Distinct Circle of Willis anatomical configurations in healthy preterm born adults: a 3D time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiography study.

Background: Preterm birth (< 37 weeks' gestation) alters cerebrovascular development due to the premature transition from a foetal to postnatal circulatory system, with potential implications for future cerebrovascular health. This study aims to explore potential differences in the Circle of Willis (CoW), a key arterial ring that perfuses the brain, of healthy adults born preterm.

Methods: A total of 255 participants (108 preterm, 147 full-term) were included in the analysis.

Differentiating Left Ventricular Remodeling in Aortic Stenosis From Systemic Hypertension.

Background: Left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy occurs in both aortic stenosis (AS) and systemic hypertension (HTN) in response to wall stress. However, differentiation of hypertrophy due to these 2 etiologies is lacking. The aim was to study the 3-dimensional geometric remodeling pattern in severe AS pre- and postsurgical aortic valve replacement and to compare with HTN and healthy controls.

Magnetic resonance phase contrast velocity mapping for flow quantification in irregular heart rhythms using radial k-space ultrashort echo time imaging.

Background: Phase contrast velocity mapping sequences utilising ultrashort echo time (UTE) radial k-space sequences have been used to reduce intravoxel dephasing at high velocities. We evaluated the accuracy of the UTE flow sequence for mitral regurgitation (MR) quantification, including patients with atrial fibrillation.

Methods: Forty patients underwent cardiac MRI for indirect MR quantification by assessment of aortic flow using a UTE phase contrast sequence (TE 0.

Variations in Cardiovascular Structure, Function, and Geometry in Midlife Associated With a History of Hypertensive Pregnancy.

Hypertensive pregnancy is associated with increased maternal cardiovascular risk in later life. A range of cardiovascular adaptations after pregnancy have been reported to partly explain this risk. We used multimodality imaging to identify whether, by midlife, any pregnancy-associated phenotypes were still identifiable and to what extent they could be explained by blood pressure.

Identification of Myocardial Disarray in Patients With Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy and Ventricular Arrhythmias.

Background: Myocardial disarray is a likely focus for fatal arrhythmia in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). This microstructural abnormality can be inferred by mapping the preferential diffusion of water along cardiac muscle fibers using diffusion tensor cardiac magnetic resonance (DT-CMR) imaging. Fractional anisotropy (FA) quantifies directionality of diffusion in 3 dimensions.

The interplay between metabolic alterations, diastolic strain rate and exercise capacity in mild heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: a cardiovascular magnetic resonance study.

Background: Heart failure (HF) is characterized by altered myocardial substrate metabolism which can lead to myocardial triglyceride accumulation (steatosis) and lipotoxicity. However its role in mild HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is uncertain. We measured myocardial triglyceride content (MTG) in HFpEF and assessed its relationships with diastolic function and exercise capacity.

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance can be undertaken in pregnancy and guide clinical decision-making in this patient population.

Aims: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of maternal morbidity and mortality, frequently requiring cardiac imaging for diagnosis, and follow-up. This need does not change pregnancy; however, many centres do not offer cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) to pregnant patients. This paper explores current practice of CMR in pregnancy in four large volume centres, its safety and its impact on patient management.

Association of Cardiovascular Risk Factors With MRI Indices of Cerebrovascular Structure and Function and White Matter Hyperintensities in Young Adults.

Importance: Risk of stroke and brain atrophy in later life relate to levels of cardiovascular risk in early adulthood. However, it is unknown whether cerebrovascular changes are present in young adults.

Objective: To examine relationships between modifiable cardiovascular risk factors and cerebrovascular structure, function, and white matter integrity in young adults.

Anti-TNF modulation reduces myocardial inflammation and improves cardiovascular function in systemic rheumatic diseases.

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) are common disorders associated with increased rates of cardiovascular disease (CVD), but the contribution of cytokine-induced inflammation to impaired cardiovascular function in these conditions remains poorly understood.

Objectives: We assessed the effect of anti-TNF therapy on myocardial and vascular function, myocardial tissue characteristics and perfusion in inflammatory arthropathy and systemic rheumatic disease (IASRD) patients, using cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR).

Methods: 20 RA patients, 7 AS patients, 5 PsA patients without previously known CVD scheduled to commence anti-TNF therapy and 8 RA patients on standard disease modifying antirheumatic drugs underwent CMR at 1.

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance characterization of myocardial and vascular function in rheumatoid arthritis patients.

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a multisystem, autoimmune disorder and confers one of the strongest risks for cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality.

Objective: To assess myocardial function and vascular stiffness in RA patients with and without cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs) using cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR).

Methods: Twenty-three RA patients with no CVRFs (17 female, mean age 52 ± 13 years), 46 RA patients with CVRFs (32 female, mean age 53 ± 12), 50 normal controls (32 female, mean age 50 ± 11 years), and 13 controls with CVRFs (7 female, mean age 55 ± 7 years), underwent CMR at 1.

Correction to: Adenosine stress CMR T1-mapping detects early microvascular dysfunction in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus without obstructive coronary artery disease.

In the original publication of this article [1] Fig. 1 was incorrect due to the use of a colour bar with wrong range in error.

Adenosine stress CMR T1-mapping detects early microvascular dysfunction in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus without obstructive coronary artery disease.

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is associated with coronary microvascular dysfunction in the absence of obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD). Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) T1-mapping at rest and during adenosine stress can assess coronary vascular reactivity. We hypothesised that the non-contrast T1 response to vasodilator stress will be altered in patients with T2DM without CAD compared to controls due to coronary microvascular dysfunction.

Reference ranges for cardiac structure and function using cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) in Caucasians from the UK Biobank population cohort.

Background: Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) is the gold standard method for the assessment of cardiac structure and function. Reference ranges permit differentiation between normal and pathological states. To date, this study is the largest to provide CMR specific reference ranges for left ventricular, right ventricular, left atrial and right atrial structure and function derived from truly healthy Caucasian adults aged 45-74.

Aortic stiffness and blood pressure variability in young people: a multimodality investigation of central and peripheral vasculature.

Introduction: Increased blood pressure (BP) variability is a cardiovascular risk marker for young individuals and may relate to the ability of their aorta to buffer cardiac output. We used a multimodality approach to determine relations between central and peripheral arterial stiffness and BP variability.

Methods: We studied 152 adults (mean age of 31 years) who had BP variability measures based on SD of awake ambulatory BPs, 24-h weighted SD and average real variability (ARV).

Breast Milk Consumption in Preterm Neonates and Cardiac Shape in Adulthood.

Background And Objectives: Preterm birth relates to long-term alterations in cardiac morphology and function. Understanding whether preterm postnatal life is a tractable period of cardiovascular development that can be positively altered by nutrition is relevant to long-term outcomes. We hypothesized that being fed human breast milk during early postnatal life is beneficial to long-term cardiac structure and function in preterm-born individuals compared with infant formulas.

Pheochromocytoma Is Characterized by Catecholamine-Mediated Myocarditis, Focal and Diffuse Myocardial Fibrosis, and Myocardial Dysfunction.

Background: Pheochromocytoma is associated with catecholamine-induced cardiac toxicity, but the extent and nature of cardiac involvement in clinical cohorts is not well-characterized.

Objectives: This study characterized the cardiac phenotype in patients with pheochromocytoma using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR).

Methods: A total of 125 subjects were studied, including patients with newly diagnosed pheochromocytoma (n = 29), patients with previously surgically cured pheochromocytoma (n = 31), healthy control subjects (n = 51), and hypertensive control subjects (HTN) (n = 14), using CMR (1.

Determination of Clinical Outcome in Mitral Regurgitation With Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Quantification.

Background: Surgery for severe mitral regurgitation is indicated if symptoms or left ventricular dilation or dysfunction occur. However, prognosis is already reduced by this stage, and earlier surgery on asymptomatic patients has been advocated if valve repair is likely, but identifying suitable patients for early surgery is difficult. Quantifying the regurgitation may help, but evidence for its link with outcome is limited.

UK Biobank's cardiovascular magnetic resonance protocol.

Background: UK Biobank's ambitious aim is to perform cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) in 100,000 people previously recruited into this prospective cohort study of half a million 40-69 year-olds.

Methods/design: We describe the CMR protocol applied in UK Biobank's pilot phase, which will be extended into the main phase with three centres using the same equipment and protocols. The CMR protocol includes white blood CMR (sagittal anatomy, coronary and transverse anatomy), cine CMR (long axis cines, short axis cines of the ventricles, coronal LVOT cine), strain CMR (tagging), flow CMR (aortic valve flow) and parametric CMR (native T1 map).

Adenosine Stress and Rest T1 Mapping Can Differentiate Between Ischemic, Infarcted, Remote, and Normal Myocardium Without the Need for Gadolinium Contrast Agents.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of T1 mapping at rest and during adenosine stress as a novel method for ischemia detection without the use of gadolinium contrast.

Background: In chronic coronary artery disease (CAD), accurate detection of ischemia is important because targeted revascularization improves clinical outcomes. Myocardial blood volume (MBV) may be a more comprehensive marker of ischemia than myocardial blood flow.