Association of exercise-induced pulmonary hypertension with nailfold capillary density in systemic sclerosis: a single-center retrospective observational study.

Objectives: Exercise-induced pulmonary hypertension (exercise PH) is instrumental in the early detection of pulmonary arterial hypertension. However, the prevalence and specific characteristics of exercise PH in systemic sclerosis (SSc), as well as factors that might facilitate its identification, remain inadequately understood. We investigated the clinical profiles of SSc patients diagnosed as PH, exercise PH, or non-PH.

Patient-centered medical tools for sustained motivation in cardiac rehabilitation of patients with heart failure: protocol of a multicenter randomized controlled trial (EXERCISE-HF trial).

Introduction: Heart failure substantially affects the quality of life of patients and imposes notable social and economic burdens. Despite the beneficial effects of cardiac rehabilitation, global participation rates remain low. Recent advances in wearable biometric technologies may improve patient adherence through real-time monitoring and personalized feedback.

The Single-Delayed-Phase Contrast Computed Tomography Before Ablation to Reduce Radiation Exposure Without Compromising Diagnostic Pulmonary Vein Accuracy.

Introduction: Early-phase contrast-enhanced CT (CCT) is often used to plan and guide catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF), and delayed-phase images can be used to detect or exclude left atrial appendage (LAA) thrombosis. However, dual-phase CCT is associated with concerns about radiation exposure; hence, this study aimed to evaluate whether single-delayed-phase images can provide sufficient preoperative information while minimizing radiation exposure.

Methods And Results: A total of 102 patients who underwent dual-phase CCT were analyzed for pulmonary vein (PV) anatomy and LAA thrombus detection.

Effects of peritoneal dialysis fluids on arginine vasopressin dynamics in humans and transgenic rats.

BackgroundFluid retention is a major complication of peritoneal dialysis (PD). Arginine vasopressin (AVP), an antidiuretic hormone, is known to be one of the important factors related to fluid management. However, the effect of the PD fluid (PDF) on AVP dynamics remains unclear.

Characteristics of anxiety about returning to work after implantable cardioverter defibrillator implantation in Japan.

Background: Implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) implantation is an established treatment that reduces the risk of sudden cardiac death; however, patients with ICD have been shown to be anxious. This study aimed to identify the characteristics of anxiety about returning to work after ICD implantation and to explore reemployment support.

Methods: Data from 56,002 patients who worked before admission to the cardiology department were analyzed using the Inpatient Clinico-Occupational Database of the Rosai Hospital Group (2011-2022).

Exercise hemodynamic evaluation in the management of dasatinib-related pulmonary arterial hypertension: a case report.

Background: Dasatinib-related pulmonary arterial hypertension is a rare complication of chronic therapy for hematological malignancies. Pulmonary hypertension often persists despite drug discontinuation and might require vasodilators. Normalizing pulmonary hemodynamics and avoiding the long-term use of vasodilators is challenging.

Marked Improvements in Basal Interventricular Septal Hypertrophy After Aortic Root Replacement for Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm.

Basal interventricular septum (IVS) hypertrophy (BSH) is characterized by a reduced aortoseptal angle and thickened basal IVS. The BSH shape suggests compression by the longitudinally elongated ascending aorta (pseudohypertrophy), further suggesting the possibility of surgical aortic wall shortening to improve the BSH. We report the case of a 77-year-old woman with an asymptomatic dissecting thoracic ascending aortic aneurysm and clear BSH.

Electronic Patient-Reported Outcome System Implementation in Outpatient Cardiovascular Care: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: The integration of patient-reported outcome (PRO) assessments in cardiovascular care has encountered considerable obstacles despite their established clinical relevance.

Objective: To assess the impact of a physician- and patient-friendly electronic PRO (ePRO) monitoring system on the quality of cardiovascular care in clinical practice.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This open-label, multicenter, pilot randomized clinical trial was phase 2 of a multiphase study that was conducted from October 2022 to October 2023 and focused on the implementation and evaluation of an ePRO monitoring system in outpatient clinics in Japan.

Clonal Hematopoiesis in Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension.

Background: The cause of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) remains largely unknown. Recently, clonal hematopoiesis (CH) has been reported to be associated with cardiovascular and thromboembolic diseases. Here, we investigated the prevalence and clinical impact of CH in patients with CTEPH.

CXCL12/CXCR4 pathway as a novel therapeutic target for RNF213-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Genetic backgrounds of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) were not fully investigated. A variant of c.14429G > A (p.

Efficacy of balloon pulmonary angioplasty in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary disease and exercise pulmonary hypertension.

Background: The efficacy of balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) in patients with chronic thromboembolic disease (CTEPD) without pulmonary hypertension (PH) remains unknown. Exercise PH (Ex-PH) is associated with impaired exercise capacity, even when pulmonary hemodynamics are normal at rest. We hypothesized that patients with Ex-PH could be the candidates for BPA.

Proximal superficial femoral artery puncture using an ascending approach for stent re-occlusion in the common femoral artery.

Unlabelled: We aimed to describe a technique for approaching the common femoral artery (CFA) in cases where doing so is difficult owing to an occluded lesion caused by a previously implanted stent. A 72-year-old woman had severe stenotic lesions in both iliac arteries that required an approach via the bilateral femoral arteries. The right CFA had a previously implanted stent and a completely occluded lesion that extended from the superficial femoral artery (SFA).

Cyclophilin D induces necrotic core formation by mediating mitochondria-associated macrophage death in advanced atherosclerotic lesions.

Background And Aims: In advanced atherosclerotic lesions, macrophage deaths result in necrotic core formation and plaque vulnerability. Cyclophilin D (CypD) is a mitochondria-specific cyclophilin involved in the process of cell death after organ ischemia-reperfusion. However, the role of CypD in atherosclerosis, especially in necrotic core formation, is unknown.

Updated pathophysiological overview of functional MR (ventricular and atrial).

Basic mechanism of ventricular functional mitral regurgitation (FMR) is subvalvular tethering. Left ventricular (LV) dilatation, in association with mitral valve (MV) annular dilatation, causes outward displacement of papillary muscles (PMs), which abnormally pulls or tethers MV leaflets, resulting in MV tenting, reduction in leaflets coaptation and MR. Because surgical annuloplasty does shorten distance between anterior and posterior MV annuli to improve coaptation but does not address this subvalvular tethering, ventricular FMR frequently persists or recurs in the chronic stage after surgical annuloplasty.

Potential Effects of Mild Atrial Secondary Mitral Regurgitation in Patients With Isolated Atrial Fibrillation.

Background: Patients with only moderate atrial secondary mitral regurgitation (asMR) frequently develop heart failure (HF). Mechanisms of HF with moderate asMR and the impact of mild asMR remain unclarified. Although mild/moderate primary mitral regurgitation is compensated by left ventricular (LV) dilatation, the LV is not dilated in asMR.

Trial sequential analysis of efficacy and safety of direct oral anticoagulants and vitamin K antagonists against left ventricular thrombus.

Meta-analysis may increase the risk of random errors. Trial sequential analysis (TSA) has been developed to adjust for these random errors. We conducted TSA on the efficacy and safety of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) and vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) in left ventricular thrombus (LVT) patients in order to estimate how many additional patients should be required to draw definite conclusions.

Unusual atrial pacing induced by type II far-field p-wave sensing in a patient with complete atrioventricular block.

An 88-year-old Japanese woman underwent DDD pacemaker (MicroPort KORA 250 DR, V lead: VEGA R52) implantation for complete atrioventricular block. A 12-lead electrocardiogram for a routine examination showed atrial pacing within the intrinsic P wave, followed by inhibition of ventricular pacing. Pacemaker interrogation revealed no abnormalities in the basic parameters; however, ventricular pacing was inhibited by far-field sensing of intrinsic atrial waves before atrial events; type II far-field P-wave sensing.

Effects of contrast medium viscosity into flushing port on artefacts during optical coherence tomography imaging.

Background: Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is becoming the standard imaging modality for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) because of its high resolution. To perform appropriate OCT-guided PCI, it is necessary to avoid artefacts and obtain high-quality images. We investigated the relationship between artefacts and the viscosity of contrast media, which were used to remove air before OCT imaging catheter was inserted into guiding catheter.