Prevalence and importance of coronary microvascular dysfunction in patients with heart failure and reduced or mildly reduced ejection fraction.

Aims: We investigated the prevalence of coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) and its association with severity of heart failure in patients with reduced or mildly reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF and HFmrEF).

Method: Patients with stable, symptomatic heart failure with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) <50% were enrolled. Data collection included physical examination, blood samples, Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ), carotid to femoral pulse wave velocity, echocardiography and adenosine-based transthoracic Doppler echocardiography to assess coronary flow reserve (CFR).

Rare but serious: pulmonary vascular disease around the world.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), a subtype of pulmonary hypertension (PH) classified under Group 1 of the World Health Organization (WHO) classification, is a progressive disorder characterized by pulmonary vascular remodeling, increased pulmonary vascular resistance, and eventual right heart failure. While common etiologies are well described, less frequent causes are often underrecognized, despite their potential impact on prognosis and therapeutic decision-making. During the April 2025 International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) annual meeting in Boston, USA, a dedicated symposium entitled "Rare but Serious: Pulmonary Vascular Disease Around the World" addressed these overlooked forms of pulmonary vascular disease (PVD).

Risk Assessment Models and Event-Free Survival in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.

Evidence on the predictive ability of risk assessment models for event-free survival (EFS) in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension is scarce. We aimed to investigate the relationship between risk status at 6 months after diagnosis (6 M) and EFS, by three risk models: Multicomponent Improvement (MCI), ESC/ERS 4-Strata Risk (4SR), and noninvasive French PH Registry Score (FRS). Data collected in the Swedish PAH Registry 2008-2021 were used.

Atrial Fibrillation, Venous Thromboembolism, and Risk of Pulmonary Hypertension: A Swedish Nationwide Register Study.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is suggested to be associated with venous thromboembolism (VTE) and might thereby play a role in the development of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (PH). By elevating left-sided filling pressure and promoting atrial myopathy, AF may also play a role in the development of postcapillary PH. We aimed to investigate the association between AF, with or without incident VTE, and the occurrence of PH.

Characteristics and prognosis in acute myocarditis and unexplained acute chest pain: a nationwide longitudinal cohort study.

Aims: Acute myocarditis (AM) is a disease with variable prognosis, ranging from complete recovery to end-stage heart failure (HF) and death but often challenging to differentiate from unexplained acute chest pain (UCP) in the acute setting. This study examines the short-tem and long-term outcomes of AM compared with UCP, focusing on the risk of HF development.

Methods: We used the Swedish Web System for Enhancement of Evidence-Based Care in Heart Disease Evaluated According to Recommended Therapies-registry to identify patients >16 years admitted to hospital between 1 January 1998 and 31 December 2018 with either AM or UCP.

Risk assessment models and survival in pulmonary arterial hypertension: a SPAHR analysis.

Background: Multicomponent improvement (MCI) is a novel endpoint for predicting survival in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), included in the sotatercept clinical program. For the first time, we investigated the prognostic value of MCI, ESC/ERS 4-strata risk (4SR) assessment, and the non-invasive French risk stratification score (FRS), for predicting survival in PAH patients in Sweden. All risk prediction models are based on three parameters: WHO-FC (World Health Organization Functional Class), NT-proBNP, and 6MWD (6-minute walk distance).

Severe heart failure in a unique case of cobalamin-C-deficiency resolved with LVAD implantation and subsequent heart transplantation.

Introduction Cobalamin c deficiency (cblC), an inborn error of vitamin B12 metabolism, is caused by mutations of the MMACHC gene. It usually leads to a multisystemic disease; 50% of all patients with cblC have various structural heart defects. Severe congestive heart failure (HF) may also occur and its prognosis is poorly documented.

Clinical Outcomes and Predictors of Long-Term Survival in Patients With and Without Previously Known Extracardiac Sarcoidosis Using Machine Learning: A Swedish Multicenter Study.

Background Cardiac involvement can be an initial manifestation in sarcoidosis. However, little is known about the association between various clinical phenotypes of cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) and outcomes. We aimed to analyze the relation of different clinical manifestations with outcomes of CS and to investigate the relative importance of clinical features influencing overall survival.

Sex Differences in Treatment and Prognosis of Acute Intracerebral Hemorrhage.

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) accounts for 10%-15% of all stroke cases and is associated with a high risk of death and disability. Prior studies in ischemic stroke have demonstrated a less favorable outcome in women compared with men, but there is a paucity of data regarding differences in outcome by sex in ICH. The aim of the present study was to investigate possible sex differences in acute care and the 3-months follow-up of patients with ICH.

Five year risk assessment and treatment patterns in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.

Aims: Repeated risk assessments and treatment patterns over long time are sparsely studied in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH); thus, we aimed to investigate changes in risk status and treatment patterns in incident patients with CTEPH over a 5 year period.

Methods And Results: Descriptive and explorative study including 311 patients diagnosed with CTEPH 2008-2019 from the Swedish pulmonary hypertension registry, stratified by pulmonary endarterectomy surgery (PEA). Risk and PH-specific treatment were assessed in surgically treated (PEA) and medically treated (non-PEA) patients at diagnosis and up to 5 years follow-up.

Association between central haemodynamics and renal function in advanced heart failure: a nationwide study from Sweden.

Aims: Renal dysfunction in patients with heart failure (HF) has traditionally been attributed to declining cardiac output and renal hypoperfusion. However, other central haemodynamic aberrations may contribute to impaired kidney function. This study assessed the relationship between invasive central haemodynamic measurements from right-heart catheterizations and measured glomerular filtration rate (mGFR) in advanced HF.

Diagnosis, management, and outcome of cardiac sarcoidosis and giant cell myocarditis: a Swedish single center experience.

Background: Cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) and giant cell myocarditis (GCM) are rare diseases that share some similarities, but also display different clinical and histopathological features. We aimed to compare the demographics, clinical presentation, and outcome of patients diagnosed with CS or GCM.

Method: We compared the clinical data and outcome of all adult patients with CS (n = 71) or GCM (n = 21) diagnosed at our center between 1991 and 2020.

Early risk prediction in idiopathic connective tissue disease-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension: call for a refined assessment.

Despite systematic screening and improved treatment strategies, the prognosis remains worse in patients with connective tissue disease-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension (CTD-PAH) compared to patients with idiopathic/hereditary pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH). We aimed to investigate differences in clinical characteristics, outcome and performance of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC)/ European Respiratory Society (ERS) risk stratification tool in these patient groups.  This retrospective analysis included incident patients with CTD-PAH (n=197, of which 64 had interstitial lung disease, ILD) or IPAH (n=305) enrolled in the Swedish PAH Register (SPAHR) 2008-2019.

Predicting mortality during long-term follow-up in pulmonary arterial hypertension.

The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and European Respiratory Society (ERS) guideline recommendation of comprehensive risk assessments, which classify patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) as having low, intermediate or high mortality risk, has not been evaluated during long-term follow-up in a "real-life" clinical setting. We therefore aimed to investigate the utility of risk assessment in a clinical setting for up to 5 years post diagnosis. 386 patients with PAH from the Swedish PAH Registry were included.

Grading right ventricular dysfunction in left ventricular disease using echocardiography: a proof of concept using a novel multiparameter strategy.

Aims: Grading right ventricular dysfunction (RVD) in patients with left ventricular (LV) disease has earned little attention. In the present study, we established an echocardiographic RVD score and investigated how increments of the score correspond to RVD at right heart catheterization.

Methods And Results: We included 95 patients with LV disease consecutively referred for heart transplant or heart failure work-up with catheterization and echocardiography within 48 h.

Adherence to disease-specific drug treatment among patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension or chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.

Background: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) require lifelong treatment. The aim of the present study was to investigate adherence to disease-specific treatment in patients with PAH or CTEPH.

Methods: The study comprised an adult population diagnosed with PAH (n=384) or CTEPH (n=187) alive in 2016-2017.

Longitudinal changes in risk status in pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Aims: Low-risk status in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) predicts better survival. The present study aimed to describe changes in risk status and treatment approaches over multiple clinical assessments in PAH, taking age and comorbidity burden into consideration.

Methods And Results: The study included incident patients from the Swedish PAH registry, diagnosed with PAH in 2008-2019.

Risk of stroke in patients with heart failure and sinus rhythm: data from the Swedish Heart Failure Registry.

Aims: We investigated the 2 year rate of ischaemic stroke/transient ischaemic attack (IS) in patients with heart failure (HF) who were in sinus rhythm (HF-SR) and aimed to develop a score for stratifying risk of IS in this population.

Methods And Results: A total of 15 425 patients (mean age 71.5 years, 39% women) with HF-SR enrolled in the Swedish Heart Failure Register were included; 28 815 age-matched and sex-matched controls, without a registered diagnosis of HF, were selected from the Swedish Population Register.

Poor outcome of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension with insufficient response to phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors alone or in combination with other specific therapy: a registry-based study.

Phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors are commonly used in pulmonary arterial hypertension but, as suggested by the RESPITE study, phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor therapy (mono-/combination) does not always have a satisfactory treatment effect. This study aimed to investigate the clinical course of pulmonary arterial hypertension patients not at treatment goal after at least 90 days of treatment with phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors, alone or in combination with other pulmonary arterial hypertension therapies. The study included 106 incident patients from the Swedish Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Registry, treated with phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors for ≥90 days, who were not at a pre-specified treatment goal, i.

Sex differences in risk factors, treatment, and prognosis in acute stroke.

Objectives: Stroke is a major cause of long-term disability and death worldwide. Several studies have shown that women in general have more severe symptoms at arrival to hospital and are less likely to return home and independent living. Our aim with the present study was to update previous results concerning sex differences in baseline characteristics, stroke management, and outcome in a population study from Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.

Early post-transplant elevated pulmonary artery pressure predicts adverse outcome in cardiac recipients.

Aim: To investigate the prognostic value of early post-transplant hemodynamic measurements on 5-year mortality in cardiac recipients (HTx).

Methods: A right heart catheterization was performed in 290 heart transplantation (HTx) recipients at a one-year post-HTx evaluation. To study the effect of post-HTx hemodynamic variables on 5-year outcome, the cohort was stratified into several subgroups.