hearts

The purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate the impact of the vertical level of the stopcock connecting the infusion line to the central venous catheter on start-up fluid delivery in microinfusions. Start-up fluid delivery was measured under standardized conditions with the syringe outlet and liquid flow sensors positioned at heart level (0 cm) and exposed to a simulated CVP of 10 mmHg at a set flow rate of 1 ml/h. Flow and intraluminal pressures were measured with the infusion line connected to the stopcock primarily placed at vertical levels of 0 cm, + 30 cm and - 30 cm or primarily placed at 0 cm and secondarily, after connecting the infusion line, displaced to + 30 cm and - 30 cm...

BACKGROUND: Screening of high-risk patients is advocated to achieve early detection and treatment of clinical atrial fibrillation (AF). The Dutch-GERAF study will address two major issues. Firstly, the effectiveness and feasibility of an opportunistic screening strategy for clinical AF will be assessed in frail older patients and, secondly, observational data will be gathered regarding the efficacy and safety of oral anticoagulation (OAC). METHODS: This is a multicentre study on opportunistic screening of geriatric patients for clinical AF using a smartphone photoplethysmography (PPG) application...

Heart failure (HF) is associated with poor outcome after stroke, but data from large prospective trials are sparse.We assessed the impact of HF on clinical endpoints in patients hospitalized with acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) enrolled in the prospective, multicenter Systematic Monitoring for Detection of Atrial Fibrillation in Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke (MonDAFIS) trial. HF was defined as left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) < 55% or a history of HF on admission...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Acute coronary syndromes (ACS) are a major global health concern. Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with new-generation drug-eluting stents (DES) has been endorsed as safe and effective in the management of culprit and non-culprit lesions of ACS. However, permanent metallic implants may have drawbacks, including the need for prolonged dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) and the risk of long-term stent-related complications. An alternative approach using drug-coated balloons (DCBs) is gaining growing interest, having the potential of delivering therapy directly to vulnerable plaques, avoiding the need for permanent metallic implants, and potentially allowing for better long-term medical treatment...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To review ongoing and planned clinical trials of weight loss among individuals with or at high risk of heart failure. RECENT FINDINGS: Intentional weight loss via semaglutide among persons with heart failure and preserved ejection fraction and obesity significantly improves weight loss and health status as assessed by the KCCQ-CSS score and is associated with improvements in 6-min walk test. Ongoing and planned trials will explore the role of intentional weight loss with treatments such as semaglutide or tirzepatide for individuals with heart failure across the entire ejection fraction spectrum...

Multiple RNAs have been involved in the progress of heart failure. However, the role of miR-1268a in heart failure is still unclear. The differentially expressed miRNAs in heart failure was analyzed based on GEO dataset GSE104150. AC16 cells were treated with Angiotensin II (Ang II) to explore the role of miR-1268a in heart failure. The web tool miRWalk was used to analyze the targets of miR-1268a. miR-1268a was up-regulated in Ang II-treated AC16 cells. Ang II treatment markedly inhibited cell proliferation, ATP production, fatty acid (FA) uptake and enhanced levels of HF markers BNP and ST2, and oxidative stress of AC16 cells...

BACKGROUND: Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) is a heart valve anomaly with specific electrocardiographic findings and arrhythmia. A predominant sympathetic tone and diminished vagal activity have been reported especially in symptomatic MVP patients. OBJECTIVES: In the current study, we aim to review heart rate variability (HRV) parameters of MVP children in order to determine if there is an impaired autonomic regulation. METHODS: The data of children with MVP were retrospectively analyzed...

PURPOSE: To investigate how revision of the organ transplant law in Japan affected lung transplantation in this country. METHODS: Lung transplant candidates registered between January, 2000 and December, 2009 were designated as the pre-revision group (n = 396) and those registered between January, 2011 and December, 2020, as the post-revision group (n = 1326). Both groups were analyzed retrospectively using data collected by the Japanese Society of Lung and Heart-Lung Transplantation...

AIM: To obtain real-world evidence about the features and risk stratification of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) with a left heart disease (LHD) phenotype (PAH-LHD). METHODS AND RESULTS: By reviewing the records of consecutive incident PAH patients at 7 tertiary centers from 2001 to 2021, we selected 286 subjects with all parameters needed to determine risk of death at baseline and at first follow-up with COMPERA and COMPERA 2.0 scores. Fifty seven (20%) had PAH-LHD according to the AMBITION definition...

AIMS: As there is limited evidence regarding the prognostic impact of prior left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in patients with heart failure with mildly reduced ejection fraction (HFmrEF), this study investigates the prognostic impact of longitudinal changes in LVEF in patients with HFmrEF. METHODS: Consecutive patients with HFmrEF (i.e. LVEF 41-49% with signs and/or symptoms of HF) were included retrospectively in a monocentric registry from 2016 to 2022...

BACKGROUND: Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) provides information on morpho-functional abnormalities and myocardial tissue characterisation. Appropriate indications for CMR in athletes are uncertain. OBJECTIVE: To analyse the CMR performed at our Institute to evaluate variables associated with pathologic findings in a large cohort of athletes presenting with different clinical conditions. METHODS: All the CMR performed at our Institute in athletes aged > 14 years were recruited...

BACKGROUND: Catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter is routinely performed in patients with implantable devices. The aim of the present study was to assess success rates and potential complications in a large registry cohort of patients with cardiac pacemakers. METHODS AND RESULTS: The German Ablation Registry is a nationwide, prospective registry with a 1-year follow-up investigating patients who underwent catheter ablation of supraventricular arrhythmias in 51 German centers...

BACKGROUND: Lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) is an independent risk factor for myocardial infarction and aortic valve stenosis. European guidelines recommend assessing it at least once in a lifetime, particularly in premature atherosclerotic heart disease. METHODS: A non-interventional registry was conducted at MEDIAN rehabilitation facilities in Germany to assess the frequency of Lp(a) testing in referring acute care hospitals and the prevalence of elevated Lp(a) levels in aortic valve stenosis or premature myocardial infarction...

BACKGROUND: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) serves a growing range of patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS). TAVI has evolved to a streamlined procedure minimizing length of hospital stay. AIMS: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of an early discharge (ED) strategy after TAVI. METHODS: We performed an international, multi-center, prospective observational single-arm study in AS patients undergoing TAVI with the ACURATE valve platform...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Coexisting atrial fibrillation (AF) and cancer challenge the management of both. The aim of the study is to comprehensively provide the epidemiology of coexisting AF and cancer. METHODS: Using Dutch nationwide statistics, individuals with incident AF (n = 320 139) or cancer (n = 472 745) were identified during the period 2015-19. Dutch inhabitants without a history of AF (n = 320 135) or cancer (n = 472 741) were matched as control cohorts by demographic characteristics...

OBJECTIVE: Apolipoprotein E (APOE) is the most important precursor for the production of steroid hormones and is also involved in regulating the function of steroid hormones, hence playing a significant role in reproductive processes. So, APOE gene expression may be correlated with the implantation process. This study tries to make a better clarification of the correlation between APOE gene polymorphisms and recurrent implantation failure (RIF), where we compared the frequency of APOE polymorphisms in RIF patients, assisted reproductive treatment (ART) success cases and fertile women...

OBJECTIVES: Placement of a ventricular assist device (VAD) improves outcomes in children with advanced heart failure, but adverse events remain important consequences. Preoperative mechanical ventilation (MV) increases mortality, but it is unknown what impact prolonged postoperative MV has. DESIGN: Advanced Cardiac Therapies Improving Outcomes Network (ACTION) and Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care Consortium (PC4) registries were used to identify and link children with initial VAD placement admitted to the cardiac ICU (CICU) from August 2014 to July 2020...

Regulation of chromatin states is essential for proper temporal and spatial gene expression. Chromatin states are modulated by remodeling complexes composed of components that have enzymatic activities. CHD4 is the catalytic core of the Nucleosome Remodeling and Deacetylase (NuRD) complex that represses gene transcription. However, it remains to be determined how CHD4, a ubiquitous enzyme that remodels chromatin structure, functions in cardiomyocytes to maintain heart development. Particularly, there exists controversy as to whether other proteins besides the NuRD components interact with CHD4 in the heart...

BACKGROUND: Most studies have used cross-sectional or limited follow-up data to evaluate the relationship between social isolation (SI) and hypertension in older populations. The objective of this analysis was to examine the relationship between longitudinal SI and hypertension in a younger population. METHODS AND RESULTS: The present analysis used data from waves I to V of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (1994-2018) and logistic regression models to describe the association of timing, duration, and transitional patterns of SI with hypertension in early middle adulthood...

The popularity of nonlinear analysis has been growing simultaneously with the technology of effort monitoring. Therefore, considering the simple methods of physiological data collection and the approaches from the information domain, we proposed integrating univariate and bivariate analysis for the rest and effort comparison. Two sessions separated by an intensive training program were studied. Nine subjects participated in the first session (S1) and seven in the second session (S2). The protocol included baseline (BAS), exercise, and recovery phase...