Aortic shape and diameter variations are predictive of short-term complications in transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

Introduction: Anatomic and geometric considerations are critical components for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedural planning. Aortic root geometry and 3-dimensional orientation have been previously associated with short-term complications but with mixed and inconsistent results. The purpose of this study was to investigate aortic 3-dimensional anatomical shape variants identified by principal component analysis (PCA) and whether these variants are associated with short-term complications.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma ( )-mediated myocardial salvage in acute myocardial infarction managed with left ventricular unloading and coronary reperfusion.

Ischemic heart disease and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Improvements have been made in coronary interventions to restore blood flow, but ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury significantly impacts clinical outcomes. We previously reported that activation of percutaneous mechanical unloading of the left ventricle (LV) with a transvalvular axial-flow device simultaneously with reperfusion improves myocardial salvage.

Association of Depression and Cognitive Dysfunction With Patient-Centered Outcomes After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement.

Background: Depression and cognitive dysfunction (CD) are not routinely screened for in patients before transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and their association with postprocedural outcomes is poorly understood. The objectives of this study are to determine the prevalence of depression and CD in patients with aortic stenosis undergoing TAVR and evaluate their association with mortality and quality of life.

Methods: We analyzed a prospective, multicenter TAVR registry that systematically screened patients for preexisting depression and CD with the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 and Mini-Cog, respectively.

Intravascular Imaging During Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: JACC State-of-the-Art Review.

Coronary angiography has historically served as the gold standard for diagnosis of coronary artery disease and guidance of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Adjunctive use of contemporary intravascular imaging (IVI) technologies has emerged as a complement to conventional angiography-to further characterize plaque morphology and optimize the performance of PCI. IVI has utility for preintervention lesion and vessel assessment, periprocedural guidance of lesion preparation and stent deployment, and postintervention assessment of optimal endpoints and exclusion of complications.

Trends in Clinical Presentation, Management, and Outcomes of STEMI in Patients With COVID-19.

Background: We previously reported high in-hospital mortality for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients with COVID-19 treated in the early phase of the pandemic.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to describe trends of COVID-19 patients with STEMI during the course of the pandemic.

Methods: The NACMI (North American COVID-19 STEMI) registry is a prospective, investigator-initiated, multicenter, observational registry of hospitalized STEMI patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 infection in North America.

Left Ventricular Hypertrophy and Biomarkers of Cardiac Damage and Stress in Aortic Stenosis.

Background Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is associated with increased mortality risk and rehospitalization after transcatheter aortic valve replacement among those with severe aortic stenosis. Whether cardiac troponin (cTnT) and NT-proBNP (N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide) risk stratify patients with aortic stenosis and without LVH is unknown. Methods and Results In a multicenter prospective registry of 923 patients with severe aortic stenosis undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement, we included 674 with core-laboratory-measured LV mass index, cTnT, and NT-proBNP.

The appropriate use criteria: Improvements for its integration into real world clinical practice.

The purpose of this position statement is to suggest ways in which future appropriate use criteria (AUC) for coronary revascularization might be restructured to: (1) incorporate improvement in quality of life and angina relief as primary goals of therapy, (2) integrate the findings of recent trials into quality appraisal, (3) employ the combined information of the coronary angiogram and invasive physiologic measurements together with the results of stress test imaging to assess risk, and (4) recognize the essential role that patient preference plays in making individualized therapeutic decisions. The AUC is a valuable tool within the quality assurance process; it is vital that interventionists ensure that percutaneous coronary intervention case selection is both evidence-based and patient oriented. Appropriate patient selection is an important quality indicator and adherence to evidence-based practice should be one metric in a portfolio of process and outcome indicators that measure quality.

SCAI expert consensus update on best practices in the cardiac catheterization laboratory: This statement was endorsed by the American College of Cardiology (ACC), the American Heart Association (AHA), and the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) in April 2021.

The current document commissioned by the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) and endorsed by the American College of Cardiology, the American Heart Association, and Heart Rhythm Society represents a comprehensive update to the 2012 and 2016 consensus documents on patient-centered best practices in the cardiac catheterization laboratory. Comprising updates to staffing and credentialing, as well as evidence-based updates to the pre-, intra-, and post-procedural logistics, clinical standards and patient flow, the document also includes an expanded section on CCL governance, administration, and approach to quality metrics. This update also acknowledges the collaboration with various specialties, including discussion of the heart team approach to management, and working with electrophysiology colleagues in particular.

Initial Findings From the North American COVID-19 Myocardial Infarction Registry.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted many aspects of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) care, including timely access to primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI).

Objectives: The goal of the NACMI (North American COVID-19 and STEMI) registry is to describe demographic characteristics, management strategies, and outcomes of COVID-19 patients with STEMI.

Methods: A prospective, ongoing observational registry was created under the guidance of 3 cardiology societies.

Predicting mortality in cardiogenic shock secondary to ACS requiring short-term mechanical circulatory support: The ACS-MCS score.

Objective: To identify predictors of 30-day all-cause mortality for patients with cardiogenic shock secondary to acute coronary syndrome (ACS-CS) who require short-term mechanical circulatory support (ST-MCS).

Background: ACS-CS mortality is high. ST-MCS is an attractive treatment option for hemodynamic support and stabilization of deteriorating patients.

orth merican OVID-19 ST-Segment-Elevation yocardial nfarction (NACMI) registry: Rationale, design, and implications.

Unlabelled: The novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has resulted in a global pandemic. Patients with cardiovascular risk factors or established cardiovascular disease are more likely to experience severe or critical COVID-19 illness and myocardial injury is a key extra-pulmonary manifestation. These patients frequently present with ST-elevation on an electrocardiogram (ECG) due to multiple etiologies including obstructive, non-obstructive, and/or angiographically normal coronary arteries.

Percutaneous Mechanical Unloading Simultaneously With Reperfusion Induces Increased Myocardial Salvage in Experimental Acute Myocardial Infarction.

Background: Despite advances in reperfusion times, patients presenting with acute myocardial infarction carry an unacceptably high rate of mortality and morbidity. Mechanical unloading of the left ventricle (LV) has been suggested to reduce infarct size after acute myocardial infarction. Although prior studies have investigated LV unloading during ischemia with a delay in reperfusion, little is known about the optimal timing for LV unloading in the setting of acute myocardial infarction.

Impact of New Guidelines of Unscheduled and Scheduled Sedation for Cardiologists: JACC Council Perspectives.

Until 2019, guidelines for procedural sedation emphasized a detailed process most applicable for elective procedures scheduled well in advance. These guidelines provided by the American Society of Anesthesiologists were adopted by many specialties and institutions, and they have historically served the medical field well. However, cardiologists and other specialists often encounter urgent situations that demand unscheduled sedation.

Bioprosthetic Aortic Paravalvular Leak: Is Valve-in-Valve Another Solution?

Paravalvular leak (PVL) following aortic valve implantation is a rare complication but may cause potentially serious consequences. It occurs in 2%-10% of surgical aortic valve replacements and 7%-17% of surgical mitral valve replacements. Transcatheter valve replacement data show that significant PVL occurs in 6%-8% of cases.

Transradial access mitigates bleeding benefit offered by bivalirudin over heparin in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention: Insights from meta-analysis of randomized and observational studies.

Objective: Recent randomized control trials (RCTs) showed conflicting efficacy and safety between bivalirudin and heparin during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We aimed to perform an updated meta-analysis, including real-world and trial data to examine the factors affecting their risk-benefit ratio.

Methods: We searched Medline, the Cochrane library, and meeting abstracts for studies comparing bivalirudin versus heparin during PCI.

Therapeutic synergy and complementarity for ischemia/reperfusion injury: β1-adrenergic blockade and phosphodiesterase-3 inhibition.

The β1-blocker when administered before reperfusion activates myocyte prosurvival signaling via β2-adrenergic receptor (β2-AR) and protein kinase A (PKA)-dependent mechanism during ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). The heart is endowed with powerful self-protective ability executed by endogenous β2-adrenopeptide receptor activation. I/R triggers cardiac epinephrine and neuropeptide calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) release.

Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement via Left Anterior Thoracotomy in a Patient With Severe Pectus Excavatum.

With the development of the transcatheter aortic valve replacement, innovative approaches can be geared to atypical and challenging cases. We describe a case of transcatheter aortic valve replacement via a left anterior thoracotomy in a patient with pectus excavatum and unusual intrathoracic anatomy where surgical and traditional transcatheter aortic valve replacement approaches were deemed inapplicable.