Comprehensive cardiac magnetic resonance assessment of right ventricular and left atrial function for early diagnosis of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.

Objectives: To investigate the role of right ventricular (RV) maladaptive response to increased afterload in the early diagnosis of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) and invasive cardiopulmonary exercise testing (iCPET). This study evaluates biventricular function and its association with exercise performance in HFpEF.

Materials And Methods: We prospectively recruited 145 patients with suspected HFpEF from two centers, of whom 113 underwent echocardiography, iCPET, and CMR.

Comparison of subcutaneous and transvenous implantable cardioverter-defibrillators: Insights from a single-center cohort in Taiwan.

Background: Transvenous implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (TV-ICDs) are associated with complications from intravenous leads. Subcutaneous ICDs (S-ICDs) were developed as a safer, effective alternative. This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of S-ICDs in an Asian population.

Fibrosis-4 index reflects the severity of tricuspid regurgitation and patient prognosis in atrial fibrillation.

Aims: Atrial fibrillation is a prevalent disease with increased risk of tricuspid regurgitation (TR), which can worsen prognosis by causing right heart remodelling. Fibrosis-4 index (FIB-4), a composite marker originally developed for liver fibrosis, has been revealed of prognostic value in heart failure. We aimed to clarify the association between FIB-4 and the severity of TR as well as the prognosis.

Right Ventricular Myocardial Work Predicts Pulmonary Capillary Wedge Pressure Rise During Exercise in Heart Failure.

Background: Symptoms of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) are closely related to exercise-induced elevation in pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP). However, the diagnostic role of right ventricular (RV) myocardial work in HFpEF remains unclear.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic utility of RV myocardial work in HFpEF and their correlation with PCWP during exercise.

Chronotropic Incompetence and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Patients With Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction.

Background: Chronotropic incompetence is common in older people and contributes to heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). This prospective study investigated the impact of chronotropic incompetence on cardiovascular outcomes in patients with HFpEF.

Methods And Results: From November 2019 to December 2022, 359 subjects undergoing invasive cardiopulmonary exercise testing for heart failure symptoms were enrolled.

Left Atrial Dimension and CHADS-VASc Score in Predicting Stroke in Patients with Rheumatic Atrial Fibrillation.

Background: Rheumatic atrial fibrillation (AF) patients are at an elevated risk of stroke events, yet the associated risk factors remain unclear.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the CHADS-VASc score in predicting stroke events in rheumatic AF patients and explore potential enhancements for increased predicting accuracy in the Asian population, comparing it to nonvalvular AF.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study spanning March 2010 to December 2020 included 29,341 AF patients followed up for up to 10 years, with 1,942 identified as having rheumatic AF.

Comparative analysis of mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists and renin-angiotensin system inhibitors/angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitor in heart failure with mildly reduced ejection fraction.

Introduction: To clarify the efficacy of mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRA) and renin-angiotensin system inhibitors/angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitors (RASI/ARNI) in heart failure with mildly reduced ejection fraction (HFmrEF).

Methods: This study assessed the association between these medications and outcomes in HFmrEF using data from the National Taiwan University Hospital-integrated Medical Database. The primary outcome was cardiovascular mortality/heart failure hospitalization (HHF).

Colchicine to prevent cardiovascular death after an acute myocardial infarction.

Background: Clinical and experimental evidence have demonstrated the protective benefits of colchicine in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) through its potential anti-inflammatory effect. However, investigations on the Asian population are limited.

Methods: This retrospective longitudinal cohort study used electronic medical records from a tertiary medical center in Taiwan.

Effects of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors on cardiovascular and renal outcomes in people with diabetes and advanced chronic kidney disease.

Aims/hypothesis: Although the benefits of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor (SGLT2i) use in chronic kidney disease (CKD) are well established, the effects of these therapeutic agents in patients with advanced CKD are less certain. We hypothesised that the continued use of these drugs, even when renal function deteriorates to stage 4 CKD or worse, is safe and associated with improved cardiorenal survival.

Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study utilising data from medical records from two institutions.

Long-term exposure to air pollution and the risks of venous thromboembolism: a nationwide population-based retrospective cohort study.

Objectives: To delineate the effects of exposure to air pollution on the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE).

Background: The association between air pollution and arterial occlusive diseases has been well reported in the literature. VTE is the third most common acute cardiovascular syndrome; however, its relationship with exposure to air pollution has been controversial.

Effects of Sacubitril/Valsartan on Survival in Patients with Heart Failure and Significant Valvular Heart Disease.

Although the benefits of sacubitril/valsartan in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) are well established, patients with hemodynamically significant mitral regurgitation (MR) were excluded from pivotal trials. We aimed to assess the effects of sacubitril/valsartan on survival in patients with HFrEF and concomitant significant MR. All patients from a single center who underwent echocardiography between June 2008 and December 2020, with a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of less than 40% and hemodynamically significant MR were recruited.

Effects of Colchicine on Major Adverse Limb and Cardiovascular Events in Patients With Peripheral Artery Disease.

Objective: To assess the effects of colchicine, which has been shown to reduce the risks of coronary artery disease but scarcely studied in peripheral artery disease (PAD), on major adverse limb events (MALE) in patients with PAD.

Methods: This is a retrospective study based on a nationwide database. Patients who were diagnosed with PAD between 2010 and 2020 and prescribed with colchicine after the diagnosis of PAD were identified.

Effect of body mass index on mortality for diabetic patients with aortic stenosis.

Background: Several studies suggest an "obesity paradox," associating obesity with better cardiovascular outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) or aortic stenosis (AS) compared to normal or underweight individuals. This study explores the impact of body mass index (BMI) on diabetic patients with AS.

Methods: Between 2014 and 2019, patients with DM who underwent echocardiography were analyzed.

Incidence and progression of diabetic retinopathy in patients treated with glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists versus sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors: A population-based cohort study.

Aim: Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP1RA) and sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) are both recommended for patients with diabetes, yet their effects on the development or progression of diabetic retinopathy (DR) are largely unknown.

Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, data were collected from a nationwide database. Patients with diabetes who initiated treatment with a GLP1RA or SGLT2i between 1 May 2016 and 31 December 2017, were identified.

Case Report: Lacosamide unmasking -associated Brugada syndrome in a young female with epilepsy.

Background: Lacosamide is frequently used as a mono- or adjunctive therapy for the treatment of adults with epilepsy. Although lacosamide is known to act on both neuronal and cardiac sodium channels, potentially leading to cardiac arrhythmias, including Brugada syndrome (BrS), its adverse effects in individuals with genetic susceptibility are less understood.

Case: We report a 33-year-old female with underlying epilepsy who presented to the emergency department with a four-day history of seizure clusters, and was initially treated with lacosamide therapy.

Epicardial Adipose Tissue Is Associated With Geometry Alteration and Diastolic Dysfunction in Prediabetic Cardiomyopathy.

Background: Diastolic dysfunction and alterations in cardiac geometry are early indicators of diabetic cardiomyopathy. However, the association between cardiac changes across the glucose continuum and the contribution of epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) to these changes has not yet been investigated.

Purpose: In this study, we aimed to investigate the EAT on cardiac diastolic function and structural alterations along the diabetic continuum using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI).

The effect of antiarrhythmic medications on the risk of cardiovascular outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation and coronary artery disease.

Background: While current guidelines recommend amiodarone and dronedarone for rhythm control in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and coronary artery disease (CAD), there was no comparative study of antiarrhythmic drugs (AADs) on the cardiovascular outcomes in general practice.

Methods: This study included patients with AF and CAD who received their first prescription of amiodarone, class Ic AADs (flecainide, propafenone), dronedarone or sotalol between January 2016 and December 2020. The primary outcome was a composite of hospitalization for heart failure (HHF), stroke, acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and cardiovascular death.

Left Ventricular Segmentation, Warping, and Myocardial Registration for Automated Strain Measurement.

The left ventricular global longitudinal strain (LVGLS) is a crucial prognostic indicator. However, inconsistencies in measurements due to the speckle tracking algorithm and manual adjustments have hindered its standardization and democratization. To solve this issue, we proposed a fully automated strain measurement by artificial intelligence-assisted LV segmentation contours.

Long-term Effect of Thyrotropin-binding Inhibitor Immunoglobulin on Atrial Fibrillation in Euthyroid Patients.

Objective: Individuals with hyperthyroidism are at an increased risk of atrial fibrillation (AF), but the association between autoantibodies and AF or cardiovascular mortality in individuals who have returned to normal thyroid function remains unclear.

Methods: The study utilized electronic medical records from National Taiwan University Hospital between 2000 and 2022. Each hyperthyroidism patient had at least 1 thyrotropin-binding inhibiting immunoglobulin (TBII) measurement.