Background The use of a cerebral embolic protection device (CEPD) during transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has not been shown to be effective in preventing stroke in the PROTECTED-TAVR randomized controlled trial. However, whether CEPD may specifically benefit patients with high aortic valve calcium burden has not been studied. Purpose This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of

Background The pressure-bounded coronary flow reserve (CFRpb) defines the possible CFR interval (between CFRpbmin and CFRpbmax) using intracoronary pressure data. However, its correlation to the Doppler wire measurement was reported to be poor, partly due to the non-inclusion of the hydrostatic pressure error in the calculations. Microvascular resistance reserve (MRR), a specific index of coronary

Introduction Recent studies demonstrated a strong relation between suboptimal post-PCI fractional flow reserve (FFR) and clinical outcome. The feasibility of post-PCI FFR optimization and its impact on future clinical outcome remains topic of debate. Purpose The aim of the present substudy of the FFR REACT trial was to identify predictors of 1) absolute FFR increase following optimization and 2) successful

Background/Introduction Studies showed positive associations between previous dyslipidemia and subsequent subclinical atherosclerosis. Purpose To examine the longitudinal association of cumulative burden of different lipid parameters and subsequent carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT). Methods Using data from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study from year 0 (Y0) to year

Background Blood levels of NT-proBNP correlates with aortic valve stenosis and has been suggested as a future target for intervention or selection of patients for aortic valve replacement. Purpose To examine how levels of NT-proBNP pre-TAVI relates to risk of one-year rates of heart failure admission and mortality in patients undergoing TAVI. Methods With Danish nationwide registries, we identified

Background Intracoronary optical coherence tomography (OCT) enables in vivo detection and characterization of atherosclerotic disease. However, manual assessment of OCT images is time-consuming and subject to intra- and interobserver variability. Therefore, automated and trustworthy methods for plaque assessment are warranted. Purpose To develop and validate an artificial intelligence based algorithm

Introduction St. Jude’s Trifecta (TF) bioprosthesis were adopted at most centers due to their unique design and hemodynamic performance. However, concerns regarding durability have been raised and long-term follow-up studies (≥10 years) are scarce. Purpose To report hemodynamic performance as well as early and long-term results of TF valve. Material and Methods In this longitudinal, single-center study

Background In recent years, people have a new understanding of the treatment of hypertension. Even at the optimal blood pressure levels recommended by the guidelines, further attention to blood pressure variability is warranted. Obesity and overweight are associated with blood pressure variability, but existing studies mainly focus on the effect of traditional obesity indicators on blood pressure variability

Introduction Hydrochlorothiazide (HCT) has been suggested to induce photosensitivity, thereby increasing the incidence of skin cancers. After a pharmacovigilance alert, HCT was frequently withdrawn or substituted by other diuretics. The aim of this study was to compare the association of exposure to HCT with cancer risk versus alternative diuretics. Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted

Background Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) are characterized by loss of vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation. The catalytic PI 3-kinase isoform p110α signals downstream of growth factor receptors. Mice harboring an SMC-specific p110α deficiency (SM-p110α-/-) are characterized by impaired SMC proliferation and survival. Aim We hypothesized that p110α deficiency

Introduction Cardiovascular disease is a public health issue remaining the leading cause of death worldwide. One of its main contributors is coronary artery disease (CAD), a complex multifactorial disease with the influence of hereditary and environmental factors. It’s crucial to improve cardiovascular risk assessment which is a real challenge in our daily clinical practice. SCORE 2 enhanced the identification

Background 3D Hologram is an emerging tool for intuitively manipulating and visualizing CT images. Mixed reality (MR) technology can display high-definition 3D holograms while preserving situational awareness. The new MR software offers the possibility to measure 3D objects using hand gestures and voice commands. However, these measurements made on 3D holograms have not been validated. Purpose We aimed

Background The use of a comprehensive panel of circulating biomarkers in risk estimation of cardiovascular disease and mortality in a general healthy population remains uncertain. Methods The individual association of 30 clinically available biomarkers with risk of incident heart failure (HF), atrial fibrillation (AF), stroke, myocardial infarction (MI), venous thromboembolism (VTE), and mortality

Introduction Pivotal randomized clinical trials showed benefit in patent foramen ovale closure (PFOC) up to 9 months after a cryptogenic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) [1-4]. It might be sensible to indicate PFOC also in non-recent cryptogenic strokes, but evidence is lacking. Purpose We aimed to compare the effectiveness of PFOC according to the time elapsed from the patient’s last episode

Background Percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) with paclitaxel-coated balloons (PCB) represent an established treatment for in-stent restenosis (ISR) and small coronary arteries. Lately sirolimus-coated balloons (SCB) have been introduced. Yet, studies comparing SCBs to PCBs are lacking. Purpose We sought to assess clinical outcomes at 12 months of an all-comer population presenting with acute

Introduction The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has been challenging for healthcare systems globally. Patients with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis awaiting transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) are a vulnerable, elderly subset of patients often with multiple comorbidities. Untreated severe aortic stenosis (AS) is associated with a poor prognosis. It is uncertain if population-based strategies

Introduction Valve-in-valve (ViV) transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is a viable and less-invasive alternative to open heart surgery in selected patients with bioprosthetic valve dysfunction. Most ViV-TAVI procedures have been performed in failing stented bioprosthetic valves; stentless bioprostheses lack fluoroscopic markers and could be more challenging for transcatheter therapy. Data

Background Meta-analyses of randomized trials show that cardiac rehabilitation (CR) prevents cardiovascular (CV) and heart failure (HF)-specific hospitalizations. However, globally only 30-50% of eligible patients participate in CR which might affect CR effectiveness. Purpose To investigate CR utilization and clinical outcomes after an admission for HF. Methods This is a retrospective cohort study

Background Hypertension in women is increasingly recognized to originate in the pre-menopause, but the factors that may affect the greater blood pressure increments observed in premenopausal women compared to age-matched men are understudied. Uterine fibroids, occurring in 30-50% of all women, are a strong sex-specific factor associated with hypertension and early cardiovascular events, but the nature

Background Recent evidence indicates that long-term visit-to-visit blood pressure variability (BPV) may be associated with the risk of cardiovascular disease. We therefore aimed to determine the potential associations of long-term BPV from childhood to middle age with subclinical kidney damage (SKD) and albuminuria in adulthood. Methods Using data from the ongoing cohort of Hanzhong Adolescent Hypertension

Background There are marked sex differences in cardiovascular (CV) disease, most characteristically with men having a higher risk of coronary heart disease and myocardial infarction (MI). The sex differences in the absolute lifetime risk of CV disease as well as the different profiles of first incident CV events remain poorly described. Purpose Using data from a large British population-based cohort

Background Recently, long-term prognostic value of SYNTAX score (SS) has been validated in patients with left main coronary artery disease (LMCA). However, the ability of clinical SYNTAX score (CSS) to predict very long-term outcomes in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for LMCA has not been fully investigated yet. Purpose We aimed to validate the impact of CSS on very long-term

Background The ACTIVE-AF study demonstrated that aerobic exercise prescription promotes the maintenance of sinus rhythm in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). However, it is unclear whether these benefits are observed in patients with both paroxysmal and persistent AF. Purpose Compare efficacy of exercise intervention on arrhythmia recurrence between paroxysmal (ParAF) and persistent (PerAF) patients

Background Blood pressure variability (BPV) is considered a modern cardiovascular risk factor. There are many data relating BPV to mortality, risk of stroke and target organs damage mainly in hypertensive patients. Purpose The purpose of the present study is to investigate whether BPV in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) who all underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) was associated

Introduction Regular exercise reduces morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular diseases through cardiac and systemic adaptations including the increased coronary blood flow, an improved endothelial function, a slower progression of atherosclerotic processes as well as the stabilization of pre-existing lesions. However, long-term exercise is frequently associated with adverse cardiovascular events

Genetic predisposition is a risk factor for office hypertension. We tested whether genetic background could identify individuals with ambulatory daytime hypertension in a sample of white Europeans from Liechtenstein. We evaluated two measures of predisposition to hypertension: family history and polygenic risk scores (PRS). Our analytic sample contained 1444 participants aged 25 to 41. 12% of participants

Introduction In 2022, the International Society of Hypertension and World Hypertension League released a position paper noting that there is limited evidence on the impact of bedtime versus other time dosing of antihypertensives on 24-h BP profile and on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Since then, the Treatment In Morning versus Evening (TIME) trial results which enrolled over 20 thousand participants

Background/Introduction Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally, and treatment of well-established lifestyle risk factors are cornerstones in CVD prevention. An atherogenic lipid profile with high concentrations of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and other apolipoprotein B containing lipoproteins is a driving force in the pathogenesis of atherosclerotic

Background/Introduction Inflammation is recognized as a residual risk factor and mediator in patients with Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease (ASCVD). High-sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (hsCRP), a marker of systemic inflammation, can be affected by modifiable risk factors (modRF). On the other hand, ASCVD and its extent might modify hsCRP levels. Data regarding the relationship between hsCRP,

Background Hypertension is associated with increased mental anxiety and depression. Renal denervation (RDN) reduces blood pressure (BP) in patients with uncontrolled, resistant hypertension (rHTN). The Global SYMPLICITY Registry (GSR) DEFINE is a prospective, open-label, single-arm, all-comer worldwide study, enrolling patients to undergo RDN. Whether BP reductions after RDN improve patients’ self-reported

Background Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has become the most common treatment for patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) in Europe and North America. Current European guidelines recommend transfemoral TAVI for patients with severe, symptomatic AS aged ≥75 years. However, this cut-off is based solely on coincidentally existing patient cohort mean age of randomized controlled trials

Background Achieving optimal BP control in hypertensive patients (pts) remains a continuous challenge worldwide. Multiple factors are responsible for the low rates of BP control with suboptimal drug choice playing a key role. Practice guidelines should serve as evidence based foundation for optimal antihypertensive drug therapy but their impact in the real-world is variable. Purpose This retrospective

Background The registry-based randomized VALIDATE-SWEDEHEART trial compared bivalirudin vs. heparin in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for myocardial infarction (MI). It showed no difference in the composite primary endpoint of death, MI, or major bleeding at 180 days. Methods Analysis of primary and secondary endpoints at two years of follow-up was prespecified in the

Background The impact of statin therapy on cardiovascular outcomes after ST-elevation acute myocardial infarction (STEMI) in real-world patients is understudied. Purpose The aim of this study was to identify predictors of low compliance to statin therapy and estimate its impact on cardiovascular (CV) outcomes and mortality in the first year after the index event. Methods We evaluated real-world adherence

Introduction/Background Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia in adults, confers a 5-fold increase in risk of stroke, and is present in up to 50% of patients with transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis (ATTR-CA). 1,2 When present in ATTR-CA, AF is associated with a significant risk of stroke and systemic thromboembolism, even independent of CHA2DS2VASc score. 2-4. Current guidelines advocate

Background Intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) is a promising balloon-based technique to treat calcified coronary lesions. The evidence of its use in LM disease is scarce and there are no studies reporting a comparison between IVL and conventional techniques for calcified lesions, especially in LM PCI that represented an exclusion criteria of the DISRUPT-CAD trials. Methods The aim of this study is to

Background High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLc) has been associated to lower myocardial infarction size although it is not considered a primary target in cardiovascular prevention or as treatment target in patients with cardiovascular disease. The role of HDLc on in-hospital mortality in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients could be influenced by many variables. Methods We performed and observational

Introduction Multimorbidity is associated with increased mortality, decreased quality of life, and increased use of healthcare services and complicates medical decision-making. Depression is more prevalent among patients with CVD than in the general population, with a direct impact on cardiovascular outcomes and management. Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) aim to provide the best available advice

Background Interventional closure of paravalvular leaks (PVL) after surgical valve replacement has developed to an attractive treatment option for patients at high operative risk. There is a lack of prospective data on long- term clinical outcome after percutaneous PVL closure. Methods We analysed data from a multicenter prospective registry on interventional PVL closure. Results 41 patients (10 women

Background Vascular aging, as assessed by structural and functional arterial properties, is an independent predictor of cardiovascular outcomes. We aimed to explore the associations of individual cardiovascular risk factors from childhood to midlife and their accumulation over a 30-year span with vascular aging in midlife. Methods Using data from the ongoing cohort of Hanzhong Adolescent Hypertension

Background Transcatheter tricuspid annuloplasty has emerged as an attractive percutaneous therapy for patients with severe symptomatic tricuspid regurgitation. Cardioband (Edwards) was the first dedicated CE marked percutaneous device for tricuspid regurgitation. Despite mid-long-term clinical safety and efficacy demonstrated in early feasibility trials and registries, there is no data about its impact

Background Coronary flow capacity (CFC) integrates quantitative hyperaemic myocardial blood flow and coronary flow reserve (CFR) to comprehensively assess physiological severity of coronary artery disease. This study evaluated the effects of revascularization (PCI) on CFC assessed by serial transthoracic doppler echocardiography (TDE) examinations before and after elective PCI. Methods A total of 177

Background The Covid-19 pandemic developed its full destructive capacity and caused over 6.6 million confirmed deaths worldwide in the year 2020. This retrospective study aimed to examine the effects of Covid-19 on the mortality and clinical characteristics of peripheral artery disease (PAD) patients because these chronically ill patients are at risk for arterial embolic vascular complications and

Background Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) represents a clinically and morphologically diverse hereditary cardiac disease that is frequently associated with poor prognosis. Nationwide data on septal reduction therapy (SRT), alcohol septal ablation (ASA) and septal myectomy (SM), remains scarce. The aim of this study was to investigate (i) temporal trends, (ii) patient characteristics

Background Renal denervation (RDN) has been recognized as an alternative treatment strategy for blood pressure (BP) control. There is no consensus on which intra-procedural parameters could reliably predict BP-lowering responses following RDN, which usually occur months later. Purpose This study aimed to evaluate systolic BP (SBP) changes induced by renal nerve stimulation (RNS) during RDN and its

Backround/Aim: Arterial stiffness is involved in the clinical course of atherogenesis. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether altered arterial wall properties of confers predictively and additively to estimation of cardiovascular risk. Methods Pulse wave velocity carotid-femoral (PWVc-f), the gold standard method to assess arterial stiffness, was measured non-invasively by Complior device

Background Circulating proteins reflecting atherosclerosis may improve cardiovascular (CV) disease prediction. We applied feature selection and unsupervised clustering on proteomic data to identify proteins associated with carotid atherosclerosis and construct a protein-based classification system for prediction of CV events. Methods 491 community-dwelling participants (mean age, 58±11 years; 51% women)

Introduction Exercise training based cardio-oncologic rehabilitation programmes (ET) were shown to counteract the loss in cardiorespiratory fitness and quality of life (QoL) and reduce cancer fatigue during anthracycline-based chemotherapies (AC). It is unknown whether these changes are due to greater volumes of physical activity (PA) induced by ET and whether ET is associated with greater objectively

Aims The cardinal risk factors for cardiovascular disease in adulthood are well-recognised. In addition to these, observational studies have suggested that intrauterine and early developmental factors might play a role. However, observational associations are liable to influence by residual confounding and bias. Additionally, observational and genetic studies to date have not been able to isolate the

In the arterial tree, the systolic blood pressure (SBP) exhibits a pressure gradient from central to peripheral and is higher in the periphery because of pressure wave reflection. However, this gradient is attenuated with the elevation of central SBP (cSBP) in case with abnormal pressure wave reflection in arterial tree. It remains unclear whether increase of the cSBP might be an independent risk for

Background Recent studies have shown that hepatic steatosis is associated with increased risk of incidence hypertension and cardiovascular events, whether the association between hepatic steatosis stratified by controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) grading and blood pressure remains unclear. Methods We examined a cross-sectional study from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES)

Introduction Recommendations regarding the threshold levels of cardiac troponin elevations for the definition of peri-operative myocardial infarction and clinically important peri-procedural myocardial injury in patients undergoing cardiac surgery range widely (>10 to ≥70x the upper limit of normal (ULN)) (1,2). Limited evidence is available to support these recommendations. In a recent multicentre

Background Intracoronary imaging (ICI), including intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) or optical coherence tomography (OCT), is known to correlate with a reduction in rates of cardiac death after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), driven by lower rates of reinfarction and stent thrombosis. [1,2] However, there are limited data around its utility amongst patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS)

Background Women with angina more often have non-obstructive coronary artery disease (ANOCA) compared to males. Coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) is responsible for angina in a sizable proportion of ANOCA patients. Intracoronary continuous thermodilution allows direct quantification of absolute coronary flow (Q) and microvascular resistance (Rµ). Purpose To evaluate gender-related differences

Background Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) presents a substantial clinical and public health burden. It remains one of the most impactful cardiovascular conditions in terms of both number of affected individuals and its impact on the individual’s survival, functional ability, and quality of life. Nonetheless, comprehensive data on the risk of developing PAD in the general population is scant. Purpose

Background/Introduction Arterial hypertension is a major risk factor for chronic kidney disease (CKD). MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a group of small non-coding RNA molecules that pair with messenger RNA sequences of target genes, causing transcriptional repression for protein synthesis. Several studies suggest that the aberrant expression of miRNAs may be involved in the development of cardiovascular diseases

Introduction Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is almost inevitably accompanied by microvascular dysfunction. This could be responsible for cardiovascular events and is supposed to be caused mainly by long-term exposure to hyperglycemia. Nevertheless, relationship between duration and control of T1DM with microvascular complications can be modified by genetic factors; one of frequently discussed candidate

Background Up to 30% of coronary artery lesions continue to induce myocardial ischemia (FFR ≤ 0.8) despite angiographically successful PCI. This proportion is even larger after PCI to the left anterior descending (LAD) artery as it supplies blood to the largest myocardial territory and often has diffuse disease. Post PCI FFR is an important tool to risk stratify patients, as lower values are associated

Aims Endovascular treatment is the primary revascularization strategy for symptomatic peripheral artery disease (PAD), which not only restores tissue perfusion but also affects local lower limb arterial endothelial function. Endothelial dysfunction is the pathophysiologic principle involved in the progression of atherosclerosis and is a prognostically relevant cardiovascular biomarker. A helical stent

Background The prevalence of patent foramen ovale and atrial septal defects has previously been described in early autopsy series and transoesophageal echocardiograms as ranging from 25 to 30%. Updated pathologic data is lacking. Methods A state-wide prospective out-of-hospital cardiac arrest registry identified all patients aged 1 to 50 years who experienced a sudden cardiac arrest in Victoria, Australia