Background Elevated Lipoprotein(a) Lp(a) levels are associated with coronary atherosclerosis as detected by cardiac computed tomography angiography (CCTA). However, quantitative data including coronary plaque volumes and characteristics are scarce. The current study evaluated the sex-specific correlations between (Lp(a)) levels and the extent and composition of coronary stenosis...
Aims This study aimed to investigate the prescription rates of low-dose antithrombotic and anti-inflammatory therapies in Germany from 2022 to 2024. Methods We analyzed national outpatient claims data from the German Institute for Drug Use Evaluation. Claims data for patients receiving the following medications were included: aspirin 100 mg, clopidogrel 75 mg, prasugrel 5 mg and...
Background and aims Despite guidelines recommending antithrombotic therapy for atrial fibrillation (AF) patients, differences in treatment initiation between sex remain an area of ongoing research. This study assesses the association between sex and the likelihood of receiving antithrombotic therapy following an AF diagnosis. Methods A retrospective multicenter cohort study was...
Background Patients after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) are at increased risk of both major adverse cardiac events (MACE), including ischemic and thrombotic complications, as well as significant bleeding. Given this delicate balance between prothrombotic and hemorrhagic risk, the assessment of hemostatic markers might help identify patients at increased risk. Aim...
Background The Shanghai score system was developed to enhance the risk stratification in Brugada Syndrome (BrS); however, its prognostic value in drug-induced type 1 BrS remains unclear. Methods This study involved 698 patients with drug-induced type 1 BrS, confirmed via pharmacologic challenge (flecainide or ajmaline), from 21 centers in Italy and Switzerland. Patients were...
Objective Age stratified data regarding symptomatic and survival outcome of patients undergoing transcatheter tricuspid valve edge-to-edge repair (T-TEER) for severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR) are scarce. Aim of this study was to evaluate TR reduction, symptomatic outcomes, and survival following T-TEER stratified by patient age at intervention. Methods Using data from the...
Background Alcohol septal ablation (ASA) is a valuable treatment option for patients with symptomatic obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (oHCM). While generally safe, ASA can lead to conduction abnormalities, including complete atrioventricular block (CHB), potentially necessitating permanent pacemaker implantation. This study investigated the impact of post-procedural...
Background Exercise training is generally discouraged in patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis (AS) undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) due to safety concerns. However, whole-body vibration (WBV) exercise could offer a novel approach to improve exercise capacity and quality of life, though its effects remain unclear in this population. Methods...
Background There is a lack of established stent expansion criteria to predict long-term outcomes following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in calcified coronary lesions. Aims The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between various stent expansion indices and clinical outcomes including target lesion failure (TLF) following PCI in patients with calcified...
Background Pulmonary tumor thrombotic microangiopathy (PTTM) is a fatal but treatable condition characterized by the rapid development of pulmonary hypertension (PH) in patients with possibly unknown adenocarcinoma. PTTM is mostly diagnosed post-mortem and considered a rare disease since its acute onset and misdiagnosis provides significant diagnostic and therapeutic challenges...
Background In elderly patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS), concomitant coronary artery disease (CAD) is common. Escpecially for intermediate-risk patients eligible for both interventional and surgical treatment, long-term benefit of either approach remains unclear. Objectives To compare long-term outcomes of TAVI + PCI versus SAVR + CABG in intermediate-risk AS-CAD patients...
Background Diabetic patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) are at an increased risk of cardiovascular events as compared to non-diabetic patients. This analysis investigated outcomes of diabetic patients presenting with multivessel disease (MVD) and STEMI in a contemporary trial and the relevance of an immediate versus staged multivessel PCI strategy in...
Background Fractional flow reserve (FFR) for non-culprit lesions (NCLs) in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) can be influenced by temporary changes in microvascular resistance. Angiography-derived vessel fractional flow reserve (vFFR) has been tested as a less-invasive alternative. Aims The FAST STEMI II study aimed to assess the diagnostic performance of...
Background and aims The pathophysiologic concept of atrial fibrillation (AF) has evolved towards defining atrial cardiomyopathy, recognizing inflammation-mediated remodeling of the left atrium (LA) as a source for arrhythmogenesis. One feature of atrial cardiomyopathy is the development of fibrosis, with low-voltage zones (LVZ) identified by invasive electroanatomic mapping as an...
Background Vasopressors and inotropes remain the cornerstone in treatment of acute myocardial infarction-related cardiogenic shock (AMI-CS). Milrinone and dobutamine are both commonly used, yet the optimal inotrope remains unclear. We aimed to identify factors associated with milrinone and dobutamine treatment and assess their effects on 30-day mortality in a large real-world...
Background Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) may underlie some embolic strokes of undetermined source (ESUS), but the widespread use of loop recorders (LRs) to detect it may not be cost-effective. This study evaluated whether assessing left atrial (LA) function by speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) could help to identify ESUS patients most likely to benefit from LR...
Aims Office-based cardiologists (OBCs) and general practitioners (GPs) follow different approaches for hypercholesterolemia management in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). This study evaluates whether differences in clinical practice between OBCs and GPs contribute to existing gaps in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) control and lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a...
Background Emerging evidence suggests that inflammatory conditions and comorbidities have a prognostic impact on patients with heart failure with mildly reduced ejection fraction (HFmrEF) in particular. This study aims to investigate the influence of rheumatic comorbidities on clinical outcomes in HFmrEF patients. Methods This retrospective cohort study included patients...
Background Cardiac involvement has been described in many forms of vasculitides and is associated with worse outcomes. However, data on the incidence of structural and arrhythmic heart disease is limited. Methods For this single-center study, we recruited 191 patients with giant-cell arteritis (GCA, n = 109), Takayasu arteritis (TAK, n = 26), polyarteritis nodosa (PAN, n = 3...
Background Prior studies and meta-analyses showed cardioprotective benefits of intravenous or intracoronary nicorandil administration in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). However, little is known about the efficacy of oral nicorandil in this context, especially that parenteral forms are not widely available. Aim To investigate the impact of oral nicorandil...
Background Guidelines recommend using echocardiography in addition to high-sensitivity cardiac troponin (hs-cTn)–based assessment in patients with suspected acute myocardial infarction (MI), although data on its diagnostic and prognostic value is limited. Methods Patients presenting with suspected MI without ST elevation to a tertiary center were enrolled. Final diagnoses were...
Introduction The cardiovascular effects of acute alcohol exposure remain incompletely understood, despite its reported association with arrhythmias like atrial fibrillation (AF). The Munich-BREW II study supported a link between excessive alcohol consumption, elevated heart rate, impaired heart rate variability (HRV), and increased arrhythmia incidence. Here, we present sub...
Background The anatomy of bicuspid aortic valves (BAV) varies considerably and is broadly classified into two main types: two-sinus and fused BAV. Possible prognostic implications of these two main types remain unclear. This study aimed to assess potential associations between BAV morphology and the timing of surgery of the aortic valve or ascending aorta. Methods A multi-center...