Aims Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) improves cardiac function, heart failure symptoms, and prognosis in selected patients. Many baseline characteristics associated with heart failure may... Show moreAims Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) improves cardiac function, heart failure symptoms, and prognosis in selected patients. Many baseline characteristics associated with heart failure may influence prognosis after CRT. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of several baseline characteristics in relation to long-term prognosis in heart failure patients treated with CRT. Methods and results A total of 716 consecutive heart failure patients treated with CRT were included in an observational registry. All available data, including clinical and echocardiographic measurements, were analysed in relation to two endpoints: all-cause mortality and a combined endpoint of all-cause mortality or major cardiovascular event. Outcome data were collected by chart review, device interrogation, and telephone contact. Mean follow-up was 25 +/- 19 months. During follow-up, 141 patients (20%) died (primary endpoint). Most of these patients (61%) died due to worsening heart failure. A total of 214 patients (30%) reached the secondary endpoint. Larger left ventricular end-systolic volume, less distance covered in the 6 min walking test, poor renal function, more severe heart failure, male gender, presence of atrial fibrillation, no posterolateral left ventricular (LV) lead, and no LV dyssynchrony were associated with poor prognosis after CRT. Conclusions In this large single-centre registry, several baseline clinical and echocardiographic characteristics were associated with prognosis after CRT. Worsening heart failure was the main cause of death in heart failure patients treated with CRT. Show less
Background-Previous studies have shown that the presence of stenosis alone on multislice computed tomography (MSCT) has a limited positive predictive value for the presence of ischemia on... Show moreBackground-Previous studies have shown that the presence of stenosis alone on multislice computed tomography (MSCT) has a limited positive predictive value for the presence of ischemia on myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI). The purpose of this study was to assess which variables of atherosclerosis on MSCT angiography are related to ischemia on MPI. Methods and Results-Both MSCT and MPI were performed in 514 patients. On MSCT, the calcium score, degree of stenosis (>= 50% and >= 70% stenosis), and plaque extent and location were determined. Plaque composition was classified as noncalcified, mixed, or calcified. Ischemia was defined as a summed difference score (>= 2 on a per-patient basis. Ischemia was observed in 137 patients (27%). On a per-patient basis, multivariate analysis showed that the degree of stenosis (presence of (>= 70% stenosis, odds ratio=3.5), plaque extent and composition (mixed plaques (>= 3, odds ratio=1.7; calcified plaques >= 3, odds ratio=2.0), and location (atherosclerotic disease in the left main coronary artery and/or proximal left anterior descending coronary artery, odds ratio=1.6) were independent predictors for ischemia on MPI. In addition, MSCT variables of atherosclerosis, such as plaque extent, composition, and location, had significant incremental value for the prediction of ischemia over the presence of >= 70% stenosis. Conclusions-In addition to the degree of stenosis, MSCT variables of atherosclerosis describing plaque extent, composition, and location are predictive of the presence of ischemia on MPI. (Circ Cardiovasc Imaging. 2010; 3: 718-726.) Show less
Background. Restrictive mitral annuloplasty (RMA) is increasingly applied to treat functional mitral regurgitation in heart failure patients. Previous studies indicated beneficial clinical effects... Show moreBackground. Restrictive mitral annuloplasty (RMA) is increasingly applied to treat functional mitral regurgitation in heart failure patients. Previous studies indicated beneficial clinical effects with low recurrence rates. However, the underlying pathophysiology is complex and outcome in terms of left ventricular function is not well known. We investigated chronic effects of RMA on ventricular function in relation to clinical outcome. Methods. Heart failure patients (n = 11) with severe mitral regurgitation scheduled for RMA were analyzed at baseline (presurgery) and midterm follow-up by invasive pressure-volume loops, using conductance catheters. Clinical performance was evaluated by New York Heart Association class, quality-of-life-score, and 6-minute hall-walk-test. Results. All patients were alive without recurrence of mitral regurgitation at follow-up (9.4 +/- 4.1 months). Clinical parameters improved significantly (all p < 0.05). Global cardiac function, assessed by cardiac output, stroke volume, and stroke work did not change after RMA. Reverse remodeling was demonstrated by decreased end-systolic and end-diastolic volumes (16% and 11%, both p < 0.001). Systolic function improved, evidenced by increased ejection fraction (0.32 +/- 0.05 to 0.36 +/- 0.07, p = 0.001) and leftward shift of the end-systolic pressure-volume relation (ESV100: 116 +/- 43 to 74 +/- 26 mL, p < 0.001). Diastolic function, however, demonstrated impairment by increased tau (69 +/- 13 to 80 +/- 14 ms, p < 0.001) and stiffness constant (0.022 +/- 0.022 to 0.031 +/- 0.028 mL(-1), p = 0.001). Conclusions. Restrictive mitral annuloplasty significantly improved clinical status without recurrence of mitral regurgitation at midterm follow-up in patients with heart failure. Hemodynamic analyses demonstrated significant reverse remodeling with unchanged global function and improved systolic function, but some signs of diastolic impairment. Overall, RMA appears an appropriate therapy for patients with dilated cardiomyopathy and functional mitral regurgitation. (Ann Thorac Surg 2010;90:1913-21) (C) 2010 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Show less
AIMS: The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether subclinical left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction is independently related to subclinical coronary atherosclerosis in type 2 diabetic... Show moreAIMS: The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether subclinical left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction is independently related to subclinical coronary atherosclerosis in type 2 diabetic patients and if it could provide incremental information over baseline characteristics to identify high-risk patients. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 234 asymptomatic, type 2 diabetic patients without overt LV systolic dysfunction underwent coronary artery calcium (CAC) scoring and two-dimensional echocardiography. The LV global longitudinal strain (GLS) was assessed using automated function imaging. Patients with coronary atherosclerosis (CAC > 0; n = 139) had more impaired GLS when compared with patients without coronary atherosclerosis (CAC = 0; n = 95; -18.0 ± 2.8 vs. -16.3 ± 3.0%, P < 0.001). At multivariate analysis, male gender, hypertension, hypercholesterolaemia, and the LV GLS were independently associated with coronary atherosclerosis. The addition of the LV GLS to other selected independent clinical variables significantly improved the ability to predict coronary atherosclerosis in these patients (χ(2) = 58.92; P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Type 2 diabetic patients with coronary atherosclerosis showed a more impaired LV GLS compared with patients without coronary atherosclerosis. The presence of subclinical LV systolic dysfunction provides significant incremental value for the identification of diabetic patients having coronary atherosclerosis. Show less
The interesting data reported by Bernhardt et al. strengthen the diagnostic benefit of CMR in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy. Consequently, the presence, location and size of the CMR... Show moreThe interesting data reported by Bernhardt et al. strengthen the diagnostic benefit of CMR in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy. Consequently, the presence, location and size of the CMR-determined scar tissue may be used for better risk stratification in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy eligible for ICD therapy. Show less
Aims The positive predictive value of multidetector computed tomography angiography (CTA) for detecting significant stenosis remains limited. Possibly CTA may be more accurate in the evaluation of... Show moreAims The positive predictive value of multidetector computed tomography angiography (CTA) for detecting significant stenosis remains limited. Possibly CTA may be more accurate in the evaluation of atherosclerosis rather than in the evaluation of stenosis severity. However, a comprehensive assessment of the diagnostic performance of CTA in comparison with both conventional coronary angiography (CCA) and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) is lacking. Therefore, the aim of the study was to systematically investigate the diagnostic performance of CTA for two endpoints, namely detecting significant stenosis (using CCA as the reference standard) vs. detecting the presence of atherosclerosis (using IVUS as the reference of standard). Methods and results A total of 100 patients underwent CTA followed by both CCA and IVUS. Only those segments in which IVUS imaging was performed were included for CTA and quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) analysis. On CTA, each segment was evaluated for significant stenosis (defined as ≥50% luminal narrowing), on CCA significant stenosis was defined as a stenosis ≥50%. Second, on CTA, each segment was evaluated for atherosclerotic plaque; atherosclerosis on IVUS was defined as a plaque burden of ≥40% cross-sectional area. CTA correctly ruled out significant stenosis in 53 of 53 (100%) patients. However, nine patients (19%) were incorrectly diagnosed as having significant lesions on CTA resulting in sensitivity, specificity, positive, and negative predictive values of 100, 85, 81, and 100%. CTA correctly ruled out the presence of atherosclerosis in 7 patients (100%) and correctly identified the presence of atherosclerosis in 93 patients (100%). No patients were incorrectly classified, resulting in sensitivity, specificity, positive, and negative predictive values of 100%. Conclusions The present study is the first to confirm using both CCA and IVUS that the diagnostic performance of CTA is superior in the evaluation of the presence or the absence of atherosclerosis when compared with the evaluation of significant stenosis. Show less
OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to analyze whether QRS duration, before and after pulmonary valve replacement (PVR), is related to long-term outcome in patients with tetralogy of Fallot (TOF).... Show moreOBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to analyze whether QRS duration, before and after pulmonary valve replacement (PVR), is related to long-term outcome in patients with tetralogy of Fallot (TOF). BACKGROUND Key factors that determine outcome after PVR in adult TOF patients are largely unknown. Recognition of such factors assists the identification of patients at increased risk of adverse events. METHODS Adults who previously underwent total correction for TOF (n=90; age 31.4±10.3 years) and required PVR for pulmonary regurgitation were included. The QRS duration was measured pre-operatively and 6 months after PVR. The post-operative changes in QRS duration were calculated. Adverse events (death, re-PVR, ventricular tachycardia, and symptomatic heart failure) were noted during follow-up. RESULTS During 5.5±3.5 years of follow-up, 13 adverse events occurred. The 5-year event-free survival rate was 76% for patients with a pre-operative QRS duration>180 ms and 90% in patients with a QRS duration≤180 ms (p=0.037). For patients with a post-operative QRS duration>180 ms, 5-year event-free survival was 71%, whereas it was 91% for patients with a post-operative QRS duration≤180 ms (p=0.004). After multivariate correction, a post-operative QRS duration>180 ms (hazard ratio: 3.685, 95% confidence interval: 1.104 to 12.304, p<0.05) and the absence of a reduction in QRS duration post-PVR (hazard ratio: 6.767, 95% confidence interval: 1.704 to 26.878, p<0.01), was significantly associated with adverse outcome. CONCLUSIONS Severe QRS prolongation, before or after PVR, and the absence of a reduction in QRS duration after PVR, are major determinants of adverse outcome during long-term follow-up of patients with TOF. Show less
Scherptong, R.W.C.; Hazekamp, M.G.; Mulder, B.J.M.; Wijers, O.; Swenne, C.A.; Wall, E.E. van der; ... ; Vliegen, H.W. 2010
Objectives The aim of this study was to analyze whether QRS duration, before and after pulmonary valve replacement (PVR), is related to long-term outcome in patients with tetralogy of Fallot (TOF).... Show moreObjectives The aim of this study was to analyze whether QRS duration, before and after pulmonary valve replacement (PVR), is related to long-term outcome in patients with tetralogy of Fallot (TOF). Background Key factors that determine outcome after PVR in adult TOF patients are largely unknown. Recognition of such factors assists the identification of patients at increased risk of adverse events. Methods Adults who previously underwent total correction for TOF (n = 90; age 31.4 +/- 10.3 years) and required PVR for pulmonary regurgitation were included. The QRS duration was measured pre-operatively and 6 months after PVR. The post-operative changes in QRS duration were calculated. Adverse events (death, re-PVR, ventricular tachycardia, and symptomatic heart failure) were noted during follow-up. Results During 5.5 +/- 3.5 years of follow-up, 13 adverse events occurred. The 5-year event-free survival rate was 76% for patients with a pre-operative QRS duration >180 ms and 90% in patients with a QRS duration <= 180 ms (p = 0.037). For patients with a post-operative QRS duration >180 ms, 5-year event-free survival was 71%, whereas it was 91% for patients with a post-operative QRS duration <= 180 ms (p = 0.004). After multivariate correction, a post-operative QRS duration >180 ms (hazard ratio: 3.685, 95% confidence interval: 1.104 to 12.304, p < 0.05) and the absence of a reduction in QRS duration post-PVR (hazard ratio: 6.767, 95% confidence interval: 1.704 to 26.878, p < 0.01), was significantly associated with adverse outcome. Conclusions Severe QRS prolongation, before or after PVR, and the absence of a reduction in QRS duration after PVR, are major determinants of adverse outcome during long-term follow-up of patients with TOF. (J Am Coll Cardiol 2010;56:1486-92) (C) 2010 by the American College of Cardiology Foundation Show less
Antoni, M.L.; Scherptong, R.W.C.; Atary, J.Z.; Boersma, E.; Holman, E.R.; Wall, E.E. van der; ... ; Bax, J.J. 2010
