Subclinical myocardial changes in rheumatoid arthritis: cardiovascular magnetic resonance evidence of immuno-inflammatory remodeling.

Objectives: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is associated with increased cardiovascular (CV) risk, yet the mechanisms remain unclear. This study aimed to evaluate myocardial structure, function, and tissue characterization using cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) in RA patients and explore associations with RA disease severity.

Methods: This mixed case-control study included 48 RA patients and 34 age- and sex-matched controls.

Isolated Right Atrial Myocarditis Secondary to Listeria Monocytogenes.

Background: Myocarditis secondary to Listeria monocytogenes is rare but life-threatening.

Case Summary: A 54-year-old woman with a prior history of systemic lupus erythematous on immunosuppression presented with chest pain and fever. Troponin and C-reactive protein levels were elevated, and an electrocardiogram showed T-wave inversion.

Myocardial Remodelling in Aortic Regurgitation: Time to Think Beyond Volumes and Function?

Current guideline criteria for surgical intervention in chronic aortic regurgitation (AR) rely on fixed thresholds of left ventricular size and ejection fraction, but these metrics may overlook early myocardial injury and under-appreciate patient heterogeneity, particularly in women and older adults. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) offers robust quantification of regurgitant volume, three-dimensional ventricular volumes, and both focal (late gadolinium enhancement) and diffuse (T1-mapping-derived extracellular volume) fibrosis. Observational studies have linked CMR-detected fibrosis to worse clinical outcomes and less favourable reverse remodelling after valve intervention, suggesting that fibrosis may mark the transition from compensated overload to irreversible myocardial damage.

Clinical care of family members of patients with dilated cardiomyopathy.

Genetic family screening following the detection of a pathogenic or likely pathogenic variant in a proband with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) remains one of the main applications of genetic testing. While cardiac screening is recommended for all first-degree relatives, the a priori risk among family members varies. Consequently, screening regimens should be tailored according to both genetic and clinical information at the individual and familial level.

Treatment de-escalation for metastatic good-risk seminoma with carboplatin AUC10: predictive factors and patterns of relapse.

Background: We have previously demonstrated that carboplatin AUC10 is a viable alternative to cisplatin-based combination chemotherapy for patients with metastatic good-risk seminoma. The International Germ Cell Cancer Collaborative Group (IGCCCG) update identified lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) as an adverse prognostic marker in those receiving cisplatin-based therapies but its relevance in patients treated with carboplatin AUC10 is unknown.

Objectives: To update survival outcomes of patients treated with carboplatin AUC10, explore patterns of treatment relapse and determine the impact of clinical and biochemical factors on oncological outcomes.

Prevalence and Clinical Implications of Sleep Apnea in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.

Importance: Sleep disordered breathing (SDB) is a well-established contributor to cardiovascular morbidity, mediated by intermittent hypoxemia, autonomic dysregulation, and endothelial dysfunction. Patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) may be especially at risk for SDB, but the clinical impact of SDB in this population remains unclear.

Objective: To define the prevalence and subtypes of SDB in HCM and examine their association with echocardiographic parameters and cardiac biomarker expression.

Tricuspid regurgitation velocity reflects pulmonary artery mean pressure better than systolic pressure in cardiogenic shock.

In this exploratory analysis of 35 patients with ischemic cardiogenic shock, we evaluated the correlation between tricuspid regurgitation velocity (TRV) and pulmonary artery catheter-derived pressures. TRV correlated best with pulmonary artery mean pressure ( = 0.54,  = 0.

Electromechanically Optimized Right Ventricular Pacing for Obstructive Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (EMORI-HCM).

Background: Many patients with symptomatic obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (oHCM) have devices capable of right ventricular pacing (RVP). Although pacing can reduce left ventricular outflow tract gradient (LVOTg), it can also reduce cardiac output, so its net effect is variable.

Objective: We tested whether electromechanical optimisation of the programmed atrio-ventricular delay (AVD) allows RVP to achieve a net benefit on symptoms.

Aficamten or Metoprolol Monotherapy for Obstructive Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.

Background: Beta-blockers have been the initial treatment for symptomatic obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) despite limited evidence of their efficacy. Aficamten is a cardiac myosin inhibitor that reduces left ventricular outflow tract gradients, improves exercise capacity, and decreases HCM symptoms when added to standard medications. Whether aficamten as monotherapy provides greater clinical benefit than beta-blockers as monotherapy remains unknown.

Uveal Melanoma UK national guidelines: 2023 update.

UK Guidelines for the management of uveal melanoma (UM) were first published in 2015 using an evidence-based systematic approach. The primary aim of this guideline was to optimise patient care by providing recommendations based on the best available scientific evidence. The resulting guideline reflected the strengths and weaknesses of the available evidence, made recommendations that were clinically impactful around prognostication, surveillance, and treatment for patients with primary lesions and metastatic disease.

Hypercontractile phenotype in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy indicates unfavorable hemodynamics, coronary flow and prognosis.

Aims: Our aim was to assess the clinical and prognostic significance of the left ventricular (LV) hypercontractile phenotype (HP) in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), which until now remains unclear.

Methods And Results: We enrolled 1533 HCM patients (age 51 ± 15 years, 965 males, 63%) with ejection fraction (EF) ≥ 50%, referred for rest transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) in 27 laboratories from 13 countries. Two-dimensional volumetric TTE assessment included LV outflow tract gradient (LVOTG), LV EF, and LV force (systolic blood pressure + LVOTG/ESV, mmHg/mL).

Atlas of interventional cardiology 2023: European Society of Cardiology and European Association of Percutaneous Coronary Interventions.

Aims: To provide the most comprehensive assessment to date of interventional cardiology practices across ESC national society member countries, with a focus on infrastructure, procedural volumes, temporal trends (2013-2022), regional disparities, and adherence to guideline-recommended care.

Methods: The third edition of the ESC-EAPCI Atlas presents data from 50 ESC national society member countries, collected through a dedicated 2023 survey of national cardiac societies and interventional working groups. Data were subjected to a rigorous multi-step quality control process to ensure consistency and accuracy.

European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging survey on imaging for myocardial viability.

Aims: To evaluate the current role and practice patterns in myocardial viability assessment through a European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI) survey.

Methods And Results: A total of 179 participants from 54 countries completed the survey. Most participants worked in tertiary centres (60.

Multi-centre Investigation of Cardiac Diffusion Tensor Imaging in Healthy Volunteers by SCMR Cardiac Diffusion Special Interest Group NETwork (SIGNET).

Background: Cardiac diffusion tensor imaging (cDTI) is an emerging technique for microstructural characterization of the heart and has shown clinical potential in a range of cardiomyopathies. However, there is substantial variation reported for in vivo cDTI results across the literature, and sensitivity of cDTI to differences in imaging sites, scanners, acquisition protocols and post-processing methods remains incompletely understood.

Methods: SIGNET is a prospective multi-centre, observational study in travelling and non-travelling healthy volunteers.

Fluctuations of epicardial adipose tissue and cardiovascular health: A useful biomarker? A comprehensive review.

Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) is a fat layer of the heart located between the pericardium and myocardium and considered to be an important fat depot of the heart bearing thermoregulatory and protective functions, amongst others. Understanding of the dynamics of EAT, both positive and negative, opens new avenues for future cardiovascular research, including the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic tools. The aim of the study was to conduct a comprehensive literature review on the role of EAT, the factors influencing the change of its size, and to learn a causative relationship between fluctuations of EAT and different physiological and pathological conditions.

Long-Term Outcomes After Cardiac Arrest: Protocol for the Extended Follow-Up Sub-Study of the STEPCARE Trial.

Background: The international multi-center randomized controlled STEPCARE-trial will investigate optimal management of sedation, temperature, and mean arterial pressure (MAP) during intensive care in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients due to various etiologies. The primary outcome is mortality at 6 months. This protocol describes an extended follow-up sub-study of the STEPCARE-trial with the main objective to provide detailed long-term outcomes for survivors and caregivers.

Mitochondrial Dysfunction Contributes to Sustained Muscle Loss After Cardiac Surgery: A Prospective Observational Study.

Background: As a major systemic insult, cardiac surgery can lead to significant muscle loss, which increases the time to recovery as well as being correlated with mortality. Highly variable loss of muscle mass (0%-40% rectus femoris cross-sectional area [RFcsa]) and strength in the week after surgery has aided understanding of mechanisms of sarcopenia after acute illness. To include muscle recovery, patients' muscle phenotype beyond the first week after surgery and up to their return as outpatients was studied and correlated with protein and metabolomic markers.

Disease Penetrance in Genotype-Positive But Clinically Unaffected Relatives From Families With Dilated Cardiomyopathy.

Background: Serial clinical assessment of genotype-positive relatives from families with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is recommended, but there are limited data to guide screening intervals.

Objectives: This study sought to understand the influence of age, sex, and genotype on disease expression.

Methods: Families with a DCM phenotype and a likely pathogenic or pathogenic variant in DCM-related genes were identified.

The landscape of conventional and artificial intelligence-based clinical prediction models in non-small-cell lung cancer: from development to real-world validation.

Globally, lung cancer remains the most common cause of cancer mortality, with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) being the most common subtype of lung cancer diagnosed. This review paper provides a comprehensive landscape of clinical prediction models (CPMs) in NSCLC, including in early-stage and metastatic disease, and the recent acceleration of artificial intelligence integration. Prediction models are developed using multimodal patient data to allow oncologists to make evidence-based decisions regarding patient treatment options.

High-Precision Hemodynamic and Echocardiographic Assessment of Pacing in Obstructive Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.

Background: Left ventricular outflow obstruction drives symptoms and outcomes in obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (oHCM). Right ventricular pacing (RVP) can desynchronize the left ventricle to relieve this and allows control of atrioventricular delay (AVD) but may impair ventricular function. We used high-precision assessment to quantify the hemodynamic and echocardiographic effects of RVP in oHCM.

Updating the classification and routine diagnosis of NSAID hypersensitivity reactions: A WAO Statement.

Hypersensitivity reactions to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have been classified as immediate (or acute) and delayed. Immediate reactions can be further classified into 4 clinical types: NSAID-exacerbated respiratory disease (N-ERD), NSAID-exacerbated cutaneous disease (NECD), NSAID-induced urticaria/angioedema (NIUA), and single NSAID-induced urticaria/angioedema/anaphylaxis (SNIUAA). Specifically, the NIUA type references reactions to ≥2 NSAIDs belonging to different chemical groups, involving urticaria and/or angioedema in patients with no underlying chronic spontaneous urticaria.

Prognostic Role of Myocarditis-Like Episodes and Their Treatment in Patients With Pathogenic Desmoplakin Variants.

Background: Inflammatory, myocarditis-like episodes precede and are associated with higher risk of sustained ventricular arrhythmias and heart failure in patients with pathogenic or likely pathogenic desmoplakin (DSP) variants. Whether the recurrence and treatment of myocarditis-like episodes influence the outcomes in this population is unknown. This study aimed to assess the prognostic impact of the recurrence and treatment of myocarditis-like episodes in patients with pathogenic or likely pathogenic DSP variants.

Development of a Health-related Quality of Life Questionnaire for Patients with Metastatic or Localized Renal Cell Carcinoma.

Background And Objective: Despite significant advances in treatments for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) over the past decade, health-related quality of life (HRQOL) assessments have not been updated to reflect these developments. The aim of our study was to refine assessment of HRQOL for patients with localized or metastatic RCC.

Methods: We conducted a four-phase international study (August 2022-October 2024).