Corrected T1 (cT1) is the most appropriate diagnosis and monitoring tool for widespread adoption of resmetirom treatment in the United States.

Objective: The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved the first treatment for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), resmetirom, without clarifying the most effective strategy for diagnosing or monitoring response to therapy. Current standards-of-care (SoC) for Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and Medicare patients largely rely on vibration-controlled transient elastography (VCTE) and/or liver biopsy. Multiparametric MRI corrected T1 (cT1) is a cost-effective, noninvasive liver disease assessment (NILDA) tool in MASH.

Regulatory Roles of Long Noncoding RNAs in Arterial Stiffness and Hypertension.

Background: Arterial stiffness, commonly assessed via pulse wave velocity (PWV), is marked by reduced arterial elasticity and serves as a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease and an early indicator of hypertension. This study investigated the regulatory roles of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in modulating mRNAs associated with arterial stiffness and hypertension, with a particular focus on African American individuals, a population disproportionately impacted by hypertension.

Methods: We utilized whole-blood transcriptome sequencing data from 2 African American cohorts with high hypertension prevalence: the GENE-FORECAST (the Genomics, Environmental Factors, and Social Determinants of Cardiovascular Disease in African Americans Study; 436 subjects) and the MH-GRID study (Minority Health Genomics and Translational Research Bio-Repository Database; 179 subjects).

Higher Risk of Kidney Failure Associated With Angiotensin Receptor Blockers vs ACE Inhibitors in Patients With Heart Failure.

Background: Renin-angiotensin system (RAS) inhibition with high-dose (versus low-dose) angiotensin-converting inhibitors (ACEIs) or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) is associated with a lower risk of kidney failure in patients with heart failure. We examined whether this association varies between ACEIs and ARBs.

Methods: From 300,361 Veterans with heart failure without baseline kidney failure initiated on ACEIs (n = 256,224) or ARBs (n = 44,137), we assembled a propensity score-matched cohort of 88,178 patients while remaining blinded to study outcomes.

Data Interoperability and Harmonization in Cardiovascular Genomic and Precision Medicine.

Despite advances in cardiovascular care and improved outcomes, fragmented healthcare systems, nonequitable access to health care, and nonuniform and unbiased collection and access to healthcare data have exacerbated disparities in healthcare provision and further delayed the technological-enabled implementation of precision medicine. Precision medicine relies on a foundation of accurate and valid omics and phenomics that can be harnessed at scale from electronic health records. Big data approaches in noncardiovascular healthcare domains have helped improve efficiency and expedite the development of novel therapeutics; therefore, applying such an approach to cardiovascular precision medicine is an opportunity to further advance the field.

Valsartan and Cardiac Remodeling in Early-Stage Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: The VANISH Randomized Clinical Trial Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Substudy.

Importance: Valsartan has been shown to attenuate phenotypic progression among individuals with early-stage sarcomeric hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Myocardial tissue characterization by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging may enhance mechanistic insights, but whether valsartan influences these parameters remains uncertain.

Objective: To evaluate the treatment effects of valsartan on myocardial structure, function, and tissue parameters in early-stage sarcomeric HCM.

Soluble Immune Checkpoint Protein and Lipid Network Associations with All-Cause Mortality Risk: Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine (TOPMed) Program.

Adverse cardiovascular events are emerging with the use of immune checkpoint therapies in oncology. Using datasets in the Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine program (Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, Jackson Heart Study [JHS], and Framingham Heart Study), we examined the association of immune checkpoint plasma proteins with each other, their associated protein network with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and the association of HDL-C- and LDL-C-associated protein networks with all-cause mortality risk. Plasma levels of LAG3 and HAVCR2 showed statistically significant associations with mortality risk.

Quality control of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging segmentation, feature tracking, aortic flow, and native T1 analysis using automated batch processing in the UK Biobank study.

Aims: Automated algorithms are regularly used to analyse cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) images. Validating data output reliability from this method is crucial for enabling widespread adoption. We outline a visual quality control (VQC) process for image analysis using automated batch processing.

Regulatory Roles of Long Non-Coding RNAs in Arterial Stiffness and Hypertension: Insights from Two African American Studies.

Background: Arterial stiffness, commonly assessed via pulse wave velocity (PWV), is marked by reduced arterial elasticity and serves as a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease and an early indicator of hypertension. This study investigated the regulatory roles of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in modulating mRNAs associated with arterial stiffness and hypertension, with a particular focus on African Americans, a population disproportionately impacted by hypertension.

Methods: We utilized whole-blood transcriptome sequencing data from two African American (AA) cohorts with high hypertension prevalence: the GENE-FORECAST study (436 subjects) and the MH-GRID study (179 subjects).

Transcriptome Study of 2 Black Cohorts Reveals Long Noncoding RNAs Associated With Hypertension-Related mRNAs.

Background: Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as critical regulators of the expression of genes involved in cardiovascular diseases. This project aims to identify circulating lncRNAs associated with protein-coding mRNAs differentially expressed between hypertensive and normotensive individuals and establish their link with hypertension.

Methods And Results: The analyses were conducted in 3 main steps: (1) an unbiased whole blood transcriptome-wide analysis was conducted to identify and replicate protein-coding genes differentially expressed by hypertension status in 497 and 179 Black individuals from the GENE-FORECAST (Genomics, Environmental Factors and the Social Determinants of Cardiovascular Disease in African-Americans Study) and MH-GRID (Minority Health Genomics and Translational Research Bio-Repository Database) studies, respectively.

Cardiorespiratory fitness and risk of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.

Aims: Preventive strategies for heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) include pharmacotherapies and lifestyle modifications. However, the association between cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) assessed objectively by a standardized exercise treadmill test (ETT) and the risk of HFpEF has not been evaluated. Thus, we evaluated the association between CRF and HFpEF incidence.

Characterization of Myocardial Injury With High-Sensitivity Troponin.

Background: High-sensitivity troponin I, cardiac form (hs-cTnI) accelerates the assessment of acute coronary syndrome. Little has been documented about its performance, how it relates to different types of myocardial injury, and its impact on morbidity and mortality. This study sought to expand understanding of hs-cTnI by characterizing types of myocardial injury, the impact of comorbidities, and 30-day outcomes.

Antifungal activity of Co(II) and Cu(II) complexes containing 1,3-bis(benzotriazol-1-yl)-propan-2-ol on the growth and virulence traits of fluconazole-resistant Candida species: synthesis, DFT calculations, and biological activity.

Relevant virulence traits in Candida spp. are associated with dimorphic change and biofilm formation, which became an important target to reduce antifungal resistance. In this work, Co(II) complexes containing a benzotriazole derivative ligand showed a promising capacity of reducing these virulence traits.

Changes in Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Survival in Patients With or Without Cardiovascular Disease.

Background: The association between cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and mortality risk is based mostly on 1 CRF assessment. The impact of CRF change on mortality risk is not well-defined.

Objectives: This study sought to evaluate changes in CRF and all-cause mortality.

Quantification of Epicardial Adipose Tissue Volume and Attenuation for Cardiac CT Scans Using Deep Learning in a Single Multi-Task Framework.

Background: Recent studies have shown that epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) is an independent atrial fibrillation (AF) prognostic marker and has influence on the myocardial function. In computed tomography (CT), EAT volume (EATv) and density (EATd) are parameters that are often used to quantify EAT. While increased EATv has been found to correlate with the prevalence and the recurrence of AF after ablation therapy, higher EATd correlates with inflammation due to arrest of lipid maturation and with high risk of plaque presence and plaque progression.

Genetic regulation of OAS1 nonsense-mediated decay underlies association with COVID-19 hospitalization in patients of European and African ancestries.

The chr12q24.13 locus encoding OAS1-OAS3 antiviral proteins has been associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) susceptibility. Here, we report genetic, functional and clinical insights into this locus in relation to COVID-19 severity.

Genome-wide association analysis reveals insights into the genetic architecture of right ventricular structure and function.

Right ventricular (RV) structure and function influence the morbidity and mortality from coronary artery disease (CAD), dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), pulmonary hypertension and heart failure. Little is known about the genetic basis of RV measurements. Here we perform genome-wide association analyses of four clinically relevant RV phenotypes (RV end-diastolic volume, RV end-systolic volume, RV stroke volume, RV ejection fraction) from cardiovascular magnetic resonance images, using a state-of-the-art deep learning algorithm in 29,506 UK Biobank participants.

Generalizable Framework for Atrial Volume Estimation for Cardiac CT Images Using Deep Learning With Quality Control Assessment.

Objectives: Cardiac computed tomography (CCT) is a common pre-operative imaging modality to evaluate pulmonary vein anatomy and left atrial appendage thrombus in patients undergoing catheter ablation (CA) for atrial fibrillation (AF). These images also allow for full volumetric left atrium (LA) measurement for recurrence risk stratification, as larger LA volume (LAV) is associated with higher recurrence rates. Our objective is to apply deep learning (DL) techniques to fully automate the computation of LAV and assess the quality of the computed LAV values.

Left atrial structure and function are associated with cardiovascular outcomes independent of left ventricular measures: a UK Biobank CMR study.

Aims: We evaluated the associations of left atrial (LA) structure and function with prevalent and incident cardiovascular disease (CVD), independent of left ventricular (LV) metrics, in 25 896 UK Biobank participants.

Methods And Results: We estimated the association of cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) metrics [LA maximum volume (LAV), LA ejection fraction (LAEF), LV mass : LV end-diastolic volume ratio (LVM : LVEDV), global longitudinal strain, and LV global function index (LVGFI)] with vascular risk factors (hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, and smoking), prevalent and incident CVDs [atrial fibrillation (AF), stroke, ischaemic heart disease (IHD), myocardial infarction], all-cause mortality, and CVD mortality. We created uncorrelated CMR variables using orthogonal principal component analysis rotation.

Valsartan in early-stage hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: a randomized phase 2 trial.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is often caused by pathogenic variants in sarcomeric genes and characterized by left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy, myocardial fibrosis and increased risk of heart failure and arrhythmias. There are no existing therapies to modify disease progression. In this study, we conducted a multi-center, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2 clinical trial to assess the safety and efficacy of the angiotensin II receptor blocker valsartan in attenuating disease evolution in early HCM.