Prognostic value of ultrasound-assessed upper limb muscle thickness on mortality in older patients with heart failure: A post-hoc analysis of the SONIC-HF cohort study.

Background And Aims: Upper limb muscle thickness assessed by ultrasound could be useful to estimate whole body muscle mass. We investigated the association between low upper limb muscle thickness and prognosis in older patients with heart failure (HF).

Methods And Results: This study was a post-hoc analysis of a prospective multicenter cohort, namely, the SONIC-HF study.

Determinants and Clinical Impact of Visit-to-visit Blood Pressure Variability in Patients with Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction.

Introduction: Blood pressure (BP) affects the prognosis of patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). However, the implications of its variability are poorly understood. This study aimed to explore the determinants and prognostic significance of visit-to-visit BP variability (V2V-BPV) in HFpEF.

The prognostic value of small psoas muscle area in patients undergoing mitral transcatheter edge-to-edge repair.

Sarcopenia may be more advanced in high-surgical-risk patients undergoing mitral transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (M-TEER). However, the clinical significance of psoas muscle area (PMA), measured by computed tomography (CT) as an index of sarcopenia, remains uncertain in this population. To determine the association between PMA and clinical outcomes following M-TEER in high-risk patients.

Long-term prognostic value of Heart Failure Association Pretest Assessment, Echocardiography and Natriuretic Peptide, Functional Testing, Final Etiology score in patients undergoing isolated surgical aortic valve replacement for severe aortic stenosis.

Objective: The Heart Failure Association Pretest assessment, Echocardiography and Natriuretic Peptide, Functional Testing, Final Etiology score was proposed as a diagnostic tool for heart failure with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction. This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of the Heart Failure Association Pretest assessment, Echocardiography and Natriuretic Peptide, Functional Testing, Final Etiology score in patients undergoing isolated surgical aortic valve replacement for severe aortic stenosis with preserved ventricular ejection fraction.

Methods: A total of 193 patients who underwent isolated surgical aortic valve replacement for severe aortic stenosis with preserved ventricular ejection fraction (≥50%) between October 2012 and April 2017 were retrospectively analyzed.

Efficacy of transcatheter patent foramen ovale closure for drug-resistant migraine: initial experience in Japan and long-term outcome.

This study evaluates the efficacy and safety of transcatheter patent foramen ovale (PFO) closure for the treatment of drug-resistant migraine in Japan. Previous studies have suggested a potential benefit for migraine with aura, although large-scale trials in the United States and Europe have failed to confirm efficacy as a primary endpoint. The study included 27 patients (mean age 36.

Current findings and challenges on frailty, sarcopenia, and cachexia in older patients with heart failure: insights from the FRAGILE-HF study.

Frailty has increasingly been recognized as an important factor influencing the prognosis of older patients with heart failure (HF). While previous studies have primarily focused on physical frailty, the need for comprehensive frailty assessments, including assessments of cognitive and social aspects, has been emphasized for effective HF management. Although the importance of multidimensional frailty assessment has been highlighted in the past, specific indicators for defining multidimensional frailty and its relationship with prognosis have not been clearly established to date.

Design, Rational, and Baseline Characteristics of the SONIC-HF Multicenter Registry.

Introduction: Skeletal muscle mass and function are crucial for assessing physical frailty, sarcopenia, and cachexia, which significantly impact the prognosis of geriatric patients with heart failure (HF). Ultrasound-based assessment of skeletal muscles offers a non-invasive, real-time alternative to traditional methods. The study (SONIC-HF) aimed to evaluate the feasibility and prognostic impact of ultrasound-based muscle assessment in geriatric patients with HF.

Sarcopenia in heart failure: Comparison of prognostic value between the Asian working Group for Sarcopenia 2014 and 2019 criteria.

Aim: Sarcopenia is a prevalent comorbidity among older patients with heart failure. This study aimed to evaluate the differences between sarcopenia diagnosed using the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS) 2014 and 2019 criteria in older patients with heart failure.

Methods: This study is a post hoc sub-analysis of data from the FRAGILE-HF study, a prospective, multicenter, observational study.

Association of Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic Overlap with Physical Function and Prognosis in Older Patients with Heart Failure: A Post-hoc Analysis of the FRAGILE-HF and SONIC-HF.

Aims: The prevalence and impact of cardiovascular, kidney, and metabolic (CKM) overlap on physical function and prognosis in older patients with heart failure (HF) remain unclear. This study aimed to assess the impact of overlapping CKM conditions on physical function and prognosis in older patients with HF.

Methods: This post-hoc analysis of the FRAGILE-HF (main cohort) and SONIC-HF (validation cohort), both prospective multicentre studies, included patients aged ≥65 years who were hospitalised for HF.

Impact of gender differences on optimal oxygen delivery thresholds to prevent acute kidney injury in cardiac surgeries with cardiopulmonary bypass.

Background: The nadir oxygen delivery index (DOi) during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is reportedly associated with acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. However, there are few reports on the relationship between patient sex and the nadir DOi threshold to prevent AKI. The aim of this study was to seek and evaluate the optimal DOi threshold differences between males and females to avoid AKI during on-pump cardiac surgery.

Clinical Impact of Flow-Adjusted Transprosthetic Pressure Gradient After Aortic Valve Replacement.

Background: It is still controversial whether prosthesis-patient mismatch (PPM) adversely affects long-term outcomes after aortic valve replacement (AVR). The aim of this study was to examine whether flow-adjusted pressure gradient is a valid new indicator of long-term outcomes.

Methods: Data collected from 184 patients undergoing isolated AVR for severe aortic stenosis from October 2012 to September 2016 were analyzed.

Validation of Guideline Recommendation on Sudden Cardiac Death Prevention in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.

Background: To prevent sudden cardiac death (SCD) in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), the HCM Risk-SCD calculator and guideline recommendations are used to aid decision making for implantable cardioverter-defibrillator placement.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the clinical profiles and occurrence of SCD by phenotypes of HCM and validate the performance of the current guidelines from a large-scale Japanese multicenter registry.

Methods: This was a retrospective, multicenter, observational, longitudinal cohort study that enrolled 3,611 consecutive patients with HCM.

A case of fatal acute saddle embolism of the terminal aorta after long-term support using Impella CP.

A 69-year-old male diagnosed with subacute myocardial infarction was subsequently transferred to our institution. Upon admission, echocardiography revealed ventricular septal rupture (VSR). The patient was promptly supported via venoarterial (VA) extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and Impella CP before surgical VSR repair on the 12th day of admission.

Association of pre-admission exercise habit with post-discharge outcomes for older patients with heart failure.

Aims: The benefits of exercise in patients with heart failure are well documented. However, to date, the association between exercise habits and prognosis is yet to be evaluated. In this study, we investigated the association between pre-hospital exercise habits and post-discharge prognosis in older adult patients with heart failure.

Prognostic Value of Sarcopenia Definitions and Outcomes Consortium Criteria in Older Patients with Heart Failure.

Objectives: The Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia in 2019 (AWGS 2019) emphasized muscle mass measurements. In contrast, the Sarcopenia Definitions and Outcomes Consortium (SDOC) prioritizes functional strength and mobility. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the prognostic utility of the SDOC and AWGS 2019 criteria for all-cause mortality in older patients with heart failure.

Bioprosthetic Valve Positions in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation - Insights From the BPV-AF Registry.

Background: Data on the impact of valve position on clinical outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and bioprosthetic valves (BPVs) are limited.

Methods And Results: The BPV-AF Registry was a multicenter, prospective, observational study involving 894 patients with BPVs and AF. In this post-hoc substudy, patients were classified according to BPV position: aortic (n=588; 65.