore, Maryland.

J Nucl Cardiol 2019 Jan 29. Epub 2019 Jan 29.

Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Nuclear Medicine, Chandigarh, India.

Background: Infra-cardiac tracer activity due to persistent hepatic activity interferes in inferior and infero-septal wall assessment during Tc-MIBI SPECT/CT myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS) in evaluation of patients with coronary artery disease. It affects image interpretation with increased study duration. Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) is known to enhance hepatic excretion of bilirubin and bile salts, though its role in enhancing the hepatic tracer clearance in facilitating cardiac imaging is not known. Read More