Development and Evaluation of a Patient-Family Caregiver Dyad mHealth Intervention for Heart Failure Self-Care: Quasi-Experimental Study.

Background: A patient-family caregiver dyad approach is necessary to improve adherence to self-care behaviors by patients with heart failure (HF). However, there is a lack of mobile health (mHealth) interventions that engage both patients and their family caregivers to promote HF self-care.

Objective: The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to develop and confirm the feasibility and effectiveness of a novel mHealth intervention based on patient-family caregiver dyads for promoting adherence to self-care by patients with HF.

Smoking Cessation and Incident Cardiovascular Disease.

Importance: The association between smoking cessation and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in relation to cumulative smoking exposure remains poorly understood.

Objective: To evaluate the associations among smoking cessation, lifetime smoking burden, and CVD risk according to the number of years elapsed after smoking cessation.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This retrospective cohort study of the Korean National Health Insurance Service database investigated smoking duration and intensity between January 2006 and December 2008.

Deep learning model for intravascular ultrasound image segmentation with temporal consistency.

This study was conducted to develop and validate a deep learning model for delineating intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) images of coronary arteries.Using a total of 1240 40-MHz IVUS pullbacks with 191,407 frames, the model for lumen and external elastic membrane (EEM) segmentation was developed. Both frame- and vessel-level performances and clinical impact of the model on 3-year cardiovascular events were evaluated in the independent data sets.

Temporal trends in adherence to lifestyle recommendations of patients with hypertension in Korea, 2007-2021.

Adherence to lifestyle recommendations is crucial in managing hypertension, independent of medical treatment. This study aimed to evaluate the implementation of adherence to lifestyle recommendations and analyze the trends in adherence to lifestyle recommendations among patients with hypertension in Korea from 2007 to 2021 using the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). The study included adults aged ≥20 years.

Pregnancy related complications in women with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: a nationwide population-based cohort study.

Background: The impact of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) on cardiovascular and obstetrical outcomes in pregnant women remains unclear, particularly in Asian populations. This study aimed to evaluate the maternal cardiovascular and obstetrical outcomes in Korean women with HCM.

Methods: Using data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service database, we identified women who gave birth via cesarean section or vaginal delivery after being diagnosed with HCM between 2006 and 2019.

Different association of atherogenic index of plasma with the risk of high platelet reactivity according to the presentation of acute myocardial infarction.

This study evaluated the association of atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) with platelet reactivity and clinical outcomes according to acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The composite of 3-year adverse outcomes of all-cause death, myocardial infarction, and cerebrovascular accident was evaluated in 10,735 patients after successful percutaneous coronary intervention with drug-eluting stents. AIP was defined as the base 10 logarithm of the ratio of triglyceride to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentration.

The effects of a 24-week interactive text message-based mobile health intervention for enhancing self-care behaviours of patients with heart failure: A quasi-experimental study.

Aims: The aim of this study was to identify the effects of a 24-week interactive text message-based mobile health intervention (called) on enhancing the self-care behaviours of patients with heart failure.

Background: Whether text message-based mobile health intervention can be used to improve long-term adherence to self-care behaviours among heart failure patients remains unclear.

Design: A quasi-experimental study with a pretest-post-test design and repeated measures.

Prevalence and factors associated with pre-frailty and frailty among Korean older adults with heart failure.

Aim: To describe the prevalence and associated factors of pre-frailty and frailty in older patients with heart failure.

Design: Secondary analysis of data collected across two cross-sectional surveys on self-care behaviours of patients with heart failure.

Methods: We analysed the data of patients with heart failure who were 60 years or older (n = 407) in cardiovascular outpatient clinics at two tertiary medical centres in South Korea between 2018 and 2019.

Videoscope-assisted transaortic myectomy in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with complex left ventricular anatomy.

Background: The transaortic approach is the most common method of septal myectomy. However, difficulties arise due to a limited view of the surgical field. Here, we report our experience with videoscope-assisted transaortic myectomy.

Chromosomal abnormalities and atrial fibrillation and ischemic stroke incidence: a nationwide population-based study.

There is a paucity of information as to whether chromosomal abnormalities, including Down Syndrome, Turner Syndrome, and Klinefelter Syndrome, have an association with atrial fibrillation (AF) and ischemic stroke development. Data from 3660 patients with Down Syndrome, 2408 with Turner Syndrome, and 851 with Klinefelter Syndrome without a history of AF and ischemic stroke were collected from the Korean National Health Insurance Service (2007-2014). These patients were followed-up for new-onset AF and ischemic stroke.

Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio in Patients with Acute Heart Failure Predicts In-Hospital and Long-Term Mortality.

The application of a simple blood test to predict prognosis in acute heart failure (AHF) patients is not well established. Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is inexpensive and easy to obtain in hospitalized patients using a routine blood test. We evaluate the prognostic implications of NLR as an independent predictor of in-hospital and long-term mortality in AHF patients.

Association of Plasma Marker of Oxidized Lipid with Histologic Plaque Instability in Patients with Peripheral Artery Disease.

Background: The association between oxidized low-density lipoprotein (OxLDL) and plaque instability in coronary and carotid artery disease is well established. However, the association between OxLDL and the histologic changes of plaque in peripheral artery disease has not been clearly elucidated. This study aims to investigate the association between plasma OxLDL and histologic plaque instability in patients with peripheral artery disease.

Association between obesity type and obstructive coronary artery disease in stable symptomatic postmenopausal women: data from the KoRean wOmen'S chest pain rEgistry (KoROSE).

Objectives: This study investigated the association between obesity type and obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) in postmenopausal women.

Methods: Study data were obtained from a nation-wide registry, composed of 659 women older than 55 years with chest pain undergoing elective invasive coronary angiography in the suspicion of CAD. Obstructive CAD was defined as angiographic findings of ≥50% diameter stenosis with any major epicardial coronary artery.

Prevalence, Awareness, Treatment, and Control of Hypertension in Korea.

The purpose of the present study was to describe the temporal trends in prevalence and management status of hypertension in Korea between 1998 and 2015. Data of adults who were aged 30 years or older were extracted from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a nationwide representative population-based survey. Hypertension was prevalent in 30.

Comparison of Characteristics and 3-Year Outcomes in Patients With Acute Heart Failure With Preserved, Mid-Range, and Reduced Ejection Fraction.

Background: The clinical characteristics and outcomes of acute heart failure (AHF) according to left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) have not been fully elucidated, especially for patients with mid-range LVEF. We performed a comprehensive comparison of the epidemiology, patterns of in-hospital management, and clinical outcomes in AHF patients with different LVEF categories.

Methods and results: The Korean Acute Heart Failure (KorAHF) registry is a prospective multicenter cohort of hospitalized AHF patients in Korea.

Ankylosing spondylitis: A novel risk factor for atrial fibrillation - A nationwide population-based study.

Background: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory rheumatic disease, associated with a number of cardiovascular diseases. We sought to investigate whether AS increases the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF) in a nationwide population-based study.

Methods: A total of 14,129 patients newly diagnosed with AS (mean age 41.

Blood Pressure Control and Cardiovascular Outcomes: Real-world Implications of the 2017 ACC/AHA Hypertension Guideline.

The 2017 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) hypertension guideline lowered the threshold defining hypertension and treatment target from 140/90 mmHg to 130/80 mmHg. We compared the 2017 ACC/AHA guideline and the Eighth Joint National Committee (JNC8) report with regard to the current status of hypertension using the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The association between blood pressure (BP) control and long-term major cardiovascular outcomes (MACEs) was analyzed using the Korea National Health Insurance Service cohort.

Plaque Vulnerability as Assessed by Radiofrequency Intravascular Ultrasound in Patients with Valvular Calcification.

Background: Cardiac valvular calcification is associated with the overall coronary plaque burden and considered an independent cardiovascular risk and prognostic factor. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the presence of valvular calcification and plaque morphology and/or vulnerability.

Methods: Transthoracic echocardiography was used to assess valvular calcification in 280 patients with coronary artery disease who underwent radiofrequency intravascular ultrasound (Virtual Histology IVUS, VH-IVUS).

DICOM-based intravascular ultrasound signal intensity analysis: an Echoplaque Medical Imaging Bench study.

Background: Most intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) data are stored digitally using the Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) standard. This allows random access to studies and improves on the major limitation of conventional grayscale IVUS.

Methods: We harvested 129 coronary arteries from 43 autopsied cases.